Dear friends of Vital Signs Ministries, November 2025
October has been an unusual month for us, one that held such high points as a heartwarming reunion of Christian Brotherhood alumni and the presentation of my “Wolves in the World” study to an international Christ for the City group. Yet it was also a month that involved repairs on both of our vehicles, hearing and sight issues, and some severe lower back pain that sent me to an Ortho ER and forced a premature end to our 2-week working vacation in Branson. But God is good all the time and we are expressing profound thanksgiving and praise for the many evidences of His gracious presence in these trials. We are grateful too for important lessons learned from these experiences and for the fact that, after a pretty tough couple of weeks, the pain and lack of mobility has been remarkably reduced and I am doing well in the physical therapy sessions the doctors ordered for me.
And so to return to the encouraging high points of October, I can now add that the car repairs were successful, the PT sessions are training me how to prevent such problems in the future, and instead of losing that second week of our vacation, Claire charmingly persuaded the condo folks to allow us a “return engagement” at no extra cost. That means we will be headed back to Branson the first week of December where the “working” part of our vacation will now include special presentations of our Christmas “When Swing Was King” to audiences there.
But before our December activities come November’s and that includes a full “When Swing Was King” schedule (11 senior facilities); our regular pro-life presence outside the wicked Planned Parenthood business; our Sunday afternoon church services at Aksarben Village Senior Living; several more PT sessions; 2 (maybe 3) Thanksgiving dinner parties; sending out the Top 5 every Saturday and the Aksarben songs every Monday; and the always engaging, always festive Vital Signs letter-writing party on Saturday morning, November 22 at 10:00.
Oh, yes — there’s also the celebration of our 54th anniversary on November 4th!
Okay, with these reports and previews out of the way, let me invite you to read through the essay I print below. It is an edited version of a piece I originally wrote many months ago intending to include it in one of our monthly letters. So here, in an edited version, it is…
Why A Pro-Life Witness Outside Abortion Businesses?
Claire and I and many close friends have participated in peaceful, prayerful pro-life witness and sidewalk counseling outside abortion mills for nearly 45 years. Here are 5 quick reasons why.
1) The presence of calm, winsome pro-life advocates outside an abortion clinic has a profound and ongoing effect on those with abortion appointments, on the abortionist and his/her employees, and on the people walking or driving by the business. It provides effective (and memorable) messages regarding the clear wrongness of abortion, the availability of alternatives we offer, and the message of forgiveness of sin through the mercy of Christ’s gospel.
2) A pro-life witness outside an abortion business means that men and women — even those who ultimately decide to commit the abortion — will forever remember that someone was there to plead with them, “No, don’t do this. Please let us help you and your baby.” They will retain in the memory of their abortion experience the fact that someone was standing up for their child and for their own spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Such memories provide a persuasive incentive for repentance and seeking the forgiveness and healing that only Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary can supply.
3) Being regularly at an abortion clinic and coming face to face with the persons availing themselves of the demonic opportunities for child sacrifice fuels, as nothing else can, one’s commitment to fight against abortion on all other fronts. Political action? Spiritual intercession? Crisis pregnancy work? Pro-life education? Chastity campaigns? Efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood? Medical ministries? Use of the arts to rebuild a culture of life, love, and justice? All of these (and more) are profoundly stimulated by a person’s being there at the very doors of death, being regularly reminded by just what the stakes are in this spiritual fight.
4) Pro-lifers outside abortion mills save lives by dissuading people from aborting their children even when those pro-life Christians have no idea of their true impact. For instance, a winsome pro-life witness challenges the consciences of would-be abortion clients, oftentimes encouraging them to forego their appointment and drive on home. Even clients inside the place will sometimes change their minds and leave. And, of course, among the dozens or hundreds or thousands who drive by and see peaceful protestors who carry beautiful pictures of babies and signs with such kindhearted messages as “Choose Life,” “Mother and Child: Love Them Both,” and “Life: What a Beautiful Choice,” there will be countless numbers who will be moved to reconsider their opinions on abortion. Do you not expect that the Lord carefully tends those seeds of truth that are sown? Do you doubt that people will take what they’ve seen and heard into future meditations, conversations, and especially, abortion temptations? You can count on it; the presence of pro-life advocates outside a place where preborn boys and girls are barbarically destroyed will provide illumination and spiritual conviction of unimaginable value.
5) Because my honor as a Christian is at stake. Where such brazen, violent injustice is occurring, how can I refuse the opportunity to testify against it? Think about it — what does it mean to the reputation of the Church (not to mention her sense of moral priority) if children are brutally murdered in our own neighborhoods without us even raising our voices in principled protest? How much is our evangelism and discipleship tarnished and weakened if we do not take seriously such charges as Jeremiah 22:3, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.’” And Isaiah 1:16-17, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean. Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Reprove the ruthless. Defend the orphan. Plead for the widow.”
Alas, fewer and fewer American Christians nowadays bother to go to abortion mills to pray and give pro-life witness. That’s an ominous warning of how far we have been cowed by the world around us. We have become indifferent, callous, distracted, and wimpy. Nevertheless, the grace of God remains available to us — grace that forgives and cleanses, grace that yields wisdom and strength, grace that yet can bring personal and cultural revolution.
Our marching orders are quite clear. We read them in the Scriptures already listed. And we read them in many others. Psalm 82:3,4: “Vindicate the weak and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” Proverbs 24: 11,12: “Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.” James 1:27: “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
Giving public witness to the sanctity of life in this darkened and depraved culture is not the easiest thing. But it remains extremely high in the values expressed by our Lord. And that’s why we engage in a compassionate but firm opposition to the barbaric killing of the little ones and why, by the grace of God, we will continue to do so. Wanna’ come join us?
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Before I end this month’s letter, let me mention one other important “ministry happening” that we hope you will consider putting on your calendar — besides the Saturday morning letter- writing party on November 22. And that is a special holiday brunch that Vital Signs Ministries is hosting on Saturday morning, December 13 at 10:00. Featured at that party will be the Christmas “When Swing Was King” show which will make for a fabulously fun, beautiful, and movingly nostalgic part of your Christmas season. There will also be delicious food, a preview of Vital Signs happenings, free resources to help make your Christmas celebrations particularly sparkling in 2025, and, of course, fellowship with the very best of people! We sure hope to see you there!
By the way, the location of that event will be announced a bit later as it depends upon the number of RSVPs numbers that come in. So please let us know as soon as you can if you plan to join us at our Christmas “When Swing Was King” brunch. Thanks!