At first glance, pro-life and pro-choice ideologies appear staunchly opposed to each other. But what if life and choice didn’t have to be in opposition to one another? What if a woman’s life, and the life of the unplanned unborn, could both thrive simultaneously? Save the Storks, a pro-life nonprofit existing to support pregnancy centers nationally, is working to change the narrative around unplanned pregnancies and to depoliticize the topic of abortion.
In Unplanned Grace: A Compassionate Conversation on Life and Choice (David C Cook, September 2021), Brittany Smith and Natasha Smith, writing on behalf of Save the Storks, draw on personal interviews, inspiring stories, and eye-opening facts to help readers better understand the pressures and intricacies surrounding a woman’s pregnancy decision, the importance of an empathetic approach to those facing unplanned pregnancies, and the enormous potential churches have to support women (and men) in crisis.
“Being pro-life actually means being pro-woman in a holistic way: caring for a woman’s physical and emotional state, her relationships, her livelihood, her future, and any needed healing from her past,” write Smith and Smith. “Approaching the issue of unplanned pregnancy with love and compassion opens doors and creates conversations in a way that judgment and shame never could.”
Writing not just from a “pro-birth” perspective but from a “pro-abundant life” perspective, Unplanned Grace is a resource for churches and individuals who want to make a difference in the pro-life movement. Readers will learn about the myriad of resources available to women, how pro-life ministries come alongside unexpected mothers and fathers on their new journey, and how to discuss and approach sensitive topics with love and compassion, while speaking truth. Each chapter concludes with practical ideas for becoming involved in different aspects of pro-life outreach, scripture, and a prayer of reflection.
“The tragedy of a quiet church is the missed opportunities to tell the abundantly rich, beautiful, healing, and inspiring story of the gospel—a story that provides the foundation for the value of every human life, no matter its stage of development. A story that reveals a God who champions the vulnerable, cherishes the outcast, and heals the wounded. This is the story given uniquely through Scripture, and it is our responsibility as the church to not only tell it but live it as a daily expression of God’s kingdom invading and redefining the world through us.”
Unplanned Grace authors Brittany Smith and Natasha Smith work with Save the Storks, a nonprofit ministry that exists to inspire cultural change by empowering strategic partners, like pregnancy resource centers, to serve and value every life. They believe that to end abortion, people must be educated on its realities and equipped to respond with compassion and love. Learn more at http://unplannedgracebook.com/ and https://savethestorks.com/.
(SOURCE: ICON Media Group)