Texas Moral Action Committee (TMAC)
E-mail and Calling Group Information
Have you ever felt that there is nothing one person can do to effect change? Well read on!
Within every local Church there are individuals who are very concerned about the direction our state and nation is headed and are looking for ways to become involved in an organized effort to help restore America’s Christian values.
There are many good national organizations we can join or donate funds to. But what can BMAT Churches, pastors and members do as a local group to affect real change without much cost? The answer is to form E-Mail grassroots and Calling Groups that will be part of a state wide grassroots organization, assisted by the Moral Action Committee of the BMA of Texas.
A effort is attractive because like the term implies this effort can spread like grass. If we can cover our state, it may grow in other states too.
This effort, to be successful will require many committed and dedicated Christians throughout Texas who are willing to pray and work till the job is done. Work on the local level is important, the Church and missionaries work on local levels, and the same is true in politics. We must realize that: the struggle for or against America’s ethnic Christianity will be won or lost in the political arena.
America is the last Christian nation in the world still standing today in its original form and if we are to preserve our Christian heritage, we must act NOW! And this is an easy way for anyone to be effective.
Our efforts, under any condition could never be too much. Our forefathers didn’t think so and they sacrificed everything they had for Christian freedom and they surly must have believed we would too.
How to start
Pastors can organize the letter E-mail/calling group within the Church, or Church members with their pastor’s permission can start a TMAC group. This group deals with TMAC E-Alert Items and avoids political endorsements, especially 60 days before an election. If your Church doesn’t have internet access, your group can call or if the issue doesn’t require an emendate contact with a state representative, letter writing is OK.
Announcements should be made, explaining the purpose of this group, giving all Church members an opportunity to serve, but they shouldn’t be placed under an obligation.
A Liaison (or contact person) must be designated to receive TMAC Action E-Alerts by E-Mail and share this information with their group. On fast breaking issues a liaison will need to e-mail the group or call a special meeting, (like when legislation is coming up for a fast vote.) The TMAC liaison will soon become a much needed source of information and by announcing special issues to the Church, the Liaison will free up the pulpit from dealing with social/political matters. Information on the many issues that will arise should also be posted in a designated area of the Church bulletin board for those not hearing the announcements.
More information about a TMAC liaison can be obtained from the BMA Moral Action Committee website at: http://texasmoralaction.org also a contact information feature for Texas and U.S. lawmakers, (which includes postal, phone and E-Mail address,) is on TMAC home page and at the bottom of this page.
Try to operate within your Church. Your group can designate a room for your purpose. You will be motivated to do more and you will motivate others, when working in a group setting.
A Church group may not be a answer for everyone and every Church and working from home is much better than not participating at all. Your participation is only required for a few minutes per week and will benefit Christians and families state wide.
TMAC E-Alert Items
An E-Alert item may originate on the national, state, congressional, or local area. 90% of the time TMAC E-Alerts will deal with state representatives. Action items are issues of a moral nature which alert concerned Christians or citizens when there is a danger to Christianity, Children or family values, or when an issue supports these values. Action items must be sent to the TMAC liaisons by E-Mail due to the speed and cost effective nature of the internet. The content of an TMAC E-Alert will inform Church groups on issues which they will need before e-mailing or calling legislators or officials. Some times a thank you note is appropriate so our lawmakers will know we support their good efforts. We will try to have all the contact information provided within the E-Alert.
Making Phone Calls
A call to local, state or the national office of elected officials is not quite as good as a letter when making your views known. But Calls are easier, faster and sometime a phone call or E-Mail is the only way to share your views in time. If long distance charges occur, calling will not be a food option and sending an E-Mail will be the way to go.
Sending E-Mails
E-Mails are being more and more accepted by legislators as a way of receiving and tabulating communications from their constituents, especially U.S. Congress men and women. There is a risk when sending E-Mails to organizations and companies because E-Mails can be culled and deleted.
When you are contacting U.S., Federal or elected officials an E-Mail is almost as good as a call and is much faster than a letter sent to Washington DC. Remember a letter may take weeks to get through Anthrax screening before U.S. official can read it.
E-Mailing is a handy method to communicate. An E-Mail can be sent to a whole list of recipients with just a few clicks of the mouse. But our problem here is: many Churches don’t have internet access, so sending an E-Mail from your home, calling or writing letters (if cost and time permits) in some case may be a last resort, (and will be cheaper when calling or sending messages to representatives local or home offices.)
One Downside of sending e-mails: E-Mailing may not have the group support benefits that writing letters or calling in a class room at Church.
Letter Writing
Although a last resort letter writing is effective way to influence state and U.S. lawmakers, public officials, company CEO’s ECT when time will allow. Each letter is calculated by legislators to represent the views of 10,000 like minded taxpaying voters.
Letters should always contain your full address so the recipient can recognize you as a constituent and so they can have a chance to respond.
TMAC contact group volunteers should never copy and send a form letter. This is one of the worse mistakes that people make as these letters have a diminished effect.
All letters should be composed by the individual letter writer, using the TMAC E-Alert Email as an out line. You can see why so many letter writers are needed in each state.
Each letter should be fairly short, use plain language and be plainly written.
Your letter should be firm but never mean spirited.
Threats or jokes shouldn’t be used.
When contacting lawmakers, ask them: if they are for or against the issue. If you don’t, lawmakers will tell you they will keep your views in mind when voting on any legislation.
Express your views, why you feel that way and that you will watch how they vote on this issue.
Remember legislators, elected officials, ECT, (often welcome this information, keep records and rely on the results to decide how to vote.
A letter to an organization or company will always be opened as to avoid throwing a payment or donation check away.
Important: Never send a letter to a U.S Congress person, the President or a Federal Official, if your letter is time sensitive. A letter takes at least two weeks to be screened for Anthrax before it can be sent to its recipient. If you want your message read in a timely fashion a Call or an E-mail will be the way to go. Remember his is not an issue if your letter is sent to their local (home) office or letters sent to state lawmakers.
-Also-
If at any time you need the contact information for your state and US lawmakers: The contact information feature is on the TMAC home page and below, for your convenience.
