WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.060 You might have people in your congregation 2 00:00:03.060 --> 00:00:06.380 who have never told anybody that they've had an abortion. 3 00:00:06.380 --> 00:00:08.620 They've been carrying that with them. 4 00:00:08.620 --> 00:00:10.940 They've been carrying that with them every Sunday morning 5 00:00:10.940 --> 00:00:12.700 or every weekend when they come to listen. 6 00:00:12.700 --> 00:00:15.060 They've been carrying that with them to small group. 7 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:16.500 They've been carrying that with them 8 00:00:16.500 --> 00:00:18.040 when they go to minister. 9 00:00:23.900 --> 00:00:27.980 Hi, my name is Bill and I work with Save the Storks. 10 00:00:28.020 --> 00:00:30.260 I've been a pastor for over 30 years 11 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:32.460 before I started at Save the Storks. 12 00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:34.740 I started as a junior high pastor. 13 00:00:34.740 --> 00:00:36.660 I was a high school pastor. 14 00:00:36.660 --> 00:00:39.300 Went to college ministry, became a teaching pastor, 15 00:00:39.300 --> 00:00:42.420 executive pastor, lead pastor, church planter, all that. 16 00:00:42.420 --> 00:00:44.460 Lived in four different states. 17 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:47.460 Served at some of the fastest growing churches in America 18 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:49.340 as well as some of the largest. 19 00:00:49.340 --> 00:00:51.780 And now I serve at Save the Storks 20 00:00:51.780 --> 00:00:54.840 as the director of church programs and partnerships. 21 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.220 And that's what I'd like to share with you today. 22 00:00:57.220 --> 00:00:59.660 Part of what we do at Save the Storks 23 00:00:59.660 --> 00:01:04.660 is to help equip churches to be a place of story 24 00:01:05.420 --> 00:01:09.700 and hope for women who are encountering 25 00:01:09.700 --> 00:01:11.140 an unplanned pregnancy. 26 00:01:11.140 --> 00:01:16.140 For 30 years, I strategically positioned myself 27 00:01:16.460 --> 00:01:19.400 away from the pro-life conversation. 28 00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:24.060 I was that pastor who anytime that conversation came up, 29 00:01:24.060 --> 00:01:26.500 I would either ignore it, push it to the side. 30 00:01:26.620 --> 00:01:29.060 And it wasn't because I didn't believe in pro-life. 31 00:01:29.060 --> 00:01:31.620 I just didn't know what to say. 32 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:35.220 I felt unequipped to bring wisdom 33 00:01:35.220 --> 00:01:38.940 or to bring the right words to what was going on. 34 00:01:38.940 --> 00:01:41.780 And sadly enough, because of that, 35 00:01:41.780 --> 00:01:43.980 I kept myself out of a lot of things 36 00:01:43.980 --> 00:01:45.420 that I should have been into. 37 00:01:45.420 --> 00:01:47.560 And so at Save the Storks, 38 00:01:47.560 --> 00:01:51.620 we want everyone to be educated on the reality of abortion. 39 00:01:51.620 --> 00:01:54.980 And we want everyone to be equipped to respond in love. 40 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:57.380 Now here's a couple of crazy statistics 41 00:01:57.380 --> 00:01:58.540 if you think about these. 42 00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:02.940 One in three women were attending a church regularly 43 00:02:02.940 --> 00:02:04.660 when they had their first abortion. 44 00:02:04.660 --> 00:02:06.100 One in three. 45 00:02:06.100 --> 00:02:09.900 52% of women who attend a Christian church, 46 00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:10.740 listen to this, 47 00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:14.140 say no one at their church knows about their abortion. 48 00:02:14.140 --> 00:02:16.020 That means right now in your congregation, 49 00:02:16.020 --> 00:02:17.060 if you're a pastor, 50 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:20.100 you might have people in your congregation 51 00:02:20.100 --> 00:02:23.420 who have never told anybody that they've had an abortion. 52 00:02:23.420 --> 00:02:25.700 And they've been carrying that with them. 53 00:02:25.700 --> 00:02:28.020 They've been carrying that with them every Sunday morning 54 00:02:28.020 --> 00:02:29.780 or every weekend when they come to listen. 55 00:02:29.780 --> 00:02:32.140 They've been carrying that with them to small group. 56 00:02:32.140 --> 00:02:33.580 They've been carrying that with them 57 00:02:33.580 --> 00:02:34.980 when they go to minister 58 00:02:34.980 --> 00:02:38.180 and they've never been able to release that. 59 00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:41.100 50% of women, of those women, 60 00:02:41.100 --> 00:02:44.740 agree that the church does not have a ministry prepared 61 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:48.900 to discuss options during an unplanned pregnancy. 62 00:02:48.900 --> 00:02:50.580 Man, those are crazy statistics. 63 00:02:50.580 --> 00:02:53.700 65% of women believe that a church member 64 00:02:53.700 --> 00:02:58.540 will judge expectant single mothers. 65 00:02:58.540 --> 00:03:02.980 That judgment goes deep and that shame is there. 66 00:03:02.980 --> 00:03:06.940 50% of women don't feel that sermons on God's forgiveness 67 00:03:06.940 --> 00:03:08.420 even apply to them. 68 00:03:08.420 --> 00:03:10.460 Now I want you to think about that for a minute. 69 00:03:10.460 --> 00:03:13.180 50% just sit in the congregation 70 00:03:13.180 --> 00:03:15.500 and even if you're talking about God's love 71 00:03:15.500 --> 00:03:17.420 and His grace and forgiveness 72 00:03:17.420 --> 00:03:19.900 and the price that He paid on the cross, 73 00:03:19.900 --> 00:03:23.140 they don't believe that that applies to them. 74 00:03:23.140 --> 00:03:24.140 Why? 75 00:03:24.140 --> 00:03:27.780 Because of what they did was so heartbreaking, 76 00:03:27.780 --> 00:03:29.940 so destructive. 77 00:03:29.940 --> 00:03:34.300 And as pastors, as a pastor, I never mentioned that. 78 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:36.860 And so here we just don't talk about it 79 00:03:36.860 --> 00:03:38.220 and it's kind of hidden. 80 00:03:38.220 --> 00:03:40.740 So why do women choose abortion? 81 00:03:40.740 --> 00:03:44.500 73% feel economic stress. 82 00:03:44.500 --> 00:03:45.340 Now think about that. 83 00:03:45.340 --> 00:03:47.860 73% feel economic stress. 84 00:03:47.860 --> 00:03:50.260 74% feel pressured by others, 85 00:03:50.260 --> 00:03:53.980 maybe their partner or somebody in their family pushing them. 86 00:03:53.980 --> 00:03:56.500 48% cite relational concerns 87 00:03:56.500 --> 00:03:58.420 and they don't wanna be a single parent, right? 88 00:03:58.420 --> 00:04:00.220 We can see all of these things. 89 00:04:00.220 --> 00:04:01.580 But here at Save the Storks, you know what? 90 00:04:01.580 --> 00:04:03.660 We believe that the church was created 91 00:04:03.660 --> 00:04:06.700 to provide compassion, wellness, and refuge in the world. 92 00:04:06.700 --> 00:04:08.420 We believe the church is there for that 93 00:04:08.420 --> 00:04:10.260 and we can make an impact. 94 00:04:10.260 --> 00:04:13.660 Ephesians chapter one, verse 22 says this. 95 00:04:13.660 --> 00:04:14.500 I love this verse. 96 00:04:15.220 --> 00:04:20.220 And he put all things in subjection under his feet 97 00:04:20.339 --> 00:04:23.700 and gave him head over all things to the church, 98 00:04:23.700 --> 00:04:26.420 which is his body, the fullness of him 99 00:04:26.420 --> 00:04:28.620 who fills all in all. 100 00:04:28.620 --> 00:04:29.860 Now let me say that again. 101 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:30.700 When it talks about this, it says, 102 00:04:30.700 --> 00:04:32.340 and he, talking about God, 103 00:04:32.340 --> 00:04:35.380 put all things in subjection under his feet, 104 00:04:35.380 --> 00:04:37.020 talking about Jesus. 105 00:04:37.020 --> 00:04:42.020 So it's God put all things in subjection under Jesus' feet 106 00:04:42.140 --> 00:04:46.140 and gave him, Jesus, head over all things to the church. 107 00:04:46.140 --> 00:04:47.660 And then it says this, right? 108 00:04:47.660 --> 00:04:50.100 The church then is his body, 109 00:04:50.100 --> 00:04:55.100 the fullness of him, of Jesus, who fills all in all. 110 00:04:55.340 --> 00:04:59.780 And that means the church is the place that accomplishes. 111 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:03.080 the hands and feet of Jesus everywhere we go. 112 00:05:03.080 --> 00:05:05.240 And we represent God in this world. 113 00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:07.160 We are ambassadors of Christ. 114 00:05:07.160 --> 00:05:09.000 And if we have women that are hurting 115 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.000 and families that are hurting, 116 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:14.100 and even men that are hurting from things of the past, 117 00:05:14.100 --> 00:05:18.560 we need to be a place where people feel comfortable 118 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:20.600 and loved and cared for. 119 00:05:20.600 --> 00:05:22.280 That's why we do what we do. 120 00:05:22.280 --> 00:05:24.640 Ephesians chapter two, verse 10, 121 00:05:24.640 --> 00:05:26.160 it goes on a little later to say this. 122 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:27.000 It says, 123 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:31.640 but for we, which is the church, are his workmanship. 124 00:05:31.640 --> 00:05:34.880 And that word in the Greek is masterpiece, is poiema. 125 00:05:34.880 --> 00:05:37.040 It's like a poem. 126 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:39.200 It's we are his workmanship. 127 00:05:39.200 --> 00:05:40.840 We are his masterpiece. 128 00:05:40.840 --> 00:05:43.400 Created in Christ Jesus for good works. 129 00:05:43.400 --> 00:05:44.240 I love that. 130 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:45.280 Why were we created? 131 00:05:45.280 --> 00:05:46.760 We're the hands and feet of Jesus. 132 00:05:46.760 --> 00:05:49.220 We fill all things, all in all. 133 00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:51.560 But we are his, we're his masterpiece. 134 00:05:51.560 --> 00:05:52.580 We're his work of art. 135 00:05:52.580 --> 00:05:54.200 That means when someone walks into our church, 136 00:05:54.200 --> 00:05:55.480 they should say, you know what? 137 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:56.880 Man, this is like a work of art. 138 00:05:57.720 --> 00:06:00.520 This is one of the most beautiful organizations 139 00:06:00.520 --> 00:06:03.600 because it's honoring to God 140 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:06.480 and it reaches out and brings love 141 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:08.560 and lives out Jesus in the world. 142 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:12.920 And so we are a place that should be that as the church. 143 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:16.060 I was just talking with some friends who have a church 144 00:06:16.060 --> 00:06:19.560 and they were really struggling with the idea of the men 145 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:23.240 who have encountered abortion in their lives. 146 00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:25.080 And so they decided, they said, you know what? 147 00:06:25.080 --> 00:06:28.480 We want to, we really wanna have that tough conversation 148 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:31.240 with these guys and sit down in their men's ministry 149 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:35.200 and spend time focusing on, hey, if you're a man 150 00:06:35.200 --> 00:06:38.200 who has been a part of an abortion story, 151 00:06:38.200 --> 00:06:40.400 maybe you just went along with it 152 00:06:40.400 --> 00:06:42.640 or maybe there was a secret in your past, 153 00:06:42.640 --> 00:06:44.600 like it's time to get that out. 154 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:47.280 And so they're creating environments 155 00:06:47.280 --> 00:06:51.920 for these strong men to be open and broken 156 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:55.320 about the past sins that they had committed. 157 00:06:55.320 --> 00:06:56.920 Man, that's what it's all about, right? 158 00:06:56.920 --> 00:06:59.640 Because we believe the church was created 159 00:06:59.640 --> 00:07:01.320 to provide compassion, wellness, 160 00:07:01.320 --> 00:07:03.480 and refuge in our world today. 161 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:04.920 Isn't that awesome? 162 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:09.920 So check out a few stories here of hope and transformation. 163 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.660 The day I decided to terminate, 164 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:18.520 there were about 20 or 30 other girls sitting in a room. 165 00:07:18.520 --> 00:07:20.780 And I remember thinking, I'm just a number. 166 00:07:20.780 --> 00:07:22.500 It was, let's hurry up and get this done. 167 00:07:22.500 --> 00:07:24.100 And I had major complications, 168 00:07:24.100 --> 00:07:25.740 thought I was actually gonna die. 169 00:07:26.700 --> 00:07:30.900 But when I came to, ushered out of the abortion clinic, 170 00:07:30.900 --> 00:07:35.680 I drove the long distance home, crying the whole way, 171 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:39.460 looking out the window, and I had immediate regret. 172 00:07:39.460 --> 00:07:42.780 No matter the church that I had ever been a member of 173 00:07:42.780 --> 00:07:47.340 or attended, I never felt like it was a safe place. 174 00:07:47.340 --> 00:07:51.460 So 16 years went by before I first uttered 175 00:07:51.460 --> 00:07:53.820 my abortion story to a soul. 176 00:07:53.820 --> 00:07:57.260 And it was then that my real healing journey began. 177 00:08:12.900 --> 00:08:14.860 Once I brought that to light, 178 00:08:14.860 --> 00:08:18.200 the Lord placed me at a pregnancy center banquet 179 00:08:18.200 --> 00:08:21.620 where I heard testimonies of beloved friends 180 00:08:21.620 --> 00:08:25.580 who I had no idea shared the same regrets. 181 00:08:25.580 --> 00:08:28.940 And then I began volunteering and took one job 182 00:08:28.940 --> 00:08:32.980 after another and ended up being an executive director 183 00:08:32.980 --> 00:08:36.100 where I could use the most painful thing in my life 184 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:37.200 to be my passion. 185 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:44.220 My wife confessed having an abortion in her past 186 00:08:44.220 --> 00:08:49.220 for 33 years, we were in complete secrecy 187 00:08:49.500 --> 00:08:51.260 about the abortion. 188 00:08:51.260 --> 00:08:53.140 But now she was in a position where she felt 189 00:08:53.140 --> 00:08:54.660 like she could release that. 190 00:08:54.660 --> 00:08:56.680 And she came home and she released me 191 00:08:56.680 --> 00:08:58.500 to be able to share our story too. 192 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:01.780 I would say the word that comes to mind now 193 00:09:01.780 --> 00:09:05.220 when I think about our experience is redeemed. 194 00:09:05.220 --> 00:09:08.900 I felt like God has redeemed me finally 195 00:09:08.900 --> 00:09:12.540 after all these years that he's purchased me back 196 00:09:12.540 --> 00:09:15.340 and placed me in a space where I could be used 197 00:09:15.340 --> 00:09:18.020 to help other people who may have experienced 198 00:09:18.020 --> 00:09:19.380 the same thing. 199 00:09:19.380 --> 00:09:24.060 So I would just say that there's no situation 200 00:09:24.060 --> 00:09:28.700 that is so horrible or bad that God can't redeem it. 201 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:34.820 For 25 years, I didn't talk about my abortion with anyone. 202 00:09:36.860 --> 00:09:40.220 I feel like Satan used the secret of my abortion 203 00:09:40.220 --> 00:09:43.380 to hold his thumb on me and to stop me 204 00:09:43.380 --> 00:09:46.100 from doing what God wanted. 205 00:09:46.100 --> 00:09:49.460 And what God wants is for us to use our stories, 206 00:09:49.460 --> 00:09:51.980 to share the pain that we're walking through, 207 00:09:53.180 --> 00:09:54.720 to help others behind us. 208 00:09:56.820 --> 00:10:00.060 I knew for years that the Lord forgave me for my abortion. 209 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:07.000 After I confessed it, but forgiving myself was the real challenge. 210 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:27.000 When I finally realized, you know, when things are kept in the dark, it's never, you know, with the Lord. 211 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:33.000 So if God is light, then why would I be hiding something in the dark? 212 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:42.000 Every little broken path that I have, every single mistake that I've made, need to be transparent and need to be open and need to be brought to light. 213 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:52.000 So that I can live a life without double identity, without feeling like I have to keep up with these hidden secrets. 214 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:57.000 And there's a very long period of time I worry about what people would think. 215 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:02.000 And then especially when I joined the pro-life movement, what would my colleagues think? 216 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:06.000 What would the people in the life affirming, you know, movement think? 217 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:11.000 And then I realized it really does not matter what they think. 218 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:13.000 It matters what God thinks. 219 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:21.000 And if God is with me and God has forgiven me, then I guess it will be okay. 220 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:33.000 And that is when I finally reconciled with the fact that I don't need to be pleasing, you know, anybody other than pleasing God. 221 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:41.000 And if I am using this opportunity to do more and to save more and to transform more lives, 222 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:47.000 not just to save the babies, but save the moms and save the ones that have an abortion stories 223 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:52.000 so that they understand that their stories can also be a brilliant light for others 224 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:59.000 and that their restoration experience can also be an encouragement for another, 225 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:03.000 then I am okay and I am totally at peace. 226 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:08.000 That's my full and transparent abortion story. 227 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:11.000 Man, those were amazing videos. 228 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:12.000 Wouldn't you agree? 229 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:19.000 Amazing stories of God's mercy, God's grace, and people finding hope. 230 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:21.000 So what can you do? 231 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:25.000 What's something your church can do or you as just a leader can do? 232 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:27.000 Number one is pray. 233 00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:33.000 Pray for women and men who are facing an unplanned pregnancy to feel the love of God. 234 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:40.000 Pray for women and men who are facing an unplanned pregnancy to feel the love of Jesus through your church. 235 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:48.000 Man, that would be an incredible thing where they know that your church is the city on a hill where they can find hope. 236 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:50.000 Number two, you can preach. 237 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:56.000 Make sure your community knows that your church is welcoming, that it's judgment-free, 238 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:03.000 that it's a supportive place for people who are in the midst of an unplanned pregnancy or have been through an unplanned pregnancy 239 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.000 or who have had a past abortion. 240 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:08.000 Preach about that. Talk about it. Open up. 241 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:11.000 And number three is, hey, partner with Save the Storks. 242 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:12.000 That's why I'm here. 243 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:16.000 You can email me at Bill at SaveTheStorks.com 244 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.000 or you can check us out at SaveTheStorks.com 245 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:26.000 You can look under church and find out how particularly your church can take those next steps into partnering with us 246 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:30.000 and what we feel is such an important work.