March 21, 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

Dear Church Family,

It’s been asked, “What’s the difference between making a pledge or a charitable donation?” There’s no right or wrong answer—it’s really about the expression of one’s generosity.

Let’s start by defining both terms:

A Pledge is a commitment to give a specific amount over a period of time, often with the intention of supporting a ministry budget or specific project. It’s a planned financial contribution to fulfill a personal giving goal.

A Charitable Donation, on the other hand, is an immediate financial contribution made to benefit a cause or respond to a specific need.

Both forms of giving—pledging and donating—make a tremendous impact, and I encourage you to consider participating in either or both.

I want to express my deep gratitude to all who contribute in different ways. Whether through pledging, donating, or volunteering, your generosity is a blessing.

Through the gifts of many, we can do much more to transform lives and impact the world.

If you need to review your giving, please contact Russ Morrow, our Business Administrator, at the church office or by email at russ@firstchurch.church. This helps us have a clearer picture of funding possibilities.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey.

Blessings,
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 Rebecca Heinrichs. Rebecca is the mother of our staff member Elizabeth Leyva. A second prayer quilt displayed in the Narthex this morning is for Rebecca Heinrichs. Rebecca is the mother of our staff member Elizabeth Leyva. We invite you to stop, tie a knot, and pray for healing, grace and comfort.

DEATHS

Ulises Estrada’s aunt, Cynthia Lorena Araiza, passed on March 1.

Mary Lou McWilliams passed on March 2. (Her service is on March 28 at 10 a.m., Life Center, Beatitudes Campus, 1610 W. Glendale Ave in Phoenix.)

PRAYERS FOR OUR SPECIAL CARE
Owen Galardi, Barbara Harvey, Judith Humbert, Barbara K. Johnson,
Vickie Johnson, Ronda Klein, Betty Luallin, Ray McFarland, Shirley Myer, Brenda North

PRAYERS FOR OUR CHURCHES

Dove of the Desert UMC – Glendale

Maryvale UMC – Phoenix

Faith UMC – Phoenix

(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)

SENIOR MILESTONES (Celebrating 80+ birthdays)
Pat Kelly 3/9

Patricia Magyar 3/17

Terry Lutz 3/18

Fred Moor 3/20

Nora Hinton 3/27

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New Member Class

Our church’s next New Member Class will be coming soon on March 23rd! If you are new to the church, or if have been attending for a while but have never become an official member and would like to, please call or email the church office and we will get a membership packet ready for you! The membership class will be quick, filling the 10:00 hour that Sunday, just a brief informational session about our church, about the Methodist denomination, and a time for questions and answers.

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New Faith Conversation Initiative for Families – Sign Up by March 30th!

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.

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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Blood Drive Results

Thank you all for another successful blood drive! From the amount donated, we were able to save 42 lives!

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Work Day at Iglesia Aliento

The mission’s committee is sponsoring a work day at Iglesia Aliento on March 29th from 9:00am-noon. Tasks available will include yard clean up, garden work, sweeping and mopping sanctuary floors, and cleaning chairs. Please contact the church office if you are interested in signing up!

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Giving Report

We had a month of good giving! Thank so much for all your continued generosity towards our church.

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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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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.

Business Directory (Attention Business Owners!)

Our church has a business directory for all church members to receive a complimentary listing if they are self-employed, an independent contractor, or a business owner. This will be a classified ad-style listing with one sentence about what you do, including your contact information. This will enable our members to support one another when looking for a business professional. Please email info@firstchurch.church with your information if you would like to be included.

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.