Blog

For Wilshire Baptist Church

We were saddened recently to learn of the passing of Austin Davenport, a former longtime Wilshire member, at age 43. We don’t know the details, but Austin had Down syndrome and that might have been a factor. More recently Austin had been a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church. He was drawn there by their Belong ministry for those with disabilities, and especially their Spotlight Musical Theater. More about that in a moment.

Continue reading “Spotlight on Love”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

Our church is reopening on the first Sunday of June, and to be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about that. It’s not a question of safety. We’ve been cautious and deliberate in waiting until the science said it was safe, and I do believe it is safe. What I’m not sure about is my appetite for full-fledged engagement.

Continue reading “Coming Back”

For Wilshire Baptist Church

Saturday morning we gave our turquoise table a fresh coat of paint in preparation for better days in the neighborhood.

In case you aren’t familiar, the turquoise table movement was started in Austin in 2013 by Kristin Schell, who one day realized she didn’t know her neighbors. She bought an inexpensive picnic table, painted it her favorite color, and put it out in her front yard where people would see it and perhaps stop to visit. The idea caught on and now there is a web site and a book and thousands of tables registered worldwide. We got our table in 2018 when Wilshire bought a few and invited folks to paint them, take them home and host events.

Continue reading “Turquoise Touchup”