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GARLAND When God primes someone’s heart to be involved in the struggle on behalf of unborn babies and their mothers, they have multiple options, says Julie Parton, executive director of Texas Life Connections, a ministry partner of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Parton said the needs abound in nearly every community for financial and volunteer support. One may visit the website www.optionline.org to find a list of pro-life ministries across Texas and nationally. Most pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) are listed there, Parton said.
Also, phone books typically include under “Abortion Alternatives” a list of pro-life ministries.
“Any individual or church can start with that. Once they identify a local PRC, go in to meet the director of that center,” she said. “The same could be said for any abstinence or post-abortion ministry, but oftentimes those same ministries emanate from the PRC.”
A great way to “puts one’s toe in the water,” Parton offered, is to enlist a Sunday School class or home group Bible study to host a baby shower for a local pregnancy resource center, providing diapers, formula and other related items.
Once that occurs, God often lays it on more than one heart the importance of such ministry to expectant mothers and their babies, many of whom don’t have the father in the picture.
“Of course there are prayer groups. Another very practical thing that people can do is to reach out to moms who have already made the decision to give life to their child and many times need help. A single moms’ support group at your church, classes for the moms, parenting classes, classes on budgeting and nutrition?those are all very positive ways churches can minister.”
Men can provide oil changes for single moms, for example, or attorneys in the church might provide free legal advice, Parton said.
“One of the main criticisms of pro-lifers is that we encourage these young women to have these babies and then we leave them on their own, and many times that’s true.”
For additional information on pro-life ministry, e-mail Parton at julie@TexasLifeConnections.orgor call her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 214-215-6361.
