Life is a gift from God. Our God is the author of life. Therefore, we value life from beginning to end.
As a church, we have stepped up for life by promoting and supporting prayer, advocacy, adoption, and other resources and encouragement for those who are pregnant. For years we have partnered with Care Net Pregnancy NW with finances and other support.
As Executive Director Nanda Kirkpatrick, says, “Pregnancies don’t pause for a pandemic. That’s become our new catch phrase here at Care Net. We have remained open all of 2020 and have ministered to more women than in any other time in our 29-year history. As an unintended consequence of Covid-19, we have discovered new ways to reach and serve women in need that will continue long into the future. As the political landscape changes, we expect new restrictions to impact us in 2021. But we rest in the knowledge that God is sovereign, and He values LIFE. As we move forward into the New Year, we expect to rely on Him and seek His wisdom even more.”
Calvary, thank you for standing in the gap for life through prayer, giving, and volunteering. Thank you for praying for life and for praying against abortion. Thank you for loving those who have had abortions and helping them come to physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Thank you for helping those who are pregnant to get the help and resources they need. Thank you for standing in the gap for children and families through adoption, partnerships with schools, serving students, and ministry to children and youth.
May we continue to partner with the Lord to demonstrate the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of God, because our God wants safety, wholeness, and well being for all of his children, including our most vulnerable like the unborn.
Here is a fact sheet from Care Net which helps us understand the scope of the issue and some of the powerful impact and ministry being done to promote life.
Fact Sheet & Current Data, Updated 12/2020 with latest reliable data
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, January 17, 2021
Prepared by Care Net Pregnancy Center of Houston, www.FriendsOfCareNetHouston.org
Globally:
- 73 million abortions a year. (This is a July 2020 stat from an abortion industry source.)
- Every 5 years, worldwide abortions destroy the equivalent of the U.S. population.
U.S.:
- 860,000 abortions recorded annually.
- “Medication abortions” through clinics account for 2 of every 5 abortions and that proportion increases every year. The number of recorded abortions has been declining over the past several years, though with the increased availability of abortion pills (through online international pharmacies, on the street, and through international pro-abortion organizations that mail pills), the number of unrecorded abortions likely push the actual number up far higher than 1 million a year.
- Every day in the U.S. well over 2,500 babies are aborted. (compare the national Covid death rate to the unseen death rate of the most vulnerable among us)
- 3 out of 5 women who seek an abortion already have at least one child.
- About half of women seeking an abortion have had a previous abortion.
- By the age of 45, about 1 in 3 women have had an abortion. (This figure is true for both non-Christians and Christians alike so sensitivity in this area is wise. In 2014, 30% of women who sought abortions identified as either mainline or evangelical Protestants.)
Texas:
- 55,000 abortions each year
Harris County:
- 1 out of 5 pregnancies in Harris County end in abortion, about 15,000 abortions annually.
- Harris County is the leader in the state (out of 254 counties), accounting for 25% of the state’s abortions.
Care Net Pregnancy Center:
- In 2021, we are celebrating 30 years of ministry in NW Harris County.
- In 2020, we saw 2,000 women at our two pregnancy centers in Champions and Cypress.
- Most women who come to us are indeed pregnant and most either explicitly state their intention to seek an abortion (if their pregnancy is confirmed) or their life circumstances are leading them to at least consider abortion as an option.
- We offer ultrasounds to every woman with a positive pregnancy test, though there have been periods of time this year that we had to suspend ultrasounds or were able to offer them only to women who were at the highest risk of choosing abortion (because of restrictions put in place by our medical director or lack of volunteer sonographers due to Covid).
- Seeing the heartbeat and waving hands or kicking legs and occasionally a baby sucking its thumb has a profound impact on women (and men) who are considering abortion. Most immediately tell us that abortion is now no longer an option. We continue to follow up with all women who have an ultrasound as we know that they are returning to an environment that may not support their decision for LIFE.
- We engage in a spiritual conversation with each woman who comes to Care Net and in most cases share the gospel with her. In 2020, we recorded 74 professions of faith!
- In just the last 10 years, we have served nearly 15,000 women—that’s about the number of female students in all of the Cy-Fair ISD high schools combined.
