All women are invited to join us on Thursday, August 1st, as the Women Studying Together group will start a new book study of Lord, Teach Us:  The Lord's Prayer and the Christian Life by William H. Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas. This will be an 11-week study of The Lord's Prayer.

Lord, Teach Us is not a book on how to pray, and it is not a book on how to get what you ask for, but rather a book on how this prayer affects the way we live as Christians. This 11-week study involves 11 different phrases that shape the way we feel about God and how we live as people who believe and pray this prayer. Sometimes we say the prayer without thinking, and sometimes we find great comfort and encouragement from it. Lord, Teach Us takes it a step further and helps us understand what Jesus is telling us about God and about our relationship to Him as we live as His disciples. The authors break it down phrase by phrase with insights and challenges for us to consider.

The Women Studying Together group meets on Thursday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., with discussion led by Jenny Masterson, in room F-154, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.  As we study, we ask questions, search for answers, share our stories, laugh and pray together. Sometimes, we even sing! We welcome all women. If you would like more information, please contact Jenny Masterson by e-mail at jennybobm@comcast.net or call 678-591-0800.

Hello Duluth First UMC Family! The new school year is about to begin, and we are excited to celebrate Promotion Sunday on August 4th! Everyone is invited to come see us on August 4th at the Promotion Sunday Celebration from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. Children and youth will be together playing games, having a snack, enjoying fellowship with one another and they will receive a goodie bag.

We encourage everyone to swing by to find out how you can be praying for our children and youth for this school year.

Join us on Wednesday, August 7th, for a special back-to-school “Burgers & Bingo” Wednesday Night Dinner event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. The menu includes hamburgers, French fries, cole slaw, baked beans, and dessert. For the kids – the same. Bingo will begin at 5:45 p.m. and will be played during the dinner time with prizes for our winners!

The prices for Wednesday Night Dinners beginning the Fall season of 2024 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 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. Wednesday Night Food Drives will resume on August 7th.

Items requested during the month of August are:

• August 7^th:  Peanut butter and jelly
• August 14^th:  Spaghetti and pasta (not canned)
• August 21^st:  Canned fruit
• August 28^th:  Boxes of macaroni and cheese

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.

On Sunday, August 11th, children and youth will report to their new Sunday School classes. Three years old (by September 1) through 5th grade kids will meet in their new classrooms in the C and D wing hallways of the Kids Village:

• Three & Four year old (as of September 1): room C123;
• Kindergarten through 2nd grade: room C120;
• 3rd through 5th grade: room D126.

6th through 12th grade youth will meet in room F149 on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

Sunday School for both children and youth, is from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. If you would like to be a Children’s (preschool through 5th grade) Sunday school teacher, please contact Leslie Yokeley, Director of Children’s Ministries, by e-mail at lyokeley@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 138. If you would like to be a Youth (6th through 12th grades) Sunday school teacher, please contact Rev. Min Lee, Director of Youth Ministries, by e-mail at mlee@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 119.

Morning Fellowship is for the adults of our congregation who have many gifts and talents to offer to the church and the surrounding community. They are active and encouraged to participate in all aspects of the various ministries of the church. They are a vital part of the ministry of the church and are truly an asset to the surrounding community.

Morning Fellowship meets on the second Tuesday of every month, except June.  Join us on August 13th as our guest speaker Gail Robinson, Duluth First UMC member, will bring us some inspiration. Our fellowship time begins at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 1:00 p.m. We meet in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. All are welcome to join us as we learn a little, do mission projects, and share fellowship and a meal. For lunch, brown bag it, or be present at 11:30 a.m. to order pizza.

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

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 F207, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

The schedule is:

• August 13^th and 14^th:  Psalm 32;
• August 20^th and 21^st:  Psalm 33;
• August 27^th and 28^th:  Psalm 34;
• September 3^rd and 4^th:  Psalm 35;
• September 10^th and 11^th:  Psalm 36;
• September 17^th and 18^th:  Psalm 37;
• September 24^th and 25^th:  Psalm 38;
• October 1^st and 2^nd:  Psalm 39;
• October 8^th and 9^th:  Psalm 40;
• October 15^th and 16^th:  Psalm 41;
• October 22^nd and 23^rd:  Psalm 42;
• October 29^th and 30^th:  Psalm 43;
• November 5^th and 6^th:  Psalm 44;
• November 12^th and 13^th:  Psalm 45;
• November 19^th and 20^th:  Psalm 46.

Following the Christmas and New Years holiday, Simply Psalms classes will resume on January 7th and 8th, 2025. For additional information, please contact Rev. Beth Brown Shugart by e-mail at bshugart@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

The Dinner Belles and Beaus prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. The menu for August 14th 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 beginning the Fall season of 2024 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.

Make plans to join us on Wednesday, August 14th, as the following Wednesday night activities resume at Duluth First United Methodist Church:

• Wednesday Night Dinners:  5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, 2nd floor of 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 Sheldon Family Life Center;
• DuluthKids (ages Kindergarten through 5th grade): 6 to 7 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”), 1st floor of Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Youth Bible Study (grades 6 – 12): 6 to 7 p.m., room F149, 1st floor of Sheldon Family Life Center;
• “Simply Psalms” adult small group studies: room F207 (new location), 2nd floor of Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Parent Connection Group: 6 to 7 p.m., room F145 (new location), 1st floor of Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Happy Sacks: 6 to 7 p.m., room F152, 1st floor of Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Yarn Arts Ministry: 6 to 7 p.m., room F205, 2nd floor of Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Handbell Ensemble rehearsals: 6 to 7 p.m., Sanctuary.
  

Rev. Beth Brown Shugart invites you to read Secret Heroes by Duluth First UMC member and first-time published author Dianne Ogden, and then join her on Monday, August 19th, for a discussion of the book. Secret Heroes, self-published by Dianne in collaboration with Cynthia Michel, is about German Jewish refugees who ended up interrogating Nazis during World War II. The lessons in Secret Heroes include the fact the German Jewish refugees never used force or violence of any kind, but rather used interrogation as a test of wits. The information they gathered helped turn the tide of the war. One of the German Jewish soldiers was the father of one of the author’s friends.

We will meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center to discuss the book. Please contact Beth by e-mail at bshugart@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128, if you have any questions.

The Dinner Belles and Beaus prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. August 21st is Taco Night. The menu is a choice of chicken or beef tacos on a flour tortilla, a choice of refried beans or black beans, yellow rice, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa, chips, guacamole, 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 beginning the Fall season of 2024 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 Dinner Belles and Beaus prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. The menu for August 28th is pulled pork BBQ on a bun, cole slaw, corn pudding, Brunswick stew, and dessert. For the kids – hot dogs and French fries. 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 beginning the Fall season of 2024 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.

People live when people give, so show your love by giving blood on Wednesday, September 4th. An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at Duluth First UMC from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. To schedule an appointment:

• Click on 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.

Register now for Christian Beginnings Preschool & Kindergarten’s 2024-2025 school year. Christian Beginnings, offered Monday through Friday during the school year from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years, provides a loving Christian atmosphere for the growth and nurture of each child. They will have fun and make friends while attending our accredited, award winning school. Christian Beginnings won the “Best of Gwinnett” award in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023! We also won the “Gwinnett Daily Post Reader’s Choice” award in 2019.

If you would like more information regarding Christian Beginnings Preschool & Kindergarten, or you would like to set up a tour, please contact Pat Szathmary by e-mail at pszathmary@duluthumc.org or call 770-497-1743.

Click on CHRISTIAN BEGINNINGS REGISTRATION FORMS to download copies of the forms.

Do friends often come to you to talk about their troubles? If you answered yes, you are most likely a good listener with a tender heart for supporting those who are hurting. Your compassion and “being there” for others in their time of need may make you a good candidate to train as a Stephen Minister!

Duluth First United Methodist Church is looking for (men and women) Stephen Minister candidates to go into training for providing confidential one-to-one Christ-centered care, support, and encouragement to those in our church and community who are hurting or going through difficult times. No previous experience is needed, only the desire to serve God and share his love! The training for candidates is excellent and equips them to care for people who are grieving, coping with divorce, experiencing a job crisis and facing countless other crisis and life challenges.

If you would like to explore serving as a Stephen Minister, we want to hear from you. Please contact Rev. Dr. C. Kay Fuino at ckfuino@duluthumc.org or talk with any of the Stephen Ministers.

Applications can be found in the Atrium or can be downloaded by clicking on 2024 Stephen Minister Application. Completed applications are to be placed in a sealed envelope, marked Attn:  Rev Dr. C. Kay Fuino, or Stephen Leader Ann Fleming, and placed in the the Staff Drop Box located in the Atrium by Sunday, September 22, 2024. The training for Stephen Minister candidates will begin in October.

He comforts us in all our troubles, so we can comfort those in any trouble

with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.      2 Corinthians 1:4

Crafters, potters, artists, and bakers of all kinds – your talents will be needed in the near future! Saturday, November 9th, and Sunday, November 10th may seem a long time from now, but they really aren’t and it is not too soon to be thinking about our annual missions fundraiser, Bundle Up for Buffalo.

All proceeds from the Bundle Up for Buffalo fundraiser help our sister church, Seneca Street United Methodist Church in Buffalo, NY, keep the heat on their facility during the winter months which fall from October 2024 through April 2025. This helps provide a safe, warm, after-school location for neighborhood children to go to.

You have been so faithful in prayer for this “pocket of poverty” in the North for many years. Please consider what you can make, and something that others would enjoy purchasing.  For more information, please contact Beth Intondi by e-mail at Beth.intondi@outlook.com or call 404-408-1657. Thank you for your support.

Duluth First United Methodist Church’s Ministry One app for mobile devices allows you to:

• Watch sermons on your mobile device.
  
• Make donations to the church.
  
• Easily update your contact information.
  
• Connect with other members through the online directory.

To install the app on your mobile device, just follow these steps:

1. Go to the app store on your mobile phone and search for CHURCH MINISTRYONE. The icon is purple with a white cross in the middle of it.
2. Once it is downloaded, open the app and enter “Duluth First United Methodist Church” in the box just above the blue FIND YOUR CHURCH button, then click the button.
   
3. When the church’s name comes up, click on it.  It will move to a larger screen and at the bottom of that screen, click SELECT THE CHURCH.
   
4. It will ask you to allow the app to send you notifications. We would recommend clicking ALLOW.
5. In the bottom right, click profile.  Sign in with your e-mail (the one you use for church communications) and your mobile phone number.  The spaces for your e-mail and phone number are below the words E-MAIL and MOBILE PHONE NUMBER.  Do not sign using the username/password function.
   
6. Click NEXT and it will ask you for a way to send you a validation code.  Click TEXT ME THE CODE.  Enter the code and click NEXT.
   
7. After you do this, it will take you back to the menu screen and you should now have a 7th box that says PEOPLE.  This is the directory.

If you would like a copy of the MinistryOne app installation instructions to print out, please click on MINISTRYONE APP INSTRUCTIONS.

Having problems and need help? Please contact Brian Overstreet, Church Administrator, by e-mail at boverstreet@duluthumc.org or call the church office at 770-476-3776.

DuluthKids is a fun opportunity on Wednesday nights for kids, ages Kindergarten through 5th grade, to gather together for fellowship, Bible study, mission opportunities, games and music! Programming is age-appropriate with curriculum designed for the kids. DuluthKids will meet on Wednesday evenings, beginning August 14th, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”), located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

If you have any questions or would like to be involved in this ministry for children, please contact Leslie Yokeley, Director of Children’s Ministries, by e-mail at lyokeley@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 138.

Book Bunch, a story time for kids ages three and four-years old, will meet Wednesday evenings from 6:15 to 6:30 p.m., beginning on August 14th, in the Louise McDaniel Memorial Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Kids will hear a story being read from a guest reader and they will have an opportunity to check out a book from the library.

If you would like to be a volunteer Book Bunch reader, please contact Leslie Yokeley, Director of Children’s Ministries, by e-mail at lyokeley@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 138.

GriefShare Support Group, led by the church’s Stephen Ministers, will walk alongside you through the loss of a loved one. GriefShare is a safe, welcoming place where people understand the difficult emotions of grief. Through this 13-week session, you’ll discover what to expect in the days ahead and what’s “normal” in grief. Since there are no neat, orderly stages of grief, you’ll learn helpful ways of coping with grief, in all its unpredictability—and gain solid support each step of the way.

Our next session of GriefShare Support Group classes will start on Wednesday, August 28th. You will gain access to valuable resources to help you through your grief. GriefShare also offers Bereavement Candlelight Services the Monday before Thanksgiving, and a “Surviving the Holidays” class on Wednesday, November 20th.

For more information, please visit the GriefShare website at griefshare.org, or contact Tracy Brinker, Bereavement Coordinator, by e-mail at tbrinker@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776.