Econnection: November 30, 2023

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Featured Events December 3 | 12 pm Children and Youth Caroling Join Alicia and Jillian for caroling! We’ll visit a few of the wonderful retirement homes in our community after a lunch provided by us. Parents are welcome to help us drive kiddos or stay at the church to complete some workday tasks. Pickup at the church at 3 pm. December 3 | 12 pm Church Workday Come as you can to help us clean up a bit ahead of Christmas! Items to work on include: Cleaning South Side Sanctuary Door, and windows on Balcony Stairwell, Organize and Inventory Hymnals & Music Stands, Mulch Over PVC, Clean floors in Choir Area. We’ll meet in the Fellowship Hall for a quick bite before getting started! Let us know you’re coming! Worship | Sunday @ 11 am Online or In-Person Join us for worship as we celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Advent and light the candle of Peace. The sermon text is the story of John the Baptist and Pastor Teresa’s sermon is “Prepare the Way.” Worship in person at 11 am includes Holy Communion and our online service premiers at 11 am on our YouTube channel. Our special offering this Advent season will go to Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin, a non-profit working for climate justice. You can read more about this organization below.  ”To prepare the way for just peace is a choice that we must make daily. Messengers know that what we see is not all there can, will, or should be. Messengers face the troubles of the world receptively, perceptively, and attentively, as they proclaim, ‘We shall overcome.’” – Dr. Marcia Riggs Professor of Christian Ethics Columbia Theological Seminary News Poinsettia Orders - Last Week to Order Every year, we order beautiful poinsettias from Down Home Ranch to decorate our sanctuary for the Advent Season. Down Home Ranch is 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 this Sunday, December 3.  Advent Offering About Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin (GAVA) is a coalition of neighbors and community partners breaking down barriers to healthy living and strengthening neighborhood stability in Austin’s Eastern Crescent (Dove Springs, South Austin, the Rundberg area, and St. Johns neighborhood). Resident-led teams work with GAVA organizers to identify and lead efforts to improve nutrition, increase access to safe physical activity, support climate resilience and neighborhood stability, and advocate for equitable policies and practices in their communities. Recent GAVA projects, covered by the press, include their work for climate resilience in flooding zones, their contribution of neighborhood data to the Climate Atlas, an interactive map developed by the UT and funded by a grant from NASA, which shows the impact of climate change, and their effort to launch a cooperative, nonprofit-led grocery store in east Austin to help combat healthy food deserts (Austin City Council approved a $500,000 contract with them). To Donate You can donate by cash, check or online to help us support GAVA. Please write “Advent Offering” on your offering envelope or the memo section of your check. If you are giving online, visit uumc.org/give and select “Give to Special Offerings.” Thank you for your generosity. Donations for Zavala Join the Explorers Sunday School Class in collecting donations for the Zavala Elementary Santa’s Gift Shop. The Elementary School organizes a gift market for their students to "purchase” gifts for family members. If you find yourself cleaning out your closets, consider donating some potential gifts to Zavala by bringing donations to the Explorer’s classroom by Sunday, December 10. Some examples of items to donate: cups/mugs, picture frames, costume jewelry, vases, stuffed animals, and Tupperware. If you have any questions, contact Sandy Smith at sandysmithaustx@gmail.com. Advent Devotional We’re excited to share this year’s Advent Devotional: Those Who Dream. It will be available as a printed copy in the sanctuary, or you can follow along on our website,  Apple Podcasts, and Spotify! Stewardship Update So far, we’ve received 147 pledge cards totaling $711,197. If you haven’t had a chance to turn in a pledge card, there’s still time and members of the finance committee will be reaching out soon. Thanks again for all you do. Advent Season December 3 2nd Sunday of Advent Children & Youth Caroling 12 pm Learn More Church Workday 1 pm Let us know you’re coming! Finals Week Fun 5:30 pm Learn More December 10 3rd Sunday of Advent Lessons & Carols 11 am Learn More Lessons & Carols - Evening Service 7 pm Learn More Christmas Caroling December 13 @ 7 pm Learn More Youth: Christmas Party and Lock-In December 15 @ 6 pm Learn More December 17 4th Sunday of Advent Christmas Pageant 11 am Learn More Advent Festival 12 pm Learn More Longest Night Service December 19 @ 7 pm Learn More Y’all Come Christmas Eve Choir December 20 @ 7 pm Learn More December 24 Christmas Eve Christmas Eve Services 11 am, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm & 10:30 pm Learn More In The New Year Diana Butler Bass January 27 @ 7 pm & January 28 @ 11 am We’ve rescheduled Diana Butler Bass’ visit to UUMC! She will now hold her presentation, Q&A, and book signing on January 27 at 7 pm and Guest Preaching during the 11 am service on January 28. Learn more Get Connected Children’s Ministry If you have kiddos that you’d like to get involved in our children’s ministry, or just to learn more, reach out to Pastor Heather. jillian@uumc.org College & Young Adult College Students and Young Adults, we have programs for you too! Contact Megan to get involved. motto@uumc.org Music Ministry UUMC is proud of its rich tradition of outstanding music. We offer opportunities for anyone, of any age or skill level. To get involved, contact Alicia. alicia@uumc.org Continuing Adult Education UUMC provides a variety of Sunday School groups, classes, and mission and justice ministries. Contact Pastor Earl to learn more. pastorearl@uumc.org Worship & Administration There are a lot of moving parts to operate this wonderful place. If you'd like to learn more or potentially volunteer, contact Pastor Teresa. pastorteresa@uumc.org 2409 Guadalupe Street Austin, Texas 78705 512-478-9387 Want to change how you receive emails from us? 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