When people ask me about Avondale United Methodist Church...
my heartfelt response is always, “There’s no place I’d rather be. It’s a great time to be at Avondale!” There is something great going on at the church most every day of the week – worship on Sundays … our food cooperatives for low income families … after school programs for children … feeding the homeless … choir practice … Girl Scouts … Alcoholics Anonymous groups … social services and family crisis management … basketball practice ... and so much more. God is doing amazing things to build the kingdom, and God is using Avondale UMC to do it.
Avondale UMC is an open, affirming, and inclusive congregation in the heart of Birmingham’s thriving Avondale, Crestwood, and Forest Park neighborhoods. The church has been a vital part of the community for more than 135 years as a place where people can connect with God, with each other, and with their neighbors. We believe that God is calling us and our community to an even brighter future, and we are excited to be an instrument and witness to what God is doing among the neighborhoods of East Birmingham.
United Methodists come in all sizes, shapes, colors, dispositions, outlooks and life stories, but they share a unique faith perspective: God is at work in the world to bring about healing, wholeness, and renewed life, and God invites all people to experience these realities regardless of their background. Because of this reality, we strive to embrace with genuine hospitality all whom we encounter; and we extend compassion, love, and fellowship to all within our reach. United Methodists also believe that God invites us to share in God’s mission in the world as we actively follow in the footsteps of Jesus, which means that as Christians we are not passive spectators, but rather energetic participants in ministry and mission.
One of my favorite scripture passages comes from Ecclesiastes 3, in particular the first verse that reads: “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” In this season of ministry at Avondale UMC, I see people truly embodying Christ’s call to love God and love our neighbors. I am grateful to serve alongside the faithful members of this congregation as well as our neighbors and friends in the community. I hope you will join me in prayer that through our church, others will come to know the joy we share and experience the love of Jesus Christ in our world.
Blessings,
Rev. Malinda Jowers Weaver
