Jack Changes His Mind…Three Times

In this Impact Report for July/August 2021, Executive Director Steve Wagner tells the story of one of his favorite conversations from his JFA work - a conversation from 2013 in which “Jack” had three changes of mind in about an hour and a half.

A Conversation with a Planned Parenthood Volunteer

Sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise to be in the dark. In this Impact Report, JFA trainer Mary St. Hilaire describes an unforgettable conversation with “Ashley” that highlights a valuable lesson for all of us: Give the benefit of the doubt. Because Ashley wasn’t forthcoming with her views, Mary was allowed to simply enjoy Ashley’s company as they talked. It appears this helped Ashley consider Mary’s pro-life beliefs with a more open mind.

Aubree Changes Her Mind

“When I made that connection it was like a light bulb went on in her mind. Before leaving, she asked ‘Can I change my answer?’” “Aubree” didn’t like abortion and believed life begins at conception, but she still thought abortion should remain legal. Find out why in this engaging outreach story, and look for the critical connection JFA Intern Rebekah Dyer made to help Aubree change her mind.

A New View of Abortion... And Pro-Life Advocates

What can break down barriers between those who disagree, help them reconsider their assumptions, and bring them closer to the truth together? JFA Intern Mary St. Hilaire sheds light on an answer with this vivid outreach story from Trinity University in San Antonio.

One Conversation Changes One Life

Joe was concerned about the suffering of children, and that’s why he thought abortion should remain legal. JFA volunteer Rebekah listened, asked questions, found common ground, but also gently challenged his perspective. Read her reflection to find out what happened next.

I Didn’t See This Coming

In this Impact Report, JFA intern Kaitlyn Donihue shares a story from JFA’s first campus outreach event at Fort Lewis College. The conversation ended very differently than she expected. Note Kaitlyn’s important admonition to take note of what God might be doing in a person’s life.

Growing Up with Justice For All

When Jeremy Gorr showed up in Phoenix to teach a seminar in April 2019, he was met with a surprise: Rylei, a high school student he helped train in 2017 and 2018 in Colorado, was now a student at Arizona State University and eager to become active changing hearts and minds at ASU. In this Impact Report, Rylei shares how JFA training helped her talk to her pro-choice friends about abortion.

Empathy Opens the Door

JFA trainer Jon Wagner shares his conversation with “Eva,” a student whose pro-choice view stemmed from her experience in foster care. Notice how Jon invited Eva into the dialogue, starting with common ground rather than an argument. See also how “Trotting Out the Toddler” revealed that, if the unborn is a human being, abortion is not a compassionate solution to the difficulties surrounding unplanned pregnancy.

You Have to See Firsthand

As a college freshman, Julia held strong pro-life convictions, bolstered by her faith and her own scientific research. But Julia didn’t know what she could do to make a difference - until she observed a JFA outreach event on her campus. In this Impact Report, Julia shares how compelling it can be to witness a different kind of conversation about unintended pregnancy and abortion firsthand.

Americans are Weird!
And Why That’s Fantastic

In this conversation, a British student sees why something that seemed crazy to him at first, Americans discussing abortion, is actually not crazy at all. This is a beautiful model of how asking just a few open-hearted questions can help a person go from seeming completely closed to the pro-life position to actively engaging the question of whether the unborn are human beings with equal value to the rest of us.

“My Mom Wanted to Abort Me.”

In this conversation, JFA Trainer Jeremy Gorr saw first-hand how a personal story can help open a person’s mind and heart to change. We’re reminded that we can train Christians in good conversation skills and good arguments, but ultimately we depend completely on God and his work behind the scenes to change hearts and minds.

You Can’t Learn This in a Classroom

JFA training is not just theoretical. JFA volunteers are able to immediately put what they learn into practice alongside supportive JFA mentors. In these stories, you'll see how JFA mentors supported outreach volunteers at our March 2018 University of Kansas (KU) outreach, praying for them, modeling good dialogue, and participating with them in their first conversations.

A Living Room Conversation

JFA trainer Grace Fontenot shares a conversation she had with “Heidi,” a young woman she met, not during an outreach event, but in an everyday-life setting. This story is told in three parts, and covers the following topics: Part 1: Morality and Legality; Part 2: The Unborn - A Living, Human Organism; Part 3: Human Equality and Women’s Rights

Reaching Pro-Choice Christians

Why do we tend to think that most Christians are against abortion? Ann’s and Joanna’s experiences, described in this Impact Report, indicate that many Christians are more tolerant of abortion than we think. Ann is a JFA volunteer from four years ago and is currently studying in a university in Japan.  Her story shows how one person can make a big difference in a community of Christians, kindling affection for all involved in unwanted pregnancy.

In the introduction to this Impact Report, Steve Wagner emphasizes that you can’t judge whether or not you’re successful in a conversation by looking at the results.  So when we share stories where we do see some specific good result or moment of impact, we try to keep this reality in mind. 

Stories like the ones shared here, from JFA staff members Susanna Buckley, Jeremy Gorr, and Rebecca Haschke, are simply a special grace from our loving Father.  Let’s enjoy his work!

In this Impact Report, Susanna Buckley, intern from Virginia, shares a beautiful conversation from our recent Purdue University outreach.  She saw God work through two well-placed questions to help a young woman make connections to her experience which surprised even her, convincing her that abortion is not a reasonable option for responding to suffering and difficulty.

In “Two Buckets,” Tammy Cook shares one concept that helps people who are reluctant to say abortion should not be legal because “I can’t tell others what to do.”  Through the conversation, which Tammy shares in vivid detail, she also models a number of other important conversational tools, including trotting out a toddler, asking questions with an open heart, and using visual aids.

Lessons from a Conversation at Wichita State University

In this letter, JFA’s Director, Steve Wagner, shares three things that you can use to prepare for conversations:  (1) In the third paragraph, he summarizes the case for the pro-life position in a memorable way.  (2) He then shares an analogy that builds common ground about the difficulty of seeing early embryos as valuable, but also challenges listeners to let facts determine how they act towards the embryo.  (3) Finally, he gives some perspective on how to judge whether or not a conversation is worthwhile.

A Lesson in Love

“Sam” was so rude at the start of his conversation with JFA trainer Rebecca Haschke that she nearly gave up talking to him altogether.  Despite her inner frustration, she repeatedly made a choice to love him and was surprised by the conversation that followed.  Because of Rebecca sought to understand him, found common ground with him, and humbly shared aspects of her own experience, Sam began to open up about his past.  As you read, notice how choosing to love, even when it was difficult, provided an unexpected opportunity for healing to begin.

A New Advocate in Forty-Five Minutes

In this Impact Report, JFA Intern Grace Fontenot shares about Bryan, who she met when he was proclaiming his pro-choice views during a JFA outreach event.  Several minutes later, after talking to Grace, Bryan started actively persuading his friend DJ to be pro-life. 

Grace's story illustrates that anyone—using some simple tools, including questions, pictures, and a calm demeanor—can engage people in conversation and help them change their minds about abortion.  This is especially true if the pro-life advocates work as a team.