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

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.

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!

Pride Parade - June 8

The Central Alabama Pride Parade is this Saturday, June 8. 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.

Contact: Susan Crow – crowsusan@gmail.com or 205-249-9599

Pride Parade - June 10

The Central Alabama Pride Parade is this Saturday, June 10.

Anyone who would like to participate is welcome and invited! Those who can help assemble the float are asked to arrive in the church parking lot at 5 pm. All others may meet to carpool by 6:30 pm. The parade will begin around 8 pm. Wear your Highlands t-shirts or any colorful apparel and comfortable walking shoes.

Contact: Susan Crow – crowsusan@gmail.com or 205-249-9599

Pride Parade Sticker Party - June 8

Highlands will be participating in the Central Alabama Pride Parade this weekend. Join us on Thursday, June 8 at 6 pm for a sticker party! We will be adding rainbow Highlands stickers to 3,000 moonpies to distribute during the parade. We’ll have pizza and lots of fun. All are welcome!

Contact: Susan Crow – crowsusan@gmail.com or 205-249-9599

Join us and our incredible co-sponsors Central Alabama Pride, First United Methodist Church Birmingham, Multitude Films, PFLAG Birmingham, Sidewalk Film Festival, and Woodlawn United Methodist Church, on April 21st at 6:45pm for a special screening of the Netflix Film, Pray Away, and panel discussion. Pray Away is a documentary film highlighting the harm and pain that many religious institutions have caused to the LGBTQIA+ community due to "conversion" therapy efforts and the trauma from those experiences. Many religious communities have distanced themselves from overt conversion therapy, but unfortunately more covert versions still exist. Panelists include survivors of "conversion therapy", mental health experts, LGBTQIA+ advocates, and faith leaders who will reflect on the themes of the film as well as propose a way to end conversion therapy, in all its forms, once and for all.

Film will be screened at Sidewalk Film Center.  Doors open at 6:00pm. Program begins promptly at 6:45pm. 

Link to RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/pabirm

Volunteer for Care Team for Film Screening

We are looking for a few volunteers to serve as part of a Care Team who will offer supportive listening to anyone who may want to talk to someone during the film.  You do not have to be a mental health professional or clergy, but someone who can listen and provide support.  If you are available and interested in serving on the Care Team, please contact Angela Stowe (amstowe@uab.edu) for more information and to volunteer.  This is for the screening on April 21 at the Sidewalk Film Center.  Doors open at 6pm, program begins at 6:45.

Pride Parade - June 11

Highlands will once again be participating in the Central Alabama Pride Parade on the evening of Saturday, June 11. Everyone is invited to take part. We will be walking in the parade and plan to have a truck and/or trailer for those who need to ride along the route. Highlands will partner with the “downtown reconciling churches” – First Methodist, Avondale, St. Junia, and Woodlawn UMCs – as well as groups from Grace United Methodist, Southside Baptist and perhaps a few other churches. You may register to participate by visiting www.highlandsumc.net/pride.

We will host a pre-parade event in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, June 5 at 2 pm, with all participating groups to prepare posters for the parade and to meet one another. We hope you will join us!

Pride Parade - June 11

Highlands will once again be participating in the Central Alabama Pride Parade on the evening of Saturday, June 11. Everyone is invited to take part. We will be walking in the parade and plan to have a truck and/or trailer for those who need to ride along the route. Highlands will partner with the “downtown reconciling churches” – First Methodist, Avondale, St. Junia, and Woodlawn UMCs – as well as groups from Grace United Methodist, Southside Baptist and perhaps a few other churches. You may register to participate by visiting www.highlandsumc.net/pride.

We will host a pre-parade event in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, June 5 at 2 pm, with all participating groups to prepare posters for the parade and to meet one another. We hope you will join us!

Join us on Saturday, March 28 from 9 am to noon to clean up and beautify our church grounds before Easter. The majority of the work will be spreading new mulch over our landscaping, with a few assorted smaller tasks throughout the church building and grounds. Let us know you’re coming!
Contact: Dick L’Eplattenier – dick@highlandsumc.net or 933-8751

Service of Celebration and Blessing on February 23rd at 3 p.m. at Avondale UMC.

Join us for a service that celebrates the churches, groups, and individuals within our Annual Conference who have declared their support for the full inclusion of all people in the life of the United Methodist Church. This time of worship will include a diversity of voices as we continue our efforts to resist harm, affirm all people as beloved children of God, and work for change within our denomination. Make plans to stick around after the service for a time of connection and fellowship over light refreshments.

 https://www.facebook.com/events/675325770043929/

Open Table will celebrate the season with a Christmas Party on Thursday, December 19 at 6:00 pm at the home of Dave and Leslie Davis. Hosts will provide a big pot of gumbo, guests are encouraged to bring an appetizer or salad or dessert. Contact Leslie Davis for address and to RSVP: lesliejeffdavis@gmail.com.

Spaces of Liberation - November 9

Spaces of Liberation is a gathering for marginalized persons and allies in the North Alabama Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church to collectively work and lead others to know God in relationship with the oppressed. Highlands UMC is hosting this first meeting of the group, and we hope to focus on the needs of the marginalized in our conference. We will also talk about action steps to empower one another in finding voices in leading our congregations and conference forward. Join us on Saturday, November 9 from 11-2 pm. Lunch will be provided by members of Open Table; there is no cost to attend. Contact Henry Gibson at henry@highlandsumc.net to volunteer or sign up.

Call to Action Against Gun Violence
Sunday, November 1, 2019 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Fellowship Hall – Highlands United Methodist Church
1045 20th Street, South – Birmingham, AL.35205
highlandsumc.net

Join us for a follow-up to our recent Gun Violence Awareness Sunday as we individually and collectively develop specific and concrete plans for ways we can engage in positive actions to help reduce gun violence in our community.

Each participant will leave this event with a solid response and action plan for taking an active role in efforts to curb gun violence.

Caucus groups will include: Moms Demand Action and the call to mobilization (Dana Ellis Team Captain) ; Alabama Faith in Action Neighborhood Peacemaker Walks, Victims Response Teams and Peace in the Park (Nancy Barkemeyer Team Captain) ; State House Representative Neil Rafferty and others help us understand the political process and the role we play in policy change (Danny Jones Team Captain).

Upcoming events will be announced that include Stop the Bleed Training and Be SMART training to help parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take reasonable actions to prevent child gun deaths and injuries.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1268397236677851/

This event has been postponed until after Labor Day. If you would like to be added to the Open Table mailing list, please contact Leslie Davis.

Open Table committee dinner at the home of Dave and Leslie Davis. Bring a side dish or salad. Partners/spouses welcome! Contact lesliejeffdavis@gmail.com for address and questions.

Highlands will be once again be participating in the Pride Parade on Saturday, June 8. This year we will be walking the parade route with the six individual Reconciling United Methodist Churches in Birmingham: Highlands, Woodlawn, Avondale, St. Junia, First UMC, and Church of the Reconciler. We will gather at the church at 6:30 pm and carpool together to the parade route on 7th Avenue, South. To sign up to participate or for more information contact Reggie Holder at reggie@highlandsumc.net

Parade will start at dusk.  Wear bright colors or your Highlands All Are Welcome t-shirts and good shoes for walking.  All are welcome and invited to attend!  All parade participants will need to sign a registration form.  Minors will need a parent's consent.

Meeting of Open Table members and leadership to plan for upcoming events and projects.  Anyone who would like to become more involved with Open Table is welcome to attend.  RSVP to Reina McFarlin

A casual potluck lunch gathering following 10:30 worship, hosted by Open Table.  No program, no agenda - just warm fellowship and delicious food.  No reservations needed, and you do not have to bring a dish to attend.  All Are Welcome!

Meeting of Open Table members and leadership to plan for upcoming events and projects.  Anyone who would like to become more involved with Open Table is welcome to attend.  RSVP to Reina McFarlin

Each year during the Birmingham Pride Parade, Open Table distributes bottles of water with the message "All Are Welcome" at Highlands.  Join us in the Fellowship Hall to place labels on water bottles and prepare our float decorations.

A casual potluck lunch gathering following 10:30 worship, hosted by Open Table.  No program, no agenda - just warm fellowship and delicious food.  No reservations needed, and you do not have to bring a dish to attend.  All Are Welcome!

Join the members of Open Table in supporting AIDS Alabama’s Dining Our for Life on Thursday, April 26. We will be dining at Silverton at 6:00 p.m. and 50% of the bill will be donated to AIDS service organizations throughout Alabama. Anyone who would like to carpool may meet at the church parking lot at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome!

Join Open Table at Highlands for a potluck dinner! All Reconciling Methodists (and similar groups from other denominations) are invited to join us for delicious food and warm fellowship. All Are Welcome!

Bring a dish to share - entree, side, salad, bread, or dessert. No reservations are necessary, but an RSVP will help us prepare. Potluck will take place in our Fellowship Hall. Doors from the church parking lot off Richard Arrington Blvd. and from street parking on Magnolia Ave. will be open for attendees to enter.

Children are welcome and invited! While we will not have a nursery, we will have activities and caregivers so that parents may participate fully.

Let us know you're coming! RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1627069344054040

Don't have Facebook?  RSVP by email: reggie@highlandsumc.net

Meeting of Open Table members and leadership to plan for upcoming events and projects.  Anyone who would like to become more involved with Open Table is welcome to attend.  RSVP to Reina McFarlin