Join us in worship to hear a special select chamber choir of UUMC singers and friends bringing you "Heavenly Home: Three American Songs" by Shawn Kirchner, a love letter to Americana music. You won't want to miss this special choral presentation, hear the full work spread throughout the service on August 2nd, at 11 AM.

“Hallelujah,” the opening movement of Heavenly Home, is a six-part a cappella setting of a beloved Sacred Harp tune with text by Charles Wesley. Extensive composed material is used as interlude and accompaniment throughout, with “hallelujah’s” leaping, plunging, and circling to the lilting 6/8 rhythms. The austere Sacred Harp harmonization is used with only slight modifications on each refrain, providing homophonic contrast to the mostly polyphonic verses.

“Angel Band,” the second movement and emotional heart of Heavenly Home, is an eight-part a cappella setting of the beloved William Bradbury tune (set to Jefferson Hascal’s text in 1862.) Simple, soaring descants, countermelodies, and rich harmonic textures give symphonic breadth to this arrangement that encompasses the full four-octave range of the “choral instrument.” Treble and Tenor/Bass choruses take turns at the first two verses before combining forces on the grand final verse.

“Unclouded Day” is the bright, final movement of Heavenly Home. A straight-forward first verse and chorus are followed by two verses in which traditional bluegrass vocal stylings combine with counterpoint and fugue in a crescendo of excitement that peaks in the roof-raising phrase “in the city that is made of gold.”

Throughout August the sermons in worship will focus on some of Jesus' beloved parables including The Lost Son, The Mustard Seed and The Good Samaritan.

UUMC is excited to welcome Shae Wiens to the pulpit on June 28!

About Shae Wiens

Shae is a seminarian and worship leader, originally from Colorado, who was not raised in any faith tradition—an experience which gives her a deep appreciation for the surprising ways God meets people where and as they are. She has been preaching since 2018, and is currently attending Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is a mother of two, a lover of music and liturgy, and someone who believes that good theology and good humor belong together.

UUMC is excited to welcome Rev. Dr. Dave Dinneen to the pulpit on June 21.

About Rev. Dave Dinneen

Rev. Dr. Dave Dinneen is a retired Elder in the New Mexico Conference of The United Methodist Church, endorsed by the GBHEM as a pastoral counselor and spiritual director. He served as pastor of several churches in the New Mexico Conference before entering extension ministries where he worked in a variety of settings, including private practice, community mental health centers, hospitals, and county detention facilities. He has been adjunct faculty at the University of Houston, College of Social Work, and a mental health consultant for the ministerial intern program at Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology. He is a licensed clinical social worker and board approved supervisor in the State of Texas. Before retiring, he was with Hill Country Mental Health in Uvalde, Texas, where he assisted with the recovery effort following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. He continues part-time ministry as a psychotherapist and spiritual director in private practice.

Dave is interested in the intersection of spirituality and psychotherapy, with an emphasis on healing the soul from life’s traumatic events, regardless of their magnitude. He teaches that the healing process begins with self-awareness and the desire to become a student of the moment. This attunement to the moment requires the ability to pause long enough to be curious about it and to study its effects on one’s inner world. He believes that our ability to be open to the healing energy of the Spirit is enhanced as our self-knowledge and understanding of the moment increases.

Dave lives in Canyon Lake, Texas where he enjoys sailing, woodworking, and numerous outdoor projects. He and his partner, Colleen, enjoy volunteering with Open Door Ministries, as well as camping and hiking in National Parks and simply growing old together.

This special worship service will be led by our VCC participants! Come hear about they learned and did during the week in Wesley Falls!

On this last Sunday of May, join the Sanctuary Choir as we lift up several special choral anthems interspersed with congregational singing in a celebration of God's gift of music. Don't miss your chance to enjoy the choir's offerings in worship before they take a well earned summer break. Let's make an extra joyful noise!

Are you visiting our church for a while and considering joining as a member? Here is a great opportunity for you to do it with others who would also like to join UUMC as members.

On May 17th and 24th, 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.

We would like to recognize all our 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.

Are you visiting our church for a while and considering joining as a member? Here is a great opportunity for you to do it with others who would also like to join UUMC as members.

On May 17th and 24th, 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.

Please join us for worship as we welcome our guest preacher, Rev. Dr. Eunbee Ham, and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month together. Rev. Dr. Ham currently serves Madison Square Presbyterian Church in downtown San Antonio.

About Rev. Dr. Ham

Born in South Korea to Presbyterian missionary parents, Eunbee spent much of her childhood living interculturally, including in the Philippines and Mexico. After receiving her MDiv and MA in Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary, she felt called to ministry in underprivileged communities in Mozambique, South Africa, Brazil, and Korea. She earned her doctorate in Pastoral Counseling at Emory University, where her research explored how race, class, culture, gender, and spirituality affect identity formation.

In a time when many feel disillusioned with religion, Pastor Eunbee feels passionate about welcoming those who identify as “spiritual but not religious” and helping people heal from religious trauma. She approaches the Christian gospel in fresh and creative ways, paying particular attention to social justice issues and mental health. Approaching worship through the curious, playful, and joyous experience of children, she seeks their participation as learners and teachers in the worshiping life of a faith community.

In her spare time, Pastor Eunbee loves watching Korean dramas, journaling, dancing, hiking, and exploring new cafes with her spouse, Chwi (pronounced “Chi”).

Join us for one of our most popular Sundays of the year—Bluegrass Sunday!

This year our Bluegrass band will feature familiar UUMC faces, including Tom Caven, Paul Harper, George Sani, and AV. Let's lift up a song with guitar and banjo!

Questions? Contact AV at av@uumc.org!

This sermon series carries us from the Sunday after Easter through May 3 where we will encounter the resurrected Christ appearing to the disciples. From Doubting Thomas and the Road to Emmaus to Jesus cooking breakfast for his friends, we will discover love is found in being present to the pain of this world and find hidden treasures of joy and beauty along the way that cause us to sing "Alleluia, anyway!"

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!

Join us for worship Easter Sunday as we celebrate the joy and hope of Christ's resurrection

We will celebrate Holy Communion and hear a reading of Matthew 28:1-10. Pastor Teresa's sermon is "Alleluia, Anyway!" The Sanctuary Choir will sing “And Are We Yet Alive?” by Mark Miller. Come to worship and plan to stay for the Easter Festival and a time of food, fun and fellowship.

Join us for worship Easter Sunday as we celebrate the joy and hope of Christ's resurrection

We will celebrate Holy Communion and hear a reading of Matthew 28:1-10. Pastor Teresa's sermon is "Alleluia, Anyway!" The Sanctuary Choir will sing “And Are We Yet Alive?” by Mark Miller. Come to worship and plan to stay for the Easter Festival and a time of food, fun and fellowship.

Good Friday worship is 7 pm in the Sanctuary. We’ll have a reflective service featuring congregational singing, special music, scripture readings, and other selected readings.

Our Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) service is 7 pm on April 2 in the Sanctuary. 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.

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. Also, Pastor Earl will be in the courtyard at 6:45 for anyone who wants to come and participate in the burning of last year's palm branches.

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.

We will also have a mid-day service, with lunch, for those who are looking to come during the lunch hour.

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 Taizé music. Plan to stay after worship for lunch in the courtyard with our campus ministry students and a time of fellowship.

Please Note: there will be gathering music shared from noon until about 12:15 to allow those working to travel in time for the service.

We will also hold an evening service featuring communion and burning of the ashes.

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!

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.

Join us for MLK Sunday as we remember the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and re-commit to our ongoing anti-racism work.

On January 11 we remember the Baptism of Jesus and we will be invited to participate in a renewal of baptism ritual.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.