Hill Country Institute Live: Exploring Christ and Culture

Veronica, a native Argentinian, is the Central Texas Conservation Project Director for A Rocha, the international creation care ministry. She is passionate about connecting people with God's creation, caring for His creation, and growing awareness of creation care in the church. In this interview, you'll hear about A Rocha's work on 6 continents, Veronica's projects in the Central Texas area, and how we can be involved personally in caring for God's good creation.

John Davis, Wildlife Biologist, worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife for 30 years and currently serves as the new Conservation Program Manager with the Kyle Parks and Rec Department, working to improve the native wildlife and plant conservation efforts in Kyle. Larry and John discuss environmental stewardship, creation care, and the spectrum of things individual residents can do to improve the health and sustainability of their local environment.

See inside the day-to-day realities of this couple  faithfully serving the least of these in the Ukraine. Chris & Christy Hill of Program for Humanitarian Aid talk with Larry about the orphans and other individuals they are caring for in Ukraine.

The Hill Country Institute is non-partisan; however, we like to talk to Christians who are in the political arena about how their faith impacts their approach to governance, how we develop and live as good citizens, and how we initiate and sustain gracious, respectful dialogue in our pluralistic culture.Josh Graham is an independent candidate for U.S. Congress in the 37th District. He has a fascinating background including working for the CIA, assisting companies in developing international markets, and now serving as a teacher and men's basketball coach at Veritas Academy in Austin, Texas.

In this fascinating interview, Larry talks with General Robert Neller about  Just War Theory; the increasing security risks our country faces from the alliance of China, Russia, and Iran; the importance of Allies to the United States; and our commitment to Ukraine from the time they gave up nuclear weapons.General Neller served in the U.S. Marine Corps for forty-four years. He was the 37th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and served as member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Military. General Neller also served as Deputy Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (05-07); Assistant Division Commander for 1st and 2d Marine Divisions; and President of Marine Corps University.His Joint assignments include service in the Policy Division of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium, and as the Director of Operations (J-3) of the Joint Staff in Washington, D.C.General Neller's many honors include having The Marine Corps Wargaming and Analysis Center named after him. It will be called the “General Robert B. Neller Center for Wargaming and Analysis” when it is completed in 2025. Neller Center will be a world-class facility for Marines to wargame in a secure, centralized location and will provide next-generation technologies to facilitate wargaming and analysis across multiple levels of classification, with a host of coalition and joint partners. General Neller is a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Strauss Center for International Security and Law and a Distinguished National Security Fellow at the Clements Center. Both centers are located at the University of Texas. He is a Board Member of Bridge to Mobility, which provides access to wheelchair accessible vehicles. 

In this interview with Dr. Vlasta Zekulic, Head of Strategic Issues and Engagements of the Supreme Allied Command Transformation of NATO, we discuss Dr. Zekulic's calling to military service and the challenging and rewarding career it can be for women, the role of her faith in her career, Just War Theory applied, the complexity of warfare today, and the need for alliances to share expenses and technology to meet the increased risks the United States faces.Dr. Zekulic earned her undergraduate degree at The Citadel in South Carolina, and her Master's and Doctorate in International Relations and Security Studies at the University of Zagreb in Croatia, her home country. She directs, coordinates, and manages the development of strategic issues and engagement, including coordinating and managing the efforts of senior civilian and military policy makers so they are informed on strategic issues relevant to NATO and Allied Command Transformation's role. 

In this interview, Larry and Father Captain Herb Bailey, a motorcycle-riding, Anglican priest and artist, discuss the amazing way God has worked in Father Herb's life, how we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and how to be an evangelist where God has called us. You'll hear an amazing personal story of God's moving in this man's life and calling him to ministry.Before he recently moved to Austin, Father Herb was leading a ministry center, a Christian coffee shop, in the Pittsburgh area, as part of his work in the Church Army USA. He is now on staff as Evangelist in Residence at Christ Church Austin. He continues as Executive Ministry Director with national ministry coordination responsibilities with Church Army USA.  He is here in Austin to assist in growing disciples and to teach, and lead, evangelism in Texas.Father Herb is available to teach evangelism in churches or with other groups.

In this interview, Larry talks with Bob O'Dell, tech entrepreneur, author, screenwriter, and movie producer, about the little-known history of the impact that the Tonkawa Tribe had on the city of Austin, Texas. Bob and others are working on bringing friendship and recognition to the Tonkawa Tribe, and Bob is in the process of producing a documentary on the Tribe's history.They also discuss how the guidance of the Holy Spirit in making life decisions and how listening to the Holy Spirit's leading shaped Bob's career. With the recent passing of Dan Davis, founding pastor of Hope Chapel, where Larry and Bob first met, they knew they needed to start their interview by giving recognition to Dan and the impact he had on both of their lives. 

Presenting at Concordia University in Austin, Texas, Larry presents three perspectives from which we should consider creation care: 1) God's Word, the Bible; 2) God's World - what we observe as we study God's good creation; and 3) God's Work - what we do to take care of His amazing and bountiful creation. Areas of concern which he addresses are loss of biodiversity, the growing accumulation of waste and trash, pollution in various forms, and a warming planet.

Water is an issue for Texans. We face droughts, floods, aging infrastructure, and increasing population. What is a Christian response to the problems we're experiencing, and how do we plan for the future? Larry discusses these and other issues with Chairman Tracy King, Representative for Texas House District 80, Chairman of the powerful House Natural Resources Committee, and member of the Energy Resources Committee.

Two leading analysts and advocates for a data-driven, comprehensive approach to water policy in Texas, Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, CEO of the Texas Water Foundation, and Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Analyst with Texas 2036 have a conversation with Larry on the water issues of Texas and the potential impact of Proposition 6 on meeting those challenges.Both Sarah and Jeremy are highly regarded for the important research and data they develop with their teams. They are both called on frequently to testify before Texas Legislative Committees, the Texas Water Development Board, other state agencies, the 16 Regional Water Districts of Texas, and other entities that are considering water policy.

Third in a series of conversations related to the Dream Together2023 initiative which begins on August 28, 2023. Kim Patton, Executive Director of Life Anew Restorative Justice, talks about how their team works to rebuild lives and communities in a Biblical, restorative way. Bianca Neal, wife of hiphop artist SaulPaul and Executive Director of the SaulPaul Foundation, discusses the challenges and opportunities for ministry through SaulPaul Productions as well as her interest in higher education for Latinas.To learn more about Dream Together 2030, click here.To learn more about Hill Country Institute, click here.

Pastor Edwin Pope and Pete Inman, both business leaders in the Austin Metro area as well as leaders in various Christian ministries in Round Rock and Austin, talk with Larry about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream Speech" and Dream Together 2030, the event on August 28 at the State Capitol which kicks off the Seven-Year Initiative to develop Dr. King's vision of the Beloved Community in Austin.Please join us on the steps on the south side of the Texas State Capitol on Monday, August 28, 2023, at 9AM as we both celebrate and remember this magnificent speech and begin the Dream Together 2030 Initiative – www.dreamtogether2030.com We will have a reading of Dr. King's speech by four students - grade school through college - as well as comments by Archbishop Sterling Lands, State Senator Royce West, Mayor Kirk Watson, and other leaders. The Huston-Tillotson Marching Band will then lead us to the Waterloo Greenway where we will have speakers and live music. To learn more about Dream Together 2030, click here.To learn more about Hill Country Institute, click here.

Joe Bland, a contractor in Austin who was led by God to begin Dream Together 2030, and Dr. Archbishop Sterling Lands, a key leader of the initiative, are interviewed by Larry on this episode of Hill Country Institute Live. They discuss the upcoming kickoff of the Dream Together 2030 initiative on August 28 at the Texas State Capital.The mission of Dream Together 2030 is to create a new season of flourishing, justice, and equity for greater Austin and the surrounding communities.The vision is that Central Texas would be a model for justice, equity, shared conviction, and action aimed at creating a more prosperous, vibrant, and exciting future. To create a thriving community where neighbors care for neighbors in such a fashion that citizens and visitors alike say, "Greater Austin cares deeply for all of the people in the region!" To learn more about the initiative, go to www.dreamtogether2030.com

Doug Lewin, President of Stoic Energy, is a nationally recognized energy expert, particularly in the electric grid, renewable energy, energy efficiency, demand response, utility regulation, and pollution reduction. He is regularly featured in local, state, and national broadcasts and publications on energy issues. In this interview, Larry and Doug talk about the electric grid in Texas - the issues we face, what happened during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 and the winter storm of December 2022; the actions, and inaction, of the Texas Legislature, the PUC-Texas, and ERCOT that impact the affordability and reliability of electricity in Texas, and how our choices on electricity generation impact air quality in Texas. 

Dr. Daniel Cohan, an atmospheric scientist and environmental engineer, is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Rice University, as well as a Rice Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute for Public Policy. Clean air, water, and energy are important to the life and health of Texans and people around the world. Larry and Dr. Cohan discuss the health impacts of pollution, how Texas should address the issues we face with increasing numbers of ozone alert days in our major metropolitan areas as well as how we should develop and efficiently utilize clean energy to stop further pollution of our air and to build reliability for our electric grid. Dr. Cohan is the author or co-author of more than fifty peer-reviewed publications, a book on unlocking a clean energy future, and over seventy articles in popular publications such as The Hill, Houston Chronicle, and The Conversation.

Senator Perry represents District 28, which is the largest Senate District, geographically, in the State of Texas. We'll be discussing water issues Texas is facing such as boil water notices, drought, flooding, and population growth. We'll also talk about  Senate Bill 28, which Senator Perry authored and has bipartisan support as it advances through the Texas Legislature. Due to the severity of the water crisis facing Texas, we encourage our listeners to learn about water policy in Texas and contact your elected officials to actively support a multi-billion allocation to state water resources during this session. The state has a hefty surplus this session, and it is important that lawmakers use a substantial portion of it to ensure safe and ample water supply throughout Texas.

Schuyler Wight is a fourth-generation rancher who has raised cattle near Fort Stockton for decades. Now he's fighting a battle he did not create. Scattered across his sprawling 20,000-acre ranch are more than 100 abandoned oil and gas wells left behind by oil and gas companies. Water is now bubbling up from these abandoned oil wells and is polluting Wight's pasture and killing his cows. Abandoned “dry hole” oil wells are polluting Texas farms, ranches and groundwater. The state and the oil and gas industry won't fix them. Wildcatters drilled in random locations for decades looking for oil. Many were unsuccessful, but the drilling opened up layers of porous rock, which led to water and pollutants such as benzene and xylene, both carcinogens, flowing to the surface. Rather than cap the holes, the wildcatters and their oil companies — now long gone — often abandoned the wells or transferred ownership of unproductive wells to the previous owners of Wight's ranch to be used as water wells. The pollution from the wells is killing cattle and ruining pastures, as well as harming the groundwater of West Texas. Texas faces many water issues including groundwater pollution, aging infrastructure, drought, flooding, and population growth. Larry discusses these and many other topics related to Texas water with Schuyler Wight.

Barry Smitherman is an attorney, consultant, private investor, author, and board member for not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. He is the only person to have served as Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Texas Railroad Commission. He probably has as much knowledge of the oil and gas and the electricity business as anyone in the U.S. He is now Chairman of the Texas Geothermal Energy Alliance. Barry authored the book,  If Jesus Were an Investment Banker (or Any Other Type of Modern Businessman): Leadership Principles from the Messiah and Personal Reflections of an Investment Banker Striving to Be a Christian.In this interview, we discuss the Texas market for electricity-the ERCOT market-and changes to that market which are under review, the issues we faced with Winter Storm Uri in 2021, the staggering potential of geothermal energy in Texas, and much more.

Join us as we consider the wisdom and experiences of a Godly man of faith, science, and scholarship. Walter Bradley has been a longtime friend to the Hill Country Institute and is a Fellow of the Institute. He partnered with us to bring Christian leaders together with differing views on faith and science in our Vibrant Dance of Faith and Science Initiative. His statesmanship made it comfortable for people to come together as fellow believers who want to study science, theology, and philosophy, but who disagree on many nuances. Listen as he shares treasured nuggets of wisdom about life in Christ and what it means to live fully for Him.

Seen in its proper light, the market order is as awe-inspiring as a sunset or a perfect eclipse. It might not be enough to convince a skeptic that God exists, but surely the believer should see in it God's glory. At the very least, it should settle the question: Can a Christian support free enterprise? The answer is surely yes. — Jay Wesley Richards, Money, Greed, and God: The Christian Case for Free EnterpriseIn this interview, Larry and Jay consider whether free markets or socialism provide the optimum conditions for a moral society, human flourishing, and caring for the poor.

Pastor Dukes is a friend and classmate of Larry's from junior high school and high school. In this interview, Larry and Pastor Dukes discuss their experiences growing up in a small town in Texas and going through integration together. Pastor Phillip M Dukes is African American and Larry is European American, so their lives as young people were quite different. Black people were not allowed to eat in the dining rooms of restaurants, were not allowed to swim in the public pools, were not allowed to use “White Only” restrooms and water fountains, and had segregated, “separate but equal” schools. Pastor Dukes is now Senior Pastor at the church Larry attended, which was an all-white church at that time. 

Ed Brown is Director and CEO of Care of Creation, an organization which partners with the Lausanne Movement and the World Evangelical Alliance to encourage Christian stewardship of God's good creation. Ed has recently completed a series of twelve consultations around the world with pastors and leaders in various geophysical areas to address how the Body of Christ might come to better understand the theology of creation care (God's Word), the issues we face (God's World), and how we should proceed (God's Work). Larry and Ed discuss the history of the Lausanne Movement (founded in 1974 by Billy Graham and John Stott), the Cape Town Commitment of 2010 and how the work of creation care is considered a part of the gospel message. how a meeting of leaders from many countries in Jamaica in 2012 led to the series of consultations over the last ten years in locations around the world. Well also talk about how we can be involved in creation care personally, as the Body of Christ, and in our societies.

Living a Holy Life is an aspect of our calling as Christians. Have you ever considered how we treat our garbage as a part of being Holy? We're called to take care of God's good creation, but trash and waste encroach on the beauty of the earth and its capacity to support life. Caleb Haynes is the author of Garbage Theology: The Unseen World of Waste and What It Means to Every Person, Every Place, and Every Thing.  In this podcast, he shares his insights and experiences both theologically and as a trash hauler. We talk about how to consider goods from the time of purchase to recycle, repurpose, and reuse. How our culture of disposability is filling millions of acres of landfills, putting plastic in our water, in our land, and in us, as well as contributing to a warming planet. Is the idol of consumerism one we worship? Can we find ways to live simpler lives and take better care of God's good creation?

Larry talks with Frank McCamant, independent consultant with over 35 years' experience as a leader in the electric power market in Texas. He works with many participants in the market for electricity-evaluating investment opportunities, structuring joint ventures, advising on regulatory issues, and more. They discuss how he lives his Christian faith in the workplace, the complexity of the market for electricity, and what has been done, and remains to be done, to adapt the Texas Electric Energy market to severe weather-hot and cold, and the growth of demand for electricity in Texas. 

Larry chats with Emily Jansen, author of A Wilder Eden: How to Keep Dreaming in a World of Disappointment. Emily encourages us to acknowledge the dreams which have not worked out, to step into our own identity and uniqueness as a beloved child of God, and to step into a new place, a place of yieldedness to God, a place she refers to as "A Wilder Eden". In her book, Emily shares from her personal experience and heart for seeking God's dream for each of us and bathes the story in scripture.  Even if we have lost the capacity to dream, Emily encourages us - “I dare you to dream His story for you. It will be a good one.”

Perspectives of an African American and a European American on growing up in a town with Jim Crow restrictions such as white only restrooms and closing the separate schools for black students when Greenville, TX, integrated.

Larry speaks with Dr. Reyes about her new book and how we learn from people with diverse cultural backgrounds and develop relationships, and how Christmas traditions from other cultures can both help us to better understand aspects of the Advent and Christmas stories and how diverse cultures celebrate this special time.

Larry talks with Richard Battle, award-winning author of eight books,  advisor to for-profit and non-profit organizations, and an accomplished speaker, about vocational calling, service, and trusting Christ in difficult times. 

In both Austin and San Antonio, there have been recent outbreaks of anti-semitic acts including banners with anti-Semitic language hung by members of a hate group on overpasses in areas with large Jewish populations, a fire set at a local synagogue, hate speech painted on the parking lot of a local high school, and others. How is a Christian to respond to such heinous acts? Are all people of faith put at risk when any of us are threatened and subjected to violence? In this episode, Larry talks with Sandy Kress, a lifelong student of the scriptures and sacred writings of the Jewish and Christian traditions, about the scourge of anti-Semitism and our call to support and stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters. Sandy is devoting his life to building bridges between Christians and Jews, as well as assisting Christians by providing greater depth to their understanding of Jewish thought during the earthly life of Jesus and during the time the New Testament was written.

Larry talks with Father Matt about the life experiences and culture which have impacted those who are under forty. What influences this age cohort-Millennials and Gen Z-to hear, resist, or embrace the gospel message? And for Christians under forty, what are they seeking in the church? They discuss community, the impact of technology, seeking justice, and more. 

Larry talks with Liuan about how we can broaden our understanding of the life of Asian Americans. What is the history and current place of Asian Americans in the US, and in the church? What would Asian Americans want us to know about their lives and how they are treated? How has Covid contributed to increased prejudice and violence against Asian Americans? How might we come alongside our Asian American brothers and sisters and share their burdens? 

Larry and John discuss what it means to be made in the Image of God, our identity based in our relationship to Christ, and some issues of our times including sexual orientation, gender identity and racial relations. 

Larry and Jon will discuss the vocational calling of caring for creation, as well as how each of us can personally participate in this Biblical mandate. They also consider some of the environmental issues which are common to both Michigan-Au Sable's home base-and Texas, including industrial, plastic, and air pollution, algae blooms and dead zones, and the impact of a warming earth.

Dr. Hugh Ross and Larry discuss his book, Weathering Climate Change: A Fresh Approach. The natural history of the earth shows substantial volatility in its climate. However, for the last 9,500 years, humans have benefited from climate stability and civilization has flourished. How did the activities of man slow the global cooling which would have been consistent with the cycle of the last 800,000 years and contributed to climate stability before the Industrial Revolution? How are increased emissions impacting the increase in global average temperatures we are experiencing now? What are solutions which Christians can embrace which promote free markets and create jobs? This is a theological and science discussion, not a political one.

Winter Storm Uri, Icepocalyse, the Big Freeze in February — whatever you call it, we in Austin are still trying to understand what happened and how to prepare for the future to avoid power outages. Frank McCamant returns to Hill Country Institute Live to update us on what the data has revealed, plans that are being made for the future of the electric power grid in Texas, and the impact of the bills passed by the Texas Legislature. Frank is an independent consultant who works with many participants in the market for electricity-evaluating investment opportunities, structuring joint ventures, advising on regulatory issues, and more. 

Alan Graham, Visionary, Founder, and CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes and Community First! Village, discusses with Larry why and how people fall into homelessness; how the community lives together with respect and dignity; the micro-enterprises which many in Community First! operate (artisans, blacksmiths, and more); Genesis Garden, where they raise organic vegetables, fruits and nuts, chickens, goats and bees; and Alan’s exciting vision for adding new phases and new housing for the homeless.

Larry interviews Winn Collier, author of A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson. Winn was one of many pastors who Pastor Peterson mentored. They had a long-term friendship and Winn was granted exclusive access to his personal papers to write the biography. Larry and Winn discuss the influences on Pastor Peterson’s life and spirituality, his personal growth and challenges, and how The Message grew out of his desire to make Galatians come alive for a Sunday school class when he was pastor of Christ Our King Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland.

Joe Pojman, Executive Director of the Texas Alliance for Life, updates us on pro-life legislation which is currently in process in the Texas Legislature. Joe is asking for all of us to call our State Representatives in support of the seven pro-life bills which have passed out of the Senate to the House, including Senate Bill’s 8, 9, 394, 650, 802, 1173, and 1657. For additional detail on the bills, please visit the Texas Alliance for Life website.

Is artificial intelligence a welcome addition to our advancing knowledge and capacity to improve human life or an uncontrollable force that will dominate our lives? Jay Richards, author of The Human Advantage: The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines, reviews the history of technological advances and the benefits which they offer to our lives and society, even as we deal with disruptions along the way.

How did the agricultural producers in Texas fare in Icepocalypse, now officially known as Winter Storm Uri? Will we have beef, grapefruit, and other food items from Texas in the future? How do farmers and ranchers prepare for the weather extremes we are experiencing including the ongoing drought? How much did the storm cost our agricultural community in Texas? How do the losses compare to past extreme weather events such as the drought of 2011 and Hurricane Harvey?David Anderson, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University, chats with Larry about these issues.

When most of us went to bed on Sunday night, Feb. 14, the power was on and we enjoyed pleasant dreams. In the early morning hours on Monday, Feb. 15th, the dreams, and the power, were gone. What happened? How does the electric market work in Texas? What is ERCOT and the PUC and what do they do? Power generators, transmission companies, and distribution companies bringing power to our homes and businesses, all managed by the grid manager, ERCOT. It is an extraordinarily complex arrangement. Frank McCamant is an independent consultant who works with many participants in the electric market-evaluating investment opportunities, structuring joint ventures, advising on regulatory issues, and more. He has over 35 years’ experience as a leader in the electric power market in Texas. In this interview, we discuss how he lives his Christian faith in the workplace, the complexity of the market for electricity, what happened during the major weather event and outages, and adjustments that can be made to avoid similar problems in the future, subject to further review of what happened, of course.

John Hall, a longtime Texas leader who brings businesses, elected officials, and community leaders together to grow jobs, restore and maintain clean air and water, and take care of those who are poor and suffer most from pollution, is our featured guest on this episode of Hill Country Institute Live. We discuss the impact of John’s faith on his career, air quality issues (the five largest metropolitan areas in Texas all had over 100 days of bad air quality in 2018), the growth and potential of green energy jobs in Texas, and energy poverty in Texas-over 40% of Texas households pay over 10% of their income for energy.

In this episode, Larry and David discuss the division in our country and how Christians can work to heal our land while also advocating for religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, and other issues that are important in a Biblical worldview. We’ll consider pluralism, toleration, federalism, and humility as aspects of respectful dialogue and coexistence, and the question of how we live Micah 6:8 in our times-He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?David French is the senior editor of The Dispatch, a conservative website. He writes a regular column, French Press, is a columnist for Time magazine, and is a frequent guest on numerous television and other media outlets. David served in the Iraq War and was a Major in the US Army reserve. He served as a senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, where he defended student organization’s right of free speech and free association on college campuses.

Dr. Jessica Moerman is the Senior Director for Science and Policy at the Evangelical Environmental Network. In this interview, Larry and Dr. Moerman discuss the Biblical call to care for God’s good creation, women in STEM, the ministry of EEN, environmental issues of concern, and caring for the least among us and future generations.

The natural history of the earth shows substantial volatility in its climate. For the last 9,500 years, humans have benefited from climate stability and civilization has flourished. How did the activities of man slow the global cooling which would have been consistent with the cycle of the last 800,000 years and contributed to climate stability before the Industrial Revolution began around 1750? How are increased emissions from industry, refining, oil and gas drilling, and our agriculture practices impacting the warming we are experiencing now? What are solutions which we can embrace which promote free markets and create jobs? This is a theological and science discussion, not politics. Listen as Larry and Dr. Ross discuss these questions.

Larry and Ben Lowe, Board Chair of A Rocha USA and a longtime leader in encouraging and equipping Christians in creation care discuss our Biblical calling to care for God’s good creation. They also discuss environmental concerns Millennial and Gen Z Christians have about the world they have inherited; areas of concern including pollution, food production, and overfishing; and what it means to be good stewards of creation.

Rev Kyle is the Midwest Director of the Evangelical Environmental Network. In this interview, Larry and Rev Kyle discuss awe and worship of God as we observe and enjoy the beauty and intricacy of His creation, our Biblical calling to care for God's good creation, and why young people are so concerned about what is happening to our environement.

Pastor Lands has been a long term, steady voice for fairness and righteousness in Austin, speaking out for equality of education and city services on the East Side of Austin and for strengthened police-community interaction from a Biblical, Christ-centered perspective. We'll be discussing character development from a Biblical perspective, education as a means for living a full and productive life, and his efforts over many years to bring fairness and equity in education and city services to the people of East Austin. We want to express our personal thanks and appreciation for his good and important work over many years.