Download PDF: April is Abortion Recovery Awareness Month Bulletin Insert
by Pastor Michael Salemink
Gospel-motivated voices For Life acknowledge that abortion has casualties. Of course, it intentionally and violently ends the life of an infinitely valuable and vulnerable little daughter or son whom God Himself has created, redeemed, and called. But abortion, because it perpetrates sinfulness, also gravely wounds the heart and conscience of mother and father (not to mention the medical practitioners involved). Studies show that at least 20-30% of those who undergo abortion experience Post-Abortion Syndrome, a widely documented complex of severe, negative physical and psychological repercussions. Add to this that majorities of women who abort report it goes against their convictions—and they felt pressured into it and unsupported by a significant other—and widespread, long-lasting trauma inevitably results.
Even the U. S. Supreme Court recognizes the distress. Official decisions have documented the “devastating psychological consequences” (Planned Parenthood v. Casey [1992]) of abortion and that “some women come to regret aborting the infant life they once created and sustained” (Gonzales v. Carhart [2007]). These tragedies involve a “difficult and painful moral decision,” one “fraught with emotional consequence” such as “severe depression and loss of esteem.” This includes dear brothers and sisters in our own congregations, communities, and families.
Many suffer the grief and guilt secretly and silently. So Lutherans For Life—and our post-abortion healing and crisis care hotline Word of Hope—is joining dozens of other national sanctity-of-life organizations in calling attention to the need for relief. Under the theme of “Abortion Hurts, God Heals!” we’re inviting the following actions this month:
- Encouraging churches to address the theme of “Abortion Hurts, God Heals” in churches and parishes at least one Sunday in April across America with live or video testimonies of women and men hurt by abortion (such as here: https://youtu.be/Z9a1y7dgXcs).
- Promoting local and national abortion recovery programs everywhere (https://word-of-hope.org/ participates in the Abortion Recovery Coalition that includes https://optionline.org/, https://yourabortionexperience.org/, and https://supportafterabortion.com/ among others).
- Sharing in-person or video testimonies of women and men hurt by abortion and publicizing availability of Abortion Recovery Programs on all media platforms, old and new.
- Encouraging local, state, and national government leaders to proclaim April as Abortion Recovery Awareness Month.
Brothers and sisters across the country regularly share their abortion regret with me. They beg me to remind you that they need to hear it addressed explicitly in the worshiping assembly.
If sermons, Bible studies, and pastoral counsel had this kind of courage and compassion, these dear neighbors believe they wouldn’t have engaged in abortion in the first place.
And they cannot begin healing until the Body of Christ applies both the Law that directly names abortion as sin and the Gospel that applies God’s love and forgiveness precisely to this situation.
Their peace and joy upon encountering this Word of the Lord exceeds almost anything else.
We provide a variety of resources for occasions like this.
Especially we recommend our free Life Sunday 2025 materials and the Memorial Service for the Victims of Abortion.
Please join us this month in sharing such an important message of sympathy and comfort.