What about the Case of Rape?

Texas State University (February, 2026)

Since I last wrote I was able to travel to south Texas and conduct four days of outreach at Texas State and University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Additionally, I was able to help with Justice For All’s interactive workshop for UTSA’s pro-life club. I am also happy to announce that taking all of the monthly pledges and special gifts into account, I am fully funded! A huge thank you to all of my generous supporters. I’m so grateful for my supporters who make it possible for me to have these important discussions. I would like to share a conversation I had on my Texas trip.

A student I’ll call “Max” at UTSA approached our poll table, “Should Abortion Be Legal?” (see images). After he had signed, I asked him what his thoughts were on abortion. He said that he was pro-choice. Using what I had learned from JFA’s workshops, I proceeded to ask him some clarifying questions about his view. First I asked him if he supported abortion through all nine months of pregnancy or if he thought there should any limit timewise. He replied that he did support abortion through all nine months. This initially made me think he had a more extreme view on abortion than most people, but I continued to inquire by asking him in what circumstances he supported abortion.

It turned out that he only supported abortion in the case of rape. This surprised me because a lot of people will bring up rape to support their pro-choice position, but they generally also support abortions for all sorts of other much less horrific reasons. Max was one of the first I’ve encountered during my internship with this view. (He also had said right off the bat that he did believe that the unborn is a human person.) Now that I understood his particular view, I focused on our common ground related to the evil of rape.

University of Texas at San Antonio (February, 2026)

I agreed with Max that rape is a horrific crime that leaves its victims severely traumatized. I told him that I think our society and we as individuals need to work harder to prevent these crimes from occurring. Moreover, we need to support victims and help them find healing. Additionally, we both agreed that a lot of our laws need to be much stricter in punishing the perpetrators of these sorts of crimes and that too often rapists are not prosecuted or get off with just a slap on the wrist.

I always try to start any of my discussions by finding common ground with the other person because it helps ease the tension and makes people so much more open to a differing view. When someone brings up rape, I try to focusing on sympathizing with his concerns and agreeing with everything that I can without compromising my view, all the more because it is such a sensitive and intense topic. Moreover, you never know if the person with whom you are speaking has experienced assault or if someone close to him has. Throughout my time with JFA, I have been saddened by how frequently college students have shared with me that they have experienced assault. I try to always keep in mind that when we are discussing rape, it very well might not be hypothetical for the student. I’ve often seen pro-lifers dismiss the case of rape by saying that it only constitutes about 1% of the abortions in the U.S., which is true, but if that is the first thing you say, it can come off as dismissive of the horror of rape. If the pro-choice person does not think that you care about sexual violence against vulnerable people in general, he will likely feel that your claim that you care about violence against vulnerable unborn people is not genuine.

Once I had established some of what we believed in common, I began to gently challenge his view. Here is the gist of the rest of our conversation:

Martha: Can I present you with a hypothetical situation?

Max: Sure.

Martha: Imagine there are two women who tragically have been raped and both become pregnant. One of the women is now two months pregnant and the other has a toddler as a result. Now this is going to sound like a crazy question, but please bear with me. Could both women kill their children?

Max: Of course not! It would be murder for the woman to kill her toddler.

Martha: I completely agree! Again this will probably sound like a ridiculous question, but I think it will actually help us get at something crucial. Why would it be wrong for her to end the life of her child who was conceived in rape?

Max: Well, I guess because he’s a human being.

Martha: I totally agree. If the unborn is a human being, as you mentioned earlier, just like the toddler, then shouldn’t we protect the unborn child regardless of the circumstances of his conception the same as we would protect the toddler conceived in rape?

Max: I’d never thought about it that way before.

Martha: After all, both of these women are in the exact same circumstance. The only significant difference is the age of each child. Now this is not necessarily going to be every woman’s experience and every woman is different, but some women who have experienced rape and have gotten abortions have later said that the abortion was more traumatic for them than the rape.

Max: Really? I’m kind of shocked to hear that. I never really thought about how getting an abortion could also be traumatic for a woman.

Martha: I think that often people feel like abortion can “fix” or “undo” the rape. I think this comes from a good place of wanting to help the victim and erase the horrible thing that happened to her. The problem is that abortion won’t “undo” the rape. If a woman conceives, even through something as evil and horrific as rape, she is still a mother. Abortion will only make her the mother of a dead child; it will not heal her trauma.

Throughout the conversation Max was agreeing with me. At the close of our conversation he thanked me and said that abortion should not be legal even in the case of rape. I was really encouraged by this distinct shift in Max’s view from thinking that abortion in the case of rape should be legal through all nine months of pregnancy to thinking that even in the case of rape abortion should be illegal. Thank you again to all those who support my work through your prayers or financial gifts and help me to come alongside people like Max to help them think more clearly about the value of unborn children.

Two Campus Reflections

Impact Report March 2026

This Outreach Update features a short reflection from JFA trainer Kaitlyn Donihue from our Kansas State outreach in November 2025 as well as a testimonial from Maria, a student leader who invited JFA to her campus twice last year. In addition, our teams have been working in Texas, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Colorado over the past few weeks. You can see pictures and updates on our Instagram (@picturejusticeforall). Thank you for praying for us and for supporting our work with your generous financial gifts.

-Steve Wagner, Executive Director

Meeting Beth at Kansas State

JFA Trainer Kaitlyn Donihue

During our Kansas State outreach in November 2025 (pictured), a JFA volunteer named Michael talked to “Beth.” She shared that she had almost been aborted. She was struggling with sadness and depression and whether her life mattered. Knowing that her parents hadn’t wanted her was deeply painful.

Jonathan Hupp, a local pastor (Left, white shirt) and Paul Kulas, JFA’s Director of Operations (Right)

Michael affirmed Beth’s value and shared about Jesus with her. He asked Beth if she believed in God. She said she didn’t, but she also didn’t believe in coincidences. She said she had never walked on that sidewalk across campus before, but for some reason she decided to do so that day, and she ran into us. She felt that maybe the God she didn’t believe in was pulling her to Himself.

Michael agreed and asked if he could connect her with his wife so that she could explore her questions about God and the world in a deeper way. She said she would like that, so he connected the two of them, and they have plans to meet for coffee. Hopefully this will turn into an ongoing relationship where Beth can experience Jesus and begin to understand her value. Wanted by her parents or not, she is wanted by the Creator of the universe.

Conversations around the topic of abortion often open the door for our trainers and volunteers to meet people in some of their deepest pain and share the message of hope in Jesus with them. We consider it a high honor to get to do that.

-Kaitlyn Donihue for the JFA Team

How JFA Made a Difference at IU Bloomington

Maria

We had tabled with other pro-life organizations before, but Justice for All training us was an absolute game changer.

Our Students for Life group has always been eager to engage our campus in genuine conversation with those who disagree about abortion, but many members have very different levels of experience with apologetics and pro-life philosophy.

Maria (Center, White Shorts) and Jon Wagner, JFA’s Director of Community Engagement (Right, green shirt)

JFA’s training helped all of us get on the same page with real conversation advice that works; after

one training, it was obvious not only how many more people we were able to speak with, but also how much more honest and fruitful every conversation was.

Having been a pro-life student leader for the entirety of my high school and college experiences, I can think of no other group more effective than Justice for All at changing hearts and minds on campus, and I wish I could have brought them in sooner!

– Maria,

President of Students for Life at Indiana University Bloomington

Are Some People Better Off Dead?

What about a child who gets pregnant in high school or even middle school? She would have to drop out of school, so do you think she should still have to give birth?

University of New Mexico, March 2026

What about a woman who has been raped? She didn’t ask for that, so how can you say she should be forced to remain pregnant? The justice system fails sometimes, and children born into these environments will just suffer. What about foster care and all the suffering there? Children shouldn’t have to live in bad environments. What about people living in communist dictatorships where the child will suffer under oppression? Some people don’t want to have a child at all, so why can’t abortion be an option?

Recently, a young Christian woman reached out to me on Instagram and asked me questions like these. Here’s how I responded:

Rebekah: These are great questions. They do raise some hard things. I agree with you that children shouldn’t be having children. When you have a young child in middle school or high school, and she is pregnant, that’s really tough. If it’s because of rape that’s even harder. You’re right that the justice system often fails women who have been raped, and that’s awful. You’re also right that foster care can be a horrible place for some children, and that’s so sad. And all the hard things about living under communism are totally tragic. I think our words around this and how we talk about it matters because this can be so fraught with pain and trauma for so many people.

Holding all that in one hand though, I think we need to balance on the other hand the dignity and value of the unborn child. So perhaps a question that would be helpful for you to think through is, ‘Should people be allowed to kill a human in the womb because of difficult circumstances they face?’

Think of it this way: imagine there is a woman who was raped, and she got pregnant, and she gave birth recently. Now let’s say that her child is going to be put into foster care and will suffer there. What if someone said she shouldn’t have to be a mother, and the child is going to suffer in foster care. Should she have the choice to kill her infant because of the assault and because of the suffering the child will experience? Of course not. So if the unborn in the woman’s womb is human like a born child, then all these difficult, tragic circumstances, while they matter, don’t justify ending the life of another innocent image bearer of God. If abortion does not kill a human being, then abortion should be allowed. But if it really does kill a human being it should not be allowed. The idea that we can kill other humans because life is really hard is really dangerous.

Young woman: I agree they are human, but I am confused because it is horrible to end a life, but wouldn’t it also be horrible for a child to live a bad life? I don’t think you should be able to take a life, but I just don’t see how that would be worse than giving birth and then having the child experience trauma.

Rebekah: I agree it’s horrible when a child grows up in an environment that’s abusive and where she doesn’t get the care she deserves. It sounds like you are wrestling with this question: Wouldn’t it be better that someone dies than live a life of suffering and pain? If a human is going to suffer and have traumatic experiences, is it better to end her life before these experiences happen? What do you think God says about this?

So many Christians have a view of human suffering that is not informed by Scripture. I had similar exchanges with some Christians at San Diego State University and MiraCosta College in February. Thinking it is justified to take the life of another human being because they are going to suffer is a lie from Satan that too many Christians believe. It is a dangerous lie because it’s couched in compassion and concern for others, but it violates the commandment to not take away the most precious thing someone has: her life. Satan is the father of lies, and what’s lurking behind this view of suffering is the belief that some humans are better off dead. It is such a privileged position to look at another’s suffering and make the judgment, “Her life isn’t worth living. Someone else should decide if she lives or dies.” It’s a lie. This is not the way of Jesus.

I understand and believe that to depart and be with Jesus is far better, as Paul says in Philippians. But that mindset needs to also be held in tension with the knowledge that God is the author of life; He gives, and He takes away. That is His prerogative, not ours. We are clearly told not to take the lives of innocent human beings.

As Christians, our mindset toward these kinds of situations should be something like this: I love you. I’m with you. God is with you. You are not alone. I may not understand why this particular suffering has afflicted you, but God will not leave you. You matter even in this pain. I will seek to alleviate your suffering and pain in the ways that I can, but I will not dare raise a hand against another image bearer of God and take away her life.

God’s light shines in these dark places. His truth guides us in how to answer these questions.

Links to Resources

I will give a presentation this evening about “Back to the Basics: Fundamental Pro-Life Arguments” during an SFLA Webinar. (Register to attend here.)

See JFA Events:

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Personally Pro-Life

Impact Report, February 2026

Martha Depew began as an intern with JFA in July 2025 and is continuing her internship this spring. In this Impact report, Martha gives a window into her work through one special conversation she had recently, and she shares a principle that is helpful to all Christians as they seek to change hearts and minds. In addition, the tools Martha used here to help Becky are not hard to learn, and they can make a big difference for people who characterize themselves as “personally pro-life” and don’t want to “push their views” on other people through the law. Following Martha’s reflection, please take note of the partial list of recent and upcoming outreach events. Thank you for your support of our work through prayer and giving.

-Steve Wagner, Executive Director

University of Kansas (Sept. 2025)

During my internship I have had many amazing opportunities to conduct outreach and help with Justice For All’s interactive workshops in Colorado, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, and Texas.

I’ve also spent time learning to give sections of our training and furthering my knowledge of the abortion issue.

I wanted to share a conversation I had at Colorado State University that was such a great reminder to me of how God might use one person to plant a seed and another person to water it.

University of Missouri in Kansas City (Sept. 2025)

I asked a student I’ll call “Becky” what she thought of our display. She explained she had actually talked with one of our volunteers the previous day. She said that prior to that conversation she had been pro-choice, but at its conclusion she had significantly shifted her position to being “personally pro-life.” She meant that she was morally opposed to abortion, but felt uncomfortable saying that it should be illegal for others. I began by empathizing with her concern. I agreed with her that there are certain things to which I am morally opposed, but which I still think should be legal. For example, I said that while I believe that it is morally wrong to take God’s name in vain, I think the U.S. government would be overstepping if it started arresting people for this. After finding common ground with Becky, I then moved on to gently challenge her position. I pointed out that while there are some things we both agree the government should not regulate, there are other things in which the goverment has a duty to intervene, such as when an innocent person is being threatened with harm. We brought up various examples and discussed when the government should and shouldn’t intervene and into which category the abortion issue falls. At one point in our conversation I brought up the example of slavery. I helped Becky see the parallel to someone who said a similar thing about slavery when it was legal: “I am personally against slavery, but I don’t want to ‘force’ my view on others by saying it’s wrong for my neighbor to own slaves.” (I was very careful in framing this so that Becky would not feel like I was accusing her of anything, but instead simply drawing out the flaw in her way of thinking through an analogy.) Becky seemed struck by my analogy and was honest enough to admit the sense in it. I also used the example of being morally and personally against child abuse but not wanting to “impose” that view on others.

Becky had already become convinced the day before that abortion hurts an innocent child, so at this point in the conversation she had to admit that she agreed with me. Yet, I could tell that there was still something stopping her from fully shifting from only personally thinking that abortion is bad to thinking it should be illegal for other people. We had been talking for a while and built a lot of rapport, so I felt that I could be pretty direct with her. I asked her if the reason that she couldn’t bring herself to become fully pro-life was because she was scared to hold such an unpopular opinion. Becky frankly admitted that this was how she felt. It is an understandable fear because holding the opinion that abortion should be illegal, especially at a secular university, would practically guarantee losing friends. For someone like Becky who had probably grown up with the idea that being pro‑choice was essentially tantamount to being a compassionate, reasonable person who cares about human rights, it’s so difficult and requires a lot of bravery to recognize the truth about the humanity of the unborn. I was honestly impressed that she was even willing to consider something that would push her so far out of her comfort zone and belief system. At the close of our conversation I encouraged Becky that if she truly believed that abortion takes an innocent life then she must take a stand in defending unborn children, even if it is unpopular. Becky concluded by saying that she needed to think about it all more, but she seemed pretty convicted.

At Justice For All we talk about planting a seed, but this was the first time that I got to see so clearly firsthand how each conversation can be one step in someone’s journey. Because our volunteer had covered so much ground with her the day before, I was able to focus more specifically on helping her see that if abortion ends an innocent life, then it is not a subjective matter that should be left up to each person to decide, but an objective injustice against which we must take a stand. I’m so grateful that God allowed me to witness the growth in Becky.

Martha Depew, for the JFA Team

“Everything Is Relational”

Impact Report, January 2026

In this Impact Report, we pause to give (much overdue) thanks to God for one of our dear friends, Tammy Cook, who retired from 28 years of employment with JFA in fall of 2024. Tammy continues to serve JFA in volunteer roles behind the scenes. Throughout her time working for JFA, Tammy and I had many conversations about how we should approach dialogue with those who disagree. I remember her saying, almost as a way of summarizing all she had learned through thousands of conversations: “Everything is relational.” With this Impact Report I wanted to honor Tammy’s work and God’s work through her while also explaining this statement a bit, because it provides important counsel for all of us seeking to change hearts and save lives. See also Tammy’s own retrospective on her years with JFA in her farewell letter (“Passing the Baton” - jfaweb.org/tammy-farewell.

Steve Wagner, Executive Director

“Everything Is Relational” — A Tribute to Tammy Cook

Tammy talks to a student at the University of Kansas (KU) in 2016.

Tammy Cook was standing in front of the JFA Exhibit in Colorado in 2004 and asked a student passing by what she thought about our Exhibit. The student, visibly shaken, said, “What do you think I think? I’ve had three of these [abortions].” Tammy’s response at that moment could make or break the conversation. She softened her facial expression, showing compassion and concern for this young woman, Christina. She continued weaving compassion into the rest of their interaction. Tammy listened to her story and walked with her to the local pregnancy center table set up nearby (at JFA’s request). Tammy waited with Christina and introduced her to the director of the center once she was available. Then they parted, and Tammy trusted God to care for her. The next day Christina returned looking so happy she was almost unrecognizable. She explained that she had decided to participate in a post-abortion healing Bible study and return to her Christian faith. She hugged Tammy and said, “Thank you for giving me my life back.”

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Tammy and other JFA team members came to Kansas State (K-State) in 2005. In November 2025, Tammy returned to K-State with our team, this time as a volunteer (pictured here).

What was the key component in this interaction? Tammy realized the key to reaching Christina’s heart was to be relational. She emphasized love and sensitivity without compromising truth. She was compassionate about Christina’s feelings and circumstances. This allowed Christina to reckon with truth that would then set her free.

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Just as Tammy’s conversation cast this shadow on our Free Speech Board (left), Tammy’s impact over so many years has and will continue to make its mark on our team and volunteers.

Tammy shared many stories like this over the years in our debrief sessions and in newsletters. (Read many of Tammy’s letters at jfaweb.org/tammy-cook). We were often amazed at the impact she reported, and she always gave the glory to God, but she would also say she had learned a most important lesson about how to reach people’s hearts and their minds. Even though Tammy had mastered the intellectual facts, information, and arguments through long hours on campus and on the road debriefing with our team – she was always learning – she had found that one thing was more transformational than any intellectual argument. She would later sum up the lesson with the words, “Everything is relational.”

See Tammy’s final letter, “Passing the Baton,” (below) to read her reflections and see more pictures from her decades-long tenure with JFA. You can find it at jfaweb.org/tammy-farewell.

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What Tammy meant is this: When seeking to persuade people, we have to focus first and foremost on understanding the other person, on showing concern and compassion for the person’s feelings, emotions, and circumstances. We need to find the person’s “why.” Being relational means listening to her story, seeking common ground, and taking her seriously as an intrinsically valuable person, even if she never changes her mind. This is essential not just when people defend abortion with statements that have an obvious emotional component, such as rape or life-endangering pregnancy complications. It’s essential in every conversation about any argument for abortion. I think Tammy would respond with a chuckle, “It’s essential in every conversation about anything.”

Tammy isn’t implying being intellectual is unimportant. Tammy is trying to make sure you reach the heart of the person with whom you’re speaking so your arguments and reasons can have their proper effect. When does Tammy think we should do this relational work in the conversation? At the beginning, in the middle, and at the end. After re-reading her writing on this recently, here’s how I summarized her approach:

Be relational, and patiently continue to be relational even longer than you thought necessary, then be intellectual, but make sure to continue to be relational even while being intellectual.

This may represent only a small tweak to the approach you’ve used in the past. Yes, make arguments and respond with intellectually sound answers. But all the while, make relating to the person your greater priority because sometimes that relating is what makes the greater impact.

As a pro-life advocate just starting out in my mid-twenties, I cut my teeth at Justice For All outreach events. Just as it was for Tammy, these regular outreach engagements changed me from being focused mainly on the arguments and helped me to see how important it is to be relational even while being intellectual. (See jfaweb.org/RI to explore the “relational and intellectual” approach Tammy helped JFA develop.)

These outreach engagements that made such a big difference in my development as a pro-life advocate and Christian ambassador would never have happened at all, though, if it hadn’t been for Tammy’s work behind the scenes. God worked amazing logistical miracles in large part through Tammy’s efforts in

those days as she helped create the road system we still use decades later, with our staff and volunteers still aiming to eat meals with families and sleep in host homes rather than going to restaurants and purchasing hotel rooms. That road system has enabled us to have vibrant connections with pro-life advocates all over the country while also making the most of supporter dollars. It’s great, but it takes a lot of time and energy to make all those connections.

Tammy was one of JFA’s chief connections officers, spending long hours before, during, and after trips. For example, twice each year we would train 88 students from Focus on the Family Institute (later Focus Leadership Institute) for three days, and JFA shouldered the burden of finding a bed and a breakfast for each of those students in local homes near our campus outreach in four different Colorado cities on a two-year rotation cycle. Well, actually, Tammy shouldered much of that burden, and she loved every minute of it. For the better part of a decade during our tenure at the Institute, Tammy loved connecting with each host and student, getting to know each one, and making sure the students’ basic needs were taken care of so that they could make the most of the life-changing training they got to experience for two days during the JFA campus outreach event.

Back in the JFA office in between trips to Colorado, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, and other states, Tammy served at various times as HR Director, Secretary of the Corporation, Regional Team Lead for Wichita, and she also served as advisor to JFA’s founder, David Lee. She hosted a number of JFA’s interns in her home over the years, as well as many JFA staff meetings. Although short in stature, this spunky woman filled the room with her bright smile and joyful laughter. She often reminded the team we needed to not just do serious work, but also have fun together. As a member of a small team, she did many other jobs that needed to be done, including raising her own support team that was faithful through almost three decades. (Thank you!) Tammy did all of this while also parenting three children with her husband and chief supporter, Kevin.

Tammy’s favorite JFA work, however, was seeking to change hearts and minds about abortion. She loved speaking in our seminars and talking with pro-choice students on campus, and probably more than anything else, she loved training up the next generation of pro-life advocates as a mentor in our “Seat Work and Feet Work” program, beginning in our seminars in interactive small groups and moving out to our campus outreach events where she would model our training in real-time for the students and then give them support and encouragement as they followed in her footsteps. Many of those beautiful moments of training were only possible, though, because Tammy was willing to sustain brutal physical stress. I have many memories of our team putting in very late nights searching for a host home address with only the help of a myriad of MapQuest printouts Tammy had kindly placed in folders for each vehicle. (Yes, there was a time very few people had GPS!) I remember many meetings with supporters, very early mornings setting up campus outreach exhibits, and long outreach days in the bitter cold or the bright, hot sun. Tammy and our team weathered wind, rain, and even snow. Tammy maintained a joyful spirit through it all, for she loved the people we trained and the people whose minds and hearts we sought to change.

Finally, I must mention one other strength Tammy brought to our work. She trusted God implicitly, even through health challenges and other roadblocks she and our team experienced. She placed her faith well, and I believe God was pleased to work through that faith in many instances.

In early November, Tammy made the drive from Wichita to Manhattan to join our team for an outreach event at Kansas State University. We joked that now she would need to sign a volunteer agreement … for the first time in thirty years! I watched as Tammy eagerly stationed herself near the exhibit and began engaging students in conversation. A master was back at the work again. I even was able to snap a special picture of our free speech board with Tammy’s silhouette without disrupting her conversation. What a special momento!

Thank you, Tammy, for all of your work over the years. We miss you in the daily work here at JFA, but our team and supporters are praying for you as you continue to serve Jesus in a well-deserved retirement!

Hadley Arkes on Sincerely-Held Beliefs vs. Moral Knowledge

Hadley Arkes makes the case that we should not frame our pro-life and other positions as mere beliefs (or mere religious sentiments which can be easily dismissed) but rather as items of moral knowledge that are publicly accessible and commend themselves to anyone through reason.

Everyone Needs This Training

Impact Report, Dec. 2025

During this Advent and Christmas season, as we think about the Son of God taking on flesh in order to save the world, we pause and thank God. We pray you are able to pause with us to worship our great God.

In this Impact Report, I share the story of two eager pro-life advocates, Maya and Matthew. Both joined me in a special conversation that took place at the University of New Mexico (UNM) when we partnered with the Summit Ministries Gap-Year Program to conduct outreach there in March. Maya, a Summit student, made a special impact in this conversation where Matthew didn’t, and that was in part because of the special gifting she has from God and in part because of Summit’s priority on providing JFA’s training for their students. There’s still time to give a special year-end gift to help us train more Christians like Maya in the coming year. Please consider giving a generous gift today at jfaweb.org/donate.

Steve Wagner, Executive Director

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I think the conversation lasted for about three hours.  It all began when a student stopped to talk at our intern Alora and my daughter Elsie who were stationed near our poll table at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in March.  The young man with a skateboard wanted to know why they were hurting women.  So I spoke up and said, “I’m the Director of the organization, so I’m happy to talk to you.”  Well, based on what followed, I’m not sure he was happy to talk to me.  He proceeded to tell me what I believed and all about views I held...that I don’t actually hold.  When I attempted to answer a question he asked, I barely had three words out before he would cut me off.  It was ugly.

At University of New Mexico (UNM) in early March, a crowd formed as Steve (center right) engaged a heated skateboarder in dialogue.

I was in my element, though.  A crowd began to form, made up of JFA volunteers and UNM passersby.  Soon a shorter female student with bright pink hair stepped up and said she wanted a turn.  Evidently I was either a sounding board or a punching bag for each of these students to share their thoughts.  I carefully listened, and I worked hard to live out the tools we had been training our volunteers to exemplify: listening to understand, asking questions with an open heart, and finding common ground when possible.

Soon a student named Kayla confidently joined the conversation, and the large crowd continued to listen for awhile before our volunteers did what I had hoped they would do – turn to their neighbors and ask what they thought.  Kayla and I and a few others ended up in a smaller circle continuing to dialogue. 

That’s when a UNM student I’ll call Matthew joined our conversation.  Matthew was very intelligent, very conservative, and very confident.  If I remember correctly, he also said he was a Christian.  As I listened to the conversation between Kayla and Matthew, I became concerned.  When Kayla mentioned women who were raped, Matthew quickly pointed out that only 1.5% of abortions happen due to rape.  I don’t remember each of the next exchanges, but they all followed a familiar pattern: Kayla would share something about the plight of women, and Matthew would give an intellectual response to show how her point didn’t justify abortion. Kayla was getting more and more agitated, and her anger and annoyance were palpable. Matthew was unfazed.

A student named Maya had joined our circle and motioned that she wanted to tell me something. “I don’t think the way he’s doing this is very good. I think he should use a different approach.” Maya said this humbly, with a spirit of concern for Kayla and not an intent to criticize. Maya was serving as a volunteer on our mission outreach team, along with about 40 other students and faculty from the incredible Summit Ministries Gap Year program. (Cheryl Kaye Davis, who served on JFA’s training team from 2012-2016, helps direct this program and helped arrange our partnership.)

Maya (center left) and Steve (center right) talk to Kayla (hidden) and other students at UNM.

I knew Maya had had some difficulty creating conversation that day. Although she is incredibly sharp, Maya has a disability that means it takes her a little longer than most to get her words out, and she is also shy. What I said next was a gamble, given the high intensity of Kayla and other pro-choice people in the circle. They really seemed to be coming to the end of their patience. I trusted Maya, though, and even more importantly, I trusted that God would help her. I whispered, “I think you should say what you are thinking to Kayla. Would you like to?” Maya looked at me a little surprised, but I could tell she was also eager.

When there was a break in the back-and-forth debate responses from Matthew, I said, “Kayla, this is my friend Maya. She wanted to say something.” And Maya began. It took her awhile to get her first question out. Kayla listened intently, and I could tell she was rooting along with me for this young woman that many people would say was not going to be the best advocate because she speaks slowly and needs the listener to attend more carefully than usual. Maya asked a question that was right on point, but it was filled with understanding and calm kindness. She was being relational while also being intellectual. She was seeking to understand by asking for clarification. I only wish I could remember the exact words so I could replay them here for you. They were beautiful.

Maya (center left) and another Summit student named Luke (center right) conduct a survey at our UNM event. See below for more pictures from this and other recent events.

Kayla and Maya proceeded to interact for the next many minutes, and Maya accomplished what I had been unable to, and what Matthew seems not to have attempted: a personal connection with Kayla. Yet Maya did not accomplish this by setting aside the truth. She was beautifully weaving concern for the truth with concern for Kayla as a person, someone worth loving and challenging. I could tell Kayla was receiving Maya’s gift.

I felt privileged to watch our training bloom and flower in Maya’s life. As I reflected later, it struck me: Every Christian needs this training. There was only a small difference between Matthew and Maya. Both had zeal and concern for God and the truth and justice for small humans, but Maya had the additional benefit of Summit’s excellent faculty and curriculum along with JFA materials, interactive exercises, and mentoring. (To learn more about Summit, please see summit.org.)

Please consider giving a generous year-end gift to help our team as we work to bring this training to every Christian (jfaweb.org/donate), especially through partnerships with like-minded organizations like Summit. We are eager to help every Christian learn to use the simple skills that can transform their well-meaning debates into dialogue that changes hearts and saves lives, both the physical lives of the unborn and the spiritual lives of people like Kayla.

– Steve Wagner, for the JFA Team

Note: Please also read Maya’s beautiful reflection on this conversation below.

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“No Excuses” - A JFA Volunteer Reflection by Maya

The UNM experience was unique for me because it wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t there for the first part of the conversation with Kayla, and I probably wouldn’t have been there for the second half of it if it hadn’t been the Lord’s timing. Ironically, that particular day started off feeling like a failure. I remember being on campus wanting to start a conversation once the people were flooding in. Every time a person approached, I chickened out because I felt inadequate. I kept thinking oh, I should let my well-spoken friends speak to them because they would get it out more confidently.

Before JFA and Summit training, my thought process was that it was only the really strong conversationalists that can explain to people why the pro-life position matters. The JFA team loosened that idea for me but it was still ingrained into me. So I just listened to all the conversations because I still thought it was important to hear the other side. The crowd had died down to a couple of people around 11:30, so I ate lunch around that time.

Then a friend of mine (her name was Franziska) and I decided to go around the campus asking people questions about abortion. I let her do most of the speaking. My friend encouraged me to speak up, but, in the back of my mind, I had already decided that I wasn’t someone who needed to be heard. I hated that I hesitated, but the doubt was so heavy that I couldn’t push past it. Franziska and I did this for a while, and we weren’t making progress with many people, so we decided to go back to the display earlier than expected. On the way back I remember being really disappointed.

By the time we had walked back, all I could see was Mr. Wagner engulfed by a large crowd. Curious, I came up closer, and he was engaged in a conversation with Kayla. Then a man who was not with our group came into the conversation. The man was a Christian and a Republican. He and Kayla were getting into a heated discussion about rape and abortion. This man was incredibly intelligent, and I could see that this topic meant a lot to him. However I was paying more attention to Kayla. I was listening intently to hear what Kayla had to say and see where she was coming from. I could see she was breaking with every point she was trying to communicate to the guy because she was trying to make the guy see why it mattered to her. At that moment, I realized that she was just as scared as I was. All I felt was empathy for her.

At that moment I just drifted off to the side to think. Mr. Wagner was there, and I just said what I was thinking. “I don’t think his approach is very good. I think there should be a different approach.” Mr. Wagner’s next words shocked me. He asked me if I wanted to say what I was thinking to Kayla. Internally I was screaming, “No, no, no! Say no. I’m not the one you need.” Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Kayla, and I don't know why, but I automatically said, “Yes.” I fumbled through the conversation badly. But somehow I was able to get through to her. I think she could sense I was scared to death, and we were both rooting for each other. I listened to her, and she was listening to me. I thought it was a very fruitful conversation.

As I think back on the experience, it reminds me of the story of Moses. Moses gave all sorts of excuses and begged God to choose someone else. In the end, the excuses didn’t matter because we serve a mighty God who can handle our inadequacies. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It is only in God that I was able to say Yes in a situation where I would’ve said No.

– Maya, Summit Ministries Gap-Year Participant and JFA Volunteer

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See More Recent Event Photos AND POSTS…

...On Flickr (click image)

...On Instagram (click image)

...On JFA's "Quick Look" Page

More Conversation Stories From RECENT EVENTS

• This Conversation Has Really Opened My Eyes

• I’ve Never Heard that Perspective Before

• Putting a Face on Abortion

• Which Path: Equality or Inequality?

Don’t Talk to the Most Pro-Choice Person You Know (Yet)

Luke's favorite part about a Costco run is the ice cream (obviously)!

My little brother, Luke, has Down syndrome. This August, he started 7th grade, which meant adjusting to a new school, new teachers, and new peers. He also recently developed some new interests. One of those interests is somersaults.

One day while jumping on the trampoline with my husband at my parent's house, Luke asked if Caden could teach him how to do a flip. Caden wisely replied, “First learn to do a somersault, then we can talk about learning flips.”

Excited, Luke came running to find me knowing I was a cheerleader in high school and asked me to teach him how to somersault. The three of us walked out to the front lawn, and I demonstrated step-by-step the proper technique. “Put your arms straight by your ears, bend your knees, tuck your chin into your neck, and push with your legs.” He struggled to figure out how to straighten his arms by his ears, so I helped him. Then he understood how to do it on his own. On his first attempt at a somersault, he got stuck on his head, unable to complete a full roll. As a result, he was a bit moody and discouraged, but I told him to keep trying. Next, he pushed his legs and sort of “twisted out” — not quite a true roll, but at least he was pushing forward. After about 20 minutes of repetition, just before dinner, Luke finally rolled all the way through a somersault by himself. His joy was priceless.

Caden, Luke, and me a couple days after our wedding in June.

Learning a new skill can be intimidating. It’s easy to think of all the ways things can go wrong. This often results in discouragement, a fear of getting hurt, or giving up altogether. At our JFA dialogue workshops, we encourage participants to go out into the world and have conversations with pro-choice advocates. It’s easy to remain in our echo chambers and have our beliefs reinforced. It’s much harder to talk to someone who challenges them. However, to jump into a conversation with an ardent pro-choice advocate without having a good conversation strategy is like trying to flip before you can somersault. This is why a portion of our training program focuses on the basic principles of good dialogue: How to ask open ended questions, listen, and find common ground. We also challenge participants with “role-play” exercises to give them an idea of what a conversation will feel like in real life and help them practice memory recall while under pressure.

Even after learning and practicing in role-play, many participants still fear that, in real conversation, they’ll freeze up or fumble their words. This fear is not unfounded. Just like Luke trying a new skill, when we are new to having conversations about abortion, we likely aren't going to “stick the landing” flawlessly right away. However, the way forward is not to read every book on the topic to ensure you have “all the answers.” It’s actually through trial and error: Try, stumble, reflect, and try again. Our mindset should be one of progression, not immediate perfection.

Once we’ve accepted the learning process of becoming a good and wise pro-life advocate, we now have to put what we’ve learned into action. To do this, we should start by thinking about the people in our lives we believe to be “safe” to fail in front of. I often encourage participants to think of three kinds of people they probably know:

Person Type 1: A friend or family member you assume to be pro-life but with whom you haven’t talked about the issue in much depth.

Person Type 2: Someone who identifies as pro-choice but appears moderate. Perhaps he or she personally would never get an abortion (or maybe would prefer there were fewer abortions) but still thinks other people have the right to make the choice for themselves.

Person Type 3: Someone who is passionately pro-choice. Perhaps she has a bumper sticker on her car that says, “Abortion is healthcare.”

I encourage you not to have your first conversation with the third person. That’s like trying to flip on concrete before you’ve learned to somersault. Instead, start with Person Type 1. Since you assume she is pro-life, you likely share a lot of values, which serve as easy common ground throughout the conversation. You might also be surprised to find out that, while she thinks abortion should generally be illegal, there are certain cases she believes to be exceptions (such as pregnancy resulting from sexual assault). This is a great person with whom you can practice the dialogue tools you learned in the workshop, such as “Trot Out A Toddler.” Regardless of whether she changes her mind about those exceptions, the odds of a cordial and encouraging conversation are high. Once you have that first successful conversation, try talking to Person Type 2. Use the Three Essential Skills (asking questions, listening, and finding common ground), and see if you can get the conversation a little further than you’ve been able to in the past. Remember the goal is not perfection, but progress. Once you get the hang of the discussion with Person Type 2, now you can challenge yourself to try the “flip” by engaging Person Type 3. By this point, you may be pleasantly surprised to see how well you do at easing the tension and finding common ground since you've been practicing with several people.

So who in your life might be your Person Type 1? I encourage you to reach out to him or her and say something like, “I recently attended a class on how to have civil discussions about abortion. The instructors encouraged me to start a conversation about the issue with someone I know. I think we probably agree on a lot, but would you be open to meeting up for coffee so I can practice what I learned by hearing more about your perspective?”

When you do, I’d love to hear how the conversation goes. If you get stuck or don't know how to respond to a particular argument, don’t hesitate to reach out. A JFA mentor (myself included) would be happy to role-play more conversations with you over Zoom.

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Equip your church or school with pro-life dialogue skills!

Want to be equipped to have meaningful conversations about tough moral issues? Bring a pro-life dialogue work-shop or presentation to your church community, school, or club!

For younger students, we also offer a fun, hands-on K–4 lesson plan that highlights the beauty of development in the womb and helps children connect with the unborn in an age-appropriate way. (www.jfaweb.org/kids)

Did you know you can request a JFA speaker online? Reach out to us to explore dates to have us speak to your group: www.jfaweb.org/request

“Thankful for…Lifelong Skills”

Impact Report, Nov. 2025

As we approach Thanksgiving, we want to take a moment to thank God for each of you who partner with JFA by supporting JFA financially, praying faithfully for our outreach events, using our training in your everyday life, hosting our teams in the field, or sharing our training with others.

In this Impact Report, JFA volunteer Isabella gives us an amazing inside look at JFA’s training program, including both Seat Work and Feet Work. Thank you for helping us train Isabella so that she could make an impact in these past few months and now also throughout her life! Thank you for partnering with us as we train Christians like Isabella to advocate for unborn children and the Christian worldview. Would you take a moment and consider giving a generous year-end gift so we can reach more people?

Isabella (facing camera) uses JFA’s kiosk, poll table, and brochure to engage a student in dialogue at Grossmont College near San Diego, California in October 2025.

Steve Wagner, Executive Director

Isabella (right) interacts with students at Cal State University San Marcos in Nov. 2025. Find more pictures from recent events at www.jfaweb.org/photos.

“I have volunteered in pro-life pregnancy centers where I have been able to love the unborn and their mothers through patient care. However, Justice For All has been an incredible blessing in training me how to love the third person involved in abortion conversations – the person who disagrees with me. It can be intimidating in today’s climate to know exactly how to speak the truth about abortion.

I had the passion and eagerness to speak about this topic, but I did not have the practical skills and information needed before JFA to be an equipped ambassador of Christ. Their training really emphasizes commitment to truth – that the unborn are human beings to be protected – in loving dialogue. They prepared me with the important knowledge behind common abortion discussion points, and skills to both listen, care, and respectfully challenge those I am dialoguing with. Their extensive training was interactive, so I was able to practice sharing truth and being challenged.

When I joined the college campus outreach, I was a bit nervous. However, after watching the dialogue between students and JFA staff, I saw how well the training prepared me for these conversations. I went into conversations with students who disagreed with my stance on abortion. Without JFA, I probably would have been busy worrying about my next response to theirs. But with the training, I was able to truly listen and ask questions to better understand their point, and it naturally allowed moments where I could respectfully challenge their perspective. I learned that many times, the people who differed had their own painful experiences I could have compassion towards, and a lot of common ground we could relate to, without compromising on defending the unborn. Many of the conversations were fruitful and even led to discussions about the Gospel. I am so thankful for this experience and the lifelong skills I now have in sharing the truth in love.”

– Isabella, JFA Volunteer

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JFA intern Martha (center) and JFA volunteers talk with Kansas State University students in early November.

Recent Outreach Events

9/10 University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS)

Jeremy Gorr and Susanna Dirks dialogue with students at Univ. of Missouri - Kansas City in early November.

9/15-16 Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)

9/22-24 Colorado State Univ. (Fort Collins, CO)

10/7 Quincy University (Quincy, IL)

10/13 UCSD (San Diego, CA)

10/13 Gannon University (Erie, PA)

10/14-15 Grossmont College (El Cajon, CA)

11/3-5 Kansas State Univ. (Manhattan, KS)

11/3-4 Univ. of Missouri Kansas City (MO)

11/17-20 UT San Antonio & Texas State (TX)

11/18-20 Univ. of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)

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Conversation Excerpt: Andrea Thenhaus

I asked Tim when he believed life began scientifically speaking. He was not sure, so I shared what biology teaches on this question. We discussed the fact that life begins at conception and that the unborn is a living human being that is growing and developing over time.

Tim: Wow! That makes sense. That cleared up a lot of things for me. I am on the fence with this issue. I can see both sides of the argument. I now see that the unborn is a human being, but some women are in challenging situations.

We found common ground about how important it is to care for women in difficult circumstances. Then I asked Tim if he was open to seeing images of abortion, and he said yes.

Tim: Wow. That is horrible.

Andrea: I agree. Do you think abortion is a medical procedure or does an abortion take a life?

Tim: I would say both. Abortion is taking a life, but it is also a medical procedure.

Andrea: Well the purpose of a medical procedure is to promote life, like heart surgery or removing a tumor. Abortion takes a human life.

Tim: That is true. I think women should have a choice, but I am realizing that a woman should not have the choice to kill her unborn baby.

It was energizing to be on campus that day as I spoke with many...open-minded pro-choice students. While there is so much darkness in the world, God is moving.

Note: See jfaweb.org/blog for the rest of the story above (“A Charge to Continue”) and more stories from recent events, including these:

• This Conversation Has Really Opened My Eyes

• I’ve Never Heard that Perspective Before

• Putting a Face on Abortion

• Which Path: Equality or Inequality?

Putting a Face on Abortion

In a conversation with a student at Grossmont College, October 2025

Our culture claims that abortion is ‘healthcare’ and a "human right." Too many people don't really believe and understand that abortion kills a human being. But it does. It's harder to justify the injustice of abortion when you are looking at the body of a dead human being. I had a conversation with a student at Grossmont College in October who was not aware of what abortion really does to another human being. Here’s my recollection of the conversation:

Rebekah: What do you think about abortion?

Allie: I don’t really know what I think about the issue. I’m in the middle.

Rebekah: Okay. Do you think abortion kills a human being at a certain point?

Allie: At a certain point. Probably here. [pointing to the human fetus between 7-12 weeks]

Colleen Smith (right) and me in a conversation at UCSD, October 2025

Rebekah: Okay. Is that because the human fetus at that point is more recognizable to us in that they have more distinct human features?

Allie: Yes.

We spent time discussing the biology, when human life begins, and what makes it wrong to kill human beings. Allie started verbally processing and told me she thought abortion should be legal because there are certain situations where a woman might not be prepared to have a child and can’t care for him, especially if she was assaulted. As she was saying this, she went on and said that even as the words were coming out of her mouth, she understood this wasn’t a good argument for abortion. She shared with me that there was someone very close to her who was raped and got pregnant, and this person continued the pregnancy and placed the child for adoption. I asked her how this person was doing now and expressed how sorry I was that she went through that.

As we continued discussing, I asked her:

Rebekah: Have you ever seen graphic images of abortion before?

Allie: No.

Rebekah: Would you be open to seeing them?

Allie: Sure.

We walked over to the image, and before I pulled back the paper covering the graphic photo, I said:

Rebekah: I understand why some people want to be in the middle on this issue as you brought up earlier. When you take a side on a controversial subject like this, that can be difficult. Before I show you this image, I want to ask you if you ever think it’s okay to do this to someone’s else’s body because of a difficult circumstance someone else is experiencing?" [I uncovered the graphic image of an 11-12 week aborted human fetus.]

Allie: [She paused as she looked at the image] I had no idea that’s what [abortion] looked like. I thought it was more like cells that get absorbed back into the woman’s body.

Rebekah: How do these images impact your view on abortion?

Allie: I think it’s a gray issue.

Rebekah: I think there can be a lot of issues that are gray. How can it be a gray area to mutilate and destroy someone’s body like this though? [pointing to the graphic image]

Allie said she didn’t know. I asked her if she wanted to continue the conversation or if she needed time to process on her own. Allie told me she needed time to think, so I politely ended the conversation.

While earlier abortions might not look as grisly as the image I showed Allie, all abortions, regardless of when they happen in pregnancy, end the life of another image bearer of God. Our culture tries to put a sanitized “face on abortion” and act like it’s just a simple medical procedure. I think it’s important we counter those lies by putting the real “face on abortion” by using graphic images in some contexts and presenting arguments in defense of the most vulnerable among us.

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*To view the image I used in this conversation, go to jfaweb.org/brochure. To receive training on how to use graphic abortion images in conversations, take our online Love3 Workshops in December:

December 1, 8, & 15: Monday Evening Sessions (3 Weeks) 5-730PM (PT).

With JFA’s Love3 Workshops, you can learn to create conversations in which you love the woman, the child, and the person who disagrees with you equally at every moment of every conversation. Register at jfaweb.org/register.

Conversations with Unbelievers

I had the privilege of speaking in the Sunday morning service of Bluemont Church in Manhattan, Kansas a week ago. You can listen to the message here.

Click the image to listen to Steve’s message at Bluemont Church on 11/2/2025.

Here are the Biblical passages I referenced in my message:

Matt. 12:9-14

Departing from there, He went into their synagogue. And a man was there whose hand was withered. And they questioned Jesus, asking, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” — so that they might accuse Him. And He said to them, “What man is there among you who has a sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” He stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

II Cor. 5:17-21

(17) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

(20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Col. 4:2-6

Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak.

(5) Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Note about the Series and Image

The image above is from the series of messages currently in progress at Bluemont Church.

More about Deception Island:

• Wikipedia Article

• Article at Atlas Ocean Voyages: “How Did Deception Island Get Named”

"That's a Baby!"

Recent Event Reflection

I started a conversation with a man named Ocean at Colorado State University (Sept. 2025) by asking his thoughts on abortion. He said he wasn’t sure, having gone back and forth on the issue, but he currently leaned more pro-choice. He mentioned that his mom had him at 15 and that he sometimes wished she had aborted him. I felt terrible hearing this and couldn’t imagine what he has experienced to feel that way. Later, he shared that he struggles with depression. I told him I was glad he is here and that his mom didn’t abort him, and I expressed sincere sympathy for his struggle with depression. I think part of Ocean’s difficulty in recognizing the value of the unborn came from not recognizing his own worth. We discussed various aspects of the issue, but the breakthrough came when I showed him pictures of human development. He was shocked—pointing to the six-week embryo and exclaiming, “That’s a baby!” By the end of our talk, Ocean said he was “more pro-life now.”

– Martha Depew, JFA Intern

Note: See jfaweb.org/oct-2025-andrea for another recent campus story by Andrea Thenhaus (“A Charge to Continue”).

Recent Events in Pictures and Numbers

Our team conducted outreach on busy Library Walk at Univ. of California at San Diego (UCSD) on October 13. (Image signs are not shown here.) In September and October, JFA trainers conducted outreach during 15 days on 9 campuses in 7 states.

Kristina spoke to an all-school assembly at a high school in Illinois on October 7. JFA trainers also conducted 11 interactive workshops in 7 states in September & October.

Martha and Andrea display two approaches to rain-readiness during our Colorado State University outreach in September. The rain led to splitting our team between outdoor and indoor locations, leading to even more conversations!

Pray for Upcoming Outreach Events

11/3-5 Kansas State Univ. (Manhattan, KS)

11/3-4 Univ. of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC)

11/17-18 Univ. of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA)

11/19-20 Texas State Univ. (San Marcos, TX)

11/18-20 Univ. of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)

• See Upcoming Training Events: jfaweb.org/calendar

• Love3 Online Interactive Events: jfaweb.org/love3

• See Recent Events: jfaweb.org/impact-quick-look

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A Charge to Continue

I was at the University of Kansas talking to students when I started to receive notifications that Charlie Kirk had been shot. As we continued outreach that day, it was sobering to think that Charlie had been shot for speaking the truth.

I had the privilege of meeting Charlie in March of 2022.

The assassination left many Christians grieving and wondering what is next. Charlie was a man of courage and boldness, and he loved the Lord and our country. His faith was inspiring. His love for his family was touching. His determination to spread the gospel was convicting. America lost a true hero.

Just a few days after Charlie Kirk was murdered, I went to the University of Arkansas to lead an outreach event. A student I’ll call “Tim” walked up to the poll table and signed “Yes” to the question, “Should abortion be legal?” I asked Tim if he had time to share more of his thoughts. This is how our conversation went.

Tim: I believe women should have choices. I think women should be able to choose if they want an abortion or not.

View fullsize

Five volunteers participated in outreach at the University of Arkansas in September of 2025. 

Andrea: I agree with you that choice is super important. We should all be able to make choices for ourselves as long as that choice does not harm other human beings. Murder, rape, and child abuse are wrong because those choices harm human beings.

Tim: That is true.

As I began asking Tim about his beliefs, he shared that he believed abortion should be legal for circumstances such as rape and poverty and for a certain duration of pregnancy, but not for all nine months.

Andrea: Yes. Those are hard circumstances for sure. Rape is a horrific crime. Poverty is a difficult situation as well. If a woman feels like she can’t provide for her baby, that is so stressful.

Tim: Yes, definitely.

Andrea: I have a hypothetical situation that I want to bring up. Let’s imagine that there is a mother with a two-year-old that is in a situation where she can’t afford to care for her toddler. Would it be okay for the mother to end the life of her toddler if she feels like that would help her situation?

Tim: No, of course not.

Andrea: I agree with you. This is probably an obvious question, but why can’t that mother kill her child?

Tim: That would be wrong. That toddler is already born and alive.

Andrea: Yes, that toddler is alive, and it is wrong to kill human beings. If the unborn are human beings like the toddler, then should we protect the unborn like we would the toddler?

Tim: Yes, if the unborn are human beings, then they need to be protected, too.

I asked Tim when he believed life began scientifically speaking. He was not sure, so I shared what biology teaches on this question. We discussed the fact that life begins at conception and that the unborn is a living human being that is growing and developing over time.

Tim: Wow! That makes sense. That cleared up a lot of things for me. I am on the fence with this issue. I can see both sides of the argument. I now see that the unborn is a human being, but some women are in challenging situations.

We found common ground about how important it is to care for women in difficult circumstances. Then I asked Tim if he was open to seeing images of abortion, and he said yes.

Tim: Wow. That is horrible.

Andrea: I agree. Do you think abortion is a medical procedure or does an abortion take a life?

Tim: I would say both. Abortion is taking a life, but it is also a medical procedure.

Andrea: Well the purpose of a medical procedure is to promote life, like heart surgery or removing a tumor. Abortion takes a human life.

Tim: That is true. I think women should have a choice, but I am realizing that a woman should not have the choice to kill her unborn baby.

It was energizing to be on campus that day as I spoke with many pro-life students and open-minded pro-choice students. While there is so much darkness in the world, God is moving.

As I have been reflecting on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, I am reminded that God is all-powerful and can use each one of us to impact the world. I believe the reason the world was so impacted by Charlie’s life was because He gave it to the Lord. He told the Lord, “Here I am, send me.” God has called each of us to serve Him in our unique corner of the world. That will look different for each person, but being faithful to serve the Lord where He calls us is what matters.

1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 says, “you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” May we be comforted in the Lord and charged to live a surrendered and courageous life.

Thank you for your love and support toward my work with JFA. I appreciate each of you very much.

In Christ,

Andrea

Kristina Churchman talks conversation skills