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

So, how is your day of rest working for you?

We read from the book of Exodus the importance of the Sabbath presented to Moses in the Ten Commandments:“Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it (Exodus 20:8-11).

Sunday has become the day commonly associated with the Sabbath or day of rest. But the reality is how we are taking a break from the labors of our days?

Walter Brueggemann was an Old Testament scholar and prominent theologian on the topic of Sabbath. He emphasizes that Sabbath is a disruptive, countercultural “saying no” to the prevailing culture. In short, such protest against modern consumerism is an act of trust in God’s provision rather than relying on one’s own efforts to sustain life.

This is a powerful stance against the idolatry of productivity. It is written, “By voluntarily stopping work, individuals defy societal pressures to constantly produce, declaring that their value is not determined by economic output. It is a reclamation of freedom, rest, and human dignity.

Now we don’t typically find displays of civil dissent to support rest as a means of resistance. But in the days of Pharaoh and the people of Israel, keeping the sabbath is a reminder that people are free, not slaves to a 24/7 economy.

Today, we see many forms and platforms to speak out to social injustices that hinder the humanity and freedoms of people. Making one’s presence known when people are treated unfairly is a call to stand in a place like Jesus to represent and claim that all people are free indeed. It’s just that sometimes we can forget to take a break and a rest for the weary among us to be a voice for the voiceless and a presence for the least of these. We can remember as Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Get your rest and 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 is for Michael Coumides. Michael is a friend of John Holmes. Another prayer quilt displayed in the narthex this morning is for Van Nguyen. Van is a family friend of Dan Cox-Gonzales. We invite you to stop, tie a knot, and pray for healing, grace and comfort.

DEATHS

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that former senior pastor, Buzz Stevens, passed away Friday, 2/27/2026, at home surrounded by his wife and family. Details regarding a memorial service at First Church will be announced at a later time.

First Church is saddened to announce the death of Merle Wessel, who passed on February 28. Services are scheduled for March 18 at 10 a.m., at FUMC.

PRAYERS FOR OUR SPECIAL CARE

Barbara K Johnson, Vickie Johnson, Ronda Klein, Betty Luallin, Terry Lutz, Ray McFarland, Gerry Olier, Jean Oliver, Bonnie Rheaume, Susan Secrest.

OTHER

None

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 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)

None

SENIOR MILESTONES (Celebrating 80+ birthdays)

Daniel Scott 2/26

Barbara Harvey 3/3

Pat Kelly 3/9

Sharon Green 3/10

Derrick Sewell Memorial Information

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Lura Turner Homes Mission Project- March 14th

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Scholarship Applications Now Open

Our scholarship applications are now open! Please click here to apply! The deadline this year is Monday, March 16th, at 4:00 pm, and late applications cannot be accepted. Applications can only be submitted electronically, and we request that you submit a photo of yourself along with your application. Applicants will receive an electronic confirmation of a successful submission.

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Groups and Gatherings Committee- Get Engaged!

Do you have a knack for bringing people together? Do you like planning a great movie night for your friends, or family activities after the big game? If so, we have a great way for you to serve your church!

We’re developing a Groups and Gatherings Team to plan events and activities for our church throughout the year. The team will be able to plan as few or as many events as they’d like, with no pressure, and will have support from church leaders when needed.

Unlike our established administrative committees, there are no regularly scheduled meetings, no minutes to take, and no reports to present! The team will meet/communicate as needed to share ideas and plan some fun events for our church and the community, including things like board game nights, movie nights, outings to go to dinner, attend a theatre performance, or whatever else sounds fun to you!

Does this give you some ideas? If you are looking for a way to serve that is creative, flexible, and FUN, please email Sammi at sammi@firstchurch.church to join today. Thank you for bringing more engagement to our church!

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Pancake Breakfast- March 15th

Please join us on Sunday, March 15th from 9 am to noon in Asbury Hall. Enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast and help support BSA Venturing Crew 2041’s Northern Tier Adventure! The recommended donation is $10. We look forward to seeing you!

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Giving Report

Here is an updated giving report from Carrick Sears. 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 5th. 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.

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) 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).
2. You will receive a reply with a link to enter your contact and debit or credit card 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 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.