Dear Friend,
Each year, as I sit down to produce our November newsletter, there are two dominant themes: Thanksgiving and elections. I’m writing this letter without knowing the results of our local, state, and national elections. Regardless of the outcomes, I know most of us understand that while we are called to occupy this temporal space and be stewards with the right to vote, we know God is sovereign, and our hope is in Him and no one else. That means I also know that many of you will sit down with friends and family around the table for this 2024 Thanksgiving with hearts full of gratitude and appreciation for His many blessings. Let me extend a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from the Christian Civic League team.
Speaking of the League team, I want you, our ministry partners, to know how proud I am of our staff and volunteers who did everything they could to be a positive influence during this campaign cycle. We distributed more voter guides more quickly than we ever have. Most of you would have no idea how much time is required for the painstaking research to create 186 voter guides for every state house and state senate election. In addition to distributing the printed Federal voter guides, we also printed Maine House and Senate voter guides and mailed them upon request. We had volunteers who took it upon themselves to deliver our voter guides to schools, libraries, and local businesses. I could go on and on, but I want to publicly say how pleased I am with all the work that went into our 2024 Pews to the Polls campaign. It’s not too late to give to Pews to the Polls. Help us with the expense of this immense project.
No matter what the results of this election are, the League’s work must go on. Our policy team must continue to support our allies who champion the sanctity of human life, the Biblical sexual ethic, religious freedom, and parental rights. We can never give up our efforts to inspire and inform Maine Christian citizens to leverage their voices and lobby their elected officials to stand for justice and righteousness.
In addition to policy work, we must continue our investment to connect the shepherds of the Church with the shepherds of government through our Church Ambassador Network [CAN]. Regardless of who is sitting in the legislature or in the Blaine House, we must find opportunities for partnership between the church and the state in areas like foster care, addiction, criminal reform, and other areas that should not have partisan obstacles when it comes to governing the people of Maine well. Please pray for me as I will be in Iowa the second week of November to attend the Daniel Initiative conference for continued training for CAN here in Maine.
While it may sound like the thing to say, I want to close the November newsletter with my declaration of thanks to you. While this assignment of leading the Christian Civic League is sometimes daunting, it is an absolute privilege and so fulfilling to partner with Christians all over the state of Maine. Whether it be pastors, concerned citizens, or like-minded elected officials, I truly thank God for the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow Mainers striving to see Maine be a state where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive, and life is cherished.
Carroll Conley
Executive Director
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