Prayer vigils are a wonderful way for a group to pay their respects to the lives lost to abortion each day and to offer prayers to those who are affected by abortion. These vigils allow a group to come together to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Below are some instructions on how you can host a prayer vigil with your group!
SFLA Resources to Request from your Regional Coordinator:
- “Rapid Response” training
- “We Are the Pro-Life Generation” signs
- “Post-Abortive Healing” topic cards
Steps:
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- Location, date and time, and type of service you want to host.
- Location: Do you want to host the service on campus or in front of an abortion facility?
- Date and Time: What day works best for the group? Will it be more impactful to have the service in the morning, afternoon, or at night?
- Type: What type of service do you want to hold? Do you want to host a silent prayer vigil or a communal prayer vigil where everyone prays in unison from a prayer sheet?
- Location, date and time, and type of service you want to host.
- Reserve a Space.
- Check that you have permission to host a prayer service at your location of choice. If you are hosting the service in front of an abortion facility, talk with local pro-life groups to see what steps you need to take to make sure you can legally hold the service. When in doubt, call your Regional Coordinator if you have any questions!
- Advertise!
- To have a successful prayer vigil, your group must tell other students that you are having one. Advertise on social media, with flyers, and word of mouth—invite everyone you know and then some!
- Gather materials.
- Gather all the materials that you will need during the vigil such as prayer sheets and instruments (if you are planning on having praise and worship)!
- Host the Prayer Vigil!
- The day is finally here, and it is time for you to host the vigil! Arrive early to have everything set up in time. Once everything is set up you can start the service. Remember that the point of a prayer vigil is to have a prayerful presence and not to have apologetic dialogues with protesters so try your best not to engage any pro-choice people.
Consider having a moment of silence during your vigil.
Not everyone in your group will share the same religion or creed. Having a moment of silence will allow those who might practice a different faith the chance to pray in their traditional ways.
Questions? Contact your Regional Coordinator for more information.
