Times Examiner Facebook Logo

Friday, December 6, 2024 - 09:53 AM

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

First Published in 1994

INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE VOICE OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Family Research Council

The tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which took the lives of 19 students and two teachers just days before summer break, is a stark reminder that we live in a broken and fallen world.

As a grandfather, my heart grieves for the families who are facing incredible loss in what should have been a joyous time of celebrating the completion of another school year and a milestone in their children's lives.

As followers of Christ, we know God is the source of comfort in times of sorrow. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that "the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Many families are enjoying summer vacation right now, but school shootings cannot be far from parents' minds as they prepare to send kids back to school. Parents and grandparents are grappling with the question of how to protect their children in our nation's schools.

We know the usual rhetoric from the far Left. Before we even had all the details of what happened in Uvalde, politicians and pundits were calling for more gun control and disparaging those who turn to prayer for a grieving community.

But the leftist playbook talks about the medium used in the tragedy but never considers the spiritual root of the problem. As Dr. Ben Carson has correctly stated for years, "The heart of the matter is not guns. The heart of the matter is the heart."

Our culture is in a spiritual crisis. The tragedies and violence occurring across our nation are only a symptom of the need for revival in our families, churches, and communities.

Family Research Council is a unique public policy organization in that we focus not only on what happens in American halls of government, but also on training and equipping believers in the pulpits and pews with a biblical worldview.

Policy research and analysis may guide legislation, but they must go hand-in-hand with spiritual transformation of people's hearts.

As Executive Vice President, I believe in FRC's unique mission, which is founded on the Bible. Today, I ask for your commitment to PRAY for the 2022-2023 school year.

Will you join us in seeking God for spiritual renewal in our families, schools, and communities?

We have created a 30-day prayer guide to help you pray for students, parents, teachers, and administrators as you set aside time to pray each day for a spiritual awakening.

Please also consider a generous gift today to support FRC's mission as we encourage, educate, and equip believers across the nation to transform our culture.

Support FRC

In response to the tragic shooting in Uvalde, Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel shared on Washington Watch: "We have to be on guard in our families and in our schools to make sure we are raising children not devoid of a conscience, but a generation who have a moral conscience rooted in the Lord. And pastors, church leaders, moms, and dads must invest in their children to ensure the next generation understands that moral foundation."

But a recent study from Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center revealed a shocking statistic: only 37% of Christian pastors hold a biblical worldview. And that worldview deficit is even lower among youth and children's pastors, coming in at only 12%.

Parents are still the primary, God-ordained authority in raising children to know and love the Lord, but how can they teach their children a biblical worldview if the pastors discipling them lack one?

"We're really not being the kind of light in the darkness that Christ has called us to be," said Dr. George Barna, who conducted the study. "American culture is doing more transforming of the American church."

To address the spiritual crisis among our students, we must repair the crumbling foundations of our homes and faith communities.

This is a multi-layered problem that cannot be solved overnight. It will require commitment from engaged believers in order to turn the tide. That's why I am urging our faithful supporters, like you, to first pray for our schools.

Will you pray and support FRC's mission?

Support FRC

As you know, prayer is only the first step. The Lord also calls us to step out in faith and engage the culture around us as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).

At FRC, we are dedicated to a comprehensive strategy to equip and support believers to advance a biblical worldview in all areas of society.

When tragic incidents of violence happen in our nation, the far Left reacts with solutions that ignore the root sources of the problem. This is a spiritual battle and a crisis of the human heart.

Your support of FRC today will expand our impact so that we can continue broadcasting truth, equipping pastors, empowering parents, and protecting the hearts and minds of our children.

Thank you in advance for your perseverance through prayer and generosity.