TXUUJM July News

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Sign up now for Border trips, UU the Vote, and more!

This August, join the Texas UU Justice Ministry and our interfaith partner Texas Impact, in a timely and important border witness trip, one scheduled especially for Houston-area UUs (August 11-14, 2024) and another open to all Texas UUs (August 18-21, 2024). The trips include time in Harlingen, Brownsville, McAllen, and Matamoros (Mexico) witnessing at immigration court, observation at border wall and of Border Patrol, meeting with migrants and local humanitarian groups, community building among fellow UUs and partners, planning for how to share and act on your “courts and ports” witness effectively back home, and more.  Passport required.

UU THE VOTE: TXUUJM is also your source for Texas UU the Vote efforts this election year! Follow our Facebook and Instagram, and Sign up for TXUUJM emails to get the latest news and actions. [Please note: TXUUJM is closed for study leave and rest in July.]

Monthly Service Offering for July

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The Monthly Service Offering for July is the Online Abortion Resource Squad (OARS). This trained volunteer group moderates the r/abortion community forum within the Reddit social media website. They oversee what is essentially a peer-based counseling service, where users offer non-stigmatized, accurate information on making decisions regarding accidental pregnancies and safe abortion care.  90,000 individuals visit r/abortion every month. This public forum is a critical resource for the people most impacted by restrictive laws and barriers to access.  These volunteers run the site 24×7, every day of the year, providing high quality information, navigation, and emotional support to folks at all stages of the abortion journey. For more information on OARS and how they operate, please visit oarsquad.org.

Reclaiming the Bible Workshop

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While Unitarian Universalism comes out of Christianity, many of us have–at best–mixed experiences with the Christian bible. Whether you are bible-curious or concerned about what’s in there, this workshop is for you.

Join UU seminary student AJ Juraska on Sunday, July 14th from 1-3pm in Room 17 to learn tools for understanding the bible from an academic/historical perspective, rather than a “literal” one. You’ll walk away not only knowing more ways to investigate this commonly referenced text, but also feeling more confident in how to approach the Christian bible on your own terms.

Stop Killing Our Climate

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Climate Crises/Solutions meeting. with Bob and Victoria, Sunday, July 2nd in Howson Hall at 6:30 pm for  pot luck & 7 pm for the meeting. MAKE A DIFFERENCE & HAVE FUN
 
As we look at transitioning Green Sanctuary Leadership we must examine what we have been working on and how to go forward. 
    Burning fossil fuels produce CO2 and other gases that trap the heat over us like a green house.  Harvard/UT study. 
 
Here are our primary working projects: Stop Killing our Climate/all life:
 
1. Replace Austin Energy’s new fossil fuel burning gas plant proposal with the The Community Plan created by energy savvy volunteer Austin Community Members and voted unanimous approval by the  city Electric Utility Commission.
Our role: We are part of a city wide team that is promoting The Community Plan to our community and City Council.
 
 
2. Close, cleanup and replace the coal burning Fayettee Power Plant with battery storage and clean renewable energy generation. 
Our role: We are part of a long standing community team that continues to keep this issue in the City Council and community group’s focus.  See more about closing down Austin Coal Plant.
 
3. Climate Actions:
 
A. Increase Climate awareness and promote practical actions: Continue to host/promote Bob & Victoria’s WHAT YOU CAN DO monthly Climate Crises/ Solutions Mtgs and follow up actions. 

B.  Encourage and support our church participation in preparing for the National UUA Climate Revival-August/September. Church Members/staff are attending UUA free trainings on getting ready to rollout the Climate Revival activities.
 
C.  Support Bob Hendrick’s continued Leadership and organizing around the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) share availability of those financial resources with our congregants and community to lower their carbon footprint/electric bill.
 
4.  Watch dog the attempts to overcome (appeal) the court decision to not allow high level nuclear waste be shipped by train and dumped in West Texas near the Ogallala Aquifer. 
 
 
 
More good climate news from: talkingclimatenewsletter@outlook.com
“The climate and biodiversity crises are bigger than any one of us. The only way we can create a better world fast enough is to work together – and stay informed. The good news is there are many ways that you can help. I challenge you to bring people along with you on this journey.

  1. Stay Curious – if a headline seems too good or too bad to be true, look further.
  2. Counter the Narrative – be willing to wade into the difficult conversations because, as Katharine says so frequently, talking about these crises is one of the most important things you can do.
  3. Ask Hard Questions of your community leaders and the businesses that you support – how are they showing up for climate and for nature and for people?
We have years, not decades, to solve these crises; but I’m confident that, together, we can find a way.” 
 
We will keep you posted as New Leadership for Green Sanctuary Ministry emerges. Contact Rev. Chris if your interested.
 
Beki & Richard Green Sanctuary Ministry green@austinuu.org         
“Together We Nourish Souls, Transform Lives & Do Justice to build the Beloved Community”  

Denominational Connections

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Denominational Connections

 

The UUA General Assembly was held from June 20 – 23. GA is the annual gathering where UUs gather to worship, celebrate, and make decisions.  This year GA was completely virtual.  

At this year’s General Assembly delegates debated revising Article II of the UUA bylaws, which outlines our UU values and sources.  The revision passed with a strong 80.2% positive vote.  Delegates also adopted a business resolution “Embracing Transgender, Nonbinary, Intersex and Gender Diverse People is a Fundamental Expression of UU Religious Values.”  Three Actions of Immediate Witnesses were approved, addressing climate change, support for Palestinians, and responses to epidemics.  

More information is available on the Article II revision and the three Actions of Immediate Witness.

For 2025, General Assembly will be held in Baltimore, MD, and virtually. Contact David Overton at denom@austinuu.org if you would like more information about General Assembly.  

Staying Cool in the Summer Heat

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Hello all Earth Ship travelers,

It’s a wonderfully 78 degrees cool at our casa this Wednesday morning, June 5th and forecasted to be back up in the 90’s or 100’s the rest of this week. This week will be a fine time to reach out to our friends, family and church Members who may be heat vulnerable. You never know who may be heat suffering in silence in their apartment or home. 
 
Here is a link to a hub for Elder Care services in case you find someone who needs assistance in these hot days: Aging Services Hub for Older Adults in Austin | AustinTexas.gov after the two words “in Austin” there is a down pointed arrow you can click on then “open link” to reach this service HUB. DON’T WAIT. If you find someone who needs elder help check them out. Also, Family Eldercare has fans and lots of health related resources you may find useful.
 
For extra Heat info for you from Texas Climate Scientist Mom, contact talkingclimatenewsletter@outlook.com
 
“My friend Patricia Solis is a geographer who studies resilience and helps people prepare for climate-induced disasters. Not long after she arrived at Arizona State University (ASU), she was working with community members to map heat-related deaths in the city and noticed a peculiar hot spot. “Why would death rates be clustered there?” she wondered. “It must be a data error.”
 
She says, “In this era of climate change we need everyone to be prepared and be able to adapt their own homes. This work will prevent barriers for some of the most vulnerable people to keep themselves cool.” To paraphrase anthropologist Margaret Mead’s famous quote, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change their community.”
 
Speaking of heating up our climate by burning fossil fuels:  Remember we have two proposals for Austin’s Generation and Climate Protection Plan   This is our cities energy plan for the next 5 years. Austin Energy (AE) has a proposal for Council that includes a gas power plant. Our Community (1st time in the last decade) was excluded from AE’s design process. Our Community rallied with knowledgeable willing Austin Climate Community leaders who have produced a fossil fuel free 5 year plan. This was reviewed & voted on and  recommended by the City Electric Utility Commission (EUC) to Council as the preferred 5 year plan for Austin.
 
Council asked the two groups to work together for a final plan. AE has hired a consultant who has designed community workshops on the Austin Generation and Climate protection Plan but only a small group of community folks will be invited & allowed to speak. You can help: Send a note to the Mayor and Council like:  
 
‘Dear Mayor and Council Members, Please make sure Austinites will have at least 3 minutes each to speak to this critical issue of our Austin Generation and Climate protection Plan. I’ve heard the community is not allowed to speak only AE preselected folks’. Check out Austin City Council Contact Information.
 
Visit AustinTexas.gov for city heat care info for people and dogs. Open link by clicking down arrow after ‘gov’ then scroll down  Austin City Council.
 
Together we can and must save our Earth Ship!
 
Beki & Richard Halpin, 
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin, Green Sanctuary Ministry 

“Together, we nourish souls, transform lives, and do  justice to build the Beloved   Community”
 
 
 

Climate Protection

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Hi Earth Champion,
 
The UUA General Assembly will happen (zoom) in June. If you attend will you check out any info they make available for us to know more about this climate and how we want to participate?
 
The critical global Climate crises is about to be taken up by our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in a “National Revival” rooted in our UU Churches across the US National Climate Revival.
 
We have this Summer to get our heads and hearts around this great opportunity. Summer events: Sermon, music, art, contest, RE curriculum and more are being planned for this Summer. Big kickoff planned for September. See what workshops may be happening now.
 
 
Update
We still have a chance to urge our City Council to:
  1.  Decide that our new Climate Protection and Generation Plan will be the fossil free community plan vs. AE’s plan that includes a new gas plant. Come August we will need to begin actions for September votes.
  2. Closing, cleaning up and replacing the deadly generation at the Fayette Power Plant (FPP). Actions on this will pick up again in late Summer/ early Fall. View this Harvard study on how coal power.
 
Climate Mom, Catharine Hayhoe, talkingclimatenewsletter@outlook.com share her good & bad climate news for free. check out, Dr. Joellen Russell: Oceanographer & Science Mom. Joellen grew up in a fishing village north of the Arctic Circle by the Chukchi Sea. As a child, she grew curious about what happened to the sea ice at the end of each winter: so she decided to study it!

 

Meeting Dates:

  1. IRA FastTrack Monthly Meeting Tuesday, June 25, 2024 from 7pm – 8pm (CDT)
    This meeting will be on Zoom.

  2. Climate Crises/Solutions meeting is next is Tuesday, July 2nd. The potluck will begin at 6:30 pm and meeting will start at 7 pm in Howson Hall. 
 
Beki & Richard Halpin, Green Sanctuary Ministry 
512-658-2599 or 512-917-6018
 

UNWOUND SOUND presents: ELECTRONIC THROWDOWN

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Unwound Sound presents a multimedia evening by cutting-edge composers Anuj Bhutani (Los Angeles) and Albert Yeh (San Francisco). The program features Bhutani’s performance of his electronic song cycle manu whilst Yeh evokes cinematic sonics from his innovative Motors/Pulses album. The composers will also join forces on a collaborative work with Unwound Sound artistic director, Brent Baldwin.

A freewill offering will be gratefully accepted, the proceeds of which will support the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry. TUUJM works to bend Texas toward justice  and equity for all.

About Our Guests:

ANUJ BHUTANI is an emerging composer/performer who crafts genre-fluid music with narrative depth. Since 2020, he has won an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning Grant, 1st Prize in Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble’s Emerging Composer Competition, and Verdigris Ensemble’s ION Composer Competition. Bhutani has been selected for the American Composer’s Orchestra’s Earshot, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and residencies at Avaloch Farm Music Institute and Atlantic Center for the Arts (twice). His music has been commissioned and performed by Ashley Bathgate, Metropolis Ensemble, and more. 
Anuj earned his master’s degree from University of Southern California and his bachelor’s from University of North Texas. His primary teachers have included Andrew Norman, Ted Hearne, Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother), Joseph Klein, Andrew May, Sungji Hong, Drew Schnurr, and Bruce Broughton. 

ALBERT YEH is a performer and composer from San Francisco who makes experimental electronic music. His sonic palette combines diverse influences ranging from the Western musical canon, electronic/electroacoustic genres, and progressive rock. Albert’s solo work is currently focused on examining the intersection between musical procedures and processes, as well as the meeting points between emotional states and qualities. Albert is involved in various musical projects, including the experimental metal bands Lotus Thief, Forlesen, and Wreche, and the chamber music group Insight Chamber Players.

About the Presenter:
UNWOUND SOUND is a forward-reaching arts presenting organization and performing ensemble created by award-winning composer/director/multi-instrumentalist Brent Baldwin. U/S draws upon Baldwin’s extensive collaborative work across all artistic disciplines and genres, promoting a diverse roster of audacious artists while supporting progressive non-profit organizations in Central Texas. In February 2024, U/S performed its sold-out Indie Orchestra series in partnership with KUTX, Austin PBS, and the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians.

The Future of Our Planet

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Hi Green Sanctuary Home Planet Champion
 
Our own Texas Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe PhD is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas Tech University. Her free newsletter is at talkingclimatenewsletter@outlook.com.
 
Dr Hayhoe shared this science festival (and more) with us. And, Home Planet Champion, the festival host country expedited phase out its last coal fired power plant! We are keeping up our ten year campaign to shut down our own Fayette (Coal Fired deadly*) We need your help. Let us know if this specific closing down this campaign connects for you.
Power Plant. *
 
STARMUS science festival. Co-founded by musician Brian May and astrophysicist Garik Israelian, the festival usually features astronauts and Nobel prize-winners talking about physics and the universe. This year, though, the festival was titled “The Future Of Our Home Planet” and included talks by Ukrainian climate scientist Svitlana Krakovska, paleoclimatologist Mo Raymo, environmental economist Nate Keohane, marine biologist Sylvia Earle, Animal Scientist, Jane Goodall and many more.
 
This year, the festival was held in Slovakia, a country that just last month phased out its last coal-fired power plant, the Vojany power station in the eastern district of Michalovce. The phase-out was expected to be completed at the end of the decade, but the country pushed forward the deadline to 2024. Slovakia now joins the ranks of other coal-free European countries, a list that includes Austria, Belgium, Portugal, and Sweden. Slovenské elektrárne, the company that owns the shuttered plant, plans to devote the space to a solar park or battery storage in the future.
 
So this critical global Climate crises is about to be taken up by our Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) in a National Revival rooted in our UU Churches across the US  click here National Climate Revival . We have this Summer to get our heads and hearts around this great opportunity. Bib kickoff in September.
 
Beki & Richard Halpin,
Green Sanctuary Ministry 
512-658-2599 or 512-917-6018
 
 

Green Sanctuary Report

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Hi Earth, Air, Water, living Things Champions,

Below are few specific easy ways you can pitch in to save our breathable planet home. A positive excerpt from our just published FUUCA Congregant Study and more. 

1. Thank you for your generous books and money support to our books recycling and people’s minds rehabilitating Inside Books Project (IBP). You can bring your gently used book treasures to the gray IBP book bin under the table in the Welcoming Center. Or drop them off at Inside Books Project (IBP), 3106 E. 14 1/2 Street (white church on the NW corner of 14 1/2 and Airport Streets, (Book Donation Bin on East side of building). Austin, Texas 78702  https://insidebooksproject.org/donate

 

2. Our church membership Report on the 2023-24 Congregational Survey mentions specific areas where we could focus our energy to make more progress. I’ve excerpted text on two areas Congregants say we could do more. The whole survey is worth your time. 

‘Church leadership could do more to focus more energy and investment in dismantling a culture of white supremacy and caring for our earth. Both areas because of their high importance and middling progress. I believe that includes stopping and cleaning up the toxic waste dumped into our earth, air and water by oppressively needlessly burning fossil fuels. An example of this is replacing and rehabilitating our coal burning Fayette Power Plant/site. Austin owns a third of this poisoning plant that a recent Harvard and UT, Austin study says the poison waste is sickening and killing Texans. Check out these links: 

 

 

Our Church, Green Sanctuary Ministry, is part of a community wide team fighting to close, clean up and replace this dirty killer site with renewables and storage. These two Texas Tribune articles will tell you more:

 
 
The Texas Tribune:
 

 When asked why Congregants give to our church, 92% said they are motivated by their values. Of these, almost half, (47%) mentioned the importance of making a difference in their world. An additional 49% mentioned the value of the church community to their lives and wanting to do their part to support this community and collaborate with the greater UUA community.

 

3. Right now here are ways to ‘make a difference, change our world, improve our church Community Energy’ and save money: 

“Financial Incentives for Energy Investments at Houses of Worship”  also free;  www.energy.gov/congregations

 

3.a. We are part of a Community Clean Energy Campaign to support the Community Energy Generation and Climate Protection Plan: 

 

read all about this smart no fossil fuel community plan with these two attachments (Proposed Resource Plan & Cover Letter) share with your family and friends. Hold your  Council actions ’till September for our city wide organized support effort. We will grow the campaign over this Summer.

 

3.b. Learn about the UUA proposal for a National Climate Revival to save our climate from increased overheating, increased floods, droughts and more from greedy oppressive fossil fuel co’s.

 

4. For Good Climate news and the real story, this free 5 star newsletter: talkingclimatenewsletter@outlook.com

 

Next Climate Crises/Solutions Meeting: Tuesday, July 2nd in Howson Hall. The meeting potluck will start at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will begin at 7 p.m. There will be no June meeting.

Please contact Robert at  roberthhendricks@aol.com if you have any questions.

Beki & Richard Halpin, Green Sanctuary Ministry, green@austinuu.org, 512-658-2599 or 512-917-6018

 
 

Green Sanctuary: UUA’s Call for Climate Action

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Hi Our Home Planet Champions,

We all know that burning fossil fuels is warming our planet home. Rising temperatures, more wildfires, relentless floods, oceans rising, more droughts, millions of people homeless climate refugees, and fossil fuels toxic waste is making people sick and causing deaths. Here is the kicker: we are subsiding these toxic fuels. There is Good News!
 
GOOD NEWS:

Belgian Police Arrest 132 Climate Defenders Demanding End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

“The fact that national governments are subsidizing fossil fuels is akin to a crime against humanity,” said one Extinction Rebellion organizer. Read the whole inspiring story.

We can and must do more to see our tax dollars go to helping all Americans not hurting them.

Our Climate needs our loving attention. A remarkable wave of good news and good action is coming our way. The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) has decide to call for climate action from UU churches across the Planet. This is a heads up. Between now and September more news and action calls about this global campaign will be released. A link will be available soon. There will be so many fun ways to participate. September will be the kick off. Watch this newsletter for the roll out of coming opportunities to act, united with other UU’s, to save our planet home. 

Now the UUA has produced this priner with financial resources for churches interested in “Financial Incentives for Energy Investments at Houses of Worship” (our church).  After our latest capital campaign is successfully completed. Talk to Chris and Shannon about ideas to increase energy efficiency, save money and our planet home. This primer is a resource to fund such important climate actions.

For more free good climate news click here: talkingclimatenewsletter@outlook.com  

Please note:  Our Climate Crises/solutions first Tuesday meeting will skip Tuesday, June and start again July 2,  Howson Hall, 6:30 p.m. pot luck, 7 p.m meeting. 

 

TXUUJM May/June Events

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Time to register for June justice events! The Texas UU Justice Ministry (TXUUJM) is excited to welcome the leaders of UU Ministry for Earth and Side with Love. Then on Thursday, June 6 (*NEW DATE*), we welcome author Steve Phillips (How We Win the Civil War: Securing a Multiracial Democracy and Ending White Supremacy for Good). All events are FREE, online, and open to everyone. Register and get more info on TXUUJM events here! . TXUUJM is also your source for Texas UU the Vote efforts this election year! Sign up for TXUUJM emails to get the latest news and actions, and follow @txuujm on Facebook and Instagram.

.   

 

Austin Energy Update

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Dear Earth Champion-Planet Protector,
 
The Austin City Council is facing an important choice about Austin’s energy future and our climate protection & Health & Safety destiny:

 

The Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan — a 10-year roadmap for proposing to phase out the use of fossil fuels at Austin Energy and replacing them with clean energy — is getting an update.

Alarmingly, Austin Energy’s  (AE) current proposal recommends a dangerous fossil fuel direction. Instead of replacing existing fossil fuel power, Austin Energy is asking the City Council to support adding a more polluting methane gas-burning power plant in  (probably) East Austin! 

There is an alternative Working Group Plan. This plan has no fossil fuels . AE is not cooperating with the community for a fossil fuel free future!

“Fossil fuel generation causes multiple environmental problems. Burning fossil fuels is very dangerous to vulnerable groups like the very young, the very old and those with respiratory illnesses.” “Energy and the Environment” United Women In Faith

We need your help. You can make a difference. Use this link to contact Austin City Council. This link uses Texas Public Citizen run by our own church member Adrain Shelly. It is safe and secure: 

Highlight this link, click once, click “open Link” : https://act.citizen.org/page/62505/action/1?ea.url.id=2291750&forwarded=true

There is a message in the link. Please act promptly. You can make a life saving difference.

Beki & Richard Halpin, Green Sanctuary Ministry, green@austinuu.org, 512-658-2599 or 512-917-6018

Monthly Service Offering for May – Inside Books Project

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Inside Books Project is an organization that sends free books to Texas prisoners. Prisoners write a letter (sometimes in Spanish) requesting books. Volunteers read the letters and send each prisoner a package of books, hopefully matching the prisoner’s request. Prisoners can request books four or five times a year.

All manner of fiction and nonfiction titles are requested and last year Inside Books sent 32,000 books to Texas prisoners. Most of the books sent are donated to Inside Books by individuals, including First UU congregants who have donated thousands of books to Inside Books over the years. Thank you! A few books are purchased, such as tradecraft books that can help prisoners gain employment upon release. Inside Books also produces and prints royalty-free pamphlets on topics like starting a business, drawing, equipment-free exercise, basic legal terminology and process, Dungeons and Dragons basic rules, COVID information from the CDC, and LGBTQ resources.

This year Inside Books also delivered numerous carloads of books to Texas Department of Corrections Central Library in Huntsville. The Central Library then sends books out to libraries at various Texas state prisons, although not every prison has a library. In addition to state prisons, Inside Books Project delivered carloads of books to 12 central Texas County Jails. Jails generally loan books more informally and let prisoners choose from book carts that circulate.

75% of Inside Book’s expenses go to pay for mailing books and for rent at the church that hosts the organization.

Inside Books gets love letters from prisoners who have received the perfect book at just the right moment in their lives. Books light up the darkness of incarceration and connect prisoners to the world of possibility. Thanks for your generous support of this organization.

If you have books to donate to Inside Books Project, you can put them in the Inside Books Project tub in our church Welcome Center or you can take them directly to Inside Books Project. Inside Books Project operates out of a church on the corner of Airport and 14 1/2 Street. The book collection bin is outside on the Airport side of the church.

 

2024 Spring Silent Auction

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2024 Spring Silent Austin

First UU Austin’s Spring Silent Auction is back and will run from Thursday, May 9th to Sunday, June 2nd. Our silent auction is a different kind of auction as it features experiences and services. Of course, our primary goal is to raise money, but our silent auction also allows an opportunity to connect with others in your community through shared experiences. Examples of an experience or service might include a games night, a French picnic or having someone detail your car. View the Auction Catalog to see what is currently up for auction.

We need you to donate your experience or service. There will be a sign up sheet located in the kitchen before and after services on Sunday beginning Sunday, April 28th and will remain in the kitchen every Sunday until May 28th.

Please refer to Aubrey for questions and to offer up your experience and/or service. She can also be reached at kitchen@austinuu.org or you can call the church office at 512-452-6168.