Families in the Balance: How Your Partnership Changes Lives

August 2004

Dear Friend:

As you may know, particularly if you follow the news, Dr. Dobson has spent a lot of time in the media spotlight of late. The numerous social issues facing our nation at this unprecedented moment in history — especially the battle to preserve the biblical definition of marriage — have compelled him to take a more visible role in articulating the Judeo-Christian values in which you and I and millions of Americans believe. Standing for Jesus Christ and the gospel is our first and most important priority at Focus on the Family®, especially right now. I firmly believe that the Lord has raised Dr. Dobson up for such a time as this, and I hope that you will remember him in prayer as he continues to stand in the gap.

I asked to write this edition of "Family News" not only in an effort to allow Dr. Dobson more time to handle the many responsibilities on his plate, but also in order to share what is on my own heart as President and CEO of Focus on the Family. The past few months have shown me that Dr. Dobson's increased presence in the public square is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, no one is better equipped or more passionate than Dr. Dobson when it comes to defending the institution of the family. In taking a more active role in confronting the "hot-button" issues head on, he is doing what all of us here at Focus believe the Lord has called him to do. We wouldn't have it any other way!

On the other hand, many people never hear about vital programs of Focus on the Family that are rarely covered by the national media. Public policy matters, which comprise less than five percent of the Focus on the Family budget, seem to get most of the attention. So I'd like to turn the spotlight on the exciting impact that partners like you are having through the less visible, but tremendously important efforts of this ministry. Your support is helping millions of people, one person or one family at a time.

People such as Terry. She sent this note of thanks because someone invested financially in Focus and made it possible for her to receive a complimentary membership to the Focus on Your Child® program.

I'm a single mother raising two children, and I am so thankful that you offered the Focus on Your Child program to me as complimentary. I have no extra money right now, and to have these types of resources available for me to raise my children is a blessing from God. I need all the help I can get in building and strengthening their moral and spiritual values.

Terry is just one of nearly 100,000 parents already benefiting from our Focus on Your Child initiative. Many are unable to donate to Focus on the Family during this season of life, so we offer the program free to all who ask, thanks to the generosity of friends like you who have been willing to invest in the next generation of parents.

A primary reason Focus on the Family exists is to help parents instill Christian faith and values into their children. The sobering reality is this — if a child does not become a Christian by age 12, a very small percentage will do so later in life.1 That is why a primary emphasis of the Focus on Your Child initiative has been motivating and equipping parents to become intentional about passing the faith to their children during that brief window of time. Nothing is more exciting than hearing from parents like Gail, who is using our Focus on Your Child FaithLaunch™ program to teach the gospel to her children.

I am a single mom of two daughters, 4 and 7 years old. I have looked for devotional material that both girls would enjoy. FaithLaunch has met this need for us. Both girls get involved in answering questions and doing the activities. The 4-year-old girl has been begging to do more. Thanks for providing this resource.

Your gift of $60 helps us provide one young family with the kind of practical advice and age-appropriate resources needed during the critical childrearing years. We appreciate those who partner with Focus on the Family to make such programs possible. Such everyday help for struggling families may not hit the national news, but it means a great deal to specific folks like Michelle who passed along this note of appreciation.

The Focus on Your Child program and this Web site are AWESOME! Thank you, thank you, thank you … I'm sharing the information with a group of young moms in my church so they may become members too. God bless your efforts — keep up the good work, knowing this truly is an incredible resource for families struggling to raise kids in the Christian faith. So glad you're here to help!

We provide families with teens several complimentary programs designed to help them navigate their way through the turbulent adolescent years. Last month alone, for example, more than 500,000 folks turned to our Plugged In Web site and magazine for analysis and advice as they guide the media influences their teens consume — including detailed information on the content of popular movies, television and music.

We count it an honor to be the channel through which our partners and friends like you are having such an exciting, eternal impact on the next generation!

Truth be told, I could share page upon page of testimonials from friends whose lives the Lord has touched through Focus on the Family. In addition to helping young parents, we sponsor ministries to pastors, single parents, college students, individuals struggling with marital stress and addictions such as pornography and many more. Each week, we receive hundreds of e-mails, letters and phone calls from people who have been blessed through our humble efforts to reach out to them with the love of Jesus.

I hope you can see that your support makes stories like these possible. In the November 2003 edition of "Family News," Dr. Dobson described the need to defend the family on both the "battlefront" and the "home front." We believe that God has called us to invest a certain percentage of our resources into the public policy "battlefront" for the family — on the front lines of the struggle for our culture. However, we also believe that this war will be won on the home front, with strong, stable families who are grounded in the truths of Scripture and equipped to influence the world around them.

We wouldn't last long on either front, however, if not for the prayers and generous gifts of friends and supporters like you. If you have made a contribution to Focus on the Family recently, I want to thank you for investing in the work of this ministry. If you haven't, please prayerfully consider doing so now. Why? Because you will be making an eternal investment in the lives of struggling individuals and families. You'll be saving the lives of preborn babies, helping mend broken marriages, rescuing teens in a confused culture and much more. I can't think of another way your gift could accomplish so much for God's kingdom.

Friends of Focus on the Family often ask us if there's a certain amount they should consider giving. Here's the good news: a gift of any amount will help. Twenty dollars — given prayerfully and often sacrificially — can have a significant impact. So can gifts of $50, $100 or even more, when our friends are able. Your partnership is very important to us as we work together to help families and share the gospel. So, please know that any amount you give is an expression of this partnership … and crucial to what God has called us to do. (However, as Dr. Dobson has always made plain, we believe strongly that your support of Focus on the Family should not interfere with your primary obligation to contribute to your local church.)

I expect that Dr. Dobson will soon want to share what is on his heart. As always, please keep in touch. And don't hesitate to call or write if there is anything we can do for you and your family. God bless you.

Sincerely,

Donald Paul Hodel
President and CEO

P.S. I hope you will consider sending a gift today — to help minister to families who need the help we can provide. Our partnership together is more than a good feeling. I believe you and I are standing side by side — together working in God's kingdom and accomplishing what neither of us could do individually. God bless you.

*(Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)