There is a clear calling on the local church to engage in the issue of life. We believe members of the local church should be on the frontlines of protecting the preborn, walking alongside women and men experiencing unexpected pregnancy, and loving the man or woman who has experienced a past abortion and pointing them to healing in Christ.
The Life Initiative at Watermark was started to equip the church to do just that. In January, six of us traveled together to Washington, D.C. to join alongside the broader church body in showing our support for life and stand against abortion at the annual March for Life.
Before the march, we engaged with Texas representatives to share what we are doing with The Life Initiative and how they could support by promoting the Texas ProLife Network. Our goal with the Texas ProLife Network is to connect with like-minded church leaders focused on developing best practices in pro-life ministry with the vision to make Texas the leading state in the nation addressing issues related to unexpected pregnancy, abortion, and equal protection for the preborn. We were encouraged by the representatives that shared our convictions on this topic and who are working on legislation that stands against abortion although many have a limited perception for how policies and legislation that outlaw some aspects of abortion reinforce the idea that abortion at any stage is ethical.
On Friday, January 24, we joined the 47th annual March for Life as hundreds of thousands of people flooded the nation’s capital to participate in the event. President Trump spoke at the rally for the march, marking history by being the first president to make an appearance at the March for Life. The sheer volume of people involved in the march was exciting to see. It reminds us that we are in this fight together working to make abortion unthinkable.
During the march, we posted up along the route to invite others into conversation with us through the messages on our signs that read: “Who is leading pro-life efforts at your church? Ask me how you can lead!”; “Texas ProLife Network unifying the church for the preborn in Texas.” and “Every Life Is Worth More.” It was a great opportunity to watch the masses go by and be encouraged by those who stopped to chat with us.
On Saturday, we attended the first ever National Pro-Life Summit, hosted by Students for Life of America, Live Action, Alliance Defending Freedom, and The Heritage Foundation. This inaugural event served as an incredible opportunity to equip our students to better engage in this day-in-age about the pro-life cause and provided practical information and tools for local communities.
Being part of a nationwide community working towards the same goal of changing the way we view life and equipping us to serve women and men facing unexpected pregnancy was inspiring!
If you would like to get involved and serve with The Life Initiative, email thelifeinitiative@watermark.org.
