First United Methodist Church: Recent Episodes
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The lily is a flower that comes from a bulb. It seemingly dies away, then returns with new life each year. In this way, they are a powerful symbol of Easter resurrection.
FUMC members and friends are invited to place lilies in the Sanctuary on Easter Sunday to the glory of God and in honor of or in memory of loved ones.
The cost is $13 per plant. Plants are florist quality and great for replanting. You may order yours using the electronic form that follows on this page, by turning in the paper form found in your worship bulletin on Sunday morning, or by contacting Tami Kellberg by email or phone: 512-478-5684 (ext. 226).
Orders must be received in by 12:00 noon on Monday, April 11. Your plants may be picked up after the 11:00 a.m. worship service on Easter Sunday, April 17.
If you chose above to purchase by check, please make it payable to FUMC Austin and write “lily” in the memo line. If you chose above to purchase using online giving, you can do so now by clicking the button linked below. Please use the drop-down menu as indicated in the instructions in the form above.
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Knights of North Castle: The Quest for the King’s Armor July 25-28, 2022 *We’re so excited to host in-person Vacation Bible School (VBS) for the first time in three summers. Join our quest and s*park joy by signing up your child or volunteering today.
Calling all knights, er…we mean kids! who have turned four by July 15 (and are potty trained) through those who have completed fifth grade to get ready for fun and adventure as we learn what it means to put on the armor of God. Don’t let this “drag-on.” Sign up now to get the early bird price of $30 per child.
Volunteer and Help us scale up for this in-person event Remember, it takes a village to build this castle! Volunteer today to help make VBS a fun-filled chance for our brave knights to learn and grow in their knowledge of God’s love. When you volunteer your kids are guaranteed a spot at the round table for VBS, even if the Quest for the King’s Armor fills up.
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Service Squad: A Special Mission for North Castle’s Older Knights All kids who have completed 3rd-5th grade and participate in Vacation Bible School will be part of the Service Squad. This special round table of older kids take on learning more about how to serve and help our community partners and serve the mission of the church.
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What type of dragon storiesdo knights share?Long tales… But we’ll keep ours short. We promise.
Sign up for email updates about VBS and other children’s ministry adventures and make sure you get all the latest info about what FUMC Kids are learning and doing.
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Dear Church,
Last week, we learned that the meeting of the General Conference, the legislative decision-making body of the United Methodist Church, already postponed twice, will now be postponed once again. The meeting will now take place in 2024, when the next regularly scheduled General Conference would occur. This decision was in part a practical, logistical one—though it is regrettable. While many would like to see the denominational logjam break loose, the group that plans the event prioritized the participation of the whole elected body and determined that it was not feasible to ethically gain vaccinations and visas in a timely manner to allow delegates from 40 countries to enter the US for the planned meeting this August. I believe this is true. We are experiencing the challenges of a global church. Still, there is also a lot more at work behind the scenes. A new denomination is being launched by those who count themselves among the “traditionalist” wing of the church. In order to build the momentum needed to move forward with these plans, many traditionalist leaders advocated for this year’s General Conference to happen as planned. Some even offered vaccination for delegates in countries where vaccines are not widely available—a practice perceived by some to be an unjust approach, carried out for self-serving reasons. Postponement was the desired outcome of much of the progressive wing of the church. Some believed that there was too great a risk of inequity—that too many people would be prevented from attending by either lack of vaccination or inaccessibility of visas. In addition, many progressives would like to see the conservative wing make their exit prior to General Conference, so that the ones who eventually meet to determine the way forward will be those who actually plan to participate in the future of the United Methodist Church. In other words, these folks are saying, “If you are planning on leaving the denomination, we’d prefer that you not have a vote in determining its future.” While I am sympathetic to this perspective, I also recognize the continued harm of dragging out the process. Divorce is messy, and ours is being made far messier by this pandemic. Our LGBTQ+ members bear the greatest pain of this delay. In addition, churches who do not have clarity regarding whether their congregation would like to move in a more progressive or more traditionalist direction are in limbo as the process is drawn out. From my perspective, the landscape has changed since 2019. It is already clear that a significant portion of the traditionalist wing of the church will break away, inevitably leaving a more progressive UMC. Even as we wait, few Bishops are currently acting on complaints that they receive about clergy who perform same-sex weddings, choosing instead to hold those complaints in abeyance. We are seeing an increasing number of LGBTQ+ candidates exploring the candidacy process, anticipating that this will be a denomination in which they are able to and want to serve in the not-too-distant future. The sense I get is one of anticipatory change. United Methodism is headed for a more progressive, open expression, even as we await the official changing of the rules. Leaders who intend to stay and lead the UMC are working to articulate a vision for the future of the denomination, and I like what I’m hearing from them. Still, I believe we need to temper our expectations of the denomination. Change will always be incremental among any significant body of people. This is both frustrating and healthy. While the slow speed of change is limiting and perpetuates harm, it also prevents the missteps that come with moving quickly, and it allows more people to come along as they, too, grow and change. Change will continue, and it will not wait for General Conference. As some Bishops have moved forward with their own plans to retire, many remaining Bishops, including our own, have been asked to oversee multiple conferences until the time when new Bishops can be elected. Usually this occurs in the meeting of Jurisdictional Conferences, following General Conference. Again, the logjam is significant. The result is unsustainable, so we expect to see a call from the Council of Bishops to hold Jurisdictional Conferences later this year in order to elect new Bishops. Meanwhile, the new traditionalist denomination I refer to above, The Global Methodist Church (GMC), will launch on May 1, and some churches will take action to withdraw from the UMC to join it. The landscape will continue to change. I believe that the ability to do ministry as we see fit gives us the space we need in order to endure this transitional period. FUMC voted in July 2019 to open our facilities to all couples seeking the blessing of marriage, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, and to support our pastors who officiate such weddings. We are doing the ministry we are called to, and we will continue that. The metaphor that works for me here is breathing. The Hebrew scriptures use the same word (Ruah) for both breath and spirit. It is tempting to “hold our breath” waiting for General Conference to make the official change we have longed to see. We can “hold our breath” waiting for every church and every member to come around to affirm the lives and loves of LGBTQ+ people. OR, we can breathe now. Through the Holy Spirit, we can breathe in and remember that the God who created each and every one of us has already affirmed us. Breathe in belovedness. Through the Holy Spirit, we can breathe out and see the power unleashed when we tell the story of a God who loves and celebrates LGBTQ+ life and love. This is God’s work through us, and it is vitally important, healing, redeeming work. We do not need to hold our breath; we have all we need. I am honored and grateful to be your pastor, even on the difficult parts of this journey together. If you would like to share your concern or frustration about this with me, I invite a conversation that would help you move toward the healing that God desires for you. Don’t hesitate to reach out by replying to this email. In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted as developments continue. With gratitude for each of you, Pastor Taylor
Imagine you wake up one morning. A man-made or natural disaster has occurred. Lives in your community have turned upside down. It’s a citywide or statewide disaster. What do you do? This is the plight of many people in the United States and around the world. Whether man-made or natural disasters, when disaster strikes, the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) goes into action to help alleviate suffering and express the love of Christ to those involved. During the early stages of a disaster, UMCOR provides grants to partners such as annual conferences and other groups to support the immediate needs of those affected. For longer-term needs, UMCOR works with local partners in recovery and reconstruction work. F For example, right now UMCOR is already mobilizing to provide humanitarian assistance to the Ukraine and to Ukrainian people fleeing to neighboring countries. This month’s gifts underwrite UMCOR’s “costs of doing business.” This helps UMCOR keep the promise that 100% of any gift to a specific project will go toward that mission, not administrative costs. We invite you to join us with gifts providing help and hope during times of disaster, be it famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire, or other challenges. Your gifts, marked “UMCOR,” may be placed in the Offering basket, made online, or sent to the church during the month of March. To donate online, click the link below and then select “UMCOR” from the drop-down menu. You can learn more about UMCOR here.
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Save the Date: Master Plan Community Forum Saturday, March 269:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.Sanctuary Reimagining the ways that we use our facilities for ministry is an act that we do together, listening for God’s Spirit to lead us. In order to do that, we need the whole congregation to attend and contribute to the FUMC Master Plan Community Forum! This is a time to evaluate uses of the church’s spaces in support of our ministry, both current and future. We’ll start with an architects’ update of the facilities conditions assessment and review of the major focus areas of our ministry. We’ll transition into small groups assigned to tour specific areas of the campus. These “walk and talk” tours will foster observations and discussions. At the end, each group will return to the main assembly and report on its conversations. Mark your calendar now and join us on March 26!
Learn More: The State of the Church 2022 This week, Pastor Taylor shared the State of the Church report at FUMC Austin’s leadership summit. For highlights of 2021 and a preview of what we are looking forward to in ministry in 2022, click below and read the digital report.
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March 2-April 14Murchison Chapel During the season of Lent, our labyrinth will be available in Murchison Chapel. A labyrinth is an ancient pattern for prayer, meditation, and contemplation and can provide space for time set apart to re-center oneself. FUMC welcomes all members and guests to take part in this Lenten practice. The labyrinth will be available Sunday mornings 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and during church office hours: 9:00a.m.-2:30p.m., Monday-Thursday.
The Mercy & Justice team is looking for people to be part of our action groups! Action groups are led by members of this community of faith that are focused on a specific area – doing the work and inviting others into the work. We’re multiplying ministry! Action groups are currently working in these areas: anti-racism, immigration, LGBTQ justice and support, environmental/climate justice. The work of these groups is guided by awareness, relationships, and commitment. If you would like to learn more or join one of these action groups, please email Pastor Cathy Stone.
The Austin Marathon is a Sunday morning travel and parking challenge, for sure. It’s also an opportunity to give thanks for the way this faith community is at the heart of a vibrant city and a chance to cheer on our neighbors. Bring your patience and enthusiasm and join us for worship this Sunday! Routes to Church From MoPac and Lamar Blvd. Take W. 5th St. Left on Lavaca St. Left on 13th St. Left into parking garage. From I-35 If North, access MoPac by crossing 2222/Koenig Lane. If South, access MoPac or Lamar Blvd. via Ben White Blvd. Routes from Church Exit garage and turn left on 13th St. Left on Guadalupe St. Right on W. 6th St. to access Lamar Blvd. or MoPac Parking Parking is available in the parking garage between Lavaca St. and Guadalupe St. This garage may only be entered by accessing 13th St. from northbound Lavaca St. Mobility impaired individuals may park in the bus lane on Lavaca to drop off passengers or if they are a single driver, to park in the bus lane during the church service, provided their vehicle is moved by 11:30 a.m. Marathon Route Maps Marathon course maps are also available here as well as additional travel planning tips from the Austin Marathon organizers. If you are unable to worship in-person, join FUMC Austin virtually.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays3:30–4:30 p.m. FUMC has a long-standing relationship with Pickle Elementary through its book sale and other literacy projects, and now needs reading and math tutors for their 5th graders. Help students advance their skills in this core content during the crucial year before middle school with opportunities to tutor on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and/or Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Tutors can meet with students in larger spaces or outside and will be safely matched with a student who has been vaccinated. Spanish language skills are a bonus, but aren’t required. To support these young students as they learn, email Bergan Casey.
Small groups help you deepen your relationship with God while also making new friends at church. Groups of 8-12 participants will join in conversation with experienced facilitators over the 6 weeks of Lent to explore questions of faith.
All adult members of our FUMC community are encouraged to take this step to grow during Lent. Groups will begin meeting the week of March 6. Sunday School classes may choose to engage with the questions as a group as well. Register by filling out the form on this page.
From time to time, open staff positions are posted here with job descriptions. If you are interested in submitting a resume for any open staff position at First Church, please send the resume to Dave Ballbach, Director of Operations, at dave@fumcaustin.org.
There are currently no staff openings.
Each month we highlight a ministry or program that we see transforming lives and invite you to support it with your prayers and gifts above and beyond your regular financial support. February’s mission emphasis is Huston-Tillotson University. As Austin’s oldest institution of higher education and its only Historically Black College and University (HBCU), the university is a sacred space. HBCUs play a vital role in dismantling racial inequity, developing community, and educating future world leaders. Join our continuing investment in the students and the work of Huston-Tillotson University through their Annual Fund. Your gifts, marked “Huston-Tillotson,” may be put in the offering basket when it is passed, made online, or sent to the church during the month of February. To donate online, select “Other Designated” from the drop-down menu and indicate “Huston-Tillotson” in the memo section.
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Saturday-Tuesday, January 22-25 In-Person and/or Zoom This event brings together women of faith from across the Lone Star State to learn, pray, and advocate for freedom, justice, and opportunity for all God’s children. Legislative Event 2022 focuses on providing Texas women concrete information and strategies to advocate for UMW’s national priorities: climate justice and racial justice. A major theme will be elections and voting, including innovative ways for faith communities to provide nonpartisan election leadership. There are both in-person and online participation options, along with a weekend-only registration option. For more information or to register, visit texasimpact.org/event/umw-legislative-event-2022.
Register Online
FUMC participates in the Cold Weather Shelter Program coordinated through Austin Public Health. APH coordinates with local churches and city emergency officials to open additional space to provide temporary overnight shelter on freezing nights. Austin’s lack of shelter space forces many people experiencing homelessness to sleep outside during winter months.
FUMC provides shelter for up to 20 women on Tuesday nights when the predicted overnight low is expected to be 35 degrees and wet or 32 degrees and dry. The City makes a decision by noon whether to activate faith-based facilities for that night.
We will have shifts on Tuesday nights for volunteers to welcome and greet our guests, provide/serve dinner, and serve as overnight hosts. If you would like to volunteer and help us offer a warm and welcoming place for women to stay on these cold nights, please sign up online. If you need additional information, please contact Pastor Cathy at cathy@fumcaustin.org or 478-5684 ext. 215.
NOTE TO VOLUNTEERS: This signup is restricted to volunteers who have served before; attended training; and completed a background check or completed TRUSTed con Confianza Certification. If you are interested in serving with us and are not on this approved list, please email Pastor Cathy at cathy@fumcaustin.org.
Required: Background check – email emily@fumcaustin.org to request
Recommended:
- TRUSTed con Confianza Certification (vulnerable adults)
- Attend Mental Health First Aid Training through Integral Care
Sign Up
How do we effectively confront racial injustice? We need to move beyond talking about racism and start equipping ourselves to fight against it. How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice provides groups and individuals with practical tools and suggestions, actionable items, and real-world examples of change, to enable them to confront racism in relationships and in everyday life. There is hope for transforming our nation and the world, and you can be part of the solution.
Book Study Tuesdays, January 18-February 15, 6:30-7:00 p.m. Zoom In this follow-up to the New York Times Bestseller The Color of Compromise, Jemar Tisby offers an array of actionable items to confront racism. How to Fight Racism introduces a simple framework that teaches readers to consistently interrogate their own actions and maintain a consistent posture of anti-racist behavior. Zoom invitation will be sent with registration. Contact Pastor Cathy at cathy@fumcaustin.org for additional information. We encourage you to purchase the book locally at Black Pearl Books or Book People. Register for book study Video Series Sundays, January 23-February 20, 4:30-6:00 p.m. Zoom How to Fight Racism Video Study is a how-to guide for pursuing racial justice. It is long past time to move beyond mere discussions about racism, and equip people with practical tools and suggestions to actually do something about it. Zoom invitation will be sent with registration. Contact Pastor Cathy at cathy@fumcaustin.org for additional information. No preparation or homework between sessions, just show up ready to engage in anti-racist action. Register for video series.
Register for video series
Our January mission emphasis is the Immigration Care Team (ICT), a ministry offering active support and provision to asylum seekers and other immigrants. In Spring 2020, there was a request to sponsor a young woman from a Central African country, who was seeking asylum while being held in a detention center at the Texas border. A group of individuals who had participated in Courts & Ports, a 2-day immersion experience witnessing first-hand the legal and law enforcement processes related to immigration, detention, and deportation occurring in South Texas, responded to this request with a yes. Karen Smith, Tom and Robbie Ausley, Sally Watkins, Gerry Carrol, Howard and Marijo Hartman, and Rev. Cathy Stone each signed a Letter of Support and Affidavit of Support agreeing to be her sponsors, providing support while she waits for her asylum case to be decided. Kathy Morales joined the team and meets with our young woman regularly for English as a Second Language classes and Deborah Wilder joined the team as an interpreter.
The ICT met with her on Zoom regularly for the first year and has now moved to individuals connecting with her a few times each month. The ongoing care continues to ensure that she has a safe place to live, food, other necessities, access to legal representation and English instruction. The team connected her with Justice for Our Neighbors and is grateful she has legal representation. The ICT currently spends just over $1,000 each month on rent, utilities, groceries, and other occasional expenses such as a lockbox for important documents that was recently given.
Contributions to the Immigration Care Team will help cover living expenses and any legal costs that arise for our asylum-seeker while she goes through the asylum process. Prayers for the work of this team and for her are appreciated! Gifts can be made online or a check marked “Immigration Care Team” may be placed in the offering basket or mailed to the church during January.
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This summer and fall, the stone that so beautifully adorns our buildings developed unsafe cracks, and a few pieces even fell to the ground. While we are thankful that no one was injured, we had to quickly deploy professionals to remove any loose pieces in order to ensure the safety of everyone in and around our facilities. Efforts are underway to determine the extent of repairs needed throughout our facilities, with a full report due in the spring. In the meantime, we expect to spend nearly three times our annual facilities maintenance budget this year just to ensure safety. While we are able to absorb some of this expense in other areas of the budget, we anticipate that our overall expenses will surpass revenue this year by $150,000. Our hope is to offset this loss as much as possible through this year’s Christmas Offering.
Our buildings are essential to the life-changing work we do together. The church is not a building; and yet, the church’s buildings create spaces where transformation happens. Let’s take care of this place, so it can continue to be a tool for God’s work in this world.
You may give online or mail a check to the church marked “Christmas Offering.”
Give Online
Children’s Books Needed for Pickle Book Sale
We host a “Quarter Book Sale” every December and May at Pickle Elementary. If you, your family, or friends can donate any new or gently used books — current titles, please — appropriate for preschool through 5th grade (bonus points for Spanish/bilingual titles), contact Heather Schuelke at h_schuelke@yahoo.com to arrange pick up/drop off. We also accept monetary donations to purchase new books which can be done online by selecting “Pickle School Books” as the fund option.
About Pickle Book Drive
FUMC has partnered with Pickle Elementary in East Austin for several years. The core ministry is our semi-annual book sale. Because the original principal wanted the students to feel ownership for the books, we “sell” all books for a quarter. Since we started in the Spring of 2007, we’ve distributed over 50,000 books to Pickle Elementary students. Please help us keep this important ministry continuing.
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Join Us on Christmas Eve First United Methodist Church of Austin invites you to worship with us on Christmas Eve. We’ve expanded the number of services to help control crowding at our prime time services, and we ask you to register your attendance in order to enable contact tracing. Masks will be required at all services, and Holy Communion will be received in the pews with individual bread and juice. For those wishing to avoid larger crowds, we recommend attending services at 12:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., or 11:00 p.m.
Daylight Service
12:00 p.m. Sanctuary
For those who are ready to celebrate the birth of Christ early in the day, this traditional service features carols, Scripture reading, and Holy Communion. This service is for those who do not want to drive at night and for those whose plans make it difficult to participate in our later services.
Register for 12:00 p.m. Service
Family Service
3:00 p.m. Sanctuary
Experience the traditions of Christmas carols, the Nativity story, Holy Communion, and a candlelit Silent Night in this 45-minute worship service especially designed for families with young children. Music led by cantor and children’s choir. Childcare provided.
Register for 3:00 p.m. Service
Candlelight Services
5:00, 7:00, 9:00, and 11:00 p.m. Sanctuary
These traditional services feature carols, choral offerings, Scripture, Holy Communion, and candle lighting to celebrate Christ’s birth. Childcare provided at the 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. services only. A full choir will lead singing at the 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. services, with a cantor leading all other services.
Register for 5:00 p.m. Service Register for 7:00 p.m. Service Register for 9:00 p.m. Service Register for 11:00 p.m. Service
Livestream Service
7:00 p.m. Online
Our 7:00 p.m. service will be livestreamed on the FUMC mobile app, YouTube channel, and on our Facebook page. Following the conclusion of the livestream (around 8:00 p.m.) the livestreamed service will be available for viewing at any time.