Together, Let’s Show the World What the Church Can Do for Life!
During AFL’s 40 for Life 40 year celebration, AFL has curated a variety of activities, events, and resources specifically designed to engage both lay and ordained individuals and their churches. Below, you will find an outline of the scheduled 40 for Life activities.
Scheduled Activities
February-March:
Caring Not Killing (Two-part mini conference)
April-May:
The World’s Largest Baby Shower
June-July:
Christmas in July and Educational Programs
August-September:
Orphans and Vulnerable Children/Adoption
October-December:
Reflecting on AFL’s impact, challenges, and triumphs throughout the years.
Protecting God’s Children
Join Anglicans For Life as we highlight the importance of adoption in upholding the sacredness of life.
During the months of August and September, we will empower you and your church to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children. AFL and our Adoption/Orphan Care Consultant, Johnston Moore, have curated a variety of activities that every church can participate in to help children feel safe and loved by God’s people. During the course of this two-month initiative, we will be sharing a variety of graphics you can download and share with friends on social media. We will also be sharing a variety of engagement opportunities that allow you to make a difference for orphans and vulnerable children. This initiative will help you and your church celebrate Adoption Awareness month.
Activity #1 Anglican Adoption Fund
As part of Anglicans for Life’s 40 for Life Campaign, we’d like to invite you and your church to support adoption by partnering with us through our Anglican Adoption Fund, which helps Anglican families with the costs associated with adoption. Though you’re welcome to support the Anglican Adoption Fund at any time, we’re asking churches and individuals to especially consider supporting the Fund in November, which is National Adoption Month, as well as when we observe Orphan Sunday and Stand Sunday.
To partner with Anglicans for Life’s Anglican Adoption Fund in November, you simply need to:
- Pray first. Pray that God will help you discern what He wants you, and perhaps your church, to do in helping Anglican families with the costs associated with adoption so that they can welcome children into their homes.
- Make a one-time donation to Anglican Adoption Fund.
- Take up a special offering on Orphan Sunday/Stand Sunday (November 12) and donate it to the Adoption Fund here.
- Do a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to the Anglican Adoption Fund.
- Refer prospective adoptive families to apply to the Anglican Adoption Fund by connecting them with us at [email protected].
Promotion Resources for the Anglican Adoption Fund Activity
Bulletin Announcement
In November, we have the opportunity to partner with the Anglican Adoption Fund by helping Anglican couples answer God’s call to welcome children into their families through adoption. Learn more at AnglicansForLife.org/40-for-life.
Pulpit Announcement
Psalm 68 tells us that God, the Father to the fatherless, sets the lonely into families. Adoption is close to God’s heart. As His adopted children, we are called to care for and love vulnerable children. There are so many children in our community, our nation, and the world in need of adoptive families. In November, our parish will partner with the Anglican Adoption Fund, which provides much-needed funds to Anglican couples who answer God’s call to take children into their homes through adoption.
Activity #2: CarePortal
As part of Anglicans For Life’s 40 for Life Campaign, we’d like to invite you and your church to support vulnerable children in your community by partnering with CarePortal, which helps connect churches to the needs of families caring for vulnerable children in their communities.
To partner with Anglicans For Life’s and CarePortal in November, you simply need to:
CarePortal is in many communities across the United States. To find out if CarePortal is operating and posting needs in your community, check out the map by clicking here. If CarePortal is in your community, learn more about how you and/or your church can sign up and be a part of a network of churches and others in your area that are committed to meeting the needs of families and children.
If CarePortal is not currently in your community, you have a couple of options:
- One, you can reach out to CarePortal and learn how you might help bring its services to your community. Learn more here.
- Two, you can support one of our other November initiatives, including the Anglican Adoption Fund or Focus on the Family’s Suitcase Bundle Program.
Though you may begin partnering with CarePortal at any time, we’re asking churches and individuals to prayerfully consider signing up in November, which is National Adoption Month, as well as when we observe Orphan Sunday and Stand Sunday.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Promotion Resources for the CarePortal Activity
Bulletin Announcement
In November, we have the opportunity to partner with CarePortal, a ministry that connects churches and others with the needs of local families who are caring for vulnerable children in their communities. Learn more at CarePortal.org.
Pulpit Announcement
Right now, there are vulnerable children in our community whose families are struggling. Many of these children are being loved and cared for by foster parents, grandparents or other relatives, family friends … people who have opened their homes to these kids and are doing the best they can to provide a safe, loving environment. Many times, these families lack resources, or the basic items they need to best care for these children. In November, our parish will begin partnering with CarePortal, a ministry that connects churches and others with the needs of local families caring for vulnerable children. Just this past week (or month), a need for [NAME A SPECIFIC LOCAL NEED] was posted here in [TOWN/CITY/COUNTY]. It will be exciting to see how God uses our local parish to meet the needs of children and families as we partner in this way.
Join The “Protecting God’s Children” Facebook Community Group!
If you want to join our brand NEW community group on Facebook for anyone who has experience, or an interest, in ministry related to adoption, foster care, family preservation, international orphan care, or related topics (click the button below to join).
Activity #3: The Suitcase Bundle Program
As part of Anglicans For Life’s 40 for Life Campaign, we’d like to invite you and your church to support vulnerable children in the foster care system, by partnering with Focus on the Family’s Suitcase Bundle Program, which provides brand new suitcases, teddy bears, Bibles, and handwritten letters to children and youth in the foster care system.
Though any donation is welcome, $100 provides one bundle for one child or youth in foster care. To partner with the Suitcase Bundle Program, you simply need to:
- Pray first. Ask God whether He wants you to do this as a family, with your small group, with your church, or other.
- Make a one-time donation to the Suitcase Bundle Program, click here.
- Take up a special offering on Orphan Sunday/Stand Sunday and donate it to the Suitcase Bundle Program click here.
- Do a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to the Suitcase Bundle Program by clicking here.
- Consider allowing your church to serve as a distribution site for the Suitcase Bundle Program. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.
To learn more about the Suitcase Bundle Program and other related programs and resources from Focus on the Family, click here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
Promotion Resources for the Suitcase Bundle Program
Bulletin Announcement
In November, we have the opportunity to partner with Focus on the Family’s Suitcase Bundle Program, which allows churches and others to provide new suitcases, teddy bears, Bibles, and handwritten letters to children and youth in the United States foster care system. Learn more at https://anglicansforlife.org/40-for-life.
Pulpit Announcement
On any given day, more than 500 children and youth will be removed from their homes and placed into the United States foster care system. Many of them will have just a few short minutes to stuff some of their belongings into what is often nothing more than a black trash bag. What message does that send to these children? As a nation, we need to do better, and as a local church, we can help send a different message to these children, a message that they are made in the image of God, and are loved and valued and worthy of dignity. In November, our parish will partner with Anglicans For Life and Focus on the Family by supporting its Suitcase Bundle Program, which provides new suitcases, Bibles, teddy bears, and handwritten letters to children and youth in foster care.
Interviews
The following videos feature individuals from a variety of backgrounds that are involved in adoption and/or foster care ministry.
Graphic Library
*The content in these graphics were originally published by Johnston Moore, AFL’s Adoption/Orphan Care Consultant.
Click any image to expand the size. Feel free to download and use the images on social media, in your church, or for educational purposes.
Uprooting Lies and Planting the Truth
Abundant Life and AFL thank you for participating in our youth programming, “Uprooting Lies and Planting the Truth.” If you missed an episode, or simply want to rewatch an episode, please visit YouWereMadeForMore.org/UprootingLies for a complete video library of all 9 teachings, additional resource articles, and an archive of the downloadable graphics. As a reminder, these short video teachings featured, Sammie Gallo, AFL’s Youth and Ministry Outreach Coordinator, and Georgette Forney, AFL’s President. During the video teachings, Sammie and Georgette identify common lies and explain the truth backed by scientific facts, the Bible, and proven statistics.
If you want to continue engaging with youth-centered projects, opportunities, and topics, be sure to follow Abundant Life YM on social media by clicking the social icons below or emailing Sammie at [email protected].
The World’s Largest Baby Shower
Thank you to everyone who participated in the World’s Largest Baby Shower. Please enjoy the recap video and click here to learn about next year’s.
Caring Not Killing Two-Part Mini Conference
If you missed the first 40 for Life campaign event, there’s good news! The Caring Not Killing two-part webinar is now available on demand through AFL’s YouTube Channel. Please feel free to share the links with friends and family. As efforts to accept and legalize assisted suicide are rapidly expanding throughout the United States, we felt it was important to kick off the 40 for Life Campaign with an educational resource that will equip God’s people to provide salient talking points as to why assisted suicide is wrong, while also providing people with compassionate and caring responses when a hastened death is desired.
