Children's Sunday School meets weekly on Zoom at 9:00 a.m. for Kindergarten-5th Grades. Youth Sunday School meets bi-weekly at 10:00 a.m. (next meeting is 5/09). Check the Sunday morning email for Zoom links. Adult Sunday School classes continue to meet weekly, all interested should reach out to class contacts for more information.

On Mother’s Day, May 9, we recognize those who have given gifts to honor their Mother or other women who are important in their lives to help another mother and family in need. Click here to view mothers recognized.

All high school and college graduates will be acknowledged in worship on May 16. Please submit your graduate photos or senior portraits to [email protected] by May 9. Please include with their portrait: 1) full name, 2) the school they are graduating from, and 3) any after graduation plans.

This last year was such a hard year of disconnection. Now that we are able to start coming together again, it’s time to celebrate! We’re assembling a light-hearted, playful mini-session of “Picnics for 8” to help you gather for in-person fellowship with other members during the summer months. This opportunity is open to new and returning members alike and it’s a great way to start feeling connected (again)! Register online by May 20 to be placed in groups of 8 adults to meet for monthly meals in June-August. Groups will be created geographically, if possible. We encourage groups to follow appropriate CDC and Austin Public Health guidelines as they change over the summer months, but mostly we want you to really enjoy each other’s company. Don’t worry, there will still be a chance to register for the full season of Table for 8, to begin in person in September – this is just a bonus round! If you have any questions, please email Emily Buchanan, Director of Discipleship, at [email protected].

This summer, as things begin to open back up, we wanted to offer our recommendations on places we’ve been that have safety protocols in place and make for a fun and safe outing with your Picnic for 8. So get out there and enjoy being together again! Got questions on more fun activities to do in Austin? Contact Devon Bailey at [email protected] or visit do512.com for a steady stream of events happening all around Austin.

FUMC is hiring a Director of Communications. The purpose of the Director of Communications is to carry out the mission of FUMC through the ministry of communications, marketing outreach, and digital engagement. If you are interested in submitting a resume for this open staff position at First Church, please send the resume to Dave Ballbach, Director of Operations, at [email protected]. View job description at fumcaustin.org/hiring.

We have greatly benefitted from having Mary Heckmann on our staff as Director of Communications. We are sad to say, but happy for her that, after six years at the church, she has decided to take the leap back to corporate America and return to her roots at Dell where she worked nine years prior. On May 17, she begins her new role at Dell in an online product marketing role. Her last day in the office is Monday, May 10. Please send your thanks to her for her amazing service and contribution to all the communication processes she has developed during her time on staff....the new website and mobile app are two perfect examples. You can reach her at [email protected].

Register Here.

Register Here.

Join Pastor Cathy as we read and discuss Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning. Poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong fearlessly and provocatively blends memoir, cultural criticism, and history to expose fresh truths about racialized consciousness in America. Part memoir and part cultural criticism, this collection is vulnerable, humorous, and provocative—and its relentless and riveting pursuit of vital questions around family and friendship, art and politics, identity and individuality will change the way you think about our world. Zoom invitation will be sent with registration. Contact Pastor Cathy at [email protected] for additional information. We encourage you to purchase the book locally at Black Pearl Books or Book People. Learn More.

Pickle Elementary has requested that we host another “Quarter Book Sale” before the end of the school year in mid-to-late May. Since we haven't had a sale in 16 months, and want to limit the “summer slide” after a challenged year of virtual learning, we’ve agreed to do it. But that means we need more children’s books ASAP. If you or your friends or family members can donate any new or gently used books — current titles please — appropriate for preschool through 5th grade (bonus points for Spanish titles), please contact Heather Schuelke at [email protected] to arrange pick up or drop them off at the Schuelkes’ house at 2702 Carlton Road, Austin, 78703. We also accept monetary donations to purchase new ones.

Prior to joining the church, we ask all to participate in a First Steps class to learn about Methodist beliefs and the ministry of FUMC, meet the pastors, and ask questions. Questions? Contact Trevor Harper at [email protected]. Register Online.

Join us on Zoom for our first unit meeting of 2021. Deaconess Cindy Andrade Johnson will be with us to share an update on what is happening at the border. She is a humanitarian and advocate who has worked with migrants all her life and lives in Brownsville, Texas. We hope you'll join us - all are welcome! Contact Emily George with any questions at [email protected]. Look for the Zoom link next week.

Curtis Higgs Men's Study Group: St. Francis of Assisi

Men of all ages, who enjoy book studies and discussion based on Scripture and Christian faith, meet almost every Monday night for study, prayer, and fellowship. On May 17, the men's study group will begin discussing St. Francis of Assisi by G. K. Chesterton over five weeks. This magnificent spiritual biography chronicles the beloved St. Francis of Assisi's calling, his extraordinary life, and his influence in the Church. The patron saint of animals, birds, and the environment, Francis of Assisi led the rediscovery of nature in the Christian West. Register Online.

All 5th, 6th and 7th graders are invited for a night of fun and fellowship. We'll meet at the parking lot of McDonald's (1209 Barton Springs Rd. ) at 6:00 p.m., go next door to play Peter Pan Mini Golf, and return for dinner! Pick-up is at 9:00 p.m. in the same lot. We will cover the mini-golf, but please bring money for dinner afterwards! Masks required to participate.

Join us for a return to our Deep Dive into the Gospels, exploring some of the deeper academic and faith questions posed by our scriptures. In this second series of discussions, we will explore the Gospel according to Matthew as an inheritor and editor of Mark's gospel. Each week we will also read and discuss one article (in addition to the Biblical text) that offers a new way to read or think about scripture. Register Online.

Our Mercy & Justice Team invites you to a presentation from Community Justice Action Fund. CJAF is a nonprofit organization that is changing the conversation on gun violence prevention by leading with the people closest to the pain of everyday gun violence. Their threefold strategy galvanizes the power of the people most affected by the pain to inform solutions that effectively tackle the root causes of gun violence. Our presenters will be Irina Alejandro, the Organizing Associate, and Thia’a Rahman, the Distributed Organizing Manager. Contact Pastor Cathy at [email protected] with questions. Zoom link provided after registration. Register Online.