about upRising
what do we believe?
We believe in the one God, our Creator, who is unconditional love
God has many names. God’s love takes many forms. God accepts all. God is not gender specific. God, through Jesus Christ, is our redeemer who willingly forgives everyone. God, through the Holy Spirit, is our sustainer.
We believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ
God is revealed in Jesus Christ, the Word, who came to redeem us and forgive us unconditionally.
We believe the Holy Spirit is our comforter, friend, and teacher
The Holy Spirit enlightens us of our need for God and is alive and manifest in our actions.
We believe in the power of prayer
Prayer is valuable and necessary for our spiritual journey. As we pray for and with each other, God changes us and the world.
We believe in the divinely inspired words of the Bible
Scripture is God’s communication with us to acknowledge and embrace a personal relationship.
We believe God gives us the gifts of love, grace, forgiveness, and salvation
God uses these gifts to call us into relationship with God and each other through worship and fellowship.
We believe the church, as individuals and as a community, is called to serve
Because of God’s unconditional love and salvation, we are called to live in the Spirit of Jesus Christ—individually, collectively, and as the church. We welcome, accept, and include all, respecting individual faith experiences and diverse beliefs. We are called to active service, social outreach, mission, and justice through our faith and to find unity and strength in the diversity of God’s creation.
what is progressive christianity?
At upRising, we hold Diversity as one of our Core Values, Though we are unapologetically a Christian church, our commitment to honoring diversity extends even to our individual beliefs. These 8 Points of Progressive Christianity offer us a way to broadly describe and honestly discuss our Christian faith with other Christians, people of varying faiths, and even those who don’t particularly identify as spiritual or religious. They are not meant to be prescriptive.
The 8 Points of Progressive Christianity
- Believe that following the path and teachings of Jesus can lead to an awareness and experience of the Sacred, and the Oneness and Unity of all life
- Affirm that the teachings of Jesus provide but one of many ways to experience the Sacredness and Oneness of life, and that we can draw from diverse sources of wisdom in our spiritual journey
- Seek community that is inclusive of ALL people, including but not limited to:
- Conventional Christians and questioning skeptics
- Believers and agnostics
- Women and men
- Those of all sexual orientations and gender identities
- Those of all classes and abilities
- Know that the way we behave towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe
- Find grace in the search for understanding and believe there is more value in questioning than in absolutes
- Strive for peace and justice among all people
- Strive to protect and restore the integrity of our Earth
- Commit to a path of life-long learning, compassion, and selfless love
office staff
YMCU leadership team
music leadership team
board of directors
Members of the Board of Directos of upRising are elected by the congregation during the annual congregational meeting, and they serve a two-year term.
Board members are charged with the following responsibilities:
- Ensuring adequate financial resources for upRising to pursue its mission and vision
- Ensuring effective management of the church’s funds and other assets
- Ensuring sound risk management policies
- Participating in selecting the candidate to be elected by the congregation as Sr. Pastor when that is necessary
- Supporting and advising the Sr. Pastor and providing constructive feedback
Please send any questions or comments for the Board of Directors to board@uprisingaustin.org.
lay delegates
Lay Delegates are the official representatives of the local congregation to the General Conference of Metropolitan Community Churches. Their primary responsibility is to attend and represent the congregation at the General Conference by voting, by gathering information about the denomination to take back to the congregation, and by sharing the views of the congregation with the denominational leadership as appropriate. In between General Conferences, Lay Delegates serve as the communication link between the local congregation and the denomination. They are elected by the congregation at the annual congregational meeting and they serve a three-year term.
deacons
Deacons surround our congregation with prayer, care, and encouragement.
Deacons are the foundation of prayerful support and community connection. Each person who is part of the upRising community is connected with one of our Deacons. If you have situations arise in which you’d like specific support from your Deacon, don’t hesitate to reach out. Deacons want to offer you support in tough times and celebrate with you when good things happen.
If you haven’t been assigned a Deacon but would like to be, please call or text the office at 512-291-8601.
In addition to the Deacons, our Sr. Pastor is always available to you when you are struggling with your faith, experiencing challenging life events, or just want to chat. You can reach Rev. Karen by calling the church office at 512-291-8601 or sending an email to office@uprisingaustin.org.
thoughts from your pastor
If You Don’t Read This, I Will Regret It Later
When I was 18, I worked in the summers on the make-ready crew for a builder. I was the one who scraped all the paint and plaster off of walls, cleaned out the bathtubs where [...]
After Today, Rev. Thompson Goes Away
In this age of information at our fingertips, it seems nothing should ever surprise us. And yet it does. So this is my attempt to help more of you not be surprised. (And those of [...]
Trans Folk — I See You
Robert Holden is an author and motivational speaker whose work combines psychology and spirituality. He often opens his events by asking participants to learn and share with each other a two-part greeting that is spoken [...]
Faith and Integrity in a Time of Anti-Trans Actions
It’s been a “when it rains, it pours” kind of few weeks, beginning with Greg Abbott‘s directive to the Director of Child Protective Services giving his opinion that gender-affirming treatment for trans kids is abusive. [...]
The Presidential Debate, a Crisis of Faith, and Communion
I watched the Presidential debate on Tuesday night. Why did I watch? Because I think it’s my duty to be informed -- to try to see what I’ve missed before. (To be honest, I [...]
Hope in the New Normal
In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins explains a phenomenon referred to as the Stockdale Paradox. Admiral Jim Stockdale was the highest-ranking United States military officer in the “Hanoi Hilton” prisoner-of-war camp during the [...]
Rising Above Racism – August 5
When I was in seminary I took a course on feminist theology. One question that came up early and often for my classmates and me was “Do you consider yourself a feminist?” The question placed [...]
For the Love of God and Neighbors…
“I’m so weary of the ‘call out’ culture. We need a call forth culture instead. Calling forth the best in people. Calling forth compassion, gratitude, empathy. Calling forth justice. Calling forth beauty, goodness, wonder. [...]
mcc statement of faith
“Come, taste, and see.” Jesus Christ, You invite all people to Your open table. You make us Your people, a beloved community. You restore the joy of our relationship with God, even in the midst of loneliness, despair, and degradation. We are each unique and we all belong, a priesthood of all believers. Baptized and filled with Your Holy Spirit, You empower us to be Your healing presence in a hurting world.
We expect to see Your reign on earth as it is in heaven as we work toward a world where everyone has enough, wars cease, and all creation lives in harmony. We affirm Your charge to all of humanity to care for the land, sea, and air. Therefore, we will actively resist systems and structures which are destroying Your creation.
With all of creation we worship You—every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. We know You by many names, Triune God, beyond comprehension, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, who invites us to the feast.
Amen.
