Are you tired of some of the things that are going on in your community? Rethinking Justice Workshop this Saturday

Are you tired of some of the things that are going on in your community?

Are you sick of ignoring God’s call to do justice?

Well, here’s your chance to put your faith into action. Join other congregations and learn about the biblical requirement to do justice. Learn about how and why it’s important for us to stand up for our communities and to bring them closer to what God designed them to be.

Faith and Action for Strength Together
Rethinking Justice Workshop
Saturday, September 8, 2007
From 8:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.
Macedonia Free Will Baptist Church
900 16th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, FL 33705

For more details, please contact your Pastor, or call Tequena Hatch at (727) 823-9197. Learn more about F.A.S.T. at their web site.

Faith and Action for Strength Together: Mission

The mission of F.A.S.T. is to bring together diverse congregations in order to address the root causes of poverty and injustice in Pinellas County, FL. F.A.S.T. was founded in 2004 when 700 people came together at a covenant assembly. Currently F.A.S.T. has 30 member congregations, representing 50,000 people, that are located throughout Pinellas County and are diverse in their socio-economic, racial, denominational and geographic backgrounds. Congregations in F.A.S.T. work together to build relationships, listen to common concerns, research community problems, and then to take action to see that systems in the community are held accountable to principles of justice and fairness.

Goals: To serve as agents of change, calling for a renewed community by holding public systems accountable to improve the quality of life for all in Pinellas County. To foster and promote community wide interest and concern for the problems of individuals and families, particularly low- to moderate-income, so that such issues as poverty, crime, sickness, housing, education, and environmental degradation may be lessened, and education and economic opportunities may be expanded.

Update 10/20/07:

Hope to see you at the F.A.S.T. Assembly

Monday October 22, 7:00 P.M. at Holy Cross Church.

7851 54TH Avenue North

This is the first of the three big public actions for year four of F.A.S.T. All participating covenanted members will vote on the priority issue for the coming year. At the caucus meeting on October 6^th Drugs and Crime surfaced as the most dominant category. Some congregations will be newly covenanted on this night also.

the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, April 24 - 27, 2007, in St. Petersburg

A major state wide cultural event is coming to south St. Pete in a few weeks.

I encourage you to register for the Sixth Biennial Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network Conference, Tuesday, April 24 through Friday April 27, 2007 to be held at the beautiful St. Petersburg Hilton Hotel, 333 First Street South.

Highlights of the conference include Dr. Raymond Arsenault, the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg campus, discussing the freedom riders of 1961. Dr. Arsenault is also the author of the recently published book, Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice. Other noted speakers include James Early, Director of Cultural Heritage Policy for the Smithsonian Institute’s Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage and Dr. Tomeka Hobbs, former Professor of History, Florida A & M University and an authority on oral history, who will outline various methods of documenting local histories. Among the local presenters are Bob Jeffrey, Assistant Director, Development Services and Rick Smith, Senior Planner, Economic Development, who will address various aspects of the economic metamorphosis of St. Petersburg’s urban area known as Midtown.

Additionally, there will be book signings and on site shopping opportunities with vendors of African American art, artifacts, jewelry, and clothing. Tours of African American historical and cultural venues in Midtown St. Petersburg and Tampa are also available.

Should you have questions, please contact Janis Ford at 727- 892-5087 or janis.ford@stpete.org or Tyna Middleton at 727 893-7894 or tyna.middleton@stpete.org.

REGISTRATION FORM

Citizens Respond to Crime

This 8 On Your Side report covered the Jan 2nd Bartlett Park Crime Watch meeting and interviewed residents and business owners in the neighborhood.

King Day of Service to Be the Largest Ever

Updated information at Bartlett Park

Journalists & War Conference

Pre-conference event

Thursday, February 15: screening and discussion of War Made Easy documentary
Norman Solomon and others

Conference
Friday, February 16
1:00
Welcome and opening remarks
Hugh LaFollette

Narratives of Just War
Truth, Justice, or the American Way: The Conflicting Allegiances of Journalists in Wartime
Joel Rosenthal Judith Lichtenberg Hugh LaFollette (moderator)
We will have questions from the floor and discussion among the presenters at the end of each session.
3:15
Break
3:30
Reflections of a War Zone Thug
Beyond Reporting: Journalists Responses to Crimes Against Humanity
Martin Bell Philip Seib Jay Black (moderator)
5:30
Roundtable with all participants
Deni Elliott (moderator)
6:30
Dinner for Participants

Saturday, February 17
9:00 Welcome and opening remarks Bob Steele
9:00
The Judgment Call: Can We Be Wrong?
The Information War: Where the Government's Interests and Journalism's Interests Clash, and Where They Don't
Barbara Crossette Albert Pierce Thomas W. Smith (moderator)
11:00
Break
11:15
Ethical Problems of Covering the War in Iraq
Corey Flintoff Tony Silvia (moderator)
12:15 lunch
2:00
The Military Media Relationship
War Made too Easy
Bryan Whitman Norman Solomon Bob Steele (moderator)
4:00
Roundtable with all participants
Deni Elliott (moderator)
5:00
Closing remarks
Hugh LaFollette

For more information: http://web.tampabay.rr.com/lafollette/j&w/

Conference is free and open to the public