Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at NDFA! There are many, many things that we are thankful for. Above all, we give thanks to God for His saving grace and His faithful hand on this ministry. We are deeply grateful for the blessings He provides and for all of you who make this work possible. May your day be filled with joy, fellowship, and the warmth of family and friends. Have a blessed and joyful Thanksgiving!
A HUGE Pro-Life Victory for ND!
I am thrilled to pass along great news about the protection of our pro-life laws here in ND! The ND Supreme Court ruled a few hours ago that the abortion ban protecting preborn children that was signed into law in 2023 is constitutional and must be upheld. This was essentially the “Trigger Law” put into place in 2007, which said abortions would no longer be allowed in ND after Roe v. Wade was struck down, as it was with the Dobbs case in 2022. However, as soon as that happened, pro-abortion groups took the state to court to block and overturn our law. They just lost!
So, what does this mean? It means that our state bans abortion in virtually all cases, with the only exceptions being rape and incest under 6 weeks pregnant, or to protect the life of the mother. Importantly, it also does not allow psychological conditions to be sufficient medical reasons for abortions, something pro-abortion groups have been pushing for.
After two years of court battles (including NDFA and allied orgs successfully fighting subpoenas associated with this case), the legislature’s overwhelming decision to protect life in our state was reaffirmed. We want to thank legislators for taking that important vote in 2007, Governor Hoeven for signing it into law, and also want to thank the ND Attorney General’s Office for fighting in court these past two years to protect the law.
While this is a huge win, we are nevertheless disappointed that 3 of the 5 justices decided against the law (they needed 4 to rule it unconstitutional). It’s an important reminder that even in a conservative, faith-based state like ours, nothing is guaranteed in public policy battles. For that reason, NDFA is committed to keep fighting on your behalf in the political arena to defend your deeply held beliefs. But for now, we thank the Lord for his provision and celebrate this important victory!
Be Careful What You're Thankful For
Quick Note: There are a lot of worthy organizations seeking your donations this time of year, and we also greatly appreciate your financial support. We will be sending our donation mailer on Monday, December 8th, so watch for it to show up in your mailbox sometime that week. It will give you a chance to donate to North Dakota Family Alliance and help support the work we undertake in the halls of Bismarck and across ND, protecting your deeply held values. Remember to look for our logo with the blue state outline and Bison inside to make sure your dollars stay in North Dakota!
A week from today is already Thanksgiving. I’m not sure if that brings warm feelings or dread of the holiday season, but let’s talk about giving thanks right now.
I am personally thankful for many things. First and foremost, I am thankful for salvation in Christ. I am very thankful for a loving wife, amazing kids, and for living in this wonderful state. I am also thankful for Godly men and women who serve us in the state legislature and Congress. I am thankful for our Legislative Academy that helps train ND legislators on how to best integrate their faith and values into their political life. And I am very thankful for you, our faithful ministry partners around the state.
As Americans, we have a lot to be thankful for as well. We live in a country founded on Biblical principles, which is a huge blessing. We have a society where hard work produces commensurate rewards, virtually unrestricted religious freedom exists, respectful dialogue happens around contentious issues, Christianity is respected by nearly all, and societal norms have been shifting more toward Biblical values over the past decades.
Really? Reread that last sentence. In a limited sense, perhaps all those aforementioned items exist in some form, and we should certainly thank God for them. However, many of those statements are already mostly untrue, and the others are slipping away at an ever-increasing rate. The ending to “I am thankful for...” on these issues could soon become moot. They could be gone far faster than you or I can imagine.
We see girls on sports teams competing with boys who “identify as a girl,” and these same boys identifying as girls are casually pushing their way into the opposite sex’s locker room facilities. The news broadcasts almost daily how another company, public figure, church, or other entity has sacrificed Biblical values on the altar of political correctness. We see bakers, photographers, florists, retailers (e.g., Hobby Lobby), and other business owners having to fight all the way to the Supreme Court to defend their religious freedoms, and I’ve personally heard from business leaders right here in our state about the pressure on them to capitulate to the “new order”.
Hard work no longer guarantees commensurate rewards you can keep. The Left and the Right bicker on seemingly every issue. Chemical abortions via Mifepristone and misoprostol are more common than ever and are happening under our noses at an alarming rate. This is sadly even true within our own state, which has banned abortion in nearly all circumstances (although our current law is in limbo as we await a final judgement from the ND Supreme Court).
Why am I giving you this litany of things that are going wrong? For three reasons. First, I want to highlight that the freedoms we still possess in these areas are a precious thing, and once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. In other words, be thankful for what you have.
Second, I want you to be painfully aware that we are not going in the right direction on these issues as a nation. Further, we may live in what is overall a conservative and bible-honoring state, but we are not insulated from these issues. We see them every day in our work – they’re coming, or in some cases, they are already here.
Finally, I want to ask for your help in upholding these fundamental beliefs and values that make us who we are as God-honoring North Dakotans. In the next few weeks, you will be getting a letter talking about our organization’s need for funding, where we will also give you the details on our dollar-for-dollar match for all year-end giving. We exist 100% from your generous donations, and we want to keep it that way, so that we are accountable solely to you and your Biblical beliefs. I would ask you to please consider donating as you see these requests. If you’re interested in giving early, you can click the “donate” box or mail a check to our address, both shown below (1:1 match will still be applied to your gift). We thank you for considering us for your year-end giving this year!
You're Invited! Christmas Sing-Along at the Capitol on Thursday, Dec. 4th at Noon
Please join us for a joyful Christmas Sing-along as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Gather with family and friends inside the Capitol’s beautifully decorated Memorial Hall, adorned with a breathtaking Christmas tree and lights radiating the warmth of this special season. We’ll lift our voices in timeless hymns and carols that tell the story of God’s hope, peace, and love. Come ready to sing, rejoice, and share in the true meaning of Christmas.
This special event is co-hosted by North Dakota Family Alliance and North Dakota National Day of Prayer.
If you would like to help with promoting this event, we have posters, bulletin inserts, and social media graphics available for that purpose. Please reach out to us, and we will get you what you need. Or use this link to RSVP to the event and share it on Facebook. There are still some volunteer opportunities available, so please let us know if you’d like to serve.
Questions can be addressed to:
Mark Jorritsma: 701-355-6425, mark@ndfamilyalliance.org
Ruth Jorritsma: 701-955-2485, jorritsma@midco.net
We hope to see you there!
A Special Early Christmas Gift from NDFA
There are so many circumstances that can divert our attention away from Christ and point us toward the things of this world, which is why we’re so thankful for you and your support of our efforts to advance Faith, Family, and Freedom in North Dakota!
As a small token of our appreciation and an early Christmas gift from NDFA, we have worked out a volume discount deal with RightNow Media to give all of you access to thousands of biblically-based video resources. NDFA has been using their resources for years and also wanted to make them available to you, our ministry partners. A generous donor helped underwrite a group membership rate, so there is no cost to you if you choose to participate.
Resources available to you as part of this service include videos from well-known Christian authors, Bible study materials, and amazing children’s videos. Videos feature well-known speakers such as John Maxwell, Dr. Henry Cloud, Louie Giglio, Jennie Allen, and Max Lucado. Topics include:
marriage
parenting
friendships
mental health
finances
grief, and much more
There is absolutely no obligation to use this service. Further, neither RightNow Media nor NDFA ever shares your information, and neither organization tracks which specific resources you are utilizing. This is a no-strings-attached gift, because we want to show our appreciation for all your support these past years.
You can access their website and start exploring these faith-building resources by going to our NDFA landing page HERE. We’ve highlighted some of our favorites for you, but you can always use the Browse button in the upper left-hand corner to search for something specifically. We want you and your family not just to survive, but to thrive. We pray this is a tangible way to help you do that. Merry Christmas from NDFA!