February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the unique contributions of African Americans to the American history. Whatever your heritage or background, black history is part of everyone’s history.

The General Commission on Religion and Race has compiled 29 suggestions to help United Methodists celebrate Black History Month during this year. Some ways to celebrate may include educating yourself on black history or the various African American Methodist movements. You might also support local African American businesses/charities or participate in local advocacy. You can also explore black literature, film and music that convey the unique voices and experiences of the culture.

Please click on BLACK HISTORY MONTH to learn more about how you can participate in Black History Month.

We need YOU to be a greeter at our brand-new Welcome Center located in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room on Sunday mornings. People attend churches where they feel like they are warmly received and welcomed, and we want to be sure every visitor at Duluth First United Methodist Church experiences that!

Greeters are needed for the 8:30 and 11:00 worship services. Please sign up to volunteer and be at the new Welcome Center one service and one Sunday each month to help us welcome those who have walked through our doors. It’s simple and a wonderful way to serve our church!

To sign up and/or get more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Students in the 6th through 12th grades are invited to join us on Sunday nights for Sunday Night Gatherings from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”), located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Sunday Night Gatherings include great dinners, fun games, amazing worship, inspirational and relevant messages and life-changing small groups.

The Sunday Night Gathering schedule for February is:

• Sunday, February 1st: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, February 8th: Super Bowl Party at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, February 15th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, February 22nd: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”).

Please click on YOUTH MINISTRY for more information.

Questions? Please contact Rev. Min Lee, Director of Youth Ministries, by e-mail at mlee@duluthumc.org.

Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. All blood types are needed now to help save lives. Spring into action and give patients a fighting chance by donating blood.

An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at Duluth First UMC from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 4th, in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. Please consider donating blood as winter weather across the country is causing a decline in donations. With more severe weather predicted, blood donors (especially type O) are needed to give to prevent a shortage. Patients need your help now!

To schedule an appointment:

• Click on BLOOD DRIVE ONLINE REGISTRATION;
• Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767);
• Contact Tracy Brinker by e-mail at tbrinker@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 112.
• Last, but not least, be a “walk-in” on Blood Drive Day.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with our amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends.

The menu for Wednesday, February 4th, is Chicken Alfredo, penne pasta, broccoli, zucchini, garlic breadsticks, and dessert. For the kids – the same.

Dinner service hours are 5 to 6:30 p.m., with to-go boxes available from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

The prices for Wednesday Night Dinners are:

• $10.00 for adults (including seniors and from 11 years up);
• $7.00 for children 10 years and younger;
• $30.00 for family meals (nuclear family members only – husband, wife, their children under 18 years);
• $7.00 for salad bar only, which includes the salad bar, a choice of baked potato or sweet potato, dessert and a drink.

Credit/debit card payments, as well as cash and checks, are accepted.

The Wednesday Night Dinner teams are looking for volunteers - our Dinner Belles and Beaus - to help. No special experience or skill is necessary – just a willingness to serve, make some new friends, and have fun!  Each team volunteers only once a month and on the night that you volunteer you get a free meal! We hope you will consider joining us for some good food and good fellowship.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Marilyn Scheiwe, Event Coordinator, by e-mail at mscheiwe@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 111.  We hope you will consider volunteering.

Join us on Wednesday evenings at Duluth First UMC for the following activities - we have something for all ages!

• Wednesday Night Dinner: 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Book Bunch for kids (ages 3 – 4): 6:15 to 6:30 p.m. in The Louise McDaniel Memorial Library, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• DuluthKids (ages Kindergarten through 5th grade): 5:45 to 7 p.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall;
• Youth Bible Study (grades 6 – 12): 6 to 7 p.m. in room F149, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Parent Connection Group: 6 to 7 p.m., room F207, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• “The History and Archaeology of the Bible” Class for Adults: 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in room F145, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Yarn Art Ministry: 6 to 7 p.m. in room F205, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Happy Sacks: 6 to 6:15 p.m. in room F152, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal: 6 to 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary;
• Wednesday Night Food Drive: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Chancel Choir Rehearsal: 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Don Lee Music Suite.

The Wednesday Night Food Drive at Duluth First UMC for the Hands of Christ Duluth Co-Op is our weekly mission project, combined with the many Wednesday evening activities offered at the church.

Items needed during the month of February are:

• February 4th: macaroni and cheese;
• February 11th: cereal;
• February 18th: cans of soup;
• February 25th: cans of diced tomatoes.
  

A table for donated items will be located outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall.

Join us for a delicious dinner and fellowship in Hinton Hall, pick up a to-go dinner for your family, join us for any of our Wednesday evening activities, and drop off food items to help other families in need. We thank you for your support.

Human trafficking is a serious problem worldwide. Often, we think it is not here in the United States, but trafficking is in all 50 states and right here in our own community. Human trafficking comes in many forms. It can be coerced labor such as hotel workers, farm workers or restaurant workers, as well as sexual exploitation. It can affect persons at any age. Sometimes sexual exploitation occurs with a family member or a known trusted person.

If you suspect something, the best idea is to call the hotline to get advice about what to do. Do not confront the people directly as that could put the victim at risk. The hotline phone number is 888-373-7888.

The State of Georgia has passed many laws that make sexual trafficking more difficult for the traffickers, and releasing the victim from prostitution charges, plus helping the victims to rehabilitate.

Many organizations in our community are working to put an end to human trafficking, and to help rescue victims. For example, Street Grace works to protect children and youth from sexual exploitation and Wellspring Living’s mission is transforming lives of those at risk or victimized by sexual exploitation.

Anytime there is a big event, whether it be sport related, concerts or conventions, human trafficking increases. It’s time to put a STOP to human trafficking. So, when you join us for our worship services next Sunday, February 8th, which is also Super Bowl Sunday, the United Women in Faith are asking you to please wear something BLUE which is the international color of Human Trafficking Awareness.

Click on HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS RESOURCES for additional information.

On Sunday, February 8th, the United Women in Faith will be selling chocolate candies and goodies just in time for Valentine’s Day. All the proceeds will go to Street Grace, an organization that fights human trafficking. Founded in 2008, Street Grace been chasing one ambitious vision - ending the sexual exploitation of children. Thanks to the help of their generous partners and supporters, they are making serious progress.
 
Street Grace works on four areas to make changes:

• PREVENTION to help all of us recognize and stop exploitation before it starts;
• PROTECTION to make survival sustainable;
• PURSUIT to help law enforcement identify predators, protect victims and prevent future crimes;
• POLICY which makes safety the standard, shapes laws, training and systems that protect children long before a crisis begins.
  

So won’t you say YES because change begins with you! Come to the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall on Sunday, February 8th, buy chocolates, and help put an end to human trafficking! For additional information about Street Grace, please visit their website at www.streetgrace.org.

The Library Book Club will meet on Monday, February 9^th, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145 (located on the 1^st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center) to discuss the book James by Percival Everett with a discussion led by Amy Burk. James, a brilliant, action-packed reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and darkly humorous, is told from the enslaved Jim's point of view.

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. 

Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made author Percival Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with our amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends.

The menu for Wednesday, February 11th, is pulled pork BBQ on a bun, sweet potato fries, baked beans, slaw, and dessert. For the kids – hot dogs and sweet potatoes fries.

Dinner service hours are 5 to 6:30 p.m., with to-go boxes available from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

The prices for Wednesday Night Dinners are:

• $10.00 for adults (including seniors and from 11 years up);
• $7.00 for children 10 years and younger;
• $30.00 for family meals (nuclear family members only – husband, wife, their children under 18 years);
• $7.00 for salad bar only, which includes the salad bar, a choice of baked potato or sweet potato, dessert and a drink.

Credit/debit card payments, as well as cash and checks, are accepted.

March is Duluth First UMC’s month to volunteer at the Hands of Christ Duluth Cooperative Ministry. Duluth First UMC was one of the founding members of Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op, created more than 30 years ago to help with food insufficiency in the 30096 and 30097 zip codes. Volunteers stock pantry shelves, divide bulk food items into smaller packages, and fill orders. An experienced “captain” for the day guides you.

Choose to work a 2-hour shift from 10 a.m. to noon, or noon to 2 p.m. on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday during the month March. Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op is located at 3649 Rogers Bridge Road in Duluth. To volunteer please click on HANDS OF CHRIST. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. David Burchett by e-mail at dburchett@duluthumc.org.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with our amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends.

The menu for Wednesday, February 18th, is fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and dessert. For the kids – chicken tenders.

Dinner service hours are 5 to 6:30 p.m., with to-go boxes available from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

The prices for Wednesday Night Dinners are:

• $10.00 for adults (including seniors and from 11 years up);
• $7.00 for children 10 years and younger;
• $30.00 for family meals (nuclear family members only – husband, wife, their children under 18 years);
• $7.00 for salad bar only, which includes the salad bar, a choice of baked potato or sweet potato, dessert and a drink.

Credit/debit card payments, as well as cash and checks, are accepted.

Everyone is invited to participate in a Lenten study, based on the book Taste and See:  Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, & Fresh Food Makers by Margaret Feinberg, beginning Sunday, February22nd. The study, led by Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, will meet on Sundays, February 22nd through March 29th, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

Taste and See will be a different type of Lenten study – it will be one about feasting and “discovering God among butchers, bakers, and fresh food makers.” We will discuss where we can find God and that we are all invited to “Taste and See” that God is good. We will also sample some of the dishes that the author discusses!

The cost of the class is $20 is per person to cover the cost of the book and food samples. Childcare will be available by request. To register and for more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Join us for a new small group class opportunity that will discuss the first five hundred years of Christianity.  Beginning Tuesday, February 24th, and Wednesday, February 25th, this class will meet twice each week for 20 weeks and participants may attend either class. Classes will be held on:

• Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesdays from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.
  

The subject matter will be based on Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years, a series of 20 lectures by Paula Fredriksen, Professor of Scripture Emerita at Boston University and Professor Emerita of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Dr. Fredriksen, and author of numerous books and a widely sought-after speaker, is a worldwide recognized scholar of early Christianity.  A former Catholic, Fredriksen converted to Judaism several years ago.

The class, led by Pete Fleming, will consist of 20 fifty-minute lectures by Dr. Fredriksen which will follow her latest book. Participants are not required to purchase the book, but they may wish to. Classes will be augmented with weekly summaries of the material plus optional additional readings and bibliographies.

If you would like to participate in this new study or have questions, please contact Pete Fleming by e-mail at lfleming3832@att.net or Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org. Please let them know which day of the week you will most likely be attending the class so that classroom space can be planned for.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with our amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends.

The menu for Wednesday, February 25th, is chicken pot pie, green beans, corn on the cob, biscuits, and dessert. For the kids – chicken tenders and French fries.

Dinner service hours are 5 to 6:30 p.m., with to-go boxes available from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

The prices for Wednesday Night Dinners are:

• $10.00 for adults (including seniors and from 11 years up);
• $7.00 for children 10 years and younger;
• $30.00 for family meals (nuclear family members only – husband, wife, their children under 18 years);
• $7.00 for salad bar only, which includes the salad bar, a choice of baked potato or sweet potato, dessert and a drink.

Credit/debit card payments, as well as cash and checks, are accepted.