September-October
Please Donate Canned Goods To Micah 6
Everyone is asked to please donate canned goods to Micah 6 Food Pantry throughout September. At this time of year, the Micah 6 food bank is very low, so please deposit canned goods in the basket located at the north entrance to the Sanctuary at UUMC this month. Your help is very much appreciated. Visit www.micah6austin.org or call 512-473-0088 for more details.

Sunday September 12 - 11:00 a.m
Youth Choir Commences
Youth Choir at UUMC begins on Sunday, September 12, following the 11:00 a.m worship. Anyone middle school through high school is invited to sing! We will meet in the Margaret Gregory Room (choir room) for lunch and then rehearse until 1:00 p.m. Come and join us! For more details, email Marc Erck at mderck@uumc.org

Sunday September 12 - noon
Welcome Reception
Please join us for a welcome reception in Fellowship Hall, in honor of the new UUMC staff members.  We hope everyone will plan on attending. Refreshments will be served.

Sunday September 12
Ruth Circle Coffee Sale
Ruth Circle has a huge fresh shipment of organic, fairly-traded coffee and tea to wake you up and warm you up for the fall. Proceeds benefit small farmers and UMW mission projects. Buy your UMCOR Coffee Project Equal Exchange coffee from Ruth Circle in the UUMC courtyard before and after the 11:00 a.m service on Sunday, September 12.

Sunday September 12 - 6:00 p.m
Sundays At Six Program - Caring For Creation
Dr. John Elford will speak at Crestview UMC on the opening night of the church’s annual September Sundays At Six Program. This year’s theme is Caring for Creation. John’s topic is ‘What Does God Say About It?’ or ‘Why I Sold My GTO and Bought a Hybrid’. Kids are invited too. After gathering for refreshments, kids (pre-K to fifth grade) and adults will split up for the program time. Kids Caring for Creation will include speakers and crafts that involve learning about and caring for the earth. Nursery care will be provided. The church is located at the corner of Morrow and Grover Streets. For more information, contact Crestview UMC at 512-451-1741.
For adults, Caring for Creation programs will be:
* Sept. 12 - Dr. John Elford, UUMC
* Sept. 19 - Paige Hill, Urban Patchwork Neighborhood Farms; other Crestview opportunities to care for creation
* Sept. 26 - ‘The Gulf Oil Spill - What Next?’, speaker TBD

Prime Time group invites everyone to come along for lunch at Luby’s Cafeteria, located at 8176 North Mopac, at the corner of Steck Avenue.  Enjoy some good food and conversation.  Email Rev. Bernie Sandberg at sandberg@uumc.org or call 512-478-9387, ext. 214.

September 5-November 21
Campus Ministry Snack Suppers Needed
Snack suppers are needed for Sunday evening Campus Ministry meals that precedes Student Worship. Resident hall cafeterias are closed Sunday nights, so snack suppers are needed. Our students help with set-up and clean-up. We provide beverages, plastic ware, cups and napkins. Volunteers simply need to have a light supper ready by 6:45 p.m in the Fellowship Hall for approximately 50 students. We can reimburse chefs up to $100. Please call Rev. Bill Frisbie at 512-478-9387 for more information, suggested menu items or to pick a date.

September 12-October 24 - 9:45 a.m-10:45 a.m
Can We Talk? The UMC & The H-word
Join us Sundays in the Green Room (S100) on the first floor of the Sanctuary, for a class entitled ‘Can We Talk? The United Methodist Church and the H-word’. We will discuss:
* What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
* What is the United Methodist Church’s stand on homosexuality?
* What do you believe?
If you answered ‘I don’t know’ to any/all of the above, we hope you will join us for seven weeks of study and conversation as we sort through the biblical references to homosexuality, discuss the UMC position that ‘homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching’, and examine what it means to be a reconciling congregation. Using the curriculum Claiming The Promise as a springboard for dialogue, Michael Coughlan, Sally Furgeson, Bruce Kellison (and special guests) will lead the class.

Tuesday September 14-Thursday September 16
September In The Hills
You are invited to join the Senior Christian Retreat at Mount Wesley Conference Center in Kerrville, Texas. Held annually for more than 50 years, the retreat is sponsored by the SWTX Conference Council on Older Adult Ministries. It featues a series of mini-courses on creative topics such as woodworking, watercolors and new ancient ways to pray, along with Bible study and worship. For more details, contact Rev. Bernie Sandberg at 512-478-9387/sandberg@uumc.org or Laura Rhodes at 830-995-3357/llrhodes@hctc.net

Sunday September 19 - 2:00 p.m-4:00 p.m 
Welcome Home Ken Hayes
Long-time activist and Austin resident Ken Hayes has just served six months in Federal prison. He was arrested at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia last November, at the annual protest to close down the School of the Americas (now known as WHINSEC) which is located there. Ken has served on the board of SOAW (School of Americas Watch). The event will be held at Artz Rib House, 2330 South Lamar. Everyone will gather to hear about prison life and welcome Ken back to civilization. He will also announce the winner of the poetry/song contest that he has been judging in prison. Visit www.soaw.org for more details. 

Saturday September 25 - 9:30 a.m-3:00 p.m
Rethink Worship Workshop
Austin District is offering Rethink Worship, a workshop for laity and clergy at St John’s UMC. Dr. John Elford would like to send a team of at least six people to the workshop. Workshop leader Marcia McFee has designed worship for General Conference and works with congregations and gatherings of all sizes. Email Dr. John Elford at jelford@uumc.org or call 512-478-9387 for more details.

September-October
New Church Directory Photo Sessions
The church directory company, Lifetouch, will be booking photo appointments with members on the following days:
* Tuesday September 28: 2:00 .pm-8:30 p.m
* Wednesday September 29: 2:00 p.m-8:30 p.m
* Thursday September 30: 2:00 p.m-8:30 p.m
* Friday October 1: 1:00 p.m-7:30 p.m
* Saturday October 2: 2:00 p.m-8:30 p.m
* Tuesday Oct 5, Weds Oct 6, Thurs Oct 7: 2:00 p.m-8:30 p.m
* Friday October 8: 1:00 p.m-7:30 p.m
* Saturday October 9: 2:00 p.m-8:30 p.m

Saturday October 16 - 9:00 a.m-4:00 p.m
Hope For The Thinking Christian
Join us for a relaxing day at one of Austin’s most beautiful places. You will get to hear Stephen Reese, author of Hope for the Thinking Christian, and Pastor John and Pastor Susan make presentations about these topics:
* How to express your faith without checking your mind at the door
* Does gender make a difference in your experience of faith?
* Creation centered spirituality
* Expressing your spirituality at work
You will also get an opportunity to experience Centering Prayer and to express your ‘creative’ side by writing a haiku, creating your own mandela, or watercoloring wildflowers. The event will be held at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Childcare is available at the church. Email Rev. Susan Sprague at ssprague@uumc.org or call 512-478-9387, ext. 217.

Saturdays October 9 & October 16 - 8:00 a.m-4:00 p.m
Lay Speaker Advanced Class
A two-day course will be held at Wesley UMC on Saturdays, October 9 and 16, from 8:00 a.m-4:00 p.m. The event will help you appreciate worship as a collection of complementary parts, designed to work together to inspire and encourage a congregation; and to understand how each part of a worship service fits into the whole. The course will also show you how to develop meaningful, powerful worship services. Cost is $35, including text and meals. If you have any questions, call Bill Cain at 512-345-4953. To register, call Tami Anderson at 512-345-1743.

Friday October 15, 9:00 a.m-Saturday October 16, 4:00 p.m
Global Voices Summit For Women
Non-profit organization Global Women invites you to join the sixth annual Global Voices Summit, at First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity St, Austin. Spend a weekend connecting with those who want to influence and empower the lives of women worldwide. The two-day summit features investigative workshops led by local and international women who are actively involved in the issues and missions of women. The summit also includes a marketplace featuring women-produced, fair-trade products, viewings of women-focused media, an Internet café and an interactive prayer experience. Lodging is available at La Quinta Inn Austin Capitol (one block from the church). To reserve a room ($105) call 512-476-1166 and ask for the Global Women discount. Register for the event at www.GlobalWomenGo.org

Sunday October 31 
UMW Events
Mark your calendars for two upcoming UMW events on Sunday, October 31.
*9:45 a.m-10:45 a.m, Fellowship Hall -
All-church program with guest speakers on Mission in the Age of Global Christianity.
*12 noon, Fellowship Hall -
All-church lunch celebrating Methodist Missionaries Around the Globe.

September-December
Tuesday Night Lights
UUMC’s Adult Ministries Team is planning three sessions of classes for you to choose from this fall. There is a suggested donation of $10 per class. If a book/workbook is required, that is an additional $10. Free childcare is available, but parents must call the church office at 512-478-9387 to let us know how many children and their ages. For more details about any of the courses, email Rev. Susan Sprague at ssprague@uumc.org or call 512-478-9387, ext. 217.

Session one - September 14-October 12
6:00 p.m: Snack supper - 6:30 p.m-8:30 p.m: Classes

• Faith and Politics - led by Dr. John Elford, 512-478-9387, ext. 216, jelford@uumc.org
  

• Progressive Christianity 101, Embracing a Growing Faith - led by Marsha Whitton, 512-497-8151, mwwhitton@sbcglobal.net and and Margie Roe, 512-337-7257, normmarge@gmail.com

• Disciple Bible Study of the Gospel of John, 14 weeks - led by Walter Hames, 512-420-8123, wwhames@aol.com

Session two - October 19-November 16

• Islam and Christianity - more details to follow

• The Naked Now: Seeing the Way the Mystics See, five weeks - led by Rev. Susan Sprague, 512-478-9387, ext. 217, ssprague@uumc.org
  

• Disciple Bible Study of Gospel of John (continued) - led by Walter Hames, 512-420-8123, wwhames@aol.com

 Bonus session - November 23-December 14

• Advent Study of The First Christmas - led by Rev. Susan Sprague, 512-478-9387, ext. 217, ssprague@uumc.org

• Disciple Bible Study of Gospel of John (continued) - led by Walter Hames, 512-420-8123, wwhames@aol.com