Myron and Sharon Ricketts came to Universal City United Methodist Church in June 2006. 

 

Myron has served Jesus Christ as an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church since 1971. He spent 22 years as a chaplain – 20 years in the US Army and 2 years at the Methodist Healthcare System, San Antonio, where he established a pastoral counseling center.  Previous appointments have been in the Austin District, the McAllen District, the Kerrville District and now in the San Antonio District.

 

Myron and Sharon have been married since 1969 and have one son, Darron, who lives in Florida. 

 

Myron holds a Master of Theology degree with an emphasis on pastoral care from Perkins School of Theology, SMU, Dallas, TX, after graduating from the University of Houston in 1969 with a B.S. degree in Psychology.  He and Sharon both earned a Master of Arts degree in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from Phillips Graduate Institute, Hollywood, CA.  Both Sharon and Myron are Texas Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists, and Myron is an Approved Supervisor for Licensed Professional Counselors and LMFT’s. Myron is a Supervisory Member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists and both belong to the Christian Counselors of Texas Association.

 

Myron and Sharon are both glad to be called to and appointed to serve the people of the Universal City area as we work together to “CATCH THE SPIRIT and SPREAD THE JOY” of Jesus.  His sermons always amplify Scripture and encourage a deeper relationship with God and others on the journey to greater friendship with the Lord.

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Phillip entered the United States Air Force in 1988, with a degree in Aerospace Engineering.  After attending flight training he was assigned to Offutt AFB where he flew reconnaissance aircraft for over 6 years.  Phillip then spent four years as a flight instructor before being assigned to HQ 19 Air Force, Randolph AFB as an action officer/NAF Flight Examiner.  While at Randolph AFB, he spent three years as a member of the AIR FORCE ONE Advance Team traveling in support of Presidents Clinton and Bush.  Probably Phillip’s most noteworthy trip with AIR FORCE ONE was with President Bush in Sarasota, FL, on September 11, 2001.

 

Even with all the successes in his military career, Phillip felt an emptiness in his life.  He says, “After a period of soul searching and trying to hear God’s call for my life, I finally knew that God was calling me to go out as an ambassador of His Kingdom and help others learn of God’s love and the gift that Jesus Christ offers to all.”  In 2004, he left the USAF after 16 years and entered the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, TX where he earned his Master of Divinity degree.  During his years in seminary, Phillip served as a Local Student Pastor at Resurrection UMC in Adkins, TX.  Upon graduation, he was appointed as the Associate Pastor of Universal City UMC.

 

Phillip has been referred to by Tom Bledsoe, the Director of the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, as one of today’s “young emerging evangelists.”  He is the President /Founder of the Horizon to Horizon Evangelistic Association which is a ministry designed to reach today’s society with the message of the Gospel using contemporary music and methods.

 

As a minister, Phillip enjoys preaching the Gospel in a new and fresh way.  He believes that Christianity should be fun and worship a joyful and exciting experience.  He also volunteers as a member of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team as a Chaplain and has deployed with them into the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  He has been involved with Operation Christmas Child, a ministry sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, and continues to be active helping local churches reach out to hurting children throughout the world.  He enjoys working with youth and has been asked to speak at various youth events.

 

Phillip is married to Robin H. Hefner, a school teacher working on a Master’s Degree in School Psychology.  They have four daughters:  Lesa (17), Victoria (15), Kelsie (14), and Kori (8). 

 

Phillip’s heart is expressed in this statement:  “I think every Christian has a duty to spread the Word of Jesus Christ and to do it in a way that shows God’s love as well as showing the world that having Jesus Christ in your life is truly the greatest gift of all."

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 Past Pastors

 

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The people of Universal City United Methodist Church meet together with a purpose: To Make Disciples of Jesus Christ through Witness, Outreach and Nurture.

The character of this congregation is to Offer Christ to All, and we make every effort to transform our community through our Witness, Outreach and Nurture.  We are a Welcoming Congregation and an inclusive Congregation constantly seeking effective ways of Disciple Making.  We are a congregation praying for and reaching out to others much as Andrew did in the Gospel of John 1:41-42 - going to find our brothers and sisters and bringing them to Jesus.  

On our Website and in our Church, you will find people unified by the call of Christ in their lives to Make Disciples of Jesus Christ through Witness, Outreach and Nurture.  You will also find a church family that supports, loves, builds up one another, and speaks the truth in love.  When you find us, you find the family of God that you have longed for and where you can grow and contribute to the Kingdom of God.  The LORD is present here in life-transforming ways.

At UCUMC we are all happy you are a part of this journey of faith.

 

Peace,

Rev. Myron Ricketts

Senior Pastor

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 Lay Leadership

 

The Lay Leader is the advocate for lay people in the church. The Lay Leader coordinates the activities of Laity Sunday, works closely with the Pastors on missions and activities in the church, seeks out training opportunities to develop leadership in the congregation, serves on the W.O.N. (Witness - Outreach - Nurture) Ministry Team, SPPR Ministry Team/, Board of Trustees Ministry Team, Finance, Stewardship, and other church ministry teams to keep abreast of lay concerns. The Lay Leader is also a member of the Charge Conference and co-chairs the Lay Leadership Ministry Team with the Senior Pastor. 

 

Sally Friedli has been a member of UCUMC for almost 12 years.  She grew up in East Texas, married an Army officer, and traveled to far away and interesting places such as Germany and Japan, also California, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia.  They retired in Cibolo in 1995 and, after being a stay-at-home mom for many years, she returned to the work force.  She works at the Southwest Texas Conference United Methodist Center in the Leadership Development Office as an Administrative Assistant.  Sally is in the Hosanna Chimes Bell Choir, assistant director of the Children’s Choir, is a member of the Worship Ministry Team, W.O.N. in Christ Ministry Team, Spiritual Journey MT, and an auxiliary member of the Evangelism MT.  She is also a member of the Praise Team, a Lay Speaker, and serves as Worship Leader, Communion Server and Lay Reader at the 11:00 service.  She will be a delegate to Annual Conference in 2007.  She has served as Children’s Sunday School Teacher, Worship MT Chair, Vacation Bible School Music Director, and W.O.N. in Christ secretary.  She has served as counselor at conference events such as Kingdom Kamp and Children’s Camp and attended an Emmaus Walk in January 2004.  She is married to David and they have 3 wonderful children, Kimberly, Brian (and wife, Lora) and Ben.

 

Associate Lay Leaders

 

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 Lay Speaking Ministry

 

What is Lay Speaking Ministries? Leading, caring, and communications best describe what lay speakers do in ministry with The United Methodist Church.  In Leading, Lay Speakers combine words and actions in leadership roles within their churches and communities.  In Caring, Lay Speakers combine words with deeds; they find ways to care for others.  Some are involved in crisis ministries, such as visiting grieving families.  They share a ministry of caring one-on-one with people in times of need and joy, showing their faith by responding to others with care.  Communicating both the Bible and Christian experience by filling pulpits, leading Bible studies, speaking in youth and children’s groups, talking with prison groups and more is the 3rd area of lay speaking ministries.

 

What is a Lay Speaker?  A UMC Lay Speaker is a member of a local church or charge who is ready and desirous to serve the Church; who is well informed on and committed to the Scriptures and the doctrine, heritage, organization, and life of the United Methodist Church; and who has received specific training to develop skills in witnessing to the Christian faith through spoken communications, church and community leadership, and care-giving ministries. 

Do you feel the call to be a Lay Speaker at Universal City United Methodist Church?  If so, please contact Lenny Dagg.

 

 

 

 

The Lay Leadership & Development Ministry Team is co-chaired by the Senior Pastor and the Lay Leader. The ministry team's primary function is to seek out and nominate motivated and qualified individuals for positions in the church structure. The ministry team formulates a list of nominees for church positions and presents the list at the church Charge Conference. The ministry team is charged with seeking out training opportunities to develop individuals. This includes encouraging attendance at Equipping the Saints, Lay Speaker Training, and other opportunities offered in the District and Conference that will enhance individual skills and understanding.

 

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The Trustee Ministry Team, subject to the direction of the Charge Conference, is responsible for the supervision, oversight, and care of all real property owned by the church and all property and equipment acquired directly by the church or by any society, board, class, commission, or similar organization connected to the church. Members of the Team serve in elected Classes by year group and serve in three year terms which provide continuity from one year to the next.

In recent years, the Trustee Ministry Team has overseen the renovations of our Sanctuary and Education Building, the purchase of new tables and chairs for both the Fellowship Hall and Education Building, and the resurfacing of the Church Parking Lot. The current team seeks to maintain a hands on approach as evidenced by our recent renovations which have been almost exclusively accomplished by church volunteers, saving the church and its members untold dollars.

  

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(W.O.N. in Christ) (Church Board)

The W.O.N. in Christ Ministry Team is accountable to and serves as the administrative agency of the church conference, overseeing the administration and organization for ministry of the congregation. It plans and implements programs of nurture, outreach, witness, and resources for the church. It is also responsible for envisioning, planning, implementing and evaluating the mission and ministry for the church. The mission of the church is to make disciples for Jesus Christ and simply put, the purpose of the W.O.N. in Christ Ministry Team is to understand and implement the congregation's vision for accomplishing that mission. The W.O.N. in Christ Ministry Team is composed of the following members:

 

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STEWARDSHIP is asking 'What is God asking of me?' and then RESPONDING WITH RESOLVE!  Let's be EXTRAVAGANT GIVERS!

Below is a sermon by the Rev. Bill Johnson at First UMC Bastrop about stewardship or, as he calls it,  “extravagant generosity.”  (Don’t stop reading – it’s not your typical stewardship sermon)!  He won an award for the sermon and when you read the article you’ll see why.  The thoughts herein are well worth our thoughtful reflection and prayers.  What could be more fitting to the UCUMC vision of offering Christ to all with excellence in everything than an entire congregation with the “vision and faith to plant seeds for trees whose shade we will never see.

  

  

If you've been in church lately it has been hard to miss the emphasis on stewardship—or at least I sure hope it has! As Christians, we know we are to be the body of Christ and through our stewardship we do just that.

To some, the annual stewardship campaign is just a reminder to pledge money to the church. Perhaps we bring that on ourselves by not emphasizing the full meaning of stewardship throughout the year more than we do. For stewardship is about much more than just filling out a pledge card. It's about a commitment as a follower of Christ to be good stewards of His church.

As United Methodists, we believe stewardship means at least four things: our prayers, our presence, our gifts, and our service. Through our prayers , we ask God for direction for those in our church as well as those outside of our church who may be seeking to know the loving grace of Christ in their lives. Through our presence , we not only support ourselves by study and worship, we also provide support to others by being with them. We become a community of faith. Our gifts make the buildings, staff, and programs possible that in turn give us a place to worship, support for our ministries and mission, and classes for children, youth, and adults to learn and grow in Christ. And our service gives us the opportunity to express our faith by using the gifts we each bring to the body of Christ.

The Universal City United Methodist Church is an active, growing church. We are active and growing because of the commitment of our members to Christ and our desire to spread His message to others. Stewardship is ultimately about that commitment. Our church will continue to grow and reach out to others as long as we commit our prayers, presence, gifts, and service to carry out Christ's commission. So Catch the Spirit and Spread the Joy ! Commit yourself to be the best possible steward of our Lord and His church.

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More info about Finance Ministry Team coming soon.

  

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