Econnection: November 14, 2024

EConnection

Nov 14

Written By Renee Moreno

HTML - Econnection - November 14, 2024

Featured Events

Church-Wide Workday

THIS SUNDAY | 12 pm

Wear some working clothes to worship! After worship, join staff and Trustees for a church-wide workday. We’ll meet in the Fellowship Hall following worship for a quick lunch and to hear more about the various work areas including: landscaping, cleaning and organizing. Pok-e-jo’s has generously agreed to provide a Barbecue Buffet for volunteers. All are welcome!

Poinsettia Orders

Every year, we order beautiful poinsettias from Down Home Ranch, a local farm that helps provide social and vocational opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Our tradition at UUMC is to dedicate these poinsettias in memory, or in honor, of a loved one. Each plant is $12. You can order them on our website (credit card payments only). If you’d prefer to pay via cash or check, forms are available in the Front Office and Narthex. Poinsettias will be in the sanctuary through the Advent season and Christmas Eve.

We will list the memorials and honorees in the Lessons and Carols bulletin. The deadline for inclusion in the bulletin is December 1.

Methodism. 101

STARTS SUNDAY | 9:45 am | Fellowship Hall

Pastor Earl will be leading a three-week Sunday School class (November 17, 24, and December 1) for those interested in learning more about Methodist beliefs and The United Methodist Church. Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org.

Service of Worship

Sunday | 11 am

Scripture: John 11-12

Join us for worship for Family Sunday! We will continue prayers for one another and the world and showing up for one another is one way we demonstrate that we care for one another. The sermon text is about Jesus’ visit to Mary following the death of her brother Lazarus. In the sermon, Pastor Teresa will take a look at how we can be a good friend to other people and ourselves when experiencing loss.

On this Family Sunday, we are excited to share with you a beautiful telling of this story from a new book entitled “The Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids” by Mariko Clark. This retelling of the Gospel story will be shared by our own storytellers, Ray Williams and Melissa Wiginton.

Special Note! - Following worship we will have a church workday. Regardless of whether you are able to stay and help, we invite everyone to wear their work clothes to worship!

“Jesus felt his own heart ache, and he began to weep with them. Sometimes it is so very hard to be a human. And just because he knew the end of the story, it didn’t make the messy middle go away. Death, suffering, sadness - these things didn’t belong in the kingdom of heaven. But in Jesus heaven bumped against earth, hope against sorrow.”

–“The Book of Belonging”

Stewardship

Pledges put stewardship campaign on track. Thank you!

Thank you for the fantastic response to our 2025 stewardship campaign.

On Sunday, we received 137 financial commitments totaling $704,195. That includes 15 individuals or families returning pledge cards for the first time. This is a fantastic first tally of commitments and speaks to the generosity and aspiration of our church community.

We know that many current givers were not able to be in worship Sunday and have yet to submit their 2025 commitments. We’re optimistic that those commitments will be made soon, putting us on target to meet our goal of $810,000.

If you have yet to submit your financial commitment for 2025, you may turn in a pledge card in worship or to the church office. You may email Cindy Reeves at finance@uumc.org.

We will continue to tally commitments through mid-November before putting together our budget for 2025. Commitments made now allow us to serve our community in the coming year.

We indeed are people of possibility!

– John Bridges, finance chair

News

Advent Offering

This year’s Advent Offering will go to UUMC’s Microloan Program. This ministry offers interest-free loans of up to $1,500 to help stabilize and expand small businesses in Travis and surrounding counties. They have been funded solely by donations and loan repayments since 2017–during which time they have provided 37 small business owners with much needed access to capital. This fall, for the first time, loan applications have exceeded available funds. Your generous offerings will help meet that need and grow our ministry into the new year. Visit our page for a list of participating loan recipients past and present—and consider supporting these businesses when you shop this holiday!

Charge Conference 2024

Rev. Dr. Marcus Freeman, District Superintendent of the Capital District UMC, will hold an in-person Group Charge Conference on Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 4 pm at Lake Travis UMC, 1502 RR 620 North. All are welcome to attend and members of the Church Council at UUMC have voice and vote. This year, all Rio Texas Charge Conferences will follow the theme Better Together. With this theme, we recognize the many ways that our spirit of connection strengthens our shared ministry and witness. Our new Episcopal Leader, Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, will address us in a video greeting during our time together. We will then continue with our Charge Conference business.

Teresa’s Interview with

Texas Freedom Network

Finally, I had the joy of visiting with Texas Freedom Network recently. "Members of our Just Texas community, like Rev. Welborn, consistently show us that the religious right does not speak for all faith communities."

Listen to the Interview Here