Antoine was waiting outside the abortion center in Chicago while his girlfriend was inside.
They had come for an abortion.
While the Church prayed just steps away, Antoine encountered a sidewalk volunteer who began to share the Gospel with him. Right there outside the abortion center, Antoine surrendered his life to the Lord.
He immediately began calling his girlfriend, pleading with her to come out.
We do not yet know how that part of the story ended. But we do know this: because the Church was there, a father heard the Gospel, called on the name of Jesus, and began fighting for the life of his child.
It raises a sobering question:
What if the Church wasn’t there?
This past Saturday, Love Life cities across the nation gathered again for monthly prayer walks outside abortion centers. Churches prayed. Sidewalk teams ministered. The Gospel was proclaimed. Moms and dads were offered help. And through Love Life Live, viewers were able to watch some of these moments unfold in real time.
In Charlotte, a woman connected with the sidewalk team and was walked over to the HELP Pregnancy Center mobile unit. Right in front of the church that was praying outside the abortion center, she chose life. As the moment unfolded before their eyes, the group erupted in praise.
In Detroit, a woman received literature from the sidewalk team as she was walking into the abortion center. But shortly after entering, she turned around and left, having chosen life. The Church was there praying, and the sidewalk team was there offering help at the very moment she needed it.
In San Diego, the Church continued to stand firm in the face of opposition. Last month, we shared about the opposition prayer walkers experienced there. This month, that opposition continued, but so did the faithful presence of God’s people. In the middle of it all, a couple let the sidewalk team know they had decided to keep their baby.
In South Florida, a pastor was deeply impacted by a photo taken during the prayer walk. In the image, he was praying for the unborn while, just behind him, a mother was in the middle of the battle for the life of her child.
When he saw the picture, it brought the mission into focus. This was not an issue happening somewhere far away. It was a real mother, a real child, and a real battle happening just steps away. He told the Love Life team he wanted to give the ministry more time to share with his church so their congregation could be more fully mobilized.
In the Bay Area, California, Millie, a woman in her eighties, stood before the prayer walk and shared how the Lord brought healing to the pain of a past abortion through Restored Life. Her testimony was not only a story of what God had done in her life. It was an invitation for others carrying abortion wounds to know that healing is available.
These stories remind us why Love Life exists.
We are not simply gathering crowds. We are uniting and mobilizing the Church to show up at the darkest places in our cities with prayer, truth, help, hope, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
During this month’s Love Life Live broadcast, we focused on East Coast cities, including Detroit and Chicago, and gave viewers a window into what God was doing in real time. Those watching were not just hearing reports after the fact. They were seeing the mission unfold as churches prayed, sidewalk teams ministered, moms chose life, and Antoine surrendered his life to Jesus.
This week also marked two major milestones.
So far this year, we have seen 500 babies saved. And since we began keeping track in 2016, 100 abortion workers have now left the abortion industry.
That is 100 men and women who have walked away from the work of death. Look out for that powerful story in a future newsletter.
This past week, across Love Life cities, we saw:
1,556 prayer walkers
21 babies saved
13 professions of faith
1 abortion worker quit
These are not just numbers. Each one represents a life, a family, a soul, a story, and a moment where the Church showed up.
What if the Church wasn’t there?
By God’s grace, the Church was there.
And because the Church showed up, babies were saved, the Gospel was proclaimed, pastors were awakened, and wounded hearts were reminded that healing is available through Christ.
If you want to be part of what happens when the Church shows up, we invite you to take your next step with Love Life.
You can give to help fuel this mission, cover the work in prayer, or serve on a volunteer team in your area.
Go to https://lovelife.org/connect to learn more and get connected.