... possibly the most disliked Choir Camp theme ever (at least as I write this before camp)! Beginning each Spring, students ask, “What’s the theme for Choir Camp?” My response this year was, “What now.” As you can imagine, this led to some circular and frustrating (at least for the students) conversations. I guess that's the whole point. Who hasn’t felt frustrated, scared, or confused when we reach one of those points in life that causes us to ask, “What now?”

This week at camp, we are exploring what happened in the days, months, and years after Jesus’ death. What did the disciples do when nothing worked out the way they expected? How did the church develop from a small band of fishermen to the church we have today? What lessons can we take from the early church for our own lives? Our campers will find themselves castaways on What Now Isle as we work through these questions.

On Sunday, August 4, we’ll share some of the answers we’ve discovered with you in our Choir Camp Sunday service at 10:00 a.m. We hope that through the music, testimonies, and the sacrament we share, you might find the answers to the “What now?” questions in your life.

Casey Proch

Executive Director of Worship & Music

Family Worship & Sunday School

On August 4 and September 1 children will worship with their families. There will be a Children’s Moment in the worship service that all children will be invited to take part in. It is with open hearts and joyful spirits that we warmly welcome all children into the worship service, where the love of community and shared faith create a sanctuary for us all. 

On August 11, 18 and 25, Children will begin in the Sanctuary with their families. Then after the children's moment, children can attend a one-room Sunday school experience. Pick-up will be in the CLC or on the playground (weather permitting).  

We are happy to welcome the following new members who were received into our church family. We hope that they will form warm friendships and find their place in the work of Birmingham and Berkley First.

Ruthann Zeigler

Kristie Lee

Michelle Lindsey

Sue Lindsey

Bri Lyle

Jennifer Quigley

Craig Rhoads

The first Sunday of every month our First Nurses will provide blood pressure checks during Coffee Hour between services in Fellowship Hall. All are welcome to take part in the complementary service. 

You can now make an online donation by using PayPal, Google Pay or Apple Pay. Credit, debit or ACH are still accepted too!

We're excited to introduce the new online giving form for Birmingham & Berkley First! This user-friendly platform is designed to make your donation process as seamless as possible. Whether you're a first-time giver or a regular contributor, our new form allows you to donate as a guest or create a sign in with a username and password.  This flexibility ensures that you can support our community in the way that works best for you. Help make a difference—giving has never been easier! Click here for instructions on how to use the new online giving form.

Building Updates

We are excited to share several updates happening at the Birmingham First building this month! The Children's Center floor and ceiling are being replaced, the exterior building doors are being refurbished, and sections of the parking lot are being replaced or repaired. These updates will be completed in August. Additionally, the Christian Life Center (CLC) will be closed for the month of August for annual cleaning and necessary updates. We appreciate your patience during this time. We also want to extend our gratitude to the Trustees for making these important updates possible.

The Rev. Dr. Darryl E. Totty, Greater Detroit District Superintendent, has approved a Special Church Conference for Birmingham and Berkley First. The conference will be held on Tuesday, August 27, at 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Birmingham First Sanctuary. The purpose of the conference is to approve candidates for ministry from our congregation and to approve revisions to the endowment bylaws. The Staff Parish Relations Committee and the Endowment Board will present their recommendations for your approval at the special church conference. Every member of our congregation has voice and vote at the church conference. If you cannot attend in person and wish to participate, please request a Zoom link from Dorothy Duensing by email at office@fumcbirmingham.org no later than August 22. The Zoom link will be sent to you prior to the conference. There will be no meal served at this conference. The Rev. Chuck Sonquist, retired United Methodist elder, will preside. Please make plans to attend. Childcare is available.

Vacation Bible School - Decoration Share Update

Children and Family Ministries is delighted to share that we were able to extend our VBS decorations to seven other churches across Southeastern Michigan. These churches, varying in size and denomination—including Baptist, Catholic, and Methodist—came from as far as Algonac and Port Huron. It was a true blessing to pass along our decorations for other churches to use and enjoy for their SCUBA-themed VBS programs. This effort also allowed us to embrace the theme of environmental stewardship that ran throughout SCUBA. We are incredibly grateful to our many creative volunteers whose hard work and dedication helped over 350 campers and volunteers feel like they were "under the sea."

Help our 45 Christians "do good" during their mission in August by donating items to fill back-packs for Redford Brightmoor Initiative. Click the button below for the Amazon Wish Lists.

We are collecting college student addresses to send care packets to them during the upcoming school year.

Please send addresses to Chris Schulte via email at cschulte@fumcbirmingham.org. If an address is the same as last year, we still need to hear from you. If you would like to join this ministry, please contact sue.smith@beachcom.net.

Jen Houck, a mother and church member, has experienced a profound personal loss with the passing of her son, Ethan, from complications of anorexia on January 12, 2023. She has since joined Berkley First with her mother, Judie Monson. Jen is now offering a new support group to help others navigate their own healing journeys.

The group will meet either at Jen’s home, within walking distance of Berkley First, or at Bacon Park. The setting will be relaxed and open, allowing participants to share or simply chat as they feel comfortable. The first meeting is Saturday, August 10 at 11:00 a.m. To sign up, email Jen directly at jensturrock44@gmail.com.

We invite you to share your prayer requests with us at any time, day or night.

Your needs and concerns are important to us, and we are here to support you through the power of prayer. Simply click the button below to submit your prayer request, and rest assured that our dedicated team will lift your intentions up in prayer. You can also email your request to our prayer team at prayers@fumcbirmingham.org.

A Quiet Way

This summer, we invite you to take a peaceful journey on "A Quiet Way," our prayer walk. Begin in the serene Chambliss Garden, where you’ll find brochures in the little church mailbox to guide you. As you walk around the church, take a moment at each stone to reflect on the blessings in your life or to find solace in difficult times. Use this time to pray for others as well. At Birmingham First we are truly blessed to have this sacred space for contemplation and prayer.

DONATE: 

We welcome your donations curbside! No Truck pickup.

• Sunday, October 6 from 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 7 from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

SHOP:

Public Sale Hours for Fall Sale 2024

• Wednesday, October 9 from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Regular price)
• Thursday, October 10 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Regular price) and 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (50% off and/or $10 Bag). We provide 13-gallon kitchen bag(s) to fill (must use our bags!)

VOLUNTEER: 

To volunteer for fun & fellowship October 6-11, 2024 please call or text Jane Carvell @cell 248-379-2662 / jcarve55@icloud.com or the Birmingham campus Main office @ 248-646-1200. Volunteers must be a Birmingham or Berkley First member or be sponsored by a member.

Help make 300 lunces for NOAH at Berkley First on Sunday, August 11 after worship in the Social Hall. No need to sign up, just show up. If you have any questions, please feel free to text or call Patty Reynolds at 248-376-2475.

Regularly reviewing your beneficiary designations is a crucial aspect of legacy planning. One of the simplest and most effective ways to make a planned gift to Birmingham First is through beneficiary designations. Retirement plans, IRAs, life insurance policies, donor-advised funds, and commercial annuities distribute assets based on these forms. By updating your beneficiary designations, you can easily specify the individuals and charities you wish to support and allocate the percentages of your assets each will receive.

Designating Birmingham First as a beneficiary is a straightforward and impactful method to leave a legacy of faithfulness. For more information, please contact the Rev. Shawn Lewis-Lakin, Associate Pastor for Planned Giving, at slewis-lakin@fumcbirmingham.org or 734-717-8947. You can also visit our planned giving website at firstlegacy.org.

The SPRC of Birmingham and Berkley First is pleased to announce that Amy Holton has been hired as the Christian Life Center Coordinator. We are excited to welcome Amy to this position. Her familiarity with Birmingham and Berkley First, in addition to her passion for recreational ministry will be of great value to the church. We are so excited for Amy to share her gifts in this way. She will begin on August 1 as she continues to close out her time as youth coordinator. This position will be housed within Congregational Care as we seek to enrich the health and wellness of our members and community!

Please note the CLC will be closed the month of August for updates and cleaning.

Birmingham First Building Summer Hours

Memorial Day – Labor Day

Sunday: Open for 10:00 a.m. worship

Monday thru Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Friday: By Appointment

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Give

Mail your donation to the church.

Give online to www.fumcbirmingham.org/give

Text to give at 248-368-0033:

1. Get a list of available funds by texting the word “keyword” to 248-368-0033.

2. Text any dollar amount (no dollar sign) and fund name. Examples: 50 Birmingham, 20 Missions

Caring Ministries

For after hours pastoral emergencies, call the Minister on Call cell phone at 248-408-0038.

Submit prayer requests at www.fumcbirmingham.org/pray.

Children and Family Ministries

Contact Kim Bowyer at kbowyer@fumcbirmingham.org