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MY FAITH STORIES My Faith Stories is a Discipleship Council initiative. Each Story contains a situation, an event, its impact, an "experiencing God" relevant Bible reference and are contributed primarily by members of our congregation. The stories are "mapped" into one of the five steps in the FUMC Discipleship Plan: "Experience God," "Follow the Lord Jesus," "Share Life Together," "Serve the Body of Christ" and "Invest in Others." Click on the Story Title of interest. This opens a link to the full text of the Story that can be read on-line or downloaded for later. If you have any questions or have Faith Stories to share, contact the church office or any member of the Discipleship Council to discuss further. Experience God "My story about the Goodness of God " ~ Sevenia "God heard my prayer, my plea" ~ Ann "prayer moves mountains" ~ Nigel "God makes a way ," when we trust Him ~ Liz "God showed me I had to take a step and then another step..." Ted "This book (Experiencing God) has changed my expectations and understanding of serving God." ~ Karen "My grief helped me minister to those who are grieving " ~ Lynne Follow the Lord Jesus "My faith gave me the Strength to 'pull up my roots'... to Save my son's life" ~ Wanda "Would I be able to make other Obligations , if I started to Tithe ?" ~ Suzie "God has opened many doors during my life" ~ Brian "..... this insensitive joking burned me in my heart ." ~ Dave Share Life Together "I was Flying High , as far as the secular world was concerned" ~ Bill "I discovered a Big Void in my life." ~ Connie "Why Me Lord? " ~ JoAnn "how a Small group actually changed my life " ~ Eydie "I joined a small group and began experiencing the intense love God makes available to all of us." ~ Gary "I Heard God's Voice " ~ Doug Serve the Body of Christ "Having faith and trusting in God has Produced Results I never expected" ~ John "I never knew I had a Food Ministry , until one of our church members asked me about it" ~ Jean "we were strangers, and they took us in" ~ Dwight "My church family covered me with prayer " ~ Julie "God is the reason I've made it this far." ~ Bonnie Invest in Others "Attending church and having a strong faith in God, helps Heal the Scars from being Bullied as a teenager" ~ Randy "Never give up on God's assignments for you." ~ Joanne "I believe, and have always felt, each church member should bring their own personal Bible, perhaps with notes, to church or to study sessions." ~ Mike

BIBLE READING PLAN To grow in faith, there is no substitute for spending time in God's Word. It's not just a matter of growing either. It's a matter of daily spiritual sustenance. We pray to God, "Give us this day our daily bread," but the Word of God also says, "People shall not live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." This is how Jesus countered the temptation of the Devil. In other words, partaking of the Word of God every day is as important as eating our daily food. It's spiritual nourishment. You need it to stay healthy in the Spirit. This brochure contains a Bible-reading plan that will enable you to read through the entire Bible in a year. It requires about 15-30 minutes a day, depending on your reading speed, reading about 3-4 chapters per day. There is really no "right" way to read through the Bible, so this plan is just one systematic suggestion of how to do it. If you have a smart phone, you can download a Bible App like "YouVersion," and you can set it up to listen to audio recordings of the Scriptures while you drive. You will be amazed at the way God talks to you as you make this type of Bible study a regular part of your devotional life. I have found over and over this to be true: what I read in a particular day's Bible-reading devotions matches and applies to what is going on in my life. God speaks to us through his word. ​ Click here to access the Bible Reading Plan for 2023 ​ ​ Click here to access the Bible Reading Plan for 2020 ​ Click here to access the Bible Reading Plan used in 2019

​ Opportunities for Christian Discipleship and Fellowship at FUMC... The teen years are critical times for a healthy connection with a church family and we believe our youth carry great potential to be disciples who make disciples as they seek to live out their faith together - as one big family of faith. Our iGnite youth are truly world changers who are hungry and thirsty for more of God and long for authentic relationships with Him and each other. We tackle topics that are meaningful to students today. We believe in equipping and empowering young people to be the hands and feet of Christ - to be servant leaders in a world that is longing for something worth living and dying for. We find no greater cause, than the cause of Christ. Feel like something is missing in your life? Seeking something more? Come check us out! ​ We provide weekly opportunities for teens to grow in their relationship with the LORD and with each other. Please view our calendar for specific dates, times, and locations of upcoming events. ​ ​ iGnite Jr. for students in grades 5 through 8. ​ iGnite Sr. for students in grades 9 through 12. ​ ​ iGnite Jr. High Calendar of events iGnite Sr. High Calendar of Events ​ ​ ​ To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

SUPPORTED MINISTRIES Jewel Women's Center (https://jewelwc.org/ ) Jewel is formerly Real Options / Care Net Pregnancy Center of Schuylkill County ​Jewel is a non-profit organization in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania. Think you might be pregnant and unsure of your next steps? Jewel Women’s Center is here for you. Our pregnancy confirmation and support services are provided completely confidentially and at no cost to you. ​ ​ Kairos Prison Ministry First United Methodist Church supports Kairos Prison Ministry financially. Additionally, some of our members volunteer in Kairos, including ministering to inmates inside prison. Contact Doug O’Connell if you would like to help those who are incarcerated, or family members impacted by incarceration. Kairos Prison Ministry International (Kairos) is a Christian faith-based ministry which addresses the spiritual needs of incarcerated men, women, youth, and their families. By sharing the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, Kairos hopes to change hearts, transform lives and impact the world. Kairos has three ministry programs – Kairos Inside, Kairos Outside, and Kairos Torch. Kairos Inside volunteers go into prisons to pray, share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, share meals and fellowship with the incarcerated on a one-to-one basis. Christian volunteer teams of 20-30 men (for men’s prisons) and women (for women’s prisons) are well trained for the first visit which is a three-day event. On this weekend, the team teaches a short introductory course on Christianity. Subsequent visits are monthly 2-4 hour reunions with the prisoners over a twelve-month period. ​ Kairos Outside provides spiritual healing for female family members of the incarcerated, who often feel that they too are "doing time". Female spouses, parents, and other relatives of prisoners meet with teams of Kairos volunteers to share their faith and gain strength from Christian community. ​ Kairos Torch is focused on juvenile offenders offering unconditional love and acceptance, encouraging young men and women to share their life journey through participation in a long-term mentoring process. The program begins with a weekend retreat inside the prison. Torch team members commit to a weekly mentoring process with the youthful offenders for six months after the weekend. ​ Currently there are nearby Kairos Inside programs for women’s prisons (SCI Muncy), men’s prisons (SCI Chester and FCI Allenwood), and Kairos Outside (Philadelphia area). If you are interested in volunteering or supporting this ministry, please contact Doug O’Connell. Click here for a video on Kairos Changes Lives . Click here for a 3-minute video on Kairos Outside: Revealing the love. Reuniting the family . Click here for Kairos Prison Ministry - About Us . Click here for Kairos Prison Ministry - Frequently Asked Questions . ​ ​ Schuylkill Women in Crisis (https://s-wic.org/ ) Schuylkill Women in Crisis provides services to victims of domestic violence in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. In addition to assisting victims, this agency is working to confront the societal issues that contribute to this problem. While the agency provides services to all individuals regardless of gender, we acknowledge that women and children are most vulnerable to this problem. The mission of SWiC is to provide comprehensive services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their families while fostering social and systems change to eliminate personal and institutional violence against women. ​ ​ Local Emergency Services Fire companies Ambulance service ​ ​

FUMC WORSHIP On Demand Library Our prayer is that each of these messages will touch and bless each of you in some way. Online Giving Also Available On:

The Discipleship Council's 2021 Small Group Plan was developed based on the June 23, 2019 FUMC Discipleship Plan and approved on March 23, 2021. If you have any questions on the 2021 Small Group Plan, contact the church office or any member of the Discipleship Council to discuss further. 2021 SMALL GROUP PLAN visual overview of the FUMC discipleship process

FORMS ​This page offers a brief explanation of the forms available through our website. You may access these by clicking on the links below. Media Service Form Each Sunday, we are provided with the sight and sound ministry of our church service by only a few members of our church every week. If they are not available, then the operations of sight and sound become chaotic or not available. The Media-Tech Committee is asking for just a little of your time of volunteering in this ministry. With enough volunteers, the Committee can create a schedule that will save your time to once a month, at minimum; just like periodically being a greeter/usher. All we need is a few moments to fill this form out and forward it to the Church office . Photo Release Form Technology today is allowing the use of photographs of individuals and groups in many different media formats. In light of this fact, the Communications Committee is requesting that the congregation take the time to review, complete, and return the Photo Release Form to the church webmaster . This form authorizes FUMC to use snapshots in slide presentations, on the church website, directory, newsletter, brochure, or in any other material. Website Information Submittal Form This form is to submit a request for information to be posted on the church website. The requestor contact information will not be posted on the website. If there are parties interested in your announcement, they will be directed to contact the requestor* or the church office for additional information. Use reverse side or attach additional pages if necessary. You may also forward information/clipart to the Webmaster by emailing it to the church webmaster . ​ Weekly Worship Service Recordings Request Form Each Sunday, FUMC streams its worship services online at https://havenfirstumc.org/live . These services are also viewable through Facebook and Vimeo. Simply clicking on the church's website link will take you to various viewing options. Because some members of the congregation do not have access to the internet, we are offering to record the services on CD or DVD for those who request them, and have them mailed or hand delivered by a cadre of volunteers, thanks to the Stephen Ministry. Please call the church office or mail in this form if you need a CD or DVD of the worship service in order to participate in worship. Thank you. ​

FUMC DISCIPLESHIP PLAN Our Mission is to make Disciples of Jesus Christ... with five key steps in our discipleship process: ​

​Our doctrinal standards are in accord with the faith of the ancient church, the apostolic and orthodox creeds, and the evangelical spirit of John Wesley. We Believe... ​ In the Holy Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus Christ, the Word of God and Son of God; truly God and truly human. In the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. In the sufficiency and authority of the Holy Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, for knowledge of Salvation and Christian Faith and Practice. In the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God by faith in the merit and sacrificial death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In the convicting, comforting, sustaining, and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. The church is the redemptive fellowship of believers where the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments duly administered according to Christ's command. In the Christian life as one of individual and communal discipleship. Adapted from The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (2008), ¶103: Section 3: Our Doctrinal Standards and General Rules (The U.M. Publishing House, Nashville, TN, 2008). Click here for more detail of the Foundational Documents of The United Methodist Faith . WHAT WE BELIEVE We are a member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA). Click here for more information on the WCA core beliefs.

Connection Classes for Children [ The Little Children and Jesus ] People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~Luke 18:15-17 Sunday School Connection Classes for children ages 4 through 4th grade are held Sunday mornings from 10:30 am – 11:30 am during the school year. Classes begin with large group time as we sing, dance, fellowship, and learn about the Bible lesson of the week and are followed by small group learning in individual rooms as children share and apply what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Our Sunday School program is a place where games, activities, contemporary music, and creative teachings of the Bible truths are used to reach this generation of kids in a way that is fun and relevant to them. Shepherded by loving adult leaders who teach and model for them what it means to be a follower of Jesus, your child will be supported, encouraged, and prayed for as they grow in their relationship with Jesus.

LIFE IN ACTION GROUPS RECOMMENDED READINGS (UPDATED 02/24/2021) The books listed below have been reviewed by the Discipleship Council and are recommended for the Life in Action Groups to use as a guide in their mission to create disciples in response to Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19a. These books are generally available at www.christianbook.com and through other providers. Discipleship Plan Components Component 1 - Experience God ​"A Firm Foundation" by Wesleyan Covenant Association Hope and Vision for a new Methodist Future "​Alpha Course" by Nicky Gumbel Creating space to explore life, faith, and meaning "Healing" by Francis MacNutt Provides a context within which to understand healing ​Component 2 - Follow the Lord Jesus Daily Devotions ​Component 3 - Share Life Together "The Class Meeting" by Kevin M. Watson A fresh new guide to the theory and practice of the Wesley class meeting "The Band Meeting" by Kevin M. Watson & Scott T. Kisker Demonstrates that the band meeting is not merely another church program ​Component 4 - Serve the Body of Christ "Healing" by Francis MacNutt Provides a context within which to understand healing ​Component 5 - Invest in Others "The Starfish Movement" by Dan Grider Shows how to fully engage with the original Movement that Jesus launched (suggested reading for leaders of Small Groups) "Crucial Conversations" by Dan Grider Draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world "God Space" by Doug Pollock Naturally create room - God Space - for spiritual conversations to happen in your everyday life