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.

Stewardship for Ministries in 2026: Weaving Together

Your pledge is a vital thread in the fabric of Highlands’ future. Each gift helps us strengthen our community of faith, expand outreach, and ensure our church remains a place of hope and renewal.Together, we are weaving a strong and vibrant community. Your commitment will help us:

Grow ministries, both within our congregation and the wider community.

Preserve and care for our church home, a sacred space where generations have found and will find belonging.

Build a sustainable future together, meeting the challenges of rising costs while expanding our impact.

Thank you for prayerfully considering your pledge for 2026.
Completed pledges requested by Sunday, October 19, 2025

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

No Sunday School Classes - August 31

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.

Join us to help prepare Market Baskets for needy families at the East Lake Farmer’s Market. More information to come!

Training session for Atrium catechists and volunteers.

Training session for Atrium catechists and volunteers.

Training session for Atrium catechists and volunteers.

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.

Blessing of the Backpacks

Information TBD

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

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.

Safe Sanctuaries Training

A central tenet of our Christian faith is the inherent value and worth of all children, youth and vulnerable adults. Because of our commitment to protecting all who participate in the children and youth programming at Highlands, we are asking all members of our congregation to attend one of the Safe Sanctuaries training events we will offer in March. Training will be led by Drake Roberts, our Welcoming Ministries Assistant and a certified Safe Sanctuary trainer for the North Alabama Conference. Each training session will take less than one hour.

Remote training: Monday, March 7 at 6:00 pm on Zoom

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83439157223?pwd=bFJJZ0MrK3ExOS90eDlDK01SSTA2dz09

Meeting ID: 834 3915 7223
Passcode: 559998