Silent No More Awareness Campaign
AFL will also continue to co-sponsor the Silent No More Awareness Campaign (SNMAC): a Campaign to make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women, men and society. The Campaign seeks to expose and heal the secrecy and silence surrounding the emotional and physical pain of abortion. Since its inception in 2002, 5,427 women and men have shared their abortion testimonies at 950 gatherings spanning 48 states and 10 countries. More than 10,300 people representing 67 countries have registered online to be silent no more.
On January 3rd, 2012, SNMAC’s newly-designed website was launched, allowing for more effective connection with those hurting and in need of Christian counsel. Throughout the year, AFL will continue to update the website as needed; promote SNMAC’s new celebrity voices; recruit, equip and train more International and State Regional Coordinators; and continue to promote the Campaign through national events, speaking, and use of social media.
Cost - $43,944
Church Ministry Development
Anglicans for Life recognizes the need for Church Ministry Development, so the Church will be equipped to teach and preach biblical wisdom, acknowledging God as the creator, sustainer and redeemer of life. AFL believes that life issues are Gospel issues; as such, we offer our expertise to ordained and lay leaders in their pastoral response to people facing difficult life decisions at all stages of life. Anglicans for Life aspires to be a one-stop shop for clergy to find pertinent, helpful, simple resources to guide parishioners who are facing life and death challenges.
Recently, a priest who understands and uses our resources expressed it best:
We desperately need churches teaching their members what is right, so that they can voluntarily obey the laws of God, regardless of what the laws of man allow. If enough Christians understand that, the political situation will improve in time.
Churches that have designated Life Leaders make the greatest impact through education, participation in life-affirming activities, fundraising, and spreading God’s Word on life issues. Yet as of the end of 2011, only 16 % (about 120) of the churches which regularly receive AFL’s publications have some level of AFL Life Leadership in place – and there are hundreds of additional churches within the Anglican Communion that AFL has yet to reach with our LIFE resources.
In 2012, AFL will revise and expand
our Life Leader Resource Manual into 3 distinct versions in order to encompass the new 3 tiers of leadership. The manuals will also be made available via AFL’s website. Throughout the year, AFL will to reach out to churches within the Anglican Communion with the goal to establish AFL Life Leadership presence in each. AFL will communicate monthly with current Life Leaders, provide support for ministry growth and continue to build our Life Leader section on our website.
Cost - $34,956
Lectionary Life App
Today’s pastors and priests are expected to provide advice and counsel to everyone who comes to them seeking answers to an ever-increasing number of issues. So in January 2012, Anglicans for Life launched its new monthly e-resource to churches and ordained individuals. The
Lectionary Life App features Scripture-based reflections written by clergy for assigned weekly lectionary lessons. Our prayer is that clergy will find them helpful in sermon preparation. At the end of each week’s reflection, I add suggested prayers, bulletin announcements, and relevant AFL ministry resources.
Cost -$5,108
LIFE Calendar
To help the Church acknowledge 40 years of cultural assault on life, Anglicans for Life will create a
LIFE Calendar, a resource for 2013 featuring monthly themes, educational resources, life activities, ministries suggestions and event ideas. The calendar will be included in AFL’s annual fall mailing to close to 800 churches and will also be distributed to all AFL Life Leaders for 2013.
Cost - $14,725
Our last strategy for Church Ministry Development is to be present and exhibit at
five major Church Conferences in 2012:
Cost - $19,885
· Anglican Mission in the Americas Winter Conference; January, Houston, TX
· Anglican Global Mission Partners Meeting and Missions Conference: March, Nashotah House
· Anglican Church of North America Provincial Assembly; June, Ridgecrest in NC
· The Episcopal General Convention; July, Indianapolis, IN
· National Pro-life Religious Council Conference; September, Beeson University, Birmingham, AL
Educational & Ministry Resources
AFL is dedicated to inspiring the Anglican Communion to understand and compassionately apply God’s Word when addressing all of the life issues. Since its inception as the National Organization of Episcopalians for Life Research & Education Foundation, Inc. in 1983, education has been a primary mission of Anglicans for Life which believes that wise decisions are best made from a background of accurate and timely information.
Therefore the production of Educational & Ministry Resources is critical. Anglicans for Life realizes that the whirlwind of life-related research, statistics, articles and publications frequently released can be confusing, misleading, biased and even inaccurate. Over the years, we have found that relatively few people – even within the Church – really understand all the life issues facing our culture today. AFL stays on top of the latest life publications, research and legislative happenings - and is well-networked to secure the latest facts and findings.
We will continue to publish
Newsletters that highlight the work of Anglicans for Life, and
News Briefs which focus on state, national and international news related to abortion, abstinence, adoption, euthanasia/end-of-life issues, and stem cell research. We will also
continue to update our website which is fast-becoming a widely used portal for outreach, education and communication. AFL’s News Briefs and Newsletters are distributed to thousands of ordained and laypeople globally and during 2012we will publish and distribute 5 News Briefs and 2 Newsletters, while continuing to regularly update AFL’s website.
Cost - $45,096
“End Of Life” Adult Education Curriculum
Our biggest project for 2012 focuses on “End-of-Life” issues that are of particular concern amidst today’s growing post-Christian worldview. Almost 40 years since abortion-on-demand became legal in the United States, attempts to legalize killing on the other end of the age spectrum and among those whose lives are deemed “not worth living” have been escalating.
Physician-assisted suicide emerged as the most controversial cultural issue in Gallup’s 2011 Values and Beliefs poll; 45% agreed that it is morally acceptable to have your doctor help you kill yourself, and 48% felt that it is morally wrong. Assisted suicide is legal in Washington, Oregon and Montana, and there are bills being considered in Massachusetts, Vermont and Hawaii. Between 1998 and 2009, 496 people have been put to death as a result of legally-imposed physician-assisted suicide in the United States alone.
Anglicans for Life is keenly aware that “end-of-life” options have become emotionally-charged and increasingly confusing. The potential for abuse is staggering: according to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 2000 and 2010, the 65 years and over population increased at a faster rate (15.1 percent) than did the total U.S population (9.7 percent). There are over 40 million people in the U.S. aged 65 and over, 5.5 million of whom are 85 and over.
Therefore we are going to produce a comprehensive “End of Life” adult education curriculum (working title is “Honoring Life’s Last Season”) for the Church to help educate parishioners about “end-of-life” issues related to health care, terminal illness, the handicapped, the elderly, Advance Care Directives, patient rights, care-giver needs, organ donation, Persistent Vegetative State, hospice care and dying with grace. Anglicans for Life is called to help the Church be proactive in anticipating and addressing end-of-life needs from a biblical perspective.
This “end-of-life” education series will be modeled after AFL’s successful Project Life adult education curriculum and will be marketed to priests and lay leaders responsible for counseling, educating and guiding parishioners. Parishioners of all ages who will eventually be dealing with end-of-life issues personally - some of whom will also be called on to assist loved ones during this time of life– will all benefit from the teachings included in the program.
Cost - $37,023
Increase Efficiencies and Decrease Costs
Our final focus area for 2012 is to Increase Efficiencies and Decrease Costs through careful day-to-day Operations Management. Especially during these challenging economic times, we must be vigilant about managing the financial resources you provide if we want to stay fiscally healthy and operationally sound.
AFL is investigating the possibility of
sharing offices/resources with other local ministries as a means of reducing expenses and increasing efficiencies while possibly creating fruitful ministry partnerships. As a means of saving printing and mailing costs, AFL will continue to
convert our publication recipients from paper mail to electronic versions wherever possible. AFL will also save money and increase efficiency by
converting from a shared ACS database license to online ownership of this license.
Cost - $7,450
Development Plan
During 2012, Anglicans for Life will expand the Development page of our website and will designate opportunities for donors to sponsor and/or contribute to specific projects as outlined in this letter. AFL plans to develop and promote opportunities for Estate-giving; monitor & expand a new process for love offerings/donations to AFL through our parish-based Life Leaders; and focus efforts on growing regular donations through increasing participation in our electronic Legacy of Life partnership opportunities. We will also update our Guidestar information and direct potential and current investors and donors to investigate our financial integrity through the use of this tool.
Through the use of our new Prospect Development Plan for new contact follow-up AFL will be systematically reaching out to those who contact us to ensure their needs are met and that they become life-long partners in the Gospel of Life. We want to see people go from inquiring about life issues to becoming committed partners with AFL in proclaiming the Sanctity of life.
Cost - $19,399
Since 2009, Anglicans for Life has held its budget to $200,000 per year and has finished each year within the adopted budget. Because AFL staff and board members believe God is calling us to accomplish even more for Him this year we are trusting Him to help us meet our audacious proposed 2012 budget of $233,453- a 17% increase from 2011!
Total Funding Need: $233,453
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