The International Day of Peace, a.k.a. “Peace Day” provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.  It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.  In 2002, the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.

By creating the International Day of Peace, the UN devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all of mankind to work in cooperation for this goal.  During the discussion of the U.N. Resolution that established the International Day of Peace, it was suggested that:

Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace.

Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day. Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate Peace Day. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation. Or it can involve getting your co-workers, organization, community or government engaged in a large event. The impact if millions of people in all parts of the world, coming together for one day of peace, is immense.

International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time. Imagine what a whole Day of Ceasefire would mean to humankind.

During Annual Conference, the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) and the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCRR) sponsored a program of “Holding Up the Mirror”, with the goal of providing leaders with constructive data toward intentional, invitational inclusivity during the conference sessions and worship.  MFSA members comprised a large part of the team that performed this “mirroring” function.  Thanks to Deana Henry and Pat Stewart for their leadership in arranging this justice project.

A New Thing

God is about to do a new thing. Isaiah 43:19
Saturday, June 09, 2012 – 12:15 pm

American Bank Center, 2nd Floor, Water Garden A

1901 Shoreline Dr., Corpus Christi, TX

Speaker: Barbara Dorff

Educator, active United Methodist Woman and wife of Bishop Jim Dorff

Cost:  $22 until May 22;  May 23-31 plates are $25

Catered by Marco & Co. – Main Entrée: Chicken Breast Florentine.  Very limited tickets may be available after May 31 at the Caterer’s discretion

Mail with Check Payable to SWTC UMW

% Joyce Elaine Fish, Registrar, 746 St Pius Drive, Corpus Christi, TX 78412

Questions? Call 361-992-1344 or email jfish@stx.rr.com or website www.gbgm-umc.org/swtxumw.  Childcare is available off site at First United Methodist Church during lunch only from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm for a fee of $6.00.

If you would like to go to Annual Conference for the Peace and Justice Luncheon, but you would need childcare, you are in luck.  The SWTC event for children of conference participants offers more than just childcare.  This informal Christian event includes art, crafts, games, movies, field trips and recreation appropriate to age level – all supervised by caring, screened adults.

In order to ensure enough space and staff, reservations are required.  Registration forms must be postmarked by Monday, May 21, 2012.  See details at:

http://www.umcswtx.org/download/2012%20AC%20Child%20Care%20RegFm.pdf?inline

On Sunday, May 20 at 3:00 p.m., the Austin District Conference will be held at Emmanuel UMC (2nd and Brushy, off the I-35 access road).

At 4:00, there will be a presentation from the conference Unification Steering Team to discuss unification.  It is important that all Annual Conference delegates know about this proposal.  This will be our last presentation prior to Annual Conference.

At the close of the meetings (around 5:30) there will be a celebration of Bobbi Kaye Jones’ service to the district.  She has led our district well, and she has been a voice for social justice.  We don’t have to say goodbye – her next appointment is to Tarrytown UMC.  All of these meetings are open to all.

If you want to know more about the Call to Action proposal that will likely be the biggest issue at General Conference 2012, this is for you.

Interim Operations Team Report Approved & Amended by The Connectional Table, September, 2011
http://www.umc.org/atf/cf/%7Bdb6a45e4-c446-4248-82c8-e131b6424741%7D/IOT_REPORT_AMENDED_CT_SEPT2011.PDF

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=11580735

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!: The Road to Church Restructuring

Navigating Church Restructuring –  By Rev. Steve Clunn, Coalition Coordinator  

When it comes to church restructuring, I can’t tell you how many times I have asked myself over the last year, “which will win out in my beloved United Methodist Church, faith or fear?”  We are so afraid of our churches declining and dying out, that we are willing to adopt the idea that we must do something, anything.  Thankfully, faith that is bigger than our fears, is liberating, rejuvenating and can lead us to places we couldn’t have dreamed possible otherwise.  So my friends and fellow lovers of this United Methodist Church, as we approach General Conference, I ask, will our faith or our fears guide us?

Read more on the MFSA website.

Becky Harrell, a SWTX Annual Conference Missionary with the General Board of Global Ministries assigned to the Latin American Biblical University in San Jose, Costa Rica, will be in the Austin District from April 16 – June 12.  Dates are available for visits to congregations interested in knowing about work in Costa Rica.  Congregations may contact Becky at beckyincostarica@yahoo.com or Sandy Wilder, Conference Secretary of Global Ministries at swilder@texas.net for more information.

Friday, June 8, 2012 – Noon

American Bank Convention Center
Corpus Christi, Texas

A Luncheon Sponsored by the

Southwest Texas Conference Board of Church & Society

Methodist Federation for Social Action, SWTX Chapter

Reconciling Ministries Network, SWTX Team

Featuring Jim Winkler

General Secretary, United Methodist General Board of Church & Society (GBCS)

Is the Methodist Church dying? What can be done to turn the tide? Don’t miss this stimulating session as Secretary Winkler shares how creating a more just society can fuel a growing and vibrant church. Registration flyer is attached.  

LuncheonFlyer2012

From David Mauzy:  “As we approach General Conference 2012 in Tampa—now just five weeks away!—I thought you might be interested in the following essays about General Conference 2000.  (At that General Conference, more than 200 members of Soulforce – (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulforce) – were arrested for demonstrating outside the convention center.  The following day, more than two dozen reconciling United Methodists were arrested for refusing to leave the floor of General Conference in an act of civil disobedience.)  Sue Laurie, former longtime RMN staff member, wrote these two essays in 2010, on the 10th anniversary of the events she details. ”

Essays by Sue Laurie

It’s not too late to get involved with the 7th largest CROP Hunger Walk in the country and the largest interfaith event in Austin! You can start a team with your spiritual community, your co-workers, or a group of your friends. With online fundraising it’s easy to get sponsors so that you can support local and global hunger agencies.
Walk materials can be picked up at the Church World Service office (call first – 512-451-2062, 6633 Highway 290 East, Suite 108, Austin, TX 78723), or at the Capital Area Food Bank (M-F, 9am-4pm, 8201 S. Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78745).

The Austin CROP Hunger Walk will be at Walter E Long Park (6614 Blue Bluff Rd., Austin, TX 78724) on Saturday, March 3rd (registration at 9:30am) and Sunday, March 4th (registration at 1:45pm). You can walk on either day you choose. For more detailed event information, please click here.  About $85,000 was raised in 2011 to alleviate hunger in our community and around the world.

If you have any questions or need some support to make your CROP Hunger Walk experience successful, you can contact Trevor Maloney (415-774-6644, tsjmaloney@gmail.com).

Saturday March 3, 2012 9am to 4pm @ Gruene UMC

Part of being good stewards is taking care of God’s creation, the earth. This fun, informative event will not only inspire, but will give participants real, practical things they can do at their local church and in their daily life. The event starts with a morning worship and plenary session for everyone, followed by six breakout sessions. Have kids, bring them! Child care will be provided for the young ones, and a special program for elementary age kids will be offered that ties into the main event.

Keynote Speaker:  John Hill, Director for Economic and Environmental Justice for the
UMC General Board of Church and Society

Cost: $20 at the door.  Childcare will be provided.

For more information, go to http://www.umcswtx.org/rethink-green-event.

Austin District Superintendent Bobbi Kaye Jones has been appointed to be the Senior Pastor at Tarrytown UMC (Austin), effective July 1, 2012.  No replacement has been announced as yet.  This move is among two dozen retirements and transfers that have been announced by Bishop Dorff.  For the Conference announcement, click here.

Notes from the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty:

Thanks to everyone who has sent letters to, faxed, or called the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Rick Perry to request a reprieve for Anthony Bartee.  Bartee has received a reprieve so that DNA testing can be conducted on two strands of hair found in the hands of the victim, David Cook.  According to the Associated Press and reported in the Houston Chronicle, State District Judge Mary Roman withdrew the execution warrant earlier this week.  Bartee had been scheduled for execution on February 28, 2012.

According to Rico Valdez, an assistant Bexar County district attorney who handles capital case appeals, “What we’re doing now is looking into which labs are capable of doing the testing in the shortest amount of time.”

Read the full article in the Houston Chronicle.

Read background information about the case.

George Rivas is scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Please consider attending a vigil in your area to express your opposition to the death penalty and to reflect on all those impacted by this punishment and violence in our society.

The Austin District has raised over $700,000 for Imagine No Malaria. That money represents thousands upon thousands of lives saved. As we continue to reach out to our neighbors across the world we are also looking to reach out to our neighbors in our own back yard. And we are going to make it happen with a good Austin-style event.

WHEN
– during SXSW
– on Tuesday, March 13
– from 5pm to midnight
– in the parking lot of Faith UMC at 2701 S Lamar

WITH

-great local live music for all tastes

– food trailer favorite East Side King (famously associated with Top Chef contestant Paul Qui)
– stories from those intimately connected to this cause
– ways to connect to new and old friends of the cause from across the city
– resources to mobilize you and your community to be a part of providing life where malaria once was.

Follow us on the District web page and on Facebook for more information.