Dear Friend,







Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your friends and church families. <[link removed]>



We would be very grateful if you could make a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the public square! <[link removed]>







<[link removed]>1. NC VALUES: Only two more days left to vote early in the 2024 primary election



There are only 2 more days left to vote early in the 2024 primary election!



Will you go out TODAY and vote early for conservative candidates who reflect your pro-life, pro-family, and pro-religious freedom values? Check out ncvalues.org/vote <[link removed]> to access your voter guide and toolkit.



You can also watch our 2024 Lt. Governor Candidate Forum at ncvalues.org/live <[link removed]>.



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2. DEADLINE: Today is the last day to register for the expanded Opportunity Scholarship







Today, March 1st, marks the last day to register for the North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship. And this year, the Opportunity Scholarship is open to any school-aged child, because it was made “Universal” by our Republican legislators last year.



The North Carolina Opportunity Scholarship is a state-funded, income-based program that offers scholarship monies for students in grades K-12 to attend any eligible, non-public school on a full- or part-time basis. Participating eligible schools will receive direct payments for students utilizing the Opportunity Scholarships. This allows parents to choose which school best fits their child’s needs.



To help you determine whether the Universal Opportunity Scholarship is a fit for your family, we’ve put together the following Q/A: [link removed]



<[link removed]>3. IFF: Our sister organization filed three amicus briefs in one day



In the past decade, the US Supreme Court has directly cited amicus briefs in more than twenty percent of cases. The Federal Courts have tremendous power and influence over our lives, but unless we’re a party to a case before the court, we don’t get to influence its outcome—except through amicus briefs.



That’s one of the reasons our sister organization, the Institute for Faith and Family (IFFNC.com), exists. It has filed over 20 well-reasoned and thoughtful amicus briefs in Federal ourts in the past two years in nearly every major case that touches on our core values of life, family, and religious liberty. These cases will set monumental precedents.



We’re excited to share with you that earlier this week, our sister organization broke a record: it filed three amicus briefs in a single day!



Read them for yourself at:

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4. CHARLOTTE OBSERVER: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools changes e-book app over ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’ concerns



"The change comes in response to the state’s passage of Senate Bill 49, titled the 'Parents’ Bill of Rights,' which passed in a party-line vote in August to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. The bill has several provisions, including those expanding parents’ access to their children’s records as well as imposing strict limits on the instruction of topics related to gender identity and sexuality. The e-book app, Epic, is currently used in over 80% of U.S. elementary schools. CMS said Epic primarily was used by students in kindergarten through second grade during independent reading time. 'Districts are expected to ensure that curriculum and instructional resources, including supplemental materials, for Kindergarten through fourth grade students do not teach on gender identity, sexual activity, or sexuality. EPIC is considered a supplemental resource, and CMS recently learned that there were books on this digital platform that were in violation of this law,' CMS Deputy Superintendent Melissa Balknight said in an email to The Charlotte Observer."



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5. CAROLINA JOURNAL: Public school leaders embrace competition in age of school choice



"North Carolina has been fortunate to celebrate significant school choice victories recently, as an emphasis on educational freedom spreads across the country. The issue has taken on political dressings with leading Democrats like Gov. Roy Cooper attacking Republican lawmakers’ school choice legislation as coming at the expense of traditional public education resources. Republican activists, worried about indoctrination and insufficient academic performance, often mistakenly write off public schools as too far gone to rescue. However, those focused on maximizing student success and community growth have come to understand the education question shouldn’t be framed as an ‘either/or’ equation."



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Weekly Prayer: Life



LORD, we recognize that you are Sovereign over all creation. We recognize you made man from the dust, and in your mercy, you crowned creation with man and woman made in your image. What a wonder it is that you would bestow upon us this blessing and responsibility!



LORD, may we not take this blessing for granted. We pray that this great responsibility and dignity may motivate us to love You, our neighbors, and our families more. LORD, may we as a culture truly see and believe that children are a blessing from the LORD—born or unborn; able or disabled. All children should have an opportunity to experience the liberty of life. LORD, make us your vehicle to change our culture into one that cherishes and protects life. Keep at the forefront of our minds our responsibilities to respect, cherish, and serve the youngest and oldest in our society.



"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'" (Matthew 18:1-6)



Amen













Will you chip in $100, $50, $25, or even $10 to help the NC Values Coalition continue to fight for your rights? You can donate by clicking here. <[link removed]> <[link removed]>



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Sincerely,





Tami & Team

NC Values



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