March 28, 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

Each week in worship, we take a moment to greet one another with the peace of Christ. This tradition has its roots in the Communion ritual, where we speak to one another the phrase, “The peace of Christ be with you,” to which the response is, “And also with you.” It is a gesture of reconciliation, reminding us that before we come to the table of Christ, we are called to make our relationships right with one another.

So when we exchange this greeting each week, it’s more than just a casual “How are you?” It’s a deeper message: in this moment, we are united in the peace of Christ, not in spite of, but through our differences.

I want to begin by saying, “The peace of Christ be with you,” and to express my gratitude for the ways you connect with First Church—through worship, small groups, and your support.

While we do our best to track attendance and participation, our records are only as good as the interactions we have with one another. That’s why, instead of calling to say, “We miss you” when you’re not present, we want to say simply, “The peace of Christ be with you,” whether you are with us or away.

First Church is your faith community, and it is my hope that you experience the goodness and grace of God through your involvement here.

With Easter just around the corner, there are many ways to connect and invite your family, friends, and acquaintances to experience the love and grace of First Church. Our Holy Week events offer meaningful opportunities to reflect on the life and ministry of Jesus, and each one is a unique way to journey with Him from loss to glory as we approach Easter.

If we said “Hello” to you last week and it’s been a while since you’ve joined us, please consider returning to First Church to experience God’s goodness and grace. If you’ve found a new faith community, we celebrate that with you and invite you to share your heart with us, knowing that the “Peace of Christ be with you” remains.

Blessings,
Pastor David

Congregational Prayer Requests

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

PRAYER QUILT IN THE NARTHEX
Gerry Oliver, Jean Oliver, Mark Pettit, Mary Price, Bonnie Rheaume, Mary Lou Salyer, Susan Secrest, Buzz and Liv Stevens, Loraine Stewart

DEATHS

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)

Jack and Linda Smalley 4/1

SENIOR MILESTONES (Celebrating 80+ birthdays)
Bob Bailes 4/5

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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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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

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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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.