Upcoming Events
From fun, community building activities to educational and spiritual growth opportunities, there are always great events happening at UUMC. If you want to stay in the loop about upcoming events, sign up for our newsletters!
Tuesday Night Lights: Study on Christian Nationalism
The Racial Justice Task Force of UUMC invites you to a four-week study on Christian Nationalism. Together, we’ll explore historical examples and how Christian nationalism emerged in American history and continues to shape the political climate today. We’ll also consider faithful ways to respond: how we can be agents of change and reach out to our neighbors with understanding and hope. Please join us in person or via Zoom! Please email Pastor Earl for the Zoom link.
Diversity Fellowship: New Year's Party
Diversity Fellowship is kicking off the New Year with a collective celebration featuring traditional Korean New Year food! Diversity Fellowship is a great way for our community's ethnically diverse members to come together, enjoy food, and build meaningful friendships. Have questions or want to know more?
Feel free to contact Pastor Earl—pastorearl@uumc.org—we'd love to connect with you!
Methodist Youth Fellowship - Game Night
Middle school and high school youth are welcome to join in our annual Game On and Cabo Bobs adventure! The cost is $20 per youth for dinner and games.
Questions? Contact Natasha!
Tween Time: Top Chef Competition
If your tween (4th & 5th grader) is interested in cooking, working with a team or just having fun in the kitchen, send them to our first annual Top Chef competition! We will meet in the Fellowship Hall after service. Your tween does not have to have kitchen skills to join us! We will learn! Lunch provided.
Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org with any questions!
Reconciling Ministries Network Sunday
Planned and led by our Queer Council, this week in worship we celebrate UUMC's anniversary of our affiliation with the Reconciling Ministries Network. We’ll welcome Rev. Dr. Adama Brown as our guest preacher.
Meet Rev. Dr. Adama Brown
The Rev. Dr. Adama Brown currently serves as the Director of Impact and Grants at the United Methodist Foundation of New England, where she brings more than twenty years of experience in research, data, and evaluation to the Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Adama directed research and data work at United Way of Rhode Island, where she utilized quantitative and qualitative analysis to better understand and reimagine social impact. Adama is particularly interested in the ways that data and narrative inform philanthropic work and can serve as a catalyst for change.
Adama has served in social justice ministries at the district and conference levels of the United Methodist Church. From 2015 to 2017, she served on the Amos Commission, the social justice arm of the Capital District of the Rio Texas Annual Conference, where she secured grant funding for Undoing Racism work. Beginning in 2010, The Rev. Dr. Brown became involved in the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), where she served as a board member and became a reconciling church consultant, helping churches, including her home church, First UMC of Austin, in their discernment to become a reconciling congregation. From 2019 to 2021, Adama co-chaired the Open Spirit Task Force, designed to facilitate discussion about whether or how the NEAC would engage or create new expressions of Methodism. Since 2019, Adama has been a member of the New England Annual Conference Commission on Religion and Race, where she has co-created anti-racism curriculum and co-facilitated anti-racism training for NEAC clergy.
Adama is a sociologist by training and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin and a PhD in sociology from Iowa State University with an emphasis on mental health, research methods, statistics, and social policy. She also earned an MDiv from Iliff School of Theology with a specialization in pastoral counseling and spiritual care. Ordained in the New England Annual Conference, The Rev. Dr. Brown is a Deacon in Full Connection and the Deacon in Residence at Arnold Mills UMC in Cumberland, Rhode Island.
In her spare time, Adama is passionate about genealogy, jazz, justice, and joy.
RMN Reception: Drag Brunch
Join us as we rejoice in the progress our queer and trans community has made, and recommit to the work that remains before us.
Celebrate following worship with Drag Brunch Fellowship featuring local Austin drag queen Aria Rey (UUMC choral scholar alumni- Hunter Sabin) in the Fellowship Hall! All are welcome.
Questions? Want to help out? Contact AV at av@uumc.org!
Lunch & Learn: The Texas Civil Rights Project
All are welcome to hear Rev. Jim Harrington, a Texas civil rights icon who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice. Rev. Harrington will share stories from his recently published book, The Texas Civil Rights Project: How We Built a Social Justice Movement, reflecting on his lifelong fight for equality—from advocating for farmworkers alongside César Chávez to securing major reforms for people with disabilities—and his work to build a movement for social justice.
Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at pastorearl@uumc.org.
Little Ones Potluck
All families with any kiddo 4 years and under is welcome to join our Little Ones crew for yummy food and good time together! Please plan to bring a small dish to share. This is always so fun and important for our little guys to know their church friends.
Email Jillian at jillian@uumc.org to get the address!
College Ministry: Super Bowl Party
College students join us for our annual Super Bowl Party! Even if you don't like football you can join the fun. There will be food and games.
Looking to join? Contact Megan at motto@uumc.org!
Caregivers Support Group
The Caregivers Support Group will meet via Zoom on the Second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. It is a safe place for persons to gather and share confidentially about the joys and challenges of caregiving.
Sweet Moves Salsa Night
Join us at 7 pm for a one-hour salsa lesson taught by AV, followed by music and dancing in the Fellowship Hall.
All ages, all people welcome to come learn, laugh, and be in community at UUMC. Bring some salsa or some sweet treats to share!
Questions? Want more information? Contact Natasha at natasha@uumc.org.
Parent's Night Out - February
Treat 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 at jillian@uumc.org!
Austin Marathon
February 15th is the annual Austin Marathon. Since the route runs right down Guadalupe we will all need to plan a little additional time for travel.
As always, you can try using Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze. However, sometimes those applications don't work as well on these type of occasions. We’ve put together some handy tips for getting to church this Sunday!
Youth: Cooking & Conversation with College Ministry
All high school youth come make dinner and join in conversation and fun with our UUMC college group.
Questions? Want to RSVP? Contact Natasha at natasha@uumc.org!
Youth & Tween: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Prep
Tweens (4th & 5th graders) and youth (6th - 12th graders) are welcome to join Jillian and Natasha to prep for our annual Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. We will cook, decorate and play! No school for AISD- send them here!
Questions? Want to RSVP?
Tweens can contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org.
You can contact Natasha at natasha@uumc.org.
Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Dinner
Come celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes (including gluten-free and red velvet) and other breakfast goodies. ALL are welcome-bring your beads and empty stomachs!
Questions? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!
Ash Wednesday - Midday Service
The noon Ash Wednesday service will take place in the Chapel on Feb. 18. This mid-day service will include imposition of ashes, readings, and contemplative music. There will be extensive music shared beginning at noon until about 12:15 to allow those working to travel in time for the service.
Ash Wednesday - Evening Service
Join us as we begin our Lenten journey! The evening Ash Wednesday service will take place at 7pm in the Sanctuary and will include readings, contemplative music, holy communion, and imposition of ashes.
The scripture lesson is The Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Luke 14:15-24. We begin Ash Wednesday with an open invitation. Instead of inviting people to focus internally on fasting and self-deprivation during Lent, this parable invites us into a communal feast. As guests are gathered in, the miracle is that there is still room. There is more love and abundance available, if only we are present to accept it.
Tween Time: Game Night
Tweens (4th & 5th graders), join us for the most fun we'll ever have! We'll get dinner together and then head to a game show inspired experience. Please plan to bring $15 for dinner. Pick up at the church at 9pm!
Questions? Ready to RSVP? Email Jillian at jillian@uumc.org.
Tuesday Night Lights: Tending the Garden
Tuesdays February 24 - March 31
When you hear the phrase Christian Mysticism, what comes to mind? Many of us know it’s an ancient, and life-giving stream within our faith—yet the Mystical texts can feel obscure, and the mystics themselves can seem hard to approach. If you are curious about Mysticism but unsure where to begin, Walter Hames and Pastor Earl invite you to explore this rich tradition together during the season of Lent.
Guided by the book Tending the Garden: A History of Christian Mysticism, we will discover that the mystics were highly relatable people who were concerned with tending to a personal and loving relationship with God. Along the way, we will reflect on how their wisdom and spiritual practices speak to our own lives today: in prayer, in leadership, in politics, in intellectual life, and in the ordinary rhythms of being human. Also, our final session will include a special opportunity to meet and talk with the book’s author.
This is a hybrid class. To register, learn more, or receive the Zoom link, please email Pastor Earl at pastorearl@uumc.org.
Tween Time: Crepes & Games
Tweens! (4th & 5th graders!)
We will head out after worship at noon to grab crepes for lunch and then to Activate Games for an immersive game room experience!
Questions? Ready to RSVP? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org.
Our Whole Lives Sex Ed: Kinder & 1st Grade
Our Whole Lives is here again! This year, our kinder-1st graders will get 5 Sundays with our trained OWL teachers- Natasha and Kelly. We will meet in the library right after church, eat lunch together and then begin our lesson! Please plan to bring lunch every Sunday!
OWL dismantles stereotypes and assumptions, builds self-acceptance and self-esteem, fosters healthy relationships and improves decision making. This is a comprehensive, lifespan sexuality education. Get all questions answered by emailing Jillian.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday
Join us for MLK Sunday as we remember the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and re-commit to our ongoing anti-racism work.
Joint Sunday School with Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall
Everyone is invited to the Fellowship Hall for a Sunday School hour opportunity. Rev. Dr. Amy Laura Hall will lead this time and give us a book talk on her forthcoming book. Her new book examines how religious rhetoric and preaching have shaped Christian nationalism in modern American history, and its title is "Erecting the Pulpit: Muscular Christianity from Teddy Roosevelt to Donald Trump." You can learn more on her publisher’s website. Contact Pastor Earl with any questions! pastorearl@uumc.org.
This opportunity will be in-person only. Thank you for your understanding.
Tween Lock-In
All 4th and 5th graders are invited to meet us at the church on Friday night at 5:30 pm. We will walk to Kerby Lane for dinner and then to the UT underground for bowling. We will head back to the church for snacks and a movie. Everyone will sleep in the youth room so please bring a sleeping bag and pillow. We will serve at Open Door on Saturday morning and parents can pick up at 11am. Can't wait!
Questions? Ready to register? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!
Thursday Morning Lesson: Short Stories and Lasting Wisdom
Join us Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. for a meaningful time of reading and sharing.
Each session will begin with a short story from around the world and from different time periods—across cultures and religions—followed by a lively discussion and interpretation. Together, we will explore the meanings and lessons these stories offer for our lives today. Please join us in person or via Zoom (please email Pastor Earl for the Zoom link.)
Writers' Group
For the last few months, on Wednesday afternoons, about 3 - 6 of us have met in the Church Library, from 1 - 3 p.m., to write. It provides a nice, quiet, regular place to just sit down and write, a place where, once you’re there, the “What I ought to be doing’s” might have a little less persuasion in keeping you from getting something written down. If you’d like to join us, please do. And, if you’d have any questions, please contact me, Mark Jones (512-749-3898), or Christy Moore (deebuss@gmail.com).
Caregivers Support Group
The Caregivers Support Group will meet via Zoom on the Second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm. It is a safe place for persons to gather and share confidentially about the joys and challenges of caregiving. This group is facilitated by Pastor Teresa. Please reach out to her at PastorTeresa@uumc.org if you have any questions or concerns.
College Ministry Dinners Returns
College Ministry starts a new semester! UT Students, join us for our first Sunday back.
Contact Megan at motto@uumc.org with any questions!
Baptism of the Lord Sunday
On January 11 we remember the Baptism of Jesus and we will be invited to participate in a renewal of baptism ritual.
Methodist Youth Fellowship & Tween Time: Service Project with Partnerships for Children
Tweens (4th & 5th Graders) & Youth (6th - 12th Graders):
Join us as we volunteer at Partnerships for Children, helping the organization with whatever they need! We will stop for lunch when we're done. Wear work clothes, bring water bottles and $15 for lunch.
Questions? Ready to RSVP?
Tweens: Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org
Youth: Contact Natasha at natasha@uumc.org
Epiphany Sunday
On Epiphany Sunday we remember the star the Magi followed to worship Jesus. You are invited to bring stocking caps and gloves for our Open Door guests. We will celebrate holy communion and all will be invited to take home a "star word" to use in prayer practices.
Teen & Young Adult Choir Rehearsal
Singers age 14-30 are invited to sing in this small group for our Epiphany service. We will sing songs of light and hope.
Bring a friend, bring your roommate, bring your partner: singers of all skill levels are welcome! We’ll rehearse on Saturday 1/3 and sing in worship on 1/4 at 11 am (call time 10:15).
Questions? Want to RSVP*? Contact AV!
*RSVPs are helpful as we plan what songs we’ll sing, but not required.
Hymn Sing
Come to the Fellowship Hall during Sunday school hour and join us in a hymn sing led by EunJoo. We'll close out the 2025 year together by singing some of our favorite Christmas hymns.
Christmas Eve
3:00 pm - Family-Friendly Service *NEW TIME*
Designed by Children’s Director Jillian Moore and Senior Pastor Teresa Welborn. This service will help tell the Christmas story to the youngest members of our community. We’ll also share in Holy Communion and sing some of our favorite carols.
5:30 pm - Traditional Service
A traditional Christmas Eve celebration with a brief homily by Senior Pastor Teresa Welborn, Christmas carols, special music by the Sanctuary Choir, communion and candlelight.
10:30 pm - Traditional Service
A traditional Christmas Eve celebration with a brief homily by Senior Pastor Teresa Welborn, Christmas carols, special music by the Sanctuary Choir, communion and candlelight.
Things you need to know for Sanctuary Services
Parking
All our usual parking will be available–the Platinum Parking Lot and the San Antonio Garage (see the Front Office for Parking Validation). There is limited parking available in the church parking lot on 25th, reserved for guests and those who might have some difficulty with the extra walking. If you are safely able to park in the platinum lot or San Antonio Garage, please consider doing so.
Doors
The South Sanctuary Doors and Education Building Doors will be open 30 minutes prior to the start of each service. If you arrive after the service has started, the best way to enter will be through the South Sanctuary Doors on 24th Street.
Family Caroling
Families and kiddos are invited to gather together to bring comfort and joy to our community members who live in retirement and care homes! We will gather in the Fellowship Hall after worship to eat pizza and configure our carpools, and then we will depart to visit three care homes in the area to sing Christmas Carols for their residents.
Questions? Contact AV at alicia@uumc.org, Jillian at jillian@uumc.org or Natasha at natasha@uumc.org!
Longest Night Service
The Longest Night service is a reflective time when we will hold sacred space for any who are experiencing a difficult time, or for whom the Christmas Season can spark memories of grief or loss. For all who struggle against the darkness, we will sing meditative and peaceful music, including some Taizé selections.
Looking for some additional support? Check out our Longest Night Resources.
Musical Christmas Market
Find unique, handmade, and pre-loved gifts made and sourced with intention by Austin artisans at booths in our courtyard and throughout our grounds.
Shopping (12 pm - 6 pm)
Raley Sew & Co (Homemade Bags)
Sarah Cook (Jewelry and Bookmarks)
Air Lush & Co (Hanging Diffusers)
Fab & Glam by Jess (Jewelry, Keychains & Charms)
Hipi Pop (Books & Accessories)
Sisi Art World (Prints, Cards & Totes)
Stitches For Good (Knit & Crochet Goods)
Tati’s Floral Bouquet (Flowers)
Earth & Hand (Soap, Crystals, Oils)
Cindy Reeves (Holiday Serving-ware)
Sharfina Designs (Leather Goods)
Food for Sale (12 pm - 6 pm)
Conchita’s (Conchas, Cinnamon Rolls & Tres Leches)
Crumb & Get It (Cookie Cakes & Cookies)
Open Door (Quesadilla & Soup)
Good Egg Society (Vietnamese Coffee Drinks)
Kids Chem Cook (Hot Cocoa & S’mores)
Live Music
1 pm - Tom Caven
1:30 pm - Christy Moore
2 pm - Dissenting Harmony Choir
2:30 pm - Lockhart High School Choir
3 pm - Austin Community College Choir
3:30 pm - Andres Ojeda
4:30 pm - Panoramic Voices Choir
5 pm - Pano Youth Choir
6 pm - Festival of Carols Concert & Sing-a-long!
About the Festival of Carols
At 6 PM, head to our Sanctuary for a Festival of Carols: sing-a-long to your favorite carols and enjoy beautiful choral music by the combined choirs of University UMC, University Christian Church, and Trinity Church of Austin. These affirming churches share missions of love, inclusion, and justice. Join us in song!
Lessons and Carols
Join us for our annual Lessons and Carols service! The choir and congregation will join together to sing carols alongside choral compositions, interspersed with the traditional Lessons & Carols readings. Let's sing the songs of the season together!
We will only have one Lessons and Carols service this year. In the evening we be joined by University Christian Church and Trinity Church of Austin for a Festival of Carols to close our Musical Christmas Market Let's sing the songs of the season together!
Lock-In & Fig Leaf Volunteering
All middle school and high school youth are welcome to attend our annual Christmas lock-in & Open Door Christmas event. We'll prepare gift items for the Open Door guests, play games & watch movies.
Questions? Wanna RSVP? Contact Natasha at natasha@uumc.org
Tuesday Night Lights: Faith & Art with Paul Harper
You are invited to the Tuesday Night Lights talk series: Faith and Art: A Conversation on Beauty and the Sacred. Each Tuesday evening, we’ll welcome a different artist or art expert from within our congregation to explore the meaningful intersection between art and spiritual life as they share their stories and lead a conversation. Come for some evenings or join us for them all, and step into a space where stories, questions, and shared reflections can awaken our sense of wonder, stir our hearts with beauty, and renew our hope in a broken world.
Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org.
About Paul Harper
Paul Harper is a musician and music educator. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass guitar. He grew up in Minnesota, then moved to San Antonio in 1981 to attend the Southwest Guitar Conservatory. He later studied classical guitar at UTSA, where he earned both a Bachelor of Music degree and a Master of Music degree. He is an adjunct professor of music at Northeast Lakeview College in San Antonio. He sings in the bass section of the UUMC choir. He has played as an extra with the now defunct San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. He enjoys hiking, birding, and watching baseball (go Twins!)
Advent Festival
All are invited to join us after worship for our annual Advent Festival! This is a cozy holiday celebration where we can all join together in fellowship during of the Christmas season. We’ll have a Chili lunch made by our community (still time to sign up), crafts and activities, as well as some other cozy treats. This is such a great way to celebrate the season. We hope to see you there!
Questions? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!
Children's Pageant
This is an exciting day in the life of the church and one of our busiest Sundays yet! We will celebrate the Advent season with our Children's Christmas Pageant! All children (infant and up) are encouraged to come to Sunday School that day to put on their pageant costume. The pageant takes place at the beginning of the 11am worship service.
Following the pageant, volunteers will escort all kiddos back to the classrooms to take off their costumes and do some Christmas activities. When the service is over, parents are invited to pick up their kids and head to the Advent Festival!
Questions? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!
Tuesday Night Lights: Faith & Art with David Mossman
You are invited to the Tuesday Night Lights talk series: Faith and Art: A Conversation on Beauty and the Sacred. Each Tuesday evening, we’ll welcome a different artist or art expert from within our congregation to explore the meaningful intersection between art and spiritual life as they share their stories and lead a conversation. Come for some evenings or join us for them all, and step into a space where stories, questions, and shared reflections can awaken our sense of wonder, stir our hearts with beauty, and renew our hope in a broken world.
Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org.
About David Mossman
I was raised as a United Methodist kid, and I also had a love of comic strips and cartoons. My dad would bring home lots of scrap paper, and I would lie on the floor in our den making goofy drawings for hours. I’d draw birthday cards for family members with corny jokes. After law school graduation we joined Tarrytown UMC and I started drawing a comic strip for the newsletter, which I continued at Asbury UMC where my wife Nancy started an internship while she was in seminary. Throughout my life I’ve tried to see the funny side of things and the absurdities of human existence – which includes Christian humans. A sense of humor is a good tool for not taking life – or faith – too seriously.
Next Up for Faith & Art:
Blue Christmas Dinner Church
Dinner church is an opportunity to talk about things that are important to us while getting to know folks we might not interact with regularly. This December 1 we will do a special gathering for those who experience grief and loneliness during the holiday season. There have been many losses in our congregation this year and many in our own families. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in joining we hope to see you there.
$15/person. Click here to RSVP.
Questions? Want to RSVP? Contact Megan at motto@uumc.org.
Acolyte Training
All 2nd graders and older are welcome to stay after service to learn how to be an acolyte! This is a very important job that are kiddos take very seriously and we are so excited to have a new crop. Pastor Earl will lead us. Lunch is provided!
Questions? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!
Vital Conversations on Immigration
Week 1: November 30 | 9:45 - 10:45 am | Fellowship Hall
Weeks 2 - 4: December 7, 14 & 21 | 4 - 5 pm | Zoom
Please join this four-week Advent study series, Vital Conversations on Immigration. This study, provided by the General Commission on Religion and Race of The United Methodist Church, guides us in learning more about immigration, which is not merely a political issue—a theological and spiritual matter deeply rooted in our Christian faith. We will explore topics such as "Immigration and the Bible: what does our faith require?" "Why do people migrate?" "Race, culture, and immigration: who belongs?" "From charity to justice: the church's role in immigration" and "Connecting faith, race, and immigration justice."
For the zoom link and more information, please email Pastor Earl at pastorearl@uumc.org.
Chosen Family Friendsgiving
Queer, Trans, & Questioning folks, and all those we call our family are invited to a Chosen Family Friendsgiving potluck dinner. Location TBA, hopefully at AV & Kenzie's new home, fingers crossed! Bring a treat to share or just yourself, there will always be enough to go around. Intergenerational event, allies more than welcome!
Questions? Email AV at av@uumc.org.
L&L Virtual Town Hall
If you missed the Land & Legacy Town Hall around building development, it’s not too late! We’re offering a virtual option on November 24, at 6 pm. Christopher will be joining us to give his presentation again and we’ll hold space for a Q&A. You can find the Zoom link below. We hope you’re able to join us!
Tween Time: Scavenger Hunt
Tweens! (4th & 5th graders)
Join Jillian for lunch and Austin Scavenger Hunt! Please bring $15 for lunch and water bottles. See you there!
Questions? Ready to RSVP? Contact Jillian at jillian@uumc.org!