Do you age in place or is it time to move? Join us at Duluth First UMC on Saturday, February 22nd, for a seminar providing helpful information about aging for everybody. The seminar will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. Bethany Baker from Senior Provisions will help us navigate the many options available for staying in your house or choosing to move. We will also hear from The Junkluggers, an organization that specializes in downsizing. Lucy from The Junkluggers and Bethany from Senior Provisions  will lead us in “Downsize and Declutter” to learn about green ways to downsize and plan for the next stage in life.

Please let us know if you plan to attend by contacting Tracy Brinker by e-mail at tbrinker@duluthumc.org or calling 770-476-3776.

The Missions Ministry will be having a delicious fundraiser coming up on Sunday, February 23rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in The Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. We invite you to come help support Duluth First UMC in being the hands and feet of Christ in our community by stopping and enjoying some hot, delicious cinnamon rolls and scones.

Cinnamon rolls and scones will be $3 each, or two for $5, and donations are always accepted. All proceeds will go toward supporting our local mission efforts which our general giving goes towards in the Duluth/Gwinnett County areas, such as the Hands of Christ Duluth Co-Op, the Duluth Care Team, Rainbow Village, Family Promise, and others. Thank you for your support!

Join the Chamber Chorale on Sunday afternoon, February 23rd, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. in the Sanctuary as they present “A Few of Our Favorites”. The title says it all - we looked back at the anthems we have sung the last seventeen years, and chose a few of our favorites to share with you.

We hope you’ll join us, and invite a friend! The concert is free and open to all. Childcare will be available.

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.

Our schedule for the month of February is:

• Sunday, February 23rd: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”). We will be making 200 sandwiches to donate to The Sandwich Project. The Sandwich Project helps combat food insecurity in our community and ensures that everyone has access to enough nourishing food to sustain a healthy lifestyle. We’ll have dinner and a short devotional time and make sandwiches together. We look forward to an awesome night of serving together!
  

Our schedule for the month of March is:

• Sunday, March 2nd: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, March 9th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, March 16th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, March 23rd: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, March 30th: Escape Room from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Escape the Mystery Room (5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy Unit 134, Lawrenceville). Additional information to come.

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.

Come join us for Simply Psalms, a Bible study of the Book of Psalms, led by Rev. Dr. C. Kay Fuino and Rev. Beth Brown Shugart. Each week we will study one Psalm during the one-hour class. The same class will be offered twice a week:

• Tuesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in room F147, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

On Tuesday, February 25th, and Wednesday, February 26th, we will study Psalm 55.

For additional information, please contact Rev. Beth Brown Shugart by e-mail at bshugart@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Join us for a time of food and fellowship around the table with family and friends at our Wednesday Night Dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall. Chef Henry Roerig, our Food Ministry Manager, along with our very talented and dedicated Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices.

February 26^th is “Breakfast for Dinner” Night and the menu includes breakfast quiche, a choice of bacon or sausage, cheese grits, French toast sticks, biscuits, and dessert. For the kids – the same.

Dinners are served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, 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.

Join us on Wednesday evenings for the following activities at Duluth First UMC:

• 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): 6 to 7 p.m. in the Youth Center, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• 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 F145, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Adult small group studies - “Simply Psalms”: 6 to 7 p.m. in room F207, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Yarn Arts 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;
• Chancel Choir Rehearsals: 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 for upcoming Food Drive nights are:

• February 26th: Cans of diced tomatoes;
• March 5th:  Peanut butter & jelly;
• March 12th:  Tuna fish;
• March 19th: Cans of mixed veggies;
• March 26th:  Canned fruit;
• April 2nd: Spaghetti and pasta (dry).
  

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.

Make plans to celebrate Mardi Gras with your family and friends by attending a FREE pancake supper on Tuesday, March 4th, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. There will also be sausage, bacon, coffee, juice, milk, and water.

Supper is FREE, but donations are appreciated! Proceeds will benefit Duluth First UMC’s Music & Worship Arts Ministry.

Join us for a time of food and fellowship around the table with family and friends at our Wednesday Night Dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall. Chef Henry Roerig, our Food Ministry Manager, along with our very talented and dedicated Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices.

The menu for March 5th is fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, fried okra, biscuits, and dessert. For the kids – the same.

Dinners are served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, 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.

Ash Wednesday will be observed on March 5th with a short service beginning at 6 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located in the Sheldon Family Life Center. During the service ashes will be placed on foreheads as we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within our community of faith.
 
PLEASE NOTE: The service will take place during our regular Wednesday evening supper format, so plan to arrive early and receive your food before the service begins. Dinner is served beginning at 5 p.m. Food service will be stopped while the Ash Wednesday service is taking place. It will resume at the conclusion of the service.

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 20 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 in March. Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op is located at 3649 Rogers Bridge Road in Duluth. To volunteer please contact Ramona Ricks by e-mail at ramonaricks@att.net. For more information about Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op, please visit their website at https://duluthco-op.org.

We will again be collecting very smart casual and formal wear for the Duluth Care Team from Sunday, February 9th, through Wednesday, March 12th. If you have gently used dresses, sport coats, suits, tuxedos, and footwear, you can help provide appropriate dress for students at Duluth High School to wear to prom who otherwise would not be able to.

The collection areas for donated clothing items will be in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall and on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. For more information, please contact Rev. David Burchett by e-mail at dburchett@duluthumc.org.

If you are between 18 and mid 30’s, or you know someone who is, the Young Adult Ministry needs you. We would love to have you join us for Bible study and fellowship on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in room E132 (located in the hallway behind the Sanctuary), and also for our fun, off campus events. For more information, please contact Rev. David Burchett by e-mail at dburchett@duluthumc.org.

You are invited to participate in the 2025 Operation: Taste of Home, the Hugs for Soldiers Ministry’s 22nd annual “Gift of Caring: Cookies for Soldiers” Collection Drive of Girl Scout cookies for our military men and women. Girl Scout cookies are a great symbol of America, and in fact, they continue to be one of the most requested items by soldiers.

Show your support for our soldiers and your local Girl Scouts by purchasing an EXTRA box or two of cookies. This is a wonderful community service project for our Girl Scouts along with their families, friends, and neighbors to support our soldiers. Deployed soldiers are in stressful situations, but when they receive a box of cookies from home, it sends a message to the troops that America is thinking of them and their safe return.  
 
You may drop off your cookies in the collection box located inside the back entrance to the Sheldon Family Life Center. You can also attach a personal message to your donated boxes - 2” x 4” mailing labels work best.

Thank you for helping us put a smile on a service member’s face! If you have any questions, please contact Angie Doerlich by e-mail at hugsforsoldiers@gmail.com.

Vacation Bible School at Duluth First UMC is months away, and this year’s theme will be True North – Trusting Jesus in a Wild World, taking kids on a virtual adventure through the Alaskan wilderness and guiding them toward the Savior. Among other plans, we hope to create an indoor forest-like scene using as many artificial trees and greenery as we can get our hands on.

If you’re looking to “retire” your aging artificial tree or garland this year, please reach out to Bryan Taylor by e-mail at bryantaylor44@gmail.com. You can bring it to the church, or even have it picked up from your home!