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. Donated food items can be left on the Food Drive table located outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall, located on the 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

Items needed during the month of September are:

• September 30th: Cans of Mixed Veggies.

Items needed during the month of October are:

• October 7th: Peanut Butter and Jelly;
• October 14th: Boxes of Spaghetti and Pasta;
• October 21st: Canned Fruit;
• October 28th: Canned Peas.
  

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!

BSA Troop 419 will hold their 10th Annual “Cars for Campouts” Fundraiser Car Show, Cruise In, and BBQ on Saturday, October 3rd, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the church’s front parking lot. If you have a special vehicle (all years, makes, models) – muscle cars, classics, resto-mods, exotics, bikes, and one-offs – please bring it and participate.

Preregistration by October 2nd is $20, and registration on the day of the show is $25. Register at https://tinyurl.com/carsforcampouts2026. Sixty participant-judged awards will be presented. If you just want to see some cool vehicles, feel free to attend as admission for spectators is free.

Food and beverages will be available. Enjoy great food, hots dogs, pulled pork BBQ (available on-site or for take home), snacks and beverages.

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to carshow@bsatoop419.org, or call Mike Ringham at 770-815-4206. All proceeds from the event help make BSA Troop 419’s program one of the best in the council, and with your support, will continue to do so.

The Missions Ministry is having a delicious fundraiser on Sunday, October 4th,  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.
 
Cinnamon rolls will be $5 each, 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.

Online pre-orders are available for individuals and Sunday School classes to place their cinnamon rolls orders ahead of time - just click on CINNAMON ROLLS to place your order. Payments can be made at the time of pickup. The deadline for placing pre-orders will be Thursday, October 1st, at noon.

Bring your pets for our “Blessing of the Animals” service on Sunday, October 4th, at 3:00 p.m. on the Fellowship Terrace, located in front of the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. We will gather for a short service and offer a blessing for each animal individually. All friendly leashed, crated, or contained animals are welcome! Your pet not interested in being with other animals? Bring a photo or a special toy to have blessed!

In case of rain the service will be held under the rear portico entrance of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org with any questions.

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 October is:

• Sunday, October 4th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, October 11th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, October 18th: Packing Thanksgiving boxes for the Hands of Christ Duluth Co-op at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, October 25th: Trunk or Treat from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the front of the church.

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.

Join us for a time of food and fellowship around the table with family and friends at our Wednesday Night Dinners from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located on the 2^nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Chef Kenny Lewis, 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 October 7^th is Chicken Parmesan, spaghetti noodles, Italian green beans, roasted zucchini and squash, garlic bread, and dessert. For the kids – spaghetti and meat sauce.

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 and 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.

Please Note: Menus are subject to change.

We are excited to participate in The Rooted Retreat (North Georgia UMC Conference Retreat) hosted by the Glisson Camp and Retreat Center, from Friday, November 6th through Sunday, November 8th, for our youth fall retreat! It will be an incredible weekend with powerful worship experiences, dedicated youth group time, fun activities, and food and lodging at Glisson Camp and Retreat Center. We are looking forward to a meaningful and fun fall retreat together.
 
Information for the Rooted Fall Retreat is:

• Dates: Friday, November 6th - Sunday, November 8th;
• Location: Glisson Camp and Retreat Center (690 Camp Glisson Rd., Dahlonega, GA 30533)
• Cost: $195 per student (You can pay in cash, check, or online). We want every student to be able to attend—scholarships are available if needed.
• Registration Deadline: Sunday, October 11th.
• Camp Glisson Website: https://glisson.org.
  

To register, please click on ROOTED RETREAT. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Min Lee, Director of Youth Ministries, by e-mail at mlee@duluthumc.org.

Join us for a time of food and fellowship around the table with family and friends at our Wednesday Night Dinners from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located on the 2^nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Chef Kenny Lewis, our Food Ministry Manager, along with our very talented and dedicated Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices.

October 14th is “Breakfast for Dinner” Night and the menu includes ham and cheese quiche, a choice of bacon or sausage, hashbrown casserole, cheese grits, French toast sticks, fresh fruit, 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 and 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.

Please Note: Menus are subject to change.

The Library Book Club will meet on Monday, October 19th, at 10:00 a.m. in room F145 (located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center) to discuss the month’s book choice, The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.

The Frozen River  is a gripping historical mystery based on the real-life diary entries of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife who found herself at the center of a murder trial. Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

A new adult class, The History of Christianity from the Reign of Theodosius to the Dawn of the Reformation, will be held on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings beginning October 20th, and October 21st. You are invited to attend whichever day works best for your schedule. The class will last 22 weeks, concluding near the end of March. Each class session will last 1.5 hours and will include a 30-minute lecture by Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, Professor Emeritus at Candler School of Theology, Emory University, followed by one hour of discussion.

Some of the lectures include Expansion Beyond the Roman Empire, the Rise of Islam, the East-West Split, The Crusades, the Great Plague, and many others. Participants will encounter a thorough grounding in the development of Christianity for its first 1,500 years.

The Tuesday morning class will begin at 10 a.m. in room F153 and the Wednesday evening class will begin at 5:45 p.m. in room F145. Both rooms are located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.  Pete Fleming, our church historian, will lead the class. No books are required, although Pete will introduce a comprehensive bibliography throughout the series, and he will also provide articles from various authors on related subjects from time to time.

People wishing to participate in the The History of Christianity class should contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org, or Pete Fleming by e-mail at lfleming3832@att.net.

Join us for a time of food and fellowship around the table with family and friends at our Wednesday Night Dinners from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located on the 2^nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Chef Kenny Lewis, 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 October 21^st is honey-baked ham, sweet potato soufflé, macaroni and cheese, green beans, rolls, 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 and 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.

Please Note: Menus are subject to change.

Bring your friends and family to our Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 25th, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the church’s front parking lot. Come in costume, park your car, and pop the trunk! Volunteers are needed to host a trunk at Trunk or Treat as we welcome our community to Duluth First UMC for an afternoon of fun. We hope to have at least 35 trunks and YOU can be one! Decorate and/or have a game at your trunk for the opportunity to win the soon to be coveted Golden Pumpkin prize! Set-up time begins at 3:30 p.m. and trick-or-treating begins at 4:00 p.m.

Volunteers are also needed to help with set up, refill candy, run carnival games, and clean up. You sign can sign up to volunteer by clicking on DULUTH FIRST UMC TRUNK OR TREAT.

Candy donations (bags of individually wrapped candies) are needed for Trunk or Treat. Drop off any candy starting Thursday, October 1st, in the Trunk or Treat bins located around the church. You can help us be sure we have enough to share with our community!

Please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128, with any questions.

Join us for a time of food and fellowship around the table with family and friends at our Wednesday Night Dinners from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located on the 2^nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Chef Kenny Lewis, 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 October 28^th is baked Chicken Alfredo, penne pasta, steamed broccoli, Italian mixed vegetables, breadsticks, 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 and 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.

Please Note: Menus are subject to change.

Operation Christmas Child, our annual participation in Samaritan’s Purse’s mission for God’s children around the world, is underway. In 2025, Samaritan’s Purse delivered over 12.2 million shoeboxes to 170 countries and territories. Since the inception of the program in 1993, over 244 million shoeboxes have been delivered to children around the world.

By filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and hygiene items, you not only give to children in need the only gift they will likely receive for Christmas, but also help deliver hope, joy and the gospel of Jesus Christ to them and their families. Many children who receive these shoeboxes gifts will also enroll in The Greatest Journey, Operation Christmas Child’s 12-lesson discipleship program. Since 2009, over 52 million children have participated in this program, teaching them about God’s amazing love and guiding them through what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ. 

Empty shoe boxes will be available in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, in the hallway by the entrance to Hinton Hall, and by the cul-de-sac are located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Inside each box you will find ideas on how to pack a shoebox gift, what not to include, and the adhesive box label. There is a $10 processing donation which supports the in-country ministry training and materials for The Greatest Journey activities, as well processing and shipping the shoebox. Using the adhesive labels allow you to register your shoebox(s), make your donation, and track your shoebox online.

Duluth First UMC has a special web site for you to use to complete your shoebox online, and our goal is 80 online shoeboxes by December 19th. The web page is active and specific instructions for using the goal page will be available at the Operation Christmas Child tables.

Please return your completed boxes to the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall stage, inside Hinton Hall, or outside room F145 (located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center) no later than Sunday, November 15th.

This is a worthwhile and fun project for our Sunday School classes, Women’s Circles, our Youth group, and families with their children to undertake. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Charlie Doerlich by e-mail at chaz3d@gmail.com or call 678-662-2115. Thank you for your support!

Crafters, potters, artists, and bakers of all kinds – your talents will be needed in November! Our annual missions fundraiser, Bundle Up for Buffalo, will be on Saturday, November 14th, and Sunday, November 15th. 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 2026 through April 2027. Last year, we raised enough money to designate this church to be a warming center, where people could come into the building and get a bite to eat if their own heat had been turned off or was not working. This was major – YOU helped do this!

Volunteers are needed on Friday, November 13th, at 2:30 p.m. to help set up the tables and sale items in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. If you can help with the set up, or have items you would like to donate to the sale, please contact Beth Intondi by e-mail at Beth.intondi@outlook.com. 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. Thank you for your support!

We are actively recruiting new members to the Flowers Ministry, a fun ministry which creates beautiful floral arrangements used to adorn the worship spaces in the Sanctuary and Hinton Hall for Sunday morning worship services. A training workshop will be held in April where you will have the opportunity learn how to make beautiful arrangements that will be placed in the Sanctuary and Hinton Hall to add beauty to our worship spaces.

If you are interested in being part of our Flowers Ministry, please contact Verena Lucía Anders, Minister of Music & Worship Arts, by e-mail at vanders@duluthumc.org or speak with James Dykes.