December 19, 2025

News

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

This week for Pastor David’s Corner, we’d like to highlight the recent Stories of Hope event. Please see the following written by the mission’s committee:

“Fifty people gathered in the patio of First United Methodist Church on Sunday, Dec. 7 for a Stories of Hope event hosted jointly by the Missions-Social Justice Committee of First Church and the congregation of Iglesia Aliento, a Spanish-speaking mission founded by the Desert Southwest Conference of the Methodist Church.

The congregations listened to Lily, a member of Iglesia Aliento, share her traumatic story of fleeing gang violence, insecurity, poverty and extortion to reunite with her son in Phoenix who has a severe illness.

Lily described the extreme hardships and suffering she experienced during her journey to the U.S., including exposure to abuse and sexual violence at the hands of human smugglers.

Her story ended on a note of hope and joy. After arriving in Phoenix, a friend invited Lily to Iglesia Aliento, where she has been embraced by the love of a new church family, and has received support and healing, and above all a newfound trust in God.

Her story provided a lesson to all, that while we may all experience pain and suffering at some points in our life, having trust in God will see us through.

In addition to the story, the congregations shared Guatemalan chicken sandwiches prepared by Lily, along with side dishes and desserts provided by members of the First Church Missions-Social Justice Committee.

The Stories of Hope event was part ongoing events intended to continue to develop a relationship between First Church and Iglesia Aliento. If you would like to be involved in future events, please contact Daniel Cox-Gonzalez at dcoxgonzalez@gmail.com.”

Congregational Prayer Requests

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

PRAYER QUILT IN THE NARTHEX

None

DEATHS

None

PRAYERS FOR OUR SPECIAL CARE

Yvonne Fischer, Cathy Fuentes, Barb Harvey, Judy Humbert, Barbara Johnson, Vickie Johnson, Ronda Klein, Betty Luallin, Terry Lutz, Ray McFarland.

OTHER

None

PRAYERS FOR OUR CHURCHES

Mingus Mountain Camp

Justa Center Phoenix

Wesley Community Center

(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)

Sarg and Patricia Magyar 12/21

Joe and Marie Garber 12/23

Don and Sandy Hillegass 12/28

SENIOR MILESTONES (Celebrating 80+ birthdays)

Clark Dove 12/8

Noel Markman 12/9

Margot Wallace 12/14

Doug Dunipace 12/18

Larron Horton 12/18

Ronald Wilson 12/18

Jan Hyde 12/19

Susan Secrest 12/24

Carol Wilson 12/26

Diane VanDyke 12/27

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Christmas Eve at First Church

Join us on December 24th to celebrate the birth of Christ. Our church hosts two Christmas Eve Services every year- the first one is a Children and Family Service, which will take place at 4:00 pm, featuring interactive elements and a big snow pile for kids to play on. The second is a traditional service with beautiful decorations, a choir, and a candle lighting ceremony. That service takes place at 7:00 pm. Please contact our church office if you have any questions about either service.

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Over 300 Donations- Thank You!

Thank you to all who participated in our toy drive for children in the foster care system. We were able to collect over 300 games and toys. It’s a wonderful thing knowing that we were able to make their Christmas a little brighter; thank you for your kindness and generosity this holiday season.

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Blue Christmas

Join us on December 21st at 4:00pm for a special service for anyone dealing with grief or the loss of a loved one this holiday season.

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Christmas Poinsettias in Memory or Appreciation

Help proclaim the coming of Christ through the beauty of poinsettias in the chancel of the sanctuary. The cost is $17 each and the deadline for placing your order is Monday, December 22. Return the order form in your bulletin to the church office or place it in the offering plate on Sunday with your check. Please leave poinsettias in place until the conclusion of your Christmas Eve worship service.

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Ron Rhode is Back on the Organ!

Ron will be returning to the organ keyboard to accompany the classic (1923) silent film Safety Last at the Orpheum Theatre. The performance will take place on January 4 at 2:00. If you’ve not seen him play at one of these, you’re in for a fun time!

Tickets are available directly from the Orpheum Theatre website and will also be available the day of the performance at the box office. Please note there is a small handbag policy, so plan accordingly.

-Anne Bettis

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UMCOR Mission Group

Interested in joining a mission group going to UMCOR to be love in action? The United Methodist Committee on Relief is an organization that provides humanitarian relief in times of disaster. Our church has reserved spots the week of April 19, 2026, at the UMCOR Depot/Sager-Brown in Baldwin, Louisiana to pack emergency aid kits and other items to help people in need. Please contact Tami Smith for more information. (twolandarch@gmail.com)

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Fiesta Bowl Parade Tickets – On Sale Now!

🎊 Fiesta Bowl Parade

The Fiesta Bowl Parade is Saturday, January 3, 2026

Come kick off the new year with a celebration full of color, energy, and unity!

🎟 Seat tickets are $5, and parking tickets are $20.

Contact the church office to purchase tickets during the week, and they will be sold in the narthex on Sundays. We are able to accept cash, check, or credit cards.

🙌 Want to join the fun behind the scenes and serve the community? Volunteers are needed! See Jessica or Julie to sign up and be part of the parade crew.

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New Small Group- Men’s Monthly Meetup

Starting in the new year, Pastor David will be hosting a once-a-month small group for men in the church who want to deepen their faiths and start Monday off right! Bring your coffee and a Bible and join us at 8:00am every first Monday of the month for a time of connection. Please contact the church office to register or sign up at https://firstchurchphoenix.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3326400

Kickoff is January 5th.We’ll see you there!

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Finance Committee Monthly Update

Your Finance Committee values providing information about First Church’s financials with our congregation. We all share the goal of keeping our programs vital, fulfilling our commitments to missions and the work of the church in the larger world, and reaching out to help those in need as Christ taught us. We hope inclusion of this information will keep you informed and perhaps inspire you to participate more fully in the ministry of First Church. Please feel free to contact a member of the Finance Committee or our Business Administrator with questions about our operating fund. Thank you for your generosity and support of First Church.

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Van Drivers Needed

First Church is seeking volunteer drivers to assist those unable to drive to attend worship Sunday mornings. Contact the church office at 602-263-5013 for more information on how you can make First Church available to others.

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Behold the New Christmas Decorations!

Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary (Psalm 96:6)

Our new Christmas decorations are a visible reflection of the generosity and cheerful spirit that fills our community. Your contributions have truly made this transformation possible, and we celebrate not only the beauty in God’s house but also the loving hearts behind every gift. Thank you!

This year marks the first exciting installment of even grander plans for our sanctuary’s festive decor. Join us for the next chapter! Phase 2 of the Decorations campaign is underway, and your continued support will help us realize an even more splendid vision next Christmas. Donate by clicking this link https://secure.myvanco.com/L-Z2EJcampaign/C-15ZY4 or however you typically donate to the church. (Just make sure you indicate the donation is for Christmas decorations if using other means.

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First Church Business Directory Updates

Business Directory July 2025

Here is an updated first church business directory.

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Giving Report

Here is an updated giving report from Carrick Sears. Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

YTD January – November Actual Giving $656.313

YTD January – November Budgeted Giving $780,071

Variance ($123,758) (-16%)

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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 January 4. 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.

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 the library. 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.