Coffee with the Author will return to Holy Grounds at St David’s Episcopal Church in April. Check here for more details: http://www.holygroundsaustin.com/events/. On April 30, Rev. Sid Hall, activist and pastor of Trinity UMC-Austin, and Jim Harrington, a human rights attorney and director of the Texas Civil Rights Project, will discuss their book, Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern: A Once and Future Meeting of Rumi, Meister Eckhart, and Moses de León in Medieval Venice

Thurs. April 30, 2015 – Noon

Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern: A Once and Future Meeting of Rumi, Meister Eckhart, and Moses de León in Medieval Venice

In Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern, Jalal ad-Din Rumi, Moses de León, and Meister Eckhart–three of the greatest mystics of all time–meet in Venice for an imaginary night-long conversation that will inspire everyday individuals of the twenty-first century to find their own spirituality and realize that everyone can be a mystic. Although the mystics came from different backgrounds and religious traditions (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity), their spiritual paths led them to similar understandings of union with the Divine. The three mystics have a timeless and timely message for people who walk the earth eight centuries after they did, no matter an individual’s religious background or even if they have none. It is a message of connecting with the “divine spark” deep within us and within the universe.

Holy Grounds is located in the main building of St. David’s Episcopal Church. You can park in our surface lot in front of the St. David’s main doors. 301 East 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701

Note:  There will also be a book signing at noon on April 12 at Trinity UMC Austin.

In response to growing demand from clergy around the state, Texas Impact has launching Clergy Mondays at the Capitol in Austin for clergy and other religious professionals. This new initiative is designed to give clergy and other religious professionals opportunities for ongoing interaction with legislators and their staffs through the rest of the current legislative session and beyond.

Each Monday from now until the end of the legislative session (May 31, 2015), Texas Impact will host interested faith leaders for a short briefing on one key issue or bill. Participants will receive a list of legislative offices to visit, instructions for successful visits, and talking points on the week’s priority issue. Participants may be asked to attend committee hearings or engage with legislators outside the House and Senate chambers.

The program will start at 11am in Room E2.018 in the Capitol Extension, and end at 2pm in the Capitol Chapel. Each week will start and end with prayer or meditation by a participant. Participants are encouraged to eat together in the Capitol Grille if necessary. They are free to come to the Capitol early and stay as long as they want to.

For more information, please contact Bee Moorhead at Texas Impact to help with logistics or coordinate a meeting to connect with other faith community representatives at the Capitol.

 

April 12th: Reverend Dr. Kim Cape

May 17th:  Bishop Mike McKee

http://fumcaustin.org/

Freedom Advocacy Day –  Monday, April 13 First UMC Family Life Center – 1300 Lavaca St 11:00am – 4:00pm Equality Texas invites you to participate in YOUR government and to come to Austin on Monday, April 13, to meet face-to-face with those who represent YOU and talk to them about how the freedoms we value as Texans are affected by discrimination in based on bias against sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Advanced registration is required in order to prepare constituent-matched materials and make strategic lobbying team assignments. Equality Texas will provide lunch. If your organization would like to partner with Equality Texas for Freedom Advocacy Day please contact DanielWilliams@EqualityTexas.org.

Find more information at:
https://hq-equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/o/35034/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?event_KEY=3241&killorg=True

The 2nd Annual Contemporary Relationships Conference

Creating Healthy Dating, Relationship, and Family Experiences

Within the LGBTQ Community

Saturday, May 16  •  Austin, Texas  •  Optional Pre-Conference Institutes on Friday, May 15

Don’t miss your chance to get valuable information on LGBTQ dating, relationships, and family – presented by 32 thought leaders from across the country. The conference is open to LGBTQ singles, those in a relationship, and the allies and mental health professionals that affirm them (6-9 CE credits available). The Equality Texas Foundation is the conference host. The Early Bird registration rate ends April 7th.  Find out more at:  http://www.contemporaryrelationships.com/

The Spirit of Texas Brunch brings together influential LGBT and ally Texans, speakers, and award honorees for an enjoyable champagne brunch to celebrate diversity! The Brunch is Equality Texas’ annual statewide celebration and an opportunity for you to make an important impact on improving the lives of Texas’ diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) population.

Please join us as we say “thank you” to Texas leaders who have worked to advance equality for Texans in their workplaces, families, and communities! All funds raised at the event support Equality Texas’ work toward a state where all Texans are treated equally, with dignity and respect.

The 9th Annual Spirit of Texas Brunch
Sunday, May 17, 2015
VIP Reception: 10:30 am
Brunch Program: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
Historic Pearl Stable
307 Pearl Parkway
San Antonio, TX  78215
Early-bird ticket sales end in TWO 1/2 WEEKS!

While there 20 bills before the 84^th Texas Legislature that would subject LGBT Texans to discrimination, the regular session has seen more pro-LGBT bills, filed by more authors, than ever before seen in the history of the body. These 35 bills represent a huge step forward for equality in Texas.  Take a look at these bills at:

https://equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/o/35034/content_item/goodbills84th

Allies Against Slavery

The Slave-Free City Summit

Fri, Apr 17, 2015 8:00am – Sat, Apr 18, 2015 9:00pm

For the City Center

500 E St Johns Ave.  Austin, TX, 78752

A two-day gathering of leaders, survivors, practitioners and community members who want to deepen the conversation about working together to create lasting solutions to slavery. Register here! http://www.alliesagainstslavery.org/upcoming-events/2015/4/14/the-slave-free-city-summit

The Slave-Free City Summit is powered by Allies Against Slavery and is a unique gathering that focuses on the issue of human trafficking and slavery in the United States.  Allies believes that a Slave-Free City is made possible when stakeholders from eight key sectors across public, private, and volunteer domains of that city come together to contribute unique insight, skills, and resources to create opportunities and solutions at those very intersections. That cross-sector coordination is the focus of the Summit: creating solutions and opportunities at the intersections of society.  The Summit addresses the topics such as the disruption of unjust systems, race, history, art, faith, immigration, transitional justice, tech, enterprise, and other issues that intersect with the problem of human trafficking in the United States.

Reading and Signing of “Grandfather Gandhi” with Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus

Date: April 19, 2015

Time: 12:15 pm  to  2:00 pm

Arun Gandhi has many stories to tell of his grandfather, the Mahatma, and how his lessons set Arun on a path of teaching nonviolence. One of those stories, told in 2001 at the spiritual center Unity of New York, led Bethany Hegedus to work with Gandhi to craft a picture book that would speak to readers of all ages. More information about the book online.

Hegedus is an author and the director of The Writing Barn in Austin. Gandhi is a writer and speaker who has traveled the world spreading the message of non-violence.

The event is free for children and $5 for adults. To ensure seats, purchase tickets online. For more information, contact Heather McLeod, hamcleod@gmail.com.

Location: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 14311 Wells Port Drive (exit off I-35, west on Wells Branch Parkway) http://www.staopen.org/

The Enneagram: Shame, Fear and Anger

May 2, 2015  9am-5pm

First Baptist Church Austin – 901 Trinity Street Fellowship Hall

Cost: $65

Cost includes lunch and handouts

Join us for a day with Suzanne Stabile as we explore intermediate concepts of the Enneagram.