Most people don’t identify with very young unborn children, and consequently, they lack the affection and empathy that would cause them to suffer ridicule or discomfort in order to speak up for them. One of the best ways to help ourselves and others identify with the unborn child, that we might develop affection and empathy for her, is to see the child. There is no better tool for seeing the unborn child than the free “See Baby Pregnancy Guide” app from the Endowment for Human Development (EHD). The app allows you to see clear video images of very young children in the womb. Please use the app and consider giving a gift to EHD to make sure the app continues to be available as a valuable resource for conversations.
Conversation Starter - "See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 4 Weeks."
To start a conversation about unborn children and Jesus in a natural way during Advent, we suggest sharing the post, “See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 4 Weeks.” The post includes a link to clear video imagery featuring the unborn child’s heart beating at four weeks and four days (from fertilization). We hope the post will encourage curiosity and conversation about both the unborn child and the incarnation of Jesus.
See What Baby Jesus Looked Like at 4 Weeks
Many people are curious to know what Jesus looked like. Though it may be difficult to know what Jesus looked like when he walked the earth, it may be easier to see something of what his appearance must have been like when he was a four-week-old baby in Mary's womb. And what better time for this than the season of Advent? Click on the EHD page below to reveal video of a baby at four weeks and four days from fertilization.
Click to make the blurry image crystal clear.
To see this imagery on your smart phone, we suggest downloading the stellar "See Baby Pregnancy Guide" app. Once you do, you'll have the ability to scroll through video images from very early on (like the video above) until late in the baby's development.
(HT: JFA staff member Bubba Garrett shared this idea with me this week.)
We Thank God for You
I've received a whole raft of Giving Tuesday emails today encouraging me to give to all sorts of important things I care about. We here at JFA have no ill will towards the Giving Tuesday phenomenon, but for a variety of reasons we haven't made much of Giving Tuesday in recent years.
I did, however, just have a thought that I wanted to share with you. It's about your answer to the following questions:
Did you pray for one of our events this year?
Did you pray regularly for us?
Did you lead your church in praying?
Did you host a JFA staff member or volunteer in your home during an outreach trip?
Did you provide a meal for us?
Did you give to our Intern Scholarship Fund?
Did you give a monthly automatic gift to our Training Program Fund or to support the work of one of our missionaries?
Did you set up a speaking event for one of our staff in your community?
Did you make an appeal to a pastor to consider partnering with JFA?
Did you call or email a JFA staff member to encourage him or her?
Did you volunteer at a JFA event and create conversations with pro-choice advocates?
Did you use JFA's monthly Resource Bulletin or other materials to create conversations with people in your everyday life?
Did you speak up when someone in your everyday life brought up the topic of pregnancy, unborn children, women in distress, or abortion?
Often I worry that you, our friends, feel like you are not truly contributing to our work unless you give money. I worry that you may put any giving that is not financial in a sort of "second-class" category. Giving financially is certainly one important way to partner with JFA, but all of the activities I've listed above are essential, and I do mean essential, to our work of training Christians to create transformative conversations that can help save the smallest humans on earth (and their parents) from abortion.
It may be that we cannot do our work without financial support, but we trust God will provide the support we need. In the same way, we simply cannot do our work without these other gifts you have given this year. Without host homes, our team wouldn't be able to create conversations on campuses across the country. Similar things could be said about every item listed above. And we trust God to provide these needs, and he has provided for us mightily through you.
Consider this: none of our conversations will have any impact on anyone without God moving in each person's heart before, during, and after our interactions. When you pray along with us, you place your trust in God as the one who brings about change.
I just wanted to take this moment to say thank you for partnering with us so faithfully through these very real gifts I've listed above. The stories we've shared this year are very truly your stories. Thank you for your many sacrifices in so many different forms this year. We consider you to be such an important, "first-class" member of the JFA team. We thank God for you.
If you're so inclined, I'd love to hear your thoughts about JFA's work and ways you've been able to partner with us this year. You can click the link below at any time during the year to share your thoughts with us.
I mentioned our Resource Bulletin above. It's one of our best resources for making abortion unthinkable. Each month, we post specific, practical ways you can pray for conversations, prepare for conversations, and start conversations. Check it out!
Baby Eleanor and Baby Logan - Perinatal Hospice Stories
The two videos below document the birth stories of Baby Eleanor and Baby Logan. Both Eleanor and Logan were diagnosed with lethal fetal anomalies, and were assumed to be "not compatible with life" after birth. Instead of turning to abortion, their families received support from the perinatal hospice team at Choices Medical Clinic (Wichita, KS), and were empowered to embrace whatever time they could have with their babies. Witness their incredible stories for yourself, in the videos below.
Recent & Upcoming Events - Please Pray
Please pray that God will cause hearts and minds to change as a result of conversations created by our staff, volunteers, and audience members:
JFA Chief Operations Officer Paul Kulas (right, with brochure) at the UMN outreach in October. See more photos and register to attend upcoming events at JFA's Calendar Page.
Chanhassen, MN: 9/30 — Interactive Workshop — St. Hubert Catholic Church (124 attended)
Minneapolis, MN: 10/2, 10/3 — Ten-Foot Kiosk Outreach Event — University of Minnesota
St. Louis, MO: 10/22 — Interactive Workshops — Respect Life Convention (80 attended)
Albuquerque, NM: 10/22 — Interactive Workshop — University of New Mexico (12 attended)
Albuquerque, NM: 10/23, 10/24 — Kiosk Outreach Event — University of New Mexico
Bel Aire, KS: 10/28 — Presentation (Grace Fontenot) — Church of the Resurrection - Closed event
Kennesaw, GA: 10/30 — Interactive Workshop — Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA: 10/31, 11/1 — Kiosk Outreach Event — Kennesaw State University
Del City, OK: 11/10 — Chapel Presentation, Interactive Seminar — Christian Heritage Academy
Norman, OK: 11/11 — Interactive Workshop — Christ the King Presbyterian Church
Norman, OK: 11/12 — Interactive Seminar — Trinity Baptist Church
Norman, OK: 11/13, 11/14 — Large Exhibit Outreach Event — University of Oklahoma
Featured Resource - Trot Out the Toddler
JFA Intern Susanna Buckley (right), at JFA’s University of Minnesota (UMN) outreach in October.
When you discuss abortion with others, you’re almost certainly going to hear concerns about suffering — the suffering the pregnant woman is experiencing now and the suffering she and the unborn child will experience soon if she doesn’t get an abortion. Intern Susanna Buckley described an amazing conversation in JFA’s October 2017 Impact Report in which she helped a young woman see a different perspective on suffering. You can learn another approach from the example of JFA trainers in actual conversations featured in our “Trot Out the Toddler” Newsletter Collection. Then use what you’ve learned in a conversation (see below).
Conversation Starter - "Is Suffering Ever Better?"
Use Joanna Bai’s recent post, “Is Suffering Ever Better?” to start a conversation about abortion in a natural way. It features a panel from JFA’s Art of Life Exhibit including a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. Share the post on social media or email the link to a friend. Just as the post doesn’t downplay the difficult circumstances and suffering which confront many women considering abortion, we should acknowledge that suffering early in our conversations, affirming the sympathy many feel. In this way, our love for all human beings, both before and after birth, becomes evident to the person we’re trying to reach, commending our message.
Is Suffering Ever Better?
"Suffering" from JFA's Art of Life Exhibit
This panel from JFA's Art of Life Exhibit features "Sorrowing Old Man (At Eternity's Gate)" by the famous Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh (1890). He completed it only two short months before his own death.
Nearly every reason for obtaining abortion relates to some form of suffering, whether experienced by the woman at the moment of her decision, or which the woman fears she or her child will undergo in the future:
"My parents will hate me if they find out I'm pregnant."
"My boyfriend will break up with me if I don't get the abortion."
"I definitely can't afford to care for a baby now."
"I don't even know who the father of the baby is - I don't want my child to grow up without a dad."
"My education and career goals will never pan out if I have a child to raise on my own."
"Pregnancy is making me unbearably sick - I have to remain on bedrest just to keep the baby alive."
Or, perhaps:
"This baby has a lethal fetal anomaly and will die at birth. I don't want my child to go through that, and I don't think I can watch him undergo that much suffering."
The "Suffering" panel shown nearby states, "The art of life is better than abortion." Do you agree that it is better for a woman to endure suffering than for a child to be killed by abortion? And if it is likely that a child will suffer, do you think that allowing that child to endure suffering is better than killing him or her by abortion? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below; or better yet, share this post with a friend and start a conversation.
(For more information about the painting, including insight from Van Gogh himself into the work's intended meaning, see JFA's Art of Life Exhibit page.)
Three Miracles in One Conversations
Impact Report, October 2017
By Susanna Buckley, JFA Intern
Note: JFA’s interns are hard at work this fall, along with the rest of the JFA team, creating conversations that change hearts and minds. In this Impact Report, Susanna Buckley, intern from Virginia, shares a beautiful conversation from our recent Purdue University outreach. She saw God work through two well-placed questions to help a young woman make connections to her experience which surprised even her, convincing her that abortion is not a reasonable option for responding to suffering and difficulty. Susanna’s story is accompanied by pictures of a few of the hundreds of conversations our interns, trainers, and volunteers created at the Purdue University event and another recent outreach event at the University of Minnesota. - Steve Wagner, Executive Director
JFA Intern Susanna Buckley (right), who authored this report, at JFA’s University of Minnesota (UMN) outreach in October
I turned around after finishing one conversation and noticed her standing there, looking at the exhibit. I waved and smiled, “Can I ask you what you think about abortion?”
Typically, when I ask that question, people stand there and ponder the question for a moment before answering, but she was ready. After smiling back, she answered with a question of her own. “Say there’s a terminally ill woman who is passing on her illness to her unborn child. Shouldn’t we give the woman the opportunity to end her pregnancy so that she doesn’t have to watch her child suffer?”
JFA Intern David Rodriguez (center, right) at Purdue University in September
The question took me by surprise, but it reminded me of a thought experiment one of the more experienced JFA staff members had shared with me. I asked her if I could ask her another question, and she said yes. “You have a friend on the other side of the world who calls you up and says, ‘I just found out I have cancer and have only four months to live.’ Do you wait until about month three and say, ‘I guess I should visit her?’ Or do you take the next plane out?”
She didn’t hesitate at all. “The next plane! Absolutely!” This was very encouraging to me, so I followed up: “Of course! Now apply that to the mother in the hypothetical situation you gave me a moment ago.” I hoped she would see another possible approach to terminally ill unborn children, that instead of killing them, we can cherish the time we have with them.
JFA Intern Grace Fontenot (left) at Purdue University in September
Her eyes lit up. “My mom did that!” She explained that her little brother had only been alive three days after he was born. Her mom stayed by his side every moment until he died. “I only wish I would have met him. I’ve never thought of him in relation to this before. I cannot stand by my question with that in mind.”
JFA Chief Operations Officer Paul Kulas (right, with brochure) at the UMN outreach in October
We exchanged some stories, and I got her name. Then she came up with a new question. “Say there’s someone with a terminal illness who doesn’t want to live anymore because he is tired of knowing he’s going to die. Should we give him the chance to choose assisted suicide?”
Again, the question seemed to come from left field, but it brought to mind a question I find very important. I just asked, “Do you believe in miracles?”
JFA Trainer Jon Wagner (left) at Purdue in September
Immediately a light turned on in her mind, and she burst out, “I’m a miracle!” Diving into her personal story, she explained that she was born with what her doctors described as a terminal illness. Defying the odds, she turned her “few months” diagnosis into the young woman standing in front of me. “I’m only here because of a miracle! I cannot stand by my question any more.”
Stephanie Gray, author of Love Unleashes Life, joined the JFA team for the Purdue outreach. Here she listens to a Purdue student. Click here to learn more about Stephanie or to purchase her book.
We shared more stories about miracles we had witnessed in our lives. She wasn’t a Christian, but she let me talk about the amazing things I have seen God do in my life and the lives of others. The last thing she told me was, “I would absolutely make every opportunity for a miracle to happen. I hope I get the chance to do that one day.”
I left this conversation not just marveling at the miracle of this person standing before me, but also at the two miracles I witnessed as God worked through two of my questions to help this person make connections I could never have orchestrated on my own. Thanks be to God!
Note: Go to our Calendar Page to see more pictures of JFA’s interns, trainers, and volunteers in action at Purdue University, University of Minnesota, and other recent outreach events.
Radio Broadcasts: JFA Stories & Upcoming Events in MN
Steve Wagner facilitates an open mic dialogue with students at the University of North Texas.
Two Minneapolis area radio shows featured the work of Justice For All this month, gearing up for two area JFA interactive workshops (9/30 and 10/1) and JFA campus outreach at the University of Minnesota (10/2 and 10/3). (Find event details and registration information by clicking here.)
Click below to listen:
JFA's Steve Wagner on Living the Gospel of Life radio show (Interview is introduced just after minute 13:00)
JFA's Steve Wagner and JFA volunteer Ashley Burns on Rediscover: Hour on Relevant Radio 1330AM - (Interview with Steve begins just before minute 6:00; Hear Ashley share her JFA story at minute 26:00.)
Recent/Upcoming Events and New Student Guide
Please pray with us as we release our new guide for pro-life students: Conversations Change Campuses. Pray that it helps more student clubs create outreach events and conversations. Pray also that those clubs will invite us to partner with them. Pray for our upcoming events, that God will cause hearts and minds to change as a result of conversations created by our staff, volunteers, and audience members:
JFA staff members and student volunteers create conversations in front of JFA's "Stop and Think" Exhibit at Purdue University in September. See more photos from this outreach in the JFA Photo Archive.
West Lafayette, IN: 9/4— Interactive Workshop — St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church
West Lafayette, IN: 9/5,6 — “Stop and Think” Exhibit Outreach Event — Purdue University
Lawrence, KS: 9/24 — Interactive Seminar — St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center
Chanhassen, MN: 9/30 — Interactive Workshop — St. Hubert Catholic Church
Minneapolis, MN: 10/1 — Interactive Workshop — University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN: 10/2,3 — Ten-Foot Kiosk Outreach Event — University of Minnesota
Atchison, KS: 10/12 - Interactive Seminar - Benedictine College, Ferrell Academic Center
Albuquerque, NM: TBD
Conversation Starter - "One Tiny Free Speech Board Comment"
See the Featured Conversation Starter for this month (a small comment hidden in this free speech board) by clicking on the image above or the links below.
Hiding in the corner of a JFA Free Speech Board (pictured) at our Colorado State event in April was a tiny gem of a comment that’s also a great conversation starter you can share with pro-choice advocates and pro-life advocates alike. The comment helps people with different positions on abortion clarify where they really disagree, start with common ground, and give each other the benefit of the doubt. You can find the post titled “One Tiny Free Speech Board Comment” at the links below. Go check it out, and then share it on social media.
Ten Easy Ways to Start Meaningful Dialogue
"Ten Easy Ways to Start Meaningful Dialogue," an article by Steve Wagner (JFA's Executive Director), was featured in a a recent blog post by Amy K. Hall for Stand to Reason. You can read it by clicking on the image nearby.
Are you looking for a way to put these principles into practice? We invite you to participate in the JFA training program, which includes a university campus outreach experience.
Quick Links:
Read the Article
Read Steve's Book
Invite Steve to Speak
Learn about Upcoming JFA Events
Notes from my Interview with Rediscover Hour on Relevant Radio in MN
I just finished talking with Patrick Conley of Rediscover Hour, a radio show based in Minnesota. (Update: You can now listen to the interview here.) Here are links to some of the resources, events, and stories I mentioned on the show:
Learn more about the Chanhassan Workshop on Sept. 30 on our Calendar page.
Register for upcoming JFA events: Sept. 30 Chanhassan Workshop or Oct. 1 UMN Workshop.
Read Steve Wagner's Book: Common Ground Without Compromise (Free eBook Available).
JFA's Learn at Home Program gives you four fifteen-minute exercises to prepare you for your first conversation.
Read about Catherine's experience with her first JFA event and then equipping Amanda to help save a life.
See our Stories page for more stories of conversations, changed hearts, and saved lives.
See our Dialogue Examples page for newsletters including word-for-descriptions of conversations.
Start conversations on social media by sharing posts from our 7conversations Twitter page or our "Start the Conversation" blog feed.
Bonus: Get JFA's monthly letter with stories, dialogue tips, and encouragement.
We hope to see you at the upcoming events in Chanhassan and Minneapolis!