FUMC eNews March 5, 2020 - Pick up your church directory this Sunday!

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This Sunday

Sunday, March 8

2nd Sunday in Lent

Preacher: Rev. Taylor Fuerst

Scripture: Colossians 3:5-11

Sermon: "Naming"

Worship Series: The Spiritual Work of Resisting Racism

This Lent, we are focusing on the Spiritual Work of Resisting Racism. Recognizing that we cannot be complacent with neutrality, we will engage in the steps it takes to actively work against racism in our lives and our world, moving in hope toward the Easter promise and the world that God intends.

Spring Forward

Don’t forget! This Sunday, daylight savings time begins so you will need to plan to set your clock forward one hour when you go to bed Saturday night.

Easter Bunny Needs Help

Sundays through April 5

Please bring nut-free candy that can fit in an Easter egg, empty Easter eggs, and toy trinkets and place donations in the “Bunny Barrels” located in the Church Office, Sanctuary Foyer, Preschool Hallway, or Wesley Hall. You can also purchase items on our Amazon Wish List and they will be delivered straight to the church.

Resisting Racism Sunday School Class

Sundays through April 5, 10:00–10:45 a.m.

Wesley Hall (3/08, 3/15, 3/22), Sanctuary (3/29, 4/05)

Join Pastor Cathy Stone and Director of Youth Ministries Devon Bailey for a series of classes covering themes from White Fragility with no reading or preparation required.

Church Directories Have Arrived

If you had your picture taken or submitted a photo for the directory last Fall, your printed directory is available for pickup in the Sanctuary Foyer through March 22.

Tacky Prom

Sunday, March 8, 4:30-7:00 p.m., SAN Wesley Hall

All Middle and High School youth are invited to an evening of exceptional ridiculousness. Come dressed in the most antithetical outfit you can imagine as we dance the night away with fun and games and a prize for the worst dressed! This event is an open invite to youth in our community.

TOAST Happy Hour for Young Adults

Sunday, March 8, 5:00-7:00 p.m., Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto

In addition to our monthly FEAST dinner gatherings for young adults (ages 20-45), we are adding a monthly happy hour that we are calling TOAST! Come join us. Register at fumcaustin.org/feast .

At a Glance

Click on the links below to learn more.

Upcoming Events

Easter Egg Hunt Donations , 3/01-4/05

Resisting Racism Class , Sundays-4/05

TOAST Happy Hour , 3/08

Contemplative Worship Service , 3/22

FEAST for Young Adults , 3/22

FMP Breakfast Fundraiser , 3/28

5th Sunday Presentation: Civil Rights Pilgrimage , 3/29

Maundy Thursday , 4/09

Good Friday , 4/10

Easter Egg Festival , 4/11

Easter Sunday , 4/12

Youth News

Tacky Prom , 3/08

Connect for Tweens , 4/17

Service Spotlight

Manna Bag Sale , 3/15

Feed My People 4th Tuesday , 2/25

Children's News

Kids' Night Out/Kid's Club , 4/17

Love in Action Retreat , 5/01-5/02

Kids' Night Out , 5/08

Click here to view the full FUMC calendar.

July 20-23, 9:00-12:30 p.m.

Take up the gauntlet and learn to be a knight who is strong with God's power! Registration is for preschool and elementary-aged children (ages 4 years through completed 5th grade). Youth and adult volunteers also get to join the fun! Register and sign up to volunteer at fumcaustin.org/vbs .

Thrive Sports Camp

July 20-23, 12:30-4:30 pm

Family Life Center

Through an interactive sports camp, Thrive Sports combines stories in the Bible with the fun of reenactment to make the stories come alive. Camps include basketball, flag football, dodgeball, capture the flag, and much more. This camp is conveniently scheduled the same afternoons as VBS week, so kids can do both for a full day of fun. Registration is separate from VBS and can be found at thrivetx.org/register (select First United Methodist - Austin).

Little Red Library

Throughout Lent in Sanctuary

Looking for a resource to support conversations on race, racism, and resistance? Books can be a great place to begin, offering new information, insights, and representing perspectives broader than our own. The Little Red Library will be available before and after worship throughout the season of Lent. This red cart houses books for adults and children, all available for checkout. Children’s books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating these critical conversations; and they can also be used to model what it means to resist and dismantle oppression. We invite you to browse our Little Red Library any Sunday morning at the front right of the Sanctuary. Please contact Pastor Cathy Stone with any questions at [email protected] .

The Spiritual Work of Resisting Racism

How is God calling you to respond? All are invited to 1) attend worship, 2) subscribe to Daily Interruptions, 3) participate in Sunday School series, and 4) join a book study.

Learn More

Contemplative Worship Service

Sunday, March 22, 9:00 a.m. EDU Murchison Chapel

Contemplative prayer can provide a welcome respite, a place to find the inner resources to actively serve a chaotic world from a place of strength and peace. This 30-to-40 minute service is offered to beginners and experienced

practitioners of mindfulness meditation.

Feed My People Breakfast Experience 2020

Saturday, March 28, 8:00-10:00 a.m., FLC Great Hall

Foundation for the Homeless (FFH) is pleased to host a Feed My People (FMP) Breakfast Fundraiser for the benefit of First United Methodist Church of Austin and its kitchen remodeling project. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, FMP serves breakfast to over 300 of our homeless neighbors, the primary users of the kitchen. Feed My People, a Foundation for the Homeless volunteer-run program, has fed Austin’s homeless in FUMC’s Family Life Center since May 2000—that’s 20 years of kitchen use! Come experience our FMP breakfast and learn about the impact of this ministry in our community. Enjoy a typical FMP breakfast including scrambled eggs, biscuits, sausage patties, gravy, coffee, milk, and orange juice. Doors open at 8:00 a.m. for coffee and fellowship. Breakfast is served at 8:30 a.m. followed by a program of speakers, including State Representative Gina Hinojosa. Register at foundationhomeless.org/fmp .

Civil Rights Pilgrimage Presentation

Sunday, March 29, 10:00 a.m., Sanctuary

The Civil Rights Pilgrimage during Spring Break is journeying through Jackson, Selma, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Memphis, to experience the history, the horror, and the hope of the Civil Rights Movement. Join this team as they share highlights and its significance in today’s world and the lessons we still have to learn.

UMW Circle Spotlight

Circle Up: United Methodist Women are women of faith on a mission to improve maternal and infant health in Texas through public policy, advocacy and awareness. From hosting community events to raise awareness about the issue to partnering with legislators and mobilizing support for bills that improve the health of moms and babies, Circle Up is making a difference! Join us at www.circleupumw.org .

United Methodist Women Unit Meeting

Sunday, March 29, 12:15 p.m., Wesley Hall

All are welcome to join members of United Methodist Women for a light lunch, a little bit of business, and a dynamic speaker talking about an international movement begun 118 years ago in Boston by a Methodist minister. Our speaker is Steve Leach, Chief Development and Strategy Officer of Goodwill of Central Texas. Please register at fumcaustin.org/umw by March 23 to give us a count for lunch.

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

March Mission Emphasis

United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)

When we want to buy fair-trade products. When farmers need help with appropriate agricultural technology. When a natural disaster strikes somewhere around the globe. When a community needs clean water and effective sanitation. When these and many other disasters occur, UMCOR is there because our contributions support the life-saving work in sustainable development, global health, relief supplies, and disaster response. Your gifts, marked “UMCOR,” may be left at the communion rail or placed in the offering plate today or any Sunday in March. You may also send them to or bring them by the church office.