Community Engagement

We are called to serve

St. David’s Episcopal Church engages with our downtown neighbors and the great Austin community as we live out our baptismal covenant. We seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and we strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. Our active community engagement ministry offers many opportunities for advocacy and direct service if you're looking for ways to help.

LATEST NEWS

Advocacy

Anti-Racism

St. David’s Racial Justice Committee seeks to bring efforts to reckon with racism together in a coordinated, parish-wide way in the areas of organization practice, formation, policy, and history.

Our faith invites us to work for justice, to confront the systems of racism, to look inward and find the sin of racism in ourselves and confess, repent, and amend our lives.
Statements from Church Leaders

Beloved Community

Visit Groups to learn more
The national Episcopal Church has an initiative called Becoming the Beloved Community. The program is designed to increase Episcopal parish, diocesan, and agency engagement in four primary fields: telling the truth about our churches and race, proclaiming the dream of Beloved Community, practicing Jesus’ way of healing and reconciliation, and repairing the breach in institutions and society.

Visit Anti-Racism Resource Archive

Immigration

  • Pictured above is the 2019 St. David's Border Team, which was formed to carefully plan, implement, and evaluate a series of intentional trips to the US/Mexico border by St. David’s parishioners with food prepared by our hospitality ministry along with personal care toiletries and children’s educational materials donated by the parish. This endeavor was organized by Halley Ortiz and Anthony Chapple.

The topic of immigration has ramifications at our city, state, national, and global level. In response to this, members of St. David’s have already found ways to serve as Christ has called us. St. David’s provides opportunities and resources to help you get involved. Contact Director of Community Outreach The Rev. Kristin Braun if you have any questions.

St. David’s Immigration-related Projects

  • Go and Do Likewise: This active ministry helps asylum-seekers settle in Austin by paying for rent, food, and private attorney fees. This ministry actively seeks new donors (most participants donate at the $20/month level). 100% of the money raised directly helps families. Get the latest news by joining Go & Do Likewise on Facebook

Donate to Go and Do Likewise

Choose the sub-fund: Sponsor a Family - Go & Do Likewise

Voting Rights

“It is a Christian obligation to vote, and more than that, it is the church’s responsibility to help get souls to the polls.“

 -Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

St. David’s Racial Justice Committee encourages everyone to get ready to vote by checking:

1. You are registered
2. Registration matches your current address
3. What identification you need to bring to the polls
4. How to register for vote-by-mail, if eligible.

All this at texas.gov/living-in-texas/texas-voter-registration/ 

Let’s make this the parish who votes!

Ongoing Service Opportunities

next-to-new

The Next-to-New Shop, a ministry of St. David’s church that began in 1959, has been a part of the city landscape as the only not-for-profit consignment/resale shop in Austin. A core part of our mission is to give our profits in equal parts to St. David’s for the restoration of the Historic Church, and to St. David’s grants committee. To date, these profits have yielded more than three million dollars in community engagement outreach grants. Next-to-New is operated by a small staff with a large number of volunteers. We offer consignment, or you can give in-kind as a donation. The volunteers, board, and staff at Next-to-New, and our grant recipients thank you for your continued support.

We are located at 5435 Burnet Rd. You can find more information on our website and Facebook page. The large bin in the church lobby is a great place to drop off donations for our shop.

Volunteer at Next-to-New

Trinity center

Trinity Center Austin grew from the concern of parishioners of St. David’s Episcopal Church for people experiencing homelessness, their downtown “neighbors,” who were living in shelters or on the streets near the church. Trinity has a small but dedicated staff of only six people and relies on volunteers. We greet each other as neighbors instead of as providers and clients. We treat our neighbors with dignity and respect. We feel very proud of the manner in which our staff and volunteers “lead by acceptance,” resulting in neighbors who feel acknowledged and understood, have a sense of ownership of Trinity Center, and consider it their community center. Trinity provides clothing, showers, direct assistance for IDs, mail services, bus pass distribution, phone and computer use, and breakfast to-go.

Trinity Center is located in the St. David's building at 304 E. 7th St, Austin TX, 78701. Learn more on Trinity Center's website and see the latest news on the Facebook page. The large bin in the church lobby is available for donations of clothing and toiletries for our neighbors. 

Volunteer at Trinity Center