Holy Smoke Brisket Fest 2009
Social Justice
and respect the dignity of every human being?”
-- The Baptismal Covenant
Book of Common Prayer page 305
The Amos Guild is St. David’s social justice advocacy ministry named after the prophet Amos. After meeting with the clergy, the vestry, and over 300 parishioners, we are working on the issues of work, health, education and affordable housing. The Amos Guild works on these issues both locally at St. David’s and together with other congregations through St. David’s membership in Austin Interfaith. The Amos Guild has put together this Social Service Guide for anyone to download. You can also read a recent editorial from us that was published in the Austin American-Statesman: Who picks up the slack for city’s incentives? For more information, please contact .
For St. David’s Episcopal Church, part of the responsibility of being a church in the heart of downtown Austin for over 150 years is being a witness to the Gospel values of justice and peace for this community, the nation, and the world. St. David’s has begun a period of intentional discernment of who God is calling us to be in that social justice arena.
Below, members can find links to a number of church and community organizations that do this sort of ministry*. You can also find links to resources for study and engagement. These links are provided to explore possible avenues of engagement and enrichment as we seek to discern and live out our baptismal call together.
Resources through the Episcopal Church:
The Episcopal Church Advocacy Center
The Episcopal Church Peace and Justice Ministries
The Episcopal Public Policy Network
The Episcopal Church Office of Criminal Justice
ONE Episcopalian: The Campaign to Make Poverty History
(the Episcopal Church’s commitment to engaging the Millennium Development Goals)
Resources through the World Council of Churches:
Public Witness: Addressing Power, Affirming Peace Program
Justice, Diakonia and Responsibility for Creation Program
National Organizations:
National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Programs
State and Local Organizations:
Austin Area Interreligious Ministries
Austin Downtown Cluster of Congregations and Social Agencies
Texas Interfaith Power and Light
Study Resources:
Liturgy, Justice, and the Reign of God
by J. Frank Henderson, Stephen Larson, Kathleen Quinn
Just Faith (a small group curriculum in engaging our faith in the work of social justice)
Sojourners (a magazine of faith, politics and culture)
The Center for Action and Contemplation
Social Gospel (the Wikipedia article)
*These resources are representative and are intended for exploration and discernment.
St. David’s is not currently affiliated with all of these organizations.
Hands On Outreach Committee
HANDS-ON OUTREACH COMMITTEE (HOOC): The Hands-On Outreach Committee is a standing committee of St. David’s Episcopal Church created by the Vestry to encourage and nurture participation within the parish on behalf of the outreach mission of the church. Through the works of this committee the parish manifests its commitment to our Baptismal Covenant to bear witness of the love of Jesus, and to the Great Commandment to love one another as God has loved us. We are working to create a community of compassion, praying for the discernment and wisdom to allow God to accomplish His will through us by supporting and building programs that respond to the needs of the poor and the dispirited, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, relieve human suffering, and work for justice and compassion for all the members of our community, especially for those who are powerless, voiceless, and unprotected.
St. David’s Grants
GRANTS COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH (GCCO): The Grants Committee for Community Outreach is a standing committee of St. David’s Episcopal Church created by the Vestry to distribute money on behalf of the outreach mission of the church.
St. David’s Episcopal Church has a long history of helping the poor and those in need in the Austin community. In addition to making grants, the church provides direct service volunteers to area nonprofit organizations and charities. The Grant Committee for Community Outreach administers the church grant program and makes funding recommendations to the church Vestry.
For many years, the church awarded multiple small grants for up to $5,000 to area nonprofit organizations. In 2007 the size of grants was increased to a fixed amount of $10,000 each, to enable organizations to increase the scope and impact of programs/projects.
In 2009, through proceeds from the Next-to-New Shop, St David’s was able to give three $10,000 grants to each of the following Austin organizations: Family Eldercare, Theatre Action Project, and Wonders and Worries.
Please follow the links below to apply for a 2010 St. David’s Grant:
(Application deadline is January 14, 2010)
2010 St. David’s Grant Program Description and Grant Instructions
2010 St. David’s Grant Application
Warm Heart
MISSION:
To live out our faith by partnering with people in communities worldwide to help them achieve a healthier quality of life. Warm Heart International is a community of Christian compassion raising funds and awareness for freshwater access and sanitation, medical care, orphan care and education, and youth-to-youth relationships in communities worldwide.
OUR STORY:
In 1980, James Tengatenga left his home country of Malawi for Austin, Texas, and the Seminary of the Southwest. He soon found a church home at St. David’s Episcopal Church and became an active and well-loved member of the parish. He and his wife, Josie, were married at St. David’s. When this extraordinary seminarian returned to Malawi in 1984, he took part of our heart with him. Since then St. David’s relationship with James, Josie, and the people of the Diocese of Southern Malawi has flourished.
In 1992, Mark Mitchell and Donnie Hungerford formed the Southern Malawi Outreach Committee at St. David’s under the direction of The Rev. Jim Bethell. The committee’s purpose was to foster our oneness with Bishop Tengatenga and the people he serves and to express this oneness through action.
Our first priority was to help Josie Tengatenga complete her seminary training. From 2001 to 2003 we raised around $12,000 to help with her education expenses. After Josie graduated in May 2003, our efforts were redirected toward helping to build and furnish a diocesan school. We raised $4,300 for the school and other needs through the St. David’s Pecan Street BBQ booth. In 2003-04 we also raised $670 for the Diocese of Southern Malawi through the St. David’s Simple Gifts program.
In December 2004, Bishop James and the Rev. Harry Chisale visited Austin for a week-long event called Sharing of Missions Abroad (SOMA). The conference gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation of God’s work in Malawi and generated a wave of excitement that would transform our ministry. Mark Mitchell asked James how we might best foster St. David’s relationship with the Diocese of Southern Malawi. James’ answer was direct: he asked us to come see and experience God’s love in Malawi—its culture, hospitality, faith, history, traditions, passions, joys, sufferings, sorrows, loss, poverty, disease, and natural resources, as well as the dramatic growth of the Church and the Christian faith in the Malawian people. On the last day of James and Harry’s visit, St. David’s presented them with a check for $4,300 raised from the Fall Pecan Street Festival BBQ booth. This gift enabled our brothers and sisters in Christ to purchase a badly needed Nissan pickup truck. The truck is being used to transport workers, run errands, and handle many other tasks. According to Bishop Tengatenga, “Everyone is happy about this!” In 2004, St. David’s raised an additional $1,535 for the Diocese of Southern Malawi.
As we continued to raise funds for our Malawian brothers and sisters, we began planning to accept James’ invitation to visit in July of 2005. With the support of The Rev. Titus Presler, Dean of the Seminary of the Southwest, the Rev. David Boyd, Rector of St. David’s, and the St. David’s vestry, we prepared for our pilgrimage by raising funds, learning about our host culture, and meeting regularly to bond as a team.
From June 30 through July 17, 2005, fourteen Texas mission delegates from St. David’s traveled to Malawi. We were overwhelmed by our welcome, by the faith and joy of the people we met, and by the suffering we saw around us. We returned from Malawi changed and rendered unfit to resume life as we have known it – no more indifference, flippancies, and presumptions based on our own cultural biases and prejudice.
Our Malawi team consisted of six youth and eight adult delegates. Youth delegates included Christina Mitchell, Catie Hungerford, Lara Case, Jordan Yarbrough, Ginny Belanger, and Caitlin Gorman. Mark Mitchell, Tom Gebhard, Geoff Connor, Lee Livingston (youth director), Vance Tilton, Teresa Turner, Nancy Parish and Jennifer Reese were the adult delegates. These are a few of our Malawi pilgrims’ stories. They recount experiences that opened our eyes to a greater understanding of the overwhelming possibilities of God’s kingdom here on “this fragile earth, our island home” and what it may mean to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers in Malawi, in the world abroad, and in Austin, Texas, USA.
Next to New
Are you looking for a way to help Austin, all of Austin?
Are you looking for a unique way to volunteer your time and have fun doing it?
Please consider volunteering once a week for three hours at the Next-to-New shop. We sell consigned, donated and estate merchandise and need volunteers to help in all aspects of a retail operation.
1. Come shop and purchase quality china, jewelry, housewares, furniture, and antiques.
2. Put quality items on consignment. You receive 50% of the sale price.
3. Donate items to the Shop for re-sale.
4. Let us handle your estate sale, moving sale or downsizing sale.
From 1989 to 2003, more than $1.3 million of Next-To-New’s proceeds were donated to LOCAL charities. Proceeds also support the restoration of the Historic Sanctuary. The Sanctuary has been in constant service since 1854.
Location: 5435 Burnet Rd., Austin, TX 78756
Store Hours:
Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Outreach Overview
St. David’s has a long history of helping people who are experiencing poverty, homelessness or other crises. Our commitment to bear witness loving one another as Jesus loved us takes many forms. We support programs and ministries in the community through grants and volunteers. Our current list of outreach ministries include the following:
• Simple Gifts Simple Gifts is St. David’s Advent alternative giving program by which parishioners can give Christmas gifts of charity that make a real and tangible difference in alleviating hunger, illness, domestic violence, homelessness, loneliness, and fear in the Austin community. There are three levels of affordable gifts ($10, $25, and $50). For each gift, you receive a Christmas card, envelope, insert describing your gift, and a simple ornament you can either give or keep as a reminder of the joy you’re sharing with others. Simple Gifts sales will continue each Sunday during Advent at a table in the church lobby between the 9 and 11:15 a.m. worship services. Simple Gifts brochure. Download and print and an order form.
• Trinity Center – a ministry to assist our downtown neighbors who are experiencing homelessness.
• Next to New – a thrift shop that serves as a resource for used household goods and clothing. Half of the profits ofthis shop is a major funding source for our grants ministry.
• Grants – A number of grants are awarded to local service organizations.
• Habitat for Humanity - we participate with other Austin Episcopal parishes in building a home every year.
• Angel Tree – we collect presents for children who have a parent in prison.
• Faith In Action – West Austin Caregivers – we support this ministry through our volunteers who help elderly people remain independent and through membership.
• Stand Down – We help people to acquire identification documents during this annual event.
• Disaster Response – We are developing this ministry to help our neighbors, locally or in other areas, who suffer from the effects of natural disasters.
• Warm Heart International – we also support the global community through this ministry to our neighbors in Southern Malawi.
• Food, clothing, and other collection drives – we participate in a variety of drives to collect items that will help our neighbors.
HANDS-ON OUTREACH COMMITTEE (HOOC): The Hands-On Outreach Committee is a standing committee of St. David’s Episcopal Church created by the Vestry to encourage and nurture participation within the parish on behalf of the outreach mission of the church. Through the works of this committee the parish manifests its commitment to our Baptismal Covenant to bear witness of the love of Jesus, and to the Great Commandment to love one another as God has loved us. We are working to create a community of compassion, praying for the discernment and wisdom to allow God to accomplish His will through us by supporting and building programs that respond to the needs of the poor and the dispirited, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, relieve human suffering, and work for justice and compassion for all the members of our community, especially for those who are powerless, voiceless, and unprotected.
GRANTS COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNITY OUTREACH (GCCO): The Grants Committee for Community Outreach is a standing committee of St. David’s Episcopal Church created by the Vestry to distribute money on behalf of the outreach mission of the church.
Process for 2008 St. David’s Grants:
St. David’s Episcopal Church has a long history of helping the poor and those in need in the Austin community. For many years, the church awarded multiple small grants for up to $5,000 to area nonprofit organizations.
The Vestry has decided that for 2008, grant levels will be raised to $10,000 to enable organizations to serve more people and/or increase the impact of grant funds.
The 2008 Grant committee consists of Chair Rebecca Powers, Vice Chair Cathryn Dorsey, Secretary Paul Brownell and members: Cynthia Cannon, Amy Case, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Robyn Hargrove, Marsha Jensen, Scott Jones, Beth Krueger, Jerry McCulley, Marilyn Smolinsky, and Aldo Waker. The Vestry representative is Donnie Hungerford.
In January, the committee received 17 grant proposals from area nonprofits and charities. Nine of these proposals will receive in-depth analysis by review teams. In May, the committee will make final recommendations to the Vestry.
Trinity Center
Trinity Center is a faith-based organization conducting programs that improve the spiritual, mental, and physical well-being of the poor and homeless in inner-city Austin.
Trinity Center achieves its mission through
• volunteer opportunities that foster compassion, understanding, and acceptance of God’s people who are homeless and poor
• neighborly hospitality in a caring environment
• collaboration with similarly-focused agencies, faith-based organizations, service providers, and partner congregations
• the responsible use of space provided by St. David’s Episcopal Church
