On Sunday, May 24, in worship, we announced Kim Carroll (Director of Christian Education) as a candidate for ordained ministry. From Kim: Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and support over the last 25 years as I've grown in faith and discerned my call to ministry. Many of you have asked about my next steps on the road to be an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church. This fall, I'll be enrolling in the Perkins School of Theology at SMU to earn a Master

Book Club Next Meeting: Saturday, June 27 9 - 10:30 am Room 29 (Upstairs) Currently Reading: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt All readers and literary enthusiasts are invited to Book Club! Read the book, then join us for discussion. We'll have some light refreshments. No RSVP Necessary! This month, we're reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. During each meeting, we will vote on what to read next. Be sure to bring any suggestions you may have. O

Congratulations to the Chris Brown and Don Banker 2026 Scholarship Recipients! They will be honored this, Sunday May 10. Daphne Lunsford, a graduating homeschool senior, will enter Texas State University this fall majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. Daphne is especially thankful for how her church experiences, especially mission trips, have helped her determine her career goals and given her a clear purpose on serving and helping others. Daphne has been active

You support of the MUMC Scholarship helps support our students. “I want to write to y’all to just thank you again for your scholarship. It has already helped me a lot on my tuition and financial burden. MUMC has always been so welcoming to me and has guided me through finding my faith. I will always be so grateful for your endless love and support.” – Frances Geerts "Thank y‘all so much for helping to pay for college with the scholarships you gave me this year! The money wil

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! We had such a wonderful Easter! Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord! In case you missed it, you can watch back either the 9 am or 11:15 am services on our YouTube channel. This Easter, Manchaca United Methodist Church was blessed to welcome 550 worshipers to four morning services — Sunrise, Modern, Spanish, and Traditional — an increase of 85 from the previous year. Following a membership class t

Dear Parents, Guardians, Grandparents, Soon enough our college students will begin preparing for their spring finals! As we did in the fall, we will send a care package full of goodies to each to let them know they have our prayers and support for success during this stressful time. If your student received a package in the fall and has not changed addresses, you do not need to do anything for him/her to receive a spring package. However, if your student moved or did not re

St. John’s UMC is excited to host Amanda Tyler, author of How to End Christian Nationalism and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism on Saturday, April 11 th at 10:00 AM at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 2140 Allandale Road, Austin, TX78756 This timely and thoughtful conversation with Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and leader of Christians Against Christian Nationalism will examine Christia

When our minds become cluttered with thoughts, worries and ideas, centering meditation keeps us focused on an intention: being still and quiet in order to turn inward and connect with God and ourselves. This practice can especially be helpful when feeling overwhelmed or anxious, or when you want to spend some time listening for God's voice. Centering Meditation may be followed by other forms of prayer or scripture reading, or may be used independently. The meditation time may

Lectio Divina , or divine reading, is an ancient practice central to Christian prayer. In Lectio Divina , we read and reflect on a short passage of scripture with an open, listening heart, asking what God might be saying to us today through his word. Listening in this way requires an attitude of patient receptivity in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to God’s shaping purpose. Steps in Practicing Lectio Divina: Read: Read the scripture slowly. Listen for

The Prayer of Examen is a spiritual practice introduced by Ignatius of Layola (1491-1556 CE) that invites deep inward reflection on each day as an exercise in noticing the movement of God, our connection to God throughout the day, and learning to discern the will of God. As we examine each day, we look for those moments when we felt close to God, which Ignatius describes as consolation. We then look for those moments in which we felt disconnected from God, defined by Ignatius

Prayer can be as natural to us as breathing. Breath prayers are done anytime, and anywhere, helping us become aware of God’s constant loving presence with us. Breathing can help us reduce anxiety, reduce stress, and improve our mood. Forming a Breath Prayer: Choose your favorite or most natural name for God. (Loving God, Shepherd, Holy Father, Blessed Jesus, Eternal Light, Almighty God, etc) Imagine God calling you by name and asking “______, what do you most want?” Answer G

Did you know that our church has a labyrinth that you can use for prayer and meditation? It is open anytime that you want to spend time with God. If you don't have time to come up to the church, you can also google "finger labyrinth" and print one that you can trace with your finger to use at home, the office, school, or anywhere you happen to be. But what is a labyrinth, and how do you use it for prayer? A labyrinth looks similar to a maze, but it is different because in a

Please note that applications will be accessible on March 1. 42nd Year of MUMC Scholarship Please give generously to the April 5, 2026 Communion Altar Rail Offering. These monies are designated for the Chris Brown and Don Banker Scholarship Endowment, which gives scholarships to local high school and college students each year. This fund began with $300 in 1984, 40 years ago. Since that time, over $92,000 has been given in 184 college scholarships to students. It is importan

During the season of lent, many of us decide to make a special sacrifice to improve our physical or spiritual selves. For example, we may choose to give up buying coffee, sodas, and candy and use the money we didn’t spend to help others. A good way to do this is to participate in the Super Silver Savers fund drive as part of our Lenten experience. Super Silver Saver cups will be available in both the narthex and the Family Life Center beginning on Sunday, February 22. Take a

On March 29, 2026 during both services, we will be hearing about the Christians of the Holy Land, and after each service we will be hosting at the church a nice display of handmade olive wood religious articles from Bethlehem available for purchase. These carvings include olivewood Nativity sets, crosses, Christmas ornaments, candle holders, angels and many other religious crafts that could make a nice wedding, baptism, confirmation, Easter and Christmas gifts. The carvings a

The National Weather Service has issued a travel advisory for Sunday, January 25, due to the likelihood of “catastrophic ice accumulation.” As such, the Manchaca UMC church facility will be temporarily closed. On-site services and activities will be suspended until the travel advisory is lifted. Our pre-recorded 11:15 am worship service will be available to watch on our YouTube Channel at 10 am on Sunday. Watch the service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21f6Fnj-vAU Bu

The retreat is scheduled for February 20-22, 2026 Relax, revitalize, reflect, revisit, retreat. We will have worship led by Pastor Missy Jensen, Maggie Sheppard, and Ellen Carpenter; fabulous meals planned by Sarah Muela, a Prayer Walk, crafts, games, and the return of a Proper English Tea by Diane Merwarth and Linda Moore. All this for only $50. We will stay in cabins at the center in a lovely setting. Join us as we examine "Day by Day: Journey Through Scripture," led by S

Manchaca United Methodist Church is Invited to the Making Meaning Together Initiative! We are delighted to share exciting news with you: Our church has been selected to participate in the 2026 Making Meaning Together (MMT) Initiative— a grant-funded initiative designed to support congregations to reimagine corporate worship and prayer practices so that children are fully included, engaged, and spiritually nurtured. Making Meaning Together exists to guide and support churches

Sunday December 14, 2024, the Sanctuary Choir and Orchestra performed "This is Christmas." You can rewatch the presentation on YouTube here . Thank you to all of our talented musicians who gave their time to performing this beautiful presentation, and an extra special thanks to our Director of Music and Fine Arts, Mark Hixon, for his work directing and coordinating. To see all photos, click here. You can view the bulletin for the service, as well as the insert including the l

In appreciation for all that they do, the SPRC will be collecting a Christmas Love Offering for the Staff. Ways to contribute: Donate through Online Giving (select "Staff Gifts" in the dropdown box) Drop a check in the offering baskets with "Staff Christmas" on the memo line Mail a check to church (PO Box 460, Manchaca, TX 78652) with "Staff Christmas" on the memo line Hand to an SPRC member: Bill Konde, Ellen Carpenter, Sondra Halweg, or Ron Mize Love offerings are due by 1