News
April 4, 2025
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 David’s Corner
I hope the season of Lent is going well for moments of seeing light around you and how through the bread of life, we are fed in many nourishing ways.
I’ve been reflecting on a pattern that occurs each time a pastor is appointed to another congregation. It’s about stepping into a space that was filled by someone else and then both the congregation and the new pastor learns the rhythm of one another. This metaphor is likened to a dance. There are those moments when learning about who takes the lead and in other ways how to follow along. As you might suspect, sometimes toes can be stepped upon.
This initial learning to dance phase takes about a year. It’s a season of learning about the culture of the congregation and community, learning about values, hearing one another’s stories of success and areas of growth. Yet always careful to not jump to conclusions to fix or take away something. If anything, this initial season of getting to know one another includes bringing familiar experiences to the dancefloor.
This season of dancing with a safety-net also applies to new staff members too, who are empowered to enhance the ministry of a congregation. There can be so much excitement and anxiety, and often expectations that can lend to set up a new dance partner for failure. Because moments for building a collaborative connection is not established, and the assumption is let’s jump right into a tango without learning the rudimentary basics of moving from side to side.
After this initial season of discovering the dance moves, then begins implementation and reinterpretation of existing dance moves by adding a twist here or a dip there.
Somewhere between the third year and fifth year innovation steps forth and the magic of momentum begins. The dance partners are comfortable in their skin. Muscle memory accommodates and a new chorography takes the simplest of box steps to the elegant moves of a waltz.
The world of dance varies from the joy of glides to the energy of pops and locks. Each is a balance of rhythm, melody, and ingenuity. We dance together as a church and congregation. We learn from one another through our unique similarities and the nuances of the steps we bring to dance.
The chorus of a song by Garth Brooks goes…
“And now I’m glad I didn’t know
The way it all would end
The way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I’d have had to miss the dance”
The dance is not about the pain, but about the chance of a possibility what might be missed.
The steps and rhythms then become that embrace shared between the dance partners is a celebration of all things possible that in the midst of the Lenten season we all move to a resurrection of new life and a new motion of movement into the means of grace.
See you in church.
Pastor David
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 this morning is for Steve Goldian. Steve is the cousin of Susan Sneathen. We invite you to stop, tie a knot, and pray for healing, grace and comfort.
DEATHS
PRAYERS FOR OUR SPECIAL CARE
Twyla Thompson, Brenda and Jim Unsworth, Elizabeth Vick, Bob Young, Selena Alderman, Carolyn Allen, Bill Carpenter, Ruth Clark, Grant Cooper, and Hedy Cunningham
PRAYERS FOR OUR CHURCHES
First UMC – Glendale
First UMC – Phoenix
First UMC – Sun City
(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 deby@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)
Jack and Linda Smalley 4/1
Dave and Charlene Kingston 4/10
Jack and Susan Sneathen 4/22
SENIOR MILESTONES (Celebrating 80+ birthdays)
Alice Green 4/6
Shirley Myer 4/7
Pat Barnes 4/7
Ken McGinty 4/9
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New Faith Conversation Initiative for Families
Do you find it challenging to engage your child in conversations about faith? You’re not alone! First Church Phoenix, in partnership with The HUB @ Wesley DC, is launching a new initiative to help families explore faith together in meaningful ways.
Starting April 6th, when you pick up your child from church, you’ll receive a Monthly Dinner Conversation Kit with guided instructions inside. Each month will feature a theme with weekly discussion questions designed for dinner time, family time, or even the drive to school.
All K–8th grade children who attend Sunday services will automatically receive a kit. However, grandparents, families with grandchildren, or those whose children don’t regularly attend are also welcome to participate! Simply sign up using the SignUpGenius link below.
Those who signed up by March 30th will receive their kit early in April!
For questions, please contact Jessica Morris at JessicaMorris@firstchurch.church or (602) 263-5013 ext. 107.
We look forward to growing in faith together!
-Jessica Morris
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Holy Week is coming up soon! Here is a schedule of all of our events:
Palm Sunday – April 13th 9:00am & 11:00am, and Unspoken Tenebrae service 7:00pm
Maundy Thursday – April 17th 7:00Pm
Good Friday – April 18th 7:00pm
Easter Sunday – April 20th 9:00am & 11:00am, and Easter Egg Hunt for kids 10:00am.
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Work Day at Iglesia Aliento
Thank you to all who signed up to help at Iglesia Aliento. We had a good and productive time of work and fellowship with the members there.
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Change for Change Lent Challenge
During Lent, bring your loose change and place in the 5-gallon water jug located in front of the sanctuary. Our goal is to fill the jug to the brim before Easter. You might be surprised how when putting our change together can bring a change to others. This season’s Change for Change will benefit Iglesia Aliento and their ongoing ministry to the Latino community. Thank you for your participation to make a change with your change. – David
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Giving Report
Here is our most recent giving report. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.
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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 April 6th, hosted by the church’s fabric groups. We look forward to seeing you!
Axios Unaltered (LGBTQ+ Small Group)
Axios Unaltered is our resident queer small group that meets every week here at the church for a time of discussion, Bible study, and prayer, as well as service projects to support the community. If you are LGBTQ+, please join us on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. to connect with other like-minded individuals and grow in your faith. Contact Sammi Burkhart, visit axiosunaltered.com, or search @axiosunaltered on social media for more information.
Young Adult Small Group
This is a small group for anyone in our church 18-40 looking to dive deeper into their faith and connect with other younger people. We meet every Sunday afternoon in room 102 at 3:00pm for a time of community, Bible study, and prayer (and if anyone away at college would like to join in, contact Sammi Burkhart for a Zoom link to participate virtually). Come join us in the book of Romans.
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 $40. Email the church office for more information: info@firstchurch.church.
Afternoon Book Group
The Afternoon Book Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of most months at 1:30 p.m. in room 116. We welcome all who love to read and discuss and travel the world through books.
Visit our website https://FirstChurch.church and click on the “Give” button at the top of the home page, or scan the QR code at the bottom of this message with your mobile device for a quick and easy link to the giving page. You can set up a recurring frequency or give when you want to by making a one-time gift using your checking or savings bank account.
You may also give electronically using your bank’s bill pay service.
Another way to give electronically is Text-to-Give with your debit or credit card.
- Enter (888) 303-7535 in your cell phone text messaging program and a dollar amount without including a “$” sign as the message (example: type 20 to give twenty dollars).
- You will receive a reply with a link to enter your contact and debit or credit card information.
- After you complete the registration, you will receive a verification text as well as a receipt by email.
- 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.
