MFSA will again be active at Annual Conference in Corpus Christi June 8 – 11.  We will sponsor an awards luncheon, Growing the Heart of Methodism (see below) in partnership with Reconciling Ministries Network and the Conference Board of Church and Society.  We plan to again sponsor the MFSA Book Fair, which has been a successful fundraiser for our chapter.  We will have our Informational Display about MFSA and its mission and activities.   We will again sponsor the sale of BeadForLife, which supports Ugandan women and communities.  And we will again co-sponsor a display of the Shower of Stoles, an extraordinary collection celebrating the gifts of GLBT persons who serve God in countless ways, while also lifting up those who have been excluded from service because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

This is shaping up to be an exciting time!  Join us!

Growing the Heart of Methodism

A Luncheon Sponsored by

Southwest Texas Conference Board of Church and Society
Methodist Federation for Social Action
Reconciling Ministries Network

Featuring
Professor Joerg Rieger
Perkins School of Theology
On his new book:
Grace Under Pressure:
Renegotiating the Heart of the
Methodist Traditions

This is our chapter’s first large-scale event to be held during Annual Conference in Corpus Christi.  It is being planned at lunchtime on June 10, and will consist of a luncheon, the presentation by Dr. Rieger, and awards for special recognition for Building a Just Community.  We will also have a presentation by Steve Clunn, the MFSA/RMN National Coalition Coordinator regarding national issues and Sing a New Song (see below).

We owe a great deal of thanks to Dr. Rieger for his willingness to rearrange his busy schedule to be with us for this event.  He is extremely supportive of MFSA and its mission.

We do need volunteers to help with the planning of this luncheon.  We will need help in a number of areas, both in advance arrangements and on site:  publicity, program, awards, financing, and logistics.  If you can help out, please respond to Rowland Curry, rcurry@austin.rr.com.

The luncheon cost is tentatively $12.00 per person.  More info later.

This should be a great event to share MFSA’s message with others at Southwest Texas Annual Conference.

We plan to again sponsor the MFSA Book Fair during Annual Conference in June.  We ask our members and friends to contribute their used books dealing with religious, spiritual, or social action topics, and then we offer them to Conference attendees in exchange for donations.  This has been our chapter’s major fundraiser during the past few years.  As a result of your kind donations of books and the generosity of the buyers, we made over $700 at the 2010 event.  As you are doing your spring cleaning or going through your library to discard these treasures, please keep us in mind.  In most cases, we can make arrangements to pick them up.  Please let Rowland Curry (rcurry@austin.rr.com) know if you have books to contribute.

CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty. CROP Hunger Walks are community fund-raising events sponsored by Church World Service (CWS), an international relief, development, and refugee resettlement agency.  The CROP Hunger Walk here in Austin is co-sponsored by I-ACT (formerly AAIM).  Please support walkers from your congregation, or collect donations and participate in the walk yourself. You can walk on either Saturday, March 5 beginning at 10 am or Sunday March 6 at 2:30 pm.  The location is Walter E. Long Park (6614 Blue Bluff Road).
For more info on the walk, see:  http://austincrophungerwalk.org/

On Tuesday, March 8, TCADP members will gather at the State Capitol to lobby on behalf of House Bill 819, which calls for repeal of the Texas death penalty.  State Representatives Jessica Farrar and Marisa Marquez authored the bill; it has been referred to the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
For more information, see:  http://www.tcadp.org/

Saturday, March 12
Save Texas Schools will hold a rally and march at the State Capitol on March 12, 2011.  They are expecting thousands of parents, teachers, students, community members, business owners, and faith organizations to attend.  The proposed legislative cuts to public education funding are unacceptable.  Stand with this group at the Capitol on March 12 to say YES to a strong public education system that supports our children, our communities and our future.
Read more at:  http://savetxschools.org/

Monday March 14 – Networking and Training, First UMC Austin – begins 4 pm
Tuesday March 15 – Full schedule of speakers and legislative visits
The goal of lobby day is to educate our representatives about the public health and environmental challenges facing our state and important legislation that will address these problems.
Read more:  http://www.acttexas.org/

Featured Speaker:  Leonard Pitts, Jr. – Pulitzer Prize winning columnist
Presented by the Texas Freedom Network – TFN Lobby Day 2011
Monday, March 21
First United Methodist Church
Family Life Center
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
More information and registration at:  http://www.tfn.org/site/PageServer?pagename=TFN_homepage

Saturday, March 26, 2011,  9:00 am to Noon
Central Presbyterian Church, Smoot Hall
200 East 8th St, Austin
For information, registration, see http://www.aaimaustin.org/roundtable.html

Join Texas Impact and other healthcare advocates as they lobby for better health insurance for kids and all Texans.  9 am to 5 pm.
More details to be posted at:  http://texasimpact.org/

Join Bishop Dorff, Rev. Jeremy Bassett, Dr. Robert Hunt and others as you worship, learn, witness, share, and become energized and motivated with the passion to follow God’s Command, God’s Commission, Our Call.  This event includes numerous workshops and resources for clergy and laity.
Who: SWTX Conference Board of Global Ministries
What: Two day event on “Why Mission Matters” and how you can get involved
When: Friday and Saturday, April 1 & 2, 2011
Where: Windcrest UMC, 8101  Midcrown, San Antonio TX 78239
Brochure and Registration:  http://www.umcswtx.org/mission-matters

Tuesday, April 12, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Bethany United Methodist Church
10010 Anderson Mill Road
Austin, TX   (512) 258-6017
Contact Julie Hutcherson, RN, International VIM Coordinator, SWTX UM Conference (830) 685-3562

TEXASForward is a coalition of organizations promoting a balanced approach to state budget decisions.
Read more:  http://txforward.org/home.html

Training the next generation of citizen leaders

Texas Impact, iACT, the Interfaith Alliance and First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin are excited to bring the nationally recognized high school leadership program, LEADD (Leadership Education Advancing Democracy & Diversity), to Central Texas, May 6-8, 2011.

Students who attend LEADD become immersed in the history of the First Amendment, particularly its Establishment and Free Exercise Clauses, and learn about current policy, legislative and legal issues regarding religious freedom.

AUSTIN, TX — Leaders of University United Methodist Church of Austin have sent a letter to more than 350 Texas United Methodist churches urging pastors and church members alike to take action to help prevent the deep cuts to education, social services, and other state programs that legislators are considering in the face of a $27 billion state budget shortfall.

Reverend John Elford, Senior Pastor of UUMC, said he and church leaders sent the letter to all the churches in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, a regional denominational body similar to a diocese. Elford said UUMC felt compelled to alert other United Methodists to the “grave injustice” lawmakers are preparing to do in adopting a budget that cuts services to the neediest Texans.

“The United Methodist tradition preaches a theology of abundance and grace. We simply cannot stand by and watch as lawmakers embrace a narrative of scarcity and fear that produces suffering for millions of Texans,” Elford said. “The long-term costs of making these massive cuts would be enormous because of the damage they will cause to the future of Texas and Texans.”

Associate Pastor Susan Sprague said UUMC has a special responsibility to issue the call to action because it has close ties to the Capitol and is keeping close tabs on the state budget situation. “We know sometimes the details of the legislative session aren’t communicated as broadly outside Austin, and we want to be sure every church in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference understands what’s at stake for Texas in the proposed budget,” Sprague said.

The letter includes information about the budget shortfall, the proposed cuts, and strategies for church members to express their views on the budget to lawmakers.

For more information:  http://texasimpact.org/uumc_shortfall_letter_2011

On Sunday, February 21, University UMC members voted to affiliate with the Reconciling Ministries Network.  Of the 250 in attendance at the church conference, more than 90% voted “yes”.

This church, and so many other progressive communities, have helped to create a greater climate of acceptance, welcome and understanding for the LGBT community.