| Welcome to the Family Beacon, your source for news and commentary on life, family, and religious freedom in Minnesota and beyond! This week: If this message was forwarded to you, sign up here to get pro-life, pro-family news every week. |
|
|
| Podcast: Governor Walz's Education Plan is a CRT Roadmap | S2 E3 |
|  | This week your hosts discuss early rumors about the 2024 election before diving into CRT in Minnesota schools. Progressives claim that CRT isn’t present in public schools–but that claim couldn’t be further from the truth. Tune in to learn about Governor Walz’s Education Roundtable which calls for “antiracist” education and is already implemented in our state’s public schools. Every child deserves to know the truth about America’s history, to be affirmed in their potential to achieve great things, and to be taught that their classmates are their equals. If we sow resentment and bitterness among young people we will only reap the reward that proponents of CRT desire– a perpetual cycle of discrimination. Get the podcast: |
| | |
|
| Florida's Fatherhood Bill Aims to Bless Fathers Across the State |
|  | By Luke Mueller Rob Kenney, creator of the “Dad, how do I?” YouTube channel, grew up without a father. Without a dad, Rob struggled to complete everyday tasks because he had no one to teach him. In response to this, he made it his mission to become a virtual father to millions of kids across the globe, teaching them how to shave, jumpstart a car, and live with integrity. Rob is an excellent example of why we need to help fathers step up to the plate. Florida’s recent “Responsible Fatherhood” bill will help fathers play a more positive role in their families in the years to come. The Responsible Fatherhood bill aims at providing educational training and mentorship programs for fathers to strengthen their involvement in the home. The bill was signed into law on April 11th, after receiving unanimous support in both the Florida House and Senate. Proponents of the bill reasoned that fathers should be supported because of the impact they can have on children. In a tweet after signing the bill into law, Governor Ron DeSantis cited that kids without fathers are two times more likely to drop out of school, and boys without fathers are three times more likely to end up in prison. These facts are reason enough to promote responsible fatherhood, but let’s look deeper. The importance a mother in a child’s life is undeniable, but mothers and fathers both have different and crucial roles to play. While a mother may console and nurture a child, a father encourages him or her to reach higher and try more. Fathers prepare children for the real world by lovingly reminding children about the consequences of their actions. Perhaps more importantly, good fathers act as role models in their children’s lives, showing them how to respect others. Both mothers and fathers are instrumental in a child’s life, a fact made incredibly clear in God’s Word. |
| | |
|
| Minnesota’s 1st District Candidates Attract Fundraising, Controversy |
|  | | By Luke Mueller The race to replace the late Representative Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) is a crowded one. Since the special election was announced, some twenty candidates have officially made their bid for office. Minnesota Congressional District #1 (CD1) has often been a close race, and it has the potential to be close again after the passing of Rep. Hagedorn on February 18th. Although the district leans Republican, Hagedorn narrowly won by half of a percentage in 2018. With expectations of another close race, donors have pumped over $1 million to fuel individual campaigns on both sides. The most well-known candidate on the Republican side is Jennifer Carnahan, Rep. Hagedorn’s widow, and former Minnesota GOP Chairwoman. A recent straw poll gave Carnahan 37% of the vote despite controversies over her record at MNGOP. Last year, questions were raised over her work relationship with Anton "Tony" Lazzaro, who is now serving time for federal sex-trafficking charges, which eventually led to her resignation. Although Carnahan denied any involvement, many GOP employees expressed how Carnahan allegedly turned a blind eye to sexual harassment in the office. Carnahan was later forced to step down from her role as chairwoman, but after her husband’s death she quickly organized a run for the seat he held. In her own words, Carnahan’s bid for office is to “to keep my husband's legacy moving forward." Her campaign has raised $151,400 with $8,000 of her own money going towards the effort. With 20% in the latest straw polling, Rep. Jeremy Munson, a small business owner from Lake Crystal, Minnesota, has accumulated the greatest cash-flow among the Republican candidates, raising $102,000 and personally loaning $200,000 to his campaign. He has been endorsed by national politicians such as Congressmen Scott Perry (R-PA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Jim Jordan (R-OH). With 9% in the latest straw poll is Brad Finstad, former Director for USDA Rural Development under President Trump. Finstad’s campaign raised $156,000 with a personal loan of $5,800. He has received endorsements from U.S Representatives Michelle Fischbach (MN-7) and Pete Stauber (MN-8). |
| | |
|
| Equipping the Next Generation with a Solid Foundation |
|  | | By Patience Griswold Part of what makes our LEAD program unique is our three-pronged approach to equipping the next generation — LEAD is a worldview and leadership camp that equips teens with a hands-on understanding of the legislative process. Each of these elements is crucial to equipping the next generation to become leaders who boldly and winsomely stand up for the truth and practice citizenship worthy of the gospel. Over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be looking at the components that make LEAD and why each of them matters to our mission of equipping the next generation of leaders. Generation Z has been described as “the first truly post-Christian generation.” Research from Barna Group found that the percentage of Gen Zers who identify as atheists is double that of the adult population. Today’s teens are increasingly bombarded with ideologies that are at odds with and directly hostile to the truth, and many are embracing these ideologies. At LEAD, we give young people the tools to stand up to this onslaught, think critically about these issues, and respond from a biblical perspective. |
| | |
|
| Sign Your Teen Up for Our Leadership Camp (July 24-29) |
|  | | At LEAD, we are equipping young people to boldly stand for the truth and become effective leaders right now and as they launch into adulthood.
What: A hands-on leadership and worldview camp which equips the next generation of Christian leaders to engage the culture.
Who: Highschool students ages 13–19
When: July 24-29, 2022
Why: LEAD provides students with an opportunity to strengthen their worldview, develop leadership skills, and learn the legislative process!
This year renowned pro-life speaker Ryan Bomberger will be joining us at LEAD as our keynote speaker! Learn more about LEAD and register at www.leadminnesota.org! |
| | |
|
| Promoted: Sidewalk Counseling Training Seminar (April 26) |
|  | If you can hand someone a brochure, you can help save a life! Learn how to save babies by peacefully reaching out to those entering local abortion facilities. Prayer supporters are also needed and are welcome to attend. Open to Christians of all denominations. No charge. Hosted by the Sanctity of Life Ministry, Bethlehem Baptist Church, and presented by Pro-Life Action Ministries. Ample free parking in the church lot. For more information or to register, contact: [email protected] or call (651) 797-6364. Is God calling you to do more for the unborn? Learn more about sidewalk counseling here. |
| | |
|
| Promoted: Christian Faithfulness in an Age of Anxiety (May 6-7) |
|  | From the Davenant Institute: Christians in America today are living through a time of what can feel like unprecedented crisis, conflict, and disruption. The Covid-19 pandemic, and the reactions to it—and the reactions to the reactions to it. The George Floyd protests, and subsequent waves of anti-racist and anti-anti-racist agitation that have roiled American churches, colleges, and courtrooms. The most fiercely contested presidential election since 1876. Exhausted by these and other crises, together with the steady marginalization of Christian faith in American public life, many pastors—and their parishioners—are ready to throw in the towel. As wrenching as these experiences are, it’s important to remind ourselves, in this ADD age, that crisis is probably the default state of most human societies, the regular backdrop against which the church is called to carry out its world-saving work. Consider: we are apt to look back nostalgically on the glories of the Elizabethan era. Yet the typical Englishman of the late 1580s probably felt trapped in whirlwind of perpetual crisis: an existential threat of foreign invasion, assassination plots real and imagined, a harsh government crackdown on religious dissidents, together with regular bouts of plague. From this unpromising soil, however, sprouted some of the greatest riches of Christian theology and literature in all history. By stepping back from the chaos of our own moment to see how the church has handled political and social crises in the past, we can gain fresh perspective and renewed hope to persevere through the trials of our own day. We can also be challenged to rethink our own assumptions about the greatest dangers and temptations of our present moment. Join us at this mini-conference, sponsored by The Davenant Institute and Bethlehem College and Seminary, to learn more about how the trials and triumphs of our Protestant forebears can teach us how to walk faithfully today in an age of anxiety. May 6-7, 2022 St. Paul, MN Join us in St. Paul, Minnesota for a two-day mini-conference. Our plenary speakers will be Dr. Joe Rigney, President of Bethlehem College and Seminary, and Dr. Brad Littlejohn, President of The Davenant Institute. Conference proceedings will run from 6:30 PM on Friday, May 6 till 5:00 PM on Saturday, May 7. |
| | |
|
|  | Did you know that when you shop with Amazon Smile, Amazon makes a donation to Minnesota Family Institute at no cost to you? You can support LIFE, FAMILY, and RELIGIOUS FREEDOM while you shop by clicking here (smile.amazon.com/ch/41-1439560) or with AmazonSmile ON in the Amazon Shopping app and AmazonSmile donates to Minnesota Family Institute. Bookmark Amazon Smile in your browser so that Amazon will donate every time you make a purchase! |
| | |
|
| | Get the Parent Resource Guide Responding to the transgender trend with truth and compassion starts with the Parent Resource Guide. Get your copy HERE today and invite a friend to do the same! Click to order your copy today: |
| |
|
| | Thank you for sharing Minnesota Family Council’s vision for strong families, communities and culture through Christ. As we rise to meet challenges at the state and federal level, we need your support now more than ever. Click here to give now. We are grateful for your partnership with us through prayer and financial support. For life, family, and religious freedom, |
|
|
| John Helmberger, CEO Minnesota Family Council and Institute |
|
|
| | Minnesota Family Council
2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite 150 | Minneapolis, Minnesota 55418-3265
612-789-8811 | [email protected] |
| Share The Family Beacon on social media |
|
| |
|
|
