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40 Days for Life Launches in Record 238 Locations around the World
September 22, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A record 238 locations in the US, Canada, Australia, England, Northern Ireland and Denmark are participating 40 Days for Life campaigns of prayer and fasting from today, September 22, through to October 31.
40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of 40 days of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion, 40 days of peaceful vigil in front of abortion clinics, and 40 days of community outreach.
This unified effort has seen more than 350,000 people joined together in an historic display of unity to pray and fast for an end to abortion.
More than 11,500 church congregations have participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns.
The campaigns have resulted in at least 35 abortion workers quitting their jobs and walking away from the abortion industry, six abortion facilities completely shutting down following local 40 Days for Life campaigns, and documented reports of at least 2,811 lives that have been spared from abortion.
In addition to the babies, nearly 3,000 women have been spared from the suffering, trauma and regret that come with the decision to abort one's child.
After witnessing tremendous success by the 40 Days For Life program in the United States, Campaign Life Coalition brought it into Canada for the first time 2007, holding the nation's first 40 Day vigils in Ottawa, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
This fall, people of faith and conscience have mobilized in 9 Canadian cities for the seventh coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign.
The Canadian cities hosting the 40 Days for Life campaign this fall are: Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Sudbury, Ontario; Perth, Ontario; Ottawa, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; Moncton, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A series of 40 prayers that can be used during the 40 Days for Life campaign is available online here.
Go to the Campaign Life Coalition website for information on 40 Days for Life campaigns in Canada.
To learn more about the international 40 Days for Life campaign and locations please visit here.
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40 Days for Life Campaign -- [September 22-October 31]
THREE ELEMENTS
Constant vigil
The visible, public centerpiece of 40 Days for Life is a 40-day, round-the-clock prayer vigil outside a Planned Parenthood center or other abortion facility in your community.
Those who are called to stand witness maintain a peaceful and educational presence.
This 24-hour-a-day presence send a powerful message to the community about the tragic reality of abortion. It also serves as a call to repentance for those who work at the abortion center and those who patronize the facility.
If you do not have an abortion facility or Planned Parenthood office in your town, you can still conduct 40 Days for Life. However, you will need to select a different location which has some strategic significance ... perhaps near city hall, a courthouse, or a highly visible intersection.
Community outreach
During 40 Days for Life, the pro-life message is proactively taken to every corner of your community. This can identify hundreds, or even thousands, of pro-life supporters.
A door-to-door petition and education drive reaches out to every household in your town or city. Informational flyers are distributed in neighborhoods to raise awareness about the local crisis of abortion. Citizens are invited to sign a petition of support for the sanctity of human life, and people are given the opportunity to visibly show their support for 40 Days for Life by wearing wristbands, placing signs in their yards, or displaying bumper stickers on their vehicles.
These people can then be encouraged to pray and join in local pro-life efforts.
Church involvement begins by meeting with local pastors, other church leaders, and members of different congregations. The Body of Christ is invited to pray together and participate in 40 Days for Life, uniting in one focused mission that can save lives and make an eternal impact.
Media outreach is conducted through carefully targeted news stories, talk shows, editorials, and letters to the editor. This enables you to get the pro-life message out to many people who would never see the inside of a local church.
If your community has a college campus, many students can be impacted through an intense 40-day campus outreach. This can consist of flyer raids, sidewalk chalking, petition drives, table displays, and much more.
Local leadership with 40 Days for Life
40 Days for Life is primarily a local campaign. Yes, there is a national team that provides information, resources and encouragement, but all campaigns are based at the local level. Each community knows best when it comes to countering the damage abortion has caused in each individual city and town.
No one is appointed as a local 40 Days for Life leader; in each community, someone must step up and accept the challenge.
The campaign is also a group effort. There needs to be a main coordinator, but there is a whole level of duties and responsibilities that must be filled in addition to the director's position:
- Prayer coordinator
- Vigil coordinator
- Outreach coordinator
- Event coordinator
- Church coordinator
- Communications coordinator
- And possibly others, depending on your local needs.
A line from Scripture comes to mind: "Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will." Please pray for discernment and guidance. 40 Days for Life won't happen without somebody. "Somebody" could be you!
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