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.

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1. NC VALUES: President Trump’s Inauguration and Week of Winning

This week, as our nation witnessed another peaceful transition of power, President Donald Trump reaffirmed a timeless truth in his inauguration address: “As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States Government that there are only two genders: male and female.”

These words mark a refreshing and long-awaited return to common sense.

Later, President Donald Trump took a decisive stand for truth and science by signing an executive order defining gender as male and female, and safeguarding our children, women, and medical professionals from the harmful effects of radical gender ideology that has infiltrated every corner of society.

NC Values proudly celebrates this executive order as a significant victory for common sense and pro-family values across our nation. Thank you President Trump.

To watch the inauguration, click here.

In addition, President Trump has signed a number of other impactful executive orders, such as pardoning the pro-life protestors a day before the March for Life rally, and removing toxic DEI elements across Federal government.

Read more: https://ncvalues.org/male-and-female/

2. MARCH FOR LIFE: Trump, Vance to Address March for Life Demonstration: How to Watch

“President Donald Trump will address the March for Life event on the National Mall via a video message Friday, while Vice President JD Vance will speak to the crowd in person.

The national March for Life gathering is the largest annual pro-life event in the world. Reproductive rights have been a hot-button topic across the United States since 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 ruling, gutting the constitutional right to an abortion. Trump, who frequently takes credit for the ruling, has long said states should have the power to decide their own abortion policies and has explicitly said he would veto a national abortion ban. In the two years since Roe v. Wade was struck down, 13 states enforce total abortion bans, seven states ban abortion at or before 18 weeks and 21 states ban abortion at some point after 18 weeks.”

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-vance-march-life-washington-2019879

3. ASHLEY VAUGHAN: Pregnancy Care Centers Are Worth Every Penny of State Funding

Check out this great piece defending pregnancy care centers  in the Carolina Journal by our Press Director, Ashley Vaughan.

“Pregnancy care centers do exist to support a culture of life — a high calling for which there should be no apology. At the same time, they exist to serve women. They do this by providing counseling, material support, parenting classes, and healthcare services. But one of the most important ways they serve women is by educating them about all of their options before they make a permanent decision to end their pregnancy.”

Read more: https://ncvalues.org/op-ed-pregnancy-care-centers-are-worth-every-penny-of-state-funding/

4. WRAL: 2 North Carolina Agencies Announce End of Diversity Policies

“Newly-elected leaders of two North Carolina agencies say they’re ending internal policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion. In separate announcements Thursday, State Auditor Dave Boliek and Labor Commissioner Luke Farley said their offices will stop using DEI policies — a move that comes a day after President Donald Trump ordered the federal government to do the same.”

Read more: https://www.wral.com/story/2-north-carolina-agencies-announce-end-of-diversity-policies/21824244/

5. CAROLINA JOURNAL: WCU Finds McNabb ‘Not Responsible’ of Title IX Violation

“On Friday, Western Carolina University (WCU) found Payton McNabb “not responsible” following a Title IX hearing concerning reports of sexual harassment made against McNabb concerning her encounter with what she believed to be a biological male in the women’s restroom.

Back in May, McNabb confronted a student who she believed to be a biological male for being in the women’s restroom at WCU.”

Read more: https://www.carolinajournal.com/wcu-finds-mcnabb-not-responsible-of-title-ix-violation/

Weekly Prayer: Officials

LORD, you also have instructed us to pray for our governing officials, and we come to you in the spirit of this petition. We pray for our state government and its executive, legislative, and judicial servants. May they indeed be servants unto the people, and govern in a manner that protects liberty and virtue. In the same spirit, we pray for public servants across our local governments. May they all heed your mandate in Romans 13:4 to be in positions of authority as “God’s servant” and for the “good” of the public. They govern in what we confess are difficult times. May they plead with you to give them wisdom, and may your grace to govern wisely be poured out on them.

Protect us from the oppression and loss of freedoms that other countries have experienced, and help us to value and preserve freedom, which we know comes only from You.

“I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt.  I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free.” Acts 7:34

Amen