EDITOR’S NOTE — Jan. 21 is Sanctity of Life Sunday.
We are the Church. Yes, all of us that know Jesus as our Savior have a call of some sort on each of our lives. Mine is the pregnancy care world and the pro-abundant life mission to help moms and dads realize their value and the value of their unborn and born children’s life.
How then does this relate to the Church and their view of this world that I am immersed in every day of my life?
I think it can be simple.
Valuing all life
God has called us to do to others what you would have them do to you, in everyday normal life. But the entirety of Matthew 7:7–12 is where I think we can join together fully in this mission of the true meaning of the “Sanctity of Human Life.”
When, as believers, we are asking God to put people in our path that don’t know Him, seeking where to put our time and talents to good use and knocking at the door of heaven in prayer as we seek direction, wisdom and confidence, we can easily see that God values LIFE the most — all life. There is no partiality to life.
There are so many pieces of the ministry of the pregnancy care world that parallel the church, and we want to come alongside churches so that we can make a bigger impact in the lives of families.
Are you ready for your church to look like a broken world? A place full of people that need a safe place to grow in their faith, be discipled in their walk with Christ, able to see godly marriages and parenting working, a place that they will be loved unconditionally?
IT IS HARD and IT IS MESSY.
You know why?
Because each of us is hard and messy. That is where it starts, when we realize that we are all alike in God’s eyes. He sees us all as valuable. That Scripture goes on to give us an example of how parents treat their children even if they don’t know Jesus: “How much more does our Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
I challenge you to ask yourself the question: How will moms and dads that have not been given a home life that pointed them to the cross — and all that Jesus has to offer — know how to function as a healthy family?
‘Win-win’
That is why partnering with your local pregnancy resource center is a win-win!
We are a mission field that is right in your town. A place that people just walk in the door, seek services, love and acceptance and hear about how there is a God that loves them so much that He wants more for their lives.
The PRC is not the Church. We are a steppingstone for families to be a part of the Church. We need churches that understand the mission, are willing to know their PRC and the services it has to offer and then be willing to accept, disciple and love families.
We are both in the “backyards” of our town. We need each other and God has created an amazing ministry that is complementary to one another.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This first-person article was written by Nicole Farley, executive director of Hope Unlimited Family Care Center in Paducah, Kentucky, and published by Kentucky Today, news service of the Kentucky Baptist Convention.
