Please join us for a regional advocacy webinar provided by Equality Texas, the largest statewide nonprofit fighting for equality for LGBTQIA+ Texans. In this webinar, we will learn how to advocate more for LGBTQIA+ rights in this challenging time and have more information about the current state of equality in Texas, including key legislative developments and the ways to engage in advocacy efforts at the capitol, including tips for providing testimony at the capitol and how to effectively meet with your lawmakers. Please email Pastor Earl for the Zoom link.

Join us for a happy hour fellowship sip and chat at Lazarus Brewery. All LGBTQIA+ folks welcome.

Questions? Contact AV at av@uumc.org.

Tweens (4th-5th graders) and youth (6th - 12th graders), join Natasha and Jillian in the Fellowship Hall for lunch and fellowship. Then we'll sort and organize clothes for Open Door ministries with a fashion show thrown in! Please bring lunch. Pickup at the church at 2:30!

Questions? Contact Jillian (Tweens) or Natasha (Youth)!

Our Lenten Worship Theme this year is "Everything In Between." As we journey with Jesus to the cross, this series carries us through the Gospel of Luke as we explore a number of stories that invite us to reflect on how we live out our faith. Each week there is a sub theme that explores an assumed binary such as "grief and hope", "rest and growth", and "faith and works." We will learn together that these concepts and the stories from scripture hold more complexity and nuance. Instead of an "either/or" approach, we will see that God often appears in the spaces in-between.

We begin our Lenten journey with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time of remembering Jesus' journey to the cross and a reminder of our deep dependence upon God and God's continuous invitation to turn away from sin and towards God and others in love.

A 7pm service will take place in the sanctuary. Worshipers are invited to gather in the courtyard at 7pm for a brief ritual of burning last year's Palm branches led by Pastor Earl. If you still have yours from last year you are encouraged to bring them! Gathering music will begin at 7pm in the sanctuary, so worshipers not participating in the ritual of burning the branches can enter the sanctuary for a time of reflection prior to the start of the service. The evening Ash Wednesday service is designed by campus ministry directors Megan Otto and Rev. David McMinn, Director of the UT Wesley Foundation. 

We begin our Lenten journey with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time of remembering Jesus' journey to the cross and a reminder of our deep dependence upon God and God's continuous invitation to turn away from sin and towards God and others in love.

Join us at 12:15 for a brief Mid-day Ash Wednesday service including imposition of ashes.

Join us for the six-session study through Lent on Emeritus Pastor John Elford's book Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm: The American Methodist Church and the Struggle with White Supremacy. This study, presented by the General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church, will be facilitated by Pastors John and Earl. We will have a chance to reflect on the many ways that Anti-black racism in our history has harmed our Black neighbors and hurt our witness and mission as a church. We will also shine a light on how some Methodist Christians preached the prophetic gospel of inclusion and the hope of the Beloved Community. Join us in person or on Zoom!

Contact: Pastor Earl - PastorEarl@uumc.org

Click Here to Register

Come celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes (including gluten-free and red velvet) and other breakfast goodies. ALL are welcome-bring your beads and empty stomachs!

Questions? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!

All families with kiddos under 4, join us for some playtime, food, and fellowship! Please bring a small dish to share. A main dish will be provided and Jillian will bring extra toys to share.

For more details, please email jillian@uumc.org. Can't wait to see you there!

Do you like poetry (or tolerate it at least) and want to find community at the church? Come to Poetry Club! For this meeting I’d love for everyone to bring a spring time poem! It can be something you wrote, something you found on a random google search, or a poem near and dear to your heart. Do not stress about what you bring! We’ll go around and share poems and stories and all around have a great time. Feel free to bring a friend if you have someone interested as well!

Reach out to Blake Coleman for more info: blakeaverycoleman@icloud.com.

Food insecurity while in college can detrimentally impact students’ academic performance and well-being. According to the fall 2023 National College Health Assessment, 43.7% of UT students have experienced some form of food insecurity, and 19.7% of those students experienced very low food security. Dr. Chad Seales, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and the Brian F. Bolton, Distinguished Professor in Secular Studies, will provide insights into the current food insecurity situation on campus, share with us the recent efforts to address this challenge, and discuss how we, as a congregation, can help support these initiatives.

Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org!

So many of us want to know how to respond to the administration's recent actions that have struck fear in many of our neighbors who may be subject to raids and deportations. UUMC will be offering two Zoom sessions next week to learn more about how we can help our neighbors and discuss what we can do as a church community. Church Council Chair, Sandy White, and Pastor Earl will share some guidance and resources from the United Methodist Church's national and conference leadership, as well as information from other organizations working in this area. These conversations will serve as a starting point as we seek to serve Christ faithfully in these difficult times. We will also be offering this info-session on February 16th at 4 pm.

Email Pastor Earl for the Zoom Link!

PastorEarl@uumc.org

No school! Tweens (4th-5th graders) and youth (6th - 12th graders), we'll search through the neighborhoods of Austin to learn about some of the most important social justice events that have happened right here in our city. We'll have a tweens vs. youth hunt with clues and historical context at each stop. Looking forward to learning all about our city. See you there!

Questions? Contact Jillian or Natasha at jillian@uumc.org or natasha@uumc.org!

So many of us want to know how to respond to the administration's recent actions that have struck fear in many of our neighbors who may be subject to raids and deportations. UUMC will be offering two Zoom sessions next week to learn more about how we can help our neighbors and discuss what we can do as a church community. Church Council Chair, Sandy White, and Pastor Earl will share some guidance and resources from the United Methodist Church's national and conference leadership, as well as information from other organizations working in this area. These conversations will serve as a starting point as we seek to serve Christ faithfully in these difficult times. We will also be offering this info-session on February 20th at 11 am.

Email Pastor Earl for the Zoom Link!

PastorEarl@uumc.org

We are excited to welcome our Wesley Nurse. We will have an introduction and blessing in worship followed by a reception in the courtyard. All are welcome!

Treat your kids to a fun night out with friends at UUMC! We'll have Valentine’s Day themed crafts, recreation, STEM, pizza, movie and dessert. This is the perfect time to do something fun by yourselves or join other parents for community time together. We can't wait to see you there! Fifth grade and under!

Questions? Email Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!

Click Here to Register

The Caregivers Support Group will meet via Zoom on the Second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. It is a safe place for persons to gather and share confidentially about the joys and challenges of caregiving.

JOIN US ON ZOOM

College students join us for our annual Super Bowl Party! Even if you don't like football you can join the fun. There will be food and games.

Looking to join? Contact Megan at motto@uumc.org!

In February 2011 at a called church conference, University UMC voted overwhelmingly to affiliate with Reconciling Ministries Network. On Sunday, February 9 we remember this important vote at UUMC.

Planned and led by our Queer Council, join us in worship as we rejoice in the progress our queer and trans community has made, and recommit to the work that remains before us. Local Austin drag queen Aria Rey (UUMC choral scholar alumni- Hunter Sabin) will join our pop-up Queer Quire in leading music this week. She will also read “My Shadow is Purple”  for our children’s message. We invite everyone to join in the celebration by wearing rainbow or colorful clothing!

Sundays from February 2 - March 2

OWL is back for ages 4th-5th grade! Natasha Ulack and Kelly Edwards will teach this 5 session class every Sunday in February + the first Sunday in March. OWL dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships and improves decision making. This is a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education. Get all questions answered by emailing jillian@uumc.org.

Click Here to Register

Our February Sermon Series is "Called to Compassion." We will hear scripture passages about the gift of love, clothing ourselves with compassion, welcoming others, and even praying for our enemies. In this season filled with great conflict and concern in our nation, we are invited to consider how we are called to both show compassion while remaining committed to our values of resisting injustice. On February 9 we will observe Reconciling Ministries Network Sunday as we remember our vote to affiliate with RMN and continue to pray and work towards full inclusion of all LGBTQ+ individuals in the church.

Tweens (4th-5th graders) and youth (6th - 12th graders), join us for the most fun we'll ever have! We'll get dinner together and then head to a game show inspired experience. Please plan to bring $15 for dinner. Pick up at the church at 8:30pm!

Questions? Contact Jillian!

Please Note: Dates have changed to 1/28 - 2/25.

Are you interested in exploring John Wesley’s sermons and discovering how they are still relevant to us as Methodists for full inclusion and social justice? In this 5-week class, we will read Wesley’s core sermons guided by “Queering Wesley, Queering the Church” by Keegan Osinski. Together, we will reflect on how the spirit of Methodism can continue to shape our faith and practice in the 21st Century and how the legacy of Wesleyan holiness can inspire an expansive openness to the love and grace of God in queer Christian lives.

Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org!

Click Here to Register

UUMC is hosting a CPR & First-Aid Training class for some of our staff and have a few extra spots open! For $30 you can join us for the class, and a light lunch will be provided. This class covers all the requirements for Childcare Provider Certification, and is approved by the State of Texas Childcare Licensing, Foster and Adoption services as well as Child Protective Services. Upon completion of our class, you will receive certification cards at the class for CPR/AED and First Aid that are both valid for 2 years. We only have 15 spots available, so register ASAP!

Click Here to Register

MLK March Cancelled.
Festival Postponed until 2/1.

Due to inclement weather conditions, Monday's march has been cancelled. The MLK Festival @ Huston Tillotson has been postponed until February 1st.

Join us for worship on Sunday as we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and recommit to the ongoing work of justice in the church and in the world. We welcome guest preacher Rev. Dominique A. Robinson, DMin.

Join us for a family-friendly intergenerational hang at Batch Kolache! They place have delicious treats for all ages, and a large space to run and play for littles (weather permitting). Hope to see you there! Questions? Contact AV @ alicia@uumc.org.