This Sunday
Sunday, October 27
20th Sunday after Pentecost
Series: Going Through Grief
Preacher: Rev. Taylor Fuerst
Scripture: Job 2:11-13
Sermon: "When My Friend is Grieving"

Everyone goes through grief, and we experience that grief from a variety of perspectives throughout our lives. In this three-week series, we'll explore the promises God gives us through Scripture for times when our friends are grieving, when we are grieving, and when we, ourselves, are dying.
Texas Book Festival
 The Texas Book Festival will take place on Saturday, October 26 through Sunday October 27. For Sunday Worship, parking will be available in the Trial Lawyer's Garage at 13th and Lavaca. The parking lot will have limited access from 13th Street for accessible parking. Colorado Street will be closed. To learn more about the festival, visit texasbookfestival.org .
Contemplative Worship Service
Sunday, October 27, 9:00 a.m., EDU Murchison Chapel
This service is offered to beginners and experienced practitioners of mindfulness meditation and typically lasts 30-to-40 minutes.
Coffee with the Pastors
Sunday, October 27, 10:00 a.m., SAN Parlor
Come visit with the pastors and lay leaders in this periodic series of coffee and conversation. The emphasis of this first gathering will be on the Mercy and Justice ministries of our congregation and how to get involved. New and long-time members are welcome. Register online at fumcaustin.org/coffee .
United Methodism at the Crossroads
 Sundays, October 27 & November 3, 10:00 a.m., SAN Wesley Hall
What does it mean to be a United Methodist Christian today? This series will take a look at where we’ve been, our distinctive beliefs, emphases, and organization, and where the Methodist movement may be heading. Led by Rev. John Wright, former FUMC pastor and retired district superintendent. Register at fumcaustin.org/umccrossroads .
LGBTQ Work Group
 Sunday, October 27, 12:15 pm, EDU Murchison Chapel
The Mercy & Justice Team is building an LGBTQ Work Group. We are seeking a diverse group to plan and lead outreach and engagement with the Austin LGBTQ community. This group will also explore ways to support our LGBTQ members as well as ways FUMC can more fully live out our values of inclusion. Come be a part of this conversation. We need all voices to help us hear where God is leading us in this work.
ASP Summer 2020 Informational Meeting
Sunday, October 27, 12:15 p.m., FLC Garrison Chapel
This meeting is for all youth and their families interested in the 2020 Appalachia Service Project (ASP) trip. Join us after worship to learn more about all that the trip and preparation entails and to register for this summer’s mission trip.
At a Glance
Click on the links below to learn more.
Children's News

Youth News
Pumpkinfest , Nov. 3
Engage , Nov. 10
Connect for Tweens , Nov. 15
Engage , Nov. 17
Click here to view the full FUMC calendar.
Commitment Cards for 2020
Thank you to all 198 of our families who have submitted a Commitment Card for giving in 2020! Are we missing yours? We need your commitment in order to accurately plan for our ministry in 2020. Make your Commitment online at www.fumcaustin.org/pledge or submit your Commitment Cards in the offering plate or by mail to the church office. If you have questions, contact Galen Fischer, Director of Finance, at galen@fumcaustin.org
Directory Photo Submissions
Thank you to the 187 families who participated in our recent Lifetouch photo sessions. If you were not able to participate due to schedule conflicts and would like to be included in the church directory, please submit a digital image to mary@fumcaustin.org by Monday, November 4. If you were in the 2015 directory, we can reuse that picture so please specify your choice in your submission email.
Security Task Force
Two years ago, the pastors initiated a project with a committee of lay members and staff to review and develop an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). The committee developed a comprehensive plan to address emergency evaluations, lockdowns, severe weather, crisis communications, and trainings required for staff, ushers, and open to the congregation. One result of this committee was the addition of a police presence in the Sanctuary foyer on Sunday mornings to ensure our building remains a safe space to worship. As the committee completed its plan, a Security Task Force, led by Dave Ballbach, our Director of Operations, was put in place with staff members in partnership with a security consultant to carry out the implementation. Please be on the lookout for upcoming trainings and events to raise awareness of our new Emergency Operations Plan. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Ballbach at dave@fumcaustin.org .
Pandora by Tilt Performance Group
  October 25-30 & November 1-3
Evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Ground Floor Theater, 979 Springdale Road.
The Austin-based theater company, Tilt Performance Group, together with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Ground Floor Theatre, proudly presents an original musical “Pandora—Life Outside the Box," written by Texas favorite Allen Robertson (Biscuit Brothers) and directed by Adam Roberts. The family-friendly musical follows the ancient legend of a girl and her box, re-imagined in a modern-day coffee shop in Austin, Texas, as she tries to rid society of its evils. TILT Performance Group, an Austin-based theatre company comprised of adult actors with disabilities, shatters long-held stereotypes about people with disabilities through performance! Learn more about TILT and purchase tickets at tiltperformance.org and on Facebook @tiltperformance .
Study and Discussion of What is the Bible?
 Tuesdays, October 29-November 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
FLC Room 103
Author Rob Bell goes deep into the Bible to show how it is more revelatory, revolutionary, and relevant than we ever imagined and offers a compelling argument for why we need to look at it in a fresh, new way. Curt Ashmos will lead this thought-provoking class. Register Here
en-COURAGE: A Rally for Rio Texas UMC Next
Saturday, November 2, 1:30–3:30 p.m. 
Gruene United Methodist Church, 2629 East Common Street, New Braunfels, Texas
Do you hope for a more inclusive future for the Methodist Church? Are you in need of some hope and encouragement along the way? Come join us for en-Courage, an event to unite and mobilize Methodists in the Rio Texas Conference! Let’s gather with other United Methodists in our Conference to learn ways to support and participate in this movement as we continue our work of being fully inclusive. This is a great afternoon trip – grab some folks from your Sunday School class, Table for 8, or other small group and carpool to Gruene. Maybe lunch along the way! If you’d like to carpool from the church, email Pastor Cathy at cathy@fumcaustin.org . Register Here .
Cold Weather Shelter Training
Sunday, November 3, 12:15-1:00 p.m.
EDU Murchison Chapel
FUMC is a Tuesday night host for Cold Weather Shelter for Women, a program managed by Front Steps at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless. This training includes an overview of the ministry, safety and logistics, ways to welcome and interact with our guests, Q&A, and signup. Snacks provided. Please contact Pastor Cathy at cathy@fumcaustin.org with any questions.
Candy Collection
 Sundays, November 3 and 10
Halloween is coming, and you are probably buying more candy than needed for Trick-or-Treaters. Please donate any leftover candy to our Mobile Loaves & Fishes (MLF) Ministry. The people we serve are so happy when we have candy to share! Collection bins will be in the Santuary foyer, the FLC lobby, and the church office.
Pumpkinfest
 Sunday, November 3, 4:30-7:00 p.m.
Family Life Center
All Middle & High School students are invited to join us for our annual Fall Festival! Each year, we partner with surrounding churches to throw a wacky night of awesome. What is Pumpkinfest exactly? It's tossing rotting pumpkins from the top of a parking garage onto a spike below we've appropriately named "The Pumpkinator." If that doesn't sell you on joining us...well, there will also be pie. At the Family Life Center 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Dinner will be provided.
Mercy & Justice Book Study: Enrique's Journey
Tuesdays, November 5, 12, and 19
6:30-7:45 p.m., FLC Room 104
Join Pastor Cathy Stone as we read Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario. Based on the Los Angeles Times newspaper series that won two Pulitzer Prizes, this page-turner about the power of family is a touchstone for communities to engage in meaningful discussions about this essential American subject. Enrique’s Journey recounts the unforgettable quest of a Honduran boy looking for his mother, eleven years after she is forced to leave her starving family to find work in the United States. Join us as we learn about and discuss current immigration policies through the lens of faith and justice. Register at fumcaustin.org/bookstudy .
Community First! Village Service Day
 Saturday, November 9, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
9301 Hog Eye Road
Community First! Village provides affordable, sustainable housing, and a supportive community for the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas. A typical service day could entail harvesting the gardens, laying pathways, tending the chicken coop or goats, dry landscaping yards for micro-homes, beautifying the property, etc. Register Here .
Lunch & Learn: Homelessness and Front Steps
Sunday, November 10, 12:15 p.m.
SAN Wesley Hall
Natalie Freeburg is the Community Relations and Volunteer Coordinator for Front Steps. Front Steps is one of the largest providers of services for those experiencing homelessness in the Austin area and manages the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) in downtown Austin. Natalie's presentation will focus on how to interact with compassion, with those in our community who are experiencing homelessness, while keeping boundaries and learning the best ways to help someone on a longer-term basis instead of offering a quick fix. Come with your questions! Lunch from Jason’s Deli (suggested donation of $10) will be provided only with registration at fumcaustin.org/lunchandlearn .
Feast
Sunday, November 10, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
FLC Garrison Chapel
FEAST is a new kind of dinner church program that aims to build bridges among young adults from different churches and even different denominations in the Austin area. These meetings focus on creating meaningful and personal interactions among individuals seeking more connection and engagement in a faith-interested atmosphere. Join us to FEAST on the Spirit, on Scripture, on good food, and on great conversation. Register at fumcaustin.org/feast .
First Steps
 November 17, 2019 at 12:15 p.m.
FLC Garrison Chapel
Are you interested in joining FUMC? 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 other members, and ask questions. For more information, contact Trevor Harper at trevor@fumcaustin.org . Register at fumcaustin.org/firststeps .
FUM Preschool Anniversary
Sunday, November 17, 1:00-3:00 p.m.
SAN Wesley Hall
First United Methodist Preschool will celebrate its 40th Anniversary. Please join us for a come and go celebration with refreshments, photo displays, and a stroll through the campus. See old friends, tour the renovated preschool, and see fun photos from every decade. We hope for a great turnout from current and former families. Hope you can join us!
October Mission Emphasis
Casa Marianella and World Communion Sunday
This October, our communion rail offering will be shared between Casa Marianella and World Communion Sunday. Casa Marianella welcomes displaced immigrants and promotes self-sufficiency by providing shelter and support services here in Austin. In addition to shelter, Casa offers access to legal and medical resources, food, clothing, English classes, and other resources. The World Communion Sunday offering helps provide scholarships through the United Methodist Church for national and international graduate students whom God has called to learn and to serve. Read More
Prayer Concerns

Within our Congregation
Betty Berkey; Debbie Block; Sandy Bowles; Scott Davis; Janell Hadsell; Terry Kahn; Kathy Morales; Mari Perez; Andrew Pyle; and Dan Wood. 

Beyond our Congregation
Meridith Albright’s brother, Doug Fogle; Curt Ashmos’ friend, Elissa Marek; Grady Basler’s sister, Tonya Basler Stout; Debbie Block’s cousin’s spouse, David Schieve; Cheryl Bias’ niece, Lauren Stafford; Bob Block’s friend,Tim Sullivan; Fay Brown’s sister, Jo Rene Altenburg; Scott and Lauren Cook’s friend, Scooter; Peggy Davis’ friend, Paul Goertz; Pat Freeman’s daughter, Staci; George Gaston’s friend, Dr. Robert Wootton; Mark Hamre’s friend, Matt Byarlay; Sam and Lisa Hildebrand’s friend, Steve Younkman; Beth Kerr; Melanie Miller’s and Jen Stuart’s father, Doak Thomas; Delia Peters’ sister, Ruby Fraga; Chad Price; Cindy Reidland’s friends, Carly and Colton; Michael and Dianne Render’s friend, Carrie Baker; Rick Russell’s friend, Nancy Littlejohn; and Dick Young’s nephew, Jeff Young.

Condolences to Ann Field’s friend, Jorge Olvera, on the death of his mother.

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First United Methodist Church
1201 Lavaca St. Austin, TX 78701
(512) 478-5684