This meeting of Lutherans For Life of South Dakota, Inc. will take place at Zion Lutheran Church, Mitchell, SD starting at 12:30 p.m. (Snow date is January 21, 2012).  Each chapter is asked to have two delegates present at this meeting and to enter nominations for three openings on the state board of LFL of SD. Nominees are required to be members of Lutherans For Life.  Please send your nominations to Lynette Auch, 42948 300^th St., Lesterville, SD  57040, Ph:  605-364-7318, lynetteauch@gmail.com

Help us save babies by helping fund the ultrasound ministries in South Dakota.  If only 100 congregations raised $540 each, we could fund the technicians for a whole year at the Alpha Center.  That means if 100 people in 100 congregations gave $5.40 we could keep both the Alpha Center and Fleet for Little Feet operating and saving precious unborn babies. And if 100 people in 100 congregations gave $9-10 dollars a year, we could include the ultrasound ministry of the Care Net Crisis Pregnancy Resource Center in Rapid City, the only crisis pregnancy center in western SD.  If you want to learn more about their ministry you can go to their website at www.carenetpartner.com

Won’t you and/or your congregation consider joining us in these ministries? Perhaps your congregation would consider putting Lutherans For Life of SD/Ultrasound Ministries in their mission budget?  Your tax deductible donations for the Bike for Life 2011 can be sent to:  SESD Lutherans For Life, c/o Rev. Nabil Nour, PO Box 158, Armour, SD 57313.

Lifesavers & Bike Tires:  What do they have in common?

The Bike for Life 2011, of course!  Ride your bike and be a life-saver.  Yes, the Annual Bike for Life will take place Saturday, September 10^th.  This is a 100 mile (approximate) bike ride starting from  Redeemer Lutheran Church, Armour, SD at 7:00 a.m. traveling to The Alpha Center, in Sioux Falls, SD.   This ride is/has been a major fund-raiser for the ultrasound ministry at the Alpha Center (ultrasounds have over a 90% success rate in helping to save unborn babies from abortion) and, more recently,  has also benefitted the pro-life television ad campaign, Life: A Better Choice, sponsored by Lutherans For Life of South Dakota.  (See samples of these ads at www.lutheransforlifesd.org.) Last year, the ride helped to raise over $14,500, which helped to train ultrasound technicians, purchase liability insurance, medical supplies, and pro-life television ads.

How can you participate? 1) By praying for The Alpha Center and other crisis pregnancy centers and the women and families they minister to, the Bike for Life participants/helpers, favorable weather, safety, etc., 2) by riding your bike for the whole ride or just a portion of it, 3) by driving in the caravan with a sign on your vehicle telling what our purpose is and/or by being a support vehicle,  4) by providing and preparing food for the bikers and drivers at various rest stops, and 5) by donating financially. (Financial gifts can be sent to:  SESD Lutherans For Life, c/o Rev. Nabil Nour, 402 3rd St., Armour, SD  57313.)

You can become a life-saver by contacting:  Rev. Nabil Nour, Redeemer Lutheran Church, P. O. Box, 158, Armour, SD 57313-0158, Ph:(605)724-2489 (O), (605)724-2722 (H),  Email:  redeemarmour@unitelsd.com.

Come on and join with us in being a LIFE-SAVER!!!

Life: A Better Choice by Rev. Bob Moeller (PDF, 78KB)

President's Report (PDF, 523KB)

A Call to South Dakota Voters ... From a South Dakota Son (PDF, 58KB)

Is Abortion Allowed in Cases of Rape or Incest? (PDF, 175KB)

This is a display consisting of approximately 700-800 crosses that serve as a memorial to the thousands of babies whose lives have been taken as the result of abortion in South Dakota. It also serves as a reminder to the men, women, and famillies suffering after making an abortion decision that Jesus died to forgive them. Pictures of a display are viewable on the Media page.

To reserve the Witness of the Crosses display, contact Ron Hoops, 605-395-6655, rrmmfarm@nrctv.com

Thank you for supporting the 2010 Bike for Life held on Saturday, September 11, 2010. The sunny 70s-degree weather included a northwesterly wind on the backs of those riding from Armour, helping them make great time. It gave the Brookings group a side wind to contend with as they traveled south but, nonetheless, everyone arrived safely at the Alpha Center.

Participants ranged in age from 79 years old to 16 weeks in the womb. We had the largest group yet to cross the finish line. The date, September 11, was chosen to remember those lost on that dreadful day in U.S. history nine years ago when more than 3,000 people perished at the hands of foreign terrorists and, more specifically, as a reminder of terrorists in our own nation terrorizing and killing more than 3,000 babies every day through abortion.

We sincerely thank those who prayed, rode bikes, drove support vehicles, prepared fabulous food, promoted the event and donated time, money or energy for the Bike for Life.

If you didn't get a chance to be involved and would like to, donations are still being accepted. This year's proceeds will be divided between the ultrasound ministry at the Alpha Center for Women, a crisis pregnancy center in Sioux Falls, and the "Life: A Better Choice" television ad campaign. Tax-deductible financial gifts can be sent to the SESD Lutherans For Life, c/o Rev. Nabil Nour, 402 Third St, Armour SD  57313.

For those of you who are avid television viewers, you know the power of TV advertising. "By the time most Americans reach the age of 75, they will have spent 14 uninterrupted years in front of television sets—more time than they will spend with any other person, any activity, any relationship (Advertising Consciousness & Culture, by John F. Kavanaugh).

Educational advertising was the ky to reducing prejudice, littering, drunk driving, and smoking—and educational advertising can help lead the way back to a culture of life in America. According to LifeNews.com, in states that consistently aired pro-life educational ads over the past 10 years, abortion reates have decreased by 70 percent ("Life: A Better Choice," Rev. Bob Moeller, Lutheran Witness, South Dakota district, October 2009).

Lutherans for Life of South Dakota has sponsored several runs of pro-life ads on KDLT in January and February. We would like to continue airing these ads on KDLT and other stations throughout South Dakota, but we need your financial support. See these ads by going to our updated website: http://www.lutheransforlife.org/media You can donate online or send your gifts to LFLSD, PO Box 193, Armour SD 57313 (Please put "TV ads" on the memo line.)

Celebrate the Abundant Life was the theme for the Lutherans For Life of South Dakota Life Conference 2010.  Rev. Dr. James I. Lamb presented the keynote address The Abundant Life based on John 10:1-11.  He said a life of following the Shepherd is “not always easy. Sometimes our lives can get pretty dark … crisis pregnancies come into our families and to our lives and illness comes into our lives and death comes into our lives … and sometimes we wonder where the shepherd is … but the Good Shepherd comforts us with His rod and His staff … Our Good Shepherd gives us promise after promise after promise … ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ ‘I am with you always.’ ‘I go ahead of you.’  And even though it seems like the Shepherd is not there in our lives, we trust in His promises and we know that He is … and someday He will lead us into His eternal dwelling where we will dwell with Him forever. And then, dear friends, the abundant life will truly be a life of abundance!” 

Following the Shepherd in the Valley of Death was the afternoon workshop led by Dr. Lamb.  This workshop helped us (participants) recognize our God-given value.  Our value comes from Who made us, GOD.  Jesus did not take our place because we had value; his dying on the cross and taking our place gave us value. This is the starting point in engaging the people of this society to change their thinking from valuing death over life.  Death has become this culture’s idol.  When we recognize the God-given value of life, good choices can be made in life’s difficult and painful situations.  Death has been swallowed up in victory by the power of the Gospel.

LFL Pastoral Advisor, Rev. Robert Moeller, led us in a Bible study prepared by Rev. Nabil Nour called “The Life God Intended for Us” based on John 10:10, with numerous  references from the book of John regarding eternal life.  Rev. Brad Urbach and Rev. Levi Willms led opening/closing devotions and prayers.  Rev. Moeller also presented Life: A Better Choice.  This is a fundraising campaign to purchase television ads across the state of SD.

The Annual Meeting of LFL of SD took place following the conference.  After SD LFL Chapter, secretary and president reports, an election for three state board members took place.  Lutherans For Life of South Dakota welcomes:  Jane Guericke, (who served in past years), Don Sperlich and Maralyn Hoops back to the state board.  We thank Lorraine Mosemann for her years of service on the state board.  Continuing on the board are:  Rev. Robert Moeller (pastoral advisor), Jill Johnson, Glady Reimnitz, and Lynette Auch.

Our sincere thank you to:  Rev. Dr. James I Lamb, Rev. Bob Moeller, Rev. Brad Urbach, Rev. Levi Willms, the members of Faith Lutheran Church for use of their facility, the ladies group who prepared food, the Lutherans For Life  Chapters  of SD for your assistance with hosting, publicity, registration, brunch/coffee, decorations, and door prizes.  Thank you to all who participated in any way.

What is the standard by which the value of life is judged today?  Perhaps you’ve heard it said that it would be better for an unwanted child, or a child who will have a physical or mental handicap, not to be born at all.  Maybe you’ve heard of assisted suicide as a “compassionate choice” for the elderly and the disabled in our society.  But, who is to decide who should live and who should die?

     Oliver was born a healthy-looking beautiful baby boy.  But as the months passed, his parents realized something was wrong.  Extensive medical tests confirmed that Oliver had severe brain damage.  He was blind and mute.  He could not walk, feed himself or hold anything in his hands.  The only things Oliver could do were eat, sleep and laugh.  As the doctor told his parents the news, they asked what could be done for him.  The doctor suggested that they could put him in an institution.  Oliver’s parents replied, “But he is our son.  We will take him home of course.”  At hearing this the doctor added, “then take him home and love him,” and that is exactly what the DeVinck family did for the next 32 years.
     Oliver’s family fed him, bathed him, clothed him and loved him as he lay in his bed day after day, year after year.  Oliver’s siblings took part in his care – feeding him his daily meals, changing his diapers, and tickling his chest to make him laugh.  Oliver’s mother once said to her son Christopher, “When you get to heaven, Oliver will run to you, embrace you, and the first thing he will say is ‘Thank you’”.
     Christopher has shared Oliver’s story with millions of readers through articles in the Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest and a book called, The Power of the Powerless:  A Brother’s Legacy of Love.
     Christopher says of his brother, “Oliver still remains the most hopeless human being I ever met, the weakest human being I ever met, and yet he was one of the most powerful human beings I ever met.”

By today’s standards some would argue that the life of a brain damaged ‘vegetable’ like Oliver wouldn’t be worth living…that the more compassionate choice would be abortion or withholding food and water until the person dies.  But Oliver’s life is a testimony to the sanctity of human life.  Without speaking a word, Oliver has inspired and touched millions more people than most of us will ever impact in a lifetime!

What should our response as Christians be?  If a child is born without hands we should say…we will be your hands.  If a man has no legs we should say…we will walk for you.  If a person is weak from sickness or age we should say…we will be your strength to carry on.  And if a child is unborn, we should say…we promise you the right to live, to love, to achieve, and even to fail, just as we have.

[2007 Heritage House ’76 Inc. Item #9932RL, www.hh76.com, 1-1-07]