Online Reporter
Matters of Faith
Last year, a study found that the percentage of regular churchgoers identifying as pro-life plummeted from 63 percent (in 2023) to 43 percent (in 2025).
But wait, it gets worse.
That matches the percentage of pro-life people in the general population, which means there’s no longer any significant correlation between regular church attendance and the likelihood of being pro-life.
But wait, it gets even worse.
The same study found that about 20 percent of regular churchgoers had “paid for, encouraged, or chosen to have an abortion.”
And that means “there was no significant correlation between being born again, how often one attends church, or how frequently one reads the Bible and the likelihood of having had an abortion,” the study authors wrote.
Whatever strategy Christian churches and families are using to disciple young people in this area, it isn’t working.
Herbie Newell knows this problem better than most. He’s the president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services, which offers counselling for unplanned pregnancies, support for at-risk families, and adoption services.
“Parents must intentionally teach a gospel sexual ethic and gospel family ethic,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be talking points from a pro-life rally or the March for Life. It can just be, like Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us, teaching as we go.”
The Gospel Coalition asked Newell for his best tips on teaching kids how to value life, on how to resist cultural support for abortion, on handling teen romances, and on setting a good example for your kids, whether you’re married or not.
Heartbreaking and confusing
It is heartbreaking and confusing that in 2025, less than half of churchgoers called themselves pro-life. How can we raise our kids to clearly value life?
This can start early. On birthdays, when your children are young, look back at pictures of mum when she was pregnant with them. Look at their birth pictures, in the hospital or coming home. Talk about how excited you were to find out you were pregnant, to hear their heartbeat, and to feel them kicking in the womb. Talk about how they were fearfully and wonderfully made. Reinforce that life is sacred and precious.
As they get older, talk about gender. Who in your family is a boy? Who is a girl? Celebrate the roles of each person in your family—dad, mum, and siblings. Talk about how God created us to live together, to be in community with each other and with him.
When it’s age-appropriate, talk with them about sex. Don’t leave this to their fifth-grade science class or social media. I remember how awkward it was for me to do this, but talking about it meant those topics were not taboo anymore. It became easier for my kids to ask their questions.
As you explain the physical act, talk about God’s plan for that—why it’s good, perfect, complementary. Talk about how marriage is a picture of Christ and the church.
This is great. But we know we aren’t the only influences in our children’s lives, and some cultural voices can be loud. What do we do when our kids encounter other views on sexuality and family?
We want our kids to rub shoulders with people who aren’t like them—culturally, ethnically, socioe-conomically, religiously. When we put them in places where they start to see something different, then we can be the ones to answer their questions, and we can reinforce their Christian worldview.
Before our kids were born, my wife was the director of a crisis pregnancy centre. I have been the director of an adoption and foster care ministry for the last two decades. Our kids would ask questions like, “Where’s so-and-so’s dad?” or “How did she get pregnant when she’s not married?”
While not everyone works daily in pro-life ministry, similar questions might come up as your children encounter situations at school or even as they watch TV or movies.
In fact, media is so influential that when our kids are watching or listening to something, we should be close enough that we can hear what’s contrary to a biblical ethic or worldview.
And then we have to address it. When your kids ask questions about missing fathers or two moms, don’t shy away from answering—those are opportunities for discipleship. You can let them know what’s going on honestly (and age-appropriately), and then explain why we believe what we believe.
It’s also important to ask them questions: What did you enjoy about that show? What didn’t you enjoy? Did you notice the dad wasn’t providing for his family? Did you notice the couple wasn’t married? What did you think about that? How would you want to do that differently? What do you think is God’s design?
You don’t have to be formal—just talk as you go. “Hey, that’s interesting. That’s not how God would want it. I wish they wouldn’t have made those choices.” – tgcafrica.org
