Heartland Presbyterians Pro-Life

Heartland Presbyterians Pro-Life
PO Box 46777
Kansas City MO 64188-6777
Email: HeartlandPPL@yahoo.com

About Heartland Presbyterians Pro-Life

Heartland Presbyterians Pro-Life is an independent 501(c)(3) organization. HPPL supports the efforts of Presbyterians Pro-Life on the local level, but they are two separate organizations.

HPPL strives to be a chapter in action as outlined on the PPL Chapter page. The active HPPL Board consists of members from several PC(USA) congregations in Heartland Presbytery. Two of our local chapter board members are also on the national Presbyterians Pro-Life board. HPPL's presbytery-wide witness grew out of the Precious Life Ministry of Colonial Presbyterian Church, Kansas City, MO. The focus of HPPL is the church and its witness of teaching and ministry to its members and the community, rather than a focus on secular/political events.

Pictures taken at HPPL's Dinner Event in September, 2005.
Our keynote speaker was Scott Klusendorf (center) of Life Training Institute, with testimony and song shared by Brett and Erin Francis.

HPPL Statement of Purpose

The Heartland Chapter of Presbyterians Pro-Life seeks to be a prophetic witness to the Heartland presbytery (staff, churches and community) upholding the sacred value of human life and the family. We believe the scriptures teach that God, who made us in His own image, has forbidden us to shed innocent blood. Therefore, Heartland Presbyterians Pro-Life (HPPL), is committed to protecting the right of life of every human being from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. In decisions about life and death, the sanctity of life of both mother and child must be respected, and every effort to preserve their lives should be made. This leads us to stand against abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, and any other practice which would devalue human life.

HPPL is convinced that a return to the Biblical teaching concerning the sacred value of the family is essential to recovering respect for the sacred value of individual human lives. God has ordained the family, the basic social unity of all institutions, to propagate, protect and nurture human life.

HPPL displays at recent meetings of Presbytery

Activities of HPPL

HPPL maintains a visible presence at meetings of Heartland Presbytery with a display/resource table which includes PPL literature and local news of interest. Fetal models are often a part of the display, and occasionally a video will be shown. HPPL has a mailing list of over 400, sends an occasional newsletter, Life Link, and various postcard mailings. Several of the HPPL board members have spoken at churches/youth groups about issues of life in the context of Christian faith. At least once a year, HPPL will host an open "dessert night" featuring a video of interest (often a PPL/GA video) or a guest speaker, time for discussion, and of course, dessert.

HPPL has hosted Celebrate Life! events around Sanctity of Human Life Sunday in January, such as worship services and/or luncheons. Speakers have included The Rev. Ben Sheldon, who was President of the Presbyterians Pro-Life board at the time, currently President Emeritus; Mrs. Terry Schlossberg, PPL Executive Director (several visits); The Rev. Dr. Don Elliott, PPL President, and local PC(USA) pastors. Mrs. Peggy MacLeod of the PPL board has led three abortion recovery training workshops for us.

One year our event was entitled "Celebrating Life in the Face of Death" with a focus on ministry at the time of critical health or end of life. The day included an afternoon panel discussion with invited professionals; a complimentary dinner; and an evening worship service. In 2005, over 150 people attended our dinner event featuring Scott Klusendorf of the Life Training Institute. In 2006, over 100 people attended our dessert event focused on Embryonic Stem Cell research. In 2007, our year-long focus was educating and equipping on abortion recovery. We mailed the PPL resource, Discovering Grace, to every church in the presbytery. We brought Peggy MacLeod to the area (again), and held a pastor's equipping luncheon and a Saturday Training Workshop, and Peggy spoke at a church on Sunday.

The HPPL board used a PPL guide to completed work on a presbytery-wide directory of resources for those in crisis pregnancies, considering adoption decisions, or experiencing effects of abortion, and prepared a copy of the directory for each PC(USA) church in Heartland Presbytery.

BLAST (Biblically Learning and Applying Sexual Truth) was an event on sexuality for youth held April 30-May 1, 2004. The event was organized and sponsored by Heartland Presbyterians Pro-Life in conjunction with Colonial Presbyterian Church, Quivira Campus, OPKS; Colonial Presbyterian Church, Wornall Campus, KCMO; First Presbyterian Church of Olathe, KS; First Presbyterian Church of Paola, KS; St. Luke Presbyterian Church, KCMO; Westminster Presbyterian Church, Ottawa, KS. Over 180 youth and sponsors from the churches listed above attended the event.

BLAST Core Beliefs:

That the Scriptures of the Old Testament and the New Testament are, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God's Word to us. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV

The sanctity of marriage is to be upheld between a man and a woman as the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate. "...anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committee adultry with her in his heart." Matt. 5:28 NIV

That God's grace through Christ's blood covers our sins, restoring us to a right relationship with Him. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9 NIV

That human life is sacred, including the life of an unborn child, that life begins at conception (Luke 1:26-38) and that the rights of all individuals are to be upheld as equal before God and man. "Do not murder." Exodus 20:13 NLT

In 1998 the G.A. adopted an overture calling the church to encourage youth sexual purity. The GA action asks the church to:

Affirm to the youth of our denomination the good purpose and blessing of God in the expression of sexuality within the bonds of marriage;

commend to families and congregations of the PC(USA) the need to communicate to our children and youth a clear message of sexual purity in relation to Christian discipleship, and to encourage our children and youth to take the step of making personal commitments of sexual purity;

instruct entities of governing bodies of the PC(USA) that plan programs for youth, write curricula for youth, or otherwise participate in denominational activities for youth to ensure that all such programs, curricula, and activities conform to the biblical and constitutional standards regarding sexual behavior;

urge all persons in leadership relationships with youth in our churches to extend the means of God's forgiving grace to those who fall into sexual sin and lead them gently to repentance and to a recommitment to sexual purity as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ib Hagsten and Di Lupton, HPPL board members, at the Presbyterians Pro-Life exhibit booth at the 214^th General Assembly, June 2002.

Contact us if you would like to help promote the sanctity of human life in Heartland Presbytery or the Synod of Mid-America!

Email: HeartlandPPL@yahoo.com

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