Soma Austin

In Jeremiah 29:7, the Lord tells Israel to

"...seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."

This is an often-quoted scripture in today's missionally-minded church. Quite often, however, we interpret mission as something immediate, forgetting that it is also something that is very long-term. What immediate thing can I do to impact someone? What effect can I have today? Where can I serve to make a difference right now? In our microwaved culture of convenience, the immediate screams for our attention and it is difficult to interpret mission in a timeframe that is longer than a few months. But when God told Israel to seek the welfare of the city, they knew what He meant. In the previous verse, God tells them to give their daughters and sons in marriage. This was not a short-term welfare, but Israel had to realize that this was a lifetime goal. We need to operate with the same realization.

Long-Term Vision

Starting next week, Austin will be presenting elements of a potential 30-year vision for Austin and inviting public input. Thirty years is a very long time. Many of us, Lord willing, will be grandparents by then. It's incredibly hard to get excited about something that far away. But seeking the welfare of the city is a long-term goal. It is, in fact, a multi-generational goal. The City of Austin is providing us a unique opportunity to consider what we want Austin to look like in 30 years and provide feedback and input to shape that future city.

This opportunity can satisfy both the long-term and the immediate by giving us something to do in the present that doesn't take much time to impact the next generation - it also has the added benefit of forcing us to consider the future in a more specific way. We can immediately participate in a dialog with other Austinites discussing this potential future and we can engage in a redemptive way by thinking through what this City needs in order to provide what is best for its citizens. If we claim to seek the welfare of the city, we cannot ignore this opportunity. We must prayerfully engage in this process and participate with the intent of seeking the renewal and welfare (or Shalom) of this City we are called to and love.

Opportunities for Shaping Our City

We strongly encourage you to make time in your schedule to participate in one of the Phase 2 Community Forums.

The Phase 2 Community Forums will consists of two parts:

1. Open House Format open the entire time at each location, featuring a review of the components for a Vision statement, based on the results of the first Community Forums, as well as information about the Strategic Mobility Plan and an exercise to complete Austin streets.

2. A scheduled Chip Exercise, where participants work in teams to lay out where the anticipated growth in population and employment should go in Austin over the next 30 years.  (Don't mission out on the more interactive portion of the event!)

Dates & Times of Phase 2 Community Forums

• Tuesday, April 27, 3:30pm to 9pm at Austin Community College, Eastview Campus. Chip game sessions are available at: 3:30pm & 6:30pm.

• Wednesday, April 28, 7:45am to 1:30pm, St. David's Episcopal Church. Chip game sessions are available at these times: 7:45am & 11:00am

• Wednesday, April 28, 6pm to 8:30pm, Anderson High School. Chip game at 6:00pm

• Saturday, May 1, 9am to 11:30am, Fulmore Middle School. Chip game at 9:00am

More Info & RSVP for a Forum

For more information on the Phase 2 Community Forums, and to RSVP please visit the Imagine Austin website.

Hope to see some of you out there!

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