1

Early Bird Deadline for IFI’s Annual Banquet Approaching!

Illinois Family Institute is looking forward to welcoming Kevin and Sam Sorbo to our annual fall banquet in a few months to share their faith, concerns about the secular culture and the need to return to Judeo-Christian values. The Sorbos are a different kind of “power couple” — they are, in our opinion, an amazing Christian husband & wife team who, despite being blacklisted by Hollywood, have been very outspoken about abortion, public school indoctrination, illegal immigration, fatherlessness and a host of other social issues.

Their indomitable approach to upholding Biblical principles and their experience and the extensive amount of work they’ve poured themselves into, have given them an amazing platform to communicate traditional Christian conservative values in powerful and persuasive ways. We are very grateful for their efforts to regularly exhort Christians to oppose pervasive secularism across the nation — even if they will be criticized or mocked for it — and we are thrilled to know that they are openly urging Christian parents and grandparents to get their children out of public school systems.

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 tickets or table now – click here or call (708) 781-9328.

Banquet SponsorshipsProgram Ad opportunities available.

Don’t Delay – Early Bird Specials Expire on Sept. 5th!

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.




Are You Registered to Vote for the 2022 General Election?

October 23rd is the last day to register to vote online
for the upcoming November 8th General Election.

God has blessed America with the gift of self-government — a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Voting is a privilege that millions of people in other parts of the world are denied.

But this unique blessing also comes with a tremendous responsibility. In Romans 13, we are told that all authorities are appointed by God. If you look at the first three words in our U.S. Constitution, you’ll find out who that authority is in America — “We the People…”

As Christians, we have a duty and a moral obligation to be involved in the democratic process. Imagine the IMPACT we could have on our government, its leadership, and our nation if we all simply registered to vote and voted our values!

According to a recent CBN News article, “as many as 40 million” Christians across America “fail to vote in Presidential elections cycles. And 15 million are not even registered to vote…”  This is not good stewardship of God’s gift of self-government! In our apathy, we are shirking our responsibility to be salt and light. The results are what we see happening around us: LGBTQ indoctrination of our children, religious liberties eroding, sexual deviancy abounding, illicit drugs legalized for recreational use, gambling expanded. And the list goes on.

Edmund Burke said, “All that is essential for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Is it any surprise that Bible believing Christians are sparsely represented in Springfield and Washington, D.C.? If we aren’t faithful in the little things that God has given us to do – like voting or communicating with our elected representatives – we shouldn’t be surprised that we aren’t successful when it comes to the bigger things.

Registering Voters is Easy!

Did you know that you can register to vote online in Illinois? You can do so by visiting the State Board of Elections website. The last day to register to vote online is October 23rd.

How many people do you know who have moved, gotten married and changed their name, or are turning 18? If a teen will be 18 years old by November 8th, they are eligible to register and vote in the November 8th election. And for those who have not voted in recent elections, consider engaging them to become actively involved in impacting our nation’s future!

Mail-In Form – 2 Simple Steps:

1. Click HERE to download and print an Illinois Voter Registration Application.

2. Mail your completed application(s) to your local election authority. Click HERE to look up the mailing address. If you are unsure of your election authority, please contact us. Call (708) 781-9328 during normal business hours, or email us anytime and we will be glad to help! Note that there are ten cities that are their own election authorities. All the others are county clerks.

Consider holding a voter registration at your church, school, library, county fair, a Christian concert, or other location. Download the forms below.

Voter Registration:

Below are several bulletin inserts for your use.

Voter Registration Bulletin Inserts

Voter Registration FAQ’s

Q. I’ve moved. Do I need to register again?
A. Yes. The easiest way to register again is to just follow the 2-step process above.

Q. My name has changed. Do I need to register again?
A. Yes. The easiest way to register again is to just follow the 2-step process above.

Q. I’m not 18 yet, but I will be soon. Can I register?
A. Yes. You may register now to vote in the November 8th election as long as you will be 18 by November 8th. Just follow the 2-step process above.

Q. I sent in my form two weeks ago, but I haven’t heard anything back yet. Did it get lost?
A. You should receive confirmation 4-6 weeks after your original submission. If you do not hear from your election authority by then, give them a call.  Click HERE for a list.

Q. I am a pastor or a church leader. Can I encourage the members at my church to register to vote and hold a voters registration drive?
A. Yes. Voter registration drives are not considered partisan political activity. Although certain limitations are imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax code and campaign laws, churches and pastors are able to engage in nonpartisan activity, particularly voter registration and voter education. Click HERE and HERE for more information. There is no legal restriction whatsoever on the ability of churches to register voters or provide them with candidate survey information, like the material provided in the IFI Voter Guide.


Call the IFI Office at (708) 781-9328




Happy Independence Day!




2022 Primary Election Voter Resources

The IFI 2022 Primary Election Voter Guide is available HERE. You will not find this information anywhere else! The online version is updated often. We are completely out of the print version.

In this exclusive guide, you will find the positions of candidates running for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Statewide offices, and both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly regarding issues of importance. Incumbent voting records, completed candidate questionnaires, research, and various organization endorsements went into compiling this voting resource.

IMPORTANT:  Everyone has recently been sent a NEW voter ID card with your NEW district numbers that will go into effect January 2023, and for which candidates are running now. If you have misplaced it, you will want to call your county clerk and ask for your NEW congressional, state senate and state representative district numbers. Make note of them. These 3 numbers are the only ones you will need to maneuver the IFI 2022 Primary Voter Guide. All other races are statewide.

If you have misplaced your NEW voter ID card, click HERE for your county clerk’s phone number. Note: If you live in the city of Chicago, Bloomington, Aurora, Galesburg, Peoria, East St. Louis, Rockford, or Danville, call those city executive directors, which are also provided.

Click HERE to find out how your CURRENT state lawmakers voted on other issues not included in the IFI Voter Guide. Click HERE for your CURRENT district numbers.

Another great resource is ivoterguide.com which will be uploaded soon to provide more information not found in the IFI Voter Guide.

For the stark differences between Democratic and Republican Party Platforms, click HERE.


Support the IFI Voter Guide

We have been distributing the IFI 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.




Worldview Conference: Apostles of Wokeism or Disciples of Jesus Christ?

Please join the Illinois Family Institute for our annual Worldview Conference on February 26th at Village Church of Barrington. UPDATED: This year we are featuring two distinguished speakers who will expound on the lies and fearmongering that is sweeping throughout the world, including Dr. Everett Piper and Dr. Rob Rienow. (George Barna is not going to be able to make it.)

We know that God our Father and Creator is the God of the Universe, but in the Gospel of John, (12:31) we are told that Satan is currently “the ruler of this world,” and that he uses his position to wage war against us because we are created in the image of God. If he cannot destroy us, he will distract, derail or disable us with the world’s comforts, pomp, pleasures and cravings. Satan wants to lure us, our children and grandchildren away from the Father and His Word with false promises of power, fame, wealth and luxury possessions and tempts them with intoxicating substances, confusing “identities,” feelings, and experiences.

Second Corinthians 4:4 states that Satan has “blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” The enemy promotes false philosophies that blind unbelievers to the truth of the Gospel, imprisoning them in a fortress of his design. Only Christ can set these prisoners free.

Godless “agents of change” are working overtime in our government schools and through pop culture to create “Apostles of Wokeism.” They are not only dedicated to the cause of wokeism, but they are diligently cultivating future generations of devotees.

On the other hand, Christians are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ. Of course, this begins in our own homes. The question is, are we as dedicated as the Left is in passing on our faith and values? Do we understand how important it is to have a Biblical worldview and to root out our ill-informed or misinformed thinking on the issues of the day? Do we understand that the lies of the Left pose a serious threat not only to our own hearts, minds, and bodies and that of our children and grandchildren, but to speech rights, religious liberty, physical privacy, and public decency laws?

We must cultivate a Biblical worldview to warn our children and grandchildren of the snares, slings and arrows coming our/their way in this world. Proverbs 23:23 teaches us:

Buy truth, and do not sell it,
Get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

Therefore, we must inform our own thinking if we are to better equip our children and grandchildren to know, live, and love the Truth. We should encourage them to pursue Biblical wisdom, instruction and understanding as we pray fervently for them, asking God to protect them from deceptions of the father of lies.

One way to do this is to become better informed about pernicious trends of our culture and how we should respond. This is exactly why we host annual worldview events. We believe these opportunities to be vitally important.

Saturday, February 26, 2022 at Village Church of Barrington
1600 E. Main Street, Barrington, IL
$10 per person / $25 per family / Lunch is not included, but you may bring your own.
A list will also be made available for local eateries. 

Praise and Worship Pre-Session with Eliana Hartian: 9:15 AM —9:55 AM

Morning Sessions: 10:00 AM —12:00 PM

Session 1: Dr. Everett Piper: “The Religion of Wokeism”
Session 2: Dr. Everett Piper: “Truth: The Only Rebellion Left”

Afternoon Sessions: 1:00 PM — 3:00 PM

Session 3: Dr. Rob Rienow: “The Sufficiency of Scripture”
Session 4: Dr. Rob Rienow: “The Church, The Family, and the Kingdom of God”

Click HERE for more information about our speakers and a printable flyer.

For more information, or if you have questions, please call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.




Two Important Updates From IFI!

First, I wanted to let you know that this morning I spoke to one of the IFI board members about our end-of-year activities, challenges and opportunities. He asked if we’d met the $150,000 matching challenge for December, and I was happy to tell him that thanks to amazing people like you across Illinois (and the nation), we have now exceeded that goal–earlier than expected!  The response to this matching challenge has been fantastic and encouraging.

THANK YOU to all who contributed!

But we don’t have to stop there!  

Any donation given or mailed and postmarked by tonight (December 31st)
will benefit IFI’s critical work and ministry in 2022.

Second, that same board member called my attention to a little-known tax advantage that we have this year. While the increase in the standard deduction a few years back may have affected whether or not you itemize when filling out your tax forms, the IRS announced in September of this year some new incentives for charitable giving for 2021. Among those changes are two to note:

  1.   Even if you take the standard deduction, individuals may claim up to $300 per individual ($600 per married couples) for charitable contributions.
  1.  If you choose to itemize deductions, normally you are limited to a percentage of your adjusted gross income (up to 60%) that you may claim. For 2021, you are able to claim up to 100% of your adjusted gross income.

Since we are not tax attorneys, you may want to check with whoever prepares your tax returns.

This “bonus” opportunity seems be verified by this recent Wall Street Journal article titled “Making Year-End Donations? Get the Most Tax Bang for Your Charity Buck“:

Congress has made two key changes to enhance tax breaks for giving during the pandemic that expire after this year. One allows millions of taxpayers who wouldn’t normally get a tax break for donations to deduct up to $300 per single filer and $600 per married couple filing jointly. The other allows a full deduction this year for donors making gifts up to 100% of their income, instead of a partial one.

These changes, plus this year’s surge in the stock market and cryptocurrency values, make it a good time for charitably inclined taxpayers to focus on getting the most bang for their donation buck via tax-efficient moves.

In addition, the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis (WTHR) ran this segment recently:

This is an exciting challenge, a fantastic opportunity and a great reason to donate to your favorite charities! Of course, we hope IFI makes your list!

So, please help us usher in the New Year with a tax-deductible donation made today.

Your support will take us above and beyond our year end goal and will be added to the promised $150,000 match that a group of dedicated donors are sending in now. Yesterday’s donation totals put us over the top.

Thanks be to God.

Please join with us in praying that God would provide the resources, discernment and wisdom we need to move boldly into next year!

Thank you and Happy New Year!





2021 Matching Challenge Update

Dear Friends,

We’re almost there! Many of you have given sacrificially, and through December 31st these donations will be doubled up to $150,000 through the generosity of amazing supporters who agree with the work being done at 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 just over 2 days remaining in the year, we still need to raise a little more than $26,000!

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 Illinois Family Institute as our budget depends on receiving a significant portion of our support by December 31st.

As the nation waits for a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court this summer to see if the misbegotten Roe v. Wade will finally be overturned and once again allow the states to protect innocent life, we have a serious problem in Illinois. Over the past few years, state lawmakers have not only dismantled every abortion restriction on the books, but they have also passed a mandate to teach “comprehensive” sex education to students in government schools, including elementary schools. What better way to ensure the profits of abortion mills than to encourage young teenagers to engage in risky sexual behavior.

If that isn’t bad enough, “progressive” lawmakers are unremitting in advancing their agenda of changing America into a godless Marxist utopia. This past year we’ve seen parents across the nation protest the teaching of hate-America lessons through critical race theory (CRT). Over the past several years, Laurie Higgins has done an amazing job writing about this threat to students and the nation’s future.

Of course, any opposition to CRT is quickly labeled “racism” or “white privilege.” But we are immune to their feckless tactics. When we oppose the “LGBTQIA” agenda, we are called “homophobes.” When we assert that God made us immutably male and female, we are smeared as “transphobes.” When we boldly call out abortion as a holocaust, we are labeled “haters.” When we opposed Planned Parenthood’s sex education bill, we are falsely called “science deniers.”

This is why we launched our Rescuing our Children initiative this year. Students in public schools across the state and nation are being indoctrinated with godless ideologies. Leftists do not believe that Judeo-Christian values and Western civilization is worth defending. In fact, they are working to dismantle them because they believe they are the problem.

They are doing this in the classroom to ensure that their worldview is passed along to subsequent generations. They are also doing this in the legislatures in Springfield and Washington D.C., taking any ground they can to destroy the legacy of our Founding Fathers and our Christian faith.

That is why we need your help ending this year prepared to fight the battles of 2022. End-of-Year giving is an important time for us. Donations from moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas like you make up a large part of operating budget next year.

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





Four Days Left to Meet Our Challenge Match!

Thanks to your generous contributions we have raised a little more than 75 percent for our End of Year Matching Challenge Campaign. We have until midnight on Dec. 31st to raise the remaining 25 percent to reach our goal!

We cannot begin to express how deeply grateful we are to all the good people who have already contributed to this challenge. Illinois Family Institute cannot operate without your generosity and God’s providential care. Your prayers, notes of encouragement and financial support are heartening to the IFI board and our team. Your vote of confidence inspires us to continue the fight for truth, religious liberty, family, biblical sexuality and the sanctity of human life here in “deep-blue” Illinois.

Yet we need your help. Your tax-deductible contribution to IFI will help us enter 2022 equipped with the resources we need to stand boldly in the public square. In addition, we hope the matching challenge further incentivizes our supporters to contribute before the end of the year.

Next year will bring further attacks on religious liberty, parental rights, the lives of the preborn, and possibly a massive new effort to legalize assisted suicide here in Illinois. Your support of IFI will enable us to be a bold voice on these issues. In the media, churches, halls of government and places of business, we will fight for faith and family. We will continue to do so in the midst of state elites who are deeply hostile to the very existence of Judeo-Christian values and natural families. It is what we do. It is why we are here.

But we cannot do it without your help. Please double our ability to fight for you by giving today!

We cannot challenge the false and deceptive narratives of the godless Left with fearful, self-serving silence. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts us to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Similarly, the Psalmist reminds us to “be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Now is the time to toughen up and stop playing it safe. We must speak and act boldly, knowing that our mighty God stands with us!

We need your prayer covering and financial support!

If you haven’t 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 opportunity to stand with the only full-time, pro-family organization in Illinois!

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 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

P.S. Donations must be postmarked by December 31 in order to qualify as 2021 gifts. I will let you know after New Year’s Day if we meet our goal. Thank you again for your generous support!




Merry Christmas!




The JOY of Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Illinois Family Institute would like to wish all of our friends a very Merry Christmas!! Enjoy this special time of the year with your families.

Below I’ve included a Christmas essay by Chicago Pastor Thorin Anderson that proclaims the good news of our Savior, Jesus Christ, yet at the same time reminds us that the world is far from being ready to accept the Truth, that we all are sinners in need a Savior.

Two thousand years ago, the wise men sought to honor and serve Him. Will we?

Thank God for His Gift of Salvation through Jesus Christ,

David E. Smith
Executive Director
Illinois Family Institute


 

THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS
A Christmas essay by Rev. Thorin Anderson

What is the joy of Christmas? I expect we are all familiar with the biblical account of the angel’s announcement to the shepherds,

“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy. . . “

But have we forgotten what those tidings were?

Most of us relish the Christmas season but we may be only vaguely aware that while we decorate our houses and lawns, bake the pies and shop till we drop the real meaning of Christmas has somehow eluded us again (hence the perpetual new Christmas movie each year designed to help us rediscover it-again).

But rather than bothering to ask what’s missing, we’re willing to go along in the after-glow of Christmas’s past, singing about Santa and chestnuts roasting over the fire, rather than seeking the real thing, maybe because we’re afraid the real thing will reveal something that will make us uncomfortable.

Let’s recall what those tidings were to which the angel referred. He said, “Unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a SAVIOR who is Christ the Lord.” The advent of a Savior could mean only one thing: the human race is in need of saving!

This explains the animosity of so many, such as the ACLU, People for the American Way, and Americans for the Separation of Church and State, to the traditional Christmas story and music being presented in schools. And it explains why the untenable theory of evolution is being taught as fact in public schools. These people can tolerate anything but letting the “Divine foot in the door.” And they will never tolerate the “s” word (sin) being reintroduced into common vernacular. Never mind that every newspaper headline and newscast give overwhelming proof that we are in trouble, serious, heart-wrenching trouble.

The last thing most of us wish to deal with is the message that we need a Savior, especially in our politically correct times. Far better to let marriages collapse destroying the lives of children, to abort millions of accidentally conceived and unwanted children, to let inner city youth kill each other and space out on drugs, to bar the windows and avoid the streets at night than allow that we might not be so savvy after all. Kind of like why men don’t ask directions. Better to remain lost than to admit error.

This leaves us, of course, with a Christmas season filled with joy because, well, who knows!?! It just is, I guess. Maybe it’s all a sham, after all. We’re not permitted to suggest that one religion might have a message both unique and fulfilling. We can no longer claim that Christianity and Christmas are actually about the Creator who, having given His beloved creatures (us) liberty to choose or reject Him, entered His creation as one of us to fix what we broke by our bad choice, and to restore the relationship we had so callously betrayed and abandoned. But as long as we are in this state of denial, there can be no restoration. Most everywhere I go, I see Santas, lights, a myriad other decorations, and a few reminders of Christmas’s origins; but I see also the heavy hand of opposition.

The real joy of Christmas can only exist where people acknowledge the need of a Savior, and rejoice in His gift of restoration. Without Him all other celebrations of the season merely ring the bells of the cash register, and leave one feeling rather, uh, lost.




10 Day Count Down! More Than Halfway There…

I am excited to share some good news with you about the $150,000 matching challenge we wrote about two weeks ago: The response to this challenge has been encouraging, and we are making good progress toward meeting the goal before the end of the year. But we still have a way to go to achieve our lofty goal.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters – moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas of Illinois – we have raised close to 60 percent of our goal thus far.

We still need to raise approximately $64,000 over the next ten days in order to realize the full matching challenge.

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

The stakes in 2022 remain high — especially given the fact that it is a post-census election year in which every state lawmaker and constitutional officer will be on the ballot. And we don’t want to be sitting on the sidelines at a time when we will have a chance to flip one or two Congressional seats here in Illinois in a year that favors the Republicans. The IFI Voter Guide will play a critical part in educating voters on which candidates support our values and which candidate have (or will) go along to get along with the swampy establishment.

We know all too well that the Left doesn’t give up on their godless worldview or walk away from the battle. Despite poor approval ratings for their leaders, they are preparing to redouble their efforts in the 2022 election cycle to push their agenda in the media, through pop culture, in our government schools, and in our legislatures and courts.

If we can learn anything from the Left, it’s to be tenacious, persevering, fearless, and bold.

We must be prepared to counter their message with our message of hope and truth! Will you stand with us in 2022 and double the impact of your donation today?

We cannot compete against this evil with fearful, self-serving silence. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul exhorts the recipients, and us, to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” Similarly, the Psalmist reminds us, to “be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Now is the time to toughen up and stop playing it safe. We must speak and act boldly, knowing that we have a righteous cause and that Almighty God stands with us!

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.

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 in order 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 2021 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!




Double Your Donations to IFI in December!

I am so grateful for the support given to us by conservative Christian parents and grandparents from across the state and nation.

With a new year just around the corner, our team is ready for new challenges. Illinois Family Institute will remain as always on the front lines defending your values in 2022.

I want to remind you that we have a special opportunity as we prepare for the New Year!

A group of amazing donors have put forth a challenge: every gift given to IFI before December 31, 2021 will be DOUBLED up to $150,000!

This means before December 31, your gift of $75 is worth $150, $250 becomes $500, and $1000 will be $2000. This year-end challenge includes our largest matching campaign ever!

For almost three decades now, IFI has stood alone in boldly defending faith and family in the Land of Lincoln. The world of local conservative politics—political pundits, consultants, establishment members, and activists for other causes—constantly tell us that what matters most are fiscal issues. IFI is the only voice boldly upholding the truth in the public square that what matters most in public policy are the sanctity of life, the traditional family, and religious liberty.

We must stand together against the perversion that is intentionally being forced on our kids, especially on children who are stuck in government schools. Those who are responsible for this propaganda must be exposed and held accountable.

In the meantime, we must be just as tenacious in protecting and discipling our children in the faith as Leftists are in harming and indoctrinating our children. That’s why I am so thankful for you!

During the month of December, we are striving to meet our year-end goal. It is critically important that IFI be prepared to operate at full strength to continue to fight next year. Will you please consider a generous gift right now before we close the books on 2021?

Among our political and cultural adversaries are progressive groups that are well funded by billionaires who are deeply committed to maintaining the status quo—”the Chicago Way.” But Virginia voters recently shown us that we can win, when parents and other community members unite to oppose the false and divisive “woke” agenda.

We cannot do this without you! And there’s only two weeks left in 2021! When you make your gift today, and join us in this vital work, you can also add it to your tax deductions on your 2021 tax return!

Every child, every family, is worth it. Please, we hope to hear from you soon. No amount is too small. 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





2021 End-of-Year Matching Challenge

We are excited and very pleased to announce the 2021 end-of-year matching challenge! In an effort to help us raise $300,000 by the end of this month, a number of generous donors have offered to match donations to IFI all the way up to $150,000! 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.

Polarization isn’t usually a good thing when it comes to public policy and public education. In the super politically-correct environment that our culture is immersed in, however, it has helped clarify the big picture. In other words, it is easier to identify those who are intentionally calling good evil, and evil good, which includes those who call boys girls and girls boys. The agenda of our adversaries have never been so overt. As a result, more and more Americans are seeing through the lies and fearmongering. 

That is why it is so vitally important that we continue to work diligently at fulfilling the IFI mission to boldly bring a biblical perspective to public policy.

While the 102nd General Assembly finished their spring session on May 31st, you may be shocked to know that state lawmakers introduced more than 7,000 bills this year, 600 of which have passed both chambers and have been sent to Governor Pritzker’s office for his consideration.

One of those bills approved by Springfield leftists is a new law mandating female hygiene products in boys bathrooms in schools state wide. Specifically, female hygiene products are to be in “each bathroom of every school building” that are “open for student use in grades 4 through 12 during the regular school day.”

They also approved of the “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards,” which will infuse the assumptions of Critical Race Theory/identity politics/BLM into all teacher-training programs, 2. all Professional Education Licensing (PEL), and 3. indirectly into all public school classrooms. Yes, these teaching and leading standards will trickle down into classrooms statewide.

But perhaps the most troubling bill they passed this year is SB 818, the “Comprehensive” sex education for K-12. This bill was passed in the Illinois General in May along party lines.

This depraved law requires that highly objectionable sex “education” material be forced into government schools and into the impressionable minds of children as young as 5 years-old. The new law mandates that all public schools—including charter schools—align teaching in grades K-5 on “personal health and safety” with “National Sex Education Standards,” which are creations of the leftist organization SIECUS. And it requires all upper grade sex education to align with those same “standards.” Therefore, in order to understand what exactly Illinois children would be taught, Illinoisans must read—not just the bill—but also the National Sex Education Standards.

These “standards” can be updated without the approval or oversight of our state lawmakers, the new law requires that our schools teach them, even as they are rewritten, modified, and morally devolve.

This is why the Illinois Family Institute launched our Rescuing the Children initiative this year, one that urges church leaders, parents, and grandparents to get their precious children OUT of government indoctrination centers.

Let’s face it friends, left-wing ideologues have our children 30 plus hours a week to instill their godless beliefs on them through curricula, policies, and practices, while many Christian families neglect to pass on their Christian faith.

The Left is dedicated to diligently and intentionally making Apostles of Wokeism, while too many Christians neglect our call to make Disciples of Jesus Christ.

But it is not just the comprehensive sex-education and transgender agenda that pushed us over the edge. The overt brainwashing is wide-ranging, and includes Critical Race Theory, climate change, Black Lives Matter, a LGBT history mandate, Drag Queen Story Hour, hate-America history lessons,  pro-socialism, and pro-Sharia courses, not to mention Common Core math, etc.

This is perhaps our most important project to date. George Orwell wrote, “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” The only thing that will save us from leftist lies is truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.”

Jesus is the Truth and the Life.

What can be more important than equipping our children and grandchildren to know, live, and love the truth? Proverbs 23:23 exhorts us,

Buy the truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction and understanding.

If you and your family are still deciding which causes you will support at year’s end, please know that our campaign stretches through the end of the year. We hope and pray that Illinois Family Institute makes your final list! End-of-year giving is critical to us, as more than 30 percent of all charitable giving happens in December, and a third of that giving comes in the last three days of the year

Together, with your prayers and support, IFI will continue to work to uphold the life, family, and truth in the public square in Illinois. Thank you very much for your support.

Thank you for your support! We look forward to partnering with you in 2022 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 a total of $150,000 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




Our Annual Banquet Is Next Friday!

The Illinois Family Institute Faith, Family, and Freedom Fall Banquet will take place in less than two weeks, and we can hardly wait to welcome our special guest, Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer!

Please listen to this brief video to get a glimpse of the heart of Dr. Lutzer, a man whose every word and action is guided by his unwavering belief in the absolute truth of God’s Word and his love for God’s people.


Faith, Family and Freedom Fall Banquet
“We Will Not Be Silenced”

with special guest, Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer
Friday, October 29, 2021
The Carlisle
435 E Butterfield Rd.
Lombard, IL

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

Your attendance and support is essential to our success!

->Click HERE for an event flyer<-




IFI Offers Email Opt Out of Sensitive Content

Dear Pro-Family Friends,

As you know, IFI sometimes sends out articles that contain explicit information. We do not do this casually or thoughtlessly, and we always include a warning.

We send out such material in order to alert our subscribers and help them fully understand the truth of the culture war and how far down the slippery slope of immorality we have traveled. Parents, grandparents and clergy especially need to fully understand what lies are being advanced in the culture and what children are being exposed to by their peers, on social media, in pop culture or what many teachers present to them in the classroom.

Unfortunately, simply stating, for example, that children are being exposed to “controversial,” “offensive,” “objectionable,” or “pornographic” materials and ideas is insufficient. Unless we read with our own eyes the corrosive material liberal “educators” and “progressive” activists seek to expose our children to, we won’t fully grasp the egregiously perverse nature of the propaganda. And unless we fully grasp the evil nature of the underlying agenda, we will remain insufficiently motivated to act.

We understand, however, that not everyone wants to receive articles with graphic and offensive content. In order to respect those wishes, we have created a way for you to opt out of these particular emails that are intended for a mature audience.  (We strongly recommend anyone under 18 years of age opt out.)

ACTION: Click HERE to let us know if you want to opt out of email blasts containing sensitive and/or graphic content.

We hope and pray that you are outraged and moved to action.

We hope you will share this information with like-minded friends and neighbors.

We hope information conveyed in our articles motivates communities to confront boldly school administrators, teachers, and school boards if such materials or ideas inform classroom instruction.

We hope this information spurs pro-active efforts to prevent such resources and ideas from getting into classrooms.

And we hope this information inspires some of our readers to run for elected offices, including school boards.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

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

Gab – @ProFamilyIL
MeWe – @ProfamilyIL
Parler – @ILProFamily
Twitter – @ProFamilyIL
Facebook – Pro-Family Illinois
YouTube – ILFamilyInstitute