During Advent, we will be offering daily readings from All Creation Waits by Gayle Boss. Readings for both adults and families with children are available on First Church’s YouTube page and by following the links below. We invite you to explore this time of waiting in a new way, by learning how many different animals…
“Living in a Climate Crisis World – A Call to Hope and Action” will be the topic of an October 6 talk in the science and theology lecture series jointly sponsored by First Presbyterian and First United Methodist churches in Oak Ridge. The Rev. Jim Antal, special advisor on climate justice to the general minister…
Well, the news is out. I will retire from full-time appointed ministry at the June gathering of Holston Annual Conference. Here are a few of the excellent questions people have asked since that announcement. When is your last day?I will help lead worship on Sunday, June 2, and then ride off into the sunset with…
Chances are, if you have been to a community meal, First Recovery, or attended Sunday services, you may have noticed our friend Mary. Mary has been participating in various events at FUMC since early last fall. She struggles with a traumatic brain injury and substance use disorder. Unfortunately, both have been exacerbated by physical abuse….
In 1987, a new ministry was started at FUMC and has been going, non-stop, ever since. Stephen Ministers are compassionate, generous people who give of their time so that someone who is struggling, for whatever reason, does not need to struggle alone. It is a testament to the caring heart of this congregation that this…
Each month, I will interview someone from our congregation. This month, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jan Melcher. Denna: Jan, you have such a heart for service. You are always volunteering for something! What motivates you? Jan: God speaks to us. There is this power that is humming along inside of us. I…
(Many thanks to Linda Young for putting together the following reflections on her time as one of our delegates to the Holston Annual Conference from June 4-7.) The atmosphere at the Annual Conference was much calmer than last year. Delegates from the 578 churches of Holston were happy, prayerful, and positive about the future of…
How We Got Here The United Methodist Church (UMC) has been increasingly divided over the question of human sexuality and the role of LGBTQ persons in the church’s life for the past 50 years. At the 2016 General Conference, our denomination reached a breaking point on the issue and was headed toward a major split…
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