February 22nd On your way to the 7:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service, you are invited to join family and friends for a hearty meal of good, but simple food (soups, salads, sandwiches, etc.). Supper will be served from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Family Life Center. Ash Wednesday marks the traditional period of fasting for Christians called Lent. At this meal we will fast, not so much in terms of quantity (you can have as much as you want), but rather we will fast from rich foods in order to reflect on ways to enrich our souls. There is no charge for the meal, but you are … [Read more...]

February 23rd The submission deadline for the March Bulletin Insert is 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 23rd. This is your chance to reach the entire church family with news about your upcoming events, ministries, and Sunday School classes. Please send all submissions to tami@fumcaustin.org. If you do not have email access, please contact Tami Kellberg at 478-5684 (ext. 226) to make arrangements for your submission. … [Read more...]

Begins February 26th Lent traditionally is a time of repentance and taking a spiritual inventory of our lives. To repent literally means to “turn around”--to find new directions, the right path.  With this basic thought in mind, in both the sanctuary and chapel services, we will focus on a series of road signs, such as “U Turn Required,” “Wrong Way,” “Rough Road Ahead,” “Ruts in Pavement,” and “Alternative Route Suggested,” to suggest some of the realities in life we need to embrace or to avoid if we are to make significant changes in our spiritual journey that we … [Read more...]

February 26  - April 6h The butterfly has long been a symbol of resurrection and hope, for it disappears into a cocoon and appears dead, but emerges later far more beautiful and powerful than before.  The butterfly symbolizes not just Christ’s resurrection from the dead, but the hope of every Christian for resurrection and transformation. Thus, St. Paul writes: “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a … [Read more...]

February 26th Worship leads us to make commitments to God. If your response involves taking a first step to become a follower of Christ and/or a member of this church, please fill out the First Steps card clipped to the pew back and place it in the offering plate. You will be invited to the next session of First Steps on Sunday, February 26th, at 12:15 p.m. in Room 102 of the Family Life Center. At this session you can meet the pastors, ask questions, and receive information about joining the church. If you cannot attend the next session, one of the pastors will be glad to set up a time … [Read more...]

February 26th Our first Life in the City worship gathering was a wonderful success with over 300 in attendance. Our new contemporary music leader, Sarajane Dailey, directed not only fabulous singers from our own membership, but musicians and singers from all over this city, including the magnificent Capitol City Men’s Chorus and Helen Bravence, violinist with the Austin Symphony. The Reverend Jen Stuart brought a message of hope centered around the city, the New Jerusalem, described in the Book of Revelation. Our vision is to create a place of hope where everyone is welcomed and heard, … [Read more...]

February 28th   Everyone at First Church is invited to attend monthly interfaith conversations that happen in our own Family Life Center. The genesis of “The Red Bench: Interfaith Conversations that Matter” program came from Dr. Betty Sue Flowers. When writing about the hunger for meaningful conversation, she recommended that organizations place red benches in public spaces. Her idea was simple--by sitting on one of these red benches you were signaling to others that you were open to a conversation about something that really matters to you. The red bench became both a … [Read more...]

February  28th Lost your job? Struggling to put the pieces of your life back together? If so, you are invited to Re-Member, Grant-Initiated Program for the Unemployed and Underemployed, on Tuesday, February 28th, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room 102 of the Family Life Center. With the loss of employment come loss of identity, loss of relationships, and loss of security. Attentive to these losses, this program offers the opportunity to explore: Living Your Unlived Life…Imagine a “mosaic’’ of shared images, metaphors, and experiences within a safe environment with … [Read more...]