COP Resources for Faith Communities

Dec 2-14, 2018, the nations of the world are gathering for the annual United Nations climate negotiations. This year, the stakes couldn’t be higher: the delegates from the 175 nations that are parties to the Paris Agreement (including the U.S.) must agree to a rulebook for implementing the Agreement.

This is the 24th time that the nations of the world have met to negotiate strategies for reducing global warming, and the faith community has been there at every meeting. Faith leaders are not members of the official US negotiating team, but at the COP and in congregations back home, people of faith provide vital support to the process every year through education, political speech, and prayer.

The resources on this page are intended for use in congregations in the US and other places over the weekend of December 7-9…but you should feel free to use and adapt them for use any time.

Got a resource to share? Please email Erica@texasimpact.org and we will add it!

Sermon/Khutbah Starters

“Free, Safe, and Flourishing: A Faithful Agenda for Texas”

Texas Impact’s board of directors unanimously approved a legislative agenda for 2025-2026 following its biennial legislative retreat. The agenda reflects the shared social concerns of Texas Impact’s member faith traditions around four major policy themes: Economic Justice; Climate Justice: Human Rights; and Civic Participation.

Weekly Witness Ep.530 Being the Hands and Feet with Bishop Sue Briner

This week, Scott is joined by Bishop Sue Briner, who serves as the bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Judicatory leaders are faced with decisions about when and if to respond to a wide range of policy concerns, so...

Urge the TMMMRC to release the report!

The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee's biannual report was supposed to come out on September 1, but it's been pushed back. Texans deserve that information as soon as possible.  Texas Impact is asking our members to take action today! Email the...

In 2025, Congress made changes to SNAP. They put new financial burdens on state budgets and made it harder for our neighbors to get the food they need. Join with thousands of Texans and tell the Texas Legislature that funding for SNAP is not negotiable. Sign the Form:...

Weekly Witness Ep.529 Boots on the Ground Faith with Darlene Alfred

This week, Scott is joined by Darlene Alfred who has served in about every position a United Methodist layperson could serve from the local church to the conference and even global levels. In many of those roles, she was a “first” but always works to open doors for...

Weekly Witness Ep.528 Connecting the Dots with Abel Vega

This week, Scott is joined by Abel who serves as the director of connectional ministries for the Rio Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Among his portfolio, Abel works on mission, justice, and disaster response ministries. Abel also serves on...

Weekly Witness Ep.527 Crisis and Opportunity for Texas Clergy with Minister Chris Johnson

This week, Scott is joined by Minister Chris Johnson who serves as the director of missions at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Houston and co-host of Impact Houston Live on KTSU Houston, 90.9 The Choice radio station. Chris is well-positioned to listen to the...

Legislative Priorities 2027

Weekly Witness Ep.526 Call to Feed the Hungry with Diane Hardy-Garcia

This week, Scott is joined by Leadership Council member Dianne Hardy-Garcia, Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin. Prior to joining the staff at St. David’s, Dianne served as a social worker and legislative staffer at...

Weekly Witness Ep.525 Dismantling the Structure of Christian Nationalism with Blake Ziegler

This week, Scott is joined by Blake Ziegler, Field Organizer for Texas and National Campaigns at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Blake joined the Texas Impact team for the Ready. Set. Go! event in San Antonio to talk about Christian Nationalism and its...

Sign up for the (New!) Texas Faith Votes Action Team

Join our new statewide advocacy initiative focused on elections and voting. Beginning in September, this team will meet weekly via Zoom (meeting day and time to be determined) to delve deeply into election policy and legislation during the 90th Texas Legislative...

Sign Up to Volunteer at the Polls

Sign up to be a poll monitor for the midterm elections. A poll monitor is a nonpartisan presence at the polls who helps Texans feel safe and secure casting their vote this November and beyond. Training is available. Time and polling location are of your choosing.Sign...

Advocates To-Do List Template

Join the new legislative action team focusing on elections/voting policies. This team will advocate for public policies ensuring free and fair elections for all Texans.

Weekly Witness Ep.524 Hard to Hear with Rev. Rosedanny Ortiz

This week, Scott is joined by Rev. Rosedanny Ortiz, a newly commissioned United Methodist Pastor serving as the lead pastor of Christ’s Foundry UMC in Dallas. Originally from Puerto Rico, Rosedanny is now a leader who the Texas Tribune describes as one of the Latina...

Weekly Witness Ep.523 Capitol Catch-up with Bee Moorhead and Beaman Floyd

This week, Scott is joined by Texas Impact’s Executive Director Bee Moorhead and Legislative Counsel Beaman Floyd. The Texas Impact staff recently lead Ready. Set. Go! events in Denton and Dallas and will soon travel to San Antonio and Houston to meet with Texans of...

Ready. Set. Go!

This page contains materials from our Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Denton events.EVENT EVALUATIONPlease take a few minutes to complete our evaluation form. Texas Impact and our partner organizations use event evaluations and comments to improve future events....

Weekly Witness Ep.522 It’s All Gospel with Rev. Jim Harrington

This week, Scott is joined by Rev. Jim Harrington, the legendary Texas civil rights attorney turned Episcopal priest. Jim spent decades as a leader in fighting for civil and human rights as founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, after previously working with Cesar...

Weekly Witness Episode 521: Making the World More Fair with Rabbi Eleanor Steinman

This week, Scott is joined by Rabbi Eleanor Steinman, senior rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Austin. They discuss the new Texas public education curriculum, as well as LGBTQ+ advocacy through the lens of confronting Christian Nationalism, which is a particularly hot...

[google-drive-embed url="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kK7dodqyfO9dqeBc5QEITR2_9j7fMx253G2bMzTzQuE/preview?usp=drivesdk" title="Current Action Alerts for Texas Advocates"...

The Fixing Emergency Management Act of 2025 is a bipartisan bill that would modernize federal disaster response by making FEMA an independent, cabinet level agency, speeding up aid delivery that finances recovery for Texas communities after disaster. Texas depends on...

Prayers

“Free, Safe, and Flourishing: A Faithful Agenda for Texas”

Texas Impact’s board of directors unanimously approved a legislative agenda for 2025-2026 following its biennial legislative retreat. The agenda reflects the shared social concerns of Texas Impact’s member faith traditions around four major policy themes: Economic Justice; Climate Justice: Human Rights; and Civic Participation.

Weekly Witness Ep.530 Being the Hands and Feet with Bishop Sue Briner

This week, Scott is joined by Bishop Sue Briner, who serves as the bishop of the Southwestern Texas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Judicatory leaders are faced with decisions about when and if to respond to a wide range of policy concerns, so...

Urge the TMMMRC to release the report!

The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee's biannual report was supposed to come out on September 1, but it's been pushed back. Texans deserve that information as soon as possible.  Texas Impact is asking our members to take action today! Email the...

In 2025, Congress made changes to SNAP. They put new financial burdens on state budgets and made it harder for our neighbors to get the food they need. Join with thousands of Texans and tell the Texas Legislature that funding for SNAP is not negotiable. Sign the Form:...

Weekly Witness Ep.529 Boots on the Ground Faith with Darlene Alfred

This week, Scott is joined by Darlene Alfred who has served in about every position a United Methodist layperson could serve from the local church to the conference and even global levels. In many of those roles, she was a “first” but always works to open doors for...

Weekly Witness Ep.528 Connecting the Dots with Abel Vega

This week, Scott is joined by Abel who serves as the director of connectional ministries for the Rio Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Among his portfolio, Abel works on mission, justice, and disaster response ministries. Abel also serves on...