WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - OCTOBER 28, 2026
In this week's Intersect, read about:
Washington District Pays Price for Targeting Bible Classes
"Everett Public Schools in Washington will pay $275,000 and publicly apologize after restricting LifeWise Academy, which offers off-campus Bible classes during the school day. The district's board must also take religious liberty training." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- The district told children to carry their Bible lessons sealed in envelopes, like contraband. The apostles faced a similar order and answered, "We cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). When the state treats faith as a hazard to contain, the Christian response has always been gracious, unashamed openness.
- Release time honors the line critics claim to defend: the church, not the school, teaches the Bible, off campus, with a parent's signature. Everett was policing faith in one direction, and a federal judge said it engaged in viewpoint discrimination. The First Amendment guarantees a student's right to express their faith.
- This victory belongs to ordinary parents who signed permission slips. God placed faith formation in the home first (Deuteronomy 6:6–7), and the Constitution protects that order of authority. Ask yourself: if your district restricted these classes tomorrow, would anyone in your church notice or show up?
PRAY.
Father, thank You for this win for religious freedom and parental rights. Raise up more programs that teach children Your Word. Give parents boldness and school leaders wisdom and fairness. May the next generation never be ashamed of the gospel. Amen.
ACT.
Find out if your school district allows release-time Bible classes, and if not, ask why. Attend school board meetings and speak up for religious liberty. Encourage your church to partner with programs that bring Bible education to local students.
Troops Get a Day Off to Vote Under New Pentagon Policy
"The men and women who defend America’s freedoms now have a guaranteed day set aside to exercise one of them. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered every military command to pause regular operations for one day this month so service members could register, request ballots, and vote in the midterm elections." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- Nehemiah's builders worked with one hand and held a weapon in the other (Nehemiah 4:17). Our troops do the same for this republic: they guard it with their service and help build it with their ballots. A day set aside to vote recognizes that they are citizens first, not just soldiers.
- Federal data show only 27% of eligible troops voted in 2022, often because of moves, deployments, and confusing absentee rules. Many Christians face none of those barriers and still stay home. If we believe our troops deserve a day to vote, what is our excuse?
- Government rests on the consent of the governed, and those who defend that system should never be its least represented voters. The order also keeps commanders from telling anyone how to vote, protecting the military from partisan pressure. Scripture tells us to give "honor to whom honor is due" (Romans 13:7), and protecting their voice is one way to do it.
PRAY.
Lord, thank You for the men and women who stand watch over our nation, at home and far from it. Bless their families, protect their lives, and give them wisdom as they cast their votes. May our leaders honor their sacrifice with integrity. In Jesus' name, Amen.
ACT.
If you know a service member or military spouse, encourage them to register and request their absentee ballot early. Offer to help military families in your church with the absentee voting process. And make sure your own voice is heard at the ballot box.
Oregon School Shooting Ended by Armed Father
"A quiet school day in Bend, Oregon, turned into a nightmare last Thursday when a 16-year-old gunman opened fire inside Silver Rail Elementary School. Three children and a teacher were killed before an armed father of two students at the school followed the shooter inside and stopped him." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). Before the debates begin, believers are called to lament. The Church should be the first to sit with these grieving families.
- The Bible never condemns the one who defends the innocent; the law of Moses held a homeowner blameless for striking down an intruder at night (Exodus 22:2). The Second Amendment did not invent the right of self-defense; it wrote down something far older. Kaylub Giamanco, 36 lived out that truth for children who were not his own.
- Locked doors are passive, and protection always comes down to a person willing to stand in the gap. "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). Who in your church, your school, or your home is prepared to be that person?
PRAY.
Father, wrap Your arms around the families of Bend who are living every parent's worst nightmare. Comfort the wounded, the teachers, and the children who saw what no child should see. Thank You for the courage of the teacher and father who stood in the gap. Heal this community, Lord. Amen.
ACT.
Pray for the grieving families in Bend by name. Ask your school board and church leaders what safety plans are in place to protect children. Contact your state lawmakers and urge them to defend the right of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and others.
Mail-Order Abortion Pills Keep Flowing as FDA Delays
"More than a year after federal health officials promised to take a hard look at the abortion pill, women and their unborn children are still waiting. The Food and Drug Administration has now told a federal court that its safety review of mifepristone won’t be finished until March 2027." Read more at Million Voices...
THINK.
- A delay is still a decision. Every month of review leaves the Biden-era mail-order rules in place. "Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin" (James 4:17).
- Mail-order pills move abortion from the clinic to the bedroom, where a woman is often alone. Pro-life leaders warn that nearly 15,000 babies are at risk each month in states where these drugs are illegal by mail. The call to "rescue those being led away to death" (Proverbs 24:11) includes their mothers.
- Dobbs returned abortion to the people. A pill in the mailbox undoes that decision by letting a doctor in another state overrule the laws of yours. Self-government means little if a federal rule makes state protections for life impossible to enforce.
PRAY.
Lord, You knit every child together in the womb, and each one is precious to You. Protect the unborn and the mothers who feel alone and afraid. Give our leaders the courage to act without delay. Let justice and mercy rise together. Amen.
ACT.
Call your U.S. senators and the Department of Health and Human Services and urge them to restore in-person safeguards for abortion pills. Support your local pregnancy resource center with your time, prayers, or giving. Share this story so believers know the fight for life is far from over.
My Faith Votes— is a ministry that motivates, equips, and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. An estimated 25 million Christians who are registered to vote, fail to vote in presidential elections. My Faith Votes is on a mission to change this statistic by helping Christians act on their faith and vote in every election. When we pray unceasingly for our nation, think biblically about the issues, and vote consistently in every election the impact of Christians taking action from the local to the state and federal level will be unprecedented.
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