Parenting is crucial to family success!
NDFA always likes to highlight resources that can help strengthen families. Recently, we’ve had several of you reach out to us for recommendations about in-person parenting classes available in our state. These types of classes are difficult to find in ND, so our first Resource Highlight has information provided by RezilientKidz about their parenting program that is being successfully utilized in other states and could fill an important need right here in ND.*
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The Raising Highly Capable Kids Program
Raquel, a single mother of five, heard about the Raising Highly Capable Kids (RHCK) parenting program through her local rescue mission. She was taking the classes as part of her rehabilitation program. For Raquel, RHCK made a huge difference in her life. “This morning, I asked my 8-year-old son to get some water from the dispenser in the hallway. When I realized he wasn’t back, I got up to check on him. When I came into the hallway, I found him lying on the floor crying. I asked him, ‘Why are you crying and why are you on the floor?’ Without looking at me, he said in a fearful voice, ‘I spilled the water, and I know you will get so mad at me.’ For the first time in my life, I realized I had been too aggressive with my children. I sat on the floor with him and said, ‘It’s okay. It’s just water. I’m not mad, and I will help you clean it up.’ My son was shocked. ‘Mommy, you’ve changed,’ he said, ‘and I really like it.’ I’m genuinely thankful for the Raising Highly Capable Kids program because it has changed me forever. I want to be a better and more patient mother to all my children.”
RezilientKidz, an educational nonprofit founded in 2011, provides the Raising Highly Capable Kids curriculum to schools, churches, nonprofits, court systems, and any other group who wants to help parents get better at parenting. Based on the 40 Developmental Assets, RHCK is a 13-week, evidence based, parent engagement program that provides parents with the essential tools to nurture healthy, caring, and responsible children. Parents listen to presentations, hold discussions, and engage in activities to help them apply what they learn in their own homes.
First proposed by Search Institute, the 40 Developmental Assets include building blocks like support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, wise use of time, positive identity, and a commitment to learning. Since 1958, Search has done research on more than 6 million children and each study finds that the more Assets a child has in their life, the stronger and more resilient they are. Through the RHCK course, parents add Assets into their own lives, and as a result, their children begin to emulate their behavior. This course has now been taken by more than 42,000 parents nationwide, helping them devise strategies for instilling these characteristics in their children.
Organizations can either purchase the training and materials through the RezilientKidz store or they can apply for a grant which covers the cost of training those who will facilitate the program and all the Leader and Participant Guides they need for free for the first 18 months. Results of the digital post-course survey find that 95% of participants say the RHCK course has strengthened their relationship with their children. They also consistently see increased GPAs in areas where it has been implemented.
If you want to help families in your community learn the skills they need to raise positive, strong, confident kids, please reach out to team@rezilientkidz.com, or for more information, visit rezilientkidz.com.
Here is a link to a brief testimonial –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5ojy405ISo
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We hope that the RHCK program can become another tool to help North Dakota parents strengthen their families!
Thank You For Voting Your Biblical Values
The nation has spoken. Democracy has again proved its worth in allowing every resident of North Dakota the sacred privilege to speak through their ballot. Thank you for voting your biblical values, it truly made a difference! I would also like to thank the many pastors who encouraged their congregations to vote. Seeing the church engage more fully in public policy gives me great hope for the future.
We’re thrilled that Measure 5 failed, thereby allowing North Dakotans to continue to thrive in communities free of legalized recreational marijuana use. We’re excited for our endorsed candidates, Senator Diane Larson of District 30 and Representative Dan Johnston of District 24, who successfully won their seats. We also celebrate many other wins by pro-life and pro-family candidates in the state Senate and House, as well as allies such as Kevin Cramer, Julie Fedorchak, and Kelly Armstrong.
So, what now? Now we move forward. We continue to work together to encourage legislators on both sides of the aisle to enact legislation that honors God, upholds religious freedom, cherishes life, and allows all our families to thrive. Thank you for your faithful support and please pray with us for all those who represent us, that God may guide their footsteps and that His will be done in all matters.
32 Million Christian Regular Churchgoers Projected to Not Vote this November
Have you already voted via absentee ballot? Or perhaps you’re waiting to proudly vote in person on Tuesday, November 5th? Or are you possibly one of the 32 million self-identified Christians who regularly attend church but won’t cast their ballots at all?
Unfortunately, according to a new national survey released 10/7/24 by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, which is led by Dr. George Barna, that statistic is a reality. The survey reveals that voter enthusiasm is significantly lower than in 2020 due in large part to “the public’s distaste for both major-party candidates”. Other reasons cited for Christians’ lack of interest in voting include public dissatisfaction with government in general and the widespread concern that the election results will be engineered by illegal, behind-the-scenes schemes and voting by illegal immigrants.
The data also reveals that a sizeable number of Christian churches (36%) don’t even want to encourage congregants to vote, and many are pointedly avoiding speaking out about key social issues that influence which candidates their parishioners will support (32%).
Dr. Barna found that “about 1 out of every 6 likely non-voters said they would probably vote if their church taught them that voting is a biblical responsibility for every Christian.” If 32 million Christians who were not planning to vote were activated by their church body to vote in November, that could potentially change the outcome of an election as the difference between Biden and Trump in 2020 was a mere 7 million votes. As Barna noted, “…the 32 million Christians sitting in the pews each week who refuse to vote are a gamechanger. It’s low hanging fruit for pastors as they try to motivate those congregants to carry out their civic duty and honor God through their influence for things that matter in our culture.”
Where is the good news in all of this? November 5th is not here yet! You still have time to encourage your friends and family to get out and vote! If you are blessed to lead a flock of believers, you still have the opportunity to spur your congregation on to activate their biblical citizenship and remind them not to take this hard-won privilege for granted. If you aren’t sure what you can safely say from the pulpit, please reference this article. Our boldness to motivate others to do their biblical duty and vote will undoubtedly impact the outcome of the 2024 election!
Why Measure 5 Is A Bad Idea
I’m tired of hearing about recreational marijuana, and I bet you are as well. It comes up as ballot measures, such as Measure 5 on this November’s ballot. It has been introduced multiple times during legislative sessions. The media pushes it relentlessly and those who would see North Dakota fully legalize it continue to wage war by pouring millions of dollars into ND from out-of-state. After a while, you feel like just throwing up your hands and saying, “OK, it is inevitable anyway, let’s just get it over with."
I could go into a long litany of the harmful effects of recreational marijuana. It is addictive and has adverse effects on mental health and intelligence. Driving while acutely intoxicated with marijuana greatly increases the risk of fatal motor vehicle collisions, and states with legal use of recreational marijuana have seen substantial increases in marijuana related DUIs. The lack of reliable testing methods is a direct threat to workplace safety. And the list goes on. Our organization agrees that these effects pose an undeniable danger and more than outweigh any purported benefit the other side would have us believe, not to mention mistreats our bodies from how God intended. We are proud to stand against Measure 5 with allies such as the North Dakota Medical Association, North Dakota Hospital Association, Mandan Police Department, Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office, North Dakota Petroleum Council, North Dakota Association of General Contractors, North Dakota Motor Carriers, North Dakota Farmers Union, and North Dakota Catholic Conference.
Of course, those on the other side of the issue have their own arguments, from comparing legalized recreational marijuana use to legalized alcohol consumption, to noting that almost half of all states (including DC and Guam) have decriminalized it. Apparently, North Dakotans are just “sticks-in-the-mud” and are still living in the 1950s. We need to be like the “cool kids” and participate.
You’ve heard all of this and more. But I want you to focus on something a bit different. Almost all of you are parents, and some of you are even blessed to be grandparents. I want you to focus on your children and grandchildren for a moment.
Proponents of Measure 5 would argue that the ballot measure only legalizes the possession of recreational marijuana for those 21 years old and older, which is true. Based on state law, do you know what the legal age is for drinking in North Dakota? 21 years old. Purchasing cigarettes? 21 years old (federal). Viewing pornography or explicit “girly magazines”? 18 years old (federal).
Now, I’m sure your kids and grandkids generally make good decisions, but can you honestly say that they have never done nor will ever do any of the aforementioned activities while underage? Closer to home, how many of you can claim you never drank any alcohol at an age when it was illegal? So, the argument that legalized marijuana will only be more available and used by those over the age of 21 is simply untrue.
Growing up can be difficult, especially during the teen years. Our children and grandchildren are precious, and we would do anything for them. How about something simple, like voting “No” on Measure 5 in the next election and eliminating one more possible enticement for them. Yes, we’re all getting tired of hearing about the issue, but think of it this way. If you would be willing to risk your life or sell your possessions to protect your children, then being tired is a poor excuse for not voting to protect them from legalized marijuana. Make the right choice for the next generations of North Dakotans. Make this decision part of a legacy you’ll be proud to hand off to them someday.
Reflecting on our first Legislative Academy
by Jacob Thomsen
This past weekend we held our very first Legislative Academy. It was remarkable to see all of the legislators and candidates who came to listen and learn from our fabulous speakers. Everyone in attendance who gave us feedback said it was an incredibly valuable event. We were honored to be able to do something like this, thanks to our generous donors!
We brought in Dr. Mark David Hall, who did a great job teaching us about our founding and its true Christian roots. His education and experience were second to none. His talk was entitled “Did America Have a Christian Founding? Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth.” We recorded his talk for all of you and it is available at this link.
We also had the great privilege of being joined by Autumn Leva, Senior Vice President of Strategy for Family Policy Alliance and media/communications expert. She conducted media training for our legislators, which was an exceptional resource for everyone in the room. She also gave one-on-one media training to multiple attendees, and I had the opportunity to experience that as well. She put us all in the “hot seat” and grilled us with tough questions to see how we would do under pressure from aggressive media. I regret to inform you that I am no Ronald Reagan in front of the camera, but the good news is that I know what not to do!
We heard from several speakers about many other issues: family, life, education, religious liberty, agriculture, and energy. We were also privileged to learn from two former legislators, Kim Koppelman and Terry Jones. They presented some very helpful thoughts and wise advice, based upon their decades of serving North Dakotans in the state legislature.
As I sat in the back of the room, listening to the speakers and watching our legislators and candidates take it all in, there was a verse that came to my mind. When Kim and Terry spoke, they both mentioned that it was never their goal to run for office. They were called to it. I know that is the story for many of the people that were in the room as well. The verse that came to mind is from Isaiah 6:8. “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”
We are blessed to have numerous Christians serving as legislators within North Dakota’s Capitol. While many of them never set out to become state legislators, they all answered the call that the Lord had on their lives for our state. I admire them for this. Stepping into a calling isn’t always the easiest task. I’ve seen the legislative process in this state and know for a fact that this calling is not for the faint of heart, so whenever you get the chance, please thank your legislators.
NDFA is blessed to be uniquely positioned to serve as a valuable educational resource to our legislators and candidates. We can help prepare them for their work in the state legislature with an event like the Legislative Academy, and God willing, we will continue to prepare Christian legislators for generations to come.
This was a remarkable event, and we would not have been able to do it without you, so thank you so much for your financial support!