Things you can do to be Silent No More

1. Find your local pregnancy resource center and ask if they offer abortion recovery groups (go to http://www.optionline.org/ and under "find a center" type your zip code, or call 800-395-HELP).
   
   
2. Research the abortion recovery ministries by going to http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ and looking under "Weekend Retreats—search by location" or calling 877-HOPE-4-ME. Even if they are within a few hours drive, it is worth it! The personal contact listed will also help to connect you.
   
   
3. Order Referral cards from Heritage House ’76 that you can use to hand out to family and friends with your local resources for after-abortion help. You simply write the local contact information on the back. (http://www.heritagehouse76.com/)

1. Identify the location of the nearest pregnancy resources center in your area and get its phone number. Ask your pastor to put an announcement in the Sunday bulletin that says: "Are you pregnant and don’t know where to go for help? There’s a pregnancy resource center in (name of town). Call them at (phone number) and they will help you." Also keep the number in your wallet so if you hear of an unexpected pregnancy, you can offer the phone number as a resource.
   
   
2. Identify the location of the abortion recovery program in your area and get their phone number. Ask your pastor to put an announcement in the Sunday bulletin that says: "Aftercare is available for those hurting from abortion. Help is available at (name of program); call them at (phone number) and they will help you." Again, keep the number in your wallet so you can offer it as a resource when needed. *These announcements should be alternated weekly all year.

**Ask the pregnancy center to contact you if a woman goes there because of your announcements. Tell your pastor and tell us! It is a huge encouragement to keep at it!

1. Pray to sense the Lord’s leading and words.
   
   
2. Make an appointment to visit with your pastor to share your story of abortion, hurt, forgiveness, and recovery. Plan a 5-7 minute testimony to be presented to the church, and write it out so he can have a copy. Be prepared to share a 1-2 minute version with him during the visit.
   
   
3. Provide the pastor with the Anglicans for Life brochure, which describes healing prayer and how to counsel others who have had abortions: "Post-Abortion Ministry Brochure for Clergy and Counselors." Read and order online under "Resources" at http://www.anglicansforlife.org/ or call 800-707-6635.
   
   
4. Provide the pastor with the local abortion recovery resources so that he would have a way to help those in the congregation who might respond to the message, i.e.: Pregnancy Resource Center program, local Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Coordinator, etc.
   
   
5. Educate that abortion is something women and men deal with all year round, not just during Sanctity of Life Sunday. It is also an issue with which men struggle. You can share that the Silent No More Awareness Campaign has heard from many men seeking help. Several have spoken publicly about their experience.
   
   
6. To give him a sense of context and where you are coming from, give him a Silent No More Awareness Brochure (ask for them through Anglicans for Life or Priests for Life). You could also show a Silent No More Awareness Video (either 8, 16, or 18 minute), or a clip of it, to open his eyes to honest testimonies from ordinary women and men.
   
   
7. Share that 43% of all women under the age of 45 years old have had abortions according to Planned Parenthood’s research arm, the Alan Guttmacher Institute. Chances are that some of those women are in their congregations or are closely affected by abortion.
   
   
8. Make an appointment to visit with clergy of other local parishes. This can be a little more sensitive. Imagine you are that pastor and a woman comes into your office asking permission to share her story of abortion to your congregation. In what ways could she act that would put you at ease and assure you that she is compassionate, truthful, and pure in motivation? We suggest that you do the above steps (especially thoroughly preparing your testimony and having local resources for help) and have the support of your pastor. You pastor could write a letter endorsing you, schedule a phone call (you could schedule the time during the visit), or he/she could accompany you. Your pastor’s support is very instrumental in showing your trustworthiness.