“Before this weekend, my perspective was ‘I am not here to judge, I can’t tell them “you’re wrong …”’ When I saw the look on the face of a girl leaving Planned Parenthood, it hit me, ‘this is happening. This is wrong …’ Now I realize that this is crazy, babies don’t deserve this.”
In April, six high school students from around the St. Louis area joined with Lutherans For Life volunteers for the first ever Y4Life Servant Event. They came in with preconceived notions about life issues, about abortion, and about serving their community. They left with a new appreciation for God’s plan for life and a passion for serving God’s people.
If I didn’t realize that this generation is part of our movement before, I certainly believe it now! Today’s youth are bombarded with temptations and ideas that run contrary to God’s plan for them and God’s plan for life. As a young woman myself, I know first hand how difficult it is to stand up for your beliefs about purity, about abortion, and about God, when everyone around you seems to be saying and living the exact opposite.
The messages that youth are being sent from their peers, from the media, and even, sometimes, from their teachers and professors, make it difficult for them to accept anything other than that life is random and personal choice is supreme. This ultimately affects decisions they make that may have lasting consequences on their bodies, their relationships, and their lives, all at an emotionally vulnerable time.
Lutherans For Life is making an intentional effort to reach out to these young people so that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, the foundation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ to stand For Life in the midst of a culture of death. We are rapidly expanding our initiatives to provide services and training to reach them during this integral part of their development.
Our Teaching For Life curricula is expanding beyond the elementary school classroom to extend to high school students through a new Bible study, children in the community through a Sunday School curriculum, and all those who would like to learn more through an interactive online training course. These resources will provide the education young people need to stand up For Life in an intelligent and confident manner.
Renewal For Life continues to reach out to churches to help them make speaking For Life a priority in their ministries. With the addition of our new mission and ministry coordinator, Lori Trinche (ltrinche@lutheransforlife.org), we are even more ready to ensure that people of all ages are being taught the value of life in their churches and that there are trained and passionate people ready to help young people facing difficult choices and decisions about life.
Finally, Y4Life is working more than ever to reach youth where they are at and provide them with opportunities to learn and to serve. Through servant events, like the one held in April, the upcoming future church worker training program, Y4Life in Washington D.C. and presentations at Lutheran universities, campus ministries and high schools, the goal of Y4Life is to make sure that every Lutheran youth is ready and willing to speak up For Life in their schools and community.
As these programs, and the number of people we are reaching, expand, so do the needs of Lutherans For Life. None of these programs would be possible without your spiritual and financial support. Our needs are greater this year because our goals have become greater! We are seeing wonderful and exciting new things happening in our ministries and we need your help to make sure they continue. Please consider giving a gift to equip and educate these young people, and our church as a whole, in the life-saving message of the Gospel.
You can give online by clicking the link below or you can contact Lutherans For Life at 888.364.LIFE or info@lutheransforlife.org for more information.
Thank you for all of your support For Life!
Laura Davis
Development Counselor and Director of Y4LIfe
ldavis@lutheransforlife.org
979.716.8030