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