Weekly Newsletter for January 22, 2026

Sunday Service

Zoom Only

https://zoom.us/j/95255929970?pwd=RjI2VCtOWExwT01ib1dDUHFXbjVsdz09

Sunday, January 25 at 11:45 am

Worship Theme for January - Sacred Community, or the understanding that positive change in a community stems from the healthiness of the ways we allow ourselves to change in relation to each other's needs. A community commitment to equity and justice requires us to cultivate a shared culture of accountability, and to learn to keep our balance as we work through conflicts with love in the center. In this service series, we will cultivate open hearts and steady minds to help prepare ourselves to perceive each other clearly.

Title: Fearlessness in Community

Service description:

Sacred community has the power both to dispel irrational fears and to organize against forces that pose a threat to the well-being of its friends. But how can we discern what fears should be abandoned, and which should inform our actions? Join us this Sunday for prayer, meditation, and a homily on the power of community to dismantle fear.

Service leader: Sarah Riehl

Children and youth religious education classes have been cancelled due to predicted winter weather conditions

Congregational News and Events

The weather in Austin and the surrounding area is predicted to have a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain and sleet on Saturday causing hazardous driving conditions on Sunday morning. Thus, we will have a virtual service only on Zoom vs. our scheduled in-person only service. There will be no children and youth religious education classes. Please watch your local news channels for weather and safety warnings. Be safe and stay warm!

Wildflower Address Update:

Please update Wildflower address on any future correspondence to our physical mailing address.

1314 E Oltorf

Austin, TX 78704

Important Reminder!!

Don't forget to update your monthly Pledge contribution on Vanco!!

Updating Your Wildflower Pledge

Navigate to https://wildflowerchurch.org
From the Support Our Mission dropdown, select Donate
Under “Giving Options”, click Donate online
1. This opens Wildflower’s Vanco donation site
Click Log In to open your Vanco profile

Activate New Pledge

Under “Pledge Payment - General Fund” click Donate
Add your new pledge Amount
Select Recurring
Frequency: Choose your preferred frequency
Start Date: select from calendar
Click Add to Basket
Click Continue to Payment
Choose your payment method
Click Continue to Review
Click Submit

Cancel Previous Pledge

After new pledge has been completed, click View other opportunities
Click Profile
Under Transactions, find your old pledge
Click Cancel

Click Yes, Cancel

One on One Deep Listening Sessions Available

You can request an appointment for deep listening:

calendly.com/jhigaus.

During the time when Bis Thornton, our Chaplain, is away, Jan Austin will be available for one-on-one deep listening sessions.

Jan has been a member of Wildflower UU Church since 2004 and has been active in several areas of the life of our congregation since then. Currently, she is Chair of the Pastoral Care Team.

Jan was high school counselor for 25 years before retiring and was also trained as a Certified Professional Counselor, maintaining that certification for many years after retiring.

January Fun and Fellowship Event

Vision Boarding Workshop:

New year, new intentions??? Learn with one another how to set intentions and create your personal vision for the upcoming year or an upcoming period of transition.

Sat, Jan 31
5-7PM
Wildflower Community Room
No RSVP required

Happy New Year, everyone!

Community Vigil at Wildflower on February 01

In the first days of 2026, at least four people died in ICE custody across the US including Parady La (46, PA), Geraldo Lunas Campos (55, TX), Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres (42, TX), and Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz (68, CA) according to federal reports. At least 30 people died in ICE custody in 2025, the highest number in more than two decades.

And on January 7, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, was fatally shot by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide grief and calls for accountability.

Join us Wednesday, February 1 (5–7 PM) at @wildfloweruuchurch in Austin for a community vigil in remembrance, reflection, interfaith support, and collective care. We’ll honor these lives, stand in solidarity with all who continue to face harm, and gather for connection, community, and action.

Please share! #Austin #Texas #SayTheirNames

Old School Lovin’

We will be making goodie bags and handmade for nursing home residents at two locations in the Austin area, one right here in the community room on 02/07/26 from 2-5pm (while watching a movie or two!)

Supplies for the goodie bags will be provided, as well as some art supplies for the cards. Feel free to bring any arts and crafts stuff you have to add more individuality to each card!

Worship-at-Home

Not able to attend the in-person service but want to stay connected?

If you wish to submit joys & concerns, please do so here (click this link). (Note: submissions received before 9 am on Sundays will be included in the Sunday service.

Want to receive an email with the service announcements and a recording of the worship service? Please sign up for our Worship-at-Home email list.

Do You Want to Learn CPR or Brush up on Your Skills?
The Austin-Travis County EMS offers a free 30-60 minute "bystander training" class, covering CPR, AED, and adult choking relief. Training manikins are provided, and participants can choose whether to engage in the practices. Participants are shown how to recognize the patient, assess the patient’s condition and needs, and respond accordingly. Conditions such as resuscitating adults with drug overdose or children are not included, as these require mouth-to-mouth contact, which is not covered. The goal is to enable participants to support a patient long enough for the EMS crew to arrive. This training does not provide certification; that requires more extensive training and skills assessment, for a moderate fee.

With 6 or more participants, the free training can be held at our church facilities. Please indicate your contact info, best days and times for attending the class, and submit this form if you are interested in participating. Due to the year-end holidays, this will be scheduled for sometime in January 2026.

CPR Class Interest Form

Newsletter Content Submission Guidelines

The link to submit newsletter content has been updated.

Please submit content for weekly newsletter using this form.
Content should be submitted no more than (approximately) 2 weeks in advance of event.
Weekly Newsletter content deadline is Wednesday by 12 pm

Submissions received after the deadline will go in the following week’s edition.
NOTE: Please refrain from using ALL CAPS or “quotation marks” when submitting content.

Ongoing Events

Ideas Worth Contemplating

1st and 3rd Sundays at 9:30 am

https://zoom.us/j/97826544113?pwd=SVVPM2NaNm5vaXJtZmN3ZjgrU3l3UT09

Ideas Worth Contemplating is an ongoing group led by Wildflower Mike Ignatowski that uses inspiring and thought-provoking TED Talks to generate discussion about important topics.

Climate Education Zoom class

2nd Sundays from 9:30am-10:30am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2635700913?pwd=bjNxMEczWHU2bUp3dXpEcVRXWjhRUT09

Meeting ID: 263 570 0913 Passcode: 002030

Our WildEarth Climate Action Team offers this class on most 2nd Sundays of the month. We usually feature a 20-30 minute video, and ample time left over for lively discussion. Join us!

Coffee and Conversations

Wednesdays at 10 am

https://zoom.us/j/93681478930

Meeting ID: 936 8147 8930

Hi, Wildflowers! Come check in about life, the universe and everything with other Wildflowers with the Pastoral Care Team.

Tarot Circle: 3rd Wednesdays @ 7:00pm

Come and explore your spiritual life with support from the tarot!

On January 21 we adventure into the great unknown with the FOOL.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81959828225

Contact MelissaOMeeks@gmail.com to register.

Board of Trustees Meeting

2nd and 4th Wednesdays, 6:30-8:30 pm

Zoom Link:https://zoom.us/j/99578028139

Regional and National Information

TXUUJM news (1/21/26): Solidarity w/ Minneapolis and across Texas

Members of the Texas UU Justice Ministry are in Minneapolis, part of a significant moment of action and solidarity against ICE, racism, and fascism and for democracy, community safety, and collective liberation. TXUUJM invites YOU to be part of this effort via our weekly Action Hour on Thursday nights, where we will take action from Texas and also prepare for the very important UU the Vote work in this election year. Registration has just opened! Register for Action Hours here. And sign up for TXUUJM emails here.

Take action together, wherever you are

So I come to you with this invitation: Please join TXUUJM for a special solidarity Action Hour this Thursday at 7pm CT on Zoom.

TXUUJM intern minister Bis Thornton (he/him, she/her) will hold the space in solidarity with those in Minneapolis and resisting ICE and fascism everywhere -- very much including here in Texas. We will share actions you can take wherever you care. We will be together in this moment, when UU clergy and leaders of many faiths are converging in Minnesota.

Please register for tomorrow night's special Action Hour here.

TXUUJM NEWS: December 2025
The TXUUJM staff and board send gratitude to UUs around Texas for all your powerful work for justice in 2025! THANK YOU! (Click here for an amazing report on what TXUUJM members did this year!)

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