Worship with us this Sunday, January 31st online at our YouTube channel at 9:00 AM.

Listen to our services by dialing 717-899-4569. If you know someone who is not online and would like to hear our service, please share this number with them.

This Sunday, January 31 we will look at Jonah 3. The sermon title is “Relenting” and focuses on doing God’s will. Contemporary songs for Sunday: https://youtu.be/Ss3wtg34pi0
Love Come Down  and
Lift your head Weary Sinner 

The sermon texts and topics for the next two weeks:
February 7, Jonah 4 on “Learning”
February 14 we switch it up with John 15:9-17 - “No Greater Love”

Lent
Lent begins Ash Wednesday, February 17th. Our Lenten theme will be “The Road to the Resurrection”. Look for a Lenten devotion USPS mailing coming the beginning of February.

Clothing Ministry - Now that cold temperatures are here the Clothing Ministry needs
Men’s and Women’s Extra-large and bigger winter coats as well as large (1x,2X,3X) men’s and women’s clothing. Bed linens and blankets are needed. There is also a request for a hand mixer and a microwave. If you can donate any of these items, it will be greatly appreciated, To arrange drop off call Carel Fish at 717-264-4354

Virtual Learning - Thank you for making your weekly or monthly contributions to the streaming education taking place at First Church. We continue to host Chambersburg school students and supervising staff from the Boys and Girls Club. We have gained 7 more students this week are at 52. Staffing has increased students are using the Apple place, the sanctuary annex behind the glass doors and the Open-Door room. Your support continues to be very much needed and appreciated!

Firstlights - This Week
Tuesday - Pray with us at 2:52pm on Facebook.
Wednesday - Join us for First Lights Live on Zoom at 6pm.
Sunday - 9am Worship on YouTube. Followed by - First Lights Small Group on Zoom.
First Lights Back to the Bible Challenge
As the new year begins, it's a great time to encourage kids to start a habit of reading their Bible daily or to reward kids who have developed the habit and reinforce it. I want to make sure the kids are given the opportunity to all start off together on our Bible journey, so if your child does not have a Bible or needs a more age-appropriate version, please let our children's minister know. It is a privilege for us to equip you and your child! You can email Brianna at kidsedfumc@gmail.com.

Illuminate Youth Ministry - Look for episodes of Virtual Youth Group on our YouTube channel. We also encourage our small groups to keep meeting via zoom. Be sure to check e-mails from Collin for a specific date and time!
YouTube and website www.illuminateyouth.org.

Confirmation Class meets every other Sunday at 4:00 PM on Zoom. Class meets on Zoom January 31st at 4 PM. Please pray for our 8 confirmands and their mentors!

Grief/Share – Has moved on-line and meets Mondays at 1:00 PM. If you or a friend struggle with grief, come and join others who are walking the same journey. For information or to register please call Gail at 717-263-8491 ext.207.

Hungry Hearts - Thank you all for your faithfulness to our friends and neighbors through your continued support of Hungry Hearts. As we all know, 2020 was not a fun year for anyone, but it was made exponentially more difficult for those who had already been struggling with poverty and food insecurity. As a result of the pandemic, Hungry Hearts saw a drastically increased need from the community, which we were able to meet because our God is so good. Currently we're handing out 150-200 meals every Thursday night and have over 100 families a week relying on our food pantry. In the food pantry in 2020 we saw over 5000 families, composed of 16,231 individuals and we gave them 191,105 pounds of food. Again, we want to offer our deepest appreciation and gratitude to everyone who donated or who has volunteered to help at any time throughout this past year! We couldn't do all this without you. Thank you for making this ministry possible. – Dan Renshaw

Haiti Ministry - Second semester tuition checks for students attending our School of Hope in Haiti are needed now. The amount is $132.00 per student. Checks can be made out to FUMC- Haiti Missions and School of Hope should be written in the memo. Thanks so much for your supporter of the School. These beautiful children are counting on us!

Blood Drive
First United Methodist Church, Chambersburg will be sponsoring a blood drive for the Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank on Monday, 02/15/21 from 11:00 am - 7:00 pm. The Registration Area and the Donation area will be the Family Life Center. Look for a link to make an appointment in the first Eblast of February.

Endowment Fund Status - 31 December 2020
The total principal (market value) is $1,357,045. This is an increase of $78,203 from last year (2019). The fund currently has interest earned (available income) of $210,72. This is the amount we can spend. The amount by category is as follows; General $82,546 Music $37,576 Bldgs./Fac $37,342 Missions $15,882 Scholarships $37,366 Note: $20,000 has been returned to the General Category. This amount was set aside to pay staff salaries, if funds were needed because of the effect of COVID-19 on giving. Thankfully, it was not needed.

In 2020 the Fund has supported - • the farm house for our orphans in Haiti, • taping and streaming equipment for on-line services, •apple phone and video camera for streaming,• Sierra Leone Initiative (5 yr commitment) help pay pastor salaries • Paid for a staff member to attend a workshop that will help people on their spiritual journey, to discern God’s voice, to serve as a spiritual director, and teach on the spiritual disciplines. In 2020 we received contributions of $14,341 and had disbursements of 7,426. Note: Starting in December 2020, any funds received for Endowment that are not specifically designated to a category, will be deposited as principal to the Mission category. Mission’s receives the most requests for disbursements.

PRAY - One of the goals of FUMC has always been to be a praying church. As Pastor Steve shared in his last eblast, we have an even greater need to be prayerful in this new year. Our weekly 1stprays email will continue to be updated with new or ongoing requests that the congregation sends. We certainly want to continue that tradition. However, scripture also calls us to be people of PRAISE and THANKSGIVING. So as we continue to pray for the needs of one another, we would like to start sharing the praises of our lives, the answers to prayer that we have seen and also add prayers of Thanksgiving. You can send your contributions to the PRAISE & THANKSGIVING email at these email addresses. 1stprays@gmail.com or Director of Congregational Care at parishvisitorfumc@gmail.com. If you are not already receiving these 1stprays emails and would like to be added to the list, please notify Gail (717-263-8491 ext. 207). Let's try to get as many prayer warriors as we can!

We give thanks to God for the smooth transition of power our nation experienced this week. Let us continue to ask for God’s leading and guidance for of national, state and local elected leaders, that God will enable them to humbly seek his favor for our nation.

Worship with us this Sunday, January 24th online at our YouTube channel at 9:00 AM here. Listen to our services by dialing 717-899-4569. If you know someone who is not online and would like to hear our service, please share this number with them.

Contemporary songs for Sunday:
We Believe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjZ01FcK0yk
Jesus at the Center https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8HOOfTXmlg

Preaching Series
Lent begins Ash Wednesday, February 17th. Our Lenten theme will be “The Road to the Resurrection” In the weeks leading up to Lent our sermon series will focus on the book of Jonah. If you want to read the chapter for a given Sunday here is the schedule : January 17, Jonah 1 on “Running”, January 24, Jonah 2 on “Praying”, January 31, Jonah 3 on “Relenting”, February 7, Jonah 4 on “Learning”, February 14 we switch it up with John 15:9-17 - “No Greater Love”

Clothing Ministry - Now that cold temperatures are here the Clothing Ministry needs
Men’s and Women’s Extra-large and bigger winter coats as well as large (1x,2X,3X) men’s and women’s clothing. Bed linens and blankets are needed. There is also a request for a hand mixer and a microwave. If you can donate any of these items, it will be greatly appreciated. To arrange drop off call Carel Fish at 717-264-4354

Virtual Learning - Thank you for making your weekly or monthly contributions to the streaming education taking place at First Church. We continue to host Chambersburg school students and supervising staff from the Boys and Girls Club. We have gained 7 more students this week are at 52. Staffing has increased students are using the Apple place, the sanctuary annex behind the glass doors and the Open Door room. Your support continues to be very much needed and appreciated!

Firstlights - This Week
Tuesday - Pray with us at 2:52pm on Facebook.
Wednesday - Join us for First Lights Live on Zoom at 6pm.
Sunday - 9am Worship on YouTube. Followed by - First Lights Small Group on Zoom.
First Lights Back to the Bible Challenge
As the new year begins, it's a great time to encourage kids to start a habit of reading their Bible daily or to reward kids who have developed the habit and reinforce it. I want to make sure the kids are given the opportunity to all start off together on our Bible journey, so if your child does not have a Bible or needs a more age-appropriate version, please let our children's minister know. It is a privilege for us to equip you and your child! You can email Brianna at kidsedfumc@gmail.com.

Illuminate Youth Ministry. Look for episodes of Virtual Youth Group on our YouTube channel. We also encourage our small groups to keep meeting via zoom. Be sure to check e-mails from Collin for a specific date and time!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC13b6gueSfGMb-z9crWkaLQ and website www.illuminateyouth.org.

Confirmation Class meets every other Sunday at 4:00 PM on Zoom. Class meets on Zoom January 31st at 4 PM. Please pray for our 8 confirmands and their mentors!

Grief/Share – Has moved on-line and meets Mondays at 1:00 PM. If you or a friend struggle with grief, come and join others who are walking the same journey. For information or to register please call Gail at 717-263-8491 ext.207.

Hungry Hearts Christmas and Holiday Update A big thank you to our faithful volunteers who serve people every week in the food pantry and with the hot evening meal!

As we move through the beginning days of 2021, we see the great need for prayers to be lifted for our country. The breach into the capital and the loss of life and the destruction in that hallowed building reflects the violence, death and destruction we witnessed this past summer in many of our nation’s cities. We feel frustration over lack of leadership on all sides and of the dereliction of duty to keep peace and order. Clearly, we are in desperate need of God’s help now! As our nation is divided so is our beloved United Methodist Church. As if right now, August 2021 is set to be the month our General Conference will meet to finalize what will happen to our church. Again, prayer is the most important thing we can do.

I am asking every member of First United Methodist Church to take some time everyday to pray for our country, and our denomination, it’s leaders and its people. I suggest taking 10 or 15 minutes or more at noon each day to pray for these things.

Pray that the light of God will break into our nation’s darkness. And pray for wisdom and insight for the delegates who will attend the next General Conference to make decisions about the future of the United Methodist Church. Prayer is the greatest thing we can do for make a difference for this nation and for the Kingdom of God.

Worship with us this Sunday, January 10th online at our YouTube channel at 9:00 AM here.  Listen to our services by dialing 717-899-4569. If you know someone who is not online and would like to hear our service, please share this number with them.

Clothing Ministry - Now that cold temperatures are here the Clothing Ministry needs
Men’s and Women’s Extra-large and bigger winter coats as well as large (1x,2X,3X) men’s and women’s clothing. Bed linens and blankets are needed. There is also a request for a hand mixer and a microwave. If you can donate any of these items, it will be greatly appreciated, To arrange drop off call Carel Fish at 717-264-4354

Virtual Learning - Thank you for making your weekly or monthly contributions to the streaming education taking place at First Church. We continue to host Chambersburg school students and supervising staff from the Boys and Girls Club. Your support continues to be very much needed and appreciated!

Firstlights - This Week
Tuesday - Pray with us at 2:52pm on Facebook.
Wednesday - Join us for First Lights Live on Zoom at 6pm.
Sunday - 9am Worship on Youtube.
10am First Lights Small Group on Zoom.

Illuminate Youth Ministry. Look for episodes of Virtual Youth Group on our YouTube channel. We also encourage our small groups to keep meeting via zoom. Be sure to check e-mails from Collin for a specific date and time!
YouTube .

Confirmation Class meets every other Sunday at 4:00 PM on Zoom. Class meets on Zoom January 17th at 4 PM. Please pray for our 8 confirmands!

Grief/Share – Has moved on-line and meets Mondays at 1:00 PM. If you or a friend struggle with grief, come and join others who are walking the same journey. For information or to register please call Gail at 717-263-8491 ext.207.

Hungry Hearts Christmas and Holiday Update We returned to our normal Thursday hours on January 7th.

Happy New Year from Your First Church Family!

2020 is past and 2021 is here! Let’s take a moment to thank God for the good things that were part of 2020. Thank God for those who stepped up and served others in amazing ways, like our health care workers who bravely and compassionately cared for the sick and dying in hospitals and nursing homes. Thank him for people inspired to help their neighbors doing grocery runs for the elderly. Thank God for those who checked in on people living alone sending cards of encouragement and made phone calls to connect with them. Thank God for the church in general that learned new skills quickly in order to provide opportunities for worship, study and community through technology. Thank God for the resources and people who expanded ministry in providing essential needs like food. Thank God for the His people reaching out to the community to provide access to virtual learning and childcare to children who needed these essential things. Amidst the hardships, loss and grief, God did amazing things in 2020 and the light of his love was not extinguished. Let’s give Him thanks for the good He has shown us this past year and ask His blessing on the year ahead!

Worship with us this Sunday, January 3rd online at our YouTube channel at 9:00 AM here.

Listen to our services by dialing 717-899-4569. If you know someone who is not online and would like to hear our service, please share this number with them.

Clothing Ministry: Now that cold temperatures are here the Clothing Ministry needs
Men’s and Women’s Extra-large and bigger winter coats. Blankets. To arrange drop off call Carel Fish at 717-264-4354

Virtual Learning: Thank you for making your weekly or monthly contributions to the streaming education taking place at First Church. We continue to host Chambersburg school students and supervising staff from the Boys and Girls Club. Your support continues to be very much needed and appreciated!

Firstlight: Happy New Year 2021! Check out our Facebook page to see what we are up to: https://www.facebook.com/1stlights.

Illuminate Youth Ministry: Look for episodes of Virtual Youth Group on our YouTube channel. We also encourage our small groups to keep meeting via zoom. Be sure to check e-mails from Collin for a specific date and time!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC13b6gueSfGMb-z9crWkaLQ and website www.illuminateyouth.org.

Confirmation Class meets every other Sunday at 4:00 PM on Zoom. Class meets on Zoom January 3rd at 4 PM. Please pray for our 8 confirmands!

Grief/Share: Has moved on-line and meets Mondays at 1:00 PM. If you or a friend struggle with grief, come and join others who are walking the same journey. For information or to register please call Gail at 717-263-8491 ext.207.

Hungry Hearts Christmas and Holiday Update: We will return to our normal Thursday hours on January 7th.

Thank you for your faithful giving to the Lord and His work through First UM Church. Your generosity is critically important for accomplishing what we believe God is calling us to do through the pandemic and beyond. There are three ways for you to give to Christ through First Church:
You can mail your checks through the postal system to First UM Church, 225 South Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 17201
You can go online at www.Firstonsecond.org and click on the word GIVE in the upper right-hand corner and follow the instructions.
We will take an offering at the park.
Your generous gift is greatly appreciated.

First Lights Children’s Ministry
Check out all the cool stuff on our website or our Facebook page.

August 23rd is Back to School Blessing and Promotion Sunday. We will celebrate kids, students and teachers.

Illuminate Youth Ministry
We continue to meet online for virtual youth group and for small groups on zoom.
August 7-8, we are excited to be together for a campout. For more info on either of these events, please contact Collin.
In our virtual youth group videos this summer, and in our Sunday devotions, we have been sharing lessons that explore Jesus' sermon on the Mount. As life continues to throw uncertainties and frustrations at us, it is important for us to hold on to the encouragements and teachings of Jesus. This message shared in Matthew 5-7 holds truth that is so applicable to us as Christians during this time, in how to interact with others and how to grow in our relationship with God. We will continue to look at segments from this passage of scripture through August, and we hope you'll join us online!

Hungry Hearts
continues to provide food to an average of 125 families every week.

Loss of a Spouse
You have begun a journey we know you did not want. We are sorry for your loss and want to come alongside you on this journey of grief. Our desire is to help you process your grief and think about what life after the loss of your spouse might look like. Please use parking lot and entrance behind First UM Church off W. Washington St.

Monday August 10, 2020 at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
At First United Methodist Church
225 South Second St. Chambersburg
Please register by
calling 717-263-8491 ext.207

Pastor Steve’s First Church email is pastor4fumc@gmail.com. Someone has added the number “1” to change it to “pastor4fumc1@gmail.com”. These emails are NOT from Pastor Steve. This has happened before and when the recipient responds, the culprit asks for gift cards or money. Pastor Steve will never email anyone directly asking for donations having nothing to do with First UM Church. Please delete these false emails if you should receive one.

In Habakkuk 3:17 and 18 we read – “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”

Habakkuk expresses an amazing attitude of joy in the Lord during loss and failure. Some might call it naïve; a denial of reality. But it shows a depth of relational faith in God any believer in Christ would pray to have. Difficulties, loss, grief, discouragements and uncertainty are not things from which we are immune. Isn’t good to know that even during such times God’s people have experienced joy in their relationship with the Lord through it all?

With new directive from the governor’s office to limit indoor gatherings to 25 people or less, we are experiencing the loss of something that had just returned to us and had sparked a sense of hope for new normal. I want to encourage us to determine within ourselves not to allow this setback to take our joy in Christ!

While we will not be in our building for this Sunday’s worship service, we will be together in worship as Faith Church through our live stream. The service will be formatted just as if we were all present physically together, but we can participate in it from our own homes. I am told that some of First’s folks will be gathering in each other’s homes to watch the livestream together at 10 AM on Sunday! That sounds awesome to me.

You can watch the live stream via YouTube by clicking on this link on Sunday morning:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmSGX-RPkXNSn0xDGKsjZ5Q Once you are on the church’s channel please click subscribe. This link: http://firstonsecond.org/watch takes you to the live stream imbedded in our website.

Click HERE to open the order of worship for Sunday. You can download and print it to refer to as you watch the stream. It has the song and hymn lyrics, scriptures and readings we will use.

I have been enjoying meeting many of you in person over these past 2 weeks, and will continue to be meeting many more of you in other formats such as zoom or over the phone. Please reach out to those who do not have email or internet access and those who may live alone. Ask how they are doing and see if you can help them in some way in Christ’s name. We will be sending monthly or bi-monthly newsletters via the postal system to keep everyone informed about what is happening at First. Those newsletters will also be available on-line. Please do not hesitate to call me for any reason, even simply introducing yourself to me. My cell number is 717-873-6626.

God bless you and keep you in His loving care through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Pastor Steve

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First Lights:

This week’s bottom line for kids in First Lights Children’s Ministry is ‘Knowing Jesus changes the way you see your problems’. I can’t help but think of how the lesson applies to all of us at this point. We are going through some pretty difficult stuff. And there is no getting around it; some of it is just plain hard. But when we are able to see these moments with a new perspective—when we believe that Jesus is with us and that He will never leave us—it gives us hope to see our way through our problems. It doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy, but it does mean that we won’t be alone.
You can watch our virtual KidMin experiences on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/1stlights
and on our website – https://www.firstlights.org/parentnetwork