Sanctity of Life Sunday 2026

January 18, 2026 is the annual Sanctity of Life Sunday in Southern Baptist churches. Download a free bulletin insert and prayer guide from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) to help create a culture of life within families in your church.

The following excerpt is from the ERLC’s life guide, “Created in the Image of God: A Practical Guide to Building a Culture of Life.”

Scenario: A college student who is a pre-med major has a class assignment to take a position on whether abortion is “an essential part of reproductive healthcare.” Her classmates, none of whom agree with her pro-life convictions, all believe that it is, so she knows that she will be in the minority when she disagrees. She doesn’t believe that simply quoting Scripture will be enough to convince anyone of her position. What advice would you give her for her presentation?

While she should not shy away from her religious convictions in this presentation, the context of an academic pre-med setting should encourage her to lean into the plentiful scientific truths that support the pro-life position.

First, she should emphasize that abortion is not an essential part of reproductive healthcare because it does not seek to restore or heal, but rather to harm. From the moment of fertilization, a preborn child has completely unique genetic information which designates them as a separate human being with intrinsic worth, dignity, and a right to life. The milestones of fetal development demonstrate that preborn children are living, growing persons.

It is good to remind her that, while her faith may be the primary basis for her convictions regarding abortion, God has also given us natural revelation that can be observed through science. This evidence is convincing in its own right and can be effectively used to defend a pro-life position, especially in the context of an audience that does not submit to the teachings of Scripture.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

Finally, she should address the use of the procedure in tragic circumstances to highlight how they are different. The use of the same procedures for treatment in marginal cases such as ectopic pregnancies is not a positive case for the vast majority of abortions. In those few cases, Christians can recognize the need for action to save the mother’s life, while not allowing abortion advocates to equate the two procedures as morally similar.