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.

The Sunday Night Gathering schedule for February is:

• Sunday, February 15th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
• Sunday, February 22nd: 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 need YOU to be a greeter at our brand-new Welcome Center located in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room on Sunday mornings. People attend churches where they feel like they are warmly received and welcomed, and we want to be sure every visitor at Duluth First United Methodist Church experiences that!

Greeters are needed for the 8:30 and 11:00 worship services. Please sign up to volunteer and be at the new Welcome Center one service and one Sunday each month to help us welcome those who have walked through our doors. It’s simple and a wonderful way to serve our church!

To sign up and/or get more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

The Wednesday Night Dinner teams are looking for volunteers - our Dinner Belles and Beaus - to help. No special experience or skill is necessary – just a willingness to serve, make some new friends, and have fun!  Each team volunteers only once a month and on the night that you volunteer you get a free meal! We hope you will consider joining us for some good food and good fellowship.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Marilyn Scheiwe, Event Coordinator, by e-mail at mscheiwe@duluthumc.org or call 770-476-3776, ext. 111.  We hope you will consider volunteering.

Make plans to join with your family and friends and attend a FREE pancake supper on Tuesday, February 17th, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. There will also be sausage, bacon, coffee, juice, milk, and water.

Supper is FREE, but donations are appreciated! Proceeds will benefit Duluth First UMC’s Music & Worship Arts Ministry.

Join us at the Duluth Town Green on Wednesday, February 18th, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for Ashes To-Go, our Ash Wednesday community outreach. Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles and Rev. David Burchett will be there to administer the imposition of ashes (or glitter ashes if you choose). There will also be coffee available.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with our amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends.

The menu for Wednesday, February 18th, is fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and dessert. For the kids – chicken tenders.

Dinner service hours begin at 5 p.m. in Hinton Hall.

PLEASE NOTE: Food service will be stopped at 6 p.m. while the Ash Wednesday service is taking place. It will resume at the conclusion of the service. To-go boxes will be available after the conclusion of the Ash Wednesday service.

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 NOTE: The Ash Wednesday service will take place during our regular Wednesday night dinner format, so plan to arrive early and receive your food before the service begins. Dinner is served beginning at 5 p.m. Food service will be stopped while the Ash Wednesday service is taking place. It will resume at the conclusion of the service.

Ash Wednesday will be observed on Wednesday, February 18th, with a short service beginning at 6 p.m. in Hinton Hall, located in the Sheldon Family Life Center. During the service, ashes will be placed on foreheads as we confront our own mortality and confess our sin before God within our community of faith.
 
PLEASE NOTE: The service will take place during our regular Wednesday night dinner format, so plan to arrive early and receive your food before the service begins. Dinner is served beginning at 5 p.m. Food service will be stopped while the Ash Wednesday service is taking place. It will resume at the conclusion of the service.

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

Items needed during the month of February are:

• February 11th: cereal;
• February 18th: cans of soup;
• February 25th: cans of diced tomatoes.
  

A table for donated items will be located outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall.

Join us for a delicious dinner and fellowship in Hinton Hall, pick up a to-go dinner for your family, join us for any of our Wednesday evening activities, and drop off food items to help other families in need. We thank you for your support.

February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the unique contributions of African Americans to the American history. Whatever your heritage or background, black history is part of everyone’s history.

The General Commission on Religion and Race has compiled 29 suggestions to help United Methodists celebrate Black History Month during this year. Some ways to celebrate may include educating yourself on black history or the various African American Methodist movements. You might also support local African American businesses/charities or participate in local advocacy. You can also explore black literature, film and music that convey the unique voices and experiences of the culture.

Please click on BLACK HISTORY MONTH to learn more about how you can participate in Black History Month.

Everyone is invited to participate in a Lenten study, based on the book Taste and See:  Discovering God Among Butchers, Bakers, & Fresh Food Makers by Margaret Feinberg, beginning Sunday, February22nd. The study, led by Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, will meet on Sundays, February 22nd through March 29th, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

Taste and See will be a different type of Lenten study – it will be one about feasting and “discovering God among butchers, bakers, and fresh food makers.” We will discuss where we can find God and that we are all invited to “Taste and See” that God is good. We will also sample some of the dishes that the author discusses!

The cost of the class is $20 is per person to cover the cost of the book and food samples. Childcare will be available by request. To register and for more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Join us for a new small group class opportunity that will discuss the first five hundred years of Christianity.  Beginning Tuesday, February 24th, and Wednesday, February 25th, this class will meet twice each week for 20 weeks and participants may attend either class. Classes will be held on:

• Tuesdays from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
• Wednesdays from 5:45 to 7:15 p.m.
  

The subject matter will be based on Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years, a series of 20 lectures by Paula Fredriksen, Professor of Scripture Emerita at Boston University and Professor Emerita of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Dr. Fredriksen, and author of numerous books and a widely sought-after speaker, is a worldwide recognized scholar of early Christianity.  A former Catholic, Fredriksen converted to Judaism several years ago.

The class, led by Pete Fleming, will consist of 20 fifty-minute lectures by Dr. Fredriksen which will follow her latest book. Participants are not required to purchase the book, but they may wish to. Classes will be augmented with weekly summaries of the material plus optional additional readings and bibliographies.

If you would like to participate in this new study or have questions, please contact Pete Fleming by e-mail at lfleming3832@att.net or Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org. Please let them know which day of the week you will most likely be attending the class so that classroom space can be planned for.

Our Food Ministry staff, along with our amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus volunteers, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends.

The menu for Wednesday, February 25th, is chicken pot pie, green beans, corn on the cob, biscuits, and dessert. For the kids – chicken tenders and French 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.

Join us on Wednesday evenings at Duluth First UMC for the following activities - we have something for all ages!

• Wednesday Night Dinner: 5:00 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;
• DuluthKids (ages Kindergarten through 5th grade): 5:45 to 7 p.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall;
• Youth Bible Study (grades 6 – 12): 6 to 7 p.m. in room F149, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Parent Connection Group: 6 to 7 p.m., room F207, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• “The History and Archaeology of the Bible” Class for Adults: 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in room F145, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Yarn Art Ministry: 6 to 7 p.m. in room F205, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Happy Sacks: 6 to 6:15 p.m. in room F152, 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Handbell Ensemble Rehearsal: 6 to 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary;
• Wednesday Night Food Drive: 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall, 2nd floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center;
• Chancel Choir Rehearsal: 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Don Lee Music Suite.

Parents of Christian Beginnings Preschool & Kindergarten kids are invited to a Parents Coffee Get-Together, with coffee provided by Break Coffee Roasters, on Tuesday, March 10th. Come hang out together beginning at 9:45 a.m. and enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the cul-da-sac area outside of the church offices located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center.

We thank Break Coffee Roasters, with locations at 3122 Hill Street NW in Duluth and 235 N. Perry Street in Lawrenceville, for providing the coffee.

The Road Runners invite you to join them as they re-launch on Tuesday, March 24th, and travel to Cartersville to visit the Booth Western Art Museum. The group will leave the church’s front parking lot at 9:00 a.m.  The cost is $35 per person and includes entry into the museum and transportation via a 15-person van (please see notes below). The cost of lunch will be on your own.

PLEASE NOTE:

• In order to attend you must be able to get in and out of a 15-passenger van and be healthy enough to travel several hours by car.
• We must have a minimum of 12 people to sign up in order to rent a van, otherwise travel will be via caravan.
  

To register please click on BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM, or cantact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org. All registrations must be received by Tuesday, March 10th.

Get ready for a wild Amazon adventure in this summer’s Vacation Bible School at Duluth First UMC, Rainforest Falls - Exploring the Nature of God! Rainforest Falls - Exploring the Nature of God is filled with amazing creatures and meaningful moments in the Psalms! This summer, kids will explore God’s Word and grow closer to their loving Creator through fun, faith-filled experiences.

Mark your calendars for June 22nd through 26th, and keep an eye out for more details coming soon!

It is time for summer camp registration at Glisson Camp and Retreat Center! Registration for Summer 2026 is open for members of North Georgia United Methodist churches and returning families of Summer 2025 campers.

Glisson Camp and Retreat Center offers Summer Camp in the forests surrounding Cane Creek Falls near Dahlonega, GA. Since 1925, this place has become holy ground as thousands have had their faith strengthened through God’s presence there in creation and Christian community. Glisson Camp and Retreat Center is part of the North Georgia Camp & Retreat Ministries of the United Methodist Church’s North Georgia Conference. To see the schedule and/or register, as well as view promotional materials/videos, please go to https://glisson.org.