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Members of Texas Impact’s Gun Violence Prevention Team, staff, and Leadership Council members receive the Frances Schenkkan Advocate of the Year award from Texas Gun Sense, September 2025

Dear {name},

This week, Texas Impact was honored to receive the Advocate of the Year award from our colleagues at Texas Gun Sense for our Vidas Robadas project. Vidas Robadas architect Bobby Watson, Policy Fellow Dylan Le, and Bee Moorhead were joined at the event by Gun Violence Prevention Team members Rev. Stephen Sanders, Rev. Rob Mueller, Cathy Herzog, and Judy Ward. Also on hand were Texas Impact Leadership Council members Bettie Forman, Elyse Rosenberg, and Ellen Sable.

Also this week, Texas Impact was delighted to co-sponsor the Religious Freedom in Public Schools Summit—a national gathering convened by Interfaith Alliance and co-sponsored by more than a dozen religious freedom advocacy organizations.

Speakers included Democracy Forward executive director Skye Perryman; former Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Education Maggie Siddiqui; Christians Against Christian Nationalism leader Amanda Tyler; Oklahoma State Representative Mickey Dollens; and First Amendment scholar Stephen K. Green.

Rev. Alyssa Aldape, Bee Moorhead, Rabbi Mara Nathan, and Felicia Martin

Rev. Alyssa Aldape moderated a panel discussion with Texas Impact’s Bee Moorhead; San Antonio Rabbi Mara Nathan of Temple Beth-El; and Texas Freedom Network’s Felicia Martin about the dynamics of defending religious freedom in Texas.

Finally this week, Bee, Becca, and Heather helped Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary celebrate Constitution Day. Each fall, Austin Seminary observes Constitution Day, a requirement of institutions which award federal financial aid for education.

Texas Impact staff led a lunchtime conversation on opportunities and challenges for Texas faith communities in a time of political and cultural crisis. Using a “SWOT” model, the group discussed how faith communities can provide civic leadership and why they so often shy away from engagement in the public square.

Texas Impact staff will be out and about for the next several weeks, speaking and teaching. You can find our upcoming public appearances on our Events page. Looking for a speaker for your event? Fill out our speaker request form to get started.

At the TGS awards dinner, Stephen Sanders reflected on the phrase “thoughts and prayers.” It’s easy to dismiss the ubiquitous offers of “thoughts and prayers” in response to gun violence, and it’s abhorrent for leaders to inject sectarian prayer into public education. But Stephen suggested a different frame, saying maybe we should be asking, “What are you thinking, and what are you praying?”

Prayer and discernment are vital components of the life of faith that lead to action and advocacy. As our seminary audience discussed, our faith practices and traditions are among the strengths we bring to the work of justice. Thank you for your energy and commitment to building a more just and loving Texas.

Love,