With the summer behind us, we are gearing up for a busy fall with three more Pastors’ Breakfasts,  it would be nice to think we can take some time to catch our breath.  But that is impossible, seeing that the Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly is in full swing now.

So I’m asking for your help now, to continue to protect your values by becoming a $10, $15 or $20 per month Sustaining Partner.  (Click HERE for the mail-in Sustaining Partner form.)

We are currently doing all we can to convince lawmakers in the Illinois House to oppose HB 3027, a radical sex education bill which would promote condom training with our tax dollars.  The ACLU of Illinois and their friends at Planned Parenthood continue to work at gaining support for their radical sex education bill, HB 3027.  This bill has already passed in the Illinois Senate, and must be stopped in the Illinois House.

On the Federal level, we not only have a president who is waging a war against the faith community with a mandate requiring all employer health plans to include free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs, regardless of any moral or religious objections, but who is proudly campaigning on a position of repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), calling it discriminatory against gay and lesbian couples.  President Barack Obama also campaigned on a pledge to support adoption by same-sex couples.  The door to the destruction of natural marriage and religious freedom is wide open and the path to undermining the traditional family is clear.

The good news is that you have an interest group in the battle for you!  Trusting in God to go before us, the Illinois Family Institute is on the front lines protecting and defending traditional families, the institution of marriage, life and religious liberty against the onslaught of those who would seek to quash them.  All of our efforts to educate the public and legislators and to mobilize pro-family forces require resources. And that’s why we need your help.

I fully understand that families across Illinois and around the country are struggling to make ends meet. The current economic crisis has left no corner untouched, and yet, particularly during this difficult time, it is imperative that we not allow the traditional family to be weakened any further.

In order to sustain our crucial work, IFI must grow its base of regular monthly supporters and establish a more consistent budget intake.  As you can imagine, the ebbs and flows of donations for non-profit organizations like ours leave us with uncertain expectations of support.  Frankly, a predictable and dependable stream of monthly support is a crucial component of running a non-profit ministry like IFI.

Moreover, increasing our monthly support will help us operate even more efficiently and effectively, especially when it comes to planning our annual budget.

That is why you are receiving this appeal — in hopes that you will become a $10, $15 or $20 per month Sustaining Partner.  (Click HERE for the mail-inSustaining Partner form.)

Would you please consider becoming a regular monthly giver to help me and IFI reach its goal of consistent monthly support?  Any size monthly commitment would greatly help us continue to expose and battle the liberal ungodly ideology that is sweeping our state. 

Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once wrote: “People acting together as a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about.”  I wish to demonstrate that truth here.

Would you please seriously consider joining me, my mother, friends, other family members and pro-family citizens by making a monthly commitment of $10, $15 or $20 to IFI and the Illinois pro-family cause?    (Click HERE for the mail-in Sustaining Partner form.)

IFI currently has a minimum monthly budget need of approximately $25,000.  That includes utilities, staff salaries, several contracted employees including two lobbyists, robo calls, publication costs, postage, insurance, legal, and other miscellaneous office needs.  Our budget dictates how proactive we can be and what projects we can take on.

I sincerely hope and pray that you will take that extra step and pledge faithful, monthly support.  My goal is to continue growing IFI’s influence in the state.  That will not be possible without increasing and stabilizing our bottom line.  Simply put, without these sustaining funds, our effectiveness on behalf of you and your family will be severely limited.

IFI is committed to being a strong and effective voice for Judeo-Christian values and biblical principles.  That will not change.  Help us become a stronger and more influential voice for Christian values in the public square of Illinois by becoming a Sustaining Partner.  Your tax-deductible gifts to IFI are vitally important in the fight to preserve the family and righteousness in the culture.

If you are not able to support our work and ministry as a Sustaining Partner, would you please consider making a one time contribution to our cause?  Click HERE to make a secure donation today!

I promise to be a good steward of both your donations and your trust.  Thank you in advance for considering my appeal.  I am,

For the family,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S.  Please pray about my request.  IFI has a 20-year history of fighting for pro-family values, and it is important that we keep on fighting.  Together we can make a difference!

P.P.S.  I hope you will be able to join me and the IFI staff on Friday, September 7^th to celebrate our 20^th Anniversary and Fall Banquet featuring historian and founder of Wall Builders – David Barton!  (Click HERE for more information.)

On January 9, 2023, U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) introduced H.R. 128, also known as the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2023, to the U.S. House of Representatives. This proposal would restrict the federal funds Planned Parenthood receives for abortion (except in cases of rape or incest or danger to the woman’s life) for one year to redirect $235 million toward community health centers. Currently, 40 representatives have cosponsored the bill. The Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2023 was referred to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on January 9th, the same day it was introduced, and has not moved since.

In the official press release from Rep. Boebert’s government website, she’s quoted as saying,

The nation’s largest abortion provider has no business receiving taxpayer dollars. Planned Parenthood claims these funds go to healthcare for women, but last year, Planned Parenthood performed a record number of abortions while also reducing the number of well-woman exams and breast cancer screenings it performed. Instead of funding Planned Parenthood, my bill will redirect this funding to community health centers that actually meet the health needs of women across the country.

Millions of dollars of federal money, many of which are taxpayer dollars, go to Planned Parenthood every year. A lot of this money is poured into expanding abortion access, prioritizing it above caring for women in real ways, such as through cancer screenings or prenatal care. Rep. Boebert’s bill would redirect $235 million to community health care centers that work to provide real health care.

As Illinois strives to become the abortion capital of the world, we need to pray that this bill goes through. If Planned Parenthood were to lose its funding, it would be just that much more difficult for them to continue opening and operating new abortion mills.

The forty U.S. Congressmembers who have co-sponsored this important bill include Republicans Mary Miller and Mike Bost of southern Illinois. To read the full text of the bill and the list of cosponsors, click here.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send a message to your federal representative to ask him/her to vote for this legislation when it comes up for a vote. Urge them to support this legislation that will take steps to stop abortion and significantly limit Planned Parenthood’s federal funding.

Please, support this life-saving bill.

We are always looking for ways to keep our finger on the pulse of the culture, and of course, that includes our own readers and subscribers. As you probably know, George Barna has been warning Christians in the United States that our worldview has been corrupted by our culture and environment. Late last year, Barna reported on the shocking number of Christian pastors in America who do not have a solid Biblical worldview. Far too many Christians, it would seem, have lost their taste for sound doctrine and would much rather pursue the things of this world, buy into deceptive philosophies and have their itching ears tickled with pleasant words—distractions that won’t require them to diligently seek God and obey His commands.

This is the first and foremost reason why we are launching the Friday Feedback survey.

Secondarily, we are interested in getting your feedback on our efforts in the goal of advancing our mission to “Bring a Biblical Perspective to Public Policy” in Illinois. This includes IFI email alerts, commentaries, video content, podcasts, events and social media content.

Every Friday we hope to send our subscribers 3 to 5 questions via email. Some questions will be about public policy, some will be general worldview questions, and others will be about current events. Occasionally we will also solicit your response about our work, tactics and efforts to equip and stir up fellow believers in Illinois.

Your opinions matter to us and your feedback will be used to help us better address the issues facing Illinois families and improve how we work and ensure we deliver a consistently high-quality service. We hope your participation in these short surveys will help us take IFI to the next level.

You can find a short survey here with some public policy questions. We would be grateful if you could complete it!

Cheers,

David E. Smith, Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, IL  60477

Main: (708) 781-9328
Fax: (708) 781-9376

Twitter – @ProFamilyIL
Facebook – Pro-Family Illinois
YouTube – ILFamilyInstitute
Truth Social – @davsmith88

“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless.
Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” 
~Rev. Dietrich Bonhoeffer

On this first day of 2023, I come to you with an overwhelming heart of appreciation, and it is from all of us at IFI and IFA… We are blessed.

Blessed by your unwavering, unqualified support for the work we are doing in deep blue Illinois.

Blessed that you stand with us in fervent prayer. We know God’s hand is guiding and protecting us!

Blessed to be your advocates for marriage, family, life, and religious freedom.

Blessed to know that you have entrusted this ministry with your hard-earned resources.

We will now embark on a new year of opportunities and many, many challenges. Yet, one thing remains certain: we serve a faithful God who has blessed us over and over again. He will not leave us nor forsake us.

God has called as to this point of time and in the place in history. So be it. We aren’t going anywhere. By God’s grace, we will continue to be your voice wherever it is needed. Just as you are, we are here “for such a time as this.”

Thank you for standing with us in prayer, encouragement and financial support. May God bless and prosper you and your family in 2023!

Dear Friends,

We’re almost there! Many of you have given sacrificially, and through December 31st these donations will be doubled up to $260,000 through the generosity of amazing supporters who agree with the work being done at Illinois Family Institute (IFI). I can’t tell you how grateful we are to know that you are willing to stand with us. Thank you!

We are closing in on our goal, but we are not there yet. We need your help if we hope to reach it.

With a deadline of midnight tonight, we still need to raise a little more than $60,000 to reach our goal!

If you haven’t made your tax-deductible, end-of-year donation to the only full-time, pro-family group in Illinois, there’s still time! No gift is too small! These last days of the year are extremely important for IFI as our budget depends on receiving a significant portion of our support by December 31st.

The support our media and state government give to anti-family forces in Illinois is outrageous, but things can get worse. Left-wing activists have plans to advance new ways to facilitate abortion, to celebrate and promote sexual deviance, and to grow a tyrannical government. You can be certain the media and the state government won’t be shilling for IFI the way they do for their own favored causes. Protecting life, marriage, religious liberty, and the traditional family in Illinois are not “politically correct” causes. In fact, the support of our state’s elite institutions is what helps keep the attack on the family going.

The only thing keeping IFI going is you! Thanks to you, we will expose and bring the fight to Illinois’ anti-family forces. Thanks to you, we can still succeed in 2022’s End-of-Year Matching Challenge. And thanks to you–if everyone receiving this message sends a donation–I believe we can make that success happen today.

Online credit card contributions before 12:00 midnight TONIGHT, December 31, will count as a contribution for 2022. Checks mailed today will also count toward our Matching Challenge goal.

I will let you know next week if we met our goal. Thank you so much, and may God bless you for your support.

Please contribute to IFI by December 31st. When you do, you’ll help us start strong in the new year. Here are some ways you can give your tax-deductible donation:

• Contribute online HERE.
• Give a gift of stock or appreciated assets. Contact Colleen Garcia, IFI’s Financial Administrator, at (708) 781-9328 or email her HERE.
• Mail your year-end gift by December 31st. Send to: Illinois Family Institute, P.O. Box 876, Tinley Park, IL, 60477
• We also accept credit card donations over the phone at (708) 781-9328.

Thank you for considering our appeal. Your financial support and prayers are what makes our mission to protect and preserve life, marriage, family, and liberty in Illinois possible.

THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH US!

Sincerely,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

I am excited to share some good news with you regarding the $260,000 matching challenge we wrote about two weeks ago. The response to this challenge has been slower than in years past, but we are making progress toward meeting the goal before we hit midnight on Saturday evening.

Thanks to the generosity of our support we have raised close to 60 percent of our goal thus far. We still need to raise approximately $100,000 over the next two days in order to realize the full matching challenge.

Any donation given or mailed by December 31st will go toward this matching challenge.

With your ongoing partnership, we will continue to be a voice for pro-life, pro-family Illinoisans, and to be a light to our leaders, witnessing to the truth and power of the Gospel with our words and actions. In 2023, that work will be more crucial than ever. Your year-end gift ensures that we can fulfill our mission in 2023. Your $100 gift becomes $200, a $500 gift becomes $1,000, and so on, thanks to our End-of-Year Matching Challenge.

Will you stand with us in 2023 and double the impact of your donation today?

We need your prayer covering and financial support!

As you consider how you can support IFI at this critical time of the year, ask yourself,

What would Illinois look like without the Illinois Family Institute pushing back hard against the ideology and efforts of Leftists?

What would the state look like if IFI were not here to alert, equip, and encourage Illinoisans and their families?

Please help us with a financial gift today so that we can start next year strong. It is only through your support that we are able to work tirelessly to promote pro-family views.

With your prayers and support, IFI will continue to speak unashamedly and unequivocally about the fundamental truths concerning life, marriage, faith, freedom, decency, and the natural family.

Illinois Family Institute is needed now more than ever.

We are your voice in the public square!

Here are some ways you can give your tax-deductible donation:

• Contribute online HERE.
• Give a gift of stock or appreciated assets. Contact Colleen Garcia, IFI’s Financial Administrator, at (708) 781-9328 or email her HERE.
• Mail your year-end gift. Send to: Illinois Family Institute, P.O. Box 876, Tinley Park, IL 60477
• We also accept credit card donations over the phone at (708) 781-9328.

Thank you for your consideration. Your financial support and your prayers are what makes our mission to protect and preserve life, marriage, family and liberty in Illinois possible.

THANK YOU FOR STANDING WITH US!

Sincerely,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. Donations must be postmarked by December 31 in order to qualify as 2022 gifts. Now, more than ever, your gift will help us uphold the legacy left by the faithful generations that preceded us.

Don’t delay, please donate today!

Looking back on 2022, I am deeply humbled by the amazing support that has helped us make progress toward our goals. We also treasure the encouragement you give us regularly. This year has passed quickly, and it is hard to believe that we have a few days left on 2022’s calendar.

We have seen many changes to the culture this past year:

• The Dobbs U.S. Supreme Court decision is saving thousands of lives each month. Tragically, Leftists have made Illinois  an abortion mecca. Illinois Democrats have already removed all protections for the unborn by repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion law. Now, they want physician assistants, nurses, and midwives along with other healthcare personnel to be able to legally commit abortions in Illinois in order to accommodate the flood of women coming across state lines. And they want to elevate the so-called “right” to abortion with an amendment to the Illinois State Constitution.

• Emboldened drag queens are grooming children at events in community libraries, Christmas parties, and other venues, including the White House signing ceremony to redefine marriage. This pernicious ideology teaches impressionable young children that we can redefine who God created us to be and that the pursuit of happiness is achieved by discovering and expressing one’s true inner “self.” Instead of parents and pastors teaching children the importance of cultivating virtue and becoming who God has called them to be, the LGBTQIA+ crowd and their allies are encouraging them to engage in unrestrained self-expression and explore dangerous, unnatural sexual activities.

• It is hard to believe that so many mothers and fathers are willfully exposing their toddlers and young children to this depravity. Do we understand that our unchanging God has declared cross-dressing to be an abomination? (Deuteronomy 22:5)

• Sexual deviance has a prominent platform thanks to the Biden Administration: Pete Buttigieg is the first openly homosexual person confirmed to serve in a president’s Cabinet; lesbian Karine Jean-Pierre is the White House press secretary; Dr. Richard Levine (aka “Rachel” Levine) is the assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; cross-dressing fetishist Sam Briton was, until recently, the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition; homosexual Joaquin Tamayo, a former high school teacher and principal, is chief of staff for Cindy Marten at the U.S. Department of Education. There are dozens more. To see a full list of the Biden administration’s LGBTQIA+ appointments, click here.

• The LGBT lobby is large, vocal, active, and very well funded. The Human Rights Campaign is located in Washington D.C. and lobbies Congress for their queer agenda fulltime. Equality Illinois does the same in Springfield. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is dedicated solely on using government schools to corrupt K-12 students. And the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) focuses on using media, including Hollywood, to indoctrinate Americans.

• Leftists are bold and proud about their wicked agenda. You may remember an article written by Laurie Higgins in 2021 about how a gay men’s choir published a video touting that they were “coming for your children.”

• A wide open southern border has allowed an invasion of millions of illegal immigrants into the United States over the past two years. These immigrants are not being screened for health issues or criminal records. We do not know if they are committed to the freedoms guaranteed to us in the U.S. Constitution or if they embrace a socialist worldview. How many anti-God, anti-family, and anti-capitalist Marxists are flooding in? How many violent MS-13 gang members? How many radical Jihadists?

In response, IFI is dedicated to increasing our efforts in 2023 to educate, encourage, and mobilize Christians in the Land of Lincoln. The prophet Hosea warned that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge … because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6) While the prophet was speaking about Israel, the principle hasn’t changed. If God’s people are ignorant of His laws, precepts, and commandments–if we disregard what is good, pure, noble, and true–then we cannot expect His blessings.

We know with certainty that in our post-Christian society Bible literacy is at an all-time low in America. Therefore, the Christian worldview is feeble in our culture. Now more than ever, we all need to be about the business of making disciples and teaching them about all that God has commanded us to do. (Matthew 28:19-20)

As it relates to public policy issues, this means that our work to uphold the sanctity of human life is just beginning. Proverbs 24:11 exhorts us to “deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.” We MUST respond with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to rescue innocent children and their mothers.

This also means we must continue our efforts to rescue our children from government schools. Too many children in our families, in our churches, and in our communities are being discipled in ways that are contrary to what the Bible teaches. This must not continue. School choice must be embraced immediately. Homeschooling, private schools, micro-schools and co-ops are excellent alternatives.

Therefore…

We need you to be part of this year’s Matching Challenge Campaign to equip us for 2023.

It is only through your support that we are able to do this vital work.

Any donation given or mailed by December 31st will go toward
this dollar-for-dollar matching challenge and will be fully tax-deductible.

We know full well that the woke crowd doesn’t walk away from the battle. They are already planning lawsuits and executive orders, forming coalitions, and devising strategies to promote their ideology and agenda. They are preparing to redouble their efforts to promote their culture of depravity and death in the media, through pop culture, in our government schools, and in our legislatures and courts. And you can be sure that all of their efforts will be very well-funded.

We need both your prayer covering and financial support as we go into 2023!

If you haven’t done so already, please consider IFI in your year-end giving. Every donation–small, medium or large–brings us closer to our goal. Don’t miss this great opportunity!

Here are some ways you can give your tax-deductible donation:

• Contribute online HERE.
• Give a gift of stock or appreciated assets. Contact Colleen Garcia, IFI’s Financial Administrator, at (708) 781-9328 or email her HERE.
• Mail your year-end gift. Send to: Illinois Family Institute, P.O. Box 876, Tinley Park, IL, 60477
• We also accept credit card donations over the phone at (708) 781-9328 during normal business hours.

Thank you for your consideration. Your financial support and prayers are what makes our mission to protect and preserve life, marriage, family, and liberty in Illinois possible.  THANK YOU!

Sincerely,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. Donations must be postmarked by December 31 in order to qualify as 2022 gifts. 

Children are growing up in an America where adults celebrate the dismemberment of children in their mothers’ wombs.

They are growing up where cross-dressing adult men twerk in children’s departments of public libraries, where adults tell children that some women have penises, where adults allow cross-dressing men into locker rooms with young girls and women, where teachers assign pornographic books to minors, and where surgeons profit from cutting off the breasts off 13-year-old girls.

And children are living in cities made unlivable by leftist policies, including opening wide the border, which has facilitated the evil work of criminals who kill our children with fentanyl.

There was once a time when “liberals” wanted abortion to be rare. No more. Now they want it to be commonplace and available up until birth for any or no reason and paid for by American taxpayers who rightly view abortion as barbaric.

Today leftists claim they are passionately committed to the rule of law, even as they stop the construction of a border wall and reverse every policy that would secure our southern border. In so doing, they reveal their callousness.

They don’t care about either the Americans who live on the border or the illegals who are raped and killed making their way into America, incentivized to do so by the president.

And leftists are leading the insane charge to force all of society to pretend males can be females and vice versa. Leftists want anyone who refuses to play along with the “trans” nonsense to be fired from their jobs. Leftists support the mutilation of children. And leftists want to rob parents of the right to protect the bodies and minds of their own children.

The staff at Illinois Family Institute (IFI) and Illinois Family Action (IFA), care deeply about the needs and rights of children and their parents. We care about our constitutional rights, respect for law, and the limits of government—all of which are threatened in ways only science fiction writers could have imagined a decade ago. As our constitutional rights erode, respect for law diminishes, and big government grows to colossal proportions, so too does human suffering grow.

Unless we fight this war against reason, decency, compassion, and truth, the next generation of children will suffer even more than today’s children are suffering.

We at IFI and IFA take seriously God’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves, which requires first knowing what is true and good. Right now, Americans are suffering because as a country we have lost a proper understanding of what is true and good.

We at IFI and IFA want you to know how much we appreciate your prayers, encouragement, and financial support in our joint effort to restore a proper understanding of what is true and good.

We also want you to know that we are deeply committed to using your donations carefully and wisely. We take stewardship of the hard-earned money of our supporters very seriously. We know that your unselfish support of our work is a sacrifice, and for that we are humbled and thankful.

We who live in and love Illinois grieve over what is happening to the unborn, children, families, and our liberties, and then we act, because we’re industrious Midwesterners who love God and, therefore, love his creation.

We at IFI and IFA work overtime to educate Illinoisans who work overtime at other kinds of critically important jobs. We, like you, desperately want to undo the damage done by “progressives” and prevent further damage. We, like you, want to make Illinois a place where people want to live rather than flee.

We want our children and grandchildren to grow up in the heartland where they can be healthy and safe in body, mind, and heart. We want the public square to be wholesome and decent—not a place that daily robs our little ones of their innocence.

We want every Illinoisan to be able to exercise their religion freely and speak freely.

In order to do our hard work overtime in this dark blue state, we need financial help.

As we write this letter, Illinois State Senator Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) has introduced the “Gender-Affirming Health Care Protection Act,” which, if passed, will make Illinois the second sanctuary state for minors who wrongly believe they were born in the wrong body. This law will rob parents in Illinois and other states of the right to say, “No, doctors will not provide my child with cross-sex hormones or mutilate her body.”

Every year, leftist lawmakers sponsor thousands of bills that harm already suffering Illinoisans and have led to thousands of Illinoisans fleeing our once great state. In order to prevent such bills from being passed, Illinoisans must know about them. That’s what we at IFI and IFA do.

We are vigilant in watching what bills are emerging from the Springfield swamp and warning you, explaining why the bad bills are bad and helping you contact your lawmakers.

We humbly ask for your help in continuing and, Lord willing, expanding our efforts to make Illinois a place where children, families, and churches can flourish.

As you consider supporting us financially, please know that we deem it an honor, blessing, and privilege to be able—through your generosity—to work tirelessly for you and all who live in Illinois.

Help us reach our Matching Challenge goal of raising $130,000 by the end of the month

Click here to support Illinois Family Institute (IFI).
Contributions to IFI are tax-deductible and support our lobbying, educational and grass-roots efforts.

Click here to support Illinois Family Action (IFA).
Contributions to IFA are not tax-deductible but give us the most flexibility in engaging critical political and partisan issues.

Your promotion of our emails on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Truth Social and your own email network, and prayer for financial support is a huge part of our success in being a strong voice for the pro-life, pro-marriage and pro-family message here in the Land of Lincoln.

Please stand with us. You can also send a gift to P.O. Box 876, Tinley Park, IL  60477 or call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.

We are extremely pleased to announce the 2022 end-of-year matching challenge! In an effort to help us raise $260,000 by the end of this month, several generous benefactors have offered to match donations to IFI up to $130,000! So, between now and the end of the year, you can double the impact of your giving!

Yes, you read that right! Every donation given to IFI during the month of December
through the end of the year is DOUBLED upon receipt.

So if you give $50, it becomes $100.

If you give $100, it becomes $200.

If you give $500, we realize $1,000!

If you donate $1,000, it is the same as giving $2,000, etc.

Religious liberty is the foundation of our nation. Faithful Christians fled the tyranny of monarchs in Europe in order to be true to their conscience. As you know, these “Separatists” fled to the Netherlands, but couldn’t tolerate the secular culture, so they established their own colony in the New World. The Puritans and many other immigrants also came to America because they were fleeing religious persecution or recognized the opportunities that freedom provided. As a result, religious liberty is deeply woven into the fabric of our nation.

While our First Amendment declares that we have the freedom to practice religion and the freedom of speech, these rights are increasingly being threatened. This past summer, for example, Coach Joseph Kennedy made national news when he won a seven-year legal battle that ended at the U.S. Supreme Court. All of this was the result of his commitment to say a short solitary prayer at the end of each football game that he coached. While this was a significant win for religious liberty, legal cases like this are becoming more and more common across our country.

The Woke mob is doing everything to shut down religious liberty, especially any public expression of Christianity. We see these cases coming up to the U.S. Supreme Court. The so-called “tolerant” crowd refuse to tolerate people of faith and are pushing them out of the workplace for simply daring to live out their convictions. We cannot remain silent in the face of this evil.

Thank God for our nation where religious liberty is enshrined in our founding documents. Pray to Him for renewed strength to continue to protect religious liberty for every American. IFI has worked hard for 30 years to uphold the sanctity of life, religious liberty, parental rights and education choice. And we could not have done this without you!

God commands us to be salt and light in a sin-laden culture. We are His Ambassadors and cannot abandon the public square to godless totalitarians. We dare not let them think there is no opposition to their nefarious goals. Together, we can stand up to cancel culture and win the day for religious freedom in America. So thank you for you generous and even sacrificial gift.

The radial Left is dedicated to diligently and intentionally making Apostles of Wokeism, while too many Christians neglect our call to make Disciples of Jesus Christ. The overt brainwashing in our schools and libraries has permeated our society through Critical Race Theory, comprehensive sex-education, the transgender agenda, climate change, Black Lives Matter, hate-America history lessons,  pro-socialism, and pro-Sharia courses, Common Core, etc. Our children continue to be indoctrinated with godless ideology while at the same time fail basic proficiency levels in core subjects.

The challenges we face are daunting, but we can take comfort in the fact that it’s not the first such challenge our great nation has had to overcome. We the people, have been down this road before. We have fought and defeated tyrants before. And with the help of Almighty God, we can do it again.

The current predicament is actually a phenomenal opportunity to shine the light of Jesus and spread the salt of Truth – capital “T.” Wokesters are overreaching. They have gone too far. They’ve lost their collective minds. And thankfully, it is finally becoming apparent to some of our friends and neighbors.

Think about it! The contrast between the Truth of God verses the debased and depraved thinking of those who cannot define what a women is — those who applaud Drag Queen Story Hour — and those who insist that men can be “birthing people.”

The contrast is stark!

We ought to take this all very seriously. We need to be prepared to act in response to the disintegration of society. Is there anyone better equipped to do it than the people who know, love, and serve the Creator of all things, the author of Truth, the only source of eternal hope?

Together, with your prayers and support, IFI will continue to do this work and boldly bring Biblical Truth to the public square and, in the process, expose wicked policies and plans. 

Thank you for your support! We look forward to partnering with you in 2023 to stand courageously for the values we share.

May God bless you during this Advent and Christmas season.

Sincerely,

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. Help us reach our goal of raising $130,000 by the end of the month — Donate today! To make a credit card donation over the phone, call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328. You can also send a gift to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, IL  60477

We sincerely hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving with your family, friends, and neighbors. We’re back in action at Illinois Family Institute after enjoying a restful holiday break with our loved ones; so very thankful to God Almighty for His many blessings. But our gratefulness certainly shouldn’t end (or begin) with the fourth Thursday in November!

As we resume our work, I don’t have to tell you that there’s an all-out war on the right to life, marriage, biology, common sense, and our children. And when I look at the latest political headlines in Illinois, I get concerned about what 2023 will hold for the pro-life, pro-family, pro-freedom movement. Both in Illinois and nationally we will have an uphill climb. But together, we can accomplish much!

Let’s be clear: our concern isn’t centrally about politics. Like you, we care about the moral and social issues:

>>>Sanctity of Life: the tens of thousands of abortions that take place annually in Illinois is both outrageous and heartbreaking. Abortion cheerleaders are working to facilitate tens of thousands more since the Dobbs ruling earlier this year.

>>>Religious Intolerance/Christian Bigotry: the ongoing battle to remove our First Amendment freedoms to live by our consciences and practice and share our faith.

>>>Identity Politics and Sexual Anarchy: truly the Leftists have gone too far. No clear-thinking person believes there are 63 genders. This, however, has created an opportunity for those of us defending marriage and family to gain back ground in the culture.

>>>Big government on the backs of working families: the continuous tax increases lawmakers think will fix their reckless and irresponsible spending is never the answer.

Today,  I invite you to take part in an effort to stand for Truth in the public square by supporting the Illinois Family Institute, which works  diligently to defend traditional values and expose lies. It is a wonderful opportunity to help protect children, families, and religious freedom.

As we wrap up the days following Thanksgiving 2022, I ask you to prayerfully consider giving #4Families on #GivingTuesday.

Maybe its $25, maybe its $50, maybe its $100 or even more if God leads. Whatever the amount, we are thankful for your support and encouragement.

Click here to make a donation

IFI is the leading organization in Illinois advocating for your family, for your faith, and for our collective and individual freedoms at the Capitol in Springfield and in the public square. And without your partnership in this mission, we can’t get the job done.

Thank you for standing with us!

Please don’t let the troubling news of voter fraud lull you into inactivity in this election. Your vote, our votes, absolutely matter! This is especially true in an election cycle in which we are expecting a pendulum swing and have a very good chance of flipping some seats away from radical woke state and federal lawmakers.

It will encourage you to know that many state and national groups are working hard to maintain election fairness and have trained thousands to be a presence at the polls and to be keenly aware of any shenanigans. One such group is the Illinois Conservative Union and their Election Integrity Project. They have trained over 2,000 people in Illinois alone, and they’re not finished.

It is critically important to understand that your thoughtful participation in this election could help elect pro-life candidates who will represent your families–and most important– be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.

As Christians, we are called to be faithful stewards of God’s gift of self-government. Your participation in every election cycle–and not just in presidential elections–has far-reaching effects in our nation, our state, and our local communities. Those effects include ensuring good, fair, and just governance by electing honest and representatives who are firmly committed to values that sustain families.

With the deceitful media working overtime to construct false narratives and social media tyrants censoring conservative views, it can be hard to discern what is false, especially as midterm election campaign ads ramp up.

That’s why we work hard to publish voter resources for Illinois citizens, such as the 2022 General Election Voter Guide.

On our election resources page, you are able to plug in your address and then preview the candidates who will be on your particular ballot on Tuesday, November 8. You can also order bulk print copies HERE.

We are in a battle for the heart and soul of our nation and way of life. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is at risk, and the apostles of wokeism are hard at work spending millions of dollars in races across the state and nation to advance big government and keep themselves in power.

Yet we still have political tools available to us that we can use to counter their attacks. We may be outspent, but together, our prayers, our voices, and our votes can offset or contravene their plans. Working together to uphold what is good, honorable and right is vitally important in this cycle.

First, pray for God’s forgiveness and mercy. Then speak out frequently against the radical record of the incumbents, and whatever you do over the next five weeks or so, make sure you vote!

Finally, pray for the candidates for whom you cast your ballot. Pray that God would bless them with the opportunity to represent we the people in the Land of Lincoln.

I recently heard Dr. Erwin Lutzer speak at a great event in Palatine in which he challenged us to “be the light (1 John 1:5-7), to shine the light (Ephesians 5:11) and to guard the light” (Matthew 5:16). His exhortation is clear and applies to our involvement in this election cycle: We must be active in the public square and vote with the intent to safeguard our God-given liberties from the woke mob. They are coming after people of faith, because they hate what we represent.

All of this is part of the calling we have as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

The November 8th election is less than six weeks away, and early voting starts tomorrow. Please do not wait to order and distribute the IFI Voter Guide to your family, friends and at church. These voter guides are IRS compliant for churches to distribute.

This election is vitally important. Beside the fact that we are voting for Governor, U.S. Senate and a far-reaching state constitutional amendment, there are more good choices for Illinois House and Illinois Senate races than we can ever remember. There is a great deal at stake, and the differences in parties and candidates could not be clearer.

Many on the left have become emboldened to steer our county in a direction that forsakes the things of God. It’s necessary that Christians vote, but it is critical that they vote for able men and women who fear God, are trustworthy, and hate a bribe (Exodus 18:21). The IFI voter guide provides information on where the candidates stand on issues important to people of faith based on voting records, returned questionnaires, public statements, endorsements, and their web sites.

Order these voter guides in any number that you can use. Bring them to church. They are legal for churches to distribute according to IRS guidelines. Pass them out to neighbors, family, and friends.

We also have brochures that compare the two party platforms on six issues in their own words: Abortion/Life, Marriage/Family, Immigration, Judiciary, Religious Liberty, and Education. These also are legal for churches to distribute according to IRS guidelines.

Take ACTION:  CLICK HERE to place your order for the printed IFI Voter Guide to distribute to your church, civic group, neighbors and family.

Background
The IFI Voter Guide is arguably the most popular voter resource in the state of Illinois. Compare candidates’ positions on issues such as the sexual corruption of children in our public schools, the sanctity of life, amnesty for illegal aliens, the ERA and the “Equality Act,” and more. The non-partisan IFI Voter Guide will help you learn more about the candidates on the November 8th ballot and their positions on important issues that directly affect your family and the culture around you.

There are thousands of Illinois citizens who don’t know who to vote for. You can provide them with information on all the state and federal candidates on the ballot which is critical to the cause of good government.

We want Illinois citizens to have access to the IFI Voter Guide, and we need your help in getting it into the hands of as many voters as possible, so order a dozen or more and give them to your friends, family, and co-workers.

Americans have been given incredible blessings and freedoms, and as a result, we have a responsibility to participate in elections. Thank God we have an opportunity to cast our ballots for men and women whose values represent our own.

With your participation, together we will positively affect the state of Illinois and our republic one vote at a time.

The “Early Bird Special” for the IFI Annual Banquet on October 28th expires on TODAY, so please sign up now!

We look forward to welcoming Kevin and Sam Sorbo to our annual event to share their faith, their concerns about the secular culture, and the need to return to Judeo-Christian values. And they are looking forward to meeting YOU! In fact, they recorded a short video with a message for those who are considering coming to this important fundraising event. Watch, listen and share:

Call the IFI office to secure your reservations at (708) 781-9328, or click here to register online.

Illinois Family Institute
Faith, Family and Freedom Banquet

“True Faith” 
…not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:5)

Friday, October 28, 2022
Carlisle Banquet
435 E. Butterfield Road
Lombard, IL  60148

7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Secure your seats or table now – click here or call (708) 781-9328.

Banquet Sponsorships & Program Ad opportunities available.

Don’t Delay – Early Bird Specials Expire at Midnight!

Your attendance and support is essential to our success!

->Click HERE for an event flyer<-

P.S. Kevin Sorbo has become a social media sensation, as his Twitter followers have recently surpassed the one million mark. Give him a follow if you are still on Twitter.

Illinois Family Institute will be printing a limited number of the 2022 General Election Voter Guides. While we will make it available on our website to download, it is wise to order bulk quantities of the printed version now to share with your friends, neighbors, family and at church (with your pastor’s permission).

The non-partisan IFI Voter Guide will help you learn more about the candidates on the November 8th ballot and their positions on important issues that directly affect your family and the culture around us.  IFI’s Voter Guide does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party and is legal for distribution in churches under IRS guidelines.

The suggested donation to cover the cost of printing and mailing is $25 per hundred.  But if you are unable to make a tax-deductible donation, don’t let that stop you. We appreciate your help in distributing them.

If you receive our newsletter by mail, a Voter Guide and a newsletter will be mailed to you by the end of September.

Take ACTION:  CLICK HERE to place your bulk order for the printed IFI Voter Guide.

Hopefully, all of your friends, neighbors and fellow church congregants are registered to vote.  Just think about how many people you know who have moved and need to re-register. Think of how young people you know who are turning 18 by November 8th and can vote for the first time this year. Consider engaging citizens who have not voted in the past to become actively involved in impacting our nation’s future!

Illinois is a very large state and we need your help to get the IFI Voter Guide into every church that is concerned about the direction our state and nation are heading. Would you please ask your pastor if your church will take a stack of IFI Voter Guides?

Register to Vote:  It’s never been easier!  You can now register to vote online at the Illinois Board of Election.

Illinois Family Institute has been fighting for traditional family values for more than 30 years now. We have never been afraid to stand up and speak out in the public square for the Judeo-Christian values upon which our country was founded, or to roll up our sleeves to do the hard work of advancing the truth, no matter how “politically incorrect.”

As a non-profit organization, we rely solely on the generosity of concerned citizens like you to financially support our efforts to advance the truth and speak out for faith, family and religious freedom — will you link arms with us by joining our monthly giving program?

Never before in the history of the United States have we seen such threats to the institutions of the family and the church.  As Ronald Reagan once said:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Your monthly gift of $25, $50, or even $100 will be a vital support to the Illinois Family Institute.  We’re honored and humbled by your sacrificial investment in the work we’re doing to challenge the agenda of godless progressive socialists.

For the sake of our children and grandchildren, please consider partnering with us today. 

If you are not able to give monthly at this time, please consider making a one time, tax deductible donation to IFI’s efforts.

(Donations to IFI are tax-deductible.)

With your help, we will continue our efforts to uphold marriage, family, life and liberty in the Land of Lincoln.  With your help, IFI can keep our efforts strong.

If you’d rather mail in a donation, please send it to:

Illinois Family Institute
P.O. Box 876
Tinley Park, Illinois 60477

Please join with us in praying that God would provide the resources we need to move boldly into next year! If you have any questions about IFI’s budget needs, or would like to give a gift by phone, please feel free to call us at (708) 781-9328.

With deep and humble gratitude,

David E. Smith
Executive Director