Join us in the Sanctuary as Rev. John Elford, Senior Pastor, preaches on "Out of the River and Into the Fire" (Mark 1: 4-11). Our community of faith will reaffirm our baptismal promises during our worship services. To listen to our sermon archives, please visit our UUMC podcast page: http://universityumc.podomatic.com/.

Adult Education Sunday Classes | 9:45 am
UUMC offers a variety of progressive Christian education classes for adults each Sunday morning between our early and late worship services. This week's highlights include:
  • Wesley Plus, Room 303: When Tina Carter, a pastor of Parker Lane UMC in South Austin, shared a cup of coffee with John and Lee Ann Musler, their eyes were opened to "a new way of looking at discipleship, personal relationships, and the beauty of cultural differences."  Ever since then, John and Lee Ann have been involved in mission with Parker Lane, a community of limited resources, but possessing "the greatest resource of all ... a powerful belief in God and a deep desire to love and care for one another."
  • Explorers, Room 302-304: Austin State Sen. Kirk Watson, who earlier served as Austin's mayor, will discuss his take on what is liable to happen -- and not happen -- in the Texas Legislature's biennial 140-day regular session, which begins Tuesday. Watson leads the Senate's Democratic Caucus.

Learn more about our Adult Sunday School classes, which are open to all, at our website: www.uumc.org/adults/. For questions about Adult Education at UUMC, contact Rev. Lisa Blaylock, associate pastor, at [email protected].  

 

"Our Whole Lives" Sexuality Education for Children & Youth | 12:15 to 1:45 pm  
UUMC youth in Grades 7-9 and children in Grades 4-6 are invited to join us as we begin our new "Our Whole Lives" sexuality education program. We gather for lunch on the Fourth Floor of Heinsohn Hall at 12:15 pm before we break into our classes. "Our Whole Lives" equips youth and children with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. For more information, contact Natasha Ulack, our Children's Ministry director, at [email protected] or Heather Lee, our Youth Ministry director, at [email protected].

Meet Us In The Courtyard | After our 11 am worship service  
Go to lunch with members of UUMC after our late worship service as we meet up in the Courtyard for an informal meal together. This is a great way to get to know others in our community of faith. Hosts are Larry and Pam Greenhaw. 
 
Get Involved, Grow in Faith | Social Justice & Missions 
Our community of faith is committed to working toward social justice and caring for the marginalized. "Praxis" serves as our congregation's online hub for news and conversations of social justice and mission at UUMC and within the surrounding Austin community. Please contact Heather Lee, our Justice Associate, at [email protected] with mission or social justice updates, opportunities, pictures and event notices.


"Christian Simplicity" Church-wide Lenten Study 

Church-wide "Christian Simplicity" Spiritual Formation | Beginning Feb. 10 
Make plans to join us on Tuesday nights during Lent as we embark on a church-wide, multi-generational spiritual formation journey. Our eight-week program will help inspire our community of faith to work to protect God's creation, embrace Gospel justice and nurture spiritual fulfillment. We'll examine Gospel values and see how they can be applied to contemporary life and issues of lifestyles, food, personal consumption, water, energy and transportation. Set within a context of faith sharing and personal study, "Christian Simplicity" emphasizes attitudes within the modern mindset that distract us from caring for ourselves and our relationships with others and the world. A soup supper begins at 5:30 pm, followed by a program, small groups for adults and special activities for youth and children. For more information, contact Rev. Lisa Blaylock, associate pastor, at [email protected]. Register online now at
www.uumc.org.

University UMC News + Church Events
Prime Time Birthday Party | Wed. Jan. 14 at 11 am, Fellowship Hall 
Come join your friends at UUMC as we celebrate our congregation's winter birthdays. Contact Rev. Richard Strait at [email protected] for more information about our ministry programs and events for senior members.

  

Austin's Annual MLK Community March | Mon. Jan. 19, 8:15 am
Grab a quick breakfast at UUMC before we gather at 9 am at UT's MLK Statue for the city's annual march and celebration honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We'll march on to Huston-Tillotson University and catch the UUMC van back to church. Look for the University UMC banner and join us. Click here to learn more about the march: http://www.mlkcelebration.com/celebration-events/march-and-festival/. 

Sunday Evening Worship Services Resume | Sun. Jan. 18
UUMC's Sunday evening worship services take an annual hiatus during the college winter break between the fall and spring semesters of classes. Please join us again on Sun. Jan. 18 as we resume our Sunday evening worship services in the Harris Chapel at 7:45 pm. All are welcome -- not just college students! For more information, contact Megan Otto, Director of Campus & Young Adult Ministries, at [email protected].

Sign up for UUMC Homeroom Groups | Sun. Jan. 18 
Grow in your connections at UUMC by getting involved in our citywide Homeroom Groups -- small in-home fellowship groups that are loosely based upon Austin's ZIP codes. Look for our Homeroom Groups sign-up table outside the Sanctuary for more information or contact Rev. Lisa Blaylock, associate pastor, at [email protected]

Search Now Underway for UUMC Director of Music Ministries 
A committee has been formed and has begun the process of selecting a new Director of Music Ministries for UUMC. Members include Barbara Mason (chair of SPRC), Carole Gottlieb and Virginia Pohlmeier (SPRC members), Steve Boyles, David Grant, Alaire Lowry, Eddie Zamora and Pastor John Elford. The Director of Music Ministries job posting is now on the UUMC website and will appear on the websites of state and national professional music associations, with an application deadline of March 15.

Mission, Justice & Pie Fair | Sun. Jan. 25, Noon, Fellowship Hall 
Come explore all of UUMC's mission and social justice ministries. This event includes a pie contest judged by our pastors -- and pie will be served to all who visit at least three mission and justice displays. If you'd like to bring a pie for the contest, please contact Trish Merrill by Sun. Jan. 18 at [email protected] with your name and pie flavor.

Red Bench Interfaith Conversation | Tues. Jan. 27, 6:30 pm, Fellowship Hall 
UUMC is excited to host the next Red Bench event with Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) on Tues. Jan. 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. The Red Bench is an on-going dialogue program designed to address the most pressing needs of our time: improving interfaith understanding and civil discourse in our society. The topic we will be discussing at this event is "Intention." For more information, contact Heather Lee, our Justice Associate, at [email protected]. Register online for this special event, which includes a meal, at iACT's website: http://interfaithtexas.org/events/red-bench-intention/.

UUMC Centering Prayer Group Featured 
Our Centering Prayer group is featured in an article on the United Methodist Church website . Check it out here:   
http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/too-busy-to-pray-find-more-time-in-the-new-year.

Flowers in the Sanctuary 
If you'd like to place flowers in the Sanctuary on a special Sunday in the upcoming year, please contact the Church Office at [email protected]. We have openings on Feb. 1 & 15 and March 1. Arrangements cost $75. UUMC volunteers later use the flowers to make and deliver arrangements for seniors on their birthdays as well as homebound and hospitalized parishioners.