Ep. 408 Thru-Lines: Continuity and Change in Texas Impact's Legislative Agenda
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are excited to introduce Texas Impact’s legislative agenda with our Executive Director, Bee Moorhead. Listeners will remember a few weeks ago we had three board members join the program at the conclusion of the three day board retreat to talk about their experience with the process creating the agenda. In the weeks that followed, all of the wordsmithing and voting took place to ensure there was consensus on the final product, and today, Bee joins us to talk about where the board landed, and what our listeners can do with it. We are not going to go through the entire...
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Ep. 407 Not by the Hair of Our Chiny-Chin-Chins: Building Better for Climate Resilience
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are talking weather and climate from an interesting perspective as we welcome two former colleagues of our very own Dr. Becca Edwards. With us are Dr. Ian Giammanco who serves as Director of Standards and Data Analytics and Lead Research Meteorologist at the Institute for Building and Home Safety and Dr. Tanya Brown-Giammanco who serves as Director of Disaster and Failure Studies at the National Institute of Standards and Testing. We will discuss resilience and how changes in climate impact our homes and buildings, and what we can do about it from both a consumer and...
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Ep. 406 Vote Like a Vampire
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are recording from Trinity Church of Austin following a three day Texas Impact Board Retreat. The Texas Impact Board of Directors represent a wide range of judicatories and faith traditions from across Texas. Every two years they come together to create a consensus set of legislative priorities to guide the organizations’ work throughout the biennium. Scott talks to three of our board members about the process as they reflect on where we are as a state and how this work intersects with their faith. We are joined by Rev. Jessica Cain Pastor of Living Word Lutheran in Buda,...
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Ep. 405 Come to the Party: Celebrating Democracy
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are having a timely conversation on voting and voting systems with Daniel Griffith, Senior Director of Policy with Secure Democracy USA. As the name implies, Secure Democracy USA works to protect voting rights and oppose efforts to suppress votes. It's important work, but the most important work right now is to reassure voters that their vote matters and that your vote will count. There is a lot of noise surrounding the election to discourage voters, and Texans of faith and Texas faith leaders can play a key role in cutting through the noise and encouraging our communities...
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Ep. 404 Showing Up Faithfully: John Hill Reflects
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
We are especially excited for this week's episode as we welcome John Hill to the program. John is days away from completing his service as the Interim General Secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, an agency charged with leading the denomination’s social witness around the world. It is a perfect time for this conversation as we move into a critical election season where the social witness of the church will be of the utmost importance–and faith leaders will be called to lead. But, also, because the United Methodist Church recently concluded an historic...
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Ep.403 North Texas Faith Votes: Faith Leader Panel
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
Last weekend the Texas Impact team had a chance to hang out with a hundred Texans of faith representing congregations from across North Texas, and y’all the vibes were real. People were excited to hear from faith leaders talking about what they are doing to engage people this election season. They heard from non-profits and voting officials giving tips, tools and resources to help engage their community. This week, we are bringing you the Faith Leader Panel from the North Texas Faith Votes event. Joining Scott on stage was Robyn Carafoil with Temple Shalom, a Past President of the...
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Ep.402 Opposing Christian Nationalism
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are joined by Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the BJC, the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, leading the organization as it upholds the historic Baptist principle of religious liberty: defending the free exercise of religion and protecting against its establishment by government. We are excited to talk about Amanda's work with Christians Against Christian Nationalism and the proposed curriculum for Texas public schools. Find more about the BJC and Christians Against Christian Nationalism here: Listen to Respecting Religion presented by the BJC: Read...
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Ep.401 Watching for the Sunrise
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are excited to launch our fourth season of Weekly Witness and who better to kick things off than Texas Impact’s esteemed Executive Director, Bee Moorhead. We thought this would be a timely conversation as we move out of the usually slower summer months and into a consequential fall election season which will lead into the 89th Texas Legislative session in January. Texans of faith are leading, and it is so inspiring to see. If you want to find out how you can get involved, check out and for sure check out the page for tools and resources.
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Ep.355 Sankofa: Heather Goes to Ghana
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week we are once again joined by Texas Impact Policy Advocate, Heather Malkawi, who was recently invited to attend the 6th Pan African Conference, otherwise known as Sankofa 2024. This conference is hosted about every five years by the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians. Heather shares highlights from her trip and about how these theologians are processing, leading and acting. Texans of faith are also leading, and it is so inspiring to see. If you want to find out how you can get involved, check out , and for sure check out the page for tools...
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Ep. 354 Amazing Grace
Texas Impact's Weekly Witness
This week is the final episode of our series introducing Texas Impact’s new staff members as we welcome Grace Bonilla to the program. Grace was formerly an intern with Texas Impact and was recently hired as our newest Public Witness Mobilizer. Grace is working on a number of projects. Among them, she is helping staff Texas Impact’s Public School Defenders team. I hope you enjoy the conversation with Grace and keep an eye on Texas Impact’s website for opportunities to come meet the new team members in person. Become a Public School Defender or join one of Texas Impact's other...
info_outlineThis week we say goodbye to maybe our closest friend of the show, who has been on the program more than any other guest. Texas Impact announced last week that Advocacy Director Joshua Houston would be leaving soon to take a new position with Caritas of Austin. So we thought we needed to say goodbye (for now) with one last episode reminiscing on some of his proudest, and most hilarious, moments in his 14 years with Texas Impact. Keep the tissue box close by for this very special episode because we finally talk about feelings!
Find out ore about Caritas of Austin at caritasofaustin.org