Printer-friendly versionWe can help you become a sidewalk counselor!   Sidewalk counseling can be a very effective way to offer life-affirming help to a woman on the verge of going through with an abortion. Counselors usually stand on a public sidewalk outside an abortion facility with brochures and a willingness to talk. It is hoped that at least one of the women scheduled for an abortion that day will change her mind and turn away. Last year there were about 100 recorded turnaways in Memphis. In New York City there were thousands. Seeing sidewalk counseling up close can make one a believer of its effectiveness. Chapter one of Joe Schiedler’s book 99 Ways to Stop Abortion is on sidewalk counseling. How does one know whether he or she is well suited for this type of ministry? Does one need to be a silvertongued salesman or have counseling experience? It helps to be caring and personable, but even the tongue-tied can pass out brochures. How can one get started? In some cities there are established ministries, but in some communities there is no presence. Calling one or more of the local pregnancy resource centers can be a good way to find possible contact information. If one lives in a community with one or more abortion facilities but with no existing sidewalk counseling, this opportunity could be a tremendous home mission field to be used by God to help young women in need and to save lives. Contacting a sidewalk counseling ministry in another city is a good way to ask questions, maybe to get some training, and to develop a strategy for getting off the ground. Just going to a search engine and typing in “sidewalk counseling” can lead to some worthwhile sites such as www.sidewalkcounseling.com. It is possible to get started with just a couple of willing people, some good brochures (including pregnancy center contact information), basic legal awareness (such as no blocking and trespassing), and prayer. Organizations such as Focus on the Family (800-932-9123), Heritage House76 (www.HH76.com, 800-858-3040), Pro-Life Action Ministries (www.plam.org/ brochures/catalog.pdf, 651-771-1500), and Hayes Publishing (http://hayespub.tripod .com, 513-681-7559) have some brochures that work. Introducing oneself to the local pregnancy center as a possible place to refer women and to the local police precinct for legal guidelines can also help for a smoother start.