By: Sammie Gallo, Anglicans For Life Youth Ministry Outreach Coordinator and Registered Nurse
Why is pro-life relationship education an important effort of Anglicans for Life and the larger Church, especially when it comes to the next generation?
One of the reasons I am so big on empowering young people is because of this: Satan continues his efforts to make sin less offensive, Heaven less appealing, hell less horrific, and the Gospel less urgent. A long time ago, I decided that I wouldn’t let him get away with that. That’s why I keep showing up in this space.
“The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
At Anglicans For Life, our desire is to see the next generation fully understand the sanctity of life and advocate for every life, standing against abortion and the damage that it does to women, men, and preborn children. But before we tackle those issues, we first have to make sure students’ identities are rooted in Christ. That’s why we created our youth initiative, Abundant Life: You Were Made for More, in 2019.
Nationally, Planned Parenthood is the largest sex education provider in public school systems. Let that sink in for a moment. The nation’s largest abortion provider is going into schools and teaching students how to have “safe, healthy sex,” and what their options are if they encounter an unwanted pregnancy or STD. In essence, they meet the culture where it’s at and have no desire to change this culture. They support students in making decisions that, developmentally, they aren’t yet ready to make, creating potential damage that will last for the rest of their lives.
Over the past few years, as I’ve become a parent and continued working with middle school and high school students, I’ve become even more convinced that teaching students about the importance of healthy relationships goes hand-in-hand with being pro-life. When a young person knows that their identity is in Christ, as well as their partner’s, they affirm that all life is sacred – not just their own.
That’s why our focus as a ministry in the months of June and July is on relationship education and why it is so important in the lives of our students. We hope to engage, equip, and partner with you all as we seek to uproot lies and plant the truth. Each week, we will zoom in on one specific, cultural lie, uncover the roots of it, and refocus on planting the truth in the hearts and minds of our teenagers. We will do this through a main educational piece, which will include active ways to engage in conversations in homes, youth groups, or churches. Our goal is to start the process of having deeper conversations and diving into difficult and controversial facets of the pro-life movement that we need to be talking about.
Since it has been about a year since the Dobbs decision, abortion legislation is now being addressed at the state level, and we must recognize where we are as a nation–that there is still work to be done if we want to make abortion unthinkable in America and that we need to be educating, equipping, and partnering with others in this movement more than ever. Our hope is that this “Uprooting Lies and Planting the Truth” initiative will help inspire and propel students, parents, youth groups, and churches as we head into the 2024 March for Life season. Every year, we hold the ySUMMIT in conjunction with the annual March for Life in Washington DC, and this year we have a great vision of the larger Church coming together in a big way. Our ultimate goal is to mobilize the Church for life and to educate students about knowing the pro-life message, taking pro-life action steps, and equipping them to take those plans back to their own communities.
Join us this coming year on Jan 18-19, 2024 for engaging speakers, worship, and fellowship – virtually or in-person. More details to come, so make sure you check our event website at AFLlifeSUMMIT.org.
Just a reminder: The Sanctity of Life begins when we understand our own worth and what the purpose of relationships are. Then, and only then, can abundant life begin.
Weekly Topic Schedule:
For more information about the weekly teachings and this initiative, please visit
