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Friend,
Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five
articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your
friends and church families.
 1. NC VALUES: Live with NC Values Vice President Julie Scott EmmonsWe are delighted to officially announce that Julie Scott Emmons is joining the team at NC Values Coalition as our new Vice President. Check out this week’s special edition of the Voice to catch our interview with the latest NC Values team member.
2. WSOC TV: Pastor argues against proposed non-discrimination ordinance in Harrisburg“A proposed non-discrimination ordinance is ruffling feathers in Harrisburg. Mary Perez drafted it in early January and sent it to all six municipalities in Cabarrus County. She presented it to the Harrisburg Town Council on Monday night.” “Pastor David Henderson of Venture Church in Harrisburg spoke out against it at Monday’s meeting. ‘I have some concerns regarding religious liberties,
about many of those are spelled out pretty well in the Constitution
and the First Amendment, as well as other protections that have been
there which I would think, if this ordinance is passed, would face
some stiff challenges from state legislation -- where it has not
passed,’ he said.”   
3. WBTV: Boone to consider LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections“The Town of Boone is considering passing LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections now that House Bill 142 has come to an end. An action item on the town council’s meeting agenda called for the council to consider an LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance.”
4. CAROLINA JOURNAL: Liberal activist group wants to make COVID voting rules permanent“One of the state’s most influential liberal activist groups wants to permanently install changes to voting rules implemented solely for the pandemic. On a conference call with volunteers around the state, leaders of Democracy North Carolina said one of their top priorities of the year is keeping laws intended to be temporary and only for the 2020 election. These include waiving some witness requirements on absentee-by-mail ballots. “We want to try to preserve the wins that we got last year,” said Tomas Lopez, executive director of Democracy North Carolina. The organization is formally nonpartisan but closely aligned with liberal policies.”
5. NEWSWEEK: California Churches Declare Victory, Plan Indoor Worship After Supreme Court Ruling“Some California churches have declared victory and are preparing to reopen indoor services this weekend after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the state's ban on religious gatherings. In a 6-3 decision, a divided Supreme Court on Friday night sided with religious rights in ruling that California cannot continue its ban on indoor church services that was put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. The court, in response to two lawsuits filed by the South Bay United Pentecostal Church and the Harvest Rock Church, said the state can still limit attendance to 25 percent capacity, but concluded that Governor Gavin Newsom's orders may have violated the Constitution's protection on free exercise of religion.”
 WEEKLY PRAYER: FAMILYLORD, we cry out to you as Father. You are a model of the love, mercy, and authority of the perfect parent. We thank you for modeling for us what every parent should strive for, and for creating this wonderful institution called family. LORD, we thank you for creating us with a basic nature designed to not be alone. You made us to desire the intimacy of relationships, and it is here where we experience joys indescribable: the joys of marriage, the joys of having children; the joys of seeing our children have children. What a blessing and mercy you gave us in the family! In it we find our first teachers, our first guardians, and our first authorities. LORD, we recognize how deeply you love your children, and how deeply it pains you when they go astray. Alongside our adoration and thanksgiving, we pray in confession--as individuals and as members of larger communities--over any sins we may have committed that undermine your beloved institution. Forgive us when we endanger your institution through selfishness and arrogance. Forgive our communities and nation for attempting to redefine some of the most basic and deepest parts of being human--being made male and female, having lifelong marriage vows and responsibilities, and having parental rights over educating one's children. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:12-17) Amen
Sincerely, North Carolina Values Coalition
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