Justice
Church & Social Justice Committee
As Christians, we are called to both personal and social holiness, seeking to love God and love our neighbor. To that end, we educate ourselves; we make connections and build relationships; we serve others; we advocate and act for justice for ourselves and others.
As an offshoot of the Grace Avenue United Methodist Church “Journey toward Racial Justice” team that was formed in 2021, the Church and Social Justice team first met in early 2025 to expand our effort for justice and righteousness. Six teams were formed to address social justice issues in our community.
Teams
Creation Care
We believe we are an integral part of God’s creation and that caring for God’s creation is an essential element in our DNA as a United Methodist congregation.
Activities:
• Recycling (on campus and at home)
• Plastic bag recycling (turned into “plarn” to make mats by the Prayer Shawl Ministry)
• Composting
• Our community garden that donates produce to the Little Elm Food Bank
• Education and book studies
• UM Global Ministries Earthkeepers training program
• Earth Day activities
• Sale of reusable shopping bags and water bottles
• Frisco walking trail cleanup
• Refillable water bottle stations
Meetings: 2nd Tuesdays | 7:00 pm
Contact: Mel Caraway – mel.caraway@sbcglobal.net
Economic & Racial Justice
The Economic & Racial Justice Team works with Grace Avenue mission programs to provide support to our unsheltered neighbors, those who are food insecure, and those who have other economic or social needs.
Activities:
• Provide blessing bags with toiletries, snacks, and other essentials to our unsheltered neighbors
• Deliver the blessing bags to Oak Lawn UMC and shuttle other items between the churches
• Sort clothing and provide food donations to the clothing closet and food pantry at the Colin Powell Community Center in Little Elm
Meetings: As needed
Contact: Nancy Layland – nlayland@yahoo.com
Immigration
The Immigration Team identifies and provides resources and activities for anyone who wants to be involved in helping the immigrant community.
Activities:
• Support local (DFW area) groups who work directly with Immigrants: immigration court observers with Vecinos Unidos; food distribution with Christ’s Foundry UMC; distribute Know Your Rights “red cards”; put together activity kits for children of families to use while waiting at Immigration Court or ICE detention center
• Advocate on immigration issues through phone calls and emails to elected officials
• Educate ourselves by participating in Texas Impact meetings and attending immigration-related webinars
• Attend local protests (going with your friends is easier that going by yourself!)
Meetings: 2nd Thursdays | 5:30pm
Contact: DeAnn Ringgenberg – dringgenberg@gmail.com
Public Education
The Public Education Team identifies and provides various ways in which our church can support public education within our community, our state, and our nation.
Activities:
• Send baskets of snacks with cards of gratitude and encouragement to teachers and staff at several schools in the Frisco and Little Elm school districts
• Monitor legislative activity during legislative sessions, notifying our members of issues that have the potential of impacting public education
• Attend local school board meetings
• Identify various other efforts that help support and strengthen public education in our community and beyond.
Meetings: Periodically during the school year
Contact: Donna Black – donna_black@att.net
LGBTQ+ Rights
The LGBTQ+ Team works to inform and advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
Activities:
• Staff a GAUMC booth at Pride events
• Keep team members and the GAUMC community updated on events related to Queer issues, events, opportunities to be heard, and opportunities to be in community
• Provide “You are safe with me” badges to the church leadership and laity
• Encourage members of the community to participate in other aspects of Social Justice so that those members who are less engaged can clearly hear they are welcome on an activity-to-activity basis
Meetings: 1 to 2 times a quarter as needed to support events
Contact: Philip Ray – philipdray@gmail.com
Women's Rights
The Women’s Rights Team works to educate and advocate for the rights of all women.
Activities:
• Attended the screening of the documentary Zurawski vs. Texas, a film about being pregnant in Texas post-Roe
• Gather materials and package care packages for women who had been involved in trafficking, coordinating this effort with other women’s groups in the church
• Make phone calls and send email and postcards to elected officials in Texas and Congress regarding women’s rights
Meetings: Periodically throughout the year
Contact: Donna Walker – donnawalker7@gmail.com
Grace Avenue Voter Engagement
Grace Avenue believes that our democracy depends on every individual having a voice. We believe that your vote and your faith are not exclusive of one another and that we bring all of who we are and what we believe to the ballot box.
Grace Avenue United Methodist Church is 501c3 non-partisan organization and as such does not take a stance on a particular platform or candidate. Voter education is an important part of our mission to eradicate homelessness in whatever form it presents itself.
Find information regarding upcoming elections and voter registration in our Voter Engagement Guide.
