Austin Pride is Saturday, September 10 and MCC Austin will march in the parade and have a booth at the festival. If you're interested in helping out with our group, please email Pastor Alycia or call her in the church office (291-8601). Help us spread the word of God's love to Austinites who haven't heard of us!

 

 

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This story was posted yesterday on KUT's website and it features the Lutes-Stein family from our congregation:

 

By Yimou Lee for KUT and Reporting Texas  

The televised celebrations surrounding the recent legalization of same-sex marriage in New York have once again put the spotlight on families headed by same-sex parents. It might come as a surprise to you that here in Texas, where a constitutional amendment has defined marriage as being only between a man and a woman, there are more same-sex parents than in many other parts of the country, including New York. Continue reading here...

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Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kind hearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school. For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00 a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300 and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds"---a true story. Goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents. 

 

If you're having a hard time letting this story ring true, if you're convinced that I'm trying to "pull one over on you" or take advantage of a bully pulpit, check out its origins at SNOPES.COM .

 

I find the "facts" in this instance just as inspiring as the truth. 

 

Always in Hope,

Rev. Karen Thompson
Senior Pastor

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