We rejoice that Pastor Taylor Dieringer has been called to serve our neighbors at Faith Lutheran Church at 6600 Woodrow Ave in central Austin. Pastor Taylor was an associate member of FELC, with her home congregation of Christ Lutheran in Georgetown. Taylor is a 2017 UT graduate, and she received a Master of Divinity degree in 2021 from United Seminary in Gettysburg, PA. Everyone is invited to celebrate with Faith Lutheran in Pastor Taylor’s service of installation on Sunday, September 22 at 3:00 pm. Wear Green!  

Learning Ministry closed the 2023-2024 programming year with an Intergenerational Faith Formation lesson on August 18, where we learned about being in community through the story of Stone Soup. We had a rollicking good time, discovering that while absolutely no one in attendance knew how to juggle alone, we could juggle many balls as a group. We learned that working together enables us to do amazing things that none of us could have done alone. This truly has been the lesson I’ve learned through the past year of leading the Learning Ministry Team: we are learning in Community and doing amazing things together.

While Faith Formation will not be meeting on August 25, Learning Ministry is hard at work preparing for the 2024-2025 programming year, starting September 1. You can see a sneak preview of what is in store for the coming months on our Calendar. Thanks to Nikki Northcutt and Leigh Northcutt-Benson, we have a full curriculum mapped out for Children’s Faith Formation for the upcoming year, and they are working to create more robust materials to support our Children’s Faith Formation leaders. If you have been willing to teach but uncertain how to start, this is your year to try it! Contact Betsy Appleton, betsy.appleton@gmail.com.

The FELC council met Monday, August 19, at 7 pm.

Kristin Mondy offered our opening devotion.

The annual budget and spending plan process began with the council considering how our mission is reflected in our budget. The budget is a document about our values as a congregation. We spent some time brainstorming about new or necessary spending for the future. We discussed, among other things, increased funding for community engagement and service projects, the need to support our aging infrastructure, including necessary repairs to the pipe organ, and the eventual need to replace the main HVAC system. We discussed the need to replace some of the livestream equipment to continue our outreach ministry of worship and music. Team and committee leaders are encouraged to share their recommendations with the Finance Committee who will begin meeting in September.

Anne Wiebe shared plans that she and Paul Barlow are preparing for the ELCA Churchwide initiative God’s Work. Our Hands. on Sunday, September 8. FELC will be working with Casa Marinella on both indoor and outdoor projects designed to support Austin’s immigrant community.

We heard a report that the guests from Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) enjoyed their visit at FELC on August 11 and were grateful for the warm welcome that they received. 

The council received reports from the Ministry Teams. The next council meeting will be Monday, September 16.

Submitted by LaRu Woody

 The FELC Racial Justice Task Force invites you to an event hosted by JustSisters–an organization of diverse Christian women committed to love, justice, and sisterhood. The event is called, Christian Women: How your faith impacts your vote. Saturday, September 7, 2024, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm, First Baptist Church, Austin. Participants will hear from a panel of women with diverse perspectives from across the political spectrum to share how their personal faith directs their voting or how it could. $15 registration fee.

Click here to learn more.

Click here to view the June 2024 financial update.

Click here to view the July 2024 financial update.

The FELC Property Team recently completed a number of maintenance tasks: 

Plumbers from DeMoss arrived to address the dripping faucet at the sacristy sink.  They replaced the old, frozen shut-off valves and installed a new faucet set. 

Technicians from Facilities Solutions Group stopped by to service the LED driver components in our chandelier fixtures.  This is delicate work and involves balancing on a very tall ladder!

After many months, the Narthex doors are all back in place and operational.  Closers have been installed and the restored hardware ensures that the doors are secure.   

Be sure to take a stroll past the Whitis side of the church building and check out the refreshed courtyard and west patio! 

Thanks to Gwen Flory for finishing the new paver sidewalk and maintaining the native plants along Whitis Ave. The plants are flourishing thanks to the recent rainfall and the new sprinkler system. 

Thanks to Paul Barlow, Terry Porter and Nancy and Randy Baden for power-washing and painting the railings and patio lamps along Whitis Ave. 

Thank you to Leigh Northcutt-Benson and Nikki Northcutt, who are lending their professional expertise at lesson planning to Children’s Faith Formation. They met with the Learning Ministry Team on August 11, offering resources and support for the Children’s Faith Formation Leadership. If you are interested in leading Faith Formation, check out the FAQ document, the 2024-2025 sign-up list, and contact Betsy Appleton, betsy.appleton@gmail.com. 

Sunday, August 18, will be the last Faith Formation session for the 2023-2024 program year. All are welcome to an Intergenerational Faith Formation session, 9am – 9:45am in the FELC Parlor, led by Betsy Appleton. We hope to see you there! 

Faith Formation for the 2024 – 2025 program year will begin in September.

Nevertheless She Preached (NSP) annual conference will be held September 22-24 at Austin New Church, 2701 S. Lamar, Austin. Nevertheless She Preached is an annual conference that is curated by a collective of spiritual innovators that elevates and centers female, queer, and BIPOC voices. To learn more about the organization and conference, visit https://www.neverthelessshepreached.com/.

On August 3,  volunteers from the FELC community provided and served a meal to youth experiencing homelessness in the UT area.  Diners at the drop-in center were treated to a picnic-inspired lunch:  chicken nuggets with a variety of dipping sauces, side dishes, buttered rolls, cut fruit, and lemon cake with whipped topping for dessert!

The crowd was on the smaller side, so the leftovers were packed up to be served the next day at  a University Baptist Church potluck event, which is open to all.   Arnold, who helps run things at the Drop-in Center, reports that many Micah 6 youth also attend this gathering, so he was  happy to have the additional food. Thanks to Anne, Marilynn, Cindy, Heidi, Kristin and Merrily for providing food, and to Merrily, Kristin and Ian for staying to serve.

A special shout out to Betsy Appleton and the faith formation kiddos for putting together a healthy rice and veggie side dish. You can be a part of this ministry by preparing food, serving the meal, and adding your prayers.  Our last meal for 2024 is August 24. Any level of participation is welcome! To learn more, contact Heidi Goebel, heidigoebel@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks to Andy Maclaren who  got the on-site clothes closet organized.  Having things sorted and labeled makes it easier for ’shoppers’ to see what’s available. If you would like to donate clothing to the Youth Drop-In Center, look for clothing donation tubs in the Narthex and near the north Sanctuary doors and check with Andy Maclaren for the current needs. 

And a heartfelt THANK YOU to several generous FELC donors who facilitated the purchase of a new washing machine for the drop-in center.