Fall 40 Days for Life campaign update
Even as we’ve been aggressively working behind the scenes preparing for this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign, people have been pounding us non-stop with e-mails, wanting to register NOW so they can get started…
…In fact, more than 500 cities have already expressed an interest in joining the fall 2008 campaign!
Now, I fully realize that some of these cities may not actually go through with it, but based on early indications, this fall’s 40 Days for Life promises to be the largest and longest grassroots pro-life mobilization in history.
Based on the questions coming in — as well as the feedback from the 139 cities that have previously conducted 40 Days for Life campaigns — we’ve decided to give you a lot of information, tools, and training BEFORE registrations to help you:
- Discover what 40 Days for Life is, and the measurable results it has generated
- Decide if 40 Days for Life is right for you and your community
- Discern your personal role in this fall’s 40 Days for Life campaign
- Get others excited and involved
- Plan for community-wide prayer and fasting
- Prepare for a successful prayer vigil at a Planned Parenthood or other abortion center
- Gear up for highly effective community outreach efforts
- Assess what a successful local 40 Days for Life might cost — in terms of time and money
- Expand the effectiveness of pro-life efforts in your town, saving many more lives!
The fall campaign will be held from SEPTEMBER 24 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2, ending the Sunday before America goes to the polls to elect new national leaders — a crucial time for people of faith and conscience to join together in a massive, unified effort of prayer, fasting and peaceful action.
The registration period for the fall 40 Days for Life will begin in mid-July — sign-ups are tentatively scheduled to begin on July 16.
One of the biggest things past campaign leaders told us they needed was more time to prepare.
Well, we listened.
To help you prepare effectively, over these next few weeks we’ll be sending you a number of short, focused pre-registration training materials including:
- Videos
- Audios
- Multimedia presentations
- Downloadable training guides
- Planning checklists
- Printable materials
By the time registrations begin, you will have already had time to test the waters and ensure that 40 Days for Life is a good fit for your community BEFORE making any commitment.
And you will have the tools and training you need to prepare for an even more successful campaign.
It’s going to be an exciting journey over these next few weeks, and I can’t wait to get started!
Yours for Life,
David Bereit
National Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
P.S.- We want to make sure we answer as many of your questions as possible prior to beginning registrations. If you have ANY question at all about this fall’s 40 Days for Life, please post it as a reply at the bottom of this blog posting.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
David,
This is perfect timing. My wife and I just met with our church’s leadership team this past Wednesday and they are not comfortable with the method of 40 Days For Life and therefore will not be able to put their support as a church body behind any local effort we may do. We now are struggling with this and praying to know God’s perfect will. Having these tools and information (as well as talking to some connections) over the next few weeks will be critical to us getting a better indication as to whether we are up to the task! Thank you for continuing to improve and we are standing with you in loving and praying for those affected by abortion!
June 17th, 2008 at 3:07 pm
500 cities, WOW!!! I believe it! The prayer of all the tireless prayer warriors over the past decades has led us to this point in history! I firmly believe this will be the time we see a dramatic shift in abortion in America. We can close the clinics, and another amazing thing as well, is the united front between denominations, the unified show of love and support for all of God’s children. It is Hope! Surely Jesus has His Hand in this, moving us all forward! Thank you so much for humbly being His Voice!
June 17th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
David, in your email you said that registration will begin on July 16th. We will be on vacation at Catholic Familyland in Ohio at the time. When will registration close? I wanted to make sure it did not close before I get home. I will not have my computer with me. Thanks, Jennifer, Cherry Hill, NJ
June 17th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Our plan is to get Catholic churches in our area to get together for 40 days of prayer and fasting. The goal is for each church to offer Eucharistic Adoration one day a week so that there will be Adoration in this area every day for 40 days. We also plan to present the idea to the entire diocese. For the sake of those who are not Catholic, Eucharistic Adoration is prayer in front of Jesus who is present in the Eucharist.
Here’s my question. Can we officially register even though we will not be praying in front of an abortion clinic. – there are none in our local area. We will provide information about any groups who are doing that. Our focus will be on prayer, healing and education.
thank you.
June 17th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
We do not have an abortion clinic in our city/town, but we still want to have a 40 Days of fasting/prayer before the election. Can we still register? We are very small in number (5 of us) but we want to get more people involved and get the word out about saving the unborn!! Thank you David!!
Connie, Colchester, IL
June 17th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
The Respect Life Committee I belong to is meeting on June 25. Is there any way I could receive the video, planning materials, and planning checklist within the week? Having this material to present would be very helpful in increasing the likelihood that the group will commit if they know what is involved.
Thank you so much!
Karyn in Point Pleasant, NJ
June 17th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Dear Pro-Lifers:
Tomorrow is an important day at the state capitol in Sacramento, California (see below). The remnant of pro-lifers here believe God rides the wings of prayer. Please take a minute and cove us in prayer. Thanks,
Under His wings,
Terry McDermott
Please join us for the Historic
Rally for LIFE
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
11:30 am -12:30 pm
On the West Steps of the State Capitol
During this California budget deficit, we demand the
Elimination of Abortion Funding
Rally Speakers include:
Walter Hoye, Issues4Life.org, Abortion and the Black community
Post-abortive women will speak of their experience
Invited speakers: Lila Rose from UCLA & Eduardo of the movie “Bella”
California has a $17 Billion deficit. When our family healthcare services and public school programs are experiencing drastic spending cuts, why should we subsidize the abortion industry? The nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, reported $114.8 million in profit for 2006-07, while California PP affiliates have allegedly over-charged our state by $180 million. Very clearly, the abortion industry does not deserve our hard-earned tax dollars! Currently, $33 million of our state tax dollars pay for 95,000 abortions each year.
Women deserve our help, not a free abortion!
Training/Orientation: 10:00 am Capitol Committee Room 126
with Legislative visits from 1:00-4:00 pm
For more details, please see http://www.california4life.org
or call Coalition for Women & Children at (916) 955-1577
June 17th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I hope to have a 40 Days here in Las Vegas Nevada, however, this town is very uncaring toward the unborn. If anyone is from LV, please post so we can plan something for the babies. Thanks,Debbie
June 17th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
David, I was able to sit in on the teleconference on June 5th and I am so excited to get started with 40 Days for Life. I work with the Respect Life Ministries in the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas and and would like to get other denominations involved with 40 Days, uniting us to stand for LIFE. Do you have any suggestions and are there any pamplets or brochures that you all are using to get the word out?
Thank you,
Your Sister In Christ,
Christina Casas
June 17th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
What restrictions are there regarding the involvement of 40 Days for Life in local pro-life activities that we need to be aware of so as not to impact the application for 501(c)3 for 40 Days for Life National? For example, in California, a coalition of 25+ Pro-Life organizations has gathered to request that our legislators Eliminate Abortion Funding from the California State Budget. Would it put the 40 Days for Life non-profit status at risk to be listed as a member of this coalition?
June 17th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Jeremy & Connie,
We did a campaign in Reno/Tahoe during the Fall that did NOT have the support of the Old Guard Pro-Lifer’s. But it turned out to be an amazing blessing on our community, as those who participated grew in their love for the women who are wounded by abortion. During our first campaign, we did not do a vigil at the clinic, we simply arrranged for Corporate and Individual Prayer to End Abortion. This helped to open the hearts and minds of our community.
We did the campaign again in the Spring. During this campaign, a local member of the community purchased a number of bill boards on which our campaign was mentioned. (They were images of the Divine Mercy, posted just in time for Easter.)
I encourage you to take this to prayer and Be Not Afraid. I was not in any position to run such a campaign, and yet all is well, and we are continuing to reach out to the community to spread the news, You are Not Alone in wanting to protect innocent babies. And inviting others to Pray to End Abortion.
God Bless,
Carol Marie
June 17th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
David,
I too will be out of town during your proposed registration period. My daughter and I will be in Australia, so it might be tough to take care of things from there. An earlier/longer registration period would be nice. We don’t have to have immediate access to the Forum, if that is the delay.
Carol Marie
June 17th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
The Bible Concordance has a long list of Biblical “40’s” in years, or in days. It is extremely significant to me, with the ongoing holocaust of human lives from AIDS, STDs, abortions and aborifacients –that the prophetic advice 40 years ago (dated July 25, 1968) in the encyclical Humanae Vitae should not have been rejected –and ought to receive
special attention with urgency NOW. Muslims are having large families, and Christians and Jews are not replacing themselves. Vladimir Putin notes that Russia’s married couples average six abortions and his population is plunging by millions. Promote Humanae Vitae’s 40th!
June 17th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I would like to start a group here in live oak, how do i get started?
June 17th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
David, I look forward to the fall 40 days event. May November 2nd find us with a pro-life President.
June 18th, 2008 at 1:31 am
I previously expressed interest in starting a group in Glen Burnie, MD, but how do I know if I am on the list, when do you expect to have the materials ready (before registration?), and how can we find out if there are others in the same area who are considering starting a local campaign? Thanks,
June 18th, 2008 at 5:00 am
Is there anyone in the Eden/Reidsville, NC area interested in starting
a 40 Days for Life group?
June 18th, 2008 at 8:12 am
After leading an exhausting (but fruitful) 40 Days campaign in February and March of this year, we had not intended to be involved in the fall campaign (in fact, I had insisted for quite a while that I would not consider doing so because it conflicted with other plans and I was just too tired). However, eventually God changed my heart, as I considered the importance of this coming election (particularly in regard to the Supreme Court and the likelihood that the next president’s influence on the makeup of the court will impact–positively or negatively–the future of the abortion battle in our nation for decades to come).
In that light, I have been intending to write something about the importance of this particular 40 days campaign, to encourage others who are still reluctant to be involved in this campaign again so soon. I would also hope to use this to encourage more churches to get on board (so it would be important for it not to sound too “political”). If anybody has already written something to this effect, I think it should appear somewhere on the front page of the 40 Days national website, because to me the strategic importance of this particular 40 days in the history of our nation should be a key focus of this coming campaign.
June 18th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Has any 40DFL leader (besides David, of course :)) led a sidwalk campaign without being able to spend much time on the local abortion sidewalk personally? I am getting support and interest for leading the campaign in Providence this fall, now that I may be working an 8-5 job during that period. (God works in mysterious ways–the first time around the way to lead here was just to DO the vigil–now I may be prevented from that.) Is it hypocritical to coordinate the events when one can’t be present for them?
June 18th, 2008 at 10:46 am
If there is anyone else in South Jersey (cherry hill, NJ has 2 abortion clinics) interested in helping with 40 days for life please contact me at jenmary@verizon.net
June 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
We have two abortion facilities in Alexandria, VA and I will soon contact the local Right to Life organizations which are at work in the local Catholic Churchs (Diocese of Arlington) to see if they would be interested in this effort. I have applied for a grant to fund the effort and if awarded I plan to organize 2 campaigns. My questions are threefold:
1. Is there anyone else currently considering this in Alexandria VA?
2. Can someone guide me in setting up a 501(c)(3), can I do it myself?
3. Is there anyone who can mentor me as to how to get the community involved and what basic costs will be?
June 18th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Dear Pro-Life friends…last year at this time I had never even heard about 40 Days. Last Fall I ran a campaign that EVERYONE told me not to run. I did it anyway, because our LORD wanted it in Buffalo and he wants it in your town too…at any planned parenthood or DR office that does abortions…any PP that doesn’t do abortions will work too. (they are probably prescribing RU486)
BE NOT AFRAID!!! HE took me, a complete novice with zero experience and helped me run a life altering campaign here. He can work with you too. IN fact, the less capable you are, the more obvious it is that is is from GOD when miracles happen. Don’t take no for an answer.
David and his team will give you every resource you need to run a great campaign, God will give you everything else you need. Join us this fall.
God bless you all, and contact me if you need support. Buff40DFL@roadrunner.com
June 19th, 2008 at 12:48 am
Hi, David!
Thanks for the very exciting email you sent yesterday!!
You talked about how you were getting blasted — by people like me! — about wanting to register NOW and getting the webpage started…
but you didn’t answer that, and I don’t see it in your list of upcoming topics…
If we cannot register now, we will probably start a separate website so we can start publicizing it. I hate to do this, David! I’d rather have it attached to your site, but we feel that we need a HOME-BASE WEBSITE now!!
I’m not trying to be difficult!! We just want a place for people to go to find info and sign up!!
Please inform.
After reading all these messages, I am somewhat ashamed for asking — well, demanding — to acquire the webpage!! Yet, you already have many postings by people trying to find others in their areas so they can combine and get started!
So, David, you MUST see the tremendous value of letting us all pay our registration fee and get our webpages!!
THEN we will leave you alone (for a while!)
for their lives,
Sue
PS – May God richly bless you, David, for ALL you are doing for us (& for the babies!!) We know you are getting very little rest. I very much agree with some people (above) who note the critical time connection between this campaign and the upcoming election. We can only hope it relates to 2 Chronicles 7:14 (13-15)…st
June 19th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
We are interested in participating in the Jackson, MS area. Please advise on how to get going. Thanks!
June 19th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Please describe what you mean by fasting i.e. 24 hrs. on bread and water?
June 21st, 2008 at 7:14 pm
Joanne and others who are considering running a campaign,
I live 1 hour away from the clinic where we held our campaign, and I coordinated the effort remotely. There were parts of me that felt guilty for not “being there” and yet that is not what I was called to do. Someone needed to do the things that I was doing. In our area, because we are so remote, with a small group of pro-life individuals in various parts of our region, I felt we needed to have a way to communicate, so I sent out daily updates, helping people to know what was happening at the sidewalk, even if they were unable to join.
This hopefully helped others to focus their prayers and it allowed us to grow as a community of likeminded individuals.
You can see the daily updates in the blog portion of our website, at http://www.40DaysforLife.com/renotahoe. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at renotahoe@40Daysforlife.com.
God Bless,
Carol Marie
June 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Thanks so much for the boost, Carol Marie! Ironically, it is easier for me to stand on that sidewalk all day than to ask others to do so when I can’t. This is a challenge that will require greater faith–I may only be able to visit the sidewalk in the dark–it will be like leading blindfolded!
From this possible scenario, I have a much clearer perspective of the TREMENDOUS amount of faith 40DFL has required of David Bereit! He not only has had to trust completely in our Lord, Jesus, but he has had to trust that each person God has sent will act according to the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
I pray for even a tenth of the faith that David has, and that God in His mercy, will send us an abundance of participants and leaders. Already, Fr Pavone has offered to pray with us for the upcoming Providence campaign. (How can I worry when the Lord has just sent us His BEST priest for life to bless and strengthen us?)
Additionally, I am praying that ALL fifty states join in this time around. Wouldn’t that be AWESOME? No doubt, many of you share this prayer already!! What do you say, David?
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:02 pm
2nd notice – anyone in the Greensboro, NC area interested in 40 Days or Life, please let me know at pdonohuewild@aol.com