Oak Lawn United Methodist Church https://olumc.org/ Religious Organization Wed, 14 Oct 2026 02:29:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.3 https://olumc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/cropped-Logo_1@4x-100-scaled-1-32x32.jpg Oak Lawn United Methodist Church https://olumc.org/ 32 32 Faithful Together https://olumc.org/faithful-together/ https://olumc.org/faithful-together/#respond Wed, 14 Oct 2026 01:24:25 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26367 The post Faithful Together appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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Faithful Together:

Hope, Justice, and Community in an Election Season

Four Wednesdays | October 28 – November 18, 2026

7:00–8:30 p.m. | In Person & Online

What does it mean to remain faithful to one another in a divided world?

As we approach the November 3 midterm elections, many of us are carrying questions about our communities, our future, and the role of the church in a changing world. We need spaces where we can speak honestly, listen deeply, find hope, and remember that we do not have to navigate these moments alone.

Join Oak Lawn United Methodist Church for Faithful Together, a four-week gathering exploring hope, justice, and community through Scripture, Wesleyan theology, liberation theology, and our shared experiences.

Together, we’ll consider what we need from one another, why our faith calls us to speak and act, and how we continue the work of love and justice regardless of election outcomes.

This is not about having all the answers or agreeing on everything. It’s about building relationships, strengthening our community, and discerning how we can faithfully care for one another and our neighbors.

All are welcome. Whether Oak Lawn UMC is your church home or you’re joining us for the first time, there’s room for you in this conversation.

Our Four Gatherings

October 28 — What Do We Need from One Another?

In times of uncertainty and division, what does faithful community look like? We’ll explore how we care for one another, listen across differences, and build relationships rooted in dignity, compassion, and belonging.

November 4 — The Morning After: What Remains?

The election will be over, but our calling to love our neighbors will remain. We’ll gather the day after the midterms to reflect, process what we’re experiencing, and consider where we find hope and community, regardless of the results.

November 11— Why Our Faith Calls Us to Speak

Our faith is not separate from the world around us. Drawing on Scripture, Wesleyan social holiness, and liberation theology, we’ll consider the church’s prophetic calling and what it means to speak faithfully about injustice while remaining grounded in love.

November 18 — Putting Love into Action

How do we move from conversation to faithful action? We’ll explore the ways our congregation and wider community can practice justice, strengthen relationships, and participate in God’s ongoing work of healing and liberation.

Join the Conversation

Wednesdays, October 28 – November 18, 2026
7:00–8:30 p.m. Central
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church
In Person & Online (Hybrid)

Facilitated by Rev. Ryan Wager & friends, using resources made available by Reconciling Ministries Network.

Each gathering will include Scripture, theological reflection, and opportunities for conversation. You don’t need a particular level of biblical knowledge or theological experience to participate. Bring your questions, your experiences, and a willingness to listen and learn together.

Registration is requested. Please complete the form below so we can welcome you and share participation details.

Register Here!

Our hope is simple: that whatever this election season brings, we will continue to show up for one another, care for our neighbors, and live faithfully together.

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]]> https://olumc.org/faithful-together/feed/ 0 Cornell https://olumc.org/cornell/ https://olumc.org/cornell/#respond Sat, 03 Oct 2026 01:27:52 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26355 The post Cornell appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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Standing for Survivors.  Standing for Justice.

A word from Oak Lawn UMC in response to the allegations at Cornell University

A Pastoral Letter to our Church & Community

One cannot read the allegations coming out of Cornell University and not be horrified. They are a painful reminder that sexual violence does not happen in isolation. It takes root wherever the dignity of women is diminished, where consent is dismissed or ignored, where bodies are treated as objects, and where communities choose silence in the face of harm.

At Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, we stand with survivors of abuse and sexual violence. We pray for those carrying wounds they may never share publicly, and we recommit ourselves to building a community where every person can live without fear, where dignity is protected, and where accountability is real.

Our United Methodist Social Principles are clear. We affirm the right of every person to bodily autonomy and freedom from exploitation, and we condemn sexual harassment, assault, abuse, and rape. These are not simply positions we hold on paper. They reflect our belief in the sacred worth and God-given dignity of every person.

The civil litigation and renewed criminal investigation involving members of Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity must be allowed to run their course in the pursuit of truth and accountability. But we do not need to wait for a verdict to say clearly what kind of world we believe God calls us to build.

Consent matters. The safety and dignity of women are not negotiable. Intoxication or vulnerability is never permission for exploitation. No person is an object to be used. And when survivors come forward, they deserve compassion, support, and care—not suspicion, shame, or blame.

Justice demands that we look upstream, too. We must confront cultures that objectify women, turn sexual exploitation into entertainment or a form of bonding, or value the reputation of an institution more than the people who have been harmed. Our faith calls us to care for those who have experienced violence, but it also calls us to challenge the systems, attitudes, and behaviors that allow that violence to continue.

Standing with survivors is part of how we stand for justice. So is working to build a world where there are fewer survivors in the first place.

Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison

Rev. Isabel Marquez-E

Rev. Ryan Wager

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]]> https://olumc.org/cornell/feed/ 0 Pride in Dallas 2026 https://olumc.org/pride-in-dallas-2026/ https://olumc.org/pride-in-dallas-2026/#respond Sat, 19 Sep 2026 03:45:49 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26317 The post Pride in Dallas 2026 appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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OLUMC Neighborhood Pride Guide 2026

Meet the OLUMC float on Douglas in between Cedar Springs & Hall, just next to the Kroger parking lot.

Look for DeVonta’s red truck and all the Oak Lawn UMC festivities!

Pride Lives Here. And You Belong Here.

Sunday, September 20 | Oak Lawn United Methodist Church

Pride comes home to Oak Lawn on Sunday, September 20—and we’re celebrating all day long.

Whether you’re joining us for worship, coming for lunch, marching with Oak Lawn UMC, watching the parade, or simply looking for a welcoming place to spend Pride Sunday, there is a place for you here.

Come exactly as you are. Bring your flags. Bring your Pride gear. Bring your chosen family. And come celebrate the beautiful, beloved LGBTQ+ community that has helped shape this neighborhood—and this church—for generations.

Pride Sunday Schedule

11 a.m. — Pride Sunday Worship
We’ll begin the day together in worship at Oak Lawn UMC. Come as you are—and yes, Pride attire is absolutely welcome.

Immediately After Worship — Pride Lunch
Stay after worship and share lunch with us before the parade. Eat, visit, meet some new friends, and get ready to celebrate together.

Before & After Worship — Get Your OLUMC Pride T-Shirt
Need something to wear? Oak Lawn UMC Pride T-shirts are available for $20 from our security team before and after worship.

2 p.m. — Pride in Dallas Parade
Then we head to Cedar Springs!

The Michael Doughman Pride in Dallas Parade steps off at 2 p.m. on Cedar Springs Road. This year’s theme feels especially appropriate for our neighborhood: Pride Lives Here.

Official Pride in Dallas Parade Information

March With Oak Lawn UMC

Don’t just watch Pride—come march with us!

Oak Lawn UMC will be part of the Pride in Dallas Parade, and our church family, friends, neighbors, and chosen family are invited to join us.

After lunch, make your way toward the parade and meet the Oak Lawn UMC float at Kroger at Cedar Springs & Douglas.

Bring your flags, your Pride gear, comfortable shoes, water—and plenty of joy.

Our gathering point:
Kroger at Cedar Springs & Douglas

Google Map | Kroger on Douglas

Rather Watch the Parade?

We’d love to see you along the route!

The parade travels along Cedar Springs Road through the heart of Oak Lawn. Pride in Dallas recommends arriving by about 1 p.m. if you want to find a good viewing location.

The parade is free and open to the community.

Parking at Oak Lawn UMC

Coming to church Sunday morning? Leave your car with us for Pride.

You are welcome to leave your vehicle in the Oak Lawn UMC parking lot or parking garage while you enjoy the afternoon’s festivities.

Overflow parking is available at the Centrum Building.

Parking throughout Oak Lawn will be limited, and Cedar Springs and adjacent streets will be affected by closures for Pride festivities. If you worship with us Sunday morning, our recommendation is simple: park once, leave your car, and walk to Pride from the church.

Getting Around on Pride Sunday

Expect Oak Lawn to be busy.

Cedar Springs and nearby streets will be affected by closures, and parking around the Strip will fill quickly. Give yourself extra time to get into the neighborhood Sunday morning and plan to do some walking.

If you’re starting your day at Oak Lawn UMC, leave your car at the church and enjoy the neighborhood on foot.

Pride Lives Here

For generations, LGBTQ+ people have built community in this neighborhood—finding friendship, creating family, caring for one another, organizing for change, making art, building businesses, worshiping, grieving, celebrating, and loving one another.

Oak Lawn UMC is grateful to be part of that story.

So this Sunday, we’ll worship. We’ll eat together. We’ll put on our Pride shirts and grab our flags. And then we’ll walk out our doors and celebrate with the neighborhood we love.

Happy Pride, Oak Lawn.

Because Pride lives here.

And at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, you belong here.

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]]> https://olumc.org/pride-in-dallas-2026/feed/ 0 Solidarity with Tucson https://olumc.org/tucson/ https://olumc.org/tucson/#respond Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:45:38 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26274 The post Solidarity with Tucson appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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An Open Letter to the Queer Community of Tucson

Beloved siblings in Tucson,

From Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, we want you to hear this clearly:

You are not alone.

We grieve with you. We stand with you. And we hold close every person whose heart is heavy with fear, anger, sorrow, or exhaustion.  When violence and hatred seek to make queer people afraid to gather, celebrate, love, or simply exist openly in the world, our response must be more than words. We must show up for one another.

So from one queer community to another, from Oak Lawn to Tucson, we are holding you in love.

We are praying for those who have been harmed, for those who are grieving, for those who are frightened, and for every person wondering whether it is still safe to be fully and beautifully themselves.  And we recommit ourselves to the work of building a world where LGBTQIA+ people are not merely tolerated, but safe, celebrated, protected, and beloved.

On Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m., we will gather in the Sanctuary of Oak Lawn United Methodist Churchfor a vigil in solidarity with the queer community of Tucson.  Join us in person for lament, meditation, and words of hope as we hold space for grief and remind one another that hatred will never have the final word.  Those unable to join us in Dallas can follow along on our livestream at olumc.org/livestream.

Tucson, we see you.  We grieve with you.  We stand with you.  And from the heart of the Oak Lawn neighborhood in Dallas, we send you our love.

You are beloved. You belong. And you do not walk this road alone.

In solidarity and hope,

Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, Senior Pastor

On behalf of the Pastors and People of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church

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]]> https://olumc.org/tucson/feed/ 0 We love you Dolly! https://olumc.org/we-love-you-dolly/ https://olumc.org/we-love-you-dolly/#respond Sun, 30 Aug 2026 04:14:13 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26249 The post We love you Dolly! appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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We love you Dolly!

Our Vigil memorializing Dolly Parton on the Rainbow Steps

August 29, 2026

Beautiful evening memorializing Dolly Parton. We were honored to partner with the local businesses and organizations in our gayborhood to host this vigil. May we all love like Dolly!

Thank you:  Dalls Voice, The Round Up Saloon, JR’s Bar & Grill, Dallas Social Queer Organization (DSQO), Texas Gay Rodeo Association (TGRA) and Pride in Dallas!

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]]> https://olumc.org/we-love-you-dolly/feed/ 0 North Texas Giving Day 2026 https://olumc.org/north-texas-giving-day-2026/ https://olumc.org/north-texas-giving-day-2026/#respond Thu, 27 Aug 2026 02:52:41 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26231 The post North Texas Giving Day 2026 appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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Help Us Spread the Word!

North Texas Giving Day 2026

Visit our NTX Giving Site Here

Your story can help us reach $20,000!

North Texas Giving Day is LIVE! From now through September 17, we have an incredible opportunity to tell North Texas about Oak Lawn UMC—and invite our friends, families, neighbors, and networks to support the work happening here.

North Texas Giving Day is about more than raising money. It’s about telling our story.

You’ve seen the welcome, worship, care, advocacy, recovery community, outreach, and ministries happening at Oak Lawn UMC. Now, help us share that impact with others!

Share Our Posts

The easiest way to help? Share what Oak Lawn UMC is already posting!

When you see one of our North Texas Giving Day posts, hit Share and add a sentence or two about why OLUMC matters to you. Tag a friend who might want to learn more!

Tell Your OLUMC Story

Your personal story is one of the most powerful things you can share.

Not sure what to write? Start with one of these:

  • I support Oak Lawn UMC because ______.
  • One thing I love about my church is ______.
  • I’ve seen Oak Lawn UMC make a difference by ______.
  • Oak Lawn UMC matters to Dallas because ______.
  • I found belonging at Oak Lawn UMC when ______.
  • One OLUMC ministry that inspires me is ______.

Add a photo, include our North Texas Giving Day link, and tell people why this church matters to you.

Copy, Paste & Share

Want something ready to go? Copy this message and make it your own:

I’m proud to be part of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church—a community committed to welcoming people, serving our neighbors, and standing up for justice. This North Texas Giving Day, we’re working toward a $20,000 goal to support the ministries and mission of OLUMC. I’d love for you to learn more about this incredible community and consider joining me in supporting its work!  Learn more today at https://bit.ly/4gzYMb5

Grab a Graphic

We’ve created graphics you can easily share on Facebook, Instagram, or wherever you connect with your community.

Download your favorite, add a few words about why you support Oak Lawn UMC, and share it!

DOWNLOAD SOCIAL GRAPHICS

Invite Someone Personally

Social media is great—but sometimes a personal invitation is even more powerful.

Think of three people who might believe in the work Oak Lawn UMC is doing and send them a quick text:

I wanted to share something that matters to me. My church, Oak Lawn UMC, is participating in North Texas Giving Day, and I’m really proud of the work we’re doing in our community. Take a look—and if our mission speaks to you, I’d love for you to support us!  Learn more today at https://bit.ly/4gzYMb5

Join a Phone & Text Bank

Help us reach our community directly by volunteering for a North Texas Giving Day Phone & Text Bank!

We’ll gather together, have some fun, and reach out to friends and members of the OLUMC community. No fundraising experience is needed. We’ll provide simple scripts, information, and everything you need.

A few calls or texts from you could make a big difference in helping us reach $20,000!

SIGN UP FOR A PHONE & TEXT BANK

Donate to the Silent Auction

Help us put the FUN in fundraising with the OLUMC Silent Auction!

Donate an experience, service, gift certificate, tickets, artwork, hotel stay, lesson, outing—or something uniquely you. Host a dinner, teach a skill, organize an adventure, or team up with friends to create something memorable.

And yes, the “Single Ladies” dare package is real: if it receives at least 20 bids totaling $1,000, Robert, Nick, and Buddy will perform a costumed, choreographed dance to Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”

Donations due September 5 | Online bidding September 12–30

DONATE TO THE SILENT AUCTION

Buy a Homecoming T-Shirt for $20

While we’re not hosting a Homecoming event due to low ticket sales, be sure to pick up a t-shirt for $20 during Cafe Au Later!

Wait—What About Beyond the Steps?

We know we’re talking about generosity in several ways right now, so here’s the simple difference:

North Texas Giving Day is happening now through September 17. Our $20,000 goal is an opportunity to rally our whole community—including friends, neighbors, former members, and community partners—to support Oak Lawn UMC and our ministries in 2026.

Beyond the Steps is our congregation’s 2027–2028 two-year generosity initiative. It brings together our regular giving and the additional resources needed to sustain and grow our ministries, strengthen our financial foundation, care for our historic building, and prepare OLUMC for the future.

North Texas Giving Day invites our whole community to support our work right now. Beyond the Steps invites our congregation to prayerfully invest in where God is calling us next.

Every Share Matters.

You don’t need hundreds of followers or a perfectly written post. You just need your story.  Every post, text, phone call, invitation, auction donation, testimony, and gift introduces another person to the ministry of Oak Lawn UMC.  Together, let’s tell our story, invite our community in, and reach our $20,000 North Texas Giving Day goal by September 17!  Share the story. Invite a friend. Make a gift. Help us reach $20K!

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]]> https://olumc.org/north-texas-giving-day-2026/feed/ 0 Silent Auction Donations 2026 https://olumc.org/auction_donations/ https://olumc.org/auction_donations/#respond Fri, 14 Aug 2026 21:25:59 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26207 The post Silent Auction Donations 2026 appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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Silent Auction Donations 2026

OLUMC Silent Auction

Let’s raise a lot of money for our church!  We’ll have a silent auction that will contain items and events that you can win if you’re the highest bidder.  We need to collect items and events from you to place in the auction. 

We have 2 objectives:

  1. Get to know each other better through fun experiences
  2. Raise lots of money for our church

Here are some examples of things you can donate:

  1. Tickets to a movie theatre, play, sporting event, comedy club, museum, festival, or concert
  2. Dinner at restaurants around town
  3. Gift certificate for a spa treatment, facial, massage, foot massage, manicure, pedicure, etc.
  4. Gift certificate to a store
  5. Free plane tickets or airline miles/points that winner can redeem for a trip of their choosing
  6. Free nights at nice hotel chains
  7. Tangible items like jewelry, art, autographed memorabilia, donated items from retailers, etc.
  8. 4 hours of handy-person work at someone’s house (if you are handy with tools)
  9. 4 hours of organizing a pantry, closet, or garage
  10. 4 hours of yard work or house cleaning
  11. Gift certificate for teaching someone something (sing, dance, cook, play guitar, etc.)
  12. Events that you’ll host, that will give church members a chance to get to know each other better, such as the ideas below. Partner with friend or several friends to host these types of events.  These events must have a specific date on them.
    1. Dinner for 4+ guests in your home
    2. You can drive 3 or more people around in your car in early December to look at Christmas lights in Highland Park
    3. Tennis for 1 or 3 people
    4. A pickleball outing with a meal at Chicken & Pickle in Grapevine
    5. A picnic for 3-4 people in October when the weather is nicer
    6. Bowling and dinner for 3 people
    7. Dessert-of-the-month for 4 months
    8. Scavenger Hunt for 10 people with dinner after
    9. A night for a group of people at one of those painting/ceramics/wine places
    10. An afternoon at a driving range for a few people
    11. Cooking lessons at Sur la Table for a small number of people
    12. A trip to iFly Indoor Skydiving with you
    13. There will be one auction item that has already been donated. It is a “dare package” on which we can all bid.  If we get enough bids on it, the sponsors of the “dare package” will perform their dare for us in October.  The dare is for our 3 security guards (Robert, Nick, Buddy) to do a choreographed and costumed dance number for us to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.”  In order for them to do this, we will have to receive a total of at least 20 bids on this item, and the total bids for this item will have to equal $1000 or more. 

We will collect auction items until September 5.

Auction items will be online and open for bidding from September 12 through September 30.

The button below contains a form for you to fill out and turn in to Kathy Jones.  If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact her at kathyjones@prodigy.net

Thank you very much for your participation!

Silent Auction Donation Form

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]]> https://olumc.org/auction_donations/feed/ 0 A Day of Prayer & Holy Remembrance https://olumc.org/august14/ https://olumc.org/august14/#respond Thu, 13 Aug 2026 03:58:00 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=26195 The post A Day of Prayer & Holy Remembrance appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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Day of Prayer & Holy Remembrance

Thursday, August 12 | Oak Lawn United Methodist Church

Online Worship Link

Tonight, we gather in prayer, remembrance, and hope.

On this day, as three executions are scheduled to take place across our nation, we come together to remember the sacredness of every human life. We hold in prayer those who have been harmed, those who grieve, those facing execution, their families, and all whose lives have been shaped by violence, loss, and the criminal legal system.

Throughout this day, the bells of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church have tolled as a public witness—a reminder that every life bears the image of God and that death should never pass unnoticed or unnamed.

Tonight is not a gathering for easy answers. It is a space to lament, to remember, to listen, and to pray. As people of faith, we trust in a God whose justice is inseparable from mercy, whose love reaches into the deepest places of suffering, and who continually calls us toward reconciliation, healing, and peace.

May our prayers tonight deepen our compassion, strengthen our courage, and help us imagine a world where violence is not answered with more violence, and where the dignity of every person is honored.

All are welcome in this sacred space.

Prayer Zoom Link

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]]> https://olumc.org/august14/feed/ 0 Volunteer Posters 2026 https://olumc.org/volunteer-posters-2026/ https://olumc.org/volunteer-posters-2026/#comments Mon, 29 Jun 2026 03:30:02 +0000 https://olumc.org/?p=25743 The post Volunteer Posters 2026 appeared first on Oak Lawn United Methodist Church.

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