Dear Concerned Women for America of Washington Members,
Our national motto since the Civil War, “In God We Trust” has reminded Americans of our foundation in Biblical principles and our dependence on God for 155 years. The phrase “under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance under President Dwight Eisenhower as one way to distinguish this nation from the atheism of communist countries. The federal House of Representatives reaffirmed our national motto and our dependence on God on November 1, 2011, by a vote of 396-9 with two abstentions. The non-binding resolution was sponsored by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Virginia) and supports and encourages the display of the motto in our public schools and government buildings.
With that in mind, CWA’s emphasis on prayer seems especially appropriate in an era when atheists are trying so hard to remove God from our culture. Prayer is CWA’s first operating principle and foundational to our work in public policy. Now is the time to pray more than ever, given the attacks on our First Amendment rights to freedom of religion, the exercise thereof, and of religious speech, including the right to pray in public.
CWA of Washington would like to recruit you for two of our programs. The first is the position of Prayer/Action Chapter Leader (PAL) or Home Team Captain. We have many Prayer/Action Chapters and Home Teams around the state, but there are areas where there are no Chapters or Home Teams. Prayer/Action Chapters are an opportunity to gather together monthly with other concerned citizens to share your concerns, to educate each other on the issues, to pray and to fellowship, encouraging one another in our faith. Some Prayer/Action Chapters gather simply to pray, others write letters to their representatives about issues, some invite speakers to educate them on current issues of concern in their area (e.g. bikini baristas). Home Team Captains send information on the issues out to the Home Team members via e-mail and may or may not meet occasionally. Please, won’t you consider building a Chapter or Team in your area? You will be amazed at how many people would love to be more informed on issues dear to the Christian heart and which will influence our lives now and into the future. Please contact the state office by e-mail (director@washington.cwfa.org) or telephone (425-869-1923) for an application form or for more information.
The second program I want to encourage you to join is our Encourage-A-Legislator (EAL) campaign to adopt and pray for every one of our 147 state legislators. EAL will begin early this year since Gov. Gregoire has called for a special session beginning November 28. This will be a difficult and painful time dealing with the serious fiscal shortfall for our state government and nerves will be tested. Our legislators need our prayers which we ask you to say daily. Weekly postcards are then mailed to your adopted legislator. CWA of Washington provides the Scriptures or historic quotations as well as a prayer focus for you-you just write out the postcard and mail it in! The program will pick up again in January for the regular session, which this year is sixty days. Please seriously consider involvement in the EAL campaign so that our state is influenced by God. Wouldn’t it be grand to see this liberal state become “one state under God”? Your prayers will make a difference because God’s Word never returns void.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16
Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17
Also, would you please lift up prayers for Concerned Women for America of Washington and the other pro-family organizations in the state? We have our work cut out for us in the upcoming legislative session and need your prayers, support and engagement with us in order to win the battles into which God calls us. Please check our state website (http://wa.cwfa.org) and the national website (www.concernedwomen.org) for current information on events and issues. You may also donate or renew membership at http://wa.cwfa.org.
In His Service,
Maureen Richardson
State Director
425-869-1923; director@washington.cwfa.org
Attached: Membership form; EAL volunteer form