“Political issues.” That phrase tends to have one of two effects. For some, politics sends us running far in the other direction—quickly. For others, we tend to place our hope in our favorite candidates or party—believing they will solve the country’s problems. As believers who first serve God’s Kingdom and who live in a country where we are blessed to be a government of the people, both effects can harm our role as salt and light in America.

As Paul Weber, President & CEO of Family Policy Alliance, says is there any political issue that isn’t first a biblical issue?

Every year, Family Policy Alliance tracks around 2000 bills from  every state across the country—and all of them directly impact families, family values, or faith in some way. We sift out and analyze those 2000 from tens of thousands of bills introduced on every topic imaginable each year. God has called us to this work because we know that men and women of faith who are called into other areas of ministry (in the church, in business, in education, and more) don’t have time to figure out which bills matter to families and impact our faith. Yet they still want to be educated and equipped to take action.

But we wonder if you also know that there are men and women in 40 states (someday 50!) who stand on the front lines for you—directly fighting against legislation that harms families and religious freedom, and advancing truth in state capitols. They are called to the ministry of impacting government and “politics”—from a biblical perspective.

We are proud to work and ally with these men and women serving in state family policy councils in 40 states.

This week, we had the privilege to host all of them at once in Georgia to discuss political issues (that are first biblical issues), to strategize, and to encourage one another in our calling to redeem politics and government.

If you have not yet connected with your local family policy council ally, please take this opportunity to do so. The men and women who lead these ministries are at times at your state’s capitol till 3AM monitoring bills and hearings—fighting against bad policies and tirelessly advancing truth. They work to educate and engage the churches in your state so that the believers can restore their role as cultural leaders, shining lights, in your state. And, they work to help identify godly men and women to serve as elected leaders in your state.

Find the ministry that serves your state here and take a moment to sign up for their alerts so that you’ll be notified when the latest prolife policies, or a bad policy that would advance the transgender agenda at the expense of women’s safety and our religious freedom, are happening in your state.

Together, we can see a nation where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished.

 

Congratulations, Hawaii Family Forum, on 20 years of protecting family values in your state!

January 15^th marked the 20-year anniversary for Family Policy Alliance’s state ally, Hawaii Family Forum.

In a state that tends to lean Left politically, Hawaii Family Forum, led by executive director Eva Andrade, has helped protect families in some incredible ways over the years.

Most recently, Family Policy Alliance worked with Hawaii Family Forum to help defeat assisted suicide in the state in 2017—despite a spend of over $1 Million by the leading advocates for doctor-assisted death. Hawaii Family Forum’s message that every life is worth fighting for—and that no one should be abandoned to hopelessness and death—resonated with Hawaii’s family-centered culture. And Hawaii Family Forum has defeated every effort to legalize assisted suicide since their founding in 1998.

Since 1998, Hawaii Family Forum has stood strong despite pressure to legalize gambling, which can prey on already hurting families. Hawaii remains one of only two states with no legalized commercial gambling!

And Hawaii Family Forum’s original executive director, Kelly Rosati (who later went on to serve as Focus on the Family’s Vice President, Advocacy for Children), drove the efforts to secure the first-ever legislative override of a governor’s veto in the state in 2001.

Kelly worked tirelessly with legislators to help pass a law to raise the state’s age of sexual consent from 14 to 16-years-old in order to provide greater protection for children. Hawaii’s then-governor vetoed the bill, and Kelly said at the time that the veto was “an affront to all the parents and concerned citizens of Hawaii who demanded action this legislative session to protect Hawaii’s minors from adult sexual predators.”

Kelly didn’t let the veto stop Hawaii Family Forum. She rallied Hawaii families to persuade legislators to ultimately override the governor’s veto for the first time ever!

Hawaii Family Forum has worked tirelessly to protect families—especially children and the elderly—for 20 years, and our Family Policy Alliance team is so proud to ally with this amazing ministry!

We asked Eva Andrade, Hawaii Family Forum’s executive director, about her ministry serving families in Hawaii:   “There is something invigorating and humbling about standing for the values that make this country (and our state) great.  In Hawaii, we have been able to promote righteousness because it is in our state motto, “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Āina i ka Pono” (The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness.)  For 2o years, we have stood firm for faith, family and religious freedom.  The excitement never ends because now we can look toward the next 20 years with hope and anticipation for what the Lord has yet to accomplish through all the men and women that continue to pray and stand with us.”

Congratulations again to Eva and Hawaii Family Forum!

Want to know if you have a Family Policy Alliance state ally in your state? Check here.

A group of our state allies got together for a tour of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, today.

From left to right: John Helmberger, Minnesota Family Council; Eric Corcoran, Palmetto Family Council; Jeff Laszloffy, Montana Family Foundation; Carroll Conley, Christian Civic League of Maine; Michael Geer, Pennsylvania Family Institute (and an FPA board member); Jonathan Saenz, Texas Values; Joseph Backholm, Family Policy Institute of Washington; Jonathan Keller, California Family Council; and John Stemberger, Florida Family Policy Council.

John Rustin, North Carolina Family Policy Council; Nicole Theis, Delaware Family Policy Council; Allen Whitt, Family Policy Council of West Virginia; Victoria Cobb, The Family Foundation of Virginia; Jason McGuire, New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms; Len Deo, New Jersey Family Policy Council; Peter Wolfgang, Family Institute of Connecticut; Bob Vander Plaats, The Family Leader of Iowa; Elizabeth Wolfgang; Shannon McGinley, Cornerstone Action of New Hampshire; Meredith Campbell and Stephani Liesmaki, Minnesota Family Council.

Family Policy Alliance is proud to be allied with each of these organizations.