WHY SIDEWALK MINISTRY AT ABORTION CENTERS IS SO IMPORTANT

(Abortion Free New Mexico launched PregnancyHelpToday.com in conjunction with our billboard campaign to combat abortion tourism into New Mexico)

*This article was  originally published by the New Mexico Sun

​OPINION: WHY SIDEWALK MINISTRY AT ABORTION CENTERS IS SO IMPORTANT  

By Tara Shaver, 
Apr 22, 2025 

​What would you do if you knew where 30 children were going to be killed tomorrow? What if it were legal and their parents were paying someone to do it? Would you stay at home and pray that their parents changed their minds, go to where they were to be killed and plead for their lives, or would you feel no responsibility and do nothing?

This is a very serious scenario that, unfortunately, is a reality in Albuquerque.

Alamo Women’s abortion center, where our team of volunteers does sidewalk outreach, ends the lives of 30-50 pre-born children every Saturday. The only difference from the above scenario is that the children being killed are still in their mother’s womb. 

These children, at 18 to 21 days after conception or fertilization takes place have a beating heart. Their own unique DNA profile has been created and it’s different from their mother and their father. They are being fearfully and wonderfully made, fiercely knit together by the hand of the one true God of the universe. He cares so much for them, He has a plan for their life.

These tiny humans are hidden from the naked eye but an ultrasound shows us their humanity. Each one is a son or a daughter, worthy of value and protection. Their size, location, level of development and degree of dependency doesn’t change who they fundamentally are.

Now that we’ve set the stage, we have to ask ourselves, is it important to be at these places called abortion centers to speak and act on their behalf? Do we have a duty to intervene? 

Children whose own parents are not protecting them, have actually hired a hitman to exterminate their lives forever. We go to the sidewalk, knowing that our presence alone can be the sign that can convict a mom‘s heart to turn around and change her mind, but we take every opportunity to speak hope and truth into each woman’s unique situation when given the chance.

Abortion is the purposeful taking of an innocent human life, and it is never God‘s will for us to sacrifice our children on the altar of convenience so that we can live how we want to live without responsibility.

Since we know that innocent children are being killed we need to act like it is murder. There are 11 abortion centers in New Mexico and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has secured funding (20 million dollars) for two more with your hard earned tax dollars which makes us all culpable.

There is a place for you to serve in the pro-life community. Our ministry offers comprehensive sidewalk training and a time of shadowing an existing team until you are fully confident to minister to abortion seeking mothers. 

We need your help in the battle for lives in New Mexico. Visit AbortionFreeNM.com and click on the "Join Our Team" tab to actively be a voice for the voiceless in our state, if we don’t, no one else will.

Shaver is a spokeswoman for Abortion Free New Mexico and a full-time pro-life missionary who has worked alongside her husband Bud Shaver since 2010 to make New Mexico "Abortion Free."

RELATED: 

• Anti-abortion group launches billboard campaign to combat 'abortion tourism' in New Mexico (Santa Fe New Mexican)
• BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN TEXAS AGAINST ABORTION TOURISM INTO NEW MEXICO (New Mexico Sun)
• Despite MLG’s pro-abortion campaign, NM sees decrease in abortions (Pinon Post)