Discover Highlands - October 26

You're warmly invited to join us for a delightful lunch following worship next Sunday, October 26, at Noon in the Fellowship Hall. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in learning more about church membership. Meet our dedicated leaders and staff, enjoy a tour of our beautiful church, and discover the enriching learning opportunities and service initiatives available to our community. Whether you're new to the area or exploring ways to deepen your faith, we would love to welcome you into our church family. Please email Michelle Jones to reserve a spot for lunch.

Lunch RSVP: Michelle Jones – michelle@highlandsumc.net

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.

Third Sunday Potlucks take place every third Sunday of the month. Stay after the October potluck for a Halloween Carnival for all ages!

Bring your favorite main course, side dish, bread, or dessert to share. Don’t have time to bring something? You can make a small donation toward paper products and beverages. Join us for good food and warm fellowship. All are welcome and invited!

Contact: Michelle Jones – michelle@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.

Third Sunday Potlucks take place every third Sunday of the month. The Church Council will meet following the meal.

Bring your favorite main course, side dish, bread, or dessert to share. Don’t have time to bring something? You can make a small donation toward paper products and beverages. Join us for good food and warm fellowship. All are welcome and invited!

Contact: Michelle Jones – michelle@highlandsumc.net

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

Bring A Friend Sunday - September 7

As we kick off our fall activities, it is a wonderful time to invite friends to come with you to church! We invite you to bring a friend, neighbor, or co-worker to Sunday school and worship on Sunday, September 7. All are welcome! Invite your friends to experience the warmth of God's loving community here at Highlands and to experience the beauty of our worship. If you have friends with children, there is also an Atrium Lunch and Learn that day with childcare provided. Let's all extend our love into the community by welcoming friends and neighbors to Highlands!

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.

Heart and Hand Sunday - August 24: Book Drive and Highlands Quilt

Heart & Hand Sundays are intergenerational Sunday School service projects for the whole Highlands family! One Sunday each summer month, our children, youth and adults gather to work together on service projects for our church and community.

This year, we will be collecting items for a local charities and working together to create a Highlands quilt as part of our 2025 Renewal.

June 1 - Diaper Drive for East Lake UMC Co-Op Ministries
July 13 - Pet Supplies for Greater Birmingham Humane Society
August 24 - Gently Used Children’s Books for Little Free Libraries

Everyone is invited and encouraged to take part! These experiences are a great way to get to know the Highlands family better, and are a perfect opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to see what Highlands is all about.

Estate Giving and Funeral Planning Event

Join us on Sunday, August 17, following the cook-out lunch in the Fellowship Hall for a funeral and estate planning workshop. Admittedly, many of us put off thinking about this topic. This is a rare chance to hear from our own Dick L'Eplattenier and other church members about funeral planning and some thoughts regarding estate planning in a low-stress environment. Come join us and bring your questions!

During the summer months, our Third Sunday Potlucks become Third Sunday Cook Outs! Join us on Sunday, August 17 for great food and warm fellowship. We’ll provide the hamburgers and hot dogs; the congregation is asked to bring sides and desserts. All are welcome and invited!

Contact: Michelle Jones – michelle@highlandsumc.net

Join us for our annual back-to-school tradition!  All students may bring their backpacks to worship for a moment of blessing and prayer for another great school year.  Teachers and childcare givers are invited to take part as well.

During the summer months, our Third Sunday Potlucks become Third Sunday Cook Outs! Join us on Sunday, July 20 for great food and warm fellowship. We’ll provide the hamburgers and hot dogs; the congregation is asked to bring sides and desserts. All are welcome and invited!

Contact: Michelle Jones – michelle@highlandsumc.net

Heart and Hand Sunday - July 13: Pet Supplies Drive and Highlands Quilt

Heart & Hand Sundays are intergenerational Sunday School service projects for the whole Highlands family! One Sunday each summer month, our children, youth and adults gather to work together on service projects for our church and community.

This year, we will be collecting items for a local charities and working together to create a Highlands quilt as part of our 2025 Renewal.

June 1 - Diaper Drive for East Lake UMC Co-Op Ministries
July 13 - Pet Supplies for Greater Birmingham Humane Society
August 24 - Gently Used Children’s Books for Little Free Libraries

Everyone is invited and encouraged to take part! These experiences are a great way to get to know the Highlands family better, and are a perfect opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to see what Highlands is all about.

Join us after worship on July 6 for Hymn Sing Sundae, an ice cream social to celebrate Independence Day Weekend with our church family. Invite your friends and neighbors

Join us on Sunday, July 6 for a Hymn Sing! The singing of hymns is one our oldest Methodist traditions, as we collectively lift our hearts and voices for the worship of God. We will sing our favorite songs of the faith, both old and new. Make plans to join us for worship this week!

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

After a five-month renewal leave, Rev. Mikah Hudson will return to worship and leadership at Highlands on Sunday, June 22. Please join us for worship and stay after for a luncheon in celebration of our whole-church renewal in 2025.

RSVPs not required, but help us prepare!

Renewal 2025 Supply Pastors Reception

While Senior Pastor Mikah Hudson is on renewal leave, funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, we have been blessed by the leadership of The Reverend Dr. Bill Morgan, The Reverend Dr. Rick Owen, and Bishop Mike Watson to Highlands.

Save the dates and join us after worship in the Greeting Space for light refreshments to thank our supply pastors for their leadership during Mikah’s renewal leave.

June 1 - The Reverend Dr. Bill Morgan
June 8 - The Reverend Dr. Rick Owen
June 15 -Bishop Mike Watson

Save the Date for our Welcome Back Renewal Celebration Lunch after worship on Sunday, June 22.

Pride Parade - June 14

The Central Alabama Pride Parade is this Saturday, June 14. Highlands is excited to have a float in the parade this year, and would like to invite all to participate! Wear your Highlands t-shirts or any colorful apparel and comfortable walking shoes. The parade begins at 8 p.m.

We will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the church parking lot to carpool to the line-up area.

Renewal 2025 Supply Pastors Reception

While Senior Pastor Mikah Hudson has been on renewal leave, funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, we have been blessed by the leadership of The Reverend Dr. Bill Morgan, The Reverend Dr. Rick Owen, and Bishop Mike Watson to Highlands.

Save the dates and join us after worship in the Greeting Space for light refreshments to thank our supply pastors for their leadership during Mikah’s renewal leave.

June 1 - The Reverend Dr. Bill Morgan
June 8 - The Reverend Dr. Rick Owen
June 15 - Bishop Mike Watson

Save the Date for our Welcome Back Renewal Celebration Lunch after worship on Sunday, June 22.

Renewal 2025 Supply Pastors Reception

While Senior Pastor Mikah Hudson is on renewal leave, funded by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment, we have been blessed by the leadership of The Reverend Dr. Bill Morgan, The Reverend Dr. Rick Owen, and Bishop Mike Watson to Highlands.

Save the dates and join us after worship in the Greeting Space for light refreshments to thank our supply pastors for their leadership during Mikah’s renewal leave.

June 1 - The Reverend Dr. Bill Morgan
June 8 - The Reverend Dr. Rick Owen
June 15 - Bishop Mike Watson

Save the Date for our Welcome Back Renewal Celebration Lunch after worship on Sunday, June 22.

Heart and Hand Sunday - June 1: Diaper Drive and Highlands Quilt

We hope you'll join us this Sunday for our first Heart & Hand Sunday of the summer! Heart & Hand Sundays are once-a-month service projects for our whole church family, featuring a “work of the heart” collecting donation items for outreach ministries of our church or community partners and a “work of the hand” to make something helpful, beautiful, or needed for our community.

Donation Item: Diapers for East Lake UMC Co-Op Ministries
This Sunday, we will be collecting diapers of all sizes and brands. Donations will be collected at the start of Heart & Hand Sunday and taken to East Lake UMC for their Cooperative Minstries later this week. Pick up a few packs while you're out this week and bring them on Sunday morning!

Highlands Quilt:
This summer, our "work of the hand" will be creating a collaborative Highlands Quilt as part of our Renewal: Connectedness in God's Grace. This quilt will feature images of our church and its ministries, surrounded by squares created by our church families. Families will begin designing their quilt square this week with the help of several experienced quilters and crafters. Sewing is not required! Quilt squares will be completed over the course of each Heart & Hand Sunday, so you'll have several sessions to make your family's square special!

Everyone is invited and encouraged to take part. Heart & Hand Sundays are a great way to get to know the Highlands family better, and are a perfect opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to see what Highlands is all about. Hope to see you this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall!

.

June 1 - Diaper Drive for East Lake UMC Co-Op Ministries
July 13 - Pet Supplies for Greater Birmingham Humane Society
August 24 - Gently Used Children’s Books for Little Free Libraries

Third Sunday Potlucks take place every third Sunday of the month.

Bring your favorite main course, side dish, bread, or dessert to share. Don’t have time to bring something? You can make a small donation toward paper products and beverages. Join us for good food and warm fellowship. All are welcome and invited!

Contact: Michelle Jones – michelle@highlandsumc.net

Family Summer Kick-Off Party - Saturday, May 17

Join the families of Highlands for a relaxed gathering to celebrate the start of the summer season! We'll gather at Homewood Park on Saturday, May 17 from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. for fellowship, sweet treats, and lots of fun together. All children and their families are invited! We hope to see you there!

RSVP to Lauri Soong at laurisoong@hotmail.com

Church Office Closed - Easter Monday

The church office will be closed Monday, April 21. We will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, April 22. Happy Easter!

Our regular Third Sunday Potluck will not take place today so that families may celebrate Easter together. Join us for our next potluck on May 18.