Worship Online with Us!

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.

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Pastor Mike’s Corner

This week we’re celebrating Christmas in July! This is more than an opportunity to sing Christmas songs together in the summer; it’s also a chance to reflect on the gift of Christ without so much stress and commercialization. The parades, parties, gifts, and special winter events are fun, but they can also be a source of anxiety and distraction. When we celebrate Christmas “off-cycle,” we don’t need to worry about all the extra preparations. We are free to focus on the gift of Christ.
With the gift of Christ, we are blessed in so many ways. The hope, peace, joy, and love that build as we move through Advent are blessings we enjoy because of the gift of Christ. We ponder these blessings as we prepare for Christmas, cultivating them further and inspiring gratitude for all God does for us.
So, here’s this week’s question we’ll discuss in the service: What are you most grateful for in this season of your life?

Congregational Prayer Requests

(Please join us in lifting up the following items in prayer!)

PRAYER QUILT IN THE NARTHEX

A prayer quilt displayed in the narthex is for Esther Agado. Esther is an extended family member of Susan Sneathen. We invite you to stop, tie a knot, and pray for healing, grace and comfort.

DEATHS

None

PRAYERS FOR OUR SPECIAL CARE

Laura DeNinno, Yvonne Fischer, Barbara Harvey, Barbara K. Johnson, Vickie Johnson, Ronda Klein, Betty Luallin, Terry Lutz, Ray McFarland.

OTHER

Please join us in prayer for Tom Rice and Karen Champagne.

PRAYERS FOR OUR CHURCHES

Mission Bell UMC- Glendale

Mountain View UMC- Cottonwood

(Got a prayer request? Need someone to pray with? Need support? Our congregational care team is here for you! Please contact the church office to have them forward your request to the congregational care team, fill out the form on our website https://firstchurch.church/prayer-requests/, or reach out to the congregational care team directly by emailing patricia@firstchurch.church.)

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Congregational Celebrations and Praises 

(Please join us in praising God for these celebrations!)

WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES (Celebrating 50 or more years of marriage)

Jim and Lynda McCoy 7/12

Terry and Rosemary Lutz 7/13

Cliff and Rita Hotchkiss 7/21

Steve and Suzanne Haehl 7/28

Dennis and Barbara Rogers 7/31

SENIOR MILESTONES (Celebrating 80+ birthdays)

Elizabeth Vick 7/9

Karen Horton 7/13

Ken Starkey 7/13

Eleanor Warner 7/14

Coral Ayraud 7/14

Don Richardson 7/22

Liv Stevens 7/24

Grant Clayton 7/26

Margaret Eikmeier 7/30

Ken Fox 7/30

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Christmas in July

This Sunday, we are going to be having our annual Christmas in July celebration! Come ready for Christmas music, the lighting of advent candles, and a message of hope. Feel free to wear red and green, a winter blue/white, a Christmas sweater, or whatever feels festive to you!

This will also be the final Sunday of our shoe drive, and will be a moment of gratitude for the amazing gifts we will be able to give to the Madison School District to help support their students who cannot afford the shoes they need.

We hope to see you there! You won’t want to miss this special Sunday.

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Ice Cream Social

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 22nd! The church will be hosting an ice cream social in Asbury Hall from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm! There will be activities for children and lots of good community. Please feel free to bring a card game or a board game to share. RSVPs are requested but not required. To let us know you are planning on coming, please click here or contact the church office.

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Blood Drive

Our next blood drive will be August 16th! The Bloodmobile will be available from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, but if you’d like to sign up for a specific time slot, it is best to make an appointment. Please contact Stephanie Espinoza at (602) 284-1258 with questions or to reserve a time, or visit www.donors.vitalant.org (Blood Drive code: firstunited).

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Welcome, Mike Wilkerson!

This month we were excited to share our first Sunday with our new pastor, Mike Wilkerson. We welcomed him with a stole, and gathered in Asbury Hall between services for a time of connection and community. If you see Mike around the church campus, please do not hesitate to say hi and introduce yourself!

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Heartwarming Update from Our Quilters

A beautiful update sent from Susan Sneathen: one of their recent prayer quilts was given to a gentleman named Larry who is 102 years old and it has given him a lot of comfort. Well done to all our quilters! You’re impacting lives!

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Madison School District Shoe Drive

Our church has organized a shoe drive for the month of July that will benefit students in the Madison School District. These shoes will go to students who are homeless, refugees, or simply low – income, to help make this school year successful for them. We are accepting all sizes of new children’s shoes.

Three ways to participate:

• Purchase and bring to the narthex on Sundays or to the church office.
• Order shoes online and have them shipped directly to the church office (5510 N Central Ave.)
• Donate financially and we will use any funds given to purchase additional shoes for the drive

Click here to donate:

https://firstchurchphoenix.churchcenter.com/giving/to/shoe-drive

Thank you for your generosity and for supporting this project!

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Justa Center Volunteer Opportunity

Volunteers are wanted at Justa Center to talk and visit with people. Contact Merrill Davison at (602) 674 – 3061 for more information or to schedule a time to go!

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Reminder- Wear Your Nametag!

This is a friendly reminder to please be mindful about wearing your nametag now that Pastor Mike is here, as it will help him to get better acquainted with our congregation.

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Seasons of Giving

Summer Choir

First Church Logo Shirts

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Reminder- Text Message Updates are Available!

If you’d like to opt into text message news and updates from our church, please contact the office to be added onto the text list!

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Sunday Social Hour

Please join us for our First Sunday Social Hour Gathering every first Sunday of the month between services at 10 a.m. in Wesley Lounge. The next one will be August 2. We look forward to seeing you!

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Afternoon Book Group

The Afternoon Book Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of most months at 1:30 p.m. in the library. We welcome all who love to read and discuss and travel the world through books. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28. The book is Under the Tulip Tree by Michelle Shocklee.

Community Yoga Classes

First 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.

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First Church Business Directory Updates

Business Directory July 2025

Here is an updated first church business directory.

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 or credit card.

1. Enter (888) 599-4262 in your cell phone text messaging program and type GIVE $_ as the message (example: type “GIVE $20” to give twenty dollars).
2. You will receive a reply with a link to enter your contact and bank 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 GIVE and 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.