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 September is:

• Sunday, September 7th: "Sunday Fun Day" Block Party from 5 to 7 p.m. in the church’s front parking lot;
• Sunday, September 14th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, September 21st: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, September 28th: 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.

We are excited to be participating in The Rooted Retreat (North Georgia UMC Conference Retreat) hosted by Glisson Camp and Retreat Center for our Youth Fall Retreat, on Friday, October 24th, through Sunday, October 26th. 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!

The cost is $195 per student, and we want every student to be able to attend, so scholarships are available if needed. You can pay by cash, check, or online. Register online by Sunday, September 7th, by clicking on YOUTH FALL RETREAT REGISTRATION.

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Min Lee, Director of Youth Ministries by e-mail at mlee@duluthumc.org. For additional information about the Glisson Camp and Retreat Center, please visit their website at https://glisson.org.

Over the past week we had a number of concerns from church members regarding not being able to access/and or losing information on the MinistryOne Mobile church app they have installed on their phones. We have been in contact with the company who handles the mobile information aspect of the church information app and they have been having a system-wide error and are working hard to fix the issue.

If you have any questions or need help regarding this, please contact Benjamin Rah, Church Administrator, by e-mail at brah@duluthumc.org.

Have you ever had a topic that you simply wanted to talk about with others at church but there doesn’t seem to be a class or group to focus on that one thing? Then Simply Something is just the place to be. Join Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles and Rev. Dr. C. Kay Fuino on Tuesday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, for Simply Something, a weekly discussion place to bring up all things theological, biblical, social, Methodist, or simply on your mind about life in today’s world.

Upcoming topics of discussion are:

• September 9^th:  Psalm 139;
• September 16^th:   Psalm 14;
• September 23^rd:  Psalm 79.

Each week at Simply Something will begin with prayer and a short devotion, followed by discussion about a variety of topics chosen by the group. Join us with your list of topics to plan for our future time together. Bring your coffee, tea or water, and your open mind to learn from each other.

For more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, Associate Pastor, by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org or 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with the amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. The menu for Wednesday, September 10th, is Chicken Piccata, noodles, English peas, broccoli casserole, garlic bread, and dessert. For the kids – chicken tenders and 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.

Please extend a warm welcome to Chef Juan Venegas as our new Food Ministry Manager. Juan has over 25 years of experience in the food service industry. He has experience with churches as well as other types of businesses. He and his wife reside in the Duluth area. Stop by on a Wednesday Night to say hello to Juan and join us for Wednesday Night Dinner!

Make plans to join us on Wednesday evenings at Duluth First United Methodist Church for activities for everyone:

• Wednesday Night Dinners:  5 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. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
  
• DuluthKids (ages Kindergarten through 5th grade): 5:45 to 7 p.m. in the Children’s (C and D wings) classrooms. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
  
• Youth Bible Study (grades 6 – 12): 6 to 7 p.m., room F149, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
• Parent Connection Group: 6 to 7 p.m., room F207, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
• “The History and Archaeology of the Bible” Class for Adults: 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
  
• Happy Sacks: 6 to 6:30 p.m., room F152, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
• Yarn Art Ministry: 6 to 7 p.m., room F205, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
• Handbell Ensemble rehearsals: 6 to 7 p.m., in the Sanctuary. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION;
• Chancel Choir rehearsals: 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Don Lee Music Suite. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
  

Additional information about these activities can be found below.

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

We are gearing up for this year’s Operation Christmas Child, our annual participation in Samaritans Purse’s mission for God’s children around the world. For 2024, Samaritans Purse delivered over 11.9 million shoeboxes in over 170 countries and territories.  Since the inception of the program in 1993, over 232 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 Operation Christmas Child’s 12 lesson discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. In 2024, over 5.5 million children participated. This program teaches children about God’s amazing love and guides them through what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ. 

Empty shoe boxes will be available beginning Sunday, September 14th, in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, in the hallway by Hinton Hall, and on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center outside of room F145. 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 per shoebox processing donation for the empty shoeboxes you take and fill yourself. This not only covers the processing of the shoebox and shipping, but also supports the in-country ministry training and materials for The Greatest Journey activities. Using the adhesive labels allow you to register your shoebox(s), make your donation, and track your shoebox on-line. See more information included in the empty shoebox.

Duluth First UMC will have a special web site for you to use to complete your on-line shoebox. This year we have increased the goal to 80 online shoeboxes and expanded the timeframe. Additional information about the web page and specific instructions available for use of the online process can be found below.

Please return your completed boxes to the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall stage, in Hinton Hall, or outside room F145 no later than Sunday, November 16th.

This will be such a worthwhile and fun project for our Sunday School classes, Women’s Circles, our Youth Group, and families with their children to undertake. Let’s try to better Duluth First UMC’s total of 160 boxes we packed last year!

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.

The time has come for this year’s Operation Christmas Child, our annual participation in Samaritans Purse’s mission for God’s children around the world. As we did last year, there will be physical shoeboxes available to be completed by you, as well as the option to complete shoeboxes online.

If you wish to do your shoebox(s) online, please use the DFUMC GOAL PAGE, a special personalized website available for use to complete your online shoebox. The DFUMC GOAL PAGE is now active, and the cost of the Build Online Shoebox option is $30 per online shoebox. These online shoeboxes are delivered to certain locations that need special customs and cultural needs met.  With the DFUMC GOAL PAGE there are two options this year:

• build the shoebox yourself by selecting items to be included in the shoebox,
• or you can select an option where the shoebox is built by Samaritan’s Purse. This option is a “one and done” approach.

You can also include The Greatest Journey materials to go along with your online shoebox for and additional $6.  Please consider this option.

This year we have increased our goal of online shoeboxes completed through the DFUMC GOAL PAGE to 80 shoeboxes, and we have extended the timeframe until Friday, December 19th. Specific instruction sheets have been prepared for using the DFUMC GOAL PAGE online process and are available at the Operation Christmas Child distribution locations around the church. By using the online DFUMC GOAL PAGE you will help make sure that every online shoebox from our church is counted toward our goal!

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 of our annual Operation Christmas Child campaign!

Our Food Ministry staff, along with the amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. The menu for Wednesday, September 17th, is Breakfast for Dinner - assorted quiche, choice of sausage or bacon, cheese grits, tater tots, French toast sticks, biscuits, 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.

Join us on Monday, September 22nd, as the Book Club discuss Rachel Held Evans’ Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again, her book on falling in love with the Bible again. "If the Bible isn't a science book or an instruction manual, what is it? What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? When New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans found herself asking these questions, she embarked on a journey to better understand what the Bible is and how it's meant to be read. What she discovered changed her--and it can change you, too.”

The book club will meet from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in room F-145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with the amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. The menu for Wednesday, September 24th, is fried catfish, hushpuppies, corn pudding, fried okra, collard greens, and dessert. For the kids – fish sticks and chips.

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.

Mark your calendars and save the dates for the 42nd Annual Duluth Fall Festival being held Saturday, September 27th, and Sunday, September 28th. Duluth First United Methodist Church and its congregation take an active roll in the Fall Festival each year.

The Fall Festival kicks off on September 27th with a parade through downtown beginning at 10 a.m.  This year’s Grand Marshalls will be Duluth First UMC members, long-time Duluth residents, and sisters Kathryn Willis and Ann Odum.

On, September 28th the Duluth 5K Donut Dash race, a qualifier for the Peachtree Road Race, starts at 8 a.m. The race attracts both the serious competitive racer and the occasional runner/walker, and provides an opportunity for participants of all ages to help this year’s race beneficiary, Wellroot Family Services, supporting their vision of a world where every child is raised in a loving, compassionate, and nurturing home. For additional information about Wellroot Family Services, please visit their website at www.wellroot.org. To sign up for the Duluth Donut Dash, please go to www.duluthdonutdash5k.org.

Join us for Worship on the Town Green on September 28th with a community worship service beginning at 10 a.m. at the Duluth Town Green. Duluth First United Methodist Church’s Rev. David Burchett will be leading the morning’s worship service, with the church’s Contemporary Worship Praise Team leading the worship music.

PLEASE NOTE:

• On September 28th, our Contemporary Worship Service will take place at Duluth Town Green for the Duluth Fall Festival’s Worship on the Town Green with Rev. David Burchett preaching.
• The 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship service and 11:00 a.m. service WILL MEET in the Sanctuary with Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles preaching.
• Sunday school classes for children and youth will not be held on September 28th. 

BSA Troop 419 will hold their 9th Annual “Cars for Campouts” Fundraiser Car Show, Cruise In, and BBQ on Saturday, October 4th, 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 – if it rolls, please bring it and participate.

Preregistration by October 3rd is $20, and registration on the day of the show is $25. Register at https://tinyurl.com/cars4campouts-2025. 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, 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.

Bring your pets for our “Blessing of the Animals” service on Sunday, October 5th, 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.

Crafters, potters, artists, and bakers of all kinds – your talents will be needed in November! It may seem a long time from now, but it really isn’t and it is not too soon to be thinking about our annual missions fundraiser, Bundle Up for Buffalo, on Saturday, November 15th, and Sunday, November 16th. 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 2025 through April 2026. 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.  Thank you for your support.

The Hugs for Soldiers Ministry is collecting care package donations for soldiers serving overseas. Take part in Christmas for a Soldier 2025, our 22nd Christmas for supporting our troops. Please help us spread some holiday joy to troops who can’t be home during the holidays by donating the following items.

Christmas Cards: Deployed service members would love to receive a handcrafted or signed card from you with holiday wishes.  Do not seal your cards in envelopes; we do not need envelopes.  All cards are mixed and re-boxed into larger boxes so that your cards are received at various military bases. PLEASE…NO GLITTER on cards! Glitter will come off during the two-week shipping overseas.

Snack Items:

• Individual packets of hot chocolate, apple cider, assorted flavors of tea bags individually wrapped;
• Instant Ramen Noodle Soup 3 oz. packets;
• Microwave popcorn;
• Holiday candy (this is a great time to ship chocolate);
• Cereal/granola/energy bars, Trail mix, nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit snacks;
• Slim Jims, beef jerky.

Other Items:

• Handmade holiday ornaments. Use your creativity and skills to make ornaments! From painted wood ornaments to beaded wreaths and everything in between, your ornaments can be anything you like. PLEASE NOTE: No glitter, no breakable ornaments, nothing dangerously sharp and nothing made out of food/candy.
• A new pair of socks.

The deadline for donations is Friday, November 21st. Donation boxes will be located inside the back entrance to the Sheldon Family Life Center and on the stage in Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall.

Monetary donations are also appreciated to help purchase items not received and for postage.  Checks are made payable to Duluth First UMC with Hugs for Soldiers written in the memo section, or go to the ONLINE GIVING page on the church’s website – www.duluthumc.org – click on MISCELLANEOUS GIFT and specify “Support Our Troops/Hugs for Soldiers.”

For further information, contact Angie Doerlich by e-mail at hugsforsoldiers@gmail.com or call 404-316-8183. For additional information about the Hugs for Soldiers Ministry, please visit their website at www.hugsforsoldiers.org.