Worship with us each Sunday morning at 10am.
We offer worship opportunities either in-person in our Sanctuary or via our livestream on Facebook. All are welcome. Our worship is a more traditional style of worship in that we sing hymns, affirm our faith with the Apostles Creed, and pray together the Lord's Prayer. We celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month and other special holy days throughout the year. Although we are traditional in our worship style, we are not formal in our dress. We invite people to wear what feels most comfortable to them. Most people will be dressed in business casual or casual attire. Everyone is welcome and affirmed at Avondale UMC regardless of who you are, where you come from, or who you love.
Rev. Malinda Jowers Weaver
Pastor
Team Members
Rev. Malinda Jowers Weaver
Pastormalinda@avonumc.net
Malinda was born and raised in Pelham, Alabama, and grew up at Helena United Methodist Church. You could say she was attending church before she was born since her mother was the church organist at Helena for 50 years. Malinda attended college at the University of Alabama where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Telecommunication and Film; in layman’s terms that’s broadcasting. Malinda worked for a few years at a local news station here in Birmingham, finishing there as the 6:00am morning show producer before answering God’s call to ministry. She went on to attend Emory University in Atlanta where she received a Master of Divinity and also met her future husband while singing in the theology school’s choral ensemble The Candler Singers.
Malinda is married to Disney Weaver. He teaches Economics, Sociology, and World History at Ramsay High School, and he coaches the school’s tennis team. They have two young daughters, Rose and Margaret, who are both social butterflies. Malinda enjoys gardening with Disney, being amused by her girls, and traveling with all three of them.
Malinda’s biggest passions in ministry are mission work and helping people find their place in the mission of the church. She believes God calls each of us to somehow be in service. From swinging a hammer … to serving meals to hungry people … to writing notes of encouragement to those who need them … we all have a part to play in the kingdom of God. Malinda will challenge you to find your place of service if you haven’t already.
Nursery
We welcome children of all ages in worship every Sunday. However, if you would like childcare, we have nursery available each Sunday morning beginning at 9:30am for children age 4 and under. The nursery is staffed with workers who have had a background check in accordance with our child protection policy. The children will listen to songs, hear Bible stories, and be offered age-appropriate crafts as we begin to teach our children about God’s great love for them.
Jenna Haaland
Nursery
Team Members
Jenna Haaland
NurseryJenna is a student at Samford University studying nursing with a minor in nutrition. She was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and chose Samford because of the community, the faith-based education, and the beautiful city of Birmingham! She is so excited to be a part of the Avondale community.
Children's Church
As children grow older, we encourage them to join us in worship for the first part of the service. We believe it's important for children to begin to learn the rituals of worship so that it doesn't feel foreign to them later in life. Just as reading and writing are a natural part of their development, so too is worship. At the same time, we recognize that 45 minutes to an hour is a long time for a little one to try to sit still and be quiet. Thus, we offer Children's Church each Sunday. Following the Children's Moment in worship children (kindergarten through second grade) are escorted to Children’s Church by our Director of Children and Family Ministry (Mrs. Randi) where they sing songs, here a Bible story, and make crafts about what they're learning. Parents pick up their child(ren) from the first floor classroom after the worship service.
Randi Turner
Director of Children and Family Ministry
Team Members
Randi Turner
Director of Children and Family Ministryrturner@avonumc.net
Randi doesn’t have one hometown because her dad was an Air Force pilot. She was born in Hawaii and has lived in ten states and two countries. She moved back to Birmingham in 2005. She has more than ten years experience in educating students of various ages which allows her to meet the many varying needs of families in our congregation and community. She did her undergraduate work at Samford University and went on to receive a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University. Randi has been worshiping with us for a few years and became a member of our congregation in March of 2016. She loves our church and affirms the church’s vision of including all people into our community of faith. In her words, “I feel strongly about our church ministering to families whose dynamics vary from traditional nuclear families, as I believe it is our duty to welcome them with open arms and provide support to their unique situations.” Randi’s role is two-fold: (1) to provide quality learning and fellowship opportunities for the faith development of our children and (2) to offer meaningful avenues for all individuals and families, whether someone has children or not, to engage more fully in the life of the church (for example, through a small group or Bible study). Randi’s husband Ricky is an Inventory Supervisor at Greenbrier Rail Services. Together, they have twin daughters, Addison & Aubrey, and a son, Trenton.