There are a lot of strong opinions when it comes to children in Frontline Abortion Ministry. So, is it appropriate? Absolutely! The opposition hates children being present at abortion centers, because children demonstrate to moms and dads that the only difference between the baby scheduled to be murdered and the children on the sidewalk is location, developmental stage and time!
"CHILDREN SHOULD BE SPARED SEEING SUCH GRAPHIC IMAGES. THEY’LL HAVE NIGHTMARES."
Children see these images and immediately ask what happened to these babies. It's said from a heart of compassion. When they hear that someone did this to the baby, you see a small spark of natural righteous anger and indignation rise up. Good! Adults should have the same heart and reaction to such.
I grew up ministering on the sidewalks outside the local abortion facility, and I really believe that because I formed such strong and educated opinions about abortion that I am more passionate about many causes that many more "Christians" should be just as concerned about, as well, but are not (they are lukewarm....Revelation 3:16).
I grew up knowing the truth of abortion. Nothing was candy-coated or watered-down, yet I wasn't shown images repeatedly, either. I never once had a nightmare about it, as commonly thought when on the outside looking in. I was taught of the images as we encountered them, and I was honored to be helping in ending this tragedy.
This exposure to this reality also prevented the "shock and awe" that might have occurred when I "came of age". I grew up knowing the truth and even ministering, myself, to moms while I was still a teenager. I am glad, having absolutely no regrets, that my parents sheltered me enough in other areas, while slowly exposing me to spiritual matters, which produced a strong, firmly grounded woman who knows what and why she believes what she believes.
In the same manner, we are raising our 14 children to be the same, strong, spiritually-minded, well-rounded individuals with a clear and specific Biblical worldview.
Our purpose is clear. None of us who hold those signs rejoice in looking at such images. Neither do we sit there and show them repeatedly to our children, but we do explain why we are there...otherwise WHY would we be there telling people how precious their babies are anyway? What would be the point of stating something so obvious? And why at that place, instead of somewhere else? Kids are not stupid. Honesty is the best policy.
"I BELIEVE THAT OTHER MINISTRIES ARE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN FRONTLINE GOSPEL-CENTERED MINISTRY AND SIDEWALK COUNSELING. WE SHOULD SUPPORT THEM AND LET THEM DO THEIR WORK, WHICH IS NOT SO OFFENSIVE AND FILLED WITH HATE AND FEAR."
What you believe and what is fact are two different things...especially if you've never seen sidewalk counseling and frontline Gospel-centered abortion ministry first-hand. Other ministries like Crisis Pregnancy Centers have their place...they are one "part" of this "body" of ministries (they'll be the first to tell you that, too).
To put it simply, we each have a role to play in the Body of Christ. Frontline missionaries are like the first responders. Other ministries are like the other caregivers. Everyone plays a part, and each role is important!
Have you actually seen the areas of town where these abortion mills are placed? The ones in Charlotte, as well as the majority of other mills around the country, are placed in poor communities filled with many women who have never heard of Crisis Pregnancy Centers. They look for help at the women’s “health care” centers they pass every day, not on websites that they may have never heard of. We are there to meet them where they ARE, not where we might arrogantly PREFER THEM TO BE!
The poster of Baby Malachi, who was aborted at 21 weeks, and the large posters of babies that were saved from abortion are the reason that MANY women stop to talk and get more info on their choices. One really needs to *see* for themselves what we do, as these ignorant remarks are *really* unfounded. There is NO fear and hate from our side...that "fear and hate" you hear of is propaganda from the pro-choice propaganda 98% of the time. If you want to see hate and fear mongers, check out the "clinic escorts"...follow us on social media to see a sampling of such!
Bottom line, go out with those Christians in this specific type of ministry. Ask about the MANY babies saved, THEN tell us (and those mothers and babies) that we shouldn't be there, doing what we're doing. THOSE moms who saved their babies - THOUSANDS in Charlotte since tabulations began in October 2009 - *weren't* always turning CPC centers for help. They were turning to abortion centers, and we were the only voice for their children present in their time of need!
Fearful beliefs based on fiction and hearsay make you feel better about being a bystander when all hands are needed on deck. Beliefs based on eyewitness accounts, truth and reality spur the necessary action during tumultuous times.
"PHOTOS OF EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT WOULD FORCE ME TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS OF PROCREATION BEFORE THEY'RE READY."
Do you also shelter them from seeing pregnant women, newborn babies, or even babies in general? I mean, won’t they ask where they came from?
None of my children have ever questioned me about procreation in regard to seeing fetal or embryonic images. When and if they do question these things when going through this material, which we go through every time we find out that God has sent a miracle to my womb, I would definitely want to answer those questions before those questions were inspired by someone else. I want them to ask me first and to think of these questions in regards to God's miracle of LIFE (which is *not* dirty, but a gift) instead of thinking of these things in regard to sensual clothing or images, the topic of modesty, etc. What better way to tell them of the gifts that God intended for a married couple than through the subject of the creation of life!
And if a young child does ask, it can either be avoided entirely or it can be explained very simply...a part from the mom and a part from the dad come together to make a new life! How special!
The funny thing is that most homeschool parents show the images of development of plants, animals and such, but we shy away from showing them the miracle of a 6 week old developing embryo because we are afraid of the subject of procreation. Please. Let me reassure you that NONE of my children have ever thought to ask me about that in regards to showing them how human life develops and is knit together by God. If it would happen in any family, it would much more likely have happened in our family, since we have had many pregnancies, and we go through day-by-day photos and descriptions of the new little life and his or her development in my womb. What a perfect way to show the meaning behind Psalm 139:13, too! God doesn’t shy away from proclaiming the wonders of His creation! Why do we? Fear of God's handiwork is not appropriate in order to avoid the subject of procreation. That subject just won’t come up in this discussion of embryonic and fetal development...and if it does, wouldn't you rather approach it from this angle than from a book or incident with a friend? I know I would.
Do not let fear hold you back from showing your children, while they are still in their moldable years, about the beginnings of life!
VIOLENCE AND THE BIBLE
If knowing about the realities of abortion is so gruesome for our children, we'd better also skip reading the Biblical account of Jesus and his beatings and his horrible death on the cross. We also better leave out a good portion of the Old Testament (have you read it? It’s pretty descriptive on many occasions). Oh, and come to think of it, the New Testament has a lot of "that" too. We'd better pick the fluffy stories to tell them and hope that they can handle the truth (and believe it) later on.
The fact is that Old Testament leaders read the Book of the Law to ALL the people....old, young, adults, children and nursing infants. Scripture (including all the bloody accounts of wars, etc.) is far more gruesome than these photos, yet we all generally believe, as Christians, that we should be reading this to our children, while instructing them in the ways of righteousness.
Let's align with God's example and be consistent in how we live and raise our children.
SPIRITUAL MATURITY IN CHILDREN IN MINISTRY
Think of all the missionary children whom you would eagerly send off with their families into the jungles of Africa. Would you hope that those parents would prohibit their children from their knowing about the evil deeds and customs in that land to which their parents have been called to minister? Would you rather them live there, not knowing of how to confront, expose and defeat that evil that surrounds them? If you were the ones called to the mission field, how would you handle exposing your children to such things? See, we are all called to the mission field! We are to be salt and light. We are to minister with our families, protecting our children from losing their “saltiness” while still ministering daily under our protection and guidance. We are to be in the world and not of it. We are to be teaching our children how and why we are not of this world, how and why to spiritually combat that which is of this world, and how and why to put feet on those beliefs! That real-life ministering brings spiritual maturity not found within church pews!
Live in this world while showing your children the WHAT and WHYs behind what we believe. Without that understanding (which, honestly, cannot all be fit into the teenage years, when we deem them mature enough to understand), they will leave home with a poor Biblical worldview and with very little real life application to what you have taught them all the years prior. None of my children have had nightmares in regards to abortion...not a one. They have only shown spiritual growth and maturity beyond their years. They BEG me to go out there to minister to mothers and to save babies. They begged me to make the signs we hold. They have learned to recognize the spiritual "darkness" that we encounter by simply showing up there on Tuesdays and Saturdays. When they are confronted or asked why they are there, they respond with biblically-grounded answers, as well as simple facts....out of the mouths of babes. I am proud of them. I have found that my children, being exposed to such darkness while learning to expose that darkness to the LIGHT (while under my care and supervision), are even far more mature than some "Christians" I know. I have no hesitations at all.
1 Timothy 4:12 “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Your children have the SAME Holy Spirit you have! Let them be an example to other BELIEVERS in your family ministry!
FAMILY MINISTRY UPDATE
We now have a 4th generation of our family being trained up to minister outside abortion centers in Charlotte, and across the nation! Our oldest daughter, Annalise, and her husband actually met through ministry, and they now take their 3 children to the Frontlines to stand for truth!
Kaitlyn, our 2nd oldest adult child, ministers weekly at the busiest abortion mill in the southeast. She and her brother, Jake (16), also help to lead worship on occasion for a local prayer walk around the abortion center.
Our other children (from young adult to infant) minister regularly, alongside us, at either the busiest abortion mill in the southeast or at the Planned Parenthood in Charlotte.
Though my Dad passed away in 2018, he was able to see up to the 3rd generation of "Frontline Family Ministry". And my Mother has been able to see the 4th generation being raised up to be arrows for the Kingdom in this way!
If you want to go minister, I'd be happy to point you in the right direction! Just send me a message.
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