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Jesus Feeds the 5,000 Plus
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In Person, Facebook Live & YouTube
Rev. DeeDee Autry
Offertory “Holy Spirit, Wind and Flame”
Soloist: Keely Sattazahn, Soloist
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In Person. Facebook and YouTube @ 6pm
Rev. Bud Reeves
“Marvelous Light”
“Give Me Faith”
“Jesus Messiah”
“Come To The Table”
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In Person,Facebook Live,
YouTube and FM 103.5
Rev. DeeDee Autry
Anthem “Hymn to the Holy Spirit”
Anthem “The Bible Tells Me So”
Chancel Choir
Soloist: Keely Sattazahn
Organist: Ben Henderson
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Sunday, June 5
8:30 am Chapel Service
9:30 am Holy Grounds
9:45 am Sunday Small Groups
11:00 am Connexion Worship, In Person,
11:00 am Sanctuary Worship, In Person, Facebook Live, YouTube & FM 103.5
6:00 pm Connexion Premier on Facebook & YouTube
6:00 pm Youth, Loft
Monday, June 6
6:30 pm ACCYM Choir Tour, Great Hall
Tuesday, June 7
6:00 pm Young Adult Ministry, St. Paul UMC Study
Wednesday, June 8
10:00 am Ladybells, Bayliss Hall
10:00 am Casserole Group
6:30 pm Praise Band Practice, Great Hall
7:00 pm Chancel Choir
Thursday, June 9
10:00 am Knitters & Knotters
5:00 pm Vacation Bible School
5:30 pm Modern Widows Club, Loft
Friday, June 10
9:00 am Vacation Bible School
Saturday, June 11
9:00 am Vacation Bible School
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I am always so glad when summer rolls around. School is out; golfing weather is good; vacations are on the horizon. I’m hoping to find some “down time” this summer; it’s been a busy, hectic year. However, it’s not like things are not going to be busy even this summer. We have lots going on. Carey and I were talking over Memorial Day weekend, and our summer is already planned out. At the church, too, we have lots to think about and do. |
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We are excited to welcome two new staff members to the team. Ben Henderson is starting this month as our new Music Director for traditional music. Ben is an awesome organist, and he will be learning the ropes from Nancy Vernon and Gaye Mings as he gets acquainted with the people and the program. Tiffany Pierce is starting as our Outreach Director. I am so excited to focus this position and have someone with Tiffany’s energy and personality to be taking our church into the community. |
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At the same time, we wish Michael Mings the best in his new vocational endeavors, and we have begun the search for a new youth/young adult staff person. The youth parents have stepped up to help, and we will continue to keep our youth ministry a priority in the interim period. DeeDee Autry, Ashley McNeal, Trevor Hardcastle, and I will all be devoting part of our staff time to helping with the youth as well. It takes a village! |
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This week DeeDee Autry and I are at the Arkansas Annual Conference, the yearly gathering of United Methodists pastors and laity from all over the state. Also representing our church this year are Larry and Sharon Weir, Jamie and Patti Cox, Carey Reeves, and Emily Autry. Former members Jim and Dixie Spears are also lay members of the conference. We will enjoy great fellowship and worship and do the Methodist business for three days in Hot Springs. |
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Of course, of great concern to us all right now is the new denomination that is separating from the United Methodist Church. It is called the Global Methodist Church, and it “launched” on May 1, although it is not yet organized in a denominational way. Here is a link to some basic information about the separation: |
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I don’t want the church worrying about this. First United Methodist Church is not going anywhere or considering joining another denomination. But we are sad that some of our colleagues, friends, and churches will not be with us after this year at Annual Conference. If any of our church people have questions or want to talk about what’s going on with the denomination, DeeDee or I are glad to visit about it. |
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Other than that, we have a great summer coming up. Vacation Bible School is in a couple of weeks. We got some great suggestions for our “Sermons By Request” series. Don’t be a stranger this summer; we’ll see you in church, small groups, and special events. Bring a friend, and let’s celebrate the goodness of God! |
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And as we jump into June summer is fast upon us. These last few months have brought a lot of transitions in our church and in the world. The day-light may be with us longer, but sometimes it feels like a shroud of darkness can over take us at a moment’s notice. |
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Recently I attended a 5-Day Academy for Spiritual Formation sponsored by the Upper Room. It is a wonderful week with a beautiful rhythm of worship, prayer, learning, silence and reflection. I was so ready for the week following the long hiatus of the pandemic. My soul was yearning for the week away with God. |
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One of the speakers presented on mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness has deep roots in the Christian faith. Mindfulness is simply to be present in the here and now. When we can learn to practice such and reclaim such practices, it will deepen our life of faith and the power of our mission of love in the world. When we understand how radical it is to live in God’s presence right here, right now, our lives are transformed toward mercy, justice and abundant life. |
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Now more than ever we need to be present in the here and now. It is one way that we can begin to really see and hear one another…instead of making assumptions and false accusations. Jesus invites us to be ever mindful, giving us eyes to see and ears to hear, giving us the ability to be attentive so that we can realize that God is at work right NOW! |
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But for us to recognize the reality of God in our midst…we have to get beneath the clutter. And only then will we begin to have some clarity and discernment to see and discover the connectedness in all things. When we practice mindfulness we can make a shift from mostly managing the world as an object and perceive the world as holy, as a gift to receive and see that God truly is in all things. |
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Romans 12:1-2 from the Message says it best:
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you:
Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.
Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.
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We are going to have a blast learning how God provided for His people in the Bible and continues to provide for us today. It is NOT too late to sign up your child or to volunteer. We would love to include you in this awesome experience!!! |
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We are so thrilled to welcome Ben Henderson to our staff as our new Music Director for traditional music, following the retirement of Nancy Vernon.
Ben is a native of Connecticut, and has recently been completing his Master’s in organ at Rice University. Ben will be working with the choir, handbells, children and youth music.
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We are also thrilled to welcome Tiffany Pierce to our staff as the Outreach Director. Tiffany is from Durant, OK, where she served as Children’s Minister for a church there. Tiffany is married to Robert, and they have two girls, Lily and Aubrey. Robert is a Physical Therapy student at ACHE. Tiffany’s position will focus on community and global missions and evangelistic outreach into the community. She will also organize our hospitality ministry at the church. |
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In Memory of:
Discussion SS Class
George & Carole Beattie
Marlin & Janet Fretheim
Tony & Lynnell Leraris
Kent & Nancy Blochberger
Bob Dawson & Family
George & Carole Beattie
In Honor of:
- Nancy Vernon for the Music Fund by:
Tom & Amanda Goldsborough
Bob Dawson & Family
Jack & Louanna Green
Clay & Lynn Gilliland
Gary & Tracy Keifer
Janice Powell
Fred & Pat Hutson
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Have you activated your Ramsey+ account yet? |
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This year, we have made an amazing financial resource available to our congregation for free. RamseyPlus offers courses, budgeting tools and helps, and information about better ways to manage your finances. They have just added a new audio course, Anxiety and Your Money, and who isn’t a little anxious right now with inflation and the crazy stock market. Go to your RamseyPlus account, click on “Learn” and scroll down to the course.
If you haven’t activated your free RamseyPlus account, here is how you do it:
Use the button below to go to the website, go through a short registration process and questionnaire, and the Ramsey world will be open to you. And all for free!
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Take the
Outdoor Recreation Survey
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One of the blessings of living in Arkansas and the River Valley is the abundance of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Arkansas Tech is teaming with state and local agencies to survey and improve our outdoor recreation activities. If you are 18 years old or older, you may participate in a survey to help planners know what activities are popular and how they are used.
Thank you!
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Why is international Widows Day celebrated?
The United Nations observes 23 June as International Widows Day (resolution A/RES/65/189) since 2011, to draw attention to the voices and experiences of widows and to galvanize the unique support that they need. Jun 23, 2021
International Widows Day is an awareness day. It is to let people know we are widows leaning into life, building resilience and making a positive difference in society.
FUMC will be honoring widows on Sunday, June 26 at the 11:00am Connexion Worship service in the Great Hall. We will be showing our One Million Widows video.
This video will be of widows in our area. If you did not have your individual picture made and would like to be part of this please let me know. I have signs that you may have if you would like to take your own photo. Feel free to make your own sign to use or I will be happy to run by with one for you. Please send me your picture by either email or text. We want to get as many individual pictures with a sign as we can. If you have not been to any of our meetings and you are a widow we would love to include your picture. Please let me know and I will be happy to come and take your picture or feel free to make your own sign and send it to me. We want to include everyone who would like to be part of this video. We will not use names or our city. I will also be sending photos to MWC for their video. We may or may not be in theirs. If you want yours in the Fort Smith and/or MWC only please let me know. I also need an Authorization to Photograph or Record form signed. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Blessings, Gail Oakes
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Thursday, June 9, 2022 5:30 pm Loft (3rd floor of the main building. Come down the sidewalk that you use when you come to the Fireside Room. Go straight and you will come to the double glass doors under the covered drive through. Enter through those doors and to your left will be an elevator - take the elevator to the third floor and it opens into the loft.) We will have sandwiches, chips and for dessert we will learn to make this Charcuterie Board. Devan from Amazing Graze will teach us how to make this. Please RSVP by Tuesday, June 7. Click the button or call Gail at 479-459-0479. |
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FIRST UNITED METHODIST NEWS published weekly except the last week of the year by First United Methodist Church 200 North 15th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901. |
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