Our Mission:
The mission of Christian Life Resources is to use life and family issues as bridges to convey the love of God and to share the message of salvation through Christ. We love because HE first loved us.
Our Purpose:
Christian Life Resources counsels clergy, teachers, doctors, lawyers, moms, and dads on a wide range of life- and family-related topics. It is a resource center of materials and services on these issues.
Most importantly, the national office educates others on the perspective of God’s Word as it relates to these issues.
Through its official publication, Clearly Caring, email services, annual national convention, presentations, and articles, we seek to answer the question, “What would God have me to do?” based on the direction found in God’s Word.
Our Beginning:
When the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion nationally on January 22, 1973, members of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Libertyville, Illinois, saw the need to do something. Working with their pastor and members from area Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) congregations, they opened the first WELS Lutherans for Life pregnancy counseling center.
As time passed, more and more independent centers sprouted up around the country. In 1983 these centers united to form the national organization with the name, WELS Lutherans for Life.
As the issues expanded we felt the need to change our name. In 1999 we dropped the name WELS Lutherans for Life, and changed to our new name: Christian Life Resources, Incorporated. Any subsequent references to a national organization as “WELS Lutherans for Life” is not us. We are Christian Life Resources (CLR).
Our Religious Affiliation:
Christian Life Resources subjects itself to the doctrine and practice of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. We are not, however, directly supervised or funded by the WELS budget or its administrators.
Our Growth:
Today, our organization consists of pregnancy care centers across the United States. These centers are visited by approximately 11,000 clients each year. Our network of pregnancy care affiliates offer a warm heart, listening ear, and helping hand along with a wealth of information to guide those involved in an unexpected life choice.
Christian Life Resources founded and supports New Beginnings – A Home for Mothers, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We opened the doors to New Beginnings in October of 1993 to help single mothers and their newborns with spiritual, academic, and vocational assistance in a residential setting. New Beginnings also networks with single mothers in the community to provide assistance where possible.
In January of 2024, CLR launched two distinct divisions: the CLR Center for Christian Ethics and CLR Bridge Ministries. This strategic move will allow CLR to deepen its impact in both ethical exploration and direct support for pregnancy care centers, congregations, and individuals who wish to use life and family issues as bridges to talk about Jesus.
The CLR Center for Christian Ethics inherits CLR’s longstanding commitment to tackling critical ethical questions. By providing “clarity and direction for Christians seeking to do God’s will,” the Center will continue to equip individuals and faith communities to navigate complex issues surrounding life, science, and technology.
CLR Bridge Ministries marks a new chapter in supporting CLR’s network of affiliated pregnancy care centers across the nation. Additionally, this division foster affiliate growth, and equip congregations and individuals to leverage life and family issues as a bridge to share their faith and impact lives.