Arizona March for Life

From Lutherans For Life National Board of Directors member, Dr. Roni Grad:

https://marchforlife.org/arizona/

Good afternoon Pastors and all,

I am a lay member at Catalina Lutheran Church in Tucson, serve as the Life Coordinator for the English District and additionally on the Board of Directors of Lutherans For Life.  I am writing to let you know of the upcoming Arizona March for Life four weeks from today, Friday March 1, at the State Capitol in Phoenix. The pre-March rally will begin at 11AM on the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, and the March will follow at noon.  I have included a link to the event. Last year, there were also displays on site from life-affirming pregnancy care centers and other such groups, offering opportunities to get involved in our communities to support babies and their families, I anticipate that these will be back again this year.

As you know, we are facing major challenges in our state, including a drive to amend our state Constitution to enshrine a right to abortion to term, as well as other similar legislative challenges.  At this event, we will have the opportunity to gather in the public square, join our Gospel-motivated voices for life, and joyfully proclaim the sanctity of life from fertilization to forever, in turn proclaiming Jesus.

Our Synod recognizes the importance of our state March, has become one of the major sponsors of the event and is sending her Communications Team to cover it, just like at the National March in DC!  It would be wonderful to have a large turnout from all of our Arizona LCMS congregations to gather together, march together, sing and pray together.  And perhaps we could meet together either before or right after the March for a time of prayer and devotion?

Would you please share this information with your congregations?  If you have or are connected with a Lutheran school, would you please encourage them to consider having their students attend the March?  Last year, the student bodies of a number of Evangelical and Roman Catholic schools were there in force, would be wonderful to have our Synodical schools included as well.

The LCMS Life Ministry has graciously offered to send us a banner, signs (with hymns on the back) and caps; they just need a count of how many to send.  They are encouraging individuals to sign up for the event at the volunteer portal at https://www.lcms-life.org/need/detail/?need_id=887921. Alternatively, you may get back to me with how many you expect to come, the sooner the better to help their planning. Also, even if you don’t have exact numbers, please let me know if you are planning to come, to help me get the word out on where and when we will meet together, etc.  You may reach me at rgrad@catalinalutheran.org.

I look forward, God willing, to our time together in Phoenix.  Thank you all so much in advance and my deepest gratitude to our dear friends at LCMS for all of their support.  Take care, and I pray God’s richest blessings on you, your families and congregations.