“Every Christian is called to stand for life.”
— Love Life
Tears streamed down the young woman’s face. “I couldn’t do the abortion,” she said to a Love Life team member. “I couldn’t do it . . . ” She had turned her car around out of the Planned Parenthood parking lot. That wonderful testimony of rescuing a pre-born baby is what Love Life does. There on the sidewalk of an abortion center, the small team from Love Life changed a woman’s heart and mind. They saved a baby. (On the right, see the actual picture of that team.)
Justin Reeder, the Founder of Love Life, shares about that moment: “A life that was literally scheduled to die at this building was spared today. . . . It’s amazing what can happen when obedient Christians just show up.” To date, Love Life has saved more than 7,000 babies. What started in 2016 with 32 people has blossomed into more than 200,000 prayer walkers across the country. Love Life now is the largest pro-life organization in the nation.
In addition to their presence on sidewalks outside abortion clinics, Love Life offers housing to women in need as “A House of Refuge,” a place people can run to for help, hope, and healing. Often these places are local churches.
To this vital mission, FPIW proudly joins in the cause to defend pre-born babies, to defend the cornerstone that undergirds civilization — our first and most important right, the right from which all other rights flow — the right to life. It needs protection, and those babies need protection. Love Life stands firmly and humbly on the frontline.
•••••
Love Life in Washington State
The need for a pro-life presence is great in Washington State: There are some 17,000 abortions each year — that’s about one every 30 minutes or so, and more than 500,000 abortions since 2001. Moreover, the government uses our tax money to fund abortions and abortion pills.
In our state, the Love Life team is headed by our friend and ally Jared Burns. He shares with us an overall picture: “Hundreds of Christians have been mobilized in their communities. Thousands of Church members have participated in prayer walks. Around 50 churches have their solid footing in God’s view of life and now speak truth to their congregations and communities.” That’s terrific news, and more progress is needed.
Jared shares some specifics:
• Sidewalks: Our two fully established mission fields in Washington State are Bellingham (contact Director Katie Steel at [email protected]) and Seattle (contact Director Robin Porter at [email protected]) and their surrounding areas. Both teams work to create a culture of love and life by ministering regularly to people on the sidewalks at abortion centers who want to choose life. When they do choose life, we connect them to 40 gospel-centered, life-affirming ministries that help meet their immediate needs. (To hear an interview about these movements in the greater-Seattle area, click here.)
• Houses of Refuge: Of course, none of this is possible without the support of local churches, the most important piece of this puzzle. Around 45 churches in Washington have stepped up to support these mothers and families through ongoing relationships and discipleship. We call these “Houses of Refuge.” Being a House of Refuge means doing far more than simply calling themselves pro-life. These churches undergo specialized training to develop an action plan to ensure they are ready, willing, and able to act quickly and with confidence when someone with a complex background walks through their doors.
• Expansion: What started here in Washington spilled over to Canada, and there are now 10 churches that have taken up the mantle in one of the darkest countries of North America.
Here are some pictures of Washington’s own Love Life in action:
In a special message to pastors and churches, Jared offers this insight:
The reality we are working to change is this: Many churches believe the best approach is simply referring women and families to a local pregnancy resource center. While that is a wonderful first step, churches often overlook the next step. After a mother completes a 1-2 year journey with a pregnancy resource center, where does she go for long-term discipleship, if not the local church?
Today, Love Life is the largest pro-life organization in the country and one of the few that recognizes this issue can only be solved by linking arms with local churches and pastors to transform communities. In this state, we are not here to operate as a stand-alone para-church ministry because we believe the local church in Washington is the ultimate vehicle for bringing the hope and healing of Christ.
Jared now has expanded the mission with a special calling to business leaders. He invites them to a 1-Hour Journey to share what is happening and let God move in their hearts on how they can help. “I help them find meaningful next steps to make a difference in their workplaces, in the public square, or through their influence with their own pastors. The reality is that abortion is just as prevalent in the workplace as it is in the church.”
Transformational Results
“I felt the Lord prompt in my heart,” shares Reeder. “‘I’ve called you to the least of these, and I’ve called you to be a voice for the voiceless’.” Love Life’s mission is to unite and mobilize the Church to create a culture of love and life. They aim to end abortion and the orphan crisis. In harmony, one of Love Life’s key mottos is: “The issue isn’t the darkness. It is the absence of the light of Christ.”
One important way the light of Christ shines is through those Christians who help Love Life. From the story above, those tears from that young woman who decided against abortion are the tears upon which a newborn baby will be born. Jesus rejoices. The light of love and truth prevailed. Those readers who are moved to join in that cause may have their own rescue story to share — and perhaps one day meet and hold the baby they helped save.
* * * * *
More wonderful stories can be found here. To support Love Life, you can visit their website, as well as their social media platforms: X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. If a pregnant woman needs help, here is the link to find a local church: A House of Refuge.
