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Earth Day Sanctuary Worship Service | 8:30 & 11 am

Sermon by Dr. Matthew Sleeth. As we celebrate Earth Day, UUMC welcomes Dr. Matthew Sleeth to preach at our Sanctuary services and lead a Sunday School class at 9:45 am in the Fellowship Hall. Sleeth is the author of "Serve God, Save the Planet." Both Sanctuary worship services will include a "water communion" ritual. We invite you to find the nearest body of natural water to your home and bring along a jar-full to contribute -- tap water from your faucet will do just fine! UUMC's Green Ministry will give away reusable shopping bags to those at worship.

 

Sermon by Rev. Susan Sprague. "The Sound of Silence"  (I Kings 19: 4-12) 


uumc events + news
BridgeBuilders is a racial reconciliation ministry of Wesley UMC, University UMC and St. Luke UMC. The group invites you to view the documentary film, "Trash Dance" by Andrew Garrison, who will be at this event. The film shows us that inspiration can be found in unexpected places. Choreographer Allison Orr finds beauty and grace in garbage trucks, and in the men and women who pick up our trash. She joins city sanitation workers on their daily routes to listen, learn and ultimately convince them to collaborate in a unique dance performance. On an abandoned airport runway, thousands of people show up to see how in the world a garbage truck can dance.

Bonhoeffer Conference | Fri. & Sat. April 26-27
"We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was a theologian, a pastor, a spiritual writer, a musician and an author of fiction and poetry. Bonhoeffer gives witness to one man's extraordinary faith. His life brings us face-to-face with a man determined to do the will of God radically, courageously and joyfully -- even to the point of death. Bonhoeffer is the story of a life framed by a passion for truth and a commitment to justice on behalf of those who face implacable evil. Join us as we learn about Bonhoeffer's life and witness in ways that will inspire us to become advocates for reason, justice and love. To register for the conference and to learn more details, visit our website at www.uumc.org.
 
Well Spring Retreat Center, Blanco 
The Centering Prayer groups of UUMC and All Saints Episcopal host "The Mystery of Paradox," a contemplative retreat featuring times of prayer, reflection and group discussions. The weekend includes teaching sessions with Lynda Young Kaffie, an artist, workshop leader and spiritual director who focuses on contemplative practices and the intersection of art and spirituality. For more information and to register, contact Jan Reed at [email protected].

Lloyd Roger Grubaugh Concert | Sun. April 28, 2 pm | Sanctuary   
Solo pianist Lloyd Roger Grubaugh will play classical works of music during a concert in the UUMC Sanctuary. Roger obtained a degree in music and piano performance from UCLA and was a student of world-renowned music master Aube Tzerko.

St. John's UMC, 2140 Allandale Rd., 78756
Bullying is a term so common to our schools and culture that its consequences are often overlooked or avoided. For many of our young people, who are bullied or who bully, this is a mountain so high it cannot be walked over and so wide it cannot be talked around. Several youth groups around the Austin District will join together to plant a seed of change. With parents, youth and other community supporters, we will view and discuss "Bully," a documentary exploring personal stories of those touched by bullying. The night also will include discussions and dinner (a love offering is appreciated). Contact Mary Ann Kaiser, our youth ministry director, for more information. Click here to register now.

Mark your calendars for UUMC's Vacation Bible School this summer on June 17-21. We'll focus our week together on the theme "Stand Up!," which will explore the stories of courageous Christians across the globe. For more information, contact Natasha Ulack, our children's ministry director, at [email protected].

UUMC's new Thursday night Centering Prayer group follows the same format as the current Centering Prayer group that meets during our Sunday School time. Participants will begin their "sit" at 7:15 pm followed by a reading, DVD, or lectio divina and group discussion.

2013 Flowers for the Sanctuary
Members are welcome to place flowers in the Sanctuary for our Sunday services. Arrangements cost $75. UUMC volunteers later use the flowers to make and deliver arrangements for homebound and hospitalized parishioners. Available dates include: May 19; June 30; July 7 & 28, and August 4, 11 & 18.Questions? Contact the Church Office at [email protected].

volunteer + community opportunities
Open Door Ministry
Our Open Door ministry served brunch to 185 guests and our Fig Leaf clothes closet distributed clothing and toiletries to 85 people on Sat. Mar. 13. Volunteers included UT's Texas Asian Leadership Organization and Texas Public Health. If you'd like to volunteer with Open Door, contact Judy Trejo at [email protected]. Open Door's handbook and news updates are now available online on the church website. 

Fig Leaf Clothes Closet Needs Volunteers

Volunteers are always welcome to help with our Fig Leaf clothes closet. Please contact Judy Trejo if you can help sort items for this ministry on the following dates:
  • Thurs. April 18, 2:30 to 4:30 pm
  • Thurs. April 25, 2:30 to 4:30 pm
  • Fri. April 26, 10 am to Noon
Nueces Mosque Interfaith Dinner | Sat. April 20, 6 to 9 pm
Nueces Mosque invites the UUMC community to enjoy dinner and interfaith conversation as a way to get to know one another. Modest dress is requested. RSVP by Wed. April 17 and please mention whether you prefer a vegetarian meal. Contact Sana Hadi, the mosque's outreach director, for more information.

BOPA Recycling Event | Sat. April 20, 8 to 10:30 am

Crestview UMC, 1300 Morrow St.

It's time again to go through your garage and collect your old batteries, oil, paint and antifreeze for recycling. The annual BOPA Recycling Event, sponsored by the Southwest Texas Chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action, will collect only these items: batteries of all kinds; oil of all kinds (in closed containers); paint of all kinds (wet or dry, in closed containers), and antifreeze (in closed containers). Event leaders will take these items to the City of Austin's Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. This event is free and open to all non-commercial members of the Austin community. Questions? Contact Anne Mund at 343-0803.

 

Volunteer with the UUMC Communications Office

If you have two hours to volunteer on Friday mornings, we could use your help in the UUMC Communications Office. Projects would include: scanning archival books and other items for use on our website; entering upcoming UUMC events on community calendars; updating our communication database information, and other clerical tasks. We're also looking for help with a project to archive our old E-Connection newsletters. This task would be about eight hours of work and could be done from your home on an Internet-connected computer. Contact Diana Dworin if you can lend a hand.