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 | RMN Affiliation SundayFebruary 9 | 11 amPlanned 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! |
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 | Parents’ Night OutFebruary 15 | 5 - 8:30 pmTreat 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! |
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 | Lunch & Learn: Food Insecurity on UT CampusFebruary 23 | 12:15 pmFood 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 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. |
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Service of Worship Sunday @ 11 amScripture: I Corinthians 1:4-13 & Hebrews 13:1-2Join us this Sunday for worship! The worship theme throughout the month of February is “Called to Compassion” and Pastor Teresa will be preaching about the ways in which the practice of attentiveness deepens our capacity to love. The scripture readings come from I Corinthians 1:4-13 and Hebrews 13:1-2. We will also hear a Mary Oliver poem entitled “Why I Wake Early.” It is a communion Sunday and we will be singing a resurrection chorus in loving memory of Bob Williams who passed away in December. The altar rail offering will go to United Methodist Committee on Relief to assist with recovery efforts from recent California wildfires. You can learn more on their website. |
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For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed? – bell hooks |
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Altar Rail OfferingOn January 7, strong Santa Ana winds in Los Angeles caused wildfires to spread rapidly in multiple communities. Thousands of homes and businesses have been destroyed, as well as multiple local United Methodist Churches. Preliminary assessments of the damage is underway. The United Methodist Committee on Relief has awarded two solidarity grants to the California-Pacific Annual Conference to undergird their immediate relief efforts. This includes evacuee support like food and essential supplies as well as support for volunteer efforts and other relief activities.
This month, our Altar Rail Offering will go to UMCOR to help with their efforts. Our additional offerings will enable UMCOR to continue their efforts in the area as the recovery efforts continue. You can write "UMCOR" on the memo section of your check or on your offering envelope. Or by going to uumc.org/give and choosing “Special Offering” then including UMCOR in the notes section. |
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Easter Festival PotluckOur fantastic Children’s Director, Jillian Moore is already preparing for the Easter Festival, which will be held April 20th after worship. But we’ll need your help to make the potluck a success! We’re providing a main dish and are looking to our community for help with the sides and dessert. If you would like to share some of your kitchen (or purchasing) skills with us, please sign up below. |
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Fig Leaf Need: Paper Bags with Handles!Our Fig Leaf Ministry uses grocery bags–with handles–when we give clothes to our guests on Saturday morning. However, their supply is running low. If you have any lying around the house, we can put them to good use! Please bring them with you next time you’re at church and leave them in the donation barrels. Thanks! |
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Rooted GoodOur education building and sanctuary are bustling on Sunday mornings with classes, fellowship, mission, and worship. But how is that space being used the remainder of the week? Might it also better serve our community?
These questions of how we use our church space have been discussed in varying degrees of seriousness through the years. Recently, this conversation began again as we were introduced to a faith-based organization called Rooted Good.
Rooted Good invites churches to examine how their space is used to support their mission to serve the community. The hope is that this reimagining might also act as an additional revenue stream and provide more financial sustainability to the church.
And so we’ve formed a small cohort of staff and lay leaders from Trustees, Finance Committee, and Church Council to begin these talks–understanding this conversation is much bigger than any one of us or any small group.
This effort is in its infancy. No plans will be made without extensive discussions and buy-in from our church community.
We will continue to keep the wider congregation informed as the conversation grows. You can learn more about Rooted Good on their website. If you have any questions, please reach out to our communications director, Chad Jones, at chad@uumc.org. |
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Experimental Arts MinistryOver the course of the year, we get inquiries from people and organizations asking to use space in our building. Sometimes it’s summer camps or people wanting to host recitals. Sometimes it’s as simple as organizations needing a place to host a meeting. We’ve recently begun a much larger conversation about how our spaces are used, as noted in the section above. While that discussion is tackling long-term goals, much of our building, during much of the week, goes unused now.
Ginger Geyer, a member here and a local artist, approached us towards the end of 2024 inquiring about potential space for an art studio she hopes to turn into an art ministry. After some discussion with Executive Team and some staff, we have decided to move forward in offering up a portion of the fourth floor for a trial period through the end of May 2025. After that time we will re-evaluate with Ginger to see how the program has evolved and decide if it would be worth it to her and UUMC to extend her time here. We’re excited to see where this prospective ministry might lead and stay tuned for more information. |
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Microloan Advent Offering UpdateThanks to the congregation's generosity, Microloan Ministries at UUMC received $7,194 during the Advent Offering. These funds will enable the Microloan Ministry team to continue helping individuals grow or stabilize a small business in Travis and surrounding counties. To learn more including a video on this ministry featuring some of our volunteers and businesses we've partnered with visit their page on our website! |
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| MYF & Tween Time: Game On! Night2/1 | 5 pm |
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| Our Whole Lives
Sex Education:4th & 5th Gradebegins 2/2 | 12 pm |
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| College Ministry: Super Bowl Party2/9 | 5 pm |
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| Parents’ Night Out2/15 | 5 pm |
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| MYF & Tween Time: Austin Justice Scavenger Hunt2/17 | 1 pm |
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| Lunch & Learn:
Food Insecurity on UT Campus2/17 | 1 pm |
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| Children’s MinistryIf you have kiddos that you’d like to get involved in our children’s ministry, or just to learn more, reach out to Jillian |
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| Youth MinistryIf you have youth that you’d like to get involved in our youth ministry, or just to learn more, reach out to Natasha. |
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| College & Young AdultCollege Students and Young Adults, we have programs for you too! Contact Megan to get involved. |
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| Music MinistryUUMC is proud of its rich tradition of outstanding music. We offer opportunities for anyone, of any age or skill level. To get involved, contact AV. |
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| Continuing Adult EducationUUMC provides a variety of Sunday School groups, classes, and mission and justice ministries. Contact Pastor Earl to learn more. |
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| Worship & AdministrationThere are a lot of moving parts to operate this wonderful place. If you'd like to learn more or potentially volunteer, contact Pastor Teresa. |
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