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This week, Texas Impact staff met in a retreat to plan for the next 18 months, which in Texas policy and political time are known as the “legislative interim.” We’re cooking up all kinds of fun for our network—it’s going to be an exciting time. For starters, consider:
The best thing about all of this is that it’s not unusual. The political climate is volatile, and many Texans fear we are in a dangerous historical moment—but the processes of our democracy are built to withstand upheaval and conflict.
Of course there is always the possibility of a special called session; a natural disaster; or some other unpredictable instance. But even in those cases, our state and local communities have strong systems and networks. We value our government, our civil society, and our informal structures not because they prevent the unexpected, but because they function even when the unexpected happens.
I had the opportunity to give a presentation for Next Church this week, and we talked about the importance of faith communities as spaces for tough conversations and wrestling with issues. Participants in the conversation affirmed the need to foster those conversations and preach on the issues—their question was not “what,” but “how.” We talked about some of the tools Texas Impact has for groups that want to engage the issues but aren’t sure where to start, like our Common Concerns discussion guide. We’ll be rolling out more resources for congregations and small groups, so stay tuned.
In our retreat, we talked about the amazing work faithful advocates did in the legislative session. We shared stories about favorite moments and lessons learned, and we identified ways to strengthen our work internally and externally. I hope you’ll take time to listen to this week’s episode of Weekly Witness, where our lobby team members debrief their legislative experiences.
All staff members observed that the Texas Impact network is ready to get to work on what’s next. We are so grateful for your partnership, leadership, and enthusiasm! |
