This week at Oak Lawn UMC, we’re sharing a moment many in our community have been waiting for.
Rev. Ryan opens with celebrations from a full and meaningful week, including the Dallas Landmark Commission’s decision to grant the Rainbow Steps three more years as a public work of art and public witness. We also celebrate community partnerships, a packed sanctuary, a successful blood drive, and the growing presence of queer youth finding belonging at Oak Lawn.
 
Rev. Rachel then reads a letter from Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr. of the Horizon Texas Conference, offering gratitude and affirmation for Oak Lawn’s courage, faith, and visible commitment to love. The letter names the Rainbow Steps as art, testimony, and a promise to LGBTQ neighbors that they are seen, safe, and loved.

📅 Upcoming at Oak Lawn UMC
 
February 1 and February 8 A two-week symposium, Gender Diversity: Made in God’s Image. Week one focuses on shared learning and resources. Week two features a Q&A with gender-diverse people sharing their faith journeys.
February 28 Mark Miller in concert at Oak Lawn UMC. Today is the final day to purchase discounted tickets before prices increase. Choirs from across North Texas are invited to join for this special evening.

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church Dallas, Texas
The Oak Lawn Bulletin is our weekly audio update for the wider community.
🌈 Check out the new Rainbow Stairs merch at olumc.org/shop
☕️ 🤝 Connect Card 

🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give

Welcome to the Oak Lawn Bulletin for the first week of the new year.
In this episode, we share what’s coming up at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, including Epiphany Sunday and a full slate of worship, justice, music, and community events in January and February.

You’ll hear about:

• Epiphany Sunday worship (Sunday, January 4 at 11 a.m.), centered on God’s love made visible through welcome, service, and justice
• A City of Dallas Landmark Commission public hearing on the future of the Rainbow Stairs (Monday, January 5 at 1 p.m.)
• The Oak Lawn Blood Drive with the American Red Cross (Saturday, January 10, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.)
• A free Winter Chamber Concert with the New Texas Symphony Orchestra (Saturday, January 10 at 3 p.m.)
• Baptism of the Lord & Baptism Renewal Sunday (January 11 at 11 a.m.)
• Living with Loss: Queer and Beloved, our weekly grief support group (Mondays at 7 p.m., with an online option)
• Upcoming February events, including Made in God’s Image: Gender, Diversity, and Sacred Belonging, Holy Hurt: Healing After Spiritual Trauma, and a sing-in and concert with Mark Miller
• The Orchard, a new Thursday night gathering for 20-somethings looking for connection without pressure or pretense

Oak Lawn UMC is an inclusive church in the heart of Dallas, known for public faith, radical welcome, and deep community care. Whether you worship with us in person, online, or are just curious about what church can look like, you’re welcome here.
 
Join us Sundays at 11am CST in person or on Facebook Live.
Services are posted later on YouTube.
📍 Oak Lawn United Methodist Church Dallas, Texas
🌈 All are welcome. Come as you are.

🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give

Welcome to this week’s Oak Lawn Bulletin—a short, midweek check-in from Oak Lawn UMC in Dallas. 
In this episode, Reverend Rachel reflects on Sunday’s sermon and invites us to think about joy not as something quiet or private, but as something we live out loud. Drawing from Mary’s song in Luke and the wisdom of Latina women of faith, she reminds us that joy can be an act of courage—especially in hard times—and that God often speaks through lived experience, not just from pulpits.
You’ll also hear what’s coming up in the life of our community:

• Community Dinner this Sunday at 4:00 PM — everyone welcome
• Queer & Beloved Grief Support Meeting this Monday at 7:00pm — register in advance
• Christmas Eve Worship on December 24 at 7:00 PM and 11:00 PM CST

If you’re looking for a progressive Christian church, a faith rooted in justice and compassion, or a place where belief turns into action, you’re in the right place.
Thanks for listening. We’re glad you’re here.
Learn more, connect, or support the work at oaklawn.org

🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give

This short Oak Lawn Bulletin walks you through what’s happening around the church this week. We talk about the 2026 pledge drive, the heart behind Giving Tuesday, chances to serve at our cold-weather shelter, the kickoff of our winter book study, and the open-house known as Christmas at The Rock. It’s a quick way to stay connected, catch the details, and carry the spirit of Advent from hope into peace.

• Giving Tuesday Donations
• Donate to Oak Lawn
• Dinner at The Rock (email us here)
• Contact: [email protected]
• Oak Lawn Bulletin (all links)

This short podcast is perfect for anyone who missed Sunday, wants to share updates with friends, or wants an easy way to keep up with what’s going on at Oak Lawn UMC.


🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give

This week on the Oak Lawn Bulletin, we look back at a full and tender Sunday as our church marked Transgender Day of Remembrance and welcomed the TransLatinx DFW Task Force. We also share details about our “Living With Loss: Queer and Beloved” gatherings, including the special “Surviving the Holidays” session that met this week.

You’ll hear updates on our Thanksgiving lunch, Advent plans, the Hanging of the Greens, and a new project where our folks share what Oak Lawn means to them. If you’ve been thinking about coming back to church—or stepping inside for the first time in years—this might be the nudge you needed. 
Come as you are. We’re here, and there’s room for you.

• Thanksgiving Donations & Volunteering Link
• Donate to Oak Lawn
• Contact: [email protected]

🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give

Oak Lawn Bulletin for November 19, 2025 

Transgender Day of Remembrance Worship & TransGiving Potluck Sunday, November 23 • 11:00 a.m.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church
3014 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, TX 75219 Oak Lawn UMC will host a powerful Transgender Day of Remembrance worship service honoring transgender and gender-diverse siblings whose lives were taken by violence this year. Following worship, all are invited to stay for a TransGiving Potluck and access the Trans Clothing Closet, offering affirming clothing and support to our trans and gender-expansive neighbors.
All are welcome.

Living with Grief: Queer & Beloved — Surviving the Holidays Monday, November 24 • 7:00 p.m.
Oak Lawn United Methodist Church – Hybrid (in-person & Zoom) A special gathering of our LGBTQ+ grief support group, Living with Grief: Queer & Beloved, focused on Surviving the Holidays. This evening is for those grieving loved ones, navigating family estrangement, or facing the holidays with tenderness and uncertainty. No RSVP needed.
For Zoom access, email: [email protected]

Thanksgiving Community Lunch Wednesday, November 26 • 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Hosted by Oak Lawn UMC & Dallas Responds
3014 Oak Lawn Ave., Dallas, TX 75219 Join us for our annual Thanksgiving Community Lunch, providing a warm meal and community for neighbors, unsheltered friends, families, asylum-seeking guests, and anyone seeking connection this season.  A celebration of hospitality, dignity, and shared gratitude—all are welcome.

Media & Community Contact:
Rev. Ryan Wager, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church
📧 [email protected]
🌐 For all events, visit olumc.org

🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give

This week, Rev. Rachel celebrates 151 years of God’s faithfulness at Oak Lawn United Methodist Church with a message rooted in Luke and Isaiah. From the Emmaus road to the prophet’s call for justice, we hear how the rhythm of the Eucharist—gathered, blessed, broken, given—shapes the life of faith. Our history holds both wounds and witness, yet God transforms brokenness into healing, mercy, and repair. Join us as we step into that rhythm this Dallas Pride Day, where worship spills into the streets through love, justice, and inclusion. Be part of the story—worship with Oak Lawn United Methodist Church or support our ministry at https://olumc.org/give.

🙏 Please donate if you are able: olumc.org/give