Welcome

Welcome to Forrest City First United Methodist Church, where there is a place for everyone!

 We welcome all people to attend and fully participate in all aspects of our worship services and Sunday School classes. We hope you will feel a warm welcome when you worship with us, and we will make sure you feel at home. 
Need more information or have questions about our services? Call the church office at 870-633-1094 or email us at fcfumc@att.net 

What are the church’s beliefs?
We are a United Methodist congregation# We are Christians who share the common conviction that God has mercy and love for all people# We believe in a “triune” God - God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit# We have faith in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ# We profess the Christian faith as contained in the Old and New Testaments# We believe that the Bible, together with tradition, reason and experience, guide us to understand our faith# We celebrate the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion after the example of Jesus Christ# We welcome all persons to join us for worship, regardless of their faith background or beliefs# Through our worship we seek to give praise and thanks to God and to seek guidance as to the ways in which we, as individuals and as a community of faith, can be in service to God and to the world# We encourage all persons to discover their gifts and to use them to serve as active partners in our ministries#
Our Mission: To make disciples of Jesus Christ by bringing people in, building people up and sending people out#
We are an inclusive church -- everyone is welcome at our Communion table# We have a place for you, and your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness are needed# As members of a worldwide connectional church, we have a human connection of fellowship, a theological connection of belief, a purposeful connection of mission, and a structural connection of practice# Through our worldwide connection, United Methodists are often first responders to disasters and human need#
Living the United Methodist way includes founder John Wesley’s general rules: Do no harm# Do good# Stay in love with God through following the means of grace -- prayer, meditation, searching the scriptures, public worship, the sacraments and Holy Conferencing#
Four areas of focus for United Methodists are developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world, creating new places for new people by starting congregations and renewing existing ones, engaging in ministry with the poor, and stamping out killer diseases by improving health globally# 

How Can I Participate in the Service?
Our ushers will offer you a printed order of service# For the sanctuary services it will include page numbers for the hymnal, which is located in the pew rack, and for readings from the Bible, which is also located in the pew rack# In the First Grace contemporary service, these words are projected onto a screen# We usually stand when we sing and recite the liturgy and creeds# We sit to hear announcements and the sermon, as well as during prayer times# On the first Sunday of every month and on some special Sundays we celebrate the service of Holy Communion# We practice “open communion,” meaning that one does not need to be a member of our congregation or a Methodist in order to participate# Our liturgy says “It is the Lord’s table, and you are welcome#” 

Where Do My Children Go During Worship?
Children of all ages are welcome in all of our worship services# Some parents and guardians feel more comfortable placing infants and small children in our nursery# The nursery, staffed by loving and trained volunteers and paid staff, is located in the children’s wing in the lower level of the main church and is available during all of our Sunday morning classes and worship services# Please ask an usher or any church member for directions or an escort to our nursery.

Would You Like More Information About First United Methodist?