Families & Fellowship

Support for families is an important ministry at Duluth First United Methodist Church.  Parenting classes with childcare provided offer help and support to families.  Activities for the family to do together are also a part of the church calendar.

A variety of events are offered for Christian fellowship for all ages – singles, couples and families.  Movie night, dinners, Trunk or Treat, and Christmas Caroling are just a few examples of the fellowship events at Duluth First United Methodist Church.



UPCOMING FAMILY & FELLOWSHIP EVENTS


Register for “True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World” Vacation Bible School:  June 16th – 20th
Register your child/children now for True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World, the 2025 Vacation Bible School (VBS) being held at Duluth First United Methodist Church on Monday, June 16th, through Friday, June 20th. True North VBS, held from 9 a.m. to noon each day, is for kids going into pre-Kindergarten (age 4 as of September 1st) through rising 6th graders. The cost is $30 per child with a maximum of $70 per family. Each day participants will participate in Bible story time, sing songs, play games, make crafts, and eat snacks.

In addition to registering participants, we are also registering adult and youth volunteers. We especially need shepherds. These are adult volunteers who are in charge of a group of 6-10 kids. Shepherds do not need to prepare anything in advance. They lead their group to the various activities where other volunteers are in charge. If you would like to help but are only available one or two days that week, you can put your available dates on your registration, as substitute shepherds are often needed. Also, the childcare in Childcare Corner is available for the children of volunteers if you have a child who is not old enough to be a participant.

Everyone who registers by Sunday, May 25th, is guaranteed a VBS t-shirt and copy of the music. All True North Vacation Bible School participant registration forms, as well as volunteer forms, are available online by clicking on VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL 2025.

For more information, please contact Leslie Yokeley, Director of Children’s Ministries, by e-mail at lyokeley@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 138.

We Need Your Help for Vacation Bible School Decorating Day:  Saturday June 14th
Vacation Bible School Decorating Day for next week’s “True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World” VBS is Saturday, June 14th starting at 9:00 a.m. – please meet in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. It’s time to build our “True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World” wild north adventure setting throughout the church, and volunteers are needed to help!

No sign-up is required – just show up when you can for as long as you can, ready to help create an exciting environment around the theme of Trusting Jesus in a Wild World. If you have questions, please contact Bryan Taylor by e-mail at bryantaylor44@gmail.com.

Item Donations Needed for Vacation Bible School
The planning team for the True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World Vacation Bible School (VBS) needs your help! Please consider making a donation of items on our Amazon Wish List. The Wish List items include items needed for crafts, as well as some snacks items. You can go to the wish list by clicking on VBS 2025 WISH LIST. Thank you for your support of True North: Trusting Jesus in a Wild World Vacation Bible School!

Pack a Backpack for a Child at Seneca Street UMC in Buffalo, NY
Over the past five years, it has been a joy for our congregation to be a part of the Summer Reading Camp at Seneca Street UMC in Buffalo, NY, by packing backpacks here in Duluth with school supplies for the children in Buffalo. The backpacks are then shipped to Buffalo from Duluth and distributed to the children at the end of the two-week Summer Reading Camp for use in their upcoming school year.

This year we will have a new approach to our Backpacks for Buffalo ministry. A portion of the backpacks will be processed as we have done for the last five years, while for the remainder of the backpacks we will buy and collect the school supplies and have a “Backpack Packing Party” - open to all ages - where we will come together and fill backpacks with the collected school supplies.

Here is how it will work:
Backpacks for Kindergarten - Grade 8:  Instead of selecting a backpack, you will select one or more school supplies cards and will buy the school supplies listed on the card, turning the supplies in by Sunday, July 6th, to be stored. A “Backpack Packing Party” for all ages will be held on Sunday, July 13th (time to be determined ) in Hinton Hall where we will come together and fill the backpacks with the collected school supplies.
Backpacks for Grades 9 - 12:  As done in the past, you will select a backpack which will include the school supplies list and a note on the return process. You will shop for the school supplies and return the completed backpack by Sunday, July 13th.

We believe this new approach will offer a greater number of our members to participate in the Backpacks for Buffalo ministry.

The collection of the school supplies for Kindergarten - Grade 8 will start on Sunday, June 15th, and end on Sunday, July 6th. The backpacks for Grades 9 - 12 will be available beginning on Sunday, June 22nd, and need to be returned by Sunday, July 13th.  The “Backpack Packing Party” for all ages for the Kindergarten - Grade 8 backpacks will be held on Sunday, July 13th, in Hinton Hall (time to be determined). Additional information about Backpacks for Buffalo will be presented during the Missions Moment at all three worship services on June 8th. Thank you for your continued support of this important Backpacks for Buffalo ministry!