What is 40 Days for Life?
40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God’s power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion.
Prayer – for an end to abortion, for God's guidance for those involved in prayer vigils and pro-life action around the country, etc.
Fasting - please consider fasting. It simply involves renouncing an activity that can put a barrier between you and God. It could be television, the internet, chocolate, coffee, etc. You really can do without it! Take the time you usually spend in those activities and give it back to God.
Peaceful vigil – we stand witness and maintain a peaceful and educational presence outside the Cleveland Ave. abortion clinic. Your presence sends a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion. It also serves as a call to repentance for those who work at the abortion center and those who patronize the facility.
The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40 day campaign seeking God’s favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion.
When does the next campaign start?
From September 23 through November 1, our community will be uniting with many others from coast to coast – and internationally – for a major simultaneous pro-life mobilization – the 40 Days for Life campaign.
Where will the vigil be held?
The vigil is held outside of the Complete Healthcare for Women at 5888 Cleveland Ave. (near 161).
Where do we park?
We have permission to park at St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church 5858 Cleveland Ave. Columbus, OH 43231. The church is a short walk to the abortion clinic. Please visit our website for directions.
What are the hours of the vigil?
The official hours we cover are from 6am-6pm seven days a week. Of course you are always welcome to come outside of these hours if it fits your schedule.
Is this a protest?
No. We bring the source of all peace, the source of all comfort, Jesus Christ, to the sidewalks. We get out of His way so that He can work miracles and miracles are not a protest. 40 Days for Life is a peaceful prayer vigil.
Who can participate?
Anyone! This is a cross-denominational effort, a call to bring the body of Christ together. Typically churches or organization will participate as a whole. On top of participating as a whole church, groups within the church may choose to adopt their own day. Youth groups, Bible studies, choir groups, young adults, Knights of Columbus groups etc…
You may be just getting started and not have a group so you may participate as an individual. Or you may choose to form your own group that adopts a full or partial day.
Can I bring my children?
Absolutely! There have been many youth and smaller children out to pray with us. Some people like to come as a family and bring a wagon, snacks and coloring books for the smaller ones. Just be sure to keep them on the sidewalk and not in the grass.
How often can I come out to the clinic?
As often as you want! Typically a church or organization will “adopt-a-day” (or days) and take sign-ups to cover the hours from 6am – 6pm. This is very flexible – come on your church’s day and then know that for the entire 40 days there will be people out there and you are welcome to just show up. There will always be gaps that need filled and some days that don’t get adopted at all - so we can use all the volunteers we can get.
What do we do while we are there?
Pray! By doing this we cover many needs. All of which have a tremendous impact! Even just being physically present makes a huge impact - so imagine the possibilities when you add the prayers to God!
o This clinic does more than just abortions and the public may not
be aware so we are bringing that awareness.
o The women who may be abortion minded see that they are not
alone and see we are praying for them
o The clinic staff is aware that we are praying for them as well
o The general public sees us praying for an end to abortion
You may pray out loud or silently, you may pray as a group or individually, you may stand or kneel. Any type of prayer will work - most people use formal and informal prayers together while they are at the clinic. You may face the traffic or the clinic while praying and others like to walk up and down the sidewalk as they pray.
Sing! There are some who like to sing quietly to themselves or in groups.
Read Scripture! As with the others read it aloud or silently.
We strive to maintain a prayerful atmosphere while at the clinic. Kindly move a ways down the sidewalk to hold personal conversations in order to allow others a peaceful prayer space.
(Please see the statement of peace for more on appropriate conduct at the clinic)
Where do we stand?
It’s important that you only stand on the sidewalk in front of the clinic and not in their grass or their parking lot. The street and sidewalk are public areas. We certainly do not encourage you to stand in the street but if you need to walk on it for some reason, it’s not illegal.
How long do we stay?
We ask that each prayer volunteer commit to at least one hour. You are welcome to stay as long as you want and chances are you will be helping to fill gaps if you do. Some prayer volunteers travel a long distance so choose to stay for a few hours. There are also days you may want to come but don’t have an hour, come anyway!
What about signs?
We encourage you to bring signs if you wish. The signs should bear positive messages and images. There is a place for the more graphic messages and imagery but not outside the clinic. You may make your own or purchase pre-made signs. A good place to find pro-life signs is Heritage House. They have a website and a catalogue and they carry 40 Days for Life signs.
What about the weather?
Rain, snow, sleet or hail we’ll be there!
Will there be any opposition while I am out there?
The opposition you most likely face is very mild. Prayer volunteers have found that there is much more support than opposition. If you face the road you will occasionally notice certain finger gestures and maybe the occasional “Go home!” You will mostly hear honks from supporters and thumbs ups! There are a few people that use the sidewalk where you will be standing. It is always best to politely move for them to pass. If a passerby wants to have a dialogue just remember to keep it peaceful. And if you do not want to have a dialogue politely tell them that you are praying. Again the likelihood of this is rare.
Will I have any interaction with the women going into the clinic?
Mostly likely you will not. The way the area is designed, patients park and enter in the back of the building. They may see us standing out on the sidewalk but they will be quite a distance from us. Some prayer volunteers may wish to hold signs that offer help which will increase the chances of interaction. Otherwise it is very unlikely.
What if a patient does come to me for help or to talk?
There is a Pregnancy Decision Heath Care Center, a prolife crisis pregnancy center (www.pdhc.org) just a few buildings north of the abortion clinic. The hours vary so they may not be open at that moment but it is a good place to start. You may want to have some of their literature on hand as well as post abortive help literature. Please contact us for more in depth information.
What about the laws?
“The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution protects the "freedom of speech." The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that peaceful communication–such as spoken words, display of signs and leafleting–are all protected forms of free speech, especially in public places like sidewalks and parks. The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that speech cannot be censored simply because the speaker's message irritates or offends a listener.” (prolifeaction.org source cited)
40 Days for Life has a very good relationship with the Columbus Police department! They have expressed a respectful interest in helping to insure our campaign is safe and have recommended that each church coordinator call the dispatcher at 614-645-4545 at 6:30 AM (sharp!) the morning of their day to let them know you will be outside the clinic. Ask them to include you in their routine patrols and they will drive by every so often to ensure everything is going smoothly! We do not anticipate that you will encounter any problems but the officers from precinct 18 are there if we need them!
Who sponsors 40 Days for Life locally?
Greater Columbus Right to Life (GCRTL) – www.gcrtl.org sponsors Columbus’ 40 Days for Life.
I have never prayed outside an abortion clinic and I'm nervous. What should I do?
Go with a group or with someone that has been before. You may contact us and we will provide you with a day and time that a group is scheduled to be out so you may join them. Once you have been out the first time your hesitations will go away!
Contact
Christie 614.937.9066 | Janet 614.560.5404
40daysforlifecolumbus@gmail.com
Or visit us on:
Invite a 40 Days for Life team member to speak to your church or group.
Greater Columbus Right to Life is sponsoring the 40 Days for Life effort for the Columbus area.