Scroll through this page to see what is happening at First Church.

Worship Online

If you are unable to attend our Sunday morning worship services in-person, please join us online. We stream both services Sunday mornings live at 9 and 11 a.m. and both are available to watch later if you can’t watch live. We also have many previous services available to watch if you missed one. Please don’t forget to let us know you are watching with the “I’m Here” button at the top of the page.

First Church Kids

Come and join the fun at Kids Church during the 9 a.m. service! The children start with worship in the Sanctuary at 9 a.m. Then, after the children’s message, our incredible leaders will guide them to their groups by age. Parents are welcome to walk with us. At the end of the service, children can be picked up from the following locations:

Greenhouse (6 months to 3 years old) – Room 109
Cubbyhouse (3 years old to Pre-K) – Room 222
Fun House (K-2nd grade) – Room 221
Lighthouse (3rd grade to 5th grade) – Room 102

Adult Sunday School Classes

Faith for Today Sunday School Class
Our class is a friendly, welcoming group. We meet to enhance our Christian beliefs and practices and how we can apply them to our everyday lives. Our
goals include outreach to fulfill local community needs and even beyond. We meet in the Centennial Room between services.

The Table Sunday School Class
This class is a diverse, casual, and welcoming group of people. It’s a great class whether you’re new to your faith journey or a seasoned veteran. Our discussion topics are always changing, the class is loosely structured, and no homework is required. We meet outside of class socially and have a goal of volunteering to serve the community quarterly. Join us in Room 116!

The Upper Room Sunday School Class
In this class, we do a detailed study of scripture. Currently, we are studying Colossians. Dr. Pat Dickerson, a New Testament scholar, leads us as we look at context, authorship, intended audience, specific words and how they are translated from the original text, and what is happening in the world in general. We meet in the Epworth Room from 10 to 11 a.m. If you have questions, please call Peggy Ward at 623-533-7381.

Foundation Scholarship Applications

Applications for First United Methodist Foundation scholarships are available on our website. Applicants should submit their application using a new online form, https://firstchurch.church/scholarship-application/. Submit completed applications by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 15, 2024. All scholarships will be awarded in May.

Lent Sermon Series and Book Study

A new sermon series begins Sunday, February 18, accompanied by a Book Study on Saturday mornings, March 2 through April 6, 8:30 – 10 a.m. Please contact the church office for more information about reserving a copy of the book for $15. 602-263-5013 or info@firstchurch.church 

A Taste of Easter is Coming Soon

A Taste of Easter volunteers are needed. Do you like to bake or make deviled eggs? Please volunteer to bring goodies or eggs for our Easter celebration on Sunday, March 31, at 10 a.m. Email Cathy Rice at cathyriceaz@msn.com. We also need helpers to set up and clean up.

Friendship Club Outing Sunday, March 24

The Friendship Club invites you to see the fantastic musical “Tuck Everlasting” at Grand Canyon University’s Ethington Theatre. Claude Pensis, a member of our church, in his 40th year at GCU, directs this musical. The matinee performance will be on Sunday, March 24. We will meet in Asbury Hall at 12:15 p.m. where we will have a Subway sandwich for lunch. The cost will be $20, which will cover your lunch and your ticket for the play. What a bargain! On this outing, we will have church vans available for about 20, and the rest will be handled by carpooling to the venue. We will leave the church at 1:15 p.m. Call Suzanne or Steve Haehl at 623-979-5449 for reservations. The reservation deadline is Friday, March 8.

First Sundays Social Hour

The Table Sunday School class has decided to start a monthly social gathering on the first Sunday of every month beginning March 3. The event will be between services from 10 – 11 a.m. and will have coffee and snacks provided. We also will provide activities for the kids so that parents can join in.

Knitty Witty Chain Gang

Do you have crochet or knitting skills? The Knitty Witty Chain Gang would like to extend an invitation to join our mission group. We originally just made blankets for baptisms at First Church. We expanded beyond our community to needs in South Dakota and Arizona Native American Reservations during the past several years. We have donated lap blankets and hats to hospitals along with baby items to The Hope Center. Our talents are now reaching out to the Choices Pregnancy Center for mothers and newborns while we continue to knit hats and scarves for JUSTA Center. If you would like to help and join our group, please stop by the third Thursday of the month in Wesley Lounge for a cup of tea and dessert at 1 p.m.

Pat’s Run – Saturday, April 13

The 20th annual Pat’s Run is Saturday, April 13, 2024. If you’ve done this 4.2-mile run/walk before, you know how awesome it is to be with 30,000 people honoring the sacrifice of Pat Tillman in Afghanistan in 2003. If you haven’t done it, this is your year! Join Tom Rice, Joshua Elder, and Emma Jean Elder on our FUMC team. Sign up here: https://pattillmanfoundation.org. After you register, join our group FUMC Phoenix. We wind through the streets of Tempe and conclude at the 42-yard line in Sun Devil stadium. Riding the light rail is best. The race starts at 7 a.m., so all aboard at 6 a.m. at the light rail station at Central and Camelback. You can do this! Questions? Email or call Tom Rice. tomriceaz@msn.com of 602-999-2465

Community Yoga Classes

First United Methodist Church offers two weekly yoga classes to our community. Classes meet Tuesdays 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., and Thursdays 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. The cost is $12 per class or four classes for $40. Email the church office for more information: info@firstchurch.church.

Visit our website https://FirstChurch.church and click on the “Give” button at the top of the home page or scan the QR code at the bottom of this message with your mobile device for a quick and easy link to the giving page. You can set up a recurring frequency or give when you want to by making a one time gift using your checking or savings bank account.

You may also give electronically using your bank’s bill pay service.

Another way to give electronically is Text-to-Give with your debit card.

1. Enter (888) 303-7535 in your cell phone text messaging program and a dollar amount without including a “$” sign as the message (example: type 20 to give twenty dollars).
2. You will receive a reply with a link to enter your contact and debit card information.
3. After you complete the registration, you will receive a verification text as well as a receipt by email.
4. For future giving, simply send a text message with the amount you wish to give. That’s it!

Check Your Spam and Junk

Sometimes email from our Church’s domain, “.church” isn’t recognized by all email providers. Please check your spam and junk mail folders periodically to see if something from First Church or other senders to your address might be filtered out of your inbox.