Today is BUDGET DAY

Good morning EGR friends!

Well, today is the day--the budget for 2010-2012 will be revealed to both the House of Deputies and bishops today at 2:30 pm by the Program, Budget and Finance Committee. If you haven't sat in the visitor's gallery at the House of Deputies, today would be an excellent time.

The U2charist flyers are ready to be passed out--again, can I tell you how awesome they look!?! Folks willing to help pass out U2charist flyers to deputies as the come into the convention center this morning please meet Tim and Debbie outside at 8:45 am. We will meet again tomorrow--so tell your friends that are in Anaheim, we would love to have a bunch of people helping. We are still looking for a few extra friends to help at the U2charist itself, stop over to the booth--again, easy work--HUGE impact.

KEEP THE FAITH and keep praying that despite the fact that PB&F had to strip $9 million from the triennium budget, that MDGs prevailed.

See you today in the booth at lunch time.

Another FANTASTIC and busy day

Hello friends and fans! How is everyone doing?

We are over the hump. On the floor of the House of Deputies yesterday we seemed to turn some kind of corner -- no longer did we have time to play around with floor procedure antics and word-smithing amendments requiring a vote. We are still considering resolutions from Legislative Day 4 and today begins Legislative Day 7.

Today Arrington (EGR Board Member and Secretary) leaves for home and I'd like to thank her for all of her help and support for EGR this week. She's been a great presence at the noon-day lunchtime speakers and she and I had a great meeting yesterday over a hurried turkey-sandwich dinner. Today we will also welcome board member Gary Cartwright who will be with us for the duration of GC.

We are in great shape for MDG funding at the 1% level. As you know D019 passed both houses before the Sunday at 6:00 pm deadline. The budget will be presented to both houses in a joint session on Wednesday from 2:30 - 3:30 on the floor of the House of Deputies. ERD Sunday is still stuck in my legislative committee -- I've tried to get it considered higher on the queue but the chairs anticipate a bit of resistance and want ample time for conversation in committee. I expect it will go through, we just need to hear people out. I will move to have it added to the Consent Calendar once it passes. We are not clear on where D018 is , but we will let you know as we know. Thanks to Tim for his tenacity around legislation. This has been a tremendous contribution.

The booth is happy and lively. Thanks to John and Debbie and Jennifer in particular who are putting in the long booth hours. Next GC I think we should have daily "behind the scenes hero" awards given out to the stellar EGR volunteer of the day -- because we definitely have no shortage of behind-the-scenes-heroes this General Convention.

Dahn says the plans for the U2charist are coming along nicely. We have not received any responses to our invitation for EGR affiliates to help us hand out fliers on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Can you or do you know someone who can help? Let us know! Stop by the booth. Its an easy way to make a huge difference.

That's about it for now.

HANG IN THERE -- this is the point when we (and SO many others at General Convention, you are not alone) are running on fumes and I ask you to be resolute in knowing that our collective efforts are making a huge difference. Thanks for your leadership, creativity and commitment.

With gratitude,
Devon Anderson, Executive Director

A note to the team

Dear EGR friends:

We had a GREAT day yesterday in the march toward the eradication of global poverty. D019, in an 11th hour floor maneuver to get considered before PB&F's 6:00 pm deadline, PASSED the House of Deputies yesterday. Ian and I were poised and in-line to speak, but that wasn't necessary. Someone called the question after a few random folks stood to support (much more powerful anyway) and the resolution passed resoundingly.

While we can all breathe a collective sigh when we actually SEE the budget, we are in very good shape for 1% for MDGs, and specifically Nets for Life. This is very good news and a prophetic statement to the world that no matter how tough things get financially, we will not back away from the poor. I was proud of our church yesterday.

THANKS to each one of you for the part you played in making this happen. Between the participation at the various legislative and budget hearings, to providing hearing testimony, strategizing with our new best friends ERD, handing out buttons, talking to people, distributing talking points, and communicating on-line we made a GREAT effort and it has paid off.

This morning in my committee we have discussion on a resolution regarding same-sex union blessings. I will move that we schedule the vote for ERD Sunday for tomorrow.

Love,
Devon Anderson, Executive Director

U2charist--Don't Miss Event at General Convention

And on Facebook here.
Be there.

The view from the booth-- a couple of items.

Today I saw just how active the EGR Board is at the Convention; this is no armchair quarterback board! Several board members happened to meet at the same time at the booth today. Ian Douglas, Bishop Rowthorn, Dahn Gandell and Devon Anderson on the front lines testifying and drafting resolutions. Laura Smith who ran in to the booth seconds after the House of Deputies passed the 1% resolution on the MDGs. Arington Chamblis, Debbie Shew and myself at the booth--listening to so many stories of people doing the education and fundraising work on the MDGs in their churches. And we are blessed with volunteers who are making sure that EGR and its message are everywhere at Convention. This is an active, volunteer board. Its strategic vision is paying off.

Next Thursday EGR is hosting a U2Charist at Convention. Today we handed out leaflets to hundreds of Convention participants as they walked to the Sunday Worship Service. It will be a rocking time on Thursday night.

The major worship service today was just awe inspiring, with literally hundreds and hundreds of participants singing, praying and having communion together. Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori asked us all to travel lightly for Jesus. Tonight there was a totally different type of Worship Service--a Taize service of song, praise and prayer. About 50 people gathered together. It was a quiet, peaceful moment in a Convention filled with meetings, pageantry and bustle. It was a time to stop and give thanks. We are blessed. "Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

The view from the Booth

EGR has unveiled a Crabby for Change project--asking people to give up coffee and/or smoking and give the money they save to EGR. As you can see here, the attractive poster of the new campaign has a big crab on it. So, there we were, in the booth, and along comes a priest from Maryland who wants several copies of the poster--not because of the campaign itself, but because of the crab.

He showed me why: his unique business card has a crab on it. Distinctive, so very Maryland--a true crab for change fellow.

On a more serious note a doctor stopped by today. He told the story of a woman in Malawi who was ready to die. She had HIV/AIDS and no medicine. She had to be on a waiting list. The doctor mentioned this to a friend who then gave the small amount of money to tide her over to get the medicine. A year later she is fine, living a normal life. Her son has a mother and is not an orphan.

This is what this whole thing is all about: What one person can do--save a life and family.

Rule of Life: In Practice

It is amazing the people we are meeting in the EGR booth in Anaheim. Like this, one story from yesterday.

One woman had joined EGR's Rule of Life last year. She came by the booth to make sure we had a change of email address for her. What did the Rule of Life mean for her?

• She started to go to the Cameroon where she was involved in a building an orphanage.
  
• She became aware that they were over $50,000 short to be able to finish the project. Though not a fundraiser at all, she put herself to the task.
  

As she said, "there is no doubt in my mind that it was my being part of the EGR Rule of Life that made it possible for me to raise the money needed between Thanksgiving and Christmas." I was humbled and awed by the power of community, of prayer and of the Holy Spirit at work.

To join the EGR Rule of Life go to
www.e4gr.org and go to Rule of Life.