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Dear Church,Dear Church,Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Rock! Rock has long been a metaphor to help us imagine the nature of God. Rock is meant to evoke for us a rm foundation in which to ground ourselves, a place of refuge where we can rest and seek protection, and even the source of our salvation. God has also worked through rocks; handing down the Law engraved on two stone tablets and bringing water from a rock in the wilderness to sustain the Israelites along their way to the Promised Land. And the Apostle Paul makes the connection that, as the One who was with God from the beginning and who sustains and saves us, Christ is our rock.One of the most well-known references to God as rock in scripture can be found in Psalm 19. The psalmist here praises and gives thanks to God for all the ways of providing. God creates the heavens and the earth and the heavens declare God’s glory and proclaim God’s handiwork to the ends of the earth! God not only creates all that is, but God provides perfect instruction and wisdom for living faithfully through the Law and the Commandments. God even provides salvation from both accidental wrongdoing and willful sins, the psalmist declares, ending his thanksgiving with, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”God is our rock and our redeemer, generously providing all that we need to live faithful, purposeful, and joyful lives and the psalmist gives thanks! That is the proper response for gifts so great as these, don’t you think? Imagine a gratitude that rises up inside and can’t help but burst forth in spontaneous praise and thanksgiving proclaiming to all creation the awesome nature of our creative, generous and saving God. Perhaps you’ve experienced this sort of gratitude that rocks you, heart and soul! Gratitude Rocks! That’s what we are

celebrating during this year’s stewardship emphasis. Gratitude rocks us and inspires us to meet God’s innite generosity with a generosity of our own expressed through a commitment that offers to God our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Y’all rock! Even during these uncertain times, you, the WUMC congregation- have remained committed in your service to God in all the ways, and your nancial commitment has remained solid, steadfast and strong…sort of rock-like. Because of you, we are on target to receive close to 100% of your 2020 pledged giving. Thank you! We are so inspired by your faithful giving that this coming year we have a bold goal of 100% participation in giving by church members – and we are condent we can achieve that.It is my hope that, in the following pages, as you learn of all the ways that God has continued to create, provide, sustain and save through Westlake UMC, your heart and soul will be rocked with gratitude and inspire you to commit, re-commit, or more deeply commit to God and God’s mission and ministry through this local church.In Christ our Rock, Pastor TraceyLet the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, Lord, my rock and my redeemer. ~Psalm 19:14

OUR STAFF ROCKS!OUR STAFF ROCKS!When 2020 started out none of us could have predicted all the ways in which we would have to adapt the plans we had made for well…everything.I’ll never forget the phone call I had with the current and incoming Chairpersons of Church Council on Friday, March 13th. That was the conversation that determined that we would shift to online only worship, you know, “for a few weeks or so.” By Sunday morning, together with an incredible staff, we had pivoted to an online worship experience that was engaging and meaningful. None of us imagined we’d still be managing a pandemic more than six months later. Even though none of us knew exactly how long this pandemic would last, we quickly realized that keeping the community connected to each other and to God and God’s mission would be essential to the physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the congregation. Over the past 6 months we have continued to adapt everything from an ever-evolving, deeply meaningful online worship experience, to how we connect as a community through small groups and Sunday school classes, to how we care for our church members, to fellowship, to how we connect with and serve the community and world around us, to how we care for and utilize our facilities. Through it all, the thing that has made all the difference is our staff.Our staff rocks! Often, we are almost apologetic about the fact that such a large portion of our budget goes to support our staff. I will never apologize for that again. Even as this pandemic has rocked our lives, our amazing staff has remained steadfast and it’s made all the difference. The ways in which they have stepped up, innovated, created, persevered, learned, trained, and supported one another and this community have surpassed all I might have dreamed or imagined. It’s impossible to capture all they have meant to me and this church in a few short pages but, here goes…

MUSIC & WORSHIP ROCKS!MUSIC & WORSHIP ROCKS!Music and worship ministries have faced particular challenges. Everything from keeping the various choirs connected and engaged in meaningful rehearsal across uncooperative technology, to providing all that a singer or musician might need to contribute to a recording meant for worship, to synching the full praise band or choir in carefully crafted videos takes ingenuity. The creation of weekly worship takes vision, strategy, advanced planning, heightened technology, patience, perseverance, and resourcefulness. Thankfully, God has provided all of the above through our amazing staff, who are lled with (perhaps the most critical elements) grace and good humor.Nina Revering, together with Frank Webster and Gus Sterneman, have provided excellent leadership as they’ve learned, together with our various choirs and bands, the art and science of producing powerful musical offerings in a remote setting. Nina has worked to keep music planning well in advance to allow for the particular complexities of producing music under these conditions. She has also worked, together with our very gifted organist, Stephen Krahn, to make weekly recordings of hymns while providing musical accompaniments, voice tracks, sheet music and more to equip adult, youth and children’s choirs to continue to participate in music ministry. Frank has done much of the same to keep all of our Foundation praise band members regularly participating, plus he’s learned how to expertly create and edit imaginative and meaningful music videos that keep us all singing and tapping our toes! Gus, in addition to helping with vocal choirs and editing some choir videos, has continued to help the Bell Choir remain connected and has successfully produced the rst virtual single handbell choir. It’s been truly inspiring to experience the creativity of our music ministries and to continue to enjoy the incredible gifts that all of our choir members have continued to share. Curt, Diane, and Megan create, organize, coordinate and contribute most of the non-music related weekly worship elements, and Curt shares in preaching. And, trust me, all of it looks much easier than it is due to the conscientious, professional and good-spirited ways in which they engage this sacred work. In addition to planning and producing weekly worship elements and our monthly Children First worship service, Megan has also learned and taken on greater responsibility in the area of worship video editing and production and all 3 of these staff members now share in the Sunday morning responsibility of streaming the services at the appropriate times. And, though he is technically not a staff member but a contractor, we cannot forget Jonathan Kofahl who leads us all through the entire process and, at the end of the day, makes us look really good, especially on those weeks when we (I mean I) submit a million sermon takes hopelessly in need of extreme editing! ? I can’t imagine the past 6+ months without his expertise, experience, and generous spirit!

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY ROCKS!CHILDREN’S MINISTRY ROCKS!Children’s ministry, led by Megan Getman, spent the spring and summer innovating ways to keep children engaged in their faith and faith community through a variety of online, age-specic groups. In an online setting, what works for a 4th or 5th grader does not work for a toddler! So, a variety of groups were designed specically with the needs of a variety of age-ranges that varied in length, frequency and content. Re-imagined children’s Sunday school was rolled out for the fall to provide ways to engage children of all ages as they learn and grow in faith.Over the summer several events were planned both in-person and online to bring families together for fellowship and fun. A drive-thru popsicle party where families parked in every other parking spot and visited with masks and social distancing had high participation as well as a living room fort-building contest that families could enter online. Both events were marked by laughter and joy! This fall Megan took our customary 3rd grade Bible presentation on the road, videotaping several presentations on-location for celebration in online worship. It was an opportunity for children to receive Bibles in person and for them and our congregation to participate in the liturgy and celebration together!YOUTH MINISTRY ROCKS!YOUTH MINISTRY ROCKS!Youth Ministry, led by Diane Kofahl, started a weekly college-aged meetup on ZOOM that lled a need for community that these college-aged students had suddenly lost over spring break! Participants connected from several different states, forming a community that would not have happened pre-COVID-19. This meetup helped group members nd each other during a difcult season and has provided consistency in a time when things continue to change at a rapid pace.We typically celebrate our graduating seniors each year with a celebratory Sunday morning brunch and slideshow as well as recognition in worship. This year, graduation looked very different for our students. In an effort to nd new and fun ways to celebrate, Youth Council decided to provide yard signs for every high school graduate! It was such a joy to surprise each student as Diane installed them in front yards - each with the graduate’s name proudly displayed as evidence that their church community “sees” them, is proud of, and loves them. Each sign also signaled to the community that Westlake UMC cares about its young people and celebrates their accomplishments. The signs were such a hit that it looks like we have started a new tradition of celebrating our seniors at WUMC!

ADULT MINISTRY ROCKS!ADULT MINISTRY ROCKS!Thanks to Curt Davis’ leadership, Megan’s Zoom savvy, and Diane’s hosting expertise, nearly all Adult classes and groups have transitioned to online meet-ups! They have done a fantastic job checking in with one another and tending to each other’s needs while continuing to grow spiritually.Our Fall programming includes both pre and post fellowship opportunities via Zoom that are hosted by Curt and members of our Welcome committee. It’s a “come and go” opportunity similar in intent to our customary Coffee Time in the gym. Feel free to pop in late and leave early to say hello and greet some familiar and new faces! In response to a climate calling for cultural and social change, we launched two online book studies focused on learning about and dismantling racism. These two studies have attracted 80 to 90+ registered participants about 1/3 of which are new to our community. These studies have been an opportunity for rich and transformative conversation that is helping us nd ways to meet the painful reality of racism with thoughtful and concrete action.There is also a new weekly Bible Study and Brown Bag Lunch and Mid-Week Morning Prayer offered via Zoom to help us continue to learn and grow while remaining grounded spiritually during these unsettling times. Weekly Youth Meetups have continued to occur through Zoom and (when public health guidelines allowed) in small, outdoor, in-person, socially distanced gatherings. Students have consistently participated, creating a closer community as they’ve traveled together through an odd time that included a sudden shift to online school, a summer that felt simultaneously free of its usual busyness and limited in possibilities, and adjusting to fall online school. During the Spring, this year’s conrmation class shifted to online and nished strong, demonstrating a real commitment to their faith. They attended all the nal (and extra) classes online consistently, despite the early hour! It was a joy and privilege to conrm their faith and receive them into membership using our now familiar technologies of Zoom and online worship!

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ROCKS!COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ROCKS!Curt, along with our whole programming leadership team as well as community partners like Lost Creek Living Magazine, the Westlake Hills Chamber of Commerce, and various local businesses, has continued to nd safe and innovative ways to engage our community. On May 23, we partnered with our friends at Lost Creek Living Magazine to lift spirits and bring some joy to our neighbors in the Lost Creek Neighborhood by hosting a drive-by/walk-up Breakfast Taco Stand and Diaper Drive. We gave away 150 breakfast tacos and copious amounts of coffee and collected almost 2,000 diapers along with wipes, toys and clothes for an amazing non-prot partner – Any Baby Can. On August 29, we again partnered with our friends at Lost Creek Living Magazine to celebrate our kids going back to school in the Lost Creek Neighborhood with our Back to Learning Community Event. Megan and our Children’s Ministry gave away backpack tags and stickers and we let people know about our online Children First worship service. We gave away popsicles and iced coffee and provided kids with a single-player game called Soccer Darts where they kick fuzzy soccer balls at 15-foot tall inatable dart board and try to rack up the highest score. We also partnered with the Westlake Chamber of Commerce in a community-wide effort and collected hundreds of dry and canned food items for the Central Texas Food Bank. In September, WUMC hosted a Flu-Shot Clinic with CVS Pharmacy and we will also be an Early Polling and Election Day Voting site for Travis County beginning October 13th through November 3rd. Both of these events are wonderful means to both serve and connect with our community in ways that are relevant, timely and helpful.

PASTORAL CARE ROCKS!PASTORAL CARE ROCKS!Together with the leadership and faithfulness of Congregational Care ministry, WUMC has continued to care for the community by staying connected through phone calls, emails, text messages, and card writing, providing meals when helpful, and establishing virtual waiting rooms for people undergoing surgeries. Though we cannot always care for people in our usual pre-pandemic ways, the church has continued to offer love and support people in the midst of all that life brings. We’ve even had a joyful Facebook Live wedding and were able to celebrate the life of one of our beloved members via a Zoom Memorial service. Both events gathered family and friends from across the country to connect and participate in these signicant and necessary rituals. SERVICE ROCKS!SERVICE ROCKS!Our Service Committee has continued to work to inspire generosity from the congregation in support of our partner ministries that serve many who are most affected by the pandemic. There are teams of church members who continue to work with Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Community First Village, and Feed My People - to name a few. Our own Volunteers in Mission have continued to travel regularly to the Victoria area as the need to rebuild after hurricane Harvey continues - even as they begin to discern where to deploy next in response to our most recent hurricanes and oods. We continue to support Women’s Storybook Project, Any Baby Can, Kairos Prison Ministry, and our Border Ministry. Additionally, there were more church members (along with their friends) who provided resources for or sewed masks for medical professionals and schools than I can count – and their work continues!

OFFICE AND FACILITIES OFFICE AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ROCKS!MANAGEMENT ROCKS!In our business ofce, Tim Cook has kept our ship steady by continuing to expertly and professionally manage our nances while simultaneously assisting many of you as you shift your giving to online and electronic giving. Tim and church leadership worked tirelessly to navigate the process for acquiring funds through the Payroll Protection Program in order to continue to pay all of our church staff through the end of August, when the painful decision was made to furlough the preschool and nursery staff until we return to these ministries in-person. Shortly after the pandemic hit, our Church Administrator left to take another job. Tim, with his customary good-nature, took on many of the ofce and facilities management responsibilities as we searched for a replacement. In the meantime, as the preschool was making the decision to postpone reopening until January, the Assistant Preschool Director, Gina Hernandez, graciously agreed to step into the role of Church Administrator until the preschool reopens or we nd a replacement. She’s been a God-send, quickly learning responsibilities and systems and managing processes and vendors to bring order from the chaos we’d experienced since the position became vacant.Our fantastic custodial and maintenance staff, Maria, Herman, and Rudy Gonzales, have continued to care for our facilities while learning and implementing heightened sanitization methods to keep those safe who continue to work on campus and in preparation for our return to in-person activities. They have also taken these less busy times to attend to deferred maintenance including refurbishing much of the preschool spaces, painting the gym and other areas of the church, loading in and spreading crushed rock in our labyrinth as well as all other groundskeeping needs.PRESCHOOL ROCKS!PRESCHOOL ROCKS!We celebrate that before the pandemic hit, Westlake UMC’s Preschool (WUMP), led by Laura Clemens, renewed our accreditation as a 4-Star Texas Rising Star program! The four stars reect that we not only exceed the state’s minimum standards, but we received top marks in all ve of the rating categories: Director and Staff Qualications and Training, Caregiver-Child Interactions, Curriculum, Nutrition and Indoor/Outdoor Activities, and Parent Education and Involvement. In August, WUMP was nominated for Best Preschool by the Austin American Statesman. We wait in hopeful anticipation

for the nal result and rejoice that we made it to the nal stage along with only 4 other Austin area preschools.Through the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 and related health recommendations, Laura and Assistant Director, Gina Hernandez with church leadership, have navigated with wisdom and grace - informed by endless webinars and consultations with various experts. As we work toward a safe return to in-person learning, WUMP is preparing to implement all of the safety protocols while continuing to provide 4-Star, award-winning learning, socialization, and faith formation. GOD ROCKS!GOD ROCKS!As you can see even as COVID-19 has rocked our world, God, our Rock, has been a rm foundation providing all that we’ve needed to continue to be the church in ways that are innovative, creative and relevant. God has continued to work through our staff and church community to connect people to God and the Body of Christ, to learn, grow, worship, and care for and serve one another. Thanks to the spiritual food and drink received through our spiritual rock, Jesus Christ, we have remained steady and steadfast, grounded in a God who continues to care, protect, and save! YOU ROCK!YOU ROCK!You, as church members, play the most essential role in keeping our community going and transforming followers of Christ! During times of uncertainty, it can be tempting to pull back out of fear. But even in these unprecedented times, you have continued to show up time and time again for God and each other - in ways big and small. Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” You already have God (and WUMC) in your heart. God has entrusted you with so many gifts - so please continue to step out in faith and trust God to return them tenfold when you share. The more we give of ourselves to God, the more God gives of God’s self to us. Give boldly and generously with your whole heart for God’s glory!In faith and gratitude,The Stewardship Committee

1460 Redbud Trail, Austin, TX 78746 Church Office 512.327.1335Emergency Line 512.710.8650www.westlake-umc.orgMake your commitment online at WWW.WESTLAKE-UMC.ORG/PLEDGE