Growing a Pro-Life Church

By Rev. Doug Merkey

I hope your church is doing something pro-life on January 21, the day commonly referred to as “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday” (SOHL Sunday). Assuming you are, let me ask you a question. What are you doing to esteem and defend life in and through your church on the other 364 days on the calendar? Not sure? Please keep reading.

Now let me ask you an even deeper question. It’s a question for pastors, lay leaders, and parishioners. Here it is: “What’s the best way to grow a Gospel-driven, Biblically-balanced, consistently-engaged, multifaceted pro-life local church?” Do you have an answer? Better yet, do you have a good answer?

Like many church folk, perhaps you’re frustrated, confused, or bewildered by the immensity of the question and task. Sure, you can handle one day a year (SOHL Sunday), but the thought of consistent, year-long pro-life engagement seems overwhelming. Maybe all you can think about is the apathy among your congregants, the treacherously emotional nature of pro-life things, the scarcity of resources for the task (time, know-how, people, etc.), the disdain for a radical pro-life fringe that you don’t want wreaking havoc in your church, or a workload so heavy that adding even one more thing would be your ticket to a room at the local cardiac rehab.

Well, cheer up. I have good news for you. I have an answer to the “deeper question” I posed, above. And, if I can say it humbly, I think it’s actually a good answer. Here it is: the key to a Gospel-driven, Biblically-balanced, consistently-engaged, multifaceted pro-life local church is a Gospel-driven, Biblically-balanced, consistently-engaged, multifaceted pro-life team.

What’s the fruit of this vision? As a pastor, imagine a team of people you trust to be careful with the congregation, responsive to your needs, respectful of your authority, and helpful as a resource in life-related matters. Imagine a group that actually wants to equip people to be involved, with care and consistency, instead of just throwing challenges and big events at them impersonally. As a layperson, imagine being on a team of people that enjoys the blessing of a unified vision, your pastor’s trust, and growing fruitfulness in pro-life things among the congregation. Imagine seeing more and more people championing pro-life things with care and consistency.

This is a situation that can grow in your local church. I have seen it many times in all kinds of churches, large and small, experienced and inexperienced in pro-life issues. The key – the starting place – is growing a healthy pro-life team. Helping you accomplish this is the core of my role as the Chaplain and Director of Church Relations at the Pregnancy Resource Centers. The starting place is a one-day workshop called Pro-Life Committee 101 (or, PLC 101). In this interactive and fun workshop, you will get equipped in how to start or grow a healthy pro-life team by learning how to: Minister in the Beauty and Power of the Gospel; Balance Grace & Truth/Law in Ministry; Be “Consistently Pro-Life”; Honor Your Leaders; Equip Others; Avoid ‘Ministry Whiplash’; Build a Team; and Write Your Mission and Strategies.

Here is what some PLC 101 attendees have said about the workshop. “This has given me a new ‘fire’ and excitement for moving forward and taking action within our church!” “I very much enjoyed this workshop and am looking forward to putting these things to work.” “Thank you so much for all of this! I believe it will be very beneficial information/tools as we further develop our pro-life team at our church. It’s already been beneficial to me personally!” “I appreciated the tone/stage you set for us to engage in ministry. You didn’t tell us exactly what to do; you created a framework for how we should do it.” “I think this class was an excellent introduction to pro-life team formation – very helpful.”

These comments heartily prove that PLC 101 is being honored by God to equip church people to start and/or grow healthy pro-life teams at their churches. As I work with the people making these comments after the workshop (via ongoing coaching), I can reiterate that this is true. There is every reason to think that you can reap these same benefits attending the next workshop, whether you are a pastor, lay leader, or lay person.

The next PLC 101 workshop is on Saturday, March 24th from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and includes lunch as a time for synergy with other area pro-lifers. The workshop’s location within St. Louis is yet to be determined. In addition to PLC 101, in early Spring I will offer PLC 201, a workshop that expands on the concepts of PLC 101 and provides synergy with other area pro-lifers and encouragement to stay in the battle.

At the risk of stating the obvious, remember that there are 365 days in a year, and that SOHL must not be simply a one-day-in-January event. To make sure your church grows in its ability to consistently and carefully sanctify life year-round, you need a Gospel-driven, Biblically-balanced, consistently-engaged, multifaceted pro-life team. I am ready and willing to help you grow just such a team. Please contact me, Chaplain Doug Merkey, at the PRC for more information or to sign up for the March 24 PLC 101 workshop at dougmerkey@prcmo.net, (314) 783-3040, extension 231.