Rio Texas Methodist Federation for Social Action

Dr. Robin R. Meyers, author of The Underground Church,
to speak at conference for progressive Christians
Temple, Texas
September 28-29

Registration Deadline –  September 5

The public is invited to attend Connections Live! 2012, a gathering of progressive Christians on Friday evening and Saturday, September 28-29, 2012 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Temple, Texas.  Host of the conferenceis Barbara Wendland of Temple, a lay United Methodist who writes and publishes the internationally circulated monthly letter Connections – http://www.connectionsonline.org/.  She is also the author of Misfits: The Church’s Hidden Strength.

The featured speaker will be Dr. Robin R. Meyers, senior pastor of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.  Dr. Meyers is also a professor at Oklahoma City University and is author of The Underground Church (2012), Saving Jesus from the Church (2009),and Why the Christian Right Is Wrong (2006).  Of the Underground Church book, Bill Moyers has said, “The contents of this book are explosive and could turn the world upside down.  About time!” Archbishop Desmond Tutu has said, “Read this book if you dare.”

The event will be an opportunity for thoughtful, forward-looking Christians to meet in person, in order to:

• reassure each other that even though our views may be in a minority in our churches or communities, we’re not alone;
• see how we might promote needed change in the church and the world; and
• plan how to support each other in concrete, practical ways.

Registration information is available at http://www.connectionsonline.org/Connpdf/2012%20all%208%20pp%207-21%20rev.pdf.

OCTOBER 12 – 13, 2012

DR. AMY-JILL LEVINE presents

“JESUS, JUDAISM, AND JEWISH-CHRISTIAN RELATIONS”

in SAN ANTONIO, TX

Amy-Jill Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, and Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School and College of Arts and Sciences.  She holds the B.A. from Smith College, the M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University, and honorary doctorates from Christian Theological Seminary, Drury University, the University of Richmond, the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, and the University of South Carolina-Upstate.

This seminar is in partnership with THE WORK SHOP, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Temple Bethel, Trinity University, Oblate School of Theology, Church of Reconciliation, The SoL Center at University Presbyterian Church, all of San Antonio, Texas, and Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX.

COST:  $35.00    

To register, visit www.faithandreason.org  or
http://jesus-judaism-and-jewish-christian-relations.ettend.com/

The D. L. Dykes, Jr. Foundation

Austin Pride Parade will be Saturday, September 22.  The SWTX Love Your Neighbor Fellowship will partici0pate again this year.

Sister Helen Prejean of Dead Man Walking fame is coming to Austin in October, and she has agreed to speak at a TCADP event on Friday, October 12 in the evening.  That’s all we know so far.  Stay tuned to www.tcadp.org for more details.

Service of Affirmation

First UMC Sanctuary

1201 Lavaca, Austin

Sunday, April 15^th @ 7:00 p.m.

Featuring Rev. Amy DeLong

Clergywoman at Center of Church Trial on Sexuality 

Love on Trial Website:  http://loveontrial.org

Co-author of Loyal Opposition: Struggling With the Church on Homosexuality

Saturday, March 3, – BOPA Recycling Event – 8 am to 10:30 am

We need Volunteers!  We need your items for recycling!

MFSA will sponsor our 3rd BOPA (Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze) Recycling Event at Trinity UMC, at E 40^th and Speedway.

When our chapter conducted its last BOPA recycling event, we collected over 967 gallons of paint, 93 gallons of oil, 11 car batteries, 160 pounds of smaller batteries, 12 gallons of antifreeze, 47 spray paint cans, and lots of other material that was taken to the City’s recycling station. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact Anne Mund at ennadnum@hotmail.com.

“A History of Discrimination Within the United Methodist Church”

a talk by Rev. Richard Bates and Adama Brown, sponsored by the Saint John’s Reconciling Ministries Team

Sunday, February 12, at 10am in the Fellowship Hall, Saint John’s UMC, Austin

Rev. Richard Bates is from South Texas and was Associate Pastor at First Church, Del Rio, Windcrest in San Antonio, and First in Seguin.  He took a five year sabbatical to study at the Institute For Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco (founded by United Methodist clergy), and returned to Austin to set up a private practice in counseling for sexual issues.  Rev. Bates is now affiliated with University UMC and is Chair of their Church and Society Council, and is active in RMN and MFSA.  He and his partner, Joe Santoyo, recently celebrated 32 years together.

Adama Brown is from East Austin and earned bachelor’s and PhD degrees in sociology from UT-Austin and Iowa State University, respectively. Adama has served as a lay  leader, deacon and co-leader of a ministry geared toward raising awareness of inclusion and diversity issues at a progressive Austin church.  Now a member at First UMC, Adama currently serves as a Sunday School facilitator for the Open Door Women’s class and is involved in efforts to reach out to FUMC’s downtown neighbors. Adama is also active in UMW and RMN.  This year she and her partner, Pret Ajewole, will celebrate 10 years together.

On Sunday, February 19, in the regular 11:00 am service, University United Methodist Church will celebrate the 1-year anniversary of our vote to join the Reconciling Ministries Network.  Special readings and reflections will help mark the occasion, as we rededicate ourselves to removing discriminatory language from the Book of Discipline and working for the full inclusion of all people in the United Methodist Church.

The genesis of “The Red Bench: Interfaith Conversations that Matter” program came from Dr. Betty Sue Flowers. When writing about the hunger for meaningful conversation, she recommended that organizations place red benches in public spaces. Her idea was simple–by sitting on one of these red benches you were signaling to others that you were open to a conversation about something that really matters to you. The red bench became both a symbol to underscore the importance of conversation and an actual place where these conversations could occur.

Interfaith Action of Central Texas launched The Red Bench program in 2009 and it has grown into a real community of sharing. The program focuses on issues that are addressed by all of the great faith traditions, including forgiveness, compassion gratitude, shame, ethics, security, equality, courage, and duty.  Each monthly conversation is centered on moderated small group discussions that are genuinely respectful and safe. No one has to be an expert–individual participants are invited to share from their personal experiences and listen with their hearts. Past participants have included Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and many others. The Red Bench program is free.

The next Red Bench conversation is Tuesday, February 28th, in the Great Hall of the First UMC Family Life Center on the topic “Resentment.” A light vegetarian meal is served beginning at 6:00 p.m., the conversation begins at 6:30 p.m., and concludes by 8:00 p.m.

To register, please go to http://interfaithtexas.org/dialogue/the-red-bench/registration/. If you have questions, please contact FUMC member Sandy Wilder at swilder@texas.net or 773-8078.

Saturday, March 3, – BOPA Recycling Event – 8 am to 10:30 am

MFSA will sponsor our 3rd BOPA (Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze) Recycling Event at Trinity UMC, at E 40^th and Speedway.

When our chapter conducted its last BOPA recycling event, we collected over 967 gallons of paint, 93 gallons of oil, 11 car batteries, 160 pounds of smaller batteries, 12 gallons of antifreeze, 47 spray paint cans, and lots of other material that was taken to the City’s recycling station. If you would like to volunteer for this event, please contact Anne Mund at ennadnum@hotmail.com.

Date/Time: March 8, 2012, 7:00pm

Simpson United Methodist Church

1701 East 12th Street

Austin, Texas 78702

512-472-8818

Simpson United Methodist Church of Austin invites you to this nationally celebrated service on March 8, 2012.  The focus of this year’s festivities is developing partnerships between the Faith and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) Communities. The service will include messages of encouragement: rising above HIV; inclusiveness; and the love of Jesus Christ.  Pastor Charles Stephens will bring a word of encouragement following the keynote address from Conscious, a dynamic HIV-positive woman who has risen above extraordinarily difficult circumstances and now shares her journey through acting, presentations, and her book, “Getting Unstuck”.  In addition to the March 8th celebration service, several other events will take place during the week including a Pastor’s HIV Testing Day (a public event in which local pastors lead by example), prayer vigils, and other exciting events currently being coordinated.

The National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS is the coming together of all people of faith to unite with purpose, compassion and hope. Through the power of God’s love we will educate every American about HIV prevention facts; encourage and support HIV testing; advocate for the availability of compassionate care and treatment for all those living with the disease in every community in America; and love unconditionally all persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

http://www.nationalweekofprayerforthehealingofaids.org/

Short Biography of Conscious: From difficult childhood to homeless to HIV – Conscious has mastered the art of “Getting Unstuck”, the title of her nationally acclaimed book of spoken word expression.  As a lesbian artist, actor, writer, and former bodyguard to celebrities, she has served as the Music Manager for the Queen Latifah Show and hosted Oxygen Media’s talk show She-Commerce.  Conscious now travels the country delivering a poignant message about HIV, AIDS, and recovery. A Native of Harlem, New York, Conscious currently resides in Los Angeles, California and Miami, Florida.

Sponsors: The Black Faith-based Health Initiative, based in Austin, Texas has teamed up with AIDS Services of Austin, Simpson United Methodist Church, the City of Austin Care Program, Wright House Wellness Center, Hill Country Ride for AIDS, and The Care Communities, and several other important community partners to assemble a coalition of diverse organizations with one goal in mind: to open up the lines of communication, fellowship, and blessing between people of faith, local AIDS Service Organizations (ASO’s), people in the LGBT community, and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).

Members of the SWTX MFSA met at the MLK Statue on the University of Texas Campus on Monday, January 16 to honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.  After introduction of dignitaries, the audience experienced a program of praise and reflection, complete with inspiring music and speeches.  After the program, we marched to the Texas State Capitol for more inspirational Gospel Music.  The march continued to the Huston-Tillotson Campus for a Community Festival.

DAVID MAUZY Presents Part II of

“History of UMC Policy Regarding Homosexuality”

January 8, 2012

10am in Fellowship Hall

The Saint John’s UMC Reconciling Ministries Team invites you to attend a Second Sunday event this Sunday at Saint John’s.  David Mauzy will present the second part of History of UMC Policy Regarding Homosexuality.  David is a very interesting and informative speaker.  He has spent 6 years on the national RMN Board, served as a member of RMN’s legislative team at General Conference 2008, and will be one of the legislative team leaders for General Conference 2012.  As the former president of the Adelphi Sunday School class at FUMC in Austin, David led the class through the process of becoming the first Reconciled Sunday School class in the nation, making that process a model for dozens of Sunday School classes, UMW circles, church choirs, MFSA chapters, and other small groups.