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Here’s why you should join HLS next year

Have you ever considered joining IFI’s Hoosier Leadership Series (HLS), but you weren’t sure if it was the right next step for you and your family? If you’ve been on the fence about joining, or you’re just now considering it for the first time, here’s one of the exciting features this program has to offer that may just convince you to take the final step & sign up:

In just a few weeks, HLS participants will travel to Washington D.C. and spend spend two full days in Capitol Hill, meeting with Indiana’s congressional delegation and learning about important legislative issues. The action-packed annual trip will include opportunities for HLS members to interact with top state and national voices, and to hear from leading conservative organizations.

In addition to touring the U.S. Capitol, going on a prayer walk, experiencing the Museum of the Bible and listening to presentations from National conservative leaders, the group will have the incredible opportunity to hear from Indiana’s federal delegation: Congressman Pence, Congressman Yakym, Congresswoman Spartz, Congressman Banks, Congresswoman Houchin, Congressman Buschon, Congressman Baird, Senator Young, Senator Braun, and our friend Congressman Gary Palmer (Alabama).

This trip not only provides a wonderful time of fellowship with other HLS members, but it lays the groundwork for anyone wishing to become more effective in changing culture for Christ here in Indiana. As Allie Beth Stuckey said so well at the Fall Dinner last year: “We care about policy because policies impact real people.”

We want national, state and local policies to be a God-honoring blessing to our neighbors. By taking an inside look at the issues our elected officials are tackling nationally to best serve their constituents back home, you can more effectively carry out this worthwhile mission. This trip is a great time to network and learn from Indiana’s leading voices, and we are excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for HLS participants in September.

The purpose of HLS and trips like these is to create a movement of high caliber, committed leaders. These individuals come from across the professional spectrum, and they are grounded in a Biblical, conservative philosophy, oriented toward thoughtful cultural engagement and service to the people of Indiana and beyond.

We highly encourage you to attend next year’s HLS, or if you cannot attend, please prayerfully consider donating or sponsoring a student! Your gift allows other Hoosiers to make a difference in their community and beyond. We will use your generosity to equip, educate, and mobilize the next generation of Indiana leaders.

We’d also like to extend a special thanks to our D.C. trip sponsor, Adler Attorneys, as well as Samaritan Ministries, our HLS sponsor. We’re incredibly grateful for their continued support and the ample opportunities it provides our members.

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Indiana Supreme Court ruling on abortion to save thousands of babies

Thousands of babies will be saved from abortion in Indiana annually following the state supreme court’s ruling that denied a re-hearing of the near-total abortion ban passed by the legislature in the latest session. Praise God! Thousands of babies will be spared from the horror of abortion thanks to our hard-working elected officials and organizations like Indiana Right to Life (IRTL), who fought tirelessly alongside IFI at the state house last summer to push for this very bill that we are now seeing come to fruition.

On August 21st, all six of Indiana’s abortion clinics closed immediately upon certification of the 4-1 ruling, which allows SEA1 to go into effect, prohibiting nearly all abortions statewide. Any abortions still eligible under the current law will now be performed at hospitals rather than clinics. These instances will hopefully be few and far between, as the only exceptions to the abortion ban are those necessary to save the life of the mother (which is rarely the case) up to 20 weeks, and lethal fetal anomalies, when the baby cannot survive outside the womb.

“Our state is sending a message to the rest of the nation that when we stand together with love and compassion in protecting unborn babies and supporting pregnant mothers, we save lives, improve lives and support a national culture that values life,” Indiana Right to Life President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Fichter said in a statement. “This is truly an historic day, and we are so thankful to the tens of thousands of Hoosiers who worked so hard for over 50 years to bring this day about. And we know there are many opportunities ahead for Indiana to do even more in caring for babies and pregnant mothers.”

I agree with Mike; it’s a historic day in Indiana and we’re grateful to God that he has given us the opportunity to protect life in the Hoosier state. As always, we ask for your prayers and support as IFI and IRTL continue to fight against the tragedy of abortion in our state – including putting an end to abortion tourism. We know the current law is not perfect, but it is a monumental step in the right direction.

While some in the abortion industry may call August 21st “a dark day for Indiana,” we call it a day of victory for the Kingdom of God, and that should be celebrated.

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Invitation to Colson Center National Conference and Updates on Important Bills

Invitation to Colson Center National Conference:

As a valued supporter of our organization, we wanted to extend a special invitation to you to attend the upcoming Colson Center National Conference in Indianapolis from May 19-21, 2023. Our friends at the Colson Center are doing incredible work, and we believe this conference will be a valuable opportunity for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of faith, culture, and the public square.

The conference will feature a fantastic lineup of speakers, including Dr. Stephen Meyer of the Discovery Institute, Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom, and Ryan Bomberger of the Radiance Foundation. They will be addressing critical topics such as science, law, creativity, and much more. You can explore the full schedule and speaker lineup on the conference website.

We are pleased to offer you a special discount code for 15% off conference ticket prices (excluding the Wilberforce Award dinner on Saturday evening). Simply use the code local23 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. We encourage you to act quickly, as space is limited, and we expect this event to sell out soon.

We believe that the conference theme, “Seeing God in the Everyday,” is incredibly relevant for our times. The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote that “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes.” At this conference, you will have the opportunity to develop eyes to see the glories of God at every turn.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out to the Colson Center events team at events@colsoncenter.org.

We hope to see you in Indianapolis!

Important Bill Updates:

I also wanted to update you on the status of three important bills that are currently being considered in the Indiana state legislature:

House Bill 1608: This bill would make changes related to education, specifically prohibiting schools from providing instruction on human sexuality to students in prekindergarten through grade 3. Additionally, the bill would require schools to notify at least one parent if a student requests a change in their name, pronoun, title, or word to identify themselves. Especially at this young age, parents bear the responsibility of guiding their children in personal matters and passing on their convictions. Teachers should not interfere in this territory, but should focus on the core subjects that elementary school children need to learn. While IFI would support a prohibition on sexuality and gender instruction all the way up to 12th grade, this legislation is an important step in that direction. The bill has passed the House and the Senate. Next step is for the House to concur or dissent on Senate changes. Read our full policy brief on HB 1608 here.

House Bill 1569: This bill would restrict the provision of gender therapy to offender patients in the Department of Correction. Specifically, it would prohibit the Department from using state or federal money to provide or facilitate sexual reassignment surgery. Other states are allowing taxpayer dollars to fund these medically unnecessary surgeries, and Hoosiers should be protected from that. The bill has been signed by the Speaker and Pro Temp and is on the way to the Governor. Read our full policy brief on HB 1569 here.

Senate Bill 350: This bill would protect the rights of counseling services to operate freely and shield them from regulation by political subdivisions. This is crucial for protecting religious liberty in counseling, ensuring that Hoosiers can access guidance from faith-based organizations without fear of government interference. SB 350 helps solve a problem we have worked with folks in West Lafayette on. The city council there was trying to ban any Christian counseling (even from unlicensed counsels like pastors, lay leaders and even parents) helping minors work through unwanted same-sex attraction. Luckily, that effort failed, but it’s clear we need statewide legislation to address the issue. The bill has been signed by the Pro Temp and awaiting signature from the Speaker. Read our full policy brief on SB 350 here.

We will continue to closely monitor the progress of these bills and provide updates as they become available. Thank you for your support in advocating for policies that promote the health, well-being, and religious freedom of all Hoosiers.

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Updates and Upcoming Events at IFI: Hoosier Leadership Series, John Kluge Update, and Parent Group Training

We wanted to touch base with you regarding some important updates and upcoming events that we have here at IFI.

Hoosier Leadership Series

The Hoosier Leadership Series, IFI’s signature leadership training program, is set to begin on April 27th. This program offers professionals like you the unique opportunity to interact with top state and national leaders, subject matter experts, and other conservative leaders from around the state of Indiana. The monthly day-long sessions offer leadership skills training, critical thinking, and in-depth engagement on today’s hottest topics in the public and private sectors.

With a special “who’s who” of speakers and subject matter experts, combined with a trip to Washington, D.C., the Hoosier Leadership Series seeks to educate Indiana leaders on policy and culture. If you want to make a difference, then join the movement and sign up here!

John Kluge update

In addition, I wanted to update you on a recent development in our ongoing fight for the rights of Christian teachers. Unfortunately, John Kluge lost his appeal in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. John was a music teacher in Brownsburg, Indiana, who refused to use preferred pronouns for students identifying as transgender. He was fired for this refusal, and we have been fighting for his right to freedom of speech and conscience through our 5 Freedoms Project ever since.

During the initial stages of Brownsburg’s decision to encourage students with gender confusion to transition, IFI took proactive steps to support concerned parents, conservative school board candidates, and teachers such as John Kluge. Through the 5 Freedoms Project, we equipped and organized parents to oppose the school district’s policy and provided education and training to conservative school board candidates to aid them in their campaigns to preserve traditional values. Furthermore, we closely collaborated with John Kluge, providing him with PR training and advice to navigate the public attention that came with his decision to stand against the school district’s policy. In addition, we secured legal representation for John through our 5 Freedoms Project for his state case and later through our national legal partners at ADF for his federal case.

We are deeply disappointed by the 7th Circuit’s decision, but we remain committed to fighting for the rights of Christian teachers like John. We hope that the US Supreme Court will eventually address the issue of government coercion of speech to safeguard the rights of conscience for Christian teachers. IFI has partnered with ADF (Alliance Defending Freedom) on the Kluge case, and you can read more about it in this article.

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Help, Not Harm Bill Heads To The Governor’s Desk!

We have some good news to share with you today. The Help, Not Harm bill (SB 480) has passed the Indiana House of Representatives and should soon be headed to the governor’s desk. Rather than helping to heal the minds of young people struggling with gender confusion, medical activists in Indiana are destroying their bodies. This bill would protect minors from these gruesome and dangers practices and help parents who are bullied into consenting.

When most Hoosiers think of the Hippocratic Oath, they think of their medical providers vowing to “First, do no harm”. However, activists in gender “healthcare” right here in Indiana have forgotten this core principle. In Indiana, Planned Parenthood, three major hospitals (including Riley Children’s Hospital), and other medical providers offer puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and/or surgeries to minors. They bully parents into consenting by falsely claiming that their children will commit suicide if these harmful and expensive procedures are refused.

Our heart is to protect kids. Gender dysphoria is a rising issue even in conservative states, with some studies saying that referrals to gender clinics tripled between 2017 and 2021. Minors who are often struggling with unresolved trauma and mental illness, are being sterilized and having irreversible damage done to their bodies by medical activists who should know better.

The Help, Not Harm bill would protect children from these lifelong harms, punish medical activists who try to take advantage of these kids, and provide these young people and their parents with the ability to hold those who harm them accountable in a court of law.

By selecting the March 21st hearing at this link, you can watch the testimony for this particular bill. IFI plays a critical role in organizing and advocating for bills like the Help, not Harm bill during each legislative session. Through our efforts, we ensure that the voices of Hoosier citizens are heard throughout the legislative process.

You can help support these efforts by urging the Governor to sign the bill into law. Please, take a moment and reach out to let him know you want him to sign the Help, Not Harm bill into law. If you click here, we have made it easy.

Your support and action are crucial to ensuring that this bill becomes law and protects the health and wellbeing of Indiana’s children.

Thank you for your continued support of this vital legislation.

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