Events and Opportunities

Contributed by Helen Parker, Executive Director of The Babes Project. 

The Babes Project recently celebrated Valentines Day with the opening of their Pregnancy Support Centre in Croydon.

With the mandate of supporting women in crisis pregnancy, promoting adoption and parenting as positive alternatives to abortion, The Babes Project will run the centre for women to access further support.

With over 80 people in attendance, the centre was overflowing.  Some highlights included the story of Kartya who shared her journey of adoption, abortion and crisis pregnancy as well as the first showing of “The Babes Project Story” which articulates the beginnings of the organisation and the heart behind it.

David Hodgett MP, conducted official proceedings and spoke of the importance of engaging with the issue of crisis pregnancy and how centre’s such as these can be utilised, becoming a great asset to the community.

Within the first days that the Pregnancy Support Centre was open, a young teen walked into the centre with her boyfriend and The Babes Project was able to provide her with free pregnancy testing and book her in for subsequent appointments.  This highlighted the immediate and great need for a service to be readily available to support those needing help, hope and support when they first discover they are pregnant.

The Babes project is working with local councils, community groups and health care services to ensure this is a centre which is utilised to it’s full capacity.  

For more information on volunteering, pregnancy assistance or donating, please email info@thebabesproject.com

By Shawn Carney -  40 Days for Life shawn@40daysforlife.com

Are you ready to be part of something BIG?  

Are you ready to pray and fast, stand in peaceful vigil, change hearts and minds -- and save lives?  

If so, it will require sacrifice ... but it will be worth it.  

Tomorrow, you have the opportunity to join the largest spring (Autumn in Australia) 40 Days for Life campaign in history, as it kicks off in 258 cities across America and around the world!  

Find the location nearest you:  

http://40daysforlife.com/location  

http://40daysforlife.com/adelaide-sa/

http://40daysforlife.com/brisbane/

http://40daysforlife.com/hobart/

http://40daysforlife.com/melbourne/ 

http://www.40daysforlife.com/perthwa/

http://40daysforlife.com/sydney/

http://40daysforlife.com/tweedheads/

Albury, NSW - Are undertaking to pray for a minimum of an hour every day from Ash Wednesday to Passion Sunday from 4:30pm-5:30pm (can be extend to 6:30pm should enough people roster on) as well as our full day on Thursdays from 9:30am - 5:30pm. Contact: 0433 841 676

When we conducted the first 40 Days for Life campaign in College Station, Texas, back in 2004, if you had told me that 40 Days for Life would spread around the globe ... I wouldn't have believed it.  

We thought there would be ONE -- and only one 40 Days for Life campaign. EVER.

Thankfully, God's plans were bigger than ours ... and 40 Days for Life has now been conducted in hundreds of cities and towns across all 50 American states -- and thirteen other countries.  

One of those countries where 40 Days for Life is making a profound impact is England. This spring, there will be four local campaigns conducted across Great Britain. 

A few days ago, they flew 40 Days for Life national director David Bereit and me "across the pond" to help kick off campaigns in London, Birmingham and Manchester.  We were amazed to see how God has inspired thousands of people across the UK to pray and fast, stand in peaceful vigil and participate in community outreach ...  

... and now YOU can see the big picture by watching this brand-new 15-minute video of how 40 Days for Life is positively impacting England: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=2657

As I said ... this is BIG. And you can be a part. 40 Days for Life is God's work -- but in order to make this happen, He needs YOU! We start tomorrow. Will you be there?

Let's get to work saving lives!  

During these next 40 days, when you sign up, you will receive daily devotionals and scriptures along with amazing reports of blessings straight from the frontlines. To get you started, today's devotional is from Carmen Pate, a member of the 40 Days for Life board of directors.

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PRE-KICKOFF INTENTION

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 For God’s blessing upon the coming 40 Days for Life campaign.

SCRIPTURE: "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land."  2 Chronicles 7:14

 

A participant from the '40 Days for Life' campaign in Melbourne sent this in:

"WOW!! The Carlton (Berkeley St) abortion clinic is CLOSING DOWN from next week, N ovember 1. They have announced they are “relocating” their services to the existing abortion clinic in East Melbourne (Fertility Control Clinic) as the Doctor/owner is semi retiring. Great news!! 

It has been a blessing to hear of the many turnarounds over the last few months at this Carlton clinic during the peaceful prayerful presence from the Helpers. It’s now less than 2 weeks to go until this 40 Days for Life campaign ends - let’s multiply our efforts at the East Melbourne clinic as we pray for this one to shut down too!"

For information about joining Melbourne's '40 Days for Life' campaign (it finishes on November 6 for this year), click here. 

Other exciting news: Life News has reported that 361 mothers have changed their minds about abortion during the current 40 Days for Life campaign. Read more here.

Want to make a serious impact for life?
 
For the last two years, a stand-up bunch of enthusiastic volunteers have made their way to ‘Easterfest’ in Toowoomba. Christian music fans? Maybe. Passionate about communicating the nightmare of abortion to 40,000 Australians – definitely!
 
Their mission – to engage Christian young people in the battle to rid their generation of the scourge of abortion. Their weapon – T-shirts! Yep, T-shirts.

          
 
Abort73.com is a US-based ministry that aims to educate people about abortion. They recognise that even after 30 years of a 'pro-life' movement, not a lot has changed... the problem? People don't know, so people don't care. Abort73.com aims to educate people about abortion - most people are ‘pro-choice’ without knowing why. The truth about what abortion does to babies, women, and the broader society makes all the difference. Abort73.com uses T-shirts (and other things) to get people to a website to educate themselves.
 
Recent feedback on their website says: “Before I visited this site, I was opposed to abortion [but] did not know the facts about the types of abortion, and the horrible truth of [it's racial impact] across our society... I did not know the whole impact it took on mothers, and on families.”
 
For Abort73 to make an impact in Australia, they need as many people wearing Abort73.com T-shirts as possible. That’s where Easterfest comes in. The organisers in past years have other commitments this year and are unable to man the stall. Life Network Australia are looking for volunteers who would be willing to sell T-shirts and help get the truth out there!
 
Here’s what a previous volunteer had to say about the experience: “It's pretty easy - all that is required of the team is to man the stall, sell shirts, tell people what abort73.com is on about and have the odd extended conversation about abortion. I really enjoyed it when I did it.”
 
If you can wear a T-shirt, this is your opportunity to get involved in the fight for life. Email (paul@tpcc.org.au) or phone (0409 644 504) Paul Hodge for more information or to volunteer.

        

A message from Pro-Life Victoria

Are you fit and committed to the pro life cause? If so we need you!

Mr Ken Francis, the Chief Marshall for the March for the Babies is calling for volunteer march marshalls. 

Full training is provided, and marshalls need to be available from 12 midday.

PLEASE CONTACT KEN ON  0412 302 484.

The March for the Babies will be held on Saturday 9 October, 2010 @ 2 pm, commencing in the Melbourne Treasury Gardens. 

The Priceless Life Centre (Brisbane) provides a crisis pregnancy help line, face to face appointments, pregnancy support, and post abortion support.

The PLC desire to see a cohesive and qualified group of counsellors and support workers across Queensland who are equipped to respond to the needs of people facing challenges because they are pregnant, especially those considering abortion.

As people change the way they think in relation to the unborn as a result of our advertising campaigns, there will be more and more women who choose life, who choose to keep their babies, and therefore there will be a greater need for pregnancy support.  Emily's Voice and Toowoomba City Women are teaming up with the Priceless Life Centre and bringing them to Toowoomba to train women who are interested in becoming pregnancy support workers. 

The training session will include introduction to communication, self-awareness, ethics, abortion, post abortion, fertility and STI’s.  It will involve a distance education component as well as attendance at a weekend seminar on 19th & 20th June.  Cost for the training is $110.  Registration and enquiries to Liz Preston at info@pricelesslifecentre.org.au or call (07) 3856 3007.

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Emily’s Voice recently sent out a call for those who would like a more active role in EV to attend a meeting and be mobilised! They now have a dedicated band of people who, using their own gifts and talents, are contributing to the impact Emily's Voice is having in Toowoomba and beyond.  People are praying, assisting with mail outs, staffing stalls, writing new promotional material, sourcing merchandise, liaising with churches, networking, hosting speaking opportunities and more.  If you are keen to be more involved, please email  info@emilysvoice.com

The next 40 Days for Life campaign starts around the world on the 22nd of September, running until the 31st of October. Melbourne would like to participate again with your help. Would you like to be a part of this powerful witness?

The Melbourne 40 Days for Life organisers are giving you the privilege to be part of their great team, to make saving babies the foremost aim! They are sure that your abilities will match your enthusiasm.

Please consider prayerfully whether you are called to be on the committee; a commitment for life! If you would love to share your talents and enthusiasm and become a member of the 40 Days for Life team please contact Campaign Director Fons Janssen (details below) before the next meeting on 22nd May.

The following positions need to be filled before the next campaign can begin.

Prayer Coordinator: responsible for encouraging the Body of Christ to pray and fast before and during the 40 Days for Life campaign.

Vigil Coordinator: responsible for the peaceful presence in front of abortion clinic,keep lists of all vigil volunteers, maintain schedules and substitute lists, manage the on-line vigil schedule.

Communication Coordinator: responsible for organizing and coordinating the community outreach activities including publicity, door-to-door petition and education drive.

Event Coordinator: responsible for planning and organizing the Kickoff Rally, Halfway Rally, and Victory Celebration events.

Church Coordinator: responsible for sharing the campaign with local churches to invite their participation, and ensure ongoing communication with church leaders throughout the campaign.

Campaign Director: provide overall leadership, key spokesperson, oversee and implement the campaign action plan, and help to recruit, motivate and lead the entire campaign team.

Administrator:  focus exclusively on administrative tasks including managing webpage, data entry, answering questions, handling campaign details and finances.

Please support them for their next campaign so that we can multiply, not only the hours, pray-ers, media attention etc, but the number of babies and families saved or healed from a life-time of grief.

Ring Fons Janssen
Phone: 03 5194 2340.
fonsforlife@skymesh.com.au

Choices of Life will continue to expand in 2010, but TRAINEE PRESENTERS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED.

NSW and ACT — new and return visits to schools

January — Camp at Toukley, January 15 - 17 (contact brucecoleman@choicesoflife.com.au for more information)
March — Tasmania
April/May — North Coast (NSW) and Queensland
June — Annual Sydney Dinner
July — Passion4Life Walk
July/August — Riverina (NSW) and South Australia
September — Darwin
October — Victoria

There are increasing demands for the program and presenters are desperately needed. Thank you to those who are making presentations (Julie Jordan in Sydney and Sally Baird in Geelong) and those who have offered in country areas. Bruce will be in touch as he visits your area.

Please email Bruce Coleman (brucecoleman@choicesoflife.com.au) if you have a passion to save the unborn and are willing and able to be involved. A very special Thank You to Judith Bond who faithfully rings schools and successfully makes appointments across Australia.