Econnection: November 5, 2024

EConnection

Dec 5

Written By Renee Moreno

HTML - Econnection - December 5, 2024

Featured Events

Lessons & Carols

December 8 | 11 & 7 pm

Let’s sing the songs for the season together at our annual Lessons and Carols service! The choir and congregation will join together to sing traditional carols as well as more contemporary compositions, interspersed with the Christmas Story read by community leaders. The evening service will be followed by a reception with refreshments in the courtyard.

Caroling Party

December 11 | 6 pm

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer is SINGING LOUD for all to hear! Join us for UUMC’s annual Christmas Caroling Party! We will meet at AV, Kenzie, & Laura’s place at 6 PM to grab some music packets, then we will carol from house to house around the neighborhood. We’ll return to the house after singing and share cider, snacks, s’mores and cookies! Not up to walking around? Feel free to join for fellowship and snacks around 7!

RSVP for the Address

Queer Fellowship:
Cookie Exchange

December 13 | 6 pm

Bring a cookie to share and let's sample each other's favorite holiday treats! We will join together in fellowship as a queer community. Questions? Contact AV!

Worship | Sunday @ 11 am
Online or In-Person

Join us for worship this Sunday as we celebrate the beauty of the season with our annual Lessons and Carols service! The choir and congregation will join together to sing traditional carols as well as more contemporary compositions, interspersed with nine scripture readings recounting God’s coming to us in Jesus. Guest readers include community leaders. Services are at 11am and 7pm. Let's sing the songs of the season together!

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!

You can donate by cash, check or online to help support Microloans. 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.

Advent Devotional

What brings you comfort? In this Advent devotional, members of our community along with other artists and writers reflect on this question. As you read each day’s entry, may it be an invitation for you to consider the people, places, and things that bring you comfort. List on our Website, Apple Podcast, or Spotify

Stewardship

Pledges put stewardship campaign on track. Thank you!

As of yesterday, we’ve received 150 financial commitments totaling $771,375. We are so grateful for these commitments as it speaks to the generosity of our church community.

There are several current givers who have not yet submitted a pledge for the new year, but 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

Around the Community

Texas United Women in Faith Legislative Event

United Women of Faith and Texas Impact are hosting a Legislative Event from Sunday, January 26 through Tuesday, January 28, 2025. During the event, you will have the opportunity to learn how to lobby state reps and about legislative priorities that will promote the wellbeing of all Texans. In person registration is $160 until December 10th and $180 after December 10th. Virtual registration is also available and is $50.

UUMC Members Sandy White, Nancy Mossman, Trish Merrill, and Betsy Singleton all plan to attend and hope you will join them! You can register and learn more on Texas Impact's website .