Start a Culture of Life
Parish Ministry
Culture of Life Ministry
General Help & Information
Whether it is the first week in your role as Respect Life Coordinator or you have been coordinator for many years, the Respect Life Office is here to help YOU!
planning in your parish
meeting planning
event planning
presentations on life topics
networking
Building a Culture of LifeFirst, we recognize our own call to holiness…we are called to be saints, each & every one of us, and so out of this calling, building a culture of life starts with each of us. We must cultivate our own relationship with God in a sacramental life & a life of prayer — we must know Him before we can love Him & serve Him. Then, we recall that every single human being is made from Love, by Love, out of Love — every single human being is wanted & loved by God, & He desires to spend eternity with each one — all of us! And we are called to imitate Christ. A genuine life in Christ leads others to Him & to their own holiness. Living that love fulfills the greatest commandment — "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself"
(Mt. 22:37-39).
Where do we start?
1. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom and guidance. Be grounded in the truth that life begins at conception and ends in natural death.
2. Talk to your Pastor and your Parish’s Respect Life Coordinator. (If your parish doesn’t have a Respect Life Coordinator Parish, speak to your Pastor about this)
-Determine the details of the Ministry:
-What will your focus be?
-Establish a Mission Statement (and Constitution)
-How often will you meet?
-Will you have officers? How will they be elected?
3. Explore these helpful websites:
-USCCB Respect Life Office - https://www.respectlife.org/ and https://www.usccb.org/prolife
4. Host a “Culture of Life Kickoff Event”!
-Incorporate a fun and exciting theme - Lattes for Life, Picnic for ProLife, Pizza for ProLife,
Frozen Treats for Life, etc.
5. Join the Respect Life Office and other Respect Life Ministries for Respect Life Gatherings.
Goals
1. To Become Informed on the life issues – abortion, infanticide, euthanasia by reviewing certain basic educational materials
-“The Challenge to Be Pro-Life”
-“When You Were Formed in Secret”
-“Abortion: The Silent Holocaust” by John Powell
2. Stay Informed on the current status of the life issues by subscribing to key pro-life publications – USCCB, National Right to Life News, LifeNews.com and Religious Outreach, Louisiana Right to Life, Abby Johnson
3. Inform Others within the parish community, with the assistance of the pastor and priests, of the sanctity of human life, of the radical nature of the Supreme Court abortion decisions and of the consequent need to restore legal protection for all human life through protective legislation both at the state and national level.
4. Recruit Volunteers through Volunteer Interest Surveys, Social Media, personal contact and other means, those members of the parish who are interested in becoming involved in efforts to restore respect for human life and secure legal protection for the unborn.
5. Organize those who have been informed and recruited into various projects designed to:
-Pray individually and with others for the restoration of respect for all human life
-Educate within the parish on the life issues
-Respond to action alerts distributed regarding state & national legislation.
-Express Support for pro-life legislation to legislators at the local, state & national level.
-Raise Funds for local and state pro-life organizations.
-Stimulate support for membership in local and state pro-life organizations.
-Focus attention on the life issues at key times during the year, namely January 22 (anniversary of Roe v Wade), and October (Respect Life Month)
-Support Service Projects to aid the elderly, people with disabilities, the poor, distressed pregnant women, women and men suffering the after effects of abortion, etc.
Lead for Life
1. Plan the Meeting
-Have a basic Agenda that can be easily adjusted and used at each meeting. (ie. Prayer, Old Business,
New Business, Education, Action, Socializing)
-Make a banner or display to represent your club’s mission.
2. Let People Know!
-At church and school events:
-Hand out a small treat with the name of the ministry and the details of the first meeting (date, time, place, contact information.)
-Hand out and post flyers or postcards with information on the upcoming meetings and events. These should be fun and inviting!
-Personally invite friends! Let them know that you are starting a new and exciting ministry and it will benefit from having members like them as a part of it. Have a “Friend for Life” event and have each member bring someone new. This “meeting” can focus on “getting to know you” activities.
3. Hold the Meeting
-Start on time with the Prayer.
-Follow the Agenda closely - spend little time on the business aspects and more time on
Education and Action.
-It is important that all members are a part of the meeting in some way.
4. Lead the Meeting
-Encourage members to participate and take action based on their gifts and talents. Sometimes it
just takes a little encouragement to inspire someone to take action.
Meeting Tips & Tricks
Education and Action will empower the members and give them an opportunity to make a difference.
Education -Focus on the Monthly Topic
-Have the members bring information or an article on the monthly topic to share focusing on
current events.
-Have a round table discussion and take turns leading the discussion.
-Listen to a Pro-Life Podcast on the topic.
-Role-play with pro-choice arguments.
-”Movie for a Meaning” Night - Show a Pro-Life Movie and have a discussion. (Be sure to check on
licensing requirements.)
-Invite a speaker from the local Respect Life Office.
Action - Focus on the Monthly Topic
-Prayer - it is important to pray at every meeting.
-Create cards and notes of encouragement to donate to those in need based on the monthly topic.
-Have a “Proud to be Pro-Life Party” for Life as a fundraiser- visit ChoosetheChild.com for some
great themes/ideas!
-Create to build a Culture of Life - Create t-shirt designs, posters, cards, etc.
-Plan a Prayer Service.
-Have fun! Celebrate the work you are doing!
It is important to have an Agenda for each meeting so that you stay on task and focus on the goals you have for the year. Also, incorporate time to bring up Old Business for unresolved issues and time to discuss New Business (upcoming events, projects, action items.) Remember to also give members a chance to share their opinions and ideas.
Calendar of Events
January - The Unborn
-January 22nd - Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of the Unborn -March for Life - Mid to late January, Washington DC and throughout the country
-Local Life Chains
-Blessing of the Tomb of the Unborn at St. Patrick Cemetery
February - Human Trafficking
-February 8th - USCCB Day of Prayer & Awareness Against Human Trafficking
March - People with Disabilities
-March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day
April - Fertility/Infertility Awareness
-Last Week of April - National Infertility Awareness Week
May - Healing After Abortion
-Second Sunday of May - Mother’s Day, Blessing of Mothers
-”Celebrate Life” Liturgy with Baby Shower to celebrate the lives saved from the prayers of the
Spiritual Adoptions.
June - End of Life Issues
-Third Sunday of June - Father’s Day, Blessing of Fathers
July - Conscience Protection
-July 4th - Independence Day
August - Mercy Behind Bars/Capital Punishment
-Hold a “Culture of Life Kickoff Event”
- Host a fun event that includes a “getting to know you” activity, fun activities, food/snacks, and a
short presentation on upcoming meetings and events.
-Invite members to bring a friend!
-Pick a Patron Saint for the Year
September - Stem Cell/Human Cloning Awareness
Spiritual Adoption & 40 Days for Life -Start the Spiritual Adoption Program on
September 8th - Our Blessed Mother’s Birthday
-40 Days for Life begins in September
October - Respect Life Month - USCCB Respect Life Program
-First Sunday - Respect Life Sunday
-40 Days for Life continues
November - National Adoption Awareness Month
-Saturday before Thanksgiving - National Adoption Day
-4th Thursday of November - Thanksgiving
December - Peace on Earth/End to Violence
-December 25th - The Nativity of Our Lord
4 Pillars of Respect Life Work from the USCCB Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities
Public Information & Education — Increase awareness of all life issues
Pastoral Care — Care for those whose lives are in danger
Public Policy — Be a voice for the voiceless in public life
Prayer & Worship — Pray for those whose lives are in danger & those who make decisions about life
Public Info
Display - Have a Bulletin Board Display or Display Board with current Respect Life Topics
-Have the children help create this board. (they can help plan the board or just create pictures to display)
Electronic Updates – Have an email system in place or a Facebook page for your group.
-Have the children create prayers, pictures, or other things that can be shared through these venues.
Presentations – Speaker from the community or parish
-This could be something as simple as having grandparents reading to the children at a pro-life party to bringing in a guest speaker.
-Another idea is to have the students speak. Most of them aren’t afraid to speak in public and would love to share why they are pro-life.
-Host a movie night – There are quite a few movies that have a pro-life theme. The older children could have activities for the younger ones to do after the movie to reinforce the concept.
Art - It is important to display pro-life messages in many forms. > Have a poster contest for the youth or a t-shirt contest. The winning poster can be made into a “real” poster and displayed in the church. The t-shirt winner’s design can be made into a t-shirt and sold as a fundraiser.
Pastoral Care
Corporal Works of Mercy – Each month there can be a collection of items for a specific group of people in need.
-Have the students decorate a plastic box/tub. This can be kept in the back of the church. Each month collect items for a different group. At the end of the month, have the children come help sort and pack the items.
-The students can also make generic cards that say “You Are Loved” to be given to the various groups in need.
“Been There” – Have a list of parishioners or volunteers who have experienced chastity, infertility, crisis pregnancy, end-of-life issues, disabilities, or prison.
-Have someone who has practiced chastity or an unplanned pregnancy come speak to the middle school and high school students. The focus would be living a pure life and God gives second chances.
Volunteer - Volunteer opportunities are available in the Archdiocese. These can be found through the Respect Life Office and newsletter.
-Share these opportunities with the youth. Have the older children help younger children with projects. They love to give back.
Public Policy
Current Legislation – It is important to review the weekly newsletter from the Respect Life Office and/or visit their website to stay current on the legislation. Most of the time, the action required to support the respect life legislation is a simple click of an email.
Subscribe to Action Alerts - These come from USCCB & NCHLA. Also, be aware of national and state legislative updates that can be found in the Respect Life Coordinator’s Newsletter.
-Share these on the Facebook page or email updates so that the youth are aware of them. It may be easier to share with the Youth Minister of the parish and have him/her share with the group.
-January 22nd – This is a perfect time to make Roe v Wade known in your parish.
-Have a Mass at the school to commemorate the lives lost since this decision. Stress to the children that their voice will make a difference. Also, this is a great time to emphasize the importance of educating ourselves before we vote in elections.
-Marches for Life – These are held in Washington DC and in Baton Rouge. Encourage the youth to attend. Another idea is to collaborate with other parishes to provide buses for families and children to attend.
Voter Registration – Hold a voter registration.
-Have the youth volunteer at this event. Heritage House (hh76.com) also has inexpensive resources for this.
Prayer & Worship
Intentions – Use the Word of Life Intentions from the USCCB. These are also found in the Respect Life Coordinator’s Newsletter.
-Ask your school to use the intentions in the school Masses as well.
Masses – Have a Parish and/or School Mass on Respect Life Sunday and/or another time in the year to pray for the USCCB Respect Life topic of the month.
-Have the children participate in the Masses as Lectors, Offertory Procession, etc.
Novenas – These simple 9-day prayers for those who are in need are a great way to be actively praying for life. These are provided by the Respect Life office in the weekly newsletter and on their website.
Prayer Pockets – Have a small prayer service. Small prayers equal GREAT REWARDS! Holy hours, rosaries, Pro-Life Prayer Services, Novenas, Spiritual Bouquets, etc. are great for this.
-Include the children for these. Invite them to attend with their families. If the children are asked and want to go, the parents are more inclined to attend.
40 Days for Life – Most parishes adopt a day for this important event.
-Encourage children to attend and bring their families. Let them know that this is a POSITIVE and prayerful time.
Spiritual Adoption & Baby Shower – Many parishes have Spiritual Adoptions for 9 months and then baby showers to celebrate the lives saved and to support local pregnancy resource centers. >
-The children love these! Ask them to come give the updates monthly at the Masses. They can post the updates on the display boards. They love the baby showers too! Ask them to help host the baby shower.
-Spiritual Adoptions can also be prayed for anyone whose life is in danger or is being treated unfairly. These can be prayed for 9 days. You don’t need to know the details of his or her situation – God knows & He hears you
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION & ACTION IDEAS
Prayers
-Ask your Pastor to use the Prayers of the Faithful and Bulletin inserts provided by the USCCB. These can also be posted on Social Media.
-Monthly Holy Hour
-Monthly Rosary-ProLife Prayer Service
Table/Bulletin
-Share General Information & Resources
-Share Monthly Focus Information & Resources
Legislative Activity
-Encourage the Pastor to involve the Church in responding to Calls for Action (HumanLifeAction.org)
Baby Bottle Campaigns/Baby Showers/Diaper Drives
-Hold at least one of these events each year for a local Pregnancy Resource Center
Work With:
-The School
-Knights of Columbus
-Ministries in the Parish
-Respect Life Ministries in the Community
Go To and Pray:
-Abortion Clinics
-Homes for the Elderly
Speakers - Contact the Respect Life Office
USCCB Respect Life Program
-Visit RespectLife.org for the USCCB Respect Life Resources
For Additional Ideas and Support, please contact us!
We love building a Culture of Life!
Choose the Child
Natasia Kissinger, Founder & Executive Director
ChoosetheChild.com
ntkissinger@gmail.com
504-339-5384