In Person

Dr. Blake Bradford

Offertory “Surely God Is My Salvation”

Louann Dooly, Solo

Benjamin Henderson, Organist/Director of Music

11:00 am Connexion

In Person, 6pm Premier Monday on Facebook and YouTube

Rev. Abbey Maynard

“The Way”

“Great Are You Lord”

“How He Loves”

“Bread And Wine”

11:00 am Sanctuary

In Person,Facebook Live,

YouTube and FM 103.5

Dr. Blake Bradford

Offertory “Built on the Rock, the Church Doth Stand”

Communion Music “God Be in My Head”

Chancel Choir

Louann Dooly, Chancel Choir Conductor

Benjamin Henderson, Organist/Director of Music

Call the church office to RSVP for Dinner

479-782-5068

A Warm Welcome

I am so grateful for the warm welcome that Rev. Maynard and I have received upon our appointments to First UMC of Fort Smith. The SPRC and the Dorothy Collier Network hosted an awesome reception on July 14 in the Narthex Welcome Center to greet us. We have hit the ground running with the first two weeks of a listening tour that will extend into September with over 20 cottage meetings. These small group gatherings have been a great way for us to get to know folks and begin understanding the dreams and hopes that God has placed in the hearts of the FUMC membership. I am so thankful for the host families that have welcomed the membership into their homes, offering wonderful hospitality and a place for conversation. We also did some onboarding with our gifted staff that included time for Q&A and for unpacking the big goals and vision for making a God-sized impact here in Fort Smith.

Of course, Rev. Abbey and I have also had the wonderful opportunity to be in ministry—from leading worship to learning a silly dance at Art Camp to seeing how we feed the hungry and care for our wider community. I have even had the privilege of offering FUMC prayer shawls to the bereaved and praying with the hospitalized. I have barely unpacked my boxes, but I can already tell that First United Methodist Church is filled to the brim with the Spirit—God is with us!

As we look ahead to the next few weeks, Rev. Abbey and I will be swapping between the classic services in the Sanctuary and Roebuck Chapel and the modern Connexion service in the Great Hall. We will be offering the same introductory sermons for these next few weeks, so that we have a common experience and language to draw from, church-wide. Then, beginning on August 25, I will start an 8-part sermon series titled “Burning Bushes and Broken Tablets: The Life and Legacy of Moses.” As I begin my leadership here with the people of FUMC, I thought it important for us all to hear how Moses, one of the greatest leaders in scripture, discerned God’s path and helped the early Hebrew nation discover their calling as the people of God.

I am truly excited about the journey ahead and the opportunity to grow together as a community of faith. Your support, prayers, and active participation will be essential as we embark on this new chapter at First UMC of Fort Smith. Let’s continue to seek God’s guidance and share His love in all that we do.

Thank you once again for your warm welcome. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming weeks and to the incredible work we will accomplish together.

Blessings,

Rev. Blake Bradford

Lead Pastor

bbradford@fsfumc.org

This Fall, Fort Smith FUMC invites you on an inspiring eight-week series exploring the life, ministry, and leadership of Moses! From his early days in Pharaoh's palace to his role as liberator and lawgiver, we'll delve into the captivating story of this iconic leader. Each Sunday, join us as we discover lessons on faith, courage, and leading with purpose. This sermon series by Dr. Blake Bradford is open to everyone, so invite your friends and family as we explore the legacy of Moses together. The series begins on Sunday, August 25th and continues through October 13th in both the Chapel and Sanctuary.

Don't miss out on this enriching journey!

August 25 - From Palace Prince to Burning Bush   Prophet: The Call of Moses

Exodus 2:1-4; 3:1-2.7,10-12

September 1- Plagues and Pharaoh: Standing Up for Freedom

Exodus 7:20-24; 11:1; 12:29-32

September 8 - Bring Your Tambourine (The Red Sea)

Micah 6:4; Exodus 15:19-21

September 15 - Wilderness Wanderings: Testing Faith and Building Community

Exodus 16:2-4; 17:1-6

September 22 - Beyond “Don’t”: The Ten Commandments as a Guide to Life

Exodus 20:1-17

September 29 - Golden Calf and Broken Trust: The Perils of Doubt and Idolatry

Exodus 32:1-4, 21-24

October 6 - Leadership Lessons from the Wilderness

Exodus 18:1,13-23

October 13 - On the Shore of the Promised Land: Choose Life

Deuteronomy 31:1-3a; 30:15-16,19-20

Join us for this enriching series as we explore the life and teachings of Moses!

FUMC KIDS

Another wonderful month of Summer Camps has come to an end! The Mission Camp was a hit this month. Activities ranged from crafting Birthday Cake Kits to making casseroles for the Ronald McDonald House here in Fort Smith, all done with enthusiasm. We delved into stories about people Jesus encountered who were hungry or in need of healing, discussing how we could apply those lessons in our own lives. Each day, the children were given a small challenge - a way to assist someone in need. Witnessing their excitement as they shared these challenges with their parents was truly heartwarming.

Back to School Bash is coming up in just a few short days. In partnership with Good Samaritan Clinic, we will be giving away Backpacks, School Supplies, Shoe Vouchers, Hair Cuts, Physicals, Books, Food, and more. Friends because of your efforts and generosity, as I type this, we will be giving away 510 shoe vouchers at our event. That is simply incredible! 510 children will go to school with new shoes that aren’t too small or falling apart. We praise God for that! If you’d like to volunteer, it’s not too late- reach out to Tiffany or I, and we can get you plugged in.

August 11th from 2-4pm in the Alley between our Family Life Center and our Main Building we will be having our End of Summer Soiree. We are going to have a water slide, some frozen treats, and some yard games. It’s going to be a great time to celebrate the end of summer for the whole family. While the kiddos are playing, we are going to have a quick parent meeting to go over all of the upcoming plans for this next semester. You won’t want to miss it!

August 18th in all three services we will bless our teachers and our students with a Blessing of the Backpacks and Teachers. So be sure to bring your backpacks and your smiling faces ready to receive a special blessing!

OUTREACH

As everyone prepares for returning to school, our church will feed Tilles Elementary teachers on Wednesday, August 7th at 11:30 a.m. We need volunteers to help serve teachers during this time. FUMC serves our partner schools by participating in mentorships, volunteering for special events, and providing needed supplies. Contact Tiffany if you would like to be on the school support team.

The Feed the Fort ministries are active, and the need continues to be great in our community. Our church provides groceries to families, sack lunches for the Fort Smith Police Department’s Food Patrol, and breakfast on the Last Sunday Breakfast (Chapel Class). Food is also given out to clients of other nonprofits in our community. Pray for food insecurity in our community and thank you for serving and supporting Feed the Fort ministries.

FIRST YOUth

July has come to a close and it has been a whirlwind of fun, service, excursions, and a week long youth event.

Our opportunities of service started with continuing to deliver the premade rice bags to blessing boxes all over Fort Smith and to also do some purging at the church and sorting items that can be utilized here and elsewhere.

We had an excursion up to NWA after attending our 8:30 chapel service, and our group got play games and eat lunch at Dave and Buster’s. Following that, we headed to the Jones Center for some attempts at ice skating followed by some indoor swimming.

Our service for later in July included getting a lot of toiletry items for Children’s Service League as well as organizing CSL’s closet. We also took the very last premade rice bags to blessing boxes throughout town. The assembling of those bags preceded me, but the YOUth have delivered approximately 60 boxes/2000 rice bags since last summer. Our last one to fill was at our sibling congregation, St. Paul UMC.

We then wrapped up the month with taking some YOUth to Jr. High and Sr. High Assemblies at Hendrix. Everyone ended up having a great time, connecting with others, and having memorable worship experiences.

Lily Garner shared this about her experience at Jr. High Assembly:

“My favorite part of assembly was small groups. I made many friends and all of us got along great. I saw and felt God through them and the conversations we had. We had such an amazing speaker, and I loved the messages he gave in worship. Worship was also a place where I really felt God. It is unbelievably amazing to be able to sing and worship God with so many other people. Hearing all of us sing in harmony made me feel God even more. Assembly 2024 was such a beautiful experience where I saw and felt God in everything I did.”

Our August is going to consist of welcoming the new 6th graders on Aug. 4, then a YOUth Lockout on July 9-10, followed by a time of praying for our schools, teachers, and students (with some Braum’s thrown in), plus more.

Our August calendar can be accessed here: https://bit.ly/firstyouthaugust24

Thank you to Kimberly Swaim for helping with Assembly transport and the mission days, Brandi Garner for chaperoning at Assembly, Scott Faldon and Lori Burton for chaperoning the NWA trip, and Jennifer and Jerry Jenkins for taking care of Sunday Night YOUth when I was gone. The YOUth ministry can not happen without all of the great adults who serve.

Everyone is welcome.

Come, bring a friend, and stay for lunch.

Pacesetter’s skipped the July 5 meeting as we celebrated Independence Day and waited expectantly for our new Lead Pastor Blake Bradford’s visit July 5. He did not disappoint, sharing his background and ministry directions for our church. A native of Little Rock, Blake has graduated from Hendrix, Vanderbilt, Iliff School of Theology, and Perkins School of Theology at SMU. He is excited to join us as we “seek to make a God-sized impact in and with the people of the larger Fort Smith community.”

August 16—our new associate pastor, Abbey Maynard, shares her story and her ministries at FSFUMC.

Pacesetters meet the first and third Friday mornings of each month at 10:00 in the Fireside Room.

River Valley Widows Group

Next Gathering 

August 8th, Thursday @ Noon

Feel free to come anytime between 11:30am-12:00pm to visit.

Please RSVP by Monday, Aug 5

rvwidowsgroup@gmail.com or 479.459.0479

Feel free to bring a Widow Friend!

Valarie Coleman with Mercy Hospice will explain just what Hospice is and how we might be able to help. I know several of us have used Hospice and we have always heard of it. But we may not know all we need to know. Please come with your questions and bring a widow friend.

We will be in the Loft.

 You may still park in the Family Life Center parking lot (16th & C Streets) across from our Family Life Center 

of First United Methodist Church. 

The Loft is in the main building, third floor.

thank you

River Valley Widows Group would like to thank the Methodist Men’s Group for volunteering to help several of our widows with projects at their home. Thank you for your kindness and love.

Blessings,

River Valley Widows Group

Rev. Dawn Chesser will in the near future lead the Wednesday morning Bible Study.

She will meet with those interested at a get-acquainted gathering to discuss possible studies. The meeting will be held in the Aldersgate Room, Monday morning, August 5, 10am. All are invited to meet with Dawn.

Starting date is yet to be determined.

First United Methodist Women/UWF need you! 

We are collecting serving pieces for receptions and hosting functions at the Church.

If you are cleaning out or giving away any serving ware (cutlery, platters, bowls, etc) please remember the Church.  

You can bring them to the Church Office.

Thank you - 

Becky Rickmann, 

UWF President

IN OUR PRAYERS

Loss of Loved One:

• Glenda Titsworth – Aunt of Jana Ballard. 
• Tommie Jarrett – Cousin of Dianne Meadors.

WELCOME NEW CHURCH MEMBERS!

Allen and Jacqueline Hansen

(AL and Jackie) Recently moved from the Tennessee/Kentucky area. Jackie was a professor and chair in the college of Education at Murray State University. Allen was a computer specialist and cost accountant. AL and Jackie are both retired and live on acreage west of Rudy.

Kerri Bradford

MEMORIALS:

Jason Mumme by

Dick & Ann Appleton

Tony & Lynelle Leraris

Dottie Kimes

Lynn Coleman

Karen Stephenson

David & Leanne McClanahan

Jim & Jamie Glidewell & Family

David & Joanne Phillips

Jimmie & Linda Atkins

John & Harriet Beasley

Jim & Pat Bolin

Cole & Staci Goodman

Jerry Pruitt by

Bill Wiggins (for Shoe fundraiser)

Nelson Kimes by

Bill Wiggins (for Shoe fundraiser)

Max Correll by

Dick & Ann Appleton

Martha Boyd by

Dottie Kimes

David & Joanne Phillips

Jim & Pat Bolin

Gary Finney 

(for Guatemala Mission Trip) by

Jim & Pat Bolin

Cynthia Ashley

Brett & Mary Beth Stark

Steve Bridges by

Becky Taylor & Linsey Taylor Yates

Dorothy Robertson by

Becky Taylor

PASTOR ON CALL

M-F 8:30 AM-4:30 PM: (479) 782-5068

Weekends and Evenings: (479) 242-4873

When there is a hospitalization, a death in the family, or any other time you may need urgent pastoral care, we encourage you to use these numbers. The pastors rotate on-call responsibilities to assure that one of them is always accessible. 

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

200 N. 15th St. Fort Smith, AR 72901

(479) 782-5068 | www.fsfumc.org

Email: fsfumc@fsfumc.org

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 

8:30AM-4:30PM

Closed for lunch 12:30PM-1:30PM