Welcome to the Pastor's Page
Thank you for your interest in 40 Days for Life! Here are some ways that you, as a pastor, can get involved:
- Scripture Reflection and Commentary
- Pro-Life Ministry Contact Referral
- Encourage:
- Prayer and fasting for the end of abortion
- Adoption of a day of constant vigil at the abortion site
- Community outreach and education
- Provide an Endorsement of the Campaign
Scripture Reflection and Commentary
During the the 40 Day campaign, we distribute an email newsletter that includes a section that walks through the New Testament in 40 Days. Pastors can select a scripture that they would like to reflect upon, provide commentary, and submit that brief lesson for our newsletter. The break-down of scripture into 40 parts can be found in printable format online file at: www.40DaysforLife.com/renotahoe/NewTestament. Go here for the schedule of Pastor Reflections.
We will be assigning the days on a first come, first served basis. If there is a passage that you feel called to share during this campaign, please sign up quickly to ensure it is still available. Send an email to renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com.
Pro-Life Ministry Contact Referral
We know that you are very busy leading your flock...if your church has a pro-life ministry contact, we would love to provide him/her with updates and coordinate opportunities for prayer and fasting, constant vigil, and community outreach.
Prayer and Fasting
We are trying to win hearts and minds, and prayer and fasting is the cornerstone of this effort. Please enlist existing prayer groups to intercede for the unborn. Ask them to join in the effort as we pray to end abortion. If you have a prayer group that is committed to including this in their prayer requests, especially if it is the primary focus for an hour of prayer, contact us at renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com and we will include it on our prayer calendar.
Constant Vigil
We encourage churches to adopt a day to participate in a peaceful vigil in front of the abortion site, where volunteers come to pray for those who enter and depart from the abotion site. Optionally, participants can offer literature and counseling to women who are interested, although not everyone is called to do this and prayer has an equally powerful effect. Contact us at renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com to sign your church up for this powerful activity.
It is extremely important that we come to the site in love, and not judgement or anger. Women who find themselves in a crisis pregnancy are often victims of abuse and domestic violence and are often coerced into pursing this option. Emphasize to your congregation that we must offer love and truth to minister to them and open their hearts to other alternatives. If people are unable to come in love, they should not come to the sidewalk. Righteous anger can be difficult to manage and is not something we encourage during this campaign, at this location.
If you are interested in adopting a day, please review our Vigil Volunteer Workshop on-line at: www.40DaysforLife.com/RenoTahoe/VigilVolunteerWorkshop. If you would like, we can present it at your church.
Please also review and sign the Statement of Peace attached and located online at: www.40DaysforLife.com/renotahoe/StatementofPeacePDF and request that members of your church also sign a commitment to participate in a peaceful, prayerful, lawful manner while at the sidewalk. On this note, please be aware that the metal fence in the front of the property is private property and you may not touch it without trespassing. Please, Do Not Touch the Fence!
We have an Adopt a Day page on our website dedicated to those who would like to Adopt a Day, containing many of the materials that you will find helpful in preparing for such a day. Once you have determined you would like to adopt a day, please let us know and we will set you up with the necessary permissions to sign all your volunteers into our on-line Vigil Calendar tool.
Community Outreach and Education
Your personal endorsement of the campaign would be a powerful tool for the Christian community in the Reno/Tahoe/Carson City area. This is an ecumenical, non-denominational campaign, during which all Christians come together throughout our region, combining our gifts, to protect the unborn. If you are interested in providing a written endorsement, please contact renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity! Please provide a brief couple of sentences stating your support and a link to a head shot that we can copy and include on our website.
Please also encourage your congregation to become informed and talk with their friends, family, and neighbors about this urgent issue. Other links in our Resources section of this site can provide useful information for this effort.
And finally, we encourage you to speak from the pulpit about the sanctity of life from conception to natural death and how the culture of death threatens the dignity of every human being. Talk about abortion and the harm it does to our society. Encourage your congregation to pray for the hearts and minds of Americans—that the will of the people would be that abortion would be an intolerable. Educate your congregation about how abortion harms women (please see 8 Ways Abortion Hurts Women for more information).
Distribution of Resources
Distribute our brochures and hang a poster to promote the 40 Days for Life Campaign Events (volunteer training, rallies, prayer gatherings). Contact us at renotahoe@40DaysforLife.com to receive supplies to assist in this effort.
Other Ideas
You are welcome to think of other ways that you and your congregation can support our effort. Please provide us with your ideas.