Join us as we welcome Felicia Martin, President and Executive Director of the Texas Freedom Network. Martin will provide an overview of the organization's mission and current efforts, including their critical work with the State Board of Education. She will offer clear, actionable ways for congregants to get involved and make an impact.

Felicia Martin is the President and Executive Director of the Texas Freedom Network, bringing nearly two decades of experience in advocacy, strategy, and movement building. She has led impactful work across civic engagement, mental health, college access, and youth organizing, with a deep commitment to equity and progressive change in Texas. A seasoned leader and coalition-builder, Felicia is driven by a bold vision for a more inclusive and just democracy.

Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at pastorearl@uumc.org.

High School, College, and Young Adult Singers are invited to this one rehearsal pop-up choir! We will sing Eric Barnum's ethereal piece "Dawn"! Singers are recommended to take a look and listen to music before this rehearsal- tracks and music can be found here!

Click here to RSVP!*

Questions? Contact AV!

*RSVPs are helpful as we plan, but is not required.

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).

Join yoga teacher Chris Leigh for a sound bath event in our chapel. Whether you are feeling overwhelmed or simply seeking solace, sound can assist meditation, relaxation and self-compassion.

Click Here to Register

Questions? Contact Pastor Teresa at PastorTeresa@uumc.org.

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.

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.

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!

RSVPs are Helpful!

Questions? Email AV at av@uumc.org.

Life in your 20s and early 30s can feel like everything is in transit—school, work, relationships, and faith. And that’s probably why we'd better gather together each week to navigate our path by sharing stories, asking honest questions, and exploring how faith connects with real life. Whether you’re in college, starting a career, or just figuring things out, let's build a welcoming community and fellowship here and grow in faith together.

Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at pastorearl@uumc.org!

In this Lunch and Learn, the Rev. Leyla K. King, Canon for Mission in Small Congregations of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, will share highlights from her recently published book, "Daughters of Palestine: A Memoir in Five Generations," as well as reflections on the current humanitarian tragedy in Palestine and broader challenges in global politics.

About the Book

Leyla King has been a keeper of family stories since long before she sat down across from her grandmother with a tiny cassette tape recorder. And in this beautifully crafted memoir, she braids matriarchal memory into a vivid saga of love and survival as her ancestors flee war and poverty. From Haifa to Ramallah, Damascus, Beirut, and finally Texas, Leyla makes global politics deeply personal as family squabbles, ambition, mental illness, romance, and religion shape their immigrant journey.

Join us for an intergenerational queer fellowship event! All LGBTQIA+ and questioning folks are invited to this community-building event to share our joys and concerns, and eat tasty pancakes. Colored batter will be provided, and an opportunity to design your own pancake as unique as yourself. We’d love to see you there!

Questions? Contact AV at av@uumc.org!

Trans, gender nonconforming, intersex, nonbinary folks of all ages, shapes and sizes are welcome at the Trans Clothing Swap! This is an affinity space for gender non-conforming folks to freely share clothing, community, and resources with one another. Please bring items to swap AND any donations you may have for our neighbors on the street (they especially need jeans, caps, and shoes).

Allies - We can use your help to make this event a success! If you’re interested in helping out as a greeter, sorter, clean-up crew, or have another skill you’d like to offer, please contact AV!

Feel good, look good, do good. Questions? Want to volunteer to help? Contact AV at av@uumc.org.

Our UUMC Central Texas Interfaith leaders invite you to come and share your concerns about what is happening in our country. Perhaps you are concerned about immigration, the free press, the judicial branch, or the diminishing work of federal agencies. You will have an opportunity to share what is on your mind.

A short historic overview to provide context will be presented followed by small group discussions. Together we will identify common concerns and explore opportunities to respond.

Please join us for a regional advocacy webinar provided by Equality Texas, the largest statewide nonprofit fighting for equality for LGBTQIA+ Texans. In this webinar, we will learn how to advocate more for LGBTQIA+ rights in this challenging time and have more information about the current state of equality in Texas, including key legislative developments and the ways to engage in advocacy efforts at the capitol, including tips for providing testimony at the capitol and how to effectively meet with your lawmakers. Please email Pastor Earl for the Zoom link.

Do you like poetry (or tolerate it at least) and want to find community at the church? Come to Poetry Club! For this meeting I’d love for everyone to bring a spring time poem! It can be something you wrote, something you found on a random google search, or a poem near and dear to your heart. Do not stress about what you bring! We’ll go around and share poems and stories and all around have a great time. Feel free to bring a friend if you have someone interested as well!

Reach out to Blake Coleman for more info: blakeaverycoleman@icloud.com.

Our Gardener's “Young Adult” Sunday School class will be gathering to celebrate together.

If you’d like to join, please email Megan for more details! motto@uumc.org

The Gardeners, our “Young Adult” Sunday School Class will gather to share in a Friendsgiving potluck.

If you’d like to attend, please email Megan at motto@uumc.org!

In this chaotic and polarizing presidential election season, it can be hard to discern a way forward. Rhetoric escalates into shouting. Disagreements degenerate into fights. Sometimes Christian voices in these disputes seem to be not very Christian. How does our faith have an impact on our voice and vote? Should it have an impact? This Lunch and Learn, lead by Dr. David Jensen, will focus on the variety of ways Christians can engage in politics and suggest some ways of navigating disagreements in our broader society.

Questions? Contact Pastor Earl at PastorEarl@uumc.org

About Dr. David Jensen

A professor at Austin Seminary, Dr. David Jensen’s teaching and research focus on Reformed theology, interfaith dialogue, and the interconnections between Christian theology and daily life. He received an MAR from Yale Divinity School in 1994 and a PhD in theology from Vanderbilt University in 1999. Dr. Jensen is also the editor of “Compass,” a book series that encourages theological reflection on everyday practices.

Do you enjoy reading, listening to, or writing poetry? Check out UUMC's poetry group! They meet on the third Tuesday of every month at 7 PM. We'll rotate meeting locations around the area (usually homes). Gatherings usually entail everyone bringing a couple of poems that they want to share aloud. The poems can be your own, old faithfuls from your favorite poets, or newly-discovered pieces.

Reach out to Lauren Hanks for more info: laurennicolehanks@gmail.com.

What can we do, and how should we live as Christians in this season of political battles? Let us get together and talk about the topics of faith and politics (the politics of Jesus, church and state, democracy and Christian faith, and more) as the presidential election approaches.

This class will run through the Tuesday after the election, where we search for ways to process and find home, regardless of the outcome.

Click Here to Register

University UMC and other churches in the university area are collaborating on a Habitat for Humanity house-building project. As a partnering church, we are contributing $5,000 to the project, and our August and September communion altar rail offerings will assist us in raising the necessary funds. We are excited about this opportunity to be in mission and ministry together! Stay posted for more details, and let Pastor Earl know if you are interested in being a part of the building day and/or if you have any questions.

Questions? Ready to sign up to build? Contact Pastor Earl.

Come join us in a time of Queer Fellowship! We will break bread together, share our joys and concerns, and enjoy each others company.

All shareholders are welcome to come to a lunch prepared and served by the UUMC youth. Enjoy yummy food, good company & photos of our 2024 "Be the Neighbor" Mission Trip to St. Louis.

Questions? Contact Natasha!

Anyone looking to join a Sunday School is invited to come out, meet the different classes, learn about what topics they cover and find a good fit for you! 

We’re gonna have a whole day of events, for a UUMC Sunday Social. We hope to see you at a few of them!

If you wish to learn more about prayer, hope to read and write prayers, or just chat about your experience or doubts about prayer, this group is for you. We will get together and deepen our theological understanding of prayer and explore different types and ways of prayer. In our time together, we will also get to write our own prayers and share them with one another. Contact Pastor Earl with any questions.

Click here to register!

Join Shan Saffer from Texas Freedom Network for a Lunch & Learn on what it means to be a Reproductive Freedom Congregation. Over the last year, members of the UUMC Church Council and staff have engaged in conversations about the possibility of affiliating with Texas Freedom Network's "Reproductive Freedom Congregation” program. We are in the beginning stages of exploring such an affiliation and this is a time of learning and discernment. Come to learn more. Wanting to ensure this is a safe space for all with regard to delicate subject matters, we come with our curious questions as well as a spirit of respect for others and the range of tender experiences this subject matter encompasses. You can learn more about Reproductive Freedom Congregations on the Just Texas website.

About Shan

Shan Schaffer is the Just Texas Faith Organizer at Texas Freedom Network. Born and raised in Austin, Shan is dedicated to ensuring all Texans have access to the health care they want and need and has experience providing community outreach, education, and support around reproductive justice and LGBTQ+ issues throughout the state and in Chicago, Illinois. Shan loves calling Texas home and hopes to make the state more equitable and just for all of those who live here.

Pastor Teresa and Earl invite you to join this joint Sunday school session about reproductive justice. There will be two offerings of the same session (2/4 and 2/11) during the Sunday school hour (9:45-10:45 am), so you can choose either of them that fits your schedule.

In the session, Pastors will briefly share pastoral experiences and theological issues, and a time of conversation will follow. You are welcome to come with open and honest hearts to discuss the topic, learn more about helpful resources, and have a chance to think about the meaning of becoming a Reproductive Freedom Congregation.

Pastor Teresa and Earl invite you to join this joint Sunday school session about reproductive justice. There will be two offerings of the same session (2/4 and 2/11) during the Sunday school hour (9:45-10:45 am), so you can choose either of them that fits your schedule.

In the session, Pastors will briefly share pastoral experiences and theological issues, and a time of conversation will follow. You are welcome to come with open and honest hearts to discuss the topic, learn more about helpful resources, and have a chance to think about the meaning of becoming a Reproductive Freedom Congregation.

This January through April, Elizabeth Hoffman is leading a monthly book club. She has chosen a variety of genres, authors, and voices that highlight different cultures, races, genders, and age groups. We’ll meet the last Monday of the month - 1/29, 2/26, 3/25, 4/29. Come to one or come to them all!

Our first book is “Grateful” by Diana Butler Bass. Let us know if you plan to attend!

Join us as we host Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D on January 27, at 7:00 pm. A presentation, “Awakening or Apocalypse: Reimagining the Times in Which We Live,” will take place at 7:00 pm in the University UMC sanctuary followed by a Q&A and book signing.

Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D will also be guest preaching at University United Methodist Church on January 28 at 11:00 am and all are welcome to attend.

Event Information

Doors

Education Building Doors and Sanctuary Doors will open at 6 pm.

Parking

The UUMC Lot and the Platinum Parking Lot will be available for free parking. If those are full, please utilize the nearby meters and San Antonio Garage. We will not be validating parking in the San Antonio Garage on Saturday evening. Parking in University of Texas spaces will require proper UT permits.

Signed Books

Following her speaking engagement, Diana Butler Bass will be signing copies of her books. “Grateful” and “Freeing Jesus” will be available for purchase for $20 on site. Credit cards preferred, but cash will be accepted. Please note, we will not be able to make change.

About Diana Butler Bass

Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D holds a doctorate in Religious Studies from Duke University. She is an award-winning author of 11 books and a trusted authority on religion and contemporary spirituality. She has been a New York Times syndicated columnist and has additional bylines in the Washington Post, USA Today, atlantic.com and cnn.com.