This week we pay tribute to the birth of our nation where self-government and individual liberty thrive.  Thank God for the blessing of self-government and liberty, and that we have the opportunity to live in this time and a place that is America. With fireworks, parades and backyard cookouts, citizens will celebrate the stars and stripes and the values and freedoms that we have come to be known for around the world. 

America is still the greatest nation on earth and a country to be proud of, but like many other patriots, I am concerned about the downward slide on which we find ourselves. Our first freedoms of religion and speech are eroding before our eyes. The influence of “We the people” is being silenced by arrogant elected officials and unelected judges. Traditional Christian values are under constant attack, and too often the Church remains silent or on the sideline. 

The United States of America is 236 years old this week, marked by the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Our Founding Fathers and patriots of all ages, genders, religions and races committed their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to secure our independence from an oppressive crown. And we cannot forget that even today, we have patriots continuing to fight to protect our freedoms, both here at home and in war zones overseas. The brave men and women of the United States military risk their lives day in and day out not only for our freedoms, but for that of oppressed peoples around the world.   

Though we may have reasons to be upset with the government takeover of the healthcare industry, and the Left’s relentless attacks on natural marriage, the sanctity of life, and the marginalization of biblical morality, we cannot despair.  Instead, we should be motivated and inspired by the courage and dedication of our Founding Fathers as we work toward restoring our government to one “of the people by the people for the people.”

Happy Independence Day!

IFI’s annual Fall Banquet will be held on Friday, September 7th in Hoffman Estates.  Please join us if you are able!

Illinois Family Institute’s

Family * Faith * Freedom Fall Banquet

“Remembering Our Foundations”

Featuring:

David Barton 

Friday, September 7, 2012 

Details:

Dinner tickets – $60 before August 20^th; $75 after August 20^th 

Table of 10 – $500 before August 20^th; $600 after August 20^th 

** Pastor’s Special – 2 for $60 **

Purchase your tickets and table sponsorships online HERE or call the IFI office (708) 781-9328.  We’d love to have you join us for this memorable IFI 20^th Anniversary event! 

After a very busy General Assembly Session where, by God’s grace, we were able to defeat an onerous bullying bill and hold off legislative proposals to mandate “comprehensive” sex education in our schools, legalize “medical” marijuana, and a half dozen other bills that failed to advance, we are as eager for sun and warm weather as anyone else.

But we have no time to take a breath.  With the help of our friends at the Alliance Defense Fund, we are gearing up for a legal fight on the most recent assault on the institution of marriage in Illinois; launching voter registration drives; and putting the final touches on our ever popular Voter Guide for the November 6^th General Election.

But we’re also bracing for the slowdown in donations that summer invariably brings. This summer needs to be a time of positioning to counter the continued onslaught of anti-family forces.

Our ministry is a twelve-month effort, but reduced summer income can force us to curtail or postpone important projects. Without continued support from loyal friends like you, we will not be able to move full speed ahead. This affects our work through summer and beyond, up to and including the critical fall election – which is followed by another dangerous Lame Duck Veto Session.

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

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

Those who oppose life, marriage, and religious liberty are gearing up their efforts with seemingly limitless resources for the 2012 General Elections and Veto Session. For example, 5 lobbyists were recently hired at $100,000 each to pass the “medical” marijuana bill. They are relentless in their zeal to turn America and Illinois into a secular, godless state. Losing momentum now means handing them victories we could have won!

That’s why I’m writing to you. We need your help to get through the summer. It is a critical time for us. Will you continue your loyal support of our work and ministry with a generous contribution? It means a lot to us.

Click here to donate to IFA.

Click here to donate to IFI.

The summer slow-down doesn’t result from anything we have or haven’t done. All non-profits experience it. Many kind and generous supporters forget to make their planned contributions in the summer. It’s not intentional. It’s simply that summer schedules keep many people busier than usual. But it really impacts IFI’s ability to do the necessary work we must do to be effective in Illinois.

Your response and continued support is critical to our success on behalf of Illinois families – especially during this difficult time of year. That’s why I hope you’ll prayerfully consider supporting us now and over the next three months.

Sincerely,    

David E. Smith
Executive Director

P.S. If you would rather write a check, please make it payable to Illinois Family Action or Illinois Family Institute, and mail it to us at: P.O. Box 88848 Carol Stream, Illinois  60188. We also accept credit card donations by phone at (708) 781-9328.

A spokesman for today’s National Day of Prayer tells more about the inspiration for this year’s event.  

Vice Chair John Bornschein points out that American troops are still in harm’s way, the economy is weak, and religious freedom is threatened. So Americans are gathering in solidarity to pray for those and other issues. The National Day of Prayer Task Force says it is critical to remain in prayer.

“The theme is ‘One Nation Under God,’ and we chose that because we felt it is very fitting to remind Americans that indeed we are a nation united under God, that by his hand of provision we have been blessed as a people as a direct result,” Bornschein explains. That theme is based off of Psalm 33:12, which says, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”

And he reports that the annual even really has its roots from 1775.

“Our founders knew that as they were laying the foundations of this nation that they had to remind Americans that we need to give bended knee to almighty God, that we do not have accumulative wisdom sufficient to navigate the challenges of our day, that we need God’s direction and guidance for all leaders within all centers of influence and power in America,” the vice chair asserts.

Since then, there have been about 900 proclamations asking Americans to intercede on their behalf. So Americans are encouraged to attend National Day of Prayer events around the nation. If that is not possible, however, Bornschein says they can pause for a few minutes wherever they are and pray for the country.

As part of the national effort, the Pulse Movement is conducting its own event. (Listen to audio report)

The Pulse Movement, a student-led initiative in response to the urgent needs facing young people, began at the University of North Dakota and has spread onward as a student-led evangelistic and prayer movement. Spokesman Nick Hall says the organization is presenting its second annual UNITE National Day of Prayer gathering tonight.

“Even in the ministry that we do, we always talk with students and say we’re either prayerful or prideful,” he accounts. “It’s so important to remain dependent on God and remember where our power comes from, where our hope comes from.”

According to Hall, a key part of the Pulse Movement is to bring the Body of Christ together in prayer and repentance, seeking God’s response and blessing. Tonight’s UNITE event will be streamed on the Internet.

“Basically, what has happened in our ministry and movement is the students kind of from the ground up have said we want to see multi-generational prayer happen — that God would move across our nation and that we would be able to partner old and young, young and old holding hands, coming to Christ, saying Jesus, we need you to move across denominational lines and across political lines,” the spokesman shares.

Anyone can participate online from 7:00-9:00 p.m. (Central).

Chuck Colson, known worldwide for founding Prison Fellowship and several other ministry outreaches, has gone home to be with the Lord.

On March 31, the 80-year-old Colson had surgery for a pool of blood on the surface of his brain. In the days following surgery, he seemed to improve slightly each day but took a turn for the worse late Tuesday (April 17). Family members were called to his bedside. He passed away Saturday afternoon shortly after 3:00 p.m. (Eastern) at a northern Virginia hospital.

In a statement from Jim Liske, CEO of Prison Fellowship, says while he, the family, and numerous others grieve the loss, “we rejoice that Chuck is with Jesus, we rejoice as we reflect on his life and legacy and that we could be a part of that, and we rejoice when we think of all the redeemed in heaven who will greet him and thank him for the role he played in their salvation.”

Liske tells OneNewsNow the world has lost one of the most eloquent and influential voices in evangelicalism today.

“Chuck was an individual who spoke with great authority about the grace of God,” Liske shares. “Chuck truly believed in this interchange and tension between truth and grace, and that you needed the most of both continually — because he had experienced incredible transformation in his [own] life.”

Colson was special counsel to President Richard M. Nixon from 1969 to 1973. After pleading guilty for his role in the Watergate scandal, he served seven months in prison — becoming a Christian while serving his sentence. Out of that experience, Colson founded Prison Fellowship and the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

“Chuck modeled and believed to the core of his being in the transformational power of the gospel,” Liske adds. “And he believed that the local church was God’s ‘Plan A’ in developing a movement of local churches across the country to carry the mantel of the gospel.”

The afternoon before he became ill, Colson hosted 53 Christian leaders from around the country and challenged them to understand the transformational power of the gospel in individuals’ lives and the lives of organizations — and that they “would be the movement that Jesus so desired.” Liske says Colson was the “champion who held that flag very high.”

Dr. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas, describes Colson as “one of the really unique characters that ever crosses the stage of human history.”

“You couldn’t meet him and not know that you’re … meeting one of the most interesting characters around,” Paige tells OneNewsNow. “And of course, he was a classic case of a brilliant man who made serious mistakes. But out of that serious mistake he found the Lord and righted his ship in the middle of the ocean and sailed off to the most stellar victories that anybody could ever have.”

The seminary president believes Colson never forgot the prisoners he served time with.

“And of course so many prisoners who really had no future life have come to have a future as a result of the ministry of Chuck Colson,” notes Patterson, “and to say nothing of individuals outside of the prisons whose lives crossed his and whose lives were pretty well messed up but found a way. He was just a remarkable person in his faithfulness to Christ.”

American Family Association (AFA) president Tim Wildmon notes that in the decades following conversion to Christianity, Colson became one of the “generals” in the Christian Community.

“His writings, his organizational skills that he had in putting groups together, his apologetics, defending the faith capabilities,” Wildmon lists. “I mean, he had a lot going for him — and he means so much to the Christian community in America. He’s going to be very missed.”

Wildmon says he is heartened knowing that Colson is now in heaven. He adds that Colson’s Prison Fellowship ministry will continue to impact lives as his legacy to not only America, but other countries where it was set up. And Wildmon notes that Colson’s radio program Breakpoint will continue on American Family Radio, the radio network operated by AFA.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council tells OneNewsNow that over the last decade at FRC, Colson became his friend and mentor.

“And just as I’ve seen him, he is kind of the statesman theologian of our time and as a Francis Schaeffer [type of person] helping us know how to take the Word of God and apply it to our lives,” he offers. “And there’s no question that he will be sorely missed.”

According to Perkins, Colson challenged Christian America to be salt and light to everyone, including the down and out — a challenge the FRC president says remains today.

“I think the challenge from Chuck Colson will be to continue to live out our faith in an authentic way where we are meeting the needs of those around us — physical, spiritual, emotional needs — but also holding up a standard of righteousness and truth,” he adds.

Colson is survived by his wife of more than 45 years, Patty, and three children. Funeral arrangements are pending. Cards may be sent to Prison Fellowship Ministries, 44180 Riverside Parkway, Lansdowne, VA 20176.

As you probably know, the 61^st National Day of Prayer will be celebrated on May 3, 2012. Based on the understanding that America was birthed in prayer in reverence for the God of the Bible, the National Day of Prayer was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

The purpose of the National Day of Prayer is personal repentance and prayer, and mobilization of the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership in the seven centers of power: Government, Military, Media, Business, Education, Church and Family. This year’s theme is from Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”

We encourage you to help coordinate a National Day of Prayer (NDP) event in your community or simply attend a nearby event. Go to nationaldayofprayer.org to find a venue near you.  There are already 88 events scheduled throughout the state of Illinois, including four in the City of Chicago and one to be held at the State Capitol in Springfield. You can download an NDP Flyer HERE.

As our nation faces many challenges, we know that the One who promises to be with us through these times of trouble is the One who also encourages prayer. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16 

Please pray for the staff at Illinois Family Institute and our supporters, as we travail in the seemingly never-ending battle for truth in a quest to impact the laws and culture of Illinois with biblical principals.  Pray that Christians throughout Illinois would join us with their prayers and endeavors to defend a God-honoring worldview that protects religious freedom and marriage, promotes the sanctity of life, and values parental authority to raise moral, productive and upstanding children.

Want to save money on your electric bill and help raise funds for Illinois Family Institute (IFI) at the same time?  The deregulation of energy in 1997 has allowed customers the opportunity to choose their electricity supplier while the local utility (ComEd/Ameren) continues to provide safe delivery and service to your home.

With no cost or risk to you, you can save money on your electricity each month by purchasing your electricity through our broker, PnP Energy Brokers and Nordic Energy, who offer some of the best rates in the state.

Signing up is easy and just a mouse click away.  Together we can join efforts to save your family money while funding IFI’s mission.

For every household that chooses to purchase their electricity, IFI will receive a monthly stipend of $2 per customer.  Think about it.  If we could get 500 or 1000 of our supporter to switch their energy supplier, IFI could realize $1000, $2000 or more each month and you would be saving money at the same time! This will help us to keep fighting for the things important to us – sanctity of life, natural marriage, decency, religious liberties and family values. 

When you select Nordic as your alternative electricity supplier, you save money and IFI earns money!  

I personally switched and will save my household over $300 in the next twelve months!

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to sign up for the switch to Nordic Energy, and start saving money today!

If you have any problems, questions or need more information regarding this fantastic opportunity, please contact IFI at (708) 781-9328.

“The Lord is risen indeed…” Luke 24:34 

Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week. We would do well to take time to reflect on who we are and where we stand in our faith. Our patience and devotion has been challenged many times over the last few years, but also rewarded. Now would be a good time to look back on the path we have taken and gear up for the next steps, as people of faith and as Americans. 

Additionally, we must keep our state and our nation in our prayers. The foundations of our Judeo-Christian nation and culture remain under constant attack. A culture of death and darkness has replaced what was once a beacon of hope, and the sacred institution of marriage faces seemingly daily attacks on its only one true definition. 

I would like to wish all our supporters and friends a blessed Easter and Passover, and extend our heartfelt thanks for all that you have done for the cause these last few months. “Through His ministry and sacrifice, Jesus demonstrated God’s unconditional love for us,” said President George W. Bush at Easter a few years back. “He taught us the importance of helping others and loving our neighbors. His selfless devotion and mercy provide a remarkable example for all of us.”

It is the love of God in us that compells us to do the work that we do at IFI.

Many blessings to you and your family as you celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. That life can arise miraculously from darkness and death, bringing great hope. As Spring and “new life” emerge, God’s expression can be seen everywhere. This hope that Christians share, is a hope far greater than the changing of seasons.

The Resurrection is the central event that distinguishes Christianity from all other faiths. Only God Himself, through His sacrifice on the cross, could ransom man from sin, fulfilling the requirements of the Law. Only God Himself could rise from the dead, returning to deliver to His followers the freedom He had paid to secure. Bottom line… “Only God”! Outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope for mankind!

That is exactly what German Chancellor Conrad Adeneur once said to Billy Graham, “Mr. Graham, outside of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, I know of no other hope for mankind.”

Not all Americans share this passion. Our values are under vicious assault, often under the guise of compassion or “fairness.” The ACLU’s relentless attacks on parental rights through their legal challenges against Illinois’ Parental Notification Law is one such example.

The fall of Adam and Eve left this world a harsh place, and gave birth to this world’s moral and fiscal poverty. The suffering caused by disasters such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, and man-made disasters, reminds us that brokenness is everywhere! Indeed, Christ didn’t die on the cross for a world that didn’t need Him. He died for one that did and does need Him. Not just humanity, but I too, as an individual, need Him!

That’s where the Resurrection of Christ brings the greatest hope! Our ultimate hope is not in public policy or in political leaders, though we must always strive to elect godly statesmen who don’t seek self-gain, and pray for their time in office. Our hope is not in political solutions, though we must always advocate for the right principles. Our hope is in the renewal that one day “the government will be upon His shoulders”, as promised. Our hope does not depend upon elections, because this world will be renewed and restored to its original state. Our ultimate hope is in Him, and for that we are truly thankful. And In Hope, we look forward to the day when all things are made new. 

“… the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen…” ~Matthew 28 

Dear Pro-Family Friends, 

Summer is a critical time of the year financially for IFI.  Summer schedules often keep people busier than usual and some simply forget to make the contributions they planned to make.  Our work and our financial needs are a bit more intense during this time of year — as giving drops and gasoline prices make it more expensive to travel throughout the state.  

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.)

In the March Primary election, Illinois Family Institute distributed well over 90,000 printed voter guides across Illinois to help people vote their values, and who knows how many copies were printed off of the IFI web site. 

With the Primary Election behind us, 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.  Given the fact that more than 30 lawmakers have announced their retirements, and given the fact that voters have decided to retire a few more last month, we must deal with a large number of unaccountable lawmakers from now until the end of the year. 

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.  

Contraception-centered sex-education curricula encourages children and youth into early sexual experimentation. They mislead youth and create a false hope that condoms will provide sufficient protection from the physical, emotional and social consequences of early sexual activity. The bill contained a provision requiring all sex education materials and instruction be free of bias in compliance with the Illinois Human Rights Act.  This means that all sex education courses that portrayed romantic and dating heterosexual relationships would have to present same-sex relationships, same-sex marriages and civil unions to students as young as 11 years old. 

Authentic abstinence education programs, on the other hand, provide youth with life and character skills, rather than condom skills. Sexual activity among youth is far too costly for adolescents, families, society and taxpayers. If we hope to see the bill fail, we must continue to work to convince key lawmakers that the ACLU’s idea of sex education is bad for our children. With your support, we will do just that. 

Well-funded liberal groups are working tirelessly to jump the first hurdle to full legalization of marijuana in Illinois, by legalizing it for “medical” purposes.  Consider this quote from Richard Cowan, former director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana: “The key to it is medical access, because once you have hundreds of thousands of people using marijuana under medical supervision, the whole scam is going to be bought. Once there’s medical access…then we will get full legalization.”  

IFI joined law enforcement groups and the Christian Medical and Dental Association to lobby lawmakers on the harm of legalizing marijuana for any purpose, including “medical”.  Fortunately, HB 30 was called for a vote and failed. We praise God for this! But we must be vigilant and keep up the pressure. We know for certain that this issue will not go away. 

IFI’s Laurie Higgins has done a fantastic job exposing the liberal indoctrination taking place in many public schools. Her article exposing a new anti-bullying bill in Springfield is helping us educate lawmakers on the agenda that is being pushed by homosexualists trying to indoctrinate our school children 

And in response to a new school-based health clinic in District 116 in Round Lake, Laurie has written and talked to a group of concerned citizens about the dangers of these clinics.  Laurie points out how liberals in the education and health care fields try to put innocuous, non-controversial aspects of school-based health clinics front and center, hoping that they can distract gullible taxpayers from their real agenda, which is to promote and facilitate adolescent sexuality, to sever sexuality from moral considerations, to undermine the ties between children and their parents, and to render sexual activity immune from all consequences. 

Laurie and I have been regular guests on WMBI and have been quoted in various newspapers across the state and interviewed by numerous radio and TV shows. 

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-in Sustaining 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.)

Please watch this video and encourage your church leaders to share it with your congregation.  You’ll see David Barton, founder of WallBuilders, give insight into our responsibility to vote.  He exhorts each of us to “come running to the polls and…vote righteousness first.”

“I [urge] you, by all that is dear, by all that is honorable, by all that is sacred, not only that ye pray but [also] that ye act.”
– John Hancock

Illinois’ early voting is now underway, and absentee voting began earlier this month.  If you would like more information about absentee/early voting, please call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.

Be encouraged–and VOTE!

Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. We are distributing the IFI Primary Voter Guide to hundreds of churches, civic groups and tea party organizations. Will you financially support our endeavor to educate Illinois voters and promote family values? Donate today.

Dear Pro-Family Friends,

We still have several thousand of the print version of the IFI Voter Guide, but they are going fast. If you haven’t yet placed a bulk order, please give us a call at (708) 781-9328 or click HERE to send us an email. These non-partisan Voter Guides comply with IRS guidelines and are legal for churches to distribute. Or you may simply want them to pass along to neighbors, co-workers and family.

It’s critical that people be informed voters when they go to the polls for the March 20, 2012 Primary Election.  All 177 state lawmakers and 18 members of the U.S. House of Representatives are up for election.  And dozens of incumbent state lawmakers are retiring. This is an opportunity that we won’t have again in years. This is an incredible opportunity to elect God-fearing men and women to public office who will decide bills that affect every person in the state.

We are coming down to the wire.  The election is only four weeks away.  So don’t delay. Call us at (708) 781-9328 or email us today.

Thank you!

Kathy Valente, Director of Operations

Congressional District Breakouts of IFI’s 2012 Primary Election Voter Guide are now available for download!!

With Election Day just around the corner — March 20th, it is imperative that voters have information available to help them make educated decisions as they cast their votes for the different candidates.

Listed below, we have 18 different two-page local Voter Guides — one for each of Illinois’ Congressional Districts. By printing the two-page local Guide front to back on legal size paper (8.5″ x 14″), you can easily make this a one-page handout, which you can then distribute in your neighborhood and local church. These are non-partisan and completely legal under IRS guidelines for distribution in churches. Call IFI to order them in bulk for your church or neighborhood.

IMPORTANT:  Redistricting goes into effect in January 2013.  In the upcoming primary and general elections in November, we are casting ballots for offices in these NEW districts.  Please take a moment to look up your new U.S. Congressional, State Senate and State Representative districts HERE prior to using the IFI Voter Guide.

The full version of the IFI 2012 Primary Election Voter Guide is available for download HERE.

Voter Guide Breakouts:

1st Congressional District

2nd Congressional District

3rd Congressional District

4th Congressional District

5th Congressional District

6th Congressional District

7th Congressional District

8th Congressional District

9th Congressional District

10th Congressional District

11th Congressional District

12th Congressional District

13th Congressional District

14th Congressional District

15th Congressional District

16th Congressional District

17th Congressional District

18th Congressional District

Also available is the IFI Presidential Primary Voter Guide.

A limited number of printed Voter Guides are also available. To request bulk quantities of the full version, contact IFI at (708) 781-9328, or click HERE to send an email request.

Will you volunteer to help distribute voter guides?
Please help us get these voter guides into the hands of like-minded concerned citizens and in churches across the state.

This voter guide is 501(c)(3) safe and legally approved for church distribution as this is strictly an educational report of where candidates stand on the issues.

Thank you for caring enough to get involved!

Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. We are distributing the IFI Primary Voter Guide to hundreds of churches, civic groups and tea party organizations. Will you financially support our endeavor to educate Illinois voters and promote family values?  Donate today.

With just about three weeks left before early voting starts, it’s time to get serious about the upcoming primary election!

This is our last call for bulk Voter Guide orders. If you currently DO NOT receive our newsletters by snail mail and you’d like a printed copy of the Voter Guide, call our office to give us your address. If you can help us distribute bulk copies to your church, friends, and neighbors, click HERE or call the IFI office at 708-781-9328 during normal business hours to order larger quantities. We can mail the Voter Guides to you.

Knowing what the candidates believe is critical, especially in the state legislature where only one or two votes can decide issues concerning both life and religious freedom.

As Christians in this great nation, it is our duty to elect into office men and women who share our values — the uniquely Judeo-Christian values upon which this nation was founded. Therefore, it is our responsibility to become informed on all electoral races and issues and to vote according to those values.

Please forward this message to family and friends!