NICOLE’S POST Hey there! Nicole here. I can’t believe I’ve been here at UBC as the kids’ pastor for nearly three months. I still wake up every single morning feeling so grateful to work a job that is a dream! Thank you for how you’ve welcomed me, Duke and my energetic children with open arms.  On energetic children and parenting- oftentimes I find myself thinking “why don’t I know what to do right now?” when my kids truly amaze me with their behavior…and not like “you’re amazing!” but “I’m amazed that I can’t figure out why you’d do such a thing.” Attending college for elementary educatio ..read more

ANDIE’S POST Happy Pastorversary to Me! Sunday the 15th marks my one year anni at UBC.  My very first meeting was on a beautiful Friday morning at Pinewood.  I sat across a picnic table from Emily MacDonald and heard all about her plans for our youth ministry.  She shared about her life and about her time at UBC.  After she left, I sat there, took some deep breaths, and tried not to cry.  I was so excited, and so nervous, and so hopeful, and I felt so inadequate.  There was a fairly constant voice in my head telling me that this place was too good to be true, and ..read more

TOPH’S POST Greetings! It has been wonderful getting back in the swing of things after my sabbatical, and the best part has been seeing many of your lovely faces on Sundays and at Pinewood. What a gift it is to be given a sabbatical, and even more so to have the support of my community, family, and friends. The summer was rejuvenating in many ways and has allowed me to fulfill some dreams of exploring new places. Over the course of the summer, I’ve had the privilege to visit two new continents, spend time in the mountains of New Mexico, see friends in Denver, and spend a good chunk of time in ..read more

ANDIIE’S POST Community and Our All UBC Retreat This week's article will serve as (hopefully!) both an interesting read and a save the date of sorts, and here's why: I've been thinking about community so much as of late, likely due to the convergence of Mae's hospitalization and our impending one year anniversary in Texas.  I can usually get myself around town without an app, I know where every H-E-B is by heart, and I've found my go-to take out spots. We have also been the very grateful recipients of an outpouring of love, support, and gift cards as we settle back into "normal" life ..read more

JAMIE’S POST The Story We Live In This past Sunday I talked about the immersive and transformative nature of the liturgical calendar, part of which included some questions we are invited to consider in each of the seasons (if you missed it, you can find it on Facebook—we are having some issues with the podcast, but it should be up sometime later this week). In the future, I plan to do some more extensive writing about each season, but in the meantime, I wanted to park that list of questions I discussed here: AdventWhat does it mean to believe in God in a world full of pain? ChristmasWhat does ..read more

ANDIE’S POST How Do You Solve a Problem Like Infection? (Sung like the nuns, of course) For me, the strangest part of moving to a new place is the emergency contact dilemma.  Filling out school forms, doctor forms, and employment forms that ask for two, three, or even four names of humans that you trust to know vital information about you is daunting in the best of circumstances.  After all, isn't the true miracle of Jesus having so many close friends in his 30s?  If you haven't heard through the online grapevine, my daughter Mae has been hospitalized since early Friday mor ..read more

NICOLE’S POST Donuts are for Sundays  Hi UBC! Nicole here. I just finished my third Sunday as UBC's kids' pastor, and I'm writing this with my 15 month old baby napping in my arms, while my other two children explore every toy this church has to offer on this rainy Monday morning. This is their new favorite place to be. Reflecting on the whirlwind of my life in the past month, I am filled with so much gratitude to be serving the families of UBC. My own children actually- and I'm not exaggerating- JUMP out of bed on Sundays, excited about donuts and friends and their teachers that day and ..read more

TOWN HALL SUMMARY We gathered, we listened, we Town Halled! Here's a little sum up of what we discussed last Sunday: Staffing Updates: -We are so thrilled to welcome Nicole Dizdar as UBC's new kids pastor.  Nicole is bringing years of teaching experience and a passion for social-emotional growth and learning to the kiddos of UBC.  She is settling into the role, evaluating our classroom's ages, structure, and curriculum, and looking forward to connecting with families. If you see her on a Sunday, make sure you say hi! -Youth Pastor Search: So far, we have not received any applications ..read more

TOWN HALL THIS SUNDAY Hear ye! Hear ye! Town Hall approaches! Okay, I probably won't ever do that again, but the sentiment remains: Town Hall is coming!  Join us THIS SUNDAY the 14th immediately after church.  UBC has had an incredible year thus far, and we are excited to offer updates and visioning to keep those good vibes going.   At Town Hall, you'll have a chance to: Hear from our new kids pastor, Nicole Dizdar, and share your hopes and dreams for kids ministry moving forward. Receive a financial update Hear about upcoming events, vision, and a potential new minis ..read more

MEET OUR NEW KIDS PASTOR Nicole was born and raised in a little town outside of Fort Worth- Azle, TX. She attended Baylor University from 2012-2016, where she earned her Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis on teaching English as a Second Language. Nicole and her husband, Duke, have three kids- Georgia (5), Marko (3) and Marin (1). She has spent the last four years teaching second grade at St. Paul's Episcopal School. Nicole loves spending time with her kids, trying to be outdoorsy, and cooking. She is excited to join the UBC community and lead the Kid's Ministry! JU ..read more