Missions
Lenten Pancake Day
Dear FUMC Family, I pray that you are doing well and experiencing a blessed season of Lent. The word from which our word “Lent” comes is the Old English word: “lencten” which means spring (or the time when daylight hours lengthen.) How fitting for us, as we begin to come out of winter! I must say that I have “spring fever,” in that I can’t wait to get outdoors and in my gardens. There are notable dates for us coming up in Lent. I will…
May News
First Church Family, Several weeks ago, in a conversation with our Pete Kidder, Caldwell Habitat for Humanity executive director, I came to understand that: * there are houses within a mile of our church where families with children live on dirt floors.* more than 7,000 houses in our county are heated by portable kerosene heaters and by opening the oven.* 7,764 families in our county spend almost one-third of their total income on housing.* and many mobile homes in our county are so poorly…
Helping Those in Need
First Church Family, Last Thursday, in a conversation with our Pete Kidder, Caldwell Habitat for Humanity executive director, I came to understand that: there are houses within a mile of our church where families with children live on dirt floors. more than 7,000 houses in our county are heated by portable kerosene heaters and by opening the oven. 7,764 families in our county spend almost one-third of their total income on housing. and many mobile homes in our county are so poorly insulated that…
Youth and Ministry
First Church Family, I pray you are in good health and spirits. Important things are happening in our church family. Over the past weeks, we have sought to recharge our youth ministry. During the past two years of COVID restraints, our Tara Hatton led us well. In the couple of months since she left the program to take better care of her family, we have prayed about moving forward and asked our congregation to assist us in recommitting ourselves to supporting a strong youth program. …
Happy New Year!
First Church Family: In early December, upon embarking on an Advent adventure we called: “Christmas Is Not Our Birthday,” I shared with you that our leadership team approved a Christmas program that requested financial gifts be contributed to something Jesus would want for His birthday: the access of clean drinking water for His children. Several members of our team researched and vetted four different non-profit well-drilling entities who help communities that have no access to clean water gain that access and chose a long-standing non-profit:…
Christmas Is Not Your Birthday
First Church Family, I pray you are remembering whose birthday Christmas is, and making decisions accordingly. Our present worship series: “Christmas Is Not Your Birthday,” has called me to a new understanding of what things honor Christ during the Christmas season. I believe that one of the things Jesus would desire is clean drinking water for His children. Over the past two weeks, we made the decision to provide crystal clean drinking water to a village in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. The project has…
Christmas Letter
First Church Family, Do you anticipate a wonderful Christmas this year? I do, because I am not basing my expectations on things I might receive, but things I might partner with Jesus on. You see, everything changes when you begin to anticipate and eagerly await something that actually has the ability to fulfill and satisfy your expectations. The season we are in, Advent, is about preparing for something of great magnitude by having high anticipation of appropriate expectations,…
Bless This Meal
First Church Family, I haven’t lived here forever as some of you have, but I am amazed every day at the beauty of our surroundings. I truly believe our area is one of God’s beautiful paradises on earth. And this time of year, it is at its prettiest. Please stop every single day, admire God’s handiwork, and offer prayers of praise and gratitude. On Saturday, November 20, we will take a big step in getting back to who we were before…