On Thursday, August 22 we held the Citizen Impact Annual Conference at Mikado Baptist Church, Macon (see pictures below). We so appreciate all the work our staff and the staff at Mikado put in to make this conference a success! Each of our speakers shared practical and inspirational messages on Biblical citizenship and how Christians can be involved effectively in the public square. Senator Ed Setzler, along with Representatives Leesa Hagan and Matthew Gambill, told how they decided to run for office and why it is important for all Georgia citizens to consider doing so.

Jamison Coppola gave an encouraging legislative update from DC. Jamison reminded us that although a lot of the decisions currently coming from Washington are positive for conservatives, the anti-American movement of the last decade to destroy the nuclear family, traditional marriage, and the value of life is still growing, even if it is currently in the background. Christians must continue to work out their faith in public to defeat this movement. Suzanne and Rachel Guy shared their incredible story about infertility, conception, and choosing life despite the circumstances. Suzanne was recently awarded the Pro-life Woman of the Year award by Dr. Abby Johnson. Taylor Hawkins, a young policy professional who lobbies at the Georgia Capitol shared about how he got started in public policy at a young age and the importance of young people getting involved in this arena.

Josh Hershberger, a pastor, attorney, and founder of The Good Citizen Project, was the keynote speaker. He spoke on identity and the misconceptions people have about it in our post-modern era. He stated that humanity is made in the image of God, and as such we are the crowning glory of God’s creation. Our bodies are not a “canvas for self-expression” but the temple of the Holy Ghost. Because of this, humankind can only be made whole in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It is imperative that Christians share this message with the rest of the world, because if we do not, it will die in darkness.

If you were unable to attend the conference but would still like to help Citizen Impact financially, click this link. You can donate to general operating expenses, or a specific area including: conference expenses, the Washington DC trip (taking place this month), scholarship account, seasonal intern expenses, or for printing/replenishing education and promotional materials. To designate, click this link, select an amount to give, click Donate, then on the next page after entering your information, use the Comments section to designate what your gift is for. (Note: This link allows you to give by debit/credit care or bank draft from your checking account.)