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IFI Welcomes Tom Shevlot to the Board!

I’m pleased to announce that a new member has joined IFI’s Board of Directors! We’re excited to welcome Tom Shevlot to the team – a respected friend and Indiana business leader.

Tom was born in Indianapolis and raised in Hancock County. He graduated from Taylor University with a B.A. and earned a graduate degree in finance and economics. He spent 25 years in executive positions with AT&T and Comcast, eventually leaving the corporate world to answer God’s call to accept the CEO role of one of the largest pregnancy resource centers in Indiana – Life Centers – which he retired from in 2024. He has been married for over 40 years and has two children and one grandson.

“Having spent decades protecting the values of Hoosier families, protecting the life of the unborn, and supporting policies that help Hoosiers protect their God-given rights, I’m thrilled to join the board of an organization that puts Indiana families as a priority,” Tom shared.

“As the Chairman of the Indiana Family Institute, I’m so pleased to welcome Tom Shevlot to the IFI board. His years of dedicated leadership in Indiana’s pro-life movement will shed invaluable light on how IFI can continue advocating for the unborn and supporting women facing crisis pregnancies,” IFI Board Chairman Curt Smith said.

Tom has a long history of dedication to faith, family, and freedom here in the Hoosier state. He has been a business leader, public servant, and ministry partner. I’ve had the privilege of working with Tom for many years as he faithfully and expertly built Life Centers up to better accomplish their goal of ministering to women in crisis. His commitment to Jesus, innocent babies in and out of the womb, and vulnerable Hoosiers is inspiring, and I’m so excited to welcome him to the Board of the Indiana Family Institute. Together, we will help create an environment in Indiana where families can flourish.

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What Can Indiana Learn From King Saul?

Can you believe Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and in nearly two months, 2025 will come to a close? This year has flown by. We are incredibly proud of IFI’s many accomplishments over the course of this year, and we’re even prouder of how our nation and the conservative movement have responded to the difficult challenges that America faced in 2025. 

As this year wraps up, the IFI team is diligently preparing for 2026 by setting goals, meeting with elected officials, and shaping our legislative agenda for the upcoming session. In order to accomplish everything God has laid on our hearts for next year, we need to raise a total of $1,000,000 by the end of this year.

This is an ambitious goal, but we know God can do “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Eph. 4:20).

Do you remember the story of King Saul and Jonathan after the nation of Israel scored a great victory against the Philistines? The Israelites were primed to wipe out the Philistine armies in the following battle, but King Saul made what scripture calls a “foolish vow.” 1 Samuel 14:24 explains the following:

But the men of Israel were hard-pressed that day, because Saul had put the people under a curse, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people ate any food.

Unfortunately, Saul’s son Jonathan did not hear his father’s vow and unknowingly violated it. Verse 29 continues:

Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land [with his foolish curse]. See how my energy is restored because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better [it would have been] if only the people had eaten freely today from the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great.”

Why am I telling you this story?

King Saul’s foolish vow prohibited Israel from realizing a far larger victory that day.

I believe this biblical principle is applicable to Indiana’s present situation. 

We currently have a massive opportunity in our state. We have statewide leaders, including a governor and lieutenant governor, who share our values. We have friendly leaders in the Indiana House and Senate. We have a federal government ready to defend religious freedom and Christian values. 

The wind is at our backs – nothing is stopping us from pushing ahead to secure incredible victories for the conservative movement and the Kingdom of God. 

But it won’t always be this way.

We will certainly face obstacles and opposition, perhaps greater than we’ve ever seen, in the future. Now is the time to secure larger victories and protect ourselves for when the pendulum inevitably swings back the other way.

God has given us a moment of great victory, similar to the Israelites in their first defeat of the Philistines. Let’s not become complacent, failing to fuel our movement as King Saul failed to fuel his army, which prevented Israel from realizing a far greater victory.

The Indiana Family Institute is not willing to squander this opportunity. Satan is not gone; he is surely devising a counterattack.

We need you in our corner. 

Will you commit to a one-time or recurring donation of $25, $50, $100, or more so we can capitalize on the victory God has given us and push the conservative movement forward? Do you remember the story of King Saul and Jonathan after the nation of Israel scored a great victory against the Philistines? The Israelites were primed to wipe out the Philistine armies in the following battle, but King Saul made what scripture calls a “foolish vow.” 1 Samuel 14:24 explains the following:

But the men of Israel were hard-pressed that day, because Saul had put the people under a curse, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people ate any food.

Unfortunately, Saul’s son Jonathan did not hear his father’s vow and unknowingly violated it. Verse 29 continues:

Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land [with his foolish curse]. See how my energy is restored because I tasted a little of this honey. How much better [it would have been] if only the people had eaten freely today from the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now the slaughter among the Philistines has not been great.”

Why am I telling you this story?

King Saul’s foolish vow prohibited Israel from realizing a far larger victory that day.

I believe this biblical principle is applicable to Indiana’s present situation. 

We currently have a massive opportunity in our state. We have statewide leaders, including a governor and lieutenant governor, who share our values. We have friendly leaders in the Indiana House and Senate. We have a federal government ready to defend religious freedom and Christian values. 

The wind is at our backs – nothing is stopping us from pushing ahead to secure incredible victories for the conservative movement and the Kingdom of God. 

But it won’t always be this way.

We will certainly face obstacles and opposition, perhaps greater than we’ve ever seen, in the future. Now is the time to secure larger victories and protect ourselves for when the pendulum inevitably swings back the other way.

God has given us a moment of great victory, similar to the Israelites in their first defeat of the Philistines. Let’s not become complacent, failing to fuel our movement as King Saul failed to fuel his army, which prevented Israel from realizing a far greater victory.

The Indiana Family Institute is not willing to squander this opportunity. Satan is not gone; he is surely devising a counterattack.

We need you in our corner. 

Will you commit to a one-time or recurring donation of $25, $50, $100, or more so we can capitalize on the victory God has given us and push the conservative movement forward? 

Click here to donate.

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A D.C. Trip Unlike Any Other!

10/13/25

Last month, participants in the Hoosier Leadership series traveled to Washington, D.C., for two full days to meet with Indiana’s congressional delegation and learn about important legislative issues impacting our state and nation. The action-packed trip included opportunities for HLS members to interact with top state and national voices and hear from leading conservative organizations – and even sit in our representatives’ seats on the House floor!

This year, we had the unique opportunity for a private evening tour of the Capitol with Rep. Rudy Yakym. We sat on the House floor (in the representatives’ seats!) learning about the building’s history and the rules and procedures of voting and debate. We were also able to observe a debate between Rep. Chip Roy and Rep. Brian Mast from the gallery earlier in the day. 

This was the first time in a long time that we met in the Members’ Room at the Library of Congress for our meetings on Thursday. This wonderful opportunity was made possible through Rep. Marlin Stutzman’s office. As a result, our leadership group was able to attend Live at the Library and spend the evening exploring the Library of Congress. 

Rep. Victoria Spartz sponsored our dinner at the Capitol Hill Club and spoke to us on a variety of issues we are facing as a nation, but most of all, she inspired us to fight for this country and to continue to protect it. 

Finally, while our prayer walk around the Capitol grounds is always reverent and impactful, this year it took on a more somber and significant tone as our group began to mourn the loss of Charlie Kirk, who had been killed only about an hour before. This reinforced the importance of praying for our country’s leaders, its people, and the protection of our freedoms, especially our religious freedom.

We also had the opportunity to hear from key speakers at the Family Research Council and the Heritage Foundation. It was an action-packed two days, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who made it possible! 

The purpose of the Hoosier Leadership Series is to create a movement of high-caliber, committed leaders from across the professional spectrum who are grounded in a principled conservative philosophy and oriented toward thoughtful cultural engagement and service to the people of Indiana and beyond. If this sounds like something you’re interested in, please email HLS Director Valerie Swack at valerie@hoosierfamily.org to learn more about next year’s class!

Apply Here

We’d like to extend a special thanks to our Hoosier Leadership Series sponsors, who helped make the D.C. trip possible: Indiana Wesleyan University, Adler Law Firm, The Heritage Foundation, LifeWise Academy, B23 Strategies, Americans for Prosperity, Ash and Oak, and Samaritan Ministries.

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IFI Releases 2025 Legislative Scorecard

There’s no denying it – 2025 has been an incredible year for the conservative movement. Nationally, we’ve seen victories ranging from the defunding of Planned Parenthood to bans on “gender affirming care” procedures for minors. At the state level, this year was one for the books. We achieved more legislative wins than ever before – and that’s in no small part due to your faithful investments in the Indiana Family Institute. Every year, to summarize our legislative wins and honor those who made them possible, we craft a “Legislative Scorecard” with the session’s most important bills. We are pleased to share this year’s highly anticipated scorecard with you today!

Click here to view the scorecard

Here’s a rundown of four education bills we graded lawmakers on this year:

HB 1041 – Save Women’s College Sports

This bill protects young women at the collegiate level by ensuring men cannot compete in female sports in the state of Indiana. This law is a continuation of the efforts that Rep. Michelle Davis and IFI began during the 2022 session, which ensures boys are not allowed to compete in girls’ sports prior to age 18. These protections are now in place for girls and young women alike – starting in elementary school and remaining until they graduate from college.

HB 1348 – Prohibition on Homeschool Graduate Discrimination

This legislation ensures that a high school diploma or credential issued by a homeschool family or other non-accredited school is legally sufficient to demonstrate that the student has met the requirements to complete high school. This law ensures that the state, local agencies, or institutions of higher education in Indiana cannot reject or treat a person differently based solely on the source of a diploma or credential.

SB 289 – Prohibition of DEI in Education

This bill repeals the practice of DEI within Indiana’s education system and instead emphasizes personal characteristics and individual merit. Specifically, this law prohibits public employer training requirements or licensure requirements that would affirm the following ideas: a person is inherently superior or inferior to another person due to different personal characteristics, a person should be blamed for actions committed in the past, or a person’s moral character is determined by their personal characteristics. If the state does not adhere to the above outlined values, this law creates a pathway for individuals to seek legal remedy.

SB 442 – School Board Instruction on Human Sexuality

This bill gives parents greater awareness of what is taught to their children by requiring school boards to approve and publish a list of materials used in connection with instruction on human sexuality on the school’s website. The school must also include a link to the list of materials on electronically formatted written consent forms. If instruction on human sexuality is to occur, it must include a presentation on human growth and development during pregnancy.

These bills only scratch the surface of important wins accomplished this session, but they serve as excellent markers of lawmakers’ commitment to conservative values. Stay tuned for next week’s email, where we will discuss the three other bills included in the scorecard and how you can take action in response to the results!

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HLS Recap: Education Day

8/19/25

Every year, the Hoosier Leadership Series (HLS) devotes one class to learning about education in Indiana. It provides students with an opportunity to take a deeper look at the realities of local school board elections, the materials taught in the classroom, and alternative education pathways. This year, we were joined by six field experts who shared on topics ranging from homeschooling to educational freedom. Read below for a glimpse of what the day looked like!

We were excited to welcome the following guests to our “Education Day” class:

  • Representative Becky Cash gave us a look behind the curtain at the efforts to bring transparency and accountability to local school boards. Her work on partisan school board races reflects a growing recognition that the values being taught in classrooms are not neutral—and neither should our elections be.
  • Former Representative Cindy Noe walked us through the deeper history of American education, reminding us how far we’ve drifted from a system rooted in local control, moral grounding, and civic responsibility.
  • Betsy Wiley, with the Institute for Quality Education, brought the numbers and strategy. Her insights on school vouchers and enrollment trends made clear that families are hungry for options—and that the momentum is on the side of educational freedom.
  • Lifewise Academy’s powerful presentation showed us what’s possible when communities creatively integrate Bible education into the public school day—legally. Their model is transforming lives, one school district at a time. We are also grateful for their sponsorship of Education Day.
  • Kylene Varner gave us a glimpse into Indiana’s thriving homeschool movement, which continues to grow as parents seek greater control over what and how their children learn.
  • Brian Wheeler, owner of Vertical Immersive, graciously offered to host this month’s class at his facility and spoke to the class about alternatives to higher education.

We are incredibly grateful for the many individuals who took time out of their day to speak to our class! We also want to extend a special thanks to our sponsors, who help make the Hoosier Leadership Series possible: Adler Law Firm, The Heritage Foundation, LifeWise Academy, B23 Strategies, Americans for ProsperityAsh and Oak, and Samaritan Ministries.

It’s not too early to start thinking about signing up for next year’s HLS class! If you’re interested in joining us next year, you can apply here or email HLS Director Valerie Swack with any questions: valerie@hoosierfamily.org.This class is an excellent way to learn how to apply your faith in a more effective way within the public square. We highly encourage you to consider participating next year!

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