FALL 2026
ALWAYS SHOWING UP The Unwavering Embrace of Dani Higgins by Forrest White
IN THIS ISSUE page
Meaningful Thanks Giving
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one little girl said. “I knew you were coming.”
urricane Milton still packed mighty winds in October 2024 when it swept past Mulberry, battering the area’s already fragile migrant housing.
In-house Ways to Serve: Help Wanted
“That meant a lot to me because I realized she wasn’t necessarily saying I was going to solve everything,” Higgins said. “She was saying, ‘I knew someone was going to show up.’ I can’t always make a big difference. But sometimes, showing up is the difference.”
There was no power in its wake. page
Food supplies, already thin, were dwindling. Fear and uncertainty hung over everyone.
Member News
But then Dani Higgins showed up. The children ran to her that day, as they always do when she arrives in their community.
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FINE ARTS SERIES
“I saw the food was here,”
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“What started as a job became a calling,” she said.
Since becoming a migrant advocate with Polk County Schools in 2005, Higgins has been a constant in the Mulberry community, working alongside migrant and farmworker families.
In 2023, she became principal of RCMA Mulberry Community Academy. This fall, she transitioned to a CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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First Things First
Hello Church Family, It has been an amazing three months as your new senior pastor. I have enjoyed getting to know you, worshipping together, and being one of your pastors. I continue to be in awe of the heart for missions in our church and local community. This month we are highlighting Dani Higgins, the current director of Student Services and Alumni Engagement at RCMA Mulberry Community Academy. This story highlights her leadership in our community and passion/ heart for the migrant community. In this issue, we are also highlighting ways to serve in the life changing ministry happening at First United Methodist Church. Rev. Marcus Zillman Senior Pastor
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I love being your pastor! In God’s Amazing Grace,
Meaningful Thanks Giving S
ince First Connections will not be published again until December, I’m focusing my column this time on giving thanks, but not simply on that fourth Thursday in November. I’m inviting you to join me on a journey I’ve already begun — to integrate gratitude into my core by diligently practicing it not just occasionally but over the course of each day. Forrest White Director of Mission Ministries
For followers of Jesus, gratitude should be central to who we are. But, for many of us, it is not. Gratitude is more than something we express. It is something we practice until it helps shape who we become. The Apostle Paul references gratitude, giving thanks or thanksgiving about 50 times across his letters. Jesus modeled giving thanks throughout his ministry. He also expressed surprise when only one of the 10 lepers he healed on his way to Jerusalem returned to thank him. (Luke 17:11-19) There are notable examples throughout the Psalms, including this one:
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• Psalm 107:1: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever,” echoed similarly in Psalms 118 and 136. Paul urges us to express gratitude as a way of life, in the good times and the hard times: “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:18) and “at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph. 5:20) So, why aren’t we better at consistently offering gratitude to God for his presence, his mercy, his grace, his unconditional love and for the blessings in our lives? I believe the reasons include: • Our tendency to focus on what we lack, not on what we have. • A misguided notion that we’re taking care of everything ourselves, at least until something goes wrong. (In an episode of The Simpsons, Homer asked Bart to say grace before dinner and Bart quickly offered this: “Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing.”) • We’re conditioned to focus on petition — asking God for specific personal needs — and intercession — praying for others — not so much on thanksgiving, praise or confession • We’re anxious and stressed.
From the Editor
Paul places thanksgiving in the middle of his instruction about anxiety. “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul wrote, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil. 4:6) And what follows? “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7) Convinced by Scripture, I still needed a new, practical way to make gratitude a more intentional part of my life, and I stumbled upon a short video by Michael Hunter, founder and CEO of UpSpiral.Life, when I wasn’t even looking. When you realize your life is in a negative cycle — anger, stress, complaint, what-if thinking, etc. — don’t try to break it, he said. “Instead, replace it.” Hunter suggests spending 18 minutes each day — roughly six three-minute cycles — naming aloud or under our breath people and things already in our lives that we love and appreciate. Take your time and go slowly, he said, so you can “feel the sense of appreciation in your body.” This isn’t simply about momentary relief from a negative cycle. It’s about creating a new cycle or way of life, free from the old patterns that keep us stressed out. “What fascinates me so much is that every time we decide to be grateful it will be easier to see new things to be grateful for,” Henri Nouwen wrote in Life of the Beloved. “Gratitude begets gratitude, just as love begets love.” Hunter reminds us that this will take time and consistency. Nobody becomes physically fit from one workout. Why would we expect our minds and souls to be formed differently?
and over time they help shape the people we’re becoming. That’s the goal here, too. I don’t want to simply express my gratitude more often. I want to become a grateful soul, one who rises daily with a “get-to” mindset, not a “have-to” one. Along with Hunter’s three-minute prompts during the day, I focus on gratitude when I get in bed each night. I do not allow myself to pray any prayers of petition or intercession or confession then. My mornings are reserved for those prayers. At night, it’s all about gratitude. A few examples … “I love and appreciate you, Jesus, for saving me and for coming to give me abundant life.” “I love and appreciate you, God, for the gifts of Haley and Austin and Kerrigan, for baby Sloan and another granddaughter on the way, for the ones my children love …” “I love and appreciate getting to see the sun rise and set.” “I love and appreciate the chance to work out and to run stairs.” “I love and appreciate that I have a reliable car to drive.” “I love and appreciate cranberry sauce on my Thanksgiving plate, especially if it still has the shape of the can.” However you approach it, I hope you’ll be relentless in weaving gratitude into your daily living. Maybe that’s the invitation this Thanksgiving — not simply to spend one Thursday counting our blessings, but to begin becoming people for whom thanksgiving is increasingly as natural as breathing. Not just people who give thanks. Grateful souls.
Gratitude isn’t merely an emotion. It’s a spiritual discipline. We don’t have to wait until we feel grateful any more than we wait until we feel like praying, forgiving, serving, worshipping or being generous. We practice these things,
All the best,
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Always Showing Up CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Blanca Flores and Dani in 2016 and today
Flores knows what it means for Higgins to show up for you. “Her work does not always show up in a statistic or an award, but it shows up in the lives of the people she has helped,” she said. “I am one of those people.”
Potential Realized Flores was an 11th-grader at Mulberry High School in 2012 when she first met Higgins, then the school’s migrant advocate. “She believed in me even when I did not fully understand what I was capable of,” Flores said. “Ms. Dani did not just tell me that I could go to college — she helped me figure out how to get there.” Higgins made sure Flores took the right classes during her junior and senior years to position herself well for college, guided her through scholarship applications and kept pushing her toward opportunities. new role as RCMA’s Director of Student Success and Alumni Engagement, helping students successfully navigate high school, college, careers and life. Her days often begin before sunrise and end after sunset. If she hears about a need, she’s going to help meet it with dogged determination. “Dani doesn’t hear ‘no’ very well,” said Alice RayOverstreet, chair of First UMC’s Missions Council. “She charges past a lot of roadblocks because she doesn’t accept them.” “Whenever people see her red car, they know Ms. Dani is nearby,” said Blanca Flores, school counselor at the Mulberry Community Academy. “To me, that red car represents someone who is always out there … checking on a family, connecting people to resources, or simply making sure someone knows they are not alone.” 4
Flores landed the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which would have covered her education through a doctoral degree if she had chosen to pursue one. “I am a first-generation college student who graduated from high school, earned two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree, and had opportunities to travel outside of Florida because someone believed in me and helped me recognize my own potential,” Flores said. Another scholarship brought another first. Flores needed to travel to Texas to receive the $1,000 award and give a speech. “Ms. Dani flew with me to San Antonio,” she said. “It was my first time ever being on an airplane, and she was there beside me through the entire experience.” As a school counselor, Flores now tries to do for students what Higgins did for her.
She encouraged her.
lose, a purpose to work for.”
She walked alongside her.
Alvarez-Lagunas went on to be class valedictorian and earned a full-ride scholarship to Stanford University. Higgins flew out to be there for her at Stanford’s graduation.
She never stopped showing up for her. “In many ways, I am able to help students today because Ms. Dani first showed me what it looks like when an adult truly believes in a student’s potential.” Flores can tell story after story about Higgins — through good times and hard times, big moments like a first airplane flight and seemingly small ones. Dani with Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas at Stanford graduation
But she can sum up their 14 years together in one sentence. “Ms. Dani changed my life forever.”
Influence Spanning Generations Brenda Alvarez-Lagunas was barely a teen and part of a migrant farmworker family when she met Higgins in 2013. Higgins introduced her to volunteering, AP classes, GPAs, school clubs and leadership opportunities — and eventually scholarships, federal aid and the college application process. “She saw a potential in me that I didn’t recognize myself,” Alvarez-Lagunas said. “Her belief in me made me believe I could achieve more than I had previously aspired to.”
“DANI DOESN’T HEAR ‘NO’ VERY WELL.”
Alice Ray-Overstreet, chair of First UMC’s Mission Council
When Higgins told her during ninth grade that she was at the top of her class and could be the valedictorian, Alvarez-Lagunas had a question. What did “valedictorian” mean? “She explained it, and in that moment she gave me a title that I had, unknowingly, been working toward,” Alvarez-Lagunas said. “I had something I didn’t want to
After working with migrant farmworker children at Mulberry Community Academy, she moved to New York and did pro bono immigration casework as a paralegal. Today, she works in legal technology at the World Trade Center and mentors other young people.
“Looking back, every step of my path has centered around pouring good back into the same kind of community that raised me,” she said. “Before any of that, I was a migrant farmworker myself, working in the fields. Ms. Dani’s belief in me is the reason that my path has led me from the fields to a job at the World Trade Center.” Higgins’ influence in the Alvarez-Lagunas family spans generations: She supported Brenda’s older sister in high school, then Brenda, and now her younger sister. “Ms. Dani is someone this community knows it can count on,” Alvarez-Lagunas said. “That trust was built over years of consistency. Her impact has spanned generations.”
Fierce Advocate, Faithful Friend Flores and Alvarez-Lagunas are far from the only students Higgins has helped reach heights they may never have imagined. “Dani can spot potential a mile away,” said the Rev. David McEntire, retired senior pastor of First UMC, who has known Higgins since she joined the church in 2015. McEntire has watched Higgins help dozens of students who grew up working alongside their families in the fields find their way to higher education and careers. “Dani is a conveyor of generational hope and opportunity,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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Always Showing Up
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Education is huge, but only part of Higgins’ focus. Shortly before the pandemic, she founded the nonprofit Called to Serve Farmworkers to respond to unmet needs in the community. Its focus quickly became providing basic necessities, especially food. “But it grew beyond that,” Higgins said. “Sometimes families needed help finding medical resources. Sometimes children needed school supplies or other educational support. Sometimes a family simply needed someone who could help them figure out where to turn.”
That fierce advocacy grew out of a relationship Higgins never expected when she first became a migrant advocate. “When I first applied, I knew very little about the migrant farmworker community,” Higgins said. “But once I began working with farmworker families, I fell in love with the community.” She was struck by their humility, kindness, generosity and strong sense of family and community. “I think sometimes we don’t see the people behind the work,” Higgins said. “The food we eat doesn’t just appear on a shelf. There are families working incredibly hard behind it.”
I’M INSPIRED BY PEOPLE WHO DON’T GIVE UP WHEN THE ODDS ARE AGAINST
McEntire, who describes Higgins as “relentless in advocacy, resourcing and love,” remembers arriving at her home one day with shoes and clothing donated by First UMC members.
More than two decades later, Higgins says those relationships have taught her a fundamental lesson.
Higgins wasn’t there, so he texted her.
“There are so many things in a person’s life that we can’t control — poverty, housing, family circumstances, access to resources, even circumstances they were born into,” Higgins said. “But I’ve learned that one person showing up and simply refusing to give up on someone can change an outcome.
“Leave everything on my porch,” she replied. “I needed to go and help another family.” Ray-Overstreet has seen that same determination. She describes Higgins as “like a momma bear with cubs” when someone dares to talk down to anyone in the community she serves.
THEM. Dani Higgins
“Sometimes we are the variable.”
“I think that realization has driven much of my work. I may not be able to change everything, but I can change something. Or be really persistent to that end.” Because she leads by example, Higgins makes it easy to want to help, Ray-Overstreet said. “Dani gets things done,” she said. “She sets her eye on something, and it usually happens.” When asked about her inspirations, Higgins doesn’t hesitate.
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Glacier National Park.
“Honestly, many of my students have inspired me more than anyone,” she said. “I’ve had students who were facing circumstances that would make most of us question whether we could keep going, and yet they did. I remember one student who worked two jobs — one in the fields and another at a warehouse. He would do his AP homework on the bus and still managed to be at the top of his class. I remember thinking, ‘If I were in his shoes, would I work that hard?’ “I’m inspired by people who don’t give up when the odds are against them.”
Here Am I. Send Me! There aren’t many days off for Higgins. “She spends afternoons and weekends visiting families in their homes, checking on them, and getting to know them personally,” Flores said. “She has built relationships based on trust, and that trust is something you can see throughout the community.” Before transitioning to her new role this fall, Higgins, 45, took a three-week summer road trip with her mother and two sons — Jackson, a sophomore at Central Florida Aerospace Academy, and Daniel, a sixth grader at Jean O’Dell Learning Center. “Daniel has significant special needs and is nonverbal and autistic,” Higgins said. “Being his mom has shaped me in ways that are difficult to put into words.” Her mom and ex-husband both help with care for the boys. “(Daniel) has taught me a tremendous amount about patience, advocacy, seeing people for who they are rather than what they can or cannot do, and celebrating progress that other people might not notice,” Higgins said. The summer trip found them visiting four national parks (Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Badlands) and stopping at Native American and other historical sites along the way. “I love nature and hiking,” Higgins said. “For me, being outside is a great way to think and reset.” Before their summer journey began, she got a call from a former student who had backpacked in
“That was a really special moment for me,” Higgins said. “Even after students leave your classroom or graduate, those relationships can continue.” Not having to use bear spray on the hikes was a win. Totaling her car in an unavoidable collision with a deer was a setback. Time away with family was priceless. With another school year upon her, Higgins won’t let the whirlwind of responsibilities keep her from showing up in the lives of her students. “I’m really passionate about the work,” Higgins said. “A lot of what I do is built on relationships that have been developed over many years. “I’m also constantly curious. I’m always asking, ‘How can we make this better? Is there another way to solve this? Who could help? What are we missing?’ “I don’t necessarily think I have figured out how to get more hours in the day. I just care deeply about the work, and when something matters to you, you tend to keep working at it. I am in a constant state of improvement. “The work is never done.” Higgins has always felt “a strong responsibility to help when I see a need,” she said. Born in Clearwater, she grew up in Mulberry. She graduated from Bartow High School’s International Baccalaureate program, then earned her undergraduate degree at Southeastern University and her master’s in educational leadership from Florida Southern College. She cites mission trips and service projects with her church youth group as formative, especially ones that found her serving impoverished communities. “I think those experiences CONTINUED PAGE 8
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Always Showing Up CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
Lourdes Villanueva, Dani’s mentor
opened my eyes to how much a person can impact someone else’s life simply by being willing to show up and serve,” she said.
“I’ve never felt like I had one extraordinary talent or a unique gift,” Higgins said. “But I’ve always been willing to serve. I think sometimes that willingness is enough.”
One verse of scripture has stuck with her through the years, she said. Isaiah 6:8 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, Here am I. Send me!’”
Dani with her sons, Jackson and Daniel
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IN MEMORIAM Professing members of
NEW MEMBERS
First UMC, Lakeland
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
Marcia Alley
Debbie Dettmer
1 Corinthians 12:12
Doris Devlin
Phil Arthur Pauline Boone Dean Boring Margie Brown
Lois Goble Sofia Birri Sofia Monacelli Sophia Parham Gene Higgins Diana Erickson Natalie Young Connie Phillips Andy Phillips Connie Linderman Raquel Welch Dan Welch Diane Baum Jessica Perry Richmond Perry Sandy Hodges Stephen Smith Tom Grove Vivian Grove Steve Claywell Joanne Claywell
Betty Varnadoe Brenda Adams Bill Adams Susan Azzara Carrie Greenberg Ian Brooks Leslie Brooks Marianne Gatchell Pat Hatcher Terry Wexler Bree Gard Caroline Agee Harrison Kincade Katherine Crenshaw Kelsie Santonastaso Liam Austin Lillian “Lily” Roberts Madison O’Steen Mckenzie Gill Parker Kincade
David Hall Jan Hermany Walter Hill Annette Hutcherson William (Bill) John Kenneth Kammeraad Geraldine Kressin Jan Maxfield Barbara McEntire Homer McSween Jim Mills Lisa Moore Joanne Paige David Pipkin Drew Sammons Theresa (Terri) Spurrier Patsy Stokes Ernestine Surber John Surber
BAPTISMS
We welcome these brothers and sisters in Christ!
Remy Drew Beckham Ellis Delaney Ellis Eliana Payne-Nieves Hayes Perry Richmond Perry
Turner Short Liliana “Lily” Swanson Natalie Young Sylvia Walters Landen Watkins
Sandy Swanson Joyce Young
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
Current through publication deadline. Please send any corrections to info@firstumc.org.
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First UMC Ministries
In-House
WAYS TO Serve
HELP WANTED! Kitchen Volunteer Help prep and serve meals for our Wednesday evening Midweek Supper.
ADULT MINISTRIES
Contact Barbara Reardon, breardon@firstumc.org
g Adult Sunday School Teacher or Substitute Teacher – Teach adult lessons using approved curriculum resources.
g Small Group Facilitator – Lead small groups using approved Bible study materials. Coaching provided.
g Community Group/Home Group Host – Host people in your home or in the community to grow in Christian love. Coaching provided.
g Fresh Expressions Pioneer – Take the church that God loves to the people God loves in new ways! Coaching provided.
g Singles Ministry Coordinator – Work with Warren Pattison and the Adult Council to design and coordinate a new ministry to singles.
g Marriage Ministry Coordinator – Work with Warren and the Adult Council to design and coordinate a new ministry to married people.
Young Adults t speakers
❱ Sunday Scshoofoleaguchesmonth,
(last Sunday ay!) oose your Sund 11am-12pm, ch e to help set People who lik our n events (like up or tear dow ) loween event! upcoming Hal
❱
ygard Contact: Jen Sw tumc.org jswygard@firs
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g Just Older Youth (JOY) Age 55+ Planning Team – Meets bi-monthly to plan JOY events, trips and activities.
g Disciple Bible Study/Long Term Course Facilitator – Lead 30-34 week transformational high-commitment courses. Coaching provided.
g Memory Ministry – Volunteer and/or donate wrapped snacks to use at the Memory Cafe.
♦ Ushers, especially for the traditional services ♦ Altar Guild ♦ Communion Servers on first Sunday of the month
♦ Second Sunday set-up volunteers at
Contact Warren Pattison, wpattison@firstumc.org
7:30am in Welcome Center
♦ Greeters for Sunday mornings (also for funerals and events)
♦ Acolytes and crucifers Contact Andrea Bailey, abailey@firstumc.org
Care Visitation Team 10
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As an extension of our ministry, First United Methodist Church offers visits with loving care, prayer and Communion to members of our congregation who are in the hospital or no longer able to get to church. Remember: Chief among the reasons why we have a visitation ministry is that people matter to both God and to us. Visiting them lets them know we care! If you are interested in serving as a lay visitor, please contact: Nicole Wood, nwood@firstumc.org, 863-686-3163
Children’s Ministries KIC (Kids in Community) recognizes the vital role that children play within our church and the broader community. To nurture their spiritual growth, we offer tailored programs for children ranging from six weeks to fifth grade, focusing on creating a positive learning atmosphere centered on biblical teachings and the importance of serving God, their community, and others, all within a safe environment. We provide various opportunities for children and their families to grow both individually and collectively. For those who enjoy working with children in fifth grade and below, there are numerous ways to get involved.
✱ We welcome volunteers during KIC Start on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:45 to assist in classrooms, or for those who prefer a less hands-on role, we need front desk helpers to manage check-ins and support tasks during programming.
✱ Additionally, we invite individuals to join us on Wednesday nights from 6:00 to 7:30 for KIC Friends, where support for the leaders is greatly appreciated.
✱ For those who wish to contribute without direct interaction with children, there are ample opportunities to serve as a Joyful Helper. Contact Megan Gallagher, mgallagher@firstumc.org
Music Ministry
Have you ever considered serving through music? We offer choir opportunities for all ages (KIC Choir, Youth Choir & Chancel Choir) and everyone is welcome to come to be part of the choir community - no experience necessary. ● KIC Choir is a delightful group of kindergarten - 5th grade kids who enjoy singing, dancing, and fun hands-on musical activities. They rehearse on Wednesdays 4 - 5:15pm in E3. ● Youth Choir is a fun group of students in 6-12th grade who enjoy singing, games & activities, and encouraging & lifting each other in prayer. They rehearse on Sundays 9:30 10:30am in E22. ● Chancel Choir is a welcoming group of adults who enjoy singing together, celebrating one another, and sharing meaningful fellowship. They rehearse on Wednesdays 7:30 - 8:30pm in E2. ● We also have serving opportunities for adults who would like to lend a hand behind the scenes with our children’s choir or the youth & children’s musical. Connect with Karen Buie for more information on ways to serve through music! Contact Karen Buie, Kbuie@firstumc.org
Children’s Clothes Closet Since 1978, 20 dedicated volunteers have met to shop, sort and assemble outfits for at-risk children (birth through age 18) referred by caseworkers from schools and social agencies. We provide new school uniforms, everyday clothing, new underwear and socks, new health items (shampoo/comb, deodorant, toothbrush/toothpaste, soap/wash cloth) plus a toy or book. When your children, grandchildren, or friends’ children outgrow “usable” clothing, we’ll take it! Bag it (and note “Clothes Closet”) then drop into blue bins around the church. We especially need children and teenager-sized:
ROA R
Each Su Redefi nday resid ents f ning O rom t u (form he erly N r Abilities a First U oah’s nd Re ROAR — A latio MC. rk) out of the church’s operating budget, but from donations. them We need m — attend w nships orship to and ore dr iv a from the RO ers to tran t ➤ If you think you might like to “thrift shop” or help “pack bags” for the kids, sport AR co Trainin mmun g prov stop by any Monday afternoon or Wednesday morning and we can fill you in. ity. ided. Conta We’re located in the brick-faced building across Walnut St. from the Fellowship Center. ct For r fwhit e@fir est White stum For more info, contact Forrest White, fwhite@firstumc.org c.org
➤ shorts, short-sleeved shirts and jeans. ➤ “like-new” baseball caps, children’s books or other smalll items for ages up to 18. ➤ ... and money! As you know, prices have doubled and our funds don’t come
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NON-PROFIT Org. ORG Non-Profit US POSTAGE U.S. Postage
PAID
PAID
PERMIT #30 LAKELAND, FL FL Lakeland,
Permit No. 30
72 Lake Morton Drive Lakeland, FL 33801 863-686-3163 firstumc.org
is a publication of First United Methodist Church Written by Forrest White Designed by Anne Powell
Pumpkins to be delivered Thurs. Oct. 1 at 4pm Opens Friday, October 2
PASTORS Marcus Zillman Senior Pastor
Just a few ... OF THE UPCOMING EVENTS AT FIRST UMC:
Kim DuBreuil Associate Pastor
Trunk or Treat, 3 - 5pm Charge Conference, Fellowship Center, 12:30pm All Saint’s Sunday
October 24 October 25 November 1
Organ Spooktacular - Part II , 7:30pm Holiday Jazz Room, 5 - 7pm The Sights & Sounds of Christmas, 4 & 7pm
October 28 November 22 December 13
KIC Friends begins, Wednesdays 6 – 7:30pm KIC Family Event, Boots & Bales Bash, 2:30 – 4:30pm KIC Fam Jam, 4:30 – 6:30pm Children’s Sunday, 9:30am service only KIC Parent Night Out, 5 – 7pm
September 16 September 27 October 4 October 11 November 13
Pumpkins delivered to Pumpkin Patch, 4pm Pumpkin Patch opens COPE Event, for Youth and Parents
October 1 October 2 November 15
YA Girls Clothing Swap Pumpkin Patch & Painting Murder Mystery Party Harvest Holler Corn Maze Christmas Lights Festival
September 24 October 3 October 15 October 14 December 11
JOY (55+) October Luncheon and Guest Speaker
October 29
Better Together Job Fair, 10am-1pm SALT disaster recovery
October 22 (ongoing)
Workshop: What’s in Your Communication Toolbox? Workshop: Creating a Joyful Holiday Season for Your Family!
October 6 November 12
Ivan Corbin Associate Pastor Patrick Hamrick Pastor of Church Administration
WORSHIP SERVICES 8:15 am SANCTUARY Traditional worship.
9:30 FELLOWSHIP CENTER Modern Worship. ASL interpreter in person.
11:00 SANCTUARY Traditional worship with organ accompaniment.
11:00 FELLOWSHIP CENTER The Current: unique, contemporary worship.
FIRSTUMC.ORG > GET INVOLVED > EVENTS