Rio Texas MFSA

11/10/2022

November Meeting – Virtual (Zoom) Discussion:
Report on South Central Jurisdictional Conference

The November meeting of the Rio Texas MFSA will take place virtually on Thursday, November 10 beginning at 7:00pm CST.
Our program will focus on the outcome of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, which occurred in Houston last week (see report below). Our chapter co-president – Pat Stewart – was a delegate to Jurisdictional Conference and will report on the results. In addition, Jay Brim, the Rio Texas Conference Chancellor, will share his insights. Additional clergy delegates have been invited to participate in this discussion, and the meeting is certain to be informative and interesting.
Pat’s wrote this about the election of Bishops:
“Today was a red letter day for the Jurisdictional Conference. On the first day, three bishops were elected. One was our DS Laura Merrill, one was the first African American woman, and the third was the first ever Native American. I believe the South Central Jurisdiction made a little history today.”

Please join us. All are welcome!

As you join this zoom call, we ask each caller to MUTE themselves, unless the caller is part of the program. You will be prompted to unmute whenever we get to Q&A time. To join the Zoom meeting

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10/12/2022

October meeting on Zoom
Critical Social Justice Issues: LGBTQ+ Rights, Poverty

The October meeting of the Rio Texas MFSA will take place virtually on Thursday, October 13 beginning at 7:00pm CST. We will have two speakers, representing two current social justice issues: (1) LGBTQ+ rights, and (2) Poverty.

Nancy Mossman will speak on behalf of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). Nancy is the coordinator for the Rio Texas RMN Team. In addition to coordinating the team's presence at the Rio Texas Annual Conference, she also supports Rooted & Rising, another ministry of the Rio Texas Reconciling Ministries Team. The goal is to provide a safe space for spiritual growth and community to United Methodists who are seeking an open and affirming spiritual community and do not have one in their local context. This program provides a tailored spiritual gathering with prayers, music, storytelling, scripture, mission emphasis and community building opportunities. This is an evolving ministry, reflecting the needs of the community. This program is affiliated with the Reconciling Ministries Network at rmnetwork.org and our page is Rooted & Rising: Q***r Rio Texas UMs & Allies.

The Austin Poor People’s Campaign (the local iteration of the national Poor People’s Campaign headed by Rev. William Barber) will be represented by Jim Crosby. Jim founded Nonviolent Austin four years ago as part of the national Campaign Nonviolence and their Nonviolent Cities Project. Their goal is to build a culture of peace, including putting an end to war, poverty, racism, and environmental destruction. Around the same time, he read The Third Reconstruction, by Rev. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign (PPC). The goals of the two organizations, Campaign Nonviolence and the PPC, overlapped almost exactly. When Jim heard a year and a half ago that the Poor People's Campaign had organized a march from Georgetown to Austin, based on the historic 1965 Selma to Montgomery march, he signed up. Since that time he has worked with the Texas PPC faith leaders group, hosting a weekly Thursday night Zoom study of the book We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People's Campaign. Jim retired in June of 2020 after 27 years of teaching and serving as Lay Chaplain at St. Stephen's Episcopal School, Austin. Transitioning from academic to activist, he's found himself now, in retirement, busier than ever! His heart is in training others in classical Gandhian/Kingian nonviolence.

As you join this zoom call, we ask each caller to MUTE themselves, unless the caller is part of the program. You will be prompted to unmute whenever we get to Q&A time.
To join the Zoom meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87823580342?pwd=YzI4czAyTzN1RHdlbkdweStRQ3RQZz09

Fostering a just and peaceful world through nonviolence education, community-building, and nonviolent action.

09/08/2022

September meeting
We will have our next virtual meeting on Thursday, September 8, 2022. at 7:00pm.

We are presenting a panel on current social justice issues, featuring speakers from two Austin organizations. Lu Zeidan is the Co-DIrector of Refugee Services for Interfaith Action Central Texas (iACT). Kathleen Davis from Trinity Church will speak for Central Texas Interfaith.

As you join this zoom call, we ask each caller to MUTE themselves, unless the caller is part of the program. You will be prompted to unmute whenever we get to Q&A time.

To join the Zoom meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87823580342?pwd=YzI4czAyTzN1RHdlbkdweStRQ3RQZz09

https://riotexasmfsa.org/2022/09/

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

04/08/2022

BOPA Recycling Event this Saturday!
The Rio Texas MFSA will hold its annual BOPA (Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze) recycling event in the parking lot of Violet Crown City Church, 1300 Morrow St, Austin, TX on Saturday April 9, 2022 from 8:00a – 12 noon.

Bring any kind of batteries, oil, paint (latex, water-based, or acrylic only), and antifreeze (the last three in closed containers). No aerosols, please! Just drive up, give your zip code (requested by the city) and volunteers will unload your vehicle.
The items will be taken to the city’s hazardous waste recycling depot. This is open to anyone living in the City of Austin, and it’s FREE. Spread the word among your neighbors, friends, and co-workers!

11/11/2021

The November Rio Texas MFSA meeting will focus on the Poor People's Campaign. Join us on Thursday, November 11 at 7pm for our virtual gathering.
https://riotexasmfsa.org/2021/11/

10/14/2021

Rio Texas MFSA invites you to join us virtually on Thursday, October 14, at 7pm to our meeting led by Reverends Nancy Mossman and Richard Bates. They will share what has been developing in the Rio Texas Rooted and Rising Project, associated with RMN congregations and individuals. Rooted & Rising is a call to the Reconciling movement for the next season of our collective work for LGBTQ justice and inclusion in the Church.

Our Zoom meeting on Thursday, October 14th will be led by Reverends Nancy Mossman and Richard Bates.  They will share what has been developing in the Rio Texas Rooted and Rising Project, associated with RMN congregations and individuals.  Rooted & Rising is a call to the Reconciling movement for t...

08/10/2021

Please join us for a virtual meeting with Bishop Robert Schnase on Thursday, August 12 at 7pm.

Our guest is Bishop Robert Schnase, who currently serves as bishop of the Río Texas Annual Conference. He was assigned to Río Texas in September 2016 after serving twelve years as the bishop of the Missouri Annual Conference.  Prior to his election as bishop in 2004, Schnase served for 15 years a...

11/09/2020

Welcome Cindy Andrade Johnson at our next Meeting on November 12!
https://riotexasmfsa.org/2020/11/09/welcome-cindy-andrade-johnson-at-our-next-chapter-meeting/

09/09/2020

It’s been several months since we’ve had a meeting, but we will have a Zoom meeting on Thursday, September 10 at 7:00p. We’d love to have you join us. InformatIon follows.

We will have a virtual chapter meeting via Zoom on September 10 from 7 to 8 pm CDT. We want to use this time to catch up with our members and find out what our congregations are doing on social ju…

06/17/2020

If you haven't already done so, please consider participating in this weekend's digital Poor People's Campaign Moral March on Washington.

Join us on June 20, 2020 for the Mass Poor People's Assembly & Moral March on Washington!

03/06/2020

Join us in MFSA’s Annual BOPA event! March 7!

BOPA (Batteries, Oil, Paint, Antifreeze) Recycling in the parking lot of Crestview United Methodist Church, 1300 Morrow St, Austin, TX on Saturday March 7, starting at 8 am. We’ll close at 10:30 am or when our trailers are full, whichever comes first. Bring Batteries, Oil, Paint and Antifreeze (the last three in closed containers). We can accept only these items! No aerosols! The items will be taken to the city’s hazardous waste recycling depot. Just drive up, give your zip code (requested by the city) and volunteers will unload your vehicle.

02/15/2020

Rio Texas MFSA is cosponsoring an Anti-Racism Workshop on February 29 at Saint John's UMC. Rev. Neal Christie from General Board of Church & Society will lead the workshop. All are invited. You can find more information at:

Anti-Racism Workshop in Austin Saturday, February 29th, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm Rev. Neal Christie will host the workshop, “Shaping Beloved Community: From Dignity, Recognition and Inclusivity to A…