A Conversation About Gun Laws And Gun Violence

What are the gun laws in Texas?  Where may you take and not take a loaded handgun?  How is the Texas Legislature working to loosen Texas gun laws in 2013?

Will guns soon be allowed on all college and university campuses (classrooms, libraries, labs, public spaces) in Texas by law?

What has been the effect of the Newtown CT school massacre on the Texas Legislature, as well as state houses in other Western states?

Our guest speaker will be Nina Butts, with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.  Nina has lived in Austin since 1977, and founded Texans Against Gun Violence with Bruce Elfant and Debby Tucker in 1993.  She grew up in Dallas, and was an eyewitness to President Kennedy’s motorcade after he was shot on Nov 22 1963.  She was a Contributing Writer for Texas Observer 1981- 1985, and ran for Congress in the Tenth Congressional District of TX in 1986.  Nina was a full time registered lobbyist for Texans Against Gun Violence in 2 sessions of the Texas Legislature (1999 and 2001) and helped initiate the gun law linked to domestic violence that was signed by Rick Perry in 2001.  In addition to continuing activism, Nina teaches English at Austin Community College.

Come at 6:30 p.m. for snacks and mingling; the program begins at 7p.m. Invite your friends and neighbors – all are welcome.

Thanks to Bee Morehead of Texas Impact for presenting our Valentine’s Day program.  There are many Texas issues that concern people of faith.  Bee encouraged us to stay informed and contact our Legislators to express our concerns. Here is one of the issues that is of interest:

Medicaid Expansion

– Texas ranks first among states in its share of uninsured residents, at 23.8 percent in 2011 – more than 6 million people- compared with a national average of 15.7 percent.

Under the Affordable Care Act, Texas could cover adults aged 18-64 whose incomes are below 138% of the federal poverty level ($15,415 for a single adult and $31,809 for a family of four.  The federal government would pay 100 percent for the first three years and 90% of the cost of coverage in future years.  Read the Smart, Affordable and Fair publication by Texas Impact and Methodist Healthcare Ministries at http://texasimpact.org/2013-Medicaid-Expansion-Report

Governor Perry has stated that Texas will reject the Medicaid expansion provision of federal health reform.  If you are passionate about this, here is something that you can do.

Texas My Medicaid Matters – March and Rally

Tuesday, March 5 – 10:00 am – South Side of Congress Bridge

10:00 a.m. – People begin gathering for march & rally on the south side of the Congress bridge.

10:45 a.m. – March begins.

11:30 a.m. – Rally on the south steps of the state Capitol

March 5, 2013, Texans will gather at the Capitol to support Medicaid and call on state leaders to make real investments in the health and wellbeing of all Texans. We need your help to send a message to the legislature and state leadership that Medicaid is essential to the health and well being of millions of Texans.

On Saturday, February 23, the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) presented our MFSA Chapter with an Appreciation Award for our support of their efforts to abolish the death penalty in Texas.  A highlight of the annual conference held at St. Edward’s University was the presentation by Anthony Graves, death row exoneree, who spent 18 years on death row before he was freed.

Reverend Gil Caldwell

On Saturday, February 9, about 85 people gathered at Saint John’s UMC in Austin to hear Rev. Gil Caldwell share his journey toward justice – “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere” (MLK): Racism, Sexism, and Heterosexism.  Rev. Caldwell is a retired United Methodist Minister and a 1951 graduate of Austin’s Anderson High School.  He is a long-time activist in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Selma to Montgomery March, the March on Washington, D.C., and the March in Boston against school segregation. Rev. Caldwell wrote the following about our conversation together.

“We gathered to celebrate and energize our continuing efforts to push, pull and pray in ways that The United Methodist Church would rid itself of its language and legislation that declares; “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching”. We have never been as clear about slavery, racial segregation and prohibitions against the ordination of women being “incompatible with Christian teaching”.  But, we have chosen Lesbians and Gays as being needful of this language and legislation.  And, The UMC continues to debate what its response should be to transgender persons and same sex couples.  I used as my theme the question posed by James Baldwin; “Who wants to be integrated into a burning house?”  I spoke to them about my involvement in Truth in Progress http://truthinprogress.com/ and the Church Within A Church Movement, http://www.cwac.us/ suggesting that support of TIP would be helpful and involvement in CWAC would complement their efforts to transform the UMC.”

The Interfaith Environmental Network of Austin

Invites You to Attend our Monthly Symposium

7:00 pm Tuesday, March 5, 2013
at St. David’s Episcopal Church

301 East 8th Street, in downtown Austin

This month’s presentation:

How to Start & Sustain a Green Team
in Your House of Worship

Ever wonder how others in Austin’s faith community are caring for creation? Looking for ideas on how to get a green team going in your house of worship (or elsewhere), raise funds, and keep the good work going—all while having fun and building community?

Join us Tuesday, March 5th, to hear from green team leaders from across Austin’s diverse religious landscape. We’ll have 3 to 5 representatives who, just like you, are working to make their congregations more environmentally sustainable. They’ll share stories of “greening” their houses of worship and working within their communities—the successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Following their presentations our panelists will take audience questions. Yaira A. Robinson of Texas Interfaith Power & Light will facilitate.  Come hear Austin’s leading green congregations tell their stories!

SXSW – First UMC hosts Loud Harp – March 14

First UMC Austin, 1201 Lavaca, would like to invite you to attend a free show during SXSW on Thursday, March 14th at 7pm.

The SXSW selected band “A Boy and His Kite” (featured on the critically acclaimed Twilight soundtrack, Breaking Dawn) has a sacred music project called “Loud Harp”.

If you haven’t heard of Loud Harp, begin now! You can download their album here for free.  Tim Coons will be joining up with Loud Harp for the occasion. Coons is an “Enter the Worship Circle” artist with a raw, indie sound.  Listen to his work here!  This is a free show, but we will be taking donations, so bring your hearts and checkbooks to support these guys.

Check in at the Facebook event page here.

Congratulations to First UMC in Austin for their recent affiliation with Reconciling Ministries Network.  There are now five UMCs in Austin and one UMC in Round Rock affiliated with RMN.  This conversation about loving all our neighbors continues throughout our denomination.

The Montopolis Friendship Community Center is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation formed in 1957 as a United Methodist Women’s response to help meet some of the needs in the Montopolis community in southeast Austin.  FCC provides the following opportunities in the Montopolis area: Mother’s Day Out for children 2-4 years old; Clothing sales room open on the first and third Saturdays; Senior activities; and Rental space available for community events.  The Montopolis FCC desperately needs a new roof – the existing roof at Colorado Hall has been patched and re-patched.  The new roof, to be repaired by professionals, will cost $4,000.  Groups and individuals are being asked to contribute toward this need that is not covered as a part of MFCC’s annual budget.  You can help by buying one square foot of shingles for $3.33, or 3 sq ft for $10.00!

The goal is to raise the $4,000 by 3/30/2013.

Please make checks payable to Montopolis FCC and mail to:

MFCC Treasurer, Eva Jordan, P.O.Box 4691, Austin, TX  78765

Take a journey with

Kisongo Trek

March 13-17

Bethany United Methodist Church, East Parking Lot

10010 Anderson Mill Rd., Austin TX 78750

Free, family-friendly & open to all

Wednesday, March 13:  5 – 8 pm

Thursday – Saturday, March 14-16:  12 – 7 pm

Sunday, March 17:  9 am – 5 pm

No reservations needed

A powerful story of change through the eyes of a child.

Interactive exhibit brings to life the sights & sounds of Africa.

Step outside yourself and into a world you may never have known; a world where poverty becomes a part of the past and where children can dream about tomorrow.

Experience a powerful story of change through the eyes of 10-year-old, Babayetu. In the new World Vision Experience, Kisongo Trek, you can “travel” to Babayetu’s home and hear the real-life story of how his village has moved from poverty to hope with help from World Vision and their partners in ministry.

Following a “bus ride” down the roads of Tanzania, you’ll be immersed in the community of Kisongo, where you’ll meet a woman who spent her childhood walking miles on danger­ous roads to get water for her family; hear from a mother who feared malaria would steal her children’s lives; see a classroom where children finally have the chance to learn; and discover how bees are equipping a father to provide for his family.

This free, 20 minute, mobile semi-truck experience gives you and your family a firsthand feel for global poverty—no plane ticket required. Plus, you’ll learn about the proven solutions World Vision employs to help families build a better future and you’ll discover how you can make a difference in the transformation of a community like Kisongo, in Matete, Kenya.

Make the choice to step outside yourself.

www.bethany-umc.org/kisongo

An Event with Jim Comer

On Tuesday, March 12 at 6:30pm at First UMC Austin Family Life Center, author and professional speaker Jim Comer will speak about the journey of caring for aging parents – When Roles Reverse: A Guide to Parenting Your Parents. Register with Laurie at Laurie@fumcaustin.org  or 512-478-5684.  More information at http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103875213779-304/When+Roles+Reverse2-1.pdf