NDP Coordinators Conferece - Oct 20-22, 2006

Warm greetings from Colorado Springs! As reports have arrived at our offices over the last number of weeks, we continue to be heartened by the many ways in which people gathered together to humbly come before the Lord on May 4. I trust you, too, have been moved by the power of His presence as evidenced in this year's National Day of Prayer. We are so grateful for all you do on behalf of this vital event, and I want to thank you once again for standing with us in such a significant way. It is no simple task to prepare for NDP, and I hope you have taken a well-deserved respite from your labors. READ MORE and plan to come!

Rules of Engagement for Pastors and the US Election Process

It can seem very adversarial for churches to get involved in the election process at any level--local, state or federal. Here are some handy guidelines from an expert, Alice Patterson, President of Justice at the Gate (http://www.justiceatthegate.org/)

"How can pastors educate and mobilize their congregations and still protect their tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)?
To read the entire article with guidelines on Political and Lobbying Activities allowed for churches and nonprofit organizations, go to:
http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/
article/0,,id=120703,00.html

Also visit our website and download a copy of CIVIC GUIDELINES FOR PASTORS AND CHURCHES AT http://justiceatthegate.org/civic02d.asp

It's also available in Spanish by requesting it by email or phone at 210-677-8214.

Here are some things churches may do:

• Educate about issues and elections
• Distribute nonpartisan Voter Guides
• Get Out The Vote in a nonpartisan way
• Register voters
• Invite candidates to speak as a candidate if all candidates have an equal invitation
• Hold candidate forums if a broad range of questions are asked
• Educate on specific legislation and encourage their constituents to call or write about specific legislation if the activities do not constitute a substantial amount of time or resources of the organization
• Candidates for office may be given the pulpit to share their testimony, teach or speak about an issue and not as a candidate. In that case you don't have to invite other candidates. However, in that instance, there must be no mention of the candidacy and no campaign activity may take place.
• You may invite all candidates for political office to come to your church to be introduced and prayed over. If only one shows up, he can speak, just as you would have allowed the others to speak. You can't control who comes. You can only control who is invited. Invite all, and you're safe.
• Pastors may preach about elections and about issues and values. Pastors have always been a plumbline for what is right and what is wrong in a society.

Can pastors endorse candidates? Yes.

• Pastors may endorse candidates as an individual citizen, but not as an official representative of the church or nonprofit organization. You may have seen "titles for Identificational purposes only" after the name of a pastor or leader endorsing a political candidate. That phrase clarifies the fact that the person is a pastor but is not speaking on behalf of his congregation pastor but as a private citizen.
• Pastors may volunteer for candidates.
• Pastors may donate to candidates from their personal resources.

From Jim Weidmann regarding voter registration

Jim Weidmann, Vice Chairman
© National Day of Prayer Task Force
August 14, 2006

Dear Colleagues:

Greetings from National Day of Prayer! On November 7, Christians will be presented with a tremendous opportunity to make decisions about the candidates who will lead us, and the policies that will guide us. Imagine the impact Christians could have on our government, its leadership and its people by simply: 1 – praying for God’s providence 2 - registering to vote and 3 - voting their beliefs.

Sadly, Christians seem blissfully unaware of what’s happening in America today. Did you know that in 2004; approximately 25 million evangelicals failed to vote? Worse yet, a study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that nearly two-thirds of Americans say their faith has little effect on their voting decisions.

In the days ahead, we’d like to invite you to recruit an individual you feel can successfully run a church-based voter registration effort. If they would like support in this effort, the person should contact Focus on the Family. They have made available a Church Voter Registration Kit full of helpful resources and information. Everything needed to inform the church community – voter registration forms, legal dos and don’ts, sermon outlines, and bulletin inserts – will be supplied.

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest, of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay Rest assured, the Voter Impact Toolkit is not about conservatives or liberals, Republicans or Democrats. It’s about the fundamental importance of Christians responding to the issues that threaten the future of the family, faith and freedom in America.

To request your Voter Impact Toolkit, just call toll free (800) 232-6459.

Please join with fellow concerned Christians to help shape the future of America – for the better. Thank you and God bless you.

Sincerely,

Jim Weidmann
Vice Chairman, NDP Task Force
Colorado Springs, CO

National Day of Prayer Task Force OREGON EVENTS 2006

BRIEFLY post your NDPTF Events under Comments here.

The Church DVD will soon be Available ..

The plan about the church DVD . . .

It will be for sale in the catalog for $19.95 to general public---but direct from Jim---EVERY COORDINATOR, any level, can order 10 for $60 which includes shipping or $5 each plus shipping. We will be putting a notice on the homepage special promotion for coordinators, go to the Coordinator Page for Church DVD special pricing. AND hopefully it will encourage some to become coordinators...they will have to have the login/application to get this.

We are simplifying the application a little which can't be put on the web until new company is running it. But Penny will email you the new version this week.

I'm on vacation 12/27-January 6th. The ministries are closed on 12/23, 12/26 and 1/2.

THANKS for partnership with Sara and Capitol Hill Prayer Partners.

For His Glory,

Lisa Crump

National Day of Prayer Task Force

National Coordinator Manager
Lisa.Crump@fotf.org

WELCOME TO 2006 National Day of Prayer!

As we begin looking toward next year’s observances, we join arms and hearts with you for the spiritual renewal and blessing of God upon every aspect of your State and our Country! We pray you will experience God's blessing of His presence, protection, provision, direction and favor in all aspects of your community.

Our nation-wide Task Force is calling to AMERICA . . . Honor God ! We want to bless Him, Who is worthy of all of our praise and adoration. May your state do that in an even greater way as you link arms and hearts together to Honor Him! We are here to serve you! So, let us know how we may do that this 2006 National Day of Prayer.

We just finished our National Day of Prayer Coordinators training conference and the Lord really encouraged and equipped our hearts and lives.

It was my privilege to welcome Dr. Richard Blackaby, the son of author Dr. Henry Blackaby, as our keynote speaker. His Bible teaching was outstanding!

We also welcomed Focus on the Family’s Director of Leadership Formation and Coaching, Dr. Peter Pintus, who shared insights drawn from his distinguished career as a specialist in biblical leadership and management.

Both of our presenters had a great deal of wisdom to offer, and you can hear or see them on CD or DVD by contacting our National Day of Prayer Web Center.

We want to thank you for being a part of one of God's most blessed prayer ministries in America -- that's YOU! We are praying for you and please remember to pray for us here at NDP! Especially remember Jim Wiedmann and Lisa Crump as they give daily hands on leadership to this nation-wide, now all year ministry . . . to bless you and your community!

I want to give you a big “thank you” hug.

Prayerfully yours,
Shirley Dobson

The AUTHORITY of the BELIEVER and INTERCESSOR

http://theauthorityofthebeliever.blogspot.com
THERE are few subjects relating to the Christian life concerning which there is so little exact knowledge as that of the Authority of the believer. This is not because such authority is the property only of a few elect souls. On the contrary, it is the possession of every true child of God. It is one of the "all things received in Christ. Its reception dates from the soul's contact with Calvary. READ MORE


http://theauthorityoftheintercessor.blogspot.com
Preface: The rapidly approaching end of the age is witnessing a tremendous increase in the activity of the powers of darkness. Unrest among the nations, more intense than at any previous time in earth's history, is due largely to the stirring up of the ambitions and passions of men, while the spread of an almost wholly secularized education is quietly doing away with the Scriptural standards which formerly exerted a restraining influence among the so-called Christian peoples. Our wealth and social culture have not made us thankful to the Giver of all good, but have centered us upon the material things of the world, and have produced a self-sufficiency that quite ignores our dependence upon the Creator of all. Godlessness, which we have condemned so strongly in the Soviet Union, is almost equally as pronounced, though less blatant, in our own land. READ MORE

Exalting God in the Public Square

Exalting God in the Public Square

Paul J. Dean

It seems to me the real question is not whether or not we engage the culture. We must. The real question is how we go about it. What is to be our emphasis: political action or gospel influence in the political arena?

Read the full article here

National Day of Prayer Task Force OREGON EVENTS

Post the Oregon NDPTF Event at http://ndptforevents.blogspot.com/

WELCOME TO NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER - OREGON !

WELCOME! We are pleased you are having a prayer event on this special day. This BLog has been created to list the NDP Task Force activity in your County.

To list your NDPTF event here under "comments" below, you can do it yourself~ - Please be brief in the description of the event, list time, place, cost (if any). Further, please provide the contact person of the event, a phone number and email in the text, so that someone may be contacted. The Comments Instructions at the right sidebar will guide you for you yourself to list your own National Day of Prayer activity.

On Sunday, MAY 1st, in Churches across America, 40 million Christians will come together to worship. We encourage Pastors, to "Take Five to Pray The Five" during prayer in their morning worship with those attending. And in a spirit of agreement, pray for renewal in our hearts and repentance to come to America.

Thank you and God bless your city and county and this very special day and throughout the year! About NDP + NDP Downloads

Here are some great ideas for some no-budget, low organization and logistics NDP activities (You can do this all year. Pray and prepare the soil.).

* PrayerWalking - great for children, youth and adults
* PrayerDriving (apply prayerwalking to driving) - great for high school, senior citizens, short & long haul truckers.
* PrayerBiking (like prayerdriving) - great for the athletically ambitious
* Meet you at the Pole - great anytime at any flag pole, ie. school, police, fire, city hall, etc.

POSTING INSTRUCTIONS ~ Please Click Comments. Click Post Comments. Write Comments in Box. Choose An Identity - ANONYMOUS or OTHER. With OTHER, please leave your name "Username". Now Click publish. Then Click at top right "the original post". Click home at bottom. Click refresh at homepage and it will appear under Comments.

* The Marketplace Arena of OREGON

Pray for the Marketplace arena. Ask for God to bless every aspect of your business and media community with integrity, truth and honesty and to bring into our region the kinds of businesses and industry that will promote goods and services that will be honoring to God and a benefit to the people. Ask God to restraint and evict the pornograhic industry from our county and state.

* State of OREGON Business

* Online Newspaper Media

* OREGON TV & Radio World

* Churches in OREGON

Pray for a great renewal to come to all the Churches of OREGON. Name them before God.

* Churches of Oregon - www.needhelpdirectory.com

* Colleges and School Districts in OREGON

Pray for God's presence and working to come and touch all levels of the college and schools in the county. Ask God to draw Administrators, Faculty, Staffers, Students.

* Oregon Colleges and Universities

* Community Colleges

* Oregon School Districts

* OREGON STATE leaders and services

The Scriptures command us to pray for all those who are in leadership, particularly the Civic arena. 1 Timothy 2:1-8. Men . . . stand up to the plate!

* Oregon Government home page

* Oregon state Government leadership and services

* Oregon Emergency Medical Services

* Oregon Chapter of American Red Cross

* Christian Emergency Network