As a people who follow the One who proclaimed to be "the way, the truth, and the life" (see John 14:6), we must continually find ways to protect life from those who seek to destroy it.
At Calvary Chapel of Delaware County we believe that all life matters. Please familiarize yourself with the initiatives that we are using to build a culture of life:
The abortion debate has been raging in our nation for forty years and will once again be a point of contention in this year's presidential elections. Already, candidates are facing off against each other over this issue.
The strategy of many pro-life activists and supporters is to work through governmental action. The "right" president could nominate the "right" Supreme Court justices; these, in turn, could end such murder of innocents in a single vote. While this is true, government is not the only thing we should concern ourselves with in the meantime.
Not every child will be a famous quarterback like Tim Tebow or a genius inventor like Steve Jobs, but every child has a right to life.*
Because we see the urgency in saving these children, CCDC provides financial assistance to a number of area organizations that help women dealing with crisis pregnancies: the Delaware County Crisis Pregnancy Center, Amnion, and Hope Pregnancy Center. All three of these organizations work to help save preborn babies, providing women with alternatives to abortion as well as spiritual answers to many of their questions.
Our partnership makes a difference.
Find out more about our pro-life partners here: Delaware County Pregnancy Center, Amnion, Hope Pregnancy Center.
I thought this article in the Wall Street Journal by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum was stellar.
I've often stated that adoption is the most radical way to change the life of a child.
Interestingly, when abortion was made legal, one of its staunchest supporters proclaimed the procedure would usher in an era when every child would be wanted, loved, and properly cared for. Obviously, this has not happened.
The church can fill the gap.
Over the years, many families in our fellowship have adopted children, most of whom come from countries where they once had only the barest necessities of life. These children, once abandoned or orphaned, now live in Christ-centered homes and attend a Spirit-filled church. This is exciting!
Adoption is a life-changing but costly endeavor. Because life is important to us, from its inception CCDC has partnered with parents in the congregation by contributing $1,000 toward the cost of adoption.
Find out more about adoption at CCDC by calling the church office at 610.459.8111.
In response to the clear call throughout Scripture for believers to minister to "the least of these" (see Matt. 25:40), Calvary Chapel of Delaware County has in recent years begun to partner with International Justice Mission as a "Justice Church."
As a Christian human rights organization, IJM takes Isaiah 1:17 to heart. Partnering with native governments in fourteen international locations, IJM staff members defend the fatherless and plead for the widow by rescuing and providing aftercare for victims of violent oppression. They rebuke the oppressor by ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable. They seek justice by impacting local communities and governments in order to prevent future abuse.
As I write this, two young women from our congregation are serving overseas with IJM. As Isaiah 1:17 says, they have learned to do good.
Find out more about the International Justice Mission.
Of course, the church's ultimate life-saving job is to spread the good news of eternal life in Jesus Christ. As Jesus said in John 6:63, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing."
At CCDC, we believe that every Christian is called to go and make disciples of all the nations (Matt. 28:18-20). Obviously, however, not everyone is called to minister in a foreign land. So following the model of Acts 1:8, we begin in our home area, the Delaware Valley, and spread out from there.
Our local missions give our members exposure to the brokenness in our own communities, both physical and spiritual. We have seen that once people get a taste of such reaching out in Jesus' name, they are moved by compassion and the Spirit of God to catch a vision and serve in the unique ways God has gifted them, be it at home or abroad.
Find out more about our local and global missions opportunities.
I believe that God gives the local church the mandate and the resources to make a difference where He has placed it, and beyond. Sometimes we might feel we are fighting a losing battle, but must continue as a church to pray, evangelize, and build up the saints that they might follow the Spirit of God.
Together we can change the world.
* Tim Tebow's mother was so ill when she was pregnant with him that her doctors told her she must have an abortion to survive, and that the baby would be severely disabled in any case. Steve Jobs, the genius creator of Apple, was born to a single mother and put up for adoption.
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