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“We Are the Church Together”
Pastor Brian and Nancy Robinson
“We Are the Church Together”
Pastor Brian answered the call to ministry after more than 30 years in public education, retiring from Rieck Ave. School in Millville as the principal. Pastor Brian and his wife Nancy have been married for 28 years. They are excited for what God has in store for us as we work in ministry together at First Church!
- Weekly Events
- Food Closet
- Missions
- Guidelines for Worship
- Care & Nurture Ministries, Choirs, Praise & Worship Teams
- Youth Ministry
- Small Groups
- Staff, Committees and Teams
- Heart to Heart
The Mission Team is requesting the following items
ONLY to restock the church food closet.
These items are of absolute need and can be dropped
at the curb in boxes or at the door
(NO GOING INSIDE).
Cereal Pasta Sauce Peanut Butter Pasta
Tuna Rice. Snacks (all kinds) Juice (all kinds)
FOOD CLOSET HOURS
WEDNESDAY – 10 am – NOON
THURSDAY – 10 am – NOON
FRIDAY – 10 am – NOON
Care and Share Meals for the Homeless
What is Care and Share? Care and Share is a program that prepares and serves 75-80 lunches to the homeless on Monday through Saturday in the Trinity First Hope Center. If you are interested or would like more information, contact Joan Fauver 609-579-0794 or Carol Marshall 856-506-6957.
NEW GUIDELINES FOR WORSHIP
Face masks are no longer required in most outdoor and indoor settings. However, based on CDC guidelines, it is recommended that unvaccinated individuals should continue wearing a face covering in public spaces to protect yourself and others. For those vaccinated, face masks are optional and for those not vaccinated, it is strongly recommended that you wear a mask.
♦ Please do not come in if you are feeling sick or someone in your household is feeling sick.
♦ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
♦ Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or use the inside of your elbow.
♦ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
♦ Wash or disinfect your hands once you enter for worship.
♦ Wash or disinfect your hands after touching any communal surfaces like copier, countertops, etc.
Care & Nurture Ministries, Choirs, and Praise & Worship Teams
Care & Nurture Ministries includes Heart to Heart, Drivers, Power Hour Prayer Ministry, Pastoral Visitation Team, Coffee Fellowship Ministry, and Fellowship Events. This essential team is a vital part of the worship service as they help prepare people to grow closer to God by letting them know the church is happy they are there to share in our ministry.
The Choir groups sing music to praise God and edify the congregation, as well as leading the congregation in song. They may also sing challenging and difficult songs of praise as special music during a worship service. The Choirs are ministers in music helping worshippers connect to God.
The Children’s Choir is the beginning stage of community building and skill development with periodic celebrations of song and music during worship services. This program offers opportunities for children to serve their church and to minister to others through music. Another essential piece of this program is the educational component. Children learn scriptural truths and knowledge of God.
The Praise & Worship teams offer a more contemporary style of music to also lead worshippers to connect with God and deepen their faith. Team members sing and perform music to edify the congregation as well as lead the congregation in praise to God.
The Youth program is essential for the development of faith for our young people. The relationships in this setting, build spiritual and social development, as well as establishing strong bonds with the youth and their families. The youth leader exhibits strength as a spiritual guide and in this role plans mission activities, builds a sense of community, and provides regular social, educational, and spiritual activities designed to develop and maintain a vibrant and cohesive program.
Small Group leaders function similarly with a focus on specific topics during the time of the scheduled group activity. Groups are determined by interests and topic with leaders exhibiting a strong and experienced knowledge of Christian beliefs and values that align with the United Methodist teachings.
The Staff at First United Methodist Church
“The Lord bless thee and keep thee.” Numbers 6:24
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” Numbers 6:24
The staff at First United Methodist Church is a dedicated team of professionals who are responsible for the efficient and effective operations of the church. This includes worship programs, administrative duties, team building, fiscal responsibilities, communications, missions, outreach, community connections, and many other functions. The care and upkeep of the facility is also part of the responsibility of the staff. Many committee volunteers support the staff in the fulfillment of their tasks and missions. The staff are the backbone of the church and often go unseen as they work diligently to allow for the successful programs we see but don’t know the heroic efforts taking place by the staff behind the scenes.
Administrative Assistant – Veronica Anderson
Youth Director – Rachael Wilson
Building Maintenance – Fred Elbertson
Worship Leader – Myron Estelle
Music Director – Linda Bell
Building Security/Traffic Control – Richard Sharp
The Staff Parish Relations Committee
The Staff Parish Relations Committee is a group of individuals that work hard to support our paid staff members. We prayerfully consider all changes that are proposed and provide a sense of understanding and guidance for each staff member. As liaisons, we connect, support, and communicate both with the SPRC Team as well as with our assigned staff.
These connections have led us to develop an Employee Handbook that can provide a better sense of what is professionally expected of our staff, but also allows us to have a set of guidelines for benefits. The development of a handbook has come at the perfect time, as we’ve welcomed our new Administrative Assistant, Rhonda, and Youth Leader, Ryan.
This year we hope to provide additional support and development to our staff by challenging each person to develop both professional and specific personal spiritual goals. We give of our time to help support not only staff, but also to support our congregation. When our staff are spiritually fed and supported we can more easily see God’s message coming through. We can see Spiritual Gifts flourish and in turn we can act as God’s hands and feet to spread love in the church and throughout the world.
Chair—Heidi Diemand
Greeters & Ushers and Technology Team
This essential team of greeters & ushers is a vital part of the worship service as they help prepare people to grow closer to God. Ushers & greeters welcome everyone and set the tone for everyone’s personal experience with the church. They create a first impression that is a lasting impression. Additionally, they assure the orderly progress of the service and perform other duties during the service.
The technology team has the monumental task of effectively communicating the values, mission, beliefs and operations of the church to all people searching for their church connection, utilizing a variety of methods. This action will reach our community at in-person and online worship services, church events, and other gatherings designed to provide extensive information regarding our church operations. The use of technology to promote the church’s goals and enhance the worship experience supports the efforts to make disciples for Jesus Christ.
Campaign Theme for 2024 – The Beauty in Giving
The Lay Ministry Team seeks to discover gifts and talents within the congregation in order to identify laity who will serve on the teams within the church. In 1 Corinthians 12 we read that everyone has a gift or ability given to them for the purpose of serving. We are all part of one body and all parts are needed to serve. In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. The Church is where people can find a place to discover and use the gifts and talents God has given them. This year 10 new people stepped up to use their talents and serve on a board or committee. Sincere thanks to each one!
Chair—Pastor Brian Robinson
First Kids
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6
Our mission at First Kids is to provide a foundation for a relationship with God through Bible readings and activities. We also strive to build positive friendships between the children to create strong peer groups. Our lessons are meaningful, engaging, and relevant to the children’s lives. In addition to our weekly lessons, we have participated in service projects and off-site family events. Now that we are back in person, we are looking forward to more of these activities. If you are looking for an opportunity to serve the church, we still need volunteers to guide our youngest disciples in pre-k/kindergarten as well as grades 4-5. Please encourage the children in your life to attend First Kids. Everyone is welcome!
Chairpersons: Dawn Brenner and Laura Spinelli
The purpose of the Outreach Team is to obey the Great Commission by: 1) creating and implementing evangelistic ministries to reach the unchurched within our community; 2) training church members in presenting the gospel through friendship and servant evangelism methods; and 3) developing ministries to assimilate newcomers into the body of Christ at First United Methodist Church. This team is built around those who have the spiritual gifts of evangelism and service and who have the passion to reach people for Christ.
Committee members help with the Hope Center, call new people and welcome them to the church via the connection cards, make lunches for 30 homeless people on Wednesdays at the Hope Center, and make calls to church members to check on them and inform them the church is now open.
The team of Sheepdog volunteers provide for the safety and security of the worshippers in attendance at our worship services and at other designated times when deemed appropriate. They are trained and dedicated to their roles and encourage anyone interested in being a part of this group to inform the Pastor.
Worship Team
The purpose of the Worship Team is threefold: 1) Create meaningful and Spirit-filled worship experiences leading people into the presence of God; 2) Create and implement a comprehensive prayer ministry within the church, and 3) lead various music and drama ministries within the body of Christ.
Chairperson: Myron Estelle
Proverbs 18:15 “The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
Proverbs 18:15 “The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
The mission of the Scholarship Committee is to award available scholarships to church youth who submit a scholarship application at the end of the school year. The scholarships provide financial assistance to the students who are seeking to further their education. The committee meets prior to the end of academic school year to review applications and award the scholarships to involved youth who meet the criteria established by the parameters of the scholarships. The generous donations of our congregation to the scholarship funds allow us to continue to provide some financial assistance to our youth in their pursuit of higher education.
Chairperson: Chris Finney