Highland Park Neighborhood Association

president's letter to area churches

Dec 10, 2004

Highland Park Neighborhood Association
P. O. Box 10210 San Antonio TX 78210-0210

Dear Highland Park area pastor:

Greetings! As president of the Highland Park Neighborhood
Association, I have been pleased to meet the pastors in our area. I
made this my goal when I became president of the neighborhood
association two years ago, and since that time it has been my great
delight to visit not only all 23 of the congregations in our area, but
also to meet and get to know some of the pastors in the nearby areas,
and to have many of you lead the invocation at our monthly neighborhood
association meetings! I was also pleased as HPNA website editor to
research and add area church addresses to our website.

I have reached my term limit as president of the association, and am so
pleased that we will now have a dynamic new president who has even more
ideas about how to network with the local community so we can all work
together. Her name is Patricia Barrios. Patricia and her husband
Carlos have been active in Highland Park Neighborhood Association as
gardening volunteers; and in fact developed educational gardening
programs while they were home-schooling their children in previous
years.

Patricia Barrios has served as Hospitality Chairwoman of the
association this past year. She has been a dynamic and inspiring
member of the association, and wants to work with all the different
organizations in our area to improve our community. It is my hope that

To make sure that we continue communicating with area congregations of
faith, I am contacting you for two reasons:
? to offer to continue your subscription to our newsletter The
Highlander complimentary to you (I hope you will accept this offer by
completing and returning the information below; and
? to request your assistance in nominating a person to represent area
groups of faith on our Board of Directors of Highland Park Neighborhood
Association for 2005. For the last two years we have made a conscious
effort to diversify our directors to represent all interests in the
community. This has included representation by are church groups, and
unfortunately this spot remains the most difficult in which to obtain a
commitment.

For the past three years I have personally paid the $3 annual dues of
various area pastors who said they would like to represent church
interests but could not afford the $3 per year. This has never worked
well, and in fact last year the church representative brought his
entire family to lunch free of charge and then never attended even one
meeting during the year he was representing the area church interests.

At the same time, we have had much great contact with area
congregations in other areas. In 2003, Highland Terrace United
Methodist Church partnered with us for the National Night Out Against
Crime Celebration. Reverend Roger Hotopp of Holy Cross Lutheran Church
chaired our Highland Park Spring Festival committee in 2004, and not
only did a terrific job but personally contacted the other area pastors
to network with them. In December of 2004, the entire choir of
Campmeeting Tabernacle not only joined Pastor Dobbs to carol us at our
annual officer installation, but even brought almost all of the
vegetables even though it was our intention to provide the food.

So we have had many great contacts with area congregations, but still
need one committed representative from an area congregation who is at
least willing to pay the $3 annual dues (The Board of Directors has
instructed me not to pay pastors? dues any more) and to represent area
faith organizations. Ideally, the person would be willing to maintain
contact with at least the other 23 congregations in the Highland Park
area, and network with them on behalf of the Highland Park Neighborhood
Association. If you know of an active member of a faith congregation
whom you can personally recommend, please call me at mobile
number, or 532-4123 (home). I appreciate your consideration.
Rachel Cywinski, President, Highland Park Neighborhood Association

YES, we want to be informed of what's going on in the Highland Park
area. Please send the complimentary copy of the newsletter for our
faith congregation to:
Pastor or representative?s name:
Mailing address (including 9-digit zip code):
E-mail address:
Telephone number(s):
Send to: Rachel Cywinski, Highland Park NA, PO Box 10210 San Antonio
TX 78210-0210
or e-mail to: HighlandParkNA@satx.rr.com