ANDIE’S POST
Mutuality Makes the Magic
With some of the conversations that have been swirling around about the financial health of Ubc, I'm sure it's no surprise that it's coming to you in the form of the newsletter. Not in the way you might think, however. I've been giving a lot of consideration to our congregation, our ethos, and our mission. We have and always will be a place that invites questions, curiosities, doubts, deconstruction, and most importantly, reimagining. Time and time again I have been in awe of the invitation to think through things that our Christian siblings have done and believed for centuries. What an honor it is to breathe fresh life into practices that at best might seem stale, and at worst have been actively harmful. When I took this position, I asked the search committee what exists for people on the path of reimagination? What do we offer people who have experienced safety and health in meaningful ways at Ubc and are now looking to grow? The answer was the occasional book study, small groups, but by and large, Ubc has been focused on existing in a zero pressure way. Early on in my tenure, one Ubcer described our congregation as a place for people with one foot in the sanctuary and one foot out the door. I believe that we have to have spaces of little to no obligation for people to recover from burnout and harm. We are a space who has offered that consistently and well. I also believe that is not our only role in Waco. Yes, we are a congregation for the harmed and hurting. We are also a congregation for the healing and unharmed. We are a community by design and intention, and a healthy community embodies mutuality, commitment, and support. If you consider yourself to be a Ubcer, I am asking you to also consider your own spiritual and emotional growth. Are you ready to take steps into a reimagining faith that asks as well as offers? Are you ready for more mutuality, broader community organizing and care, commitment to one another and to our congregation? Are you ready to be part of how Ubc is able to remain a beacon of acceptance, inclusion, and hope in Waco? Our mission takes everyone, and if you are someone who has had one foot in and one foot out, now is the time to step into this mission with us. You know what is available, and what the needs of this community are. I’m asking you to acknowledge what your responsibility in the midst of those needs might be. Are you serving in the church somewhere? Kids volunteers. Greeters. Tech booth volunteers. Wednesday night youth group volunteers. Set up and clean up crews. Are you giving? Right now, we have 40 recurring donors each month, 31 of whom actively attend Sunday service. Our goal is to increase that number to 75 by the end of the year. Are you in relationship with each other? Part of a small group? Are you taking the time to expand your circle at Ubc? We are a community for us and by us. We cannot function on the work of the few. If you believe it is time for you to take a next step, I want to hear from you. I want to dream with you. I want to support you. Ubc is taking steps into a sustainable future, and I am so excited by the possibilities. Email me; let’s talk! With love, Andie
THIS WEEK
Pinewood Pub with Andie- Thursday, October 15th, 7pm
College Power Point Night- Friday, October 16th, 6pm
Fall Farmer’s Market Meetup- Saturday, October 17th, 10am
Sunday Liturgy- 10:45am
Pizza & Pints @ Shorty’s Woodway- Monday, October 19th, 5:30pm
College Night In- Tuesday, October 20th, 7:30pm
Hocus Pocus Movie Night (Coco for littles)- Wednesday, October 21st, 6pm
Sign up here.
STEAM Night at CCMS- Tuesday, October 22, 5:30-7:30pm
Ubc is going to have a table at the CCMS Steam night on 10/22—sign up to volunteer here. Email nicole@ubcwaco.org for more info.
GIVING
UBC survives on the generosity of our congregation. Your tithes and offerings allow us to continue to create a space that is welcoming to all, embraces beauty, and seeks to live life to the fullest.
Would you consider establishing a recurring donation to our community? Recurring donations allow us to have a sense of how much money we are working with each month, which as you might imagine is extremely helpful in budgeting. We are of course open to one-time donations as well :).
You can set up a recurring or individual gift here.
If you ever have trouble with giving online or have a question about how to give, feel free to email administrator@ubcwaco.org.
EMBRACE BEAUTY FUND
As we’ve navigated changes and created a new vision for Ubc, we have found that we have an increasing need for meeting our budget goals. The Embrace Beauty Fund is a way you can share about our community with family and friends and invite them to join their support to yours.
You can donate and read more about the giving campaign here.
CHURCH NEEDS
Financial Cohort
Ubc has been operating at a deficit for a while now, and it's time to get creative about how we are going to function moving forward. To that end, we are creating a Financial Cohort comprised of staff, leadership team, finance team, and YOU! If you are interested, we are meeting on the 22nd to discuss the current state of our financial health, generate ideas, and implement change. This is a think tank, not a decision making body, and is open to anyone who loves Ubc and wants to help keep us up and running for years to come. Email Andie for more information or to sign up.
STEAM Night at CCMS Volunteers
Ubc is going to have a table at the CCMS Steam night on 10/22—sign up to volunteer here. Email nicole@ubcwaco.org for more info.
Out Near the Brazos Community Picnic Volunteers
Ubc will have a face painting table at Out Near the Brazos Community Picnic on Saturday, October 24th from 2-6pm. Volunteer here.
CCMS Staff Appreciation Breakfast Volunteers
Ubc is providing a staff appreciation breakfast at CCMS on October 26th at 8am. Volunteer or donate here.
ubcYouth needs
Hey friends! Greer here! UBC's Youth Group has grown in recent months, and we are finding ourselves in need of more helping hands on Wednesday Youth Nights. The dream is to have two volunteers every Wednesday night to help with setup, discussion time, and cleanup afterwards. Youth Night ends at 8pm, so cleanup should be completed by 8:30pm if there are enough hands on deck! Eventually, we would also like to have volunteers facilitate a small group of students for more intentional discussion after lessons, but at this point, we need clean-up help and crowd assistance with the larger group of students. If you're interested, let me know, and we can set up a time to talk over next steps!
The Youth Ministry typically feeds about 25 students along with the volunteers every week, and this thrives with incredible volunteers that prepare meals. We are also looking for those who are willing and able to help continue making this happen for our kids that come into the church!
Interested in either or both of these opportunities to help? Fill out these forms or email greer@ubcwaco.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
Ubc Fun Run @ Poage Park- Saturday, October 24th, 9:30am
We are excited to announce our first annual Halloween Fun Run on Saturday, October 24 at Poage Park! This will be a one mile or 5K fun run/walk benefitting our Embrace Beauty Fund https://ubcwaco.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3921624
Out Near the Brazos Community Picnic- Saturday, October 24th, 2-6pm
Volunteer here.
Small Group Leader Training Lunch- Sunday, October 25th, 12pm
CCMS Staff Appreciation Breakfast- Monday, October 26th, 8-9am
Ubc is providing a staff appreciation breakfast at CCMS on October 26th at 8am. Volunteer or donate here.
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Text Updates Now Available
You can now receive text updates from ubc! If you haven’t already, please fill out this consent form (also, if you haven’t updated your email/phone with us in a while, probably a good idea to do anyway).
Find more details and our full calendar of events on our website. This calendar is updated frequently, so check back often!
COMMUNITY BOARD
Backyard Talks for Male Caregivers (Sponsored by GTG Outdoors)
A connection group to learn, grow, and explore caring for others through the male lens. This group is for all men who care for someone around them or want to talk through what that could look like in the future. You don’t have to be a father to belong.
When: Every other Monday, starting October 26, 2026, from 8:00–9:30 pm
Where: The GarMelos’ home, 1017 Placid Circle, Waco, TX
More info: Text Gabe at 210-846-2272
Sponsored by GTG Outdoors, with notebooks, snacks, and family events to come!
PREACHING SCHEDULE
10/18- Craig
10/25- Andie
11/1- All Saints Liturgy
CONTACT INFO
Pastoral Staff
Andie Pellicer, Lead Pastor
(andie@ubcwaco.org)
Jameson McGregor, Worship & Arts Pastor (jamie@ubcwaco.org)
Nicole Dizdar, Kids Pastor, Community Engagement Coordinator
(nicole@ubcwaco.org)
Greer Rutt, Youth Pastor (greer@ubcwaco.org)
Leadership Team
Maggie Griffin
Adam Moore
Travis Cheatham
Mary Ellis
Brooke Reich
Staff Support Team
Jim Wren
Betsy Bracken
Finance Team
Brandon Glover
Jonathan Hill
Ben Rose