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This week, my daughter’s daughter had her first birthday. It’s a milestone for sure, and it’s particularly poignant for me: I officially became Texas Impact’s executive director exactly 26 years ago, the same month that my daughter turned one year old.
If you had told me in 2000 that I would still be at Texas Impact 26 years later (with no plans to leave), I would have laughed out loud. But of course, in those days I had no way of knowing all the amazing events and changes in store. While a few of those events have been monumental, most of them have been incremental. Some of the moments that have made the biggest impact have been quiet and seemingly insignificant.
What all the small and big events have in common is that they happened because Texans showed up.
In the blog this week, we highlight some of the ways Texans of faith and conscience are showing up. And, not to put too fine a point on it, we highlight why it’s so important that you keep showing up.
Rebecca writes about staying focused on the chewable chunks. Becca tells about a new program to build scalable models for regional resilience. And Scott interviews Rabbi Josh Fixler, continuing our Weekly Witness practice of highlighting the significant work local congregations and faith leaders are doing to advance justice in Texas (and occasionally beyond).
Meanwhile, around the world, climate advocates including faith communities have spent the past couple of weeks writing submissions for the upcoming First Global Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, cohosted by Colombia and the Netherlands in Santa Marta, Colombia, at the end of April. Texas Impact is proud to associate ourselves with two submissions, one from the US Climate Action Network and the other from Faiths for a Fossil-Free Future.
On a related note, we’re excited to announce that we have published the final installment of Changing by Choice: a fresh look at climate and faith, our video-based discussion guide on climate change.
Currently the discussion guide is available as a download, but we’re considering making sets of print copies available if enough folks want them. Let us know if you would want hard-copy materials if they were available by filling out this extremely short, simple form
Finally, I encourage you to keep a weather eye out for upcoming events from Texas Impact and our partners. We anticipate a lively schedule over the next six months, including online trainings and briefings; local mini-conferences to prepare for November elections and the 2027 legislative session; and major convenings in Austin and around the state. Be sure to check out our events page, and do let us know if you are hosting or sponsoring an event that you’d like us to promote.
Texas Impact is committed to providing the resources and support Texas faith communities and their members need to be civic leaders. Civic leadership can be special, but more often it’s ordinary things that add up: quick actions, casual conversations, small contributions, personal notes, and the myriad other ways you put yourself and your intentions out in the world, all help to fill the ocean and turn the tide. Thanks for your work!
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