Ticket Sales End May 1st for NDFA's 2026 Faith, Family, and Freedom Dessert Gala!

The 2026 Faith, Family, and Freedom Dessert Gala hosted by North Dakota Family Alliance is coming up soon! The Gala will be on Tuesday, May 5th at 7:30 pm at the Fargodome. Our keynote speaker for the event will be Steve Green, with special music provided by Capstone Classical Academy Choir!

Tickets are still available at $75 for a limited time HERE.
For table sponsorships, please call 701-355-6425
Seats are filling up fast! Get tickets while you can!
Ticket sales end May 1st.

About Steve Green

President of Hobby Lobby / Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Museum of the Bible / Celebrated Author of Multiple Books

Steve Green became President of Hobby Lobby in 2004, and helped to grow the family business to more than 1,000 stores in 48 states, employing over 46,000 people with over $8.3 billion in annual sales in 2025. He speaks on business and philanthropy, focusing on how his faith intersects with his life endeavors.

As Chairman of the Board of the Museum of the Bible, Steve has assembled a team of academics, designers, technology professionals, and other experts to create the 430,000-square-foot museum, dedicated to a scholarly and engaging presentation of the Bible's impact, history, and narrative. The museum opened in November 2017 in Washington, DC, near the U.S. Capitol, and saw approximately one million visitors during its first year.

 Green is the author of Faith in America (2011), The Bible in America (2013), and This Beautiful Book (2019) and co-author of This Dangerous Book (2017) with his wife, Jackie. Steve and Jackie have been married for over 41 years and reside in Oklahoma City. They have a son, five daughters, a daughter-in-law, three sons-in-law, and twelve grandchildren. They are active in their local church and support many Christian charities.

About Capstone Classical Academy Choir

Capstone Classical Academy Choir is comprised of singers from Capstone Classical Academy, the new Classical Christian School in Fargo, ND. Many of these 6th through 10th-grade scholars participate in the NDHSAA Regional and State Music Vocal Contests as soloists and ensemble members and have earned the highest ratings of achievement at these events. The Choir is under the direction of Aaron Zinter, who teaches both Choral Music and Mathematics at Capstone.

We look forward to welcoming Steve to North Dakota, and hope you’ll make plans to join us at the 2026 Faith, Family, and Freedom Dessert Gala!

PS: If you're interested in sharing this event with your friends, family, or others, we've attached the 8.5 x 11 event poster HERE for you to use.

Let Us Not Grow Weary

by Jacob Thomsen

Every Monday at NDFA, we begin the week with a devotional, prayer, and a time to discuss what is coming up. This past Monday, Marit presented a devotional on perseverance, and it resonated deeply with me.

I’ve always been a sports guy, if you couldn’t tell, and I firmly believe that sports directly correlate to life and our Christian faith. They are a great equalizer, bringing people from every background together to attempt to achieve a common goal. I’ve played sports my whole life, and I certainly recognize that some of the greatest achievements, in sports and life, come through perseverance.

For the golf fans out there, you’ll know that this past weekend was The Masters Tournament. This is the most exclusive and prestigious golf event of the year, and for many of us, it signifies that now is officially the time to get back out on the course (provided there is no snow on the ground). This year’s finish was a tremendous example of perseverance.

Rory McIlroy held the largest lead in Masters history going into the third round, which is no small feat on what is well known as a very difficult course. He entered the fourth, and final round in the lead, but quickly fell all the way to a tie for fourth place about a third of the way through his round.

Despite past struggles and the immense pressure of the moment, he fought back to the lead and ultimately won by a single stroke. On a stage such as this, given the circumstances, it was a remarkable display of perseverance.

Another example of perseverance in sport is a bit more personal. As many of you know, I played college football for 5 seasons at the University of Mary here in Bismarck. This was one of the most challenging things I have done in my life.

Early on, one of my closest friends left the team and moved away. I was also three and a half hours away from my girlfriend, and the physical and mental demands were unlike anything I had experienced. To make matters worse, we also didn’t win very much – a total of 3 games through my first two seasons.

There were plenty of moments when quitting felt like the easiest option. I could work more hours at my job, I could have a schedule that was far more open, I could have more fun, frankly, and I could avoid the constant pressure and expectations that came with being part of the team. There were many late-night phone calls with my mom, lamenting the problems that I had throughout my time playing college football.

Deep down, though, I knew something important: quitting would have been easy, which is exactly why it wasn’t the right choice. President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…” I have found that statement to be remarkably true. In football, I grew greatly in perseverance, built lifelong friendships, and experienced something that shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time.  

In the book of James, chapter 1, verse 12 says, “blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” When we persevere through trials out of our love for Him, we bring Him glory.

This same principle applies beyond just sports. It also applies directly to the work we do in public policy. Throughout the process of getting bills passed that advance our Biblical values, there are many points at which it would be ten times easier to just throw in the towel and quit. Especially when it gets to the point where you must fight for every single inch. Just like Teddy said, though, nothing worth doing is easy.

I would argue that everything NDFA fights for is worth it. From the sanctity of life to the protection of the family, every bill we engage in today will affect North Dakotans for generations to come. This is why perseverance is not optional. We must remain steadfast, continuing to do what is right even when it is difficult. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up,” Galatians 6:9.

Let this be an encouragement to you in your own life and faith. Whatever trials you may face, do not grow weary in doing good. Perseverance is rarely easy, but it is always worthwhile.

Do You Know Who My Father Is?

I was talking with one of our board members not long ago, and she mentioned that I seemed to feel comfortable “marketing” NDFA. She thought it was great that I didn’t hesitate to ask ministry partners for financial support, legislators for votes, public policy leaders to speak at our conferences, etc. I thanked her but had to admit to myself that sometimes it was hard to “get going” on these things. However, she was mostly correct, and much of it now comes naturally. I have my parents to thank for that.

When I was young, I had to work to get money for things I wanted to buy. There was no allowance or way to work at my dad’s place of business to earn money, although, in the interest of full disclosure, he would give me a little money for filing his sermons and notes each year (he subscribed to the pile method of filing). Nevertheless, Mom and Dad wanted me to earn my own money. How did you do that in the 1970s? By selling door-to-door.

Keep in mind that this was before parents recognized the potential dangers of sending their child into the wilds of the neighborhood unaccompanied and without means of electronic tracking. Then again, we also rode without seat belts, settled arguments with fist fights at recess, and drank from the garden hose on hot summer days. What can I say? It was either a time period marked by tougher kids, less informed decision-making on the part of parents, or maybe some combination of those.

So off I went at the ripe age of 9 to sell various items door to door, and I sold the most diverse items you can imagine. At one time or another I sold greeting cards, wrapping paper, light bulbs, air fresheners, 5-gallon buckets, jewelry, corn, and many other critical household items I no longer remember. However, one item was particularly unique: the Psalter Hymnal used by the Christian Reformed Church.

My father, a pastor serving one of the local Christian Reformed churches, thought it would be a good idea for me to peddle hymn books. While this might seem strange, it actually made some sense. We lived in a small town, populated with families of Dutch descent who were members of either Reformed or Christian Reformed denominations, so it was a pretty good bet that their church used the hymnal. Nevertheless, I can understand today why some households didn’t want to own their own precious copy of the hymnal.

Selling door-to-door taught me many things, but two critical things were: how to face rejection, and how to turn rejection into an opportunity whenever possible. If the person at the door declined to buy a hymnal, I would casually ask them, “Do you know who my father is?” I sold an unprecedented number of hymnals that way, snatching a refused sale from the jaws of defeat. It worked great, until my parents heard what I was up to. The hymnal sales ended abruptly, and I was told sternly to move on to selling other items.

That little phrase, “Do you know who my father is?” was like sending in the cavalry at the last minute before defeat. Nobody wanted the news to get around that they didn’t buy a Psalter Hymnal from the preacher’s son. Looking back, I can only imagine all the hymnals in people’s homes covered with a layer of dust as evidence of being blackmailed by a 9-year-old. To all who bought a hymnal, thank you. For those of you who bought one out of guilt, I really thank you.

While talking with my board member, that phrase, “Do you know who my father is?” came to mind. As I reflect on it, I was indirectly telling them that my father was going to hold them accountable in some way for not making the purchase (Poor seats for the service? Higher tithing levels?).

My father passed away a number of years ago, so today the question would mean something very different. It would be asking, “Do you know who my Heavenly Father is?”  That’s the more important version of the question.

As with much of life, public policy gets at the values held by those practicing it. In NDFA’s case, that’s biblical values. Asking who our father is explains who has our back. The one who protects, encourages, and disciplines us. The one who pushes us on to greater things and challenges us. For NDFA, that is our Heavenly Father. He would not want NDFA to purport to represent biblical values, but then twist someone’s arm to donate, speak at a conference, attend events, or anything else we do. We know who our Father is, and trusting His care is what matters.

So what happened to those leftover Psalter Hymnals? I honestly don’t know. They were probably lost in one of our family moves, but I hope that someone out there found a dusty box with a few hymnals in it and decided to page through one of them. I hope it made a difference in his life. But perhaps best of all, it was free, compliments of my Father.

Infinite Life Lived in Infinite Speed

I have a song on my iPhone where the lyrics include the line, “infinite life lived in infinite speed”. The song is generally about what a beautiful world we have and how we need to pay attention and appreciate it. OK, the song seems like it could have come straight from a ‘70’s love-in, but for some reason I like it regardless. While it’s a very nice, smooshy song, this line has never seemed to feel quite right. While I’m sure the purpose is to encourage us to appreciate the world around us because life passes so quickly, the line actually makes me a bit sad.

For those of us who have lived our fair share of decades, I think we understand how life moves quickly. I mentioned to Ruth recently that a whole piece of our lives passed in the blink of an eye – mostly the years our kids lived at home (don’t worry kids, we still love you). The frenetic pace at which days turn into weeks, which turn into months, and eventually turn into years is only fully appreciated looking backwards. Kierkegaard is quoted, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” There is much truth to that.

So, back to the song lyrics. I think as Christians, we certainly believe we have infinite lives, insofar as we are eternal beings who live on after our physical death. That part makes sense, but the living at “infinite speed” is more difficult. In some sense, if you live an infinite life, you are automatically living at infinite speed (this concept will give you a headache if you think about it too long). However, regardless of whether we are actually living at infinite speed, I don’t think it’s something I would want.

It seems to me that we are not called as Christians to operate at infinite speed, but rather, to shed the frenetic pace of this world and take a step back. We are called to be grounded in such a way that the world spinning around us matters, but does not ultimately matter. You and I should be standing back from all our worries, and as C.S. Lewis puts it, “coming in out of the wind.”

Some time ago, our pastor read Lamentations 3:28 from The Message, a biblical paraphrase (i.e., not a translation). It says, “When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence.” I like the image of entering God’s silence. That is where we listen and learn and become at peace.

In the world of public policy, there is plenty of spinning at a breakneck pace and lots of distractions to keep us from grounding ourselves. During a typical legislative session, things become crazy at NDFA, trying to keep up with identifying bills, creating testimony, presenting at hearings, talking with legislators, and much more. But the challenge is to “enter the silence” of God’s plan for us.

Our organization is first and foremost there to represent your biblical values. Most of the time it’s through all the aforementioned mechanisms, but sometimes it’s simply taking a few minutes to talk with a legislator or colleague who seems to be going through a rough time. Perhaps it’s striking up a conversation with those in a hearing room who are there to testify against our position. Maybe it’s as simple as taking a few seconds and talking with the security officers at the Capitol entryway.

Let me close with this story. A few sessions ago, I was busy testifying on our many bills, and something odd happened. After a number of hearings, it began to register to me that the same lady often sat in the back of the hearing room when I testified. In fact, sometimes she was nearly the only person present besides the committee members and me. But here’s the strange part – she never got up and testified or interacted with the proceedings.

Well, my curiosity finally got the better of me, and eventually I went over and introduced myself. Of course, I asked her why she was at the hearings but hadn’t testified or gotten involved in any other way. Her answer? “I sit in the back and pray while you testify”. Wow. That stopped me in my tracks. Suddenly, I was pulled out of the wind and forced to enter the silence that was there all along, but which I was neglecting in my rushed political work.

We all have times when life spins around us and can seem a bit overwhelming, especially during those busy “kid years”. I’m here to tell you that it truly does pass in the blink of an eye, as many older folks always tried to tell us. We can seem to run at infinite speed sometimes, but let’s work at stepping back and “entering the silence” God gives us. So, if you see me hurrying around the Capitol during session, stop me and ask if I’ve entered His silence. I need the reminder.

Our next interview: Rep. Vicky Steiner

We are very excited to present to you our eighth legislator interview. Our purpose in doing legislator interviews is so that you can better get to know the legislators representing you, from both a personal and legislative perspective.* 

For our eighth interview, we decided to visit with Representative Vicky Steiner from District 37. Most recently, she has served on the House Finance and Taxation and Government and Veterans Affairs Committees. We know you'll enjoy learning more about her compassion, her zeal for protecting our children, and much more.

You can watch the interview HERE.