Tarrytown United Methodist Church sits on the east side of Exposition Boulevard between Westover and Windsor, in the heart of Austin's Tarrytown neighborhood. The congregation marked eighty years of ministry in 2026, gathering in a sanctuary, chapel, and education complex that also houses a children's day out program, a fellowship hall, and a memorial columbarium garden. Across eight decades the church has grown into a multi-staff congregation known for traditional Sunday worship, a wide network of small groups, an extensive music ministry, and partnerships that range from a neighborhood food pantry to sponsored families in Rwanda.
Sunday Morning: Three Services, Three Settings
The rhythm of the week centers on Sunday morning. The 8:30 a.m. traditional service takes place in the Sanctuary and is livestreamed for those at home. After that service, the building fills with the smell of coffee and the buzz of conversation as adults head to Sunday School classes and children head to their own classrooms. At 9:45 a.m., a more intimate chapel service runs alongside the Sunday School hour for those who prefer a smaller setting. The 11:00 a.m. service returns to the Sanctuary for another traditional service, also livestreamed, and includes a short Time for Children during the liturgy before young ones are invited to the Narthex for Extended Care.
Nursery care for infants through three-year-olds is available at both Sanctuary services and during the Sunday School hour. Activity bags for children are kept in the Sanctuary, and every volunteer and staff member who works with young people completes Safe Gatherings training through the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Wednesday Evenings at the Chapel
Wednesday is the second pillar of the church's worship life. A 6:30 p.m. chapel service, also livestreamed, gathers in the smaller chapel for a midweek word and prayer. The evening is part of a broader Wednesday night program that begins at 6:00 p.m. with dinner and rolls into children's programming, youth fellowship, and adult small groups. The Chancel Choir rehearses at 7:00 p.m. and the Handbell Choir at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays during the program season.
Music Ministry Across Generations
Music is woven into both Sundays and Wednesdays. The Chancel Choir sings at services and rehearses Wednesday evenings under Roland Barrera, Director of Music Ministry. The Handbell Choir rehearses just before the Chancel Choir. Children's Choir meets Sunday mornings at 9:30 and welcomes young singers during the program year. Anyone interested in singing or ringing, or in playing in a praise band for contemporary-style music, is invited to reach out to Roland Barrera.
Children: Sunday School, Nursery, and Mini Movers
The Children's Ministry, led by Stephanie Edgar as Director of Family Ministry, is built around the belief that children belong in the full life of the church. Sunday School runs from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. with check-in at welcome kiosks across campus and classrooms organized by age: Pre-K and Kindergarten, first and second grade, and third through fifth grade. Children start in room 222 for music and special activities before moving to their classes.
Nursery care is offered every Sunday morning for infants through age two. After the Time for Children in the 11:00 a.m. service, W.A.M. Kids! (Worship and Me Kids!) gathers pre-K through Kindergarten in room 227 for an age-appropriate worship experience. The ministry also runs Mini Movers, a Monday morning baby and caregiver movement class led by physical therapist Lisa Denis, open to anyone in the community with no registration required.
Baptism is a doorway into the congregation. Parents attend a Baptism and Belonging class, held twice a year during the Wednesday night program, to explore the meaning of the sacrament and the vows they will make. A baptism request form on the church's site connects families to Stephanie Edgar.
Youth in Grades Six Through Twelve
Scott Hinderliter directs the youth ministry, which is open to all students in grades six through twelve. Youth Sunday School meets Sundays from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. in the Youth Attic. The weekly fellowship, UMYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship), gathers Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for dinner, worship, small groups, and games. The youth program also includes retreats, social events, and service opportunities such as serving as greeters, ushers, and liturgists. Confirmation registration is handled separately, and families can stay connected through Remind by texting @tumc-atx to 81010.
Adult Discipleship: Sunday School and Midweek Studies
Adult spiritual formation is anchored by Sunday School at 9:45 a.m., when the church offers a remarkable breadth of classes for every stage of life. Adult Bible Fellowship follows the lectionary in room 629 of the Administration Building. The Agape class, in room 712 of the Annex on Spring Lane, uses the United Methodist adult curriculum. Foundations is a class of adults in their mid-thirties to early forties that meets in the Loft above Perry Hall.
Several classes meet in person and offer a Zoom link for hybrid attendance. Aldersgate gathers in room 101 of the Fellowship Hall basement and welcomes members in their fifties and sixties. Faith, in the Commons, is an adult couples and singles group whose members range in age to ninety and above. Wesley meets in room 400 of Perry Hall and mixes Bible study with Christian living topics. Pathfinders, in room 120, is composed primarily of adults in their fifties and sixties. SWIFT (Searching and Witnessing In Fellowship Together) meets in room 620 and invites speakers to share on a wide range of subjects.
Midweek studies round out the year. Recent offerings have included a Bible study on Lamentations led by Pastor Allison, a study of the Sermon on the Mount with the Aldersgate class, a book study of Max Lucado's Tame Your Thoughts with the Wesley class, and an Uniquely United Methodist series on the history of the UMC and the meaning of membership vows led by Pastor Abby. A Stephen Minister formation class is offered each fall for those interested in lay caring ministry.
The 55+ Ministry
The 55+ Ministry keeps older adults connected to one another and to the church. Lunch Bunch meets after the 11:00 a.m. worship on every second Sunday, heading out together to a local restaurant for food and fellowship. Games and More gathers on every second Tuesday in room 615 of the Administration Building for an evening of cards, board games, and friendly competition.
Pastoral Care and Prayer
Care at Tarrytown UMC is offered through several overlapping ministries. The Prayer Team prays daily for the requests shared with them, and anyone may add a confidential request by emailing Pastor Daesub or filling out a Connect Card found in the Sunday bulletin. Pastor Daesub also oversees Congregational Care and the Home Visitation Ministry, which assembles Easter and Christmas bags for in-home members containing signed cards, blessed Communion elements, and a devotional written by clergy.
Stephen Ministry is a one-on-one lay caring ministry in which trained Stephen Ministers walk alongside people experiencing hospitalization, bereavement, divorce, aging, depression, terminal illness, or disability. The ministry is grounded in Jesus' command to love one another, is confidential, and is open to anyone who would like a caring Christian companion. A Stephen Minister formation class begins each fall.
Serve Near: Austin Mission Partnerships
The church's local mission work is organized under Serve Near. On the second Tuesday of each month, a team of four or five volunteers heads to Hope Food Pantry to sort and stock food donations in preparation for the pantry's weekly distribution. On Thursday mornings, three male volunteers help neighbors experiencing homelessness through the Men's Shower Ministry at Trinity Center, setting up shower stations and assisting those who have signed up.
Trinity Streets is a worship and meal event at Trinity Center hosted by TUMC several times a year, drawing on twelve volunteers to set up, greet, and prepare a simple meal for around forty-five neighbors. TUMC also accepts donations of gently used clothing, shoes, towels, washcloths, socks, underwear, and hygiene items for Trinity Center's clothes closet.
Literacy Partners at Campbell Elementary pairs TUMC volunteers with first graders for thirty minutes to an hour each week from October through May, supporting the goal that every child reads by the end of third grade. TUMC is also a Neighborhood of Knowingness partner with Community First! Village, a development of Mobile Loaves & Fishes that provides affordable permanent housing for neighbors coming out of chronic homelessness. In addition, the church partners with I Am Courageous, an organization that brings music, stories, and encouragement to children and families facing difficult medical challenges.
Serve Far: Rwanda and Honduras
Global mission work is organized under Serve Far. TUMC has sponsored multiple cohorts of vulnerable children and youth-led families through ZOE Empowers, which equips families to overcome extreme poverty and achieve self-sufficiency. A team of fourteen from TUMC traveled to Rwanda in July 2025 to visit the families the church supports, and another team is planned for June 2027. The Zoe Marketplace offers accessories, housewares, and honorary gifts handmade by Zoe children and program graduates. The church also partners with Honduras Outreach International, which provides food, medical supplies, and school supplies to communities in Honduras.
Beliefs, Baptism, and Membership
Tarrytown UMC teaches within the United Methodist tradition, baptizing people of all ages as a sign that God's grace claims each of us from the very beginning of life. Baptism is understood as incorporation into Christ's church and participation in God's mighty acts of salvation. The Uniquely United Methodist class series invites newcomers and longtime members alike to explore the history of the denomination and the meaning of the membership vows of prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Adults considering baptism for themselves are invited to begin a conversation with the pastoral team.
The Campus, Parking, and Accessibility
The Tarrytown campus occupies the block east of Exposition Boulevard. Parking is available on neighborhood streets and in the lot north of the Sanctuary next to the Carillon building. Handicap-accessible parking is available in the parking garage beneath the Administration Building, on McCullough next to the ADA entrance, and in the Drive A Senior parking lot. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and can be reached at 512-472-3111 or info@tumc.church.
Getting Connected
Visitors who want to take a next step can email Pastor Abby, fill out a Connect Card on Sunday morning, or set up an account on Church Center to register for classes, sign up to serve, and give online. Acolytes light the altar candles before worship; the Welcome Team greets and seats worshipers; the Music Ministry welcomes singers, ringers, and band players; and the Prayer Team holds requests large and small in daily prayer. Children's Day Out, a weekday preschool program, has its own page on the church's site and welcomes families from across central Austin.
Tarrytown United Methodist Church holds three Sunday morning services, a Wednesday evening chapel, a full program for children and youth, dozens of adult small groups, choirs for every age, and a network of local and global partnerships, all rooted in a single neighborhood campus on Exposition Boulevard.