'Sunday Worship' Tagged Posts

'Sunday Worship' Tagged Posts

February Events

Dear FUMC Family,     As I write this email, Ground Hog’s Day is only two days away and there is no rain in our immediate future. Oh goodness, another six weeks of winter!     This Sunday in worship, we will receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion as we normally do on the first Sunday of each month. And then following our 11:00AM service, all will be invited to join the family of Victory Harshaw for the dedication of her new Habitat for Humanity house, the dwelling…

Bless This Meal 2023

First Church Family:     The holidays are just around the corner. Here are a couple of reminders of things that are coming up:     Saturday, we will provide 125 families with Thanksgiving meals. Even if you haven’t registered as a volunteer, your spirit will be raised if you swing by the church sometime between 10:00am and 1:00pm on Saturday to experience the gift of giving.     Sunday morning will be the first time our “Groovin’” kids playguitars/ukuleles/buckets/African drums for us in worship. Jon Beal and…

Great Commandment

First Church Family,   Wow, winter finally got here! But it’s only fall… oh well, I enjoy all of the seasons in our beautiful county!     Over the past weeks, we have had a number of visitors at the 9:00AM service who were camping/RVing in our area for a couple of weeks enjoying the beautiful autumn colors. After last Sunday’s service, a couple named Tom and Sue, who had been with us two weeks (actual names are different to protect privacy), waited their turn to have a…

Worldwide Communion Sunday

First Church Family:      I pray that you are well. I’m doing fine and am enjoying the seasonal weather.     The first Sunday of October is always Worldwide Communion Sunday, a Sunday that most denominations around the globe offer the elements Jesus’ sanctified at His last meal with His disciples.     We will celebrate Holy Communion in both services this coming Sunday and have somewhat of an international feel to our services. Please pray for God’s Universal Church as you do your daily devotions this…

Wesley’s Grace

First Church Family: I missed being with you in worship this past Sunday, but I was in dire need ofsome vacation days. Often when I’m away for several days, I still preach when Ireturn. This past Sunday though, a friend and fellow pastor, the Rev. Leo Fair,filled our pulpit beautifully. Many thanks to him and also our Marable Southall-Vess, who led the services. This Sunday we will complete our summer worship series on John Wesley’stheology, which centered on God’s grace:…

Back-to-Church Sunday

First Church Family:     I pray you enjoyed the Labor Day Weekend, the informal last weekend of summer vacation. I stayed around Lenoir but did take some time off on Monday.     We enjoyed a great summer season at First Church. Our Vacation Bible School was both well done and well-attended, the work on our Habitat for Humanity house moved forward, and our combined worship services felt good and were also well-attended.     When we combine services like that, our overall attendance drops…

September News

First Church Family: I pray that you are enjoying the end of summer. Though of course time moves on, this summer has seemed to move most quickly. Teachers and school staff members are already on the job, and local public school children are in class as of Monday, August 28. Our prayers are with them. For the first time, earlier this year, we made the decision to combine services across the summer at 10:00am. That of course did several things:…

VBS Sunday and Luncheon

First Church Family:     What a week it has been! Our church has been filled with children singing, dancing, playing, enjoying snacks, and doing crafts.     Our Ericka Murphy, Tara Blake, and Jon Beal, along with numerous volunteers and additional staff: Danny Clark, Kay Lanier, and Joseph Franklin have done an amazing job leading our 2023 Vacation Bible School!     Forty-four children have attended and loved every minute of it. The theme for the week has been: “Whenever darkness comes, or challenges come, or…

3 things…

First Church Family: Three things: 1.) Please continue to bring your food donations to the church for our ministry partner Yokefellow. Though Yokefellow has asked us to donate: white rice, dried pintos, and peanut butter, Executive Director Sharon Harmon has reminded me that their main ongoing food request from us is always white rice. Last Sunday we announced that through July 12 we had raised 1,734 pounds of food for our local impoverished population. 2.) Please remember that our annual Vacation Bible School begins on…

Summer Worship Schedule

During the months of July and August, we will be combining our twoservices and will be meeting for one service at 10:00am. Each week wewill be alternating between the CLC and the Sanctuary.

A Transformed Day

First Church Family:     I pray that you are well. I heard a devotion this morning about the fact that we all will have to endure suffering for one reason or another, because, like it or not, it is part of life. And that the antidote to allowing it to defeat us is to love one another. I have to say that the devotion transformed my day!     If you weren’t able to be with us on Sunday for Confirmation, please…