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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Guest Preacher: Bishop Harvey
Join us for worship as we welcome Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey to the pulpit! Bishop Harvey is the presiding bishop for both the Río Texas and Texas annual conferences. We are a part of the Río Texas Conference and the Texas Conference includes the Houston area. She previously served the Louisiana Annual Conference for ten years beginning in 2012. She was consecrated as bishop after leading UMCOR as Deputy General Secretary from 2010-2012.
She previously served as the President of the Council of Bishops 2020-2022, President-designate 2018-2020 and as the Secretary of the Council of Bishops 2014-2018. She serves on the board of directors at various organizations, including the Board of Trustees for Southwestern University and the Lydia Patterson Institute. She currently serves as President of The General Commission of Archives and History of The United Methodist Church.
As bishop, Harvey challenges congregations to look beyond themselves and to keep an eye focused on the edge where God is at work. She also has a passion for young people as they lead the church into a future filled with possibilities.
Youth Musicians in Worship
Music this week will be led by our talented Youth Musicians! Come support them as they share their skills with our community.
Have a youth you think would enjoy participating? Contact AV, our music director, at av@uumc.org!
Eternal Light: A Requiem by Howard Goodall
The UUMC Choir and friends present "Eternal Light: A Requiem" by Howard Goodall. Alongside the traditional Latin & Greek text of the Mass for the dead, Goodall places hopeful and comforting English poetry from the last 500 years. This creates a beautiful juxtaposition of ancient sacred texts- "Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison" (Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy) with English reassurances- "Close now thine eyes and rest secure, thy soul is safe enough, thy body sure." Many of the english sections are brought to us in solos by our congregations Choral Section Leaders: Andres Ojeda, George Sani, Annisha Mackenzie, and Cami Everitt. The accompaniment of this work will include local Austin harpist Shana Norton, and a chamber string ensemble.
Joining Sunday
Are you visiting our church for a while and considering becoming a member? Here is a great opportunity for you join alongside others.
On September 28th, we will celebrate the joining of new members as a group. So please don't hesitate to reach out to pastor Earl (pastorearl@uumc.org) if you are interested or if you want to know more about the meaning of membership and the process.
Sunday School Sunday
UUMC's Sunday Schools will be introduced during the worship service, and we will get to know more about their exciting and meaningful programs and people. Following worship, you can also meet people from each Sunday School in the courtyard to engage in conversation and sign up for the Sunday School that interests you.
Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org!
Children's Sunday
Join us for a children-led, children-friendly worship service! This is our first family Sunday of the year so we will have tween Sunday School, Wesley choir performance, presentation of 2nd grade bibles and more. We can't wait to see you!
Questions? Contact Jillian!
Back to School Sunday
Join us for Back to School Sunday! There’s something for everyone.
Parents, children and youth will all meet in the chapel at 9:45 (don’t forget backpacks to be blessed in service). We’ll send children and youth to Sunday School classes and Natasha and Jillian will hold a parent meeting with tacos and coffee.
Stay for Ice Cream after worship!
If you have any questions, or are unable to make the parent’s meeting, please don’t hesitate to reach out for all the info!
Can’t wait to see you there!
– Jillian (jillian@uumc.org), Children’s Ministry Director
& Natasha (natasha@uumc.org), Youth Ministry Director
August Sermon Series: Jesus Never Said That
Our August sermon series is inspired by one of our favorite new stickers that depicts Jesus saying, “Y’all, I Never Said That.” Pastor Teresa and Pastor Earl will share in this month’s preaching on relevant subjects including Christian Nationalism and The Prosperity Gospel as well as human experiences such as forgiveness and suffering. The sermons will take a look at common but incorrect assumptions about the sayings of Jesus while also exploring related sayings that are more accurate and perhaps even more challenging.
Candlelight Vigil for Hill Country
We gather together as a community for a time to share our collective grief following the flood in the Texas Hill Country. This time of prayer and reflection will include candlelight, special music, and held space to share with one another. Feel free to share this opportunity with family and friends. All are welcome.
Sermon Series: Holy Envy
During July, Pastor Earl and Pastor Teresa will join together in a Sermon Series entitled “Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others." This series is based on a book by the same name written by Barbara Brown Taylor. We will take a look at four world religions including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. The spirit of this series is not necessarily a primer on religions; instead this is about what is opened and what is revealed when we accept the invitation to investigate all the wonder before us. We learn not only that God's preferred language is driven by curiosity and specialized in questions, but we also discover the spiritual riches God can teach us from the faith of others.
“The only clear line I draw these days is this: when my religion tries to come between me and my neighbor, I will choose my neighbor... Jesus never commanded me to love my religion.”
- Barbara Brown Taylor
"Know yourself! Let your aim be to recognize who you are. Aspire to live as children of Divine Love, to enshrine the earth with divinity, to honor all relationships as sacred, and to live in peace and in balance with all living things. Acknowledge the sacredness of every path, albeit different from your own; In this way you honor the Great Mystery and the wonder of all life!"
- Psalm 107 translated by Nan Merrill
Guest Preacher: Representative James Talarico
We are thrilled to welcome Texas State Representative James Talarico as our guest preacher this Sunday. Talarico is a former public school teacher first elected to serve in the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. He was raised at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin where senior pastor Rev. Jim Rigby is one of his mentors.
About Representative Talarico
Representative James Talarico is a former public school teacher and education non-profit leader who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. He earned degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University.
Rep. Talarico currently serves on the Public Education Committee, the House Administration Committee, and as Vice Chair of the Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Committee.
He was named one of the Top 10 Best Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine for his accomplishments. During his three terms in office, Rep. Talarico has passed legislation to establish the first-ever cap on pre-K class sizes in Texas, equip schools with Narcan to fight teen overdoses, improve the quality and affordability of childcare, dramatically reduce prescription drug costs, and give incarcerated minors the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma. He is currently a student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in addition to his work as a legislator.
“There’s this quote that “Justice is love out in public,” and so that’s how I was raised to understand our calling as Christians. Our faith has to move us from the sanctuary to the streets. Our love for God should move us to love our neighbors, and then our love for our neighbor has to be grounded and sustained by our love for God.”
An Extra Joyful Noise
On this last Sunday of May, join the Sanctuary Choir as we lift up several special choral anthems interspersed with congregational singing which celebrate God's gift of music in our lives. Don't miss your chance to enjoy the choir's offerrings in worship before they take a well earned summer break. Let's make a joyful noise together!
Senior Sunday
We would like to recognize all UUMC graduating High School Seniors during the service with a small gift and a moment in front of the congregation. Parents of Seniors, please reach out to Natasha to help us prepare for this special event.
College Senior Sunday
Join us for worship as we recognize our college seniors and graduate students during worship.
Questions? Contact Megan at motto@uumc.org!
Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park
Join us for worship as we welcome Rev. Dr. Jeehei Park as our guest preacher. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Park to the pulpit during the month of May as we observe Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.
About Rev. Dr. Park
Dr. Park is assistant professor of New Testament at Seminary of the Southwest and is an ordained deacon in The UMC. The Rev. Jeehei Park, Ph.D. holds a Master of Divinity (concentration in New Testament and Early Christianity) from Harvard Divinity School and a PhD in Christianity in Antiquity from Fordham University. Her research and teaching interests include the New Testament, race/ethnicity in the Roman world, material culture in early Christianity, and decolonial and postcolonial theories and theologies.
Professor Park’s work has been recognized with several awards and fellowships including the Forum for Theological Exploration dissertation fellowship and the Louisville Institute postdoctoral fellowship.
Confirmation Sunday
It’s Confirmation Sunday!
During worship, our confirmands will profess their faith and join as full members of University UMC.
To celebrate, confirmands and their parents are invited to gather in the Fellowship Hall during the Sunday School hour (9:45 - 10:45 am) for brunch.
Bluegrass Sunday
Join us for our annual post-Easter tradition: a Bluegrass music Worship Service!
This year our Bluegrass band will feature familiar UUMC faces, led by Tom Caven, Paul Harper, and A. Villarreal. Let's lift up a joyful song with guitar and banjo!
Easter Festival
Join us for our Annual Easter Festival at UUMC full of fun and fellowship. There will be an Easter Egg Hunt, facepainting, games and prizes, the best potluck ever in the fellowship hall and much more. Mark your calendars now!
Help us have the Best Potluck Ever and sign up to bring a dish!
Easter Sunday
Join us for worship Easter Sunday! We will have two worship services this Easter at 9am and 11am. Both services will include special music by the Sanctuary Choir and guest musicians.
Easter Sunrise Service
Join us for worship Easter Sunday! We will have two worship services this Easter at 9am and 11am. Both services will include special music by the Sanctuary Choir and guest musicians.
Good Friday
At 7 pm in the sanctuary, we’ll have a reflective service featuring congregational singing, special music, scripture readings, and other selected readings centered on our ongoing work of justice and commitment to anti-racism.
Maundy Thursday
On Maundy Thursday we remember that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and instituted The Last Supper (Communion) before his crucifixion. Maundy means "command" and in response to Jesus' example, this service will include communion and optional foot washing as well as hymns and a brief homily.
Palm Sunday
On Palm Sunday we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Our worship service will begin with the traditional waving of palm branches and move into the story of Jesus' passion with scripture reading, congregational singing and special music.
ALL children and youth are invited to join in a palm and kazoo processional, walking up the aisle during the opening hymn at the beginning of worship. Please meet in the Children’s Sunday School Classroom (room 105) by 10:50 am to join the processional!
Pipe Down: A State of the Organ Address
Join us for this fifth Sunday joint Sunday School. Our music director, AV, and organist, EunJoo, with Bill Bingham, will tell us about the status of our pipe organ, the repair options, and the process. For all of us who love and enjoy organ music in our worship services, this will be a good time to have an open conversation about how we can better care for and appreciate our beloved instrument.
Lenten Sermon Series: Everything In-between
Our Lenten Worship Theme this year is "Everything In Between." As we journey with Jesus to the cross, this series carries us through the Gospel of Luke as we explore a number of stories that invite us to reflect on how we live out our faith. Each week there is a sub theme that explores an assumed binary such as "grief and hope", "rest and growth", and "faith and works." We will learn together that these concepts and the stories from scripture hold more complexity and nuance. Instead of an "either/or" approach, we will see that God often appears in the spaces in-between.
Ash Wednesday - Evening Service
We begin our Lenten journey with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time of remembering Jesus' journey to the cross and a reminder of our deep dependence upon God and God's continuous invitation to turn away from sin and towards God and others in love.
A 7pm service will take place in the sanctuary. Worshipers are invited to gather in the courtyard at 7pm for a brief ritual of burning last year's Palm branches led by Pastor Earl. If you still have yours from last year you are encouraged to bring them! Gathering music will begin at 7pm in the sanctuary, so worshipers not participating in the ritual of burning the branches can enter the sanctuary for a time of reflection prior to the start of the service. The evening Ash Wednesday service is designed by campus ministry directors Megan Otto and Rev. David McMinn, Director of the UT Wesley Foundation.
Ash Wednesday - Midday Service
We begin our Lenten journey with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a time of remembering Jesus' journey to the cross and a reminder of our deep dependence upon God and God's continuous invitation to turn away from sin and towards God and others in love.
Join us at 12:15 for a brief Mid-day Ash Wednesday service including imposition of ashes.
Called to Compassion Sermon Series
Our February Sermon Series is "Called to Compassion." We will hear scripture passages about the gift of love, clothing ourselves with compassion, welcoming others, and even praying for our enemies. In this season filled with great conflict and concern in our nation, we are invited to consider how we are called to both show compassion while remaining committed to our values of resisting injustice. On February 9 we will observe Reconciling Ministries Network Sunday as we remember our vote to affiliate with RMN and continue to pray and work towards full inclusion of all LGBTQ+ individuals in the church.
Fig Leaf Coat Drive
As we remember the gifts the wise men brought to the Christ child, we will join together in collecting gently used or new coats and jackets for Fig Leaf. Please bring your items to worship with you on January 5, 2025. You can leave them in the collection containers available in each narthex. Thank you!