There will be no Sunday School classes or Atrium next Sunday, September 6 during Labor Day Weekend. The Nursery will open at 10:15 am.
Join us on Sunday, October 18 to celebrate Halloween Highlands style! Wear your costumes to church and join us following worship for a seasonal fellowship meal and a carnival for the kids. We are in need of baked goods for a cake walk, additional Halloween decorations, and volunteers to help run simple carnival games and distribute prizes during the event. If you are able to help make this day memorable and fun for the children in our church, please contact Mary Elizabeth Neal at maryelizabeth@highlandsumc.net.
Safety Training - January 11 During Sunday School
Recognizing our commitment to the safety and well-being of our congregants and visitors, there will be two crucial safety training events for adults held next Sunday, January 11 during the Sunday School hour. All adults are encouraged to attend one of these important sessions! Sessions begin promptly at 9:30 am to provide adequate instruction time. Please make every effort to arrive early.
Safe Sanctuary Training - Fellowship Hall
This offering is for all teachers, volunteers, and leaders in the church, particularly but not limited to those who work with children and youth. Safe Sanctuary Training is designed to equip churches with policies and procedures to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults, aiming to prevent abuse and create a secure environment through education and awareness. Participation in this training will exempt participants from completing the online training modules for the conference individually.
Greeter and Usher Safety Training - Sanctuary
This offering is for all who serve as ushers or greeters during worship and other church events throughout the year, but also includes important information to anyone who regularly attends worship. This training will help participants recognize potential security concerns, manage emergencies, and provide a welcoming and safe environment for all attendees. This training focuses on practical communication skills, understanding emergency protocols, and coordinating with security personnel to ensure the safety and well-being of the congregation.
Join us on Sunday, October 19 to celebrate Halloween Highlands style! Wear your costumes to church and join us following worship for a seasonal fellowship meal and a carnival for the kids. We are in need of baked goods for a cake walk, additional Halloween decorations, and volunteers to help run simple carnival games and distribute prizes during the event. If you are able to help make this day memorable and fun for the children in our church, please contact Mary Elizabeth Neal at maryelizabeth@highlandsumc.net.
Heart & Hand Sunday - October 12
Our next Heart & Hand Sunday is October 12! We will be Weaving Together Friendships - blending together the "work of the heart" and the "work of the hands" to create friendship bracelets and strengthen the bonds of friendship between our church members. Join us for singing, crafting, storytelling, and fellowship with your Highlands friends. Truly an activity for all ages! Come to the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 am on October 12 to take part!
There will be no other Sunday School offerings this Sunday! The nursery is available for children age 4 and younger starting at 9:30 a.m. Children should accompany their parents to worship and will be dismissed to Children's Choir following the Children's Moment.
On Sunday, September 7 after worship, we invite all parents of Atrium-aged children to a Lunch & Learn presentation. Our lead catechists will share insights into what your children will be learning this year in each level of the Atrium, and Camille Caldwell Morris, a former teacher at Creative Montessori, will share an introduction to the Montessori method which we use to guide all interactions in the Atrium. Childcare will be provided during the presentation.
Contact: Mary Elizabeth Neal – maryelizabeth@highlandsumc.net
There will be no Sunday School classes or Atrium next Sunday, August 31 during Labor Day Weekend. The Nursery will open at 10:15 am.
There will be no Sunday School classes or Atrium next Sunday, May 24 during Memorial Day Weekend. The Nursery will open at 10:15 am.
Join us to help prepare Market Baskets for needy families at the East Lake Farmer’s Market. More information to come!
This year’s Special Lenten Offering will be split 50/50 with Grace Klein Community and Highlands Community Ministries.
Grace Klein Community rescues edible food from local restaurants, grocers, and cafes, seeking to minimize food waste and give that food to the hungry in Birmingham. Highlands Community Ministries provides meals, hygiene supplies, and essential services to all comers, many of whom are unhoused. Grace Klein is a primary source of food for Highlands' Community Ministries meals. Donations this Lenten season will help Highlands continue to serve our community in powerful ways. Scan the QR code to give now or place in the offering plate using the Special Offering envelopes in the pew racks.
Join us on Sunday, October 27 to celebrate Halloween Highlands style! Wear your costumes to church and join us following worship for a seasonal fellowship meal and a carnival for the kids. We are in need of baked goods for a cake walk, additional Halloween decorations, and volunteers to help run simple carnival games and distribute prizes during the event. If you are able to help make this day memorable and fun for the children in our church, please contact Mary Elizabeth Neal at maryelizabeth@highlandsumc.net.
Your purchase of a share or shares of stock is an investment in the Highlands United Methodist Youth Mission Trip. It is an investment in the lives of our young people. It is an investment that allows our young people to experience an intentional, guided opportunity to be the loving presence of God. It is an investment that allows the heartbeat of Highlands UMC to be heard and felt in rural Tennessee by low-income residents who are happy to have a helping hand.
Purchasing shares in this trip represents an investment in transformation – in our young people, in a low-income Tennessee county, in the future of Highlands UMC. It will allow our young people to have a never-to-be forgotten experience in serving God by serving others.
As a shareholder, you will receive updates from the trip, photos, and correspondence updating you on what your investment has allowed to happen. The biggest payoff, what your investment does for the spiritual development of our church’s young people, may take years to be fully realized.
Thank you for considering this investment worthwhile.
This Lent and Eastertide, Highlands is partnering with RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit organization dedicated to removing the burden of medical debt, using sophisticated data analytics to pinpoint the debt portfolios of those most in need of relief. RIP purchases unpaid and unpayable debt at significantly reduced rates; this debt is forgiven, no strings attached. For every $1 donated, an average of $100 in debilitating debt is forgiven. We have set a goal to relieve ONE MILLION DOLLARS of medical debt in the greater Birmingham area by raising $10,000 through a special Lenten and Easter Offering. We hope you will join us in this worthy cause this season.
Join us on Sunday, October 29 to celebrate Halloween Highlands style! Wear your costumes to church and join us following worship for a seasonal fellowship meal and a carnival for the kids. We are in need of baked goods for a cake walk, additional Halloween decorations, and volunteers to help run simple carnival games and distribute prizes during the event. If you are able to help make this day memorable and fun for the children in our church, please contact Mary Elizabeth Neal at maryelizabeth@highlandsumc.net.
You may have heard of Atrium or even visited the beautiful and unique space set aside for our children, yet still feel like you don’t quiteunderstand the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and how it fits in atHighlands. Join us for Adult Sunday School in the Fellowship Hall to hear more about the goals and structure of Atrium, sample a few lessons, and learn more about the effect of the Atrium on our youth and congregation.
Children (age 3-5th grade) are invited back for another great year in theAtrium, starting at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 10. Parents are invited to meet the catechists and take a tour of their child's level before joining Adult Sunday School in the Fellowship Hall. This is an intentional part of the adult lesson; please feel free to stay and observe in the Atrium for a while.
Summer After-Church Cook Outs
Each month this summer, we’ll have an after-church cook out serving up grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with sides, desserts, and plenty of fellowship. Suggested donation of $10/person or $25/family. Join us in the Fellowship Hall after worship. All are welcome and invited!
August 13 – Back to School
Summer After-Church Cook Outs
Each month this summer, we’ll have an after-church cook out serving up grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with sides, desserts, and plenty of fellowship. Suggested donation of $10/person or $25/family. Join us in the Fellowship Hall after worship. All are welcome and invited!
July 2 – Fourth of July Weekend
August 13 – Back to School
Summer After-Church Cook Outs
Each month this summer, we’ll have an after-church cook out serving up grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with sides, desserts, and plenty of fellowship. Suggested donation of $10/person or $25/family. Join us in the Fellowship Hall after worship. All are welcome and invited!
June 18 - Father’s Day
July 2 – Fourth of July Weekend
August 13 – Back to School
Mother’s Day is May 14. As is our Mother’s Day tradition, Highlands will decorate our chancel with beautiful hydrangeas in recognition of our congregation’s mothers. Hydrangeas may be purchased for $45 in memory or honor of a loved one. Following worship, the plants may be taken to be given to your special someone. The last day to order hydrangeas is Sunday, April 23.
Atrium Training for all Atrium catechists and volunteers.
Saturday, March 4 - 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Contact:
Lauri Soong – laurisoong@hotmail.com
Reggie Holder – reggie@highlandsumc.net
Join us on Sunday, October 30 to celebrate Halloween Highlands style! Wear your costumes to church and join us following worship for a seasonal fellowship meal and a carnival for the kids. We are in need of baked goods for a cake walk, additional Halloween decorations, and volunteers to help run simple carnival games and distribute prizes during the event. If you are able to help make this day memorable and fun for the children in our church, please contact Mary Elizabeth Neal at maryelizabeth@highlandsumc.net.
Join the people and pets of Highlands for the Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 9. Come to the front lawn of the church for a blessing. We will have a photo station available for you to have professional photos taken with your family and pets. Please feel free to come and go as your schedule allows.
Don't have a pet who travels well? Bring a picture for us to bless instead!
On Sunday, May 22, we will celebrate our 5th and 6th grade students who are graduating from Atrium. Join us in the Prayer Garden at 9 am to celebrate them together.
