|
Celebrate Our 125th Anniversary in Worship this Sunday
|
|
On Sunday, January 31, 1892, those who came before us organized what would become University Presbyterian Church in Austin. And so we officially begin our 125th Anniversary celebration this Sunday, January 29 at our 11:00 a.m. worship service. The Reverend Sallie Sampsell Watson, Executive Presbyter of Mission Presbytery, will be our special guest preacher. Check the UPC 125 Years bulletin board for exciting projects and activities through the year!
A Bit About Sallie
Sallie Sampsell Watson is a child of God, wife, mom, sister, Presbyterian, pastor, friend, writer, singer and character. Sallie is a native of Dallas and a lifelong Presbyterian. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Austin College in 1978, her Master of Divinity degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1987, and her Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in 2007, where she studied preaching with the Association of Chicago Theological Schools. She was also awarded the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 2013 from Austin College.
Sallie has held various positions of leadership at all levels of the PC(USA). Sallie is a past President of the Austin College Alumni Association, and has been a contributing editor for Presbyterian Outlook magazine. She served three terms on the Board of Trustees of APTS, where she also served as Adjunct Professor for a time.
|
|
|
The Chancel Choir sings a setting of Psalm 100 by English composer Charles Villiers Stanford, “O Be Joyful In the Lord, All Ye Lands.”
|
|
In her “spare time,” Sallie serves on the Board of Trustees for the Presbyterian Outlook and Menaul School, and on the faculty of the General Assembly’s Presbytery Leader Formation program, which prepares men and women for Executive Presbyter positions.
Sallie and her husband Paul are the proud, happy and exhausted parents of two teenagers, Alex and Meredith, all of whom are owned by Ruby the Cat.
|
|
|
Congregational Meeting to Call A New Pastor
Held January 22, 2017
|
|
|
This past Sunday, the UPC Pastor Nominating Committee presented the pastor candidate and terms of call to the congregation. The candidate was elected with full support of the congregation.He is expected to join us in mid-March.
In consideration of our our new senior pastor, the PNC asked that information about him not be shared via phone, email, or social media until he has had an opportunity to meet with his Session and inform his current congregation. Watch for information about him and his family in a special UPdate later this week.
|
|
|
Tuesday Evening Bible Study Lesson Plan
|
|
Assignments for Spring 2016
- Chapter 2, History Challenging Faith p 29-39
- Chapter 2 - 39-56
- Chapter 3 -Cultural Confusion and Collision 57-67
- Chapter 3 -67-80
- Chapter 4 The Limitations of History 81-104
- Chapter 5 What’s Historical About Jesus? pp105-122
- Chapter 5 pp 122-140
- Chapter 6 The Real Jesus and the Gospels pp141-151
- pp 151-166
- Epilogue - Critical Scholarship and the Church 167-77
Please contact:
Jonathan Eddison
jbeddison@mac.com
512-988-0333
Tuesday Evening Bible Study Fellowship Hall 7:00 p.m.
|
|
|
Searching for Truth Series Continues in Faith & Life Class
|
|
Join us Sunday as Fred Morgan continues the series Searching for Truth: Confessing Christ in an Uncertain World. All are welcome!
- How can we speak the truth, yet speak it in love?
- How can we confess Jesus Christ without that confession being merely a rock we throw at a culture we are only too ready to dismiss or, worse, without reducing the gospel truth to something we find manageable and, finally, harmless?
The five lessons will focus on:
Jan 8 – Confessing Christ as an Act of Love
Jan 15 – Loving Our Enemies: Faith’s Difficult Questions
Jan 22 – Other Voices, Other Claims: The Gospel and Other Religions
Jan 29 – Feeling Uncomfortable at Home: The Gospel’s Encounter with North American Paganism
Feb 5 – Confessing Christ before an Indifferent or Hostile Culture: The Language of Love
Grace and peace to all,
The Faith & Life Class
planning committee:
Madelyn Mitchell, Bobbie Sanders, Randal Whittington, Suzanne Wofford, Melinda Wofford, Elaine Wagner, James Brazell
Faith & Life Class Sunday Room 201
Coffee & fellowship 9:15 - 9:30
Class 9:30 - 10:40
|
|
|
|
|
January 29th – UPC parent Jon Holmsten will present a class with a topic along the lines of "Breaking the Taboo about Sex: Ideas for our marriages and kids."
February 5 – UPC parents Allison & David Phillips will join us for our first of 3 classes on the challenges of adolescence. Allison & David have 5 kids spanning high school to elementary and are currently living through and in these years with their youth. Bring your questions for a Q&A.
February 12 – Our second class on adolescence will be lead by UPC member Craig Deats. Craig will share his experience with raising two children through these trying years, with an outcome of positive and productive adult children!
|
|
|
Church Women United Meet February 3
|
|
Church Women United will hold its Annual Meeting at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Friday, February 3, 2017 at 9:30 a.m. The church is located at 1610 East 11th Street; parking is available in the rear of the building.
In observance of Black History Month, our guest will be Mrs. Para LaNell Agboga, Site Coordinator at the George Washington Carver Museum Geneology and Cultural Center. Please note that February 3rd is also National Wear Red Day. Wear something RED to show your commitment to help save women’s lives from heart disease and stroke.
For more information, please contact
Johnnie Overton, Board Chair, Church Women United.
|
|
|
Presbyterian Women’s Conference @ Mo-Ranch
March 24-26, 2017
|
|
The Grace Presbyterian Church - Round Rock planning team cordially invites UPC women to the 2017 PW Spring Gathering at Mo-Ranch. We are planning a fun, spirit filled weekend with a lot of good workshops and fellowship.
- Lori Black, Libby Reeves
and Nancy Reeves
|
|
|
Session Meeting
January 18, 2017
|
|
HIGHLIGHTS
- Approved February 19, 2017, 1:00 p.m. to conduct, in the lower level of UPC, ceremony to officially re-name the Micah 6 Food Pantry as the Dan Robertson/Micah 6 Food Pantry. The ceremony would be followed by a reception in the Great Hall.
- Elected commissioners to the Mission Presbytery meeting in March: Tommy and Meg McReynolds, Linda Evans, Debbie Russ
- Invited the Rev. Dr. Ted Wardlaw to preach on March 5, 2017
- Cancelled plans for the February 12, 2017 Annual Meeting until further notice
- Approved minutes of session meetings of December 14, 2016, Congregational Meeting of January 8, 2017 and the called meeting of January 8
- Approved the Finance Committee be authorized to cover the actual costs of the 2016 deficit, Kathy’s severance package and the 2017 PNC expenses by using funds held in the UPC Session Designated Funds
|
|
|
COMMENDATIONS
- Jenny Whitten for her continued coordination of IHN and the people for volunteering for IHN: Robin Dennis, Mark Cognetti, Marvin Wofford, Jennie Elliott, Lee Helms
- The Pastor Nominating Committee for their faithful commitment to University Presbyterian Church and dedication to the task of finding the next Head of Staff to serve our congregation
- Kathy Escandell for her work with the acolytes, library sermon, bridge to worship and the multitudinous ways she was involved in the worship life of our church
- Helen Ingram, Clerk of Session
|
|
|
Every Tuesday morning,
UPC volunteers provide some food and coffee, hygiene items, and occasional financial assistance for our clients. While all donations are welcome at any time, here are some items to consider bringing to worship this week.
Thank you for your incredible support of this UPC mission!!
|
|
Amplify Austin is right around the corner, March 2-3, 2017. Watch for how you can support UPLift, helping Austinites meet some of their financial needs through a single day of giving.
|
|
|
For this week's grocery cart:
A variety of needs:
- large jar of jelly or preserves
- large jar of shelf stable
peanut butter
- large (10 lb) box of oatmeal
- snack or breakfast bars
- feminine pads
|
|
|
Congregational Connections Committee
Needs Your Help!
|
|
|
Ann Winkle, long time member, who has assisted with a very important office task, is looking for a back-up to be trained so that she can have a more flexible travel schedule.
We need someone who can devote two hours or so to recording church attendance and compiling the visitor list each week. Preparing the list in church office on Monday morning is the past practice. Flexibility is possible such as Sunday compilation or even compilation at home. We can work with volunteer with Jan Hames’ guidance. If interested, please contact church office at upc@upcaustin.org or call 512-476-5321. Thank you!
- Luther Parker and Tyson Payne
|
|
|
Thank You, IHN Volunteers!
|
|
Dear IHN Friends:
Although I am a little tardy in doing so, I want to thank each and every volunteer who helped make our last IHN co-hosting a success, once again! The families were so grateful for all of your care and concern, particularly during this holiday time.
Heartfelt thanks to: Tim Trickey, Mark Baxter, John Leedy( and a couple of courageous youth) for the groceries and move-in, Tim Trickey for getting the groceries for the week; Craig Deats and Roscoe Overton for the Sunday overnight (on January 1st, no less!), Bill and Rosemary Moore for preparing the meal and taking the Monday evening shift (with a magic show thrown in!), Randal Whittington and Curtis Hicks for the Thursday evening shift, John Parker for the overnight on Thursday night, Betsy and Doug Brown, Lee Helms and Jennie Elliott for preparing the meal and taking the Friday night shift, Marvin Wofford and Mark Cognetti for taking the Friday night overnight shift, and Robin Dennis for taking the Saturday morning shift!
IHN's success depends solely on its volunteers!
|
|
|
Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN)
is the ONLY temporary housing program for families in Austin.
|
|
We only have two more dates scheduled to co-host for IHN this year: April 2-9, and November 26-December 3, 2017.
Please consider serving again during those weeks, or think of someone new to IHN who might enjoy trying a shift with a "seasoned" volunteer. This program helps all involved, I believe!
Please email me @
jennifer.whitten1986@gmail.com or call me (512) 470-8360 if you have any questions or suggestions regarding UPC's involvement with the IHN program, the ONLY temporary housing program for FAMILIES in Austin. Hard to believe, but still true!
Thank you all, again and again,
Jenny Whitten
|
|
|
Please pray for
Mary Cognetti, whose father died this past week.
Marilyn "Bubbles" Malone, sister-in-law of Ann Winkle, aunt of Shannon Middleton, surgery in Victoria today.
Glen Tandy, friend of Susan Berlin, who had open heart surgery last week in Dallas. Glen is also battling cancer.
Jon Bayer, undergoing treatment at M.D. Anderson.
Hal Hopson, who had surgery on Tuesday, January 3. He is currently in St. David's Hospital in Round Rock.
|
|
|
If you'd like to be part of UPC's Prayer Chain, please email the church office.
You will receive emails asking you specifically to pray for people who have requested prayer support.
|
|
|
Contact
University Presbyterian Church
2203 San Antonio Street
Austin, Texas 78705
512-476-5321
Rooted in worship. . .
Growing through education & s
ervice. . .
Connecting to campus & community. . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
