Welcome to FIRST UNITED Methodist Church of Stillwater
Our loving, welcoming, Christ centered community of faith wants ALL people to know they are wrapped in God’s love. You are invited to know and experience God’s love through worship, music, prayer, fellowship, small groups, and community outreach.
Wrapping ALL people in God's Love is the mission of the FIRST UNITED Methodist Church. We embrace the following statement included in the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline:
"We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person's value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. We support the basic right of all persons to equal access to housing, education, communication, employment, medical care, legal redress for grievances, and physical protection."
Discover FIRST UNITED
We are a Christ centered church for everyday people, where you can come as you are to connect with God in a way that makes sense to you. Whether you are exploring the Christian faith or attend church regularly, there is something here for you. We Wrap All People in God’s Love.
Upcoming Events
Church Conference April 21, 2024
A Church Conference will be conducted following the worship service April 21, 2024, to vote on adoption of the Reconciling Congregation Statement. District Superintendent Rev Michelle Hargrave will preside. All church members are encouraged to attend.
FIRST UNITED Reconciling Congregation Statement:
"We acknowledge that throughout history the Christian Church has often condemned and excluded people because of race, culture, age, gender, economic status, disability or sexual orientation. While the church has made progress in being open and affirming to many groups, there continues to be condemnation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons from the community of faith, or at least, a tolerance of such condemnation and exclusion through silence. We believe such actions are inconsistent with Christ’s teachings.
We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed."
Rivertown Ringers Bake Sale Sunday April 21, 2024
The Rivertown Ringers Bell Choir will host a bake sale before and after the worship service on Sunday, April 21. The money raised will be used to help the Bell Choir attend an area Festival in LaCrosse, WI on June 21-23. Any donations of money or baked goods to be sold would be greatly appreciated! Eleven members of the choir are excited to be a part of the Festival, which will end on Sunday June 23 with a concert open to the public at 1:30.
UMCOR Sunday April 21, 2024
The Methodist Committee on Overseas Relief (MCOR) was founded in 1940 by the Bishop Herbert Welch in response to displaced and vulnerable populations in the wake of World War II "without distinction of race, color, or creed.” This mandate remains true to this day. The organization’s name was legally changed to The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) at the 1972 General Conference. Organized US UMCOR response and cooperation with local agencies and nonprofits grew out of disaster relief experiences in the catastrophic Black Hills flood of June 1972.
Please consider donating on UMCOR Sunday, April 21 or give ANYTIME in your offering envelope or online at https://umcmission.org/ways-to-give/.
Highway 12 Trash Collection
Highway 12 Trash Collection, from Brick St to Rutherford Rd, will take place at 9:30 a. m. on the 4th of May. Assemble in the Fellowship Hall for refreshments before we set out. All are welcome - take a walk on the roadside!
Church Spring Cleaning
Save the date! Church Spring Cleaning is May 11. Meet at the church at 9 a.m. for your choice of indoor or outdoor tasks.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
100 Days of Prayer - April 1, 2024
As we prepare our hearts and minds for the upcoming General, Annual, and Jurisdictional Conferences, let us join together in prayer—for ourselves, our neighbors, our communities, our nation, our world, and our beloved United Methodist Church. Look for the brief prayers we will share each morning on the Minnesota Conference Facebook and Instagram pages, and share them to invite others to participate in this prayer movement.
Learn more: About 100 Days of Prayer
Next Scrip Order - May 5, 2024
Scrip orders can be placed after Sunday worship services, Wednesday dinners, or anytime by email to the church office. Order blanks are available at the church Information Center. Payment for email orders can be dropped off at the church during office hours. Scrip doesn't cost, it pays!
Annual Conference Love Offering
Each year, churches in the Minnesota Annual Conference take a Love Offering for missions in conjunction with our Annual Conference Session. The theme of the 2024 Annual Conference which will take place May 29-30 is “Jesus. Redeemer.”
Our Love Offering this year will help our neighbors—in Minnesota and around the world—heal from trauma and find safety.
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Thirty percent of the Love Offering will go to a new trauma care center in Ukraine.
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Thirty percent of the Love Offering will go to immigration legal support in partnership with Volunteer Lawyer Network.
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Thirty percent of the Love Offering will go to special programming aimed at reducing trauma at Emma Norton Services’ new Restoring Waters facility.
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Ten percent of the Love Offering each year goes to Volunteers in Mission scholarships, which support first-time mission trip participants.