About UPC
Last Week's Sermon
Mission & Service
Missions at University Presbyterian Church are an expression of the love of Christ through concrete actions of service, justice and mercy in the Austin community and to all the world through the connectional system of the Presbyterian Church USA and in collaboration with ecumenical and community organizations.
UPLIFT (University Presbyterians Living in Faith Together) & Bill Murray Friendship Fund
UPLIFT is the UPC outreach program, providing help with rent, utilities, prescriptions, and other basic needs and is funded by the Bill Murray Friendship Fund. The Friendship Fund is supported by the church budget and donations. Emergency Food Bags, filled with donations collected in the grocery cart during Sunday morning worship, are also distributed to those in need. Contact Bobbie Sanders at bsanders23@austin.rr.com.
Micah 6 Food Pantry
Micah 6 Coalition is a network of faith communities within the University of Texas area that answer the call of Micah 6:8 to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God. It is based at University Presbyterian Church. The pantry is open on Thurs. afternoon and Sat. morning. Many volunteers are needed. For more information contact David Wofford at wofforddavid@yahoo.com.
Manos de Cristo
Manos operates a low-cost dental clinic, provides educational, financial, ESL and computer literacy classes, including GED classes, and operates a food pantry and clothes closet. Manos is supported by Austin-area Presbyterian churches and is always in need of volunteers. For more information visit www.manosdecristo.org.
Interfaith Hospitality Network
Joins churches together to provide housing, meals, and various support services to homeless families. UPC is in partnership with University Methodist, and one week per quarter, we provide meals, transportation, and volunteer hosts to care for families in the network. Volunteers are needed to prepare food, serve as hosts for morning, evening, and all night shifts on a quarterly basis.
The Care Communities
Formerly known as Interfaith Care Alliance, the Care Communities provide Care Team services to those who are suffering primarily from cancer or AIDS. Care Teams consist of 4-6 volunteers from local faith communities, corporations, and interested individuals. The Care Team is matched with a Care Partner needing non-medical care and support so that they can remain in their homes for as long as possible during curative cancer treatment or final stages of their illness. Contact Rosanne Becker at rtbecker60@yahoo.com.
The Cancer Connection
Volunteers (cancer victims and family members) are professionally trained to provide face-to-face emotional, practical and spiritual support for individuals and family members who are living with cancer. For more information contact Karen Greif at karengreif@austin.rr.com.
Interfaith Action of Central Texas (iACT) formerly Austin Area Interreligious Ministry
An ecumenical umbrella agency providing significant mission opportunities around issues of peace and justice, youth and aging, hunger and homelessness. For more information, go to www.interfaithtexas.org.
Austin Center for Peace & Justice
This center is being developed to allow organizations promoting peace & justice around Austin to have a meeting/gathering place for their works. For more information contact Roscoe Overton at roscoeoverton@grandecom.net.
The HILO Program–A Spanish/English Language Instruction and Cultural Exchange Program for Teachers
The HILO Program seeks to promote cross-cultural understanding and to expand economic opportunity through language instruction to Austin-area school children. Currently offering classes at three Austin-area campuses, The HILO Program seeks to help children recognize and use common Spanish words and phrases, to allow English-speaking children and Spanish-speaking children find new ways to engage each other, and to help the children learn interesting facts about each others’ cultures. For more information contact Roscoe Overton at roscoeoverton@grandecom.net.
Threads of Hope
The mission of Threads of Hope is to make “faith sensitive” outpatient behavioral and mental health services available at affordable rates for individuals and families seeking these specific services. To that end, we have developed a network of fully credentialed private practitioners committed to offering their professional services to those in need as well as to those of means. Donations support increasing access to these services in Austin and the Central Texas area. For more information contact Sharyn Reynolds sharyn@weavingswellness.org
World Mission
This organization is important to UPC. Through the Presbyterian system, we participate in myriad mission activities around the world. The benevolence we send to Mission Presbytery, the Synod of the Sun, and the General Assembly are significant in spreading the love of God through our congregation and around the world. In addition, UPC takes several special offerings during the year for particular mission activities.
We are a supporting church for Sarah and Shane Webb, PC(USA) Young Adult Volunteers working in Peru. For information about their work and to receive their blog, go here: http://sarahandshane.wordpress.com
Mexico Border Mission Trip
For many years, a group from UPC has traveled to the Mexican border to work with Faith Ministry (Ministerio de Fe) to build a house or two for families. We have had to cancel the trip this year, but hope to resume this ministry in the future. Contact Craig Deats at cdeats@ddollaw.com.
Congo Trip
Efforts to establish a sister-church relationship with the church in Luebo, Congo, Africa have been underway for several years. Monetary support continues to be sent to make repairs to the church building. A mission team from UPC traveled to Luebo in June, 2006. Contact Don Bobb at donaldbobb7@grandecom.net.
Crop Walk
An annual walk for hunger programs throughout the nation and the Austin area held in March. Contact John Leedy at youth@upcaustin.org.
Alternative Gift Market
At the beginning of Advent, a market is held where items can be purchased from around the world benefiting underprivileged people in those countries. Cards are given to notify your recipient of the gift in their honor. Contact Jill Collins at jccslp@gmail.com.