Save the Date for Our Annual Trunk or Treat: Sunday, October 26th

Fall is upon us, and you know what that means? It’s time for pumpkins, leaves, football, and Trunk or Treat! Trunk or Treat, on Sunday, October 26th, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the church’s front parking lot, is an excellent opportunity to gather your friends, family, and neighbors and bring them to Duluth First United Methodist Church for fun, food, and, of course, going trunk to trunk collecting candy. This is such a great way to share your love of church community with others, and “boo-tiful” way to fellowship with one another!

 

Everyone is invited to participate! Our goal is to have 40 trunks this year - that means we need YOU! You can participate by:

  • Decorating your trunk (and maybe even having a game) and passing out candy. Please click on TRUNK OR TREAT to claim your spot. You can also claim your spot by visiting one our Trunk or Treat boards, located in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room and outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall, and putting your name and contact information on one of the blank cars.
  • Volunteering to help set up, break down, donate candy, and take candy refills to our awesome trunks. Please click on TRUNK OR TREAT to volunteer.
  • Donating bags of candy. You can put your donated candy in one of the Trunk or Treat Candy Totes located in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, in the Atrium, on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, and outside of the main entrance to Hinton Hall.

Set-up time begins at 4:30 p.m. and trick-or-treating begins at 5:00 p.m. We hope to have lots of fun and lots of decorated trunks! Please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles with any questions by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org, or call 770-476-3776, ext. 128. Thank you for your support!


Wednesday Night Dinner in Hinton Hall:

October 15th

Our Food Ministry staff, along with the amazing Dinner Belles and Beaus, prepare excellent meals at very reasonable prices. Enjoy fellowship around the table with family and friends. The menu for Wednesday, October 15th, is homemade lasagna, sautéed zucchini, broccoli, garlic bread, and dessert. For the kids - the same.

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.

Wednesday Night Activities: Something for Everyone!

Make plans to join us on Wednesday evenings at Duluth First United Methodist Church for activities for everyone:

Wednesday Night Food Drives

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


Items needed during the month of October are:
  • October 15th: Spaghetti and pasta;
  • October 22nd: Canned fruit;
  • October 29th: Cans of diced tomatoes.

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.

Adult Small Group Survey

Do you participate in Sunday School, Small Groups, or Fellowship Groups at Duluth First UMC? Please let us know more about them and what other types of studies you would like to participate in! Don’t participate in any groups? Let us know a topic or type of group you would be interested in participating in.

Please take a moment to fill out the survey by clicking on ADULT SMALL GROUP SURVEY. Print outs of the survey can be found on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, Associate Pastor, by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org.

Gift Cards Needed for Care Packages for College Students

Hello Duluth First UMC Family! We are collecting gift card donations for the care packages we will send out to our college students. As finals week is quickly approaching, we want to show our love and care for our college students by sending them care packages for them to enjoy during their finals week!

If you would like to donate a gift card, please purchase any of the gift cards listed below with the amount of $25 per card and drop them off in Rev. Min Lee’s office (Director of Youth Ministries), located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, by Sunday, November 2nd. Gift cards needed are:

  • Chick-fil-A (most requested by students);
  • Starbucks.

Also, if you have a college student (or if you are the college student) who is a member of Duluth First UMC, we ask you to click on COLLEGE STUDENT CONTACT INFORMATION to fill out the contact information form and update the student’s mailing address.

Should you have any questions, please contact Rev. Min Lee by e-mail at mlee@duluthumc.org. Thank you for your support of our college students!

Youth Ministry Sunday Night Gatherings

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.


Our schedule for the month of October is:

  • Sunday, October 12th: S’Mores Night from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Classroom (back of church property);
  • Sunday, October 19th: Sunday Night Gathering at 5:30 p.m. in the Youth Center (“The Fish Tank”);
  • Sunday, October 26th: Trunk or Treat at 5:00 p.m. in the church’s front parking lot.

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.

Simply Something: A Weekly Discussion Opportunity of all Things Theological, Biblical, Social, Methodist, or About Life in Today’s World: Tuesday Mornings

Have you ever had a topic that you simply wanted to talk about with others at church but there doesn’t seem to be a class or group to focus on that one thing? Then Simply Something is just the place to be. Join Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles and Rev. Dr. C. Kay Fuino on Tuesday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center, for Simply Something, a weekly discussion place to bring up all things theological, biblical, social, Methodist, or simply on your mind about life in today’s world.


Each week at Simply Something will begin with prayer and a short devotion, followed by discussion about a variety of topics chosen by the group. Join us with your list of topics to plan for our future time together. Bring your coffee, tea or water, and your open mind to learn from each other.


For more information, please contact Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, Associate Pastor, by e-mail at arawles@duluthumc.org or 770-476-3776, ext. 128.

Christian Beginnings Preschool & Kindergarten’s Read-A-Thon

This October, Christian Beginnings Preschool & Kindergarten is launching its annual Read-A-Thon! Our students, families, and church community will be turning pages and raising support together. Every book read brings us closer to our goal—and every gift makes a difference! Every donation helps Christian Beginnings continue building a vibrant ministry for our children.

You can join the fun and give by clicking on READ-A-THON. Thank you for your support!

Wednesday Night Dinner in Hinton Hall:

October 22nd

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, October 22nd, is pot roast with gravy, oven roasted potatoes, fresh carrots, peas, rolls, and dessert. For the kids - hamburgers 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.

Wednesday Night Dinner in Hinton Hall:

October 29th

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, October 29th, is Coq au Vin (chicken braised in red wine), roasted Brussel sprouts, broccoli, rolls, 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.

Blood Drive at Duluth First UMC on Wednesday, November 12th:

Give Thanks—Give Blood—Give Life

An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at Duluth First UMC on Wednesday, November 12th, from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall. To schedule an appointment to make a blood donation:

Free A1C testing, a test commonly used to screen for diabetes and pre-diabetes, will be offered to those who donate blood. Each donor will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice and will automatically be entered for a chance to win one of three $5,000 gift cards. Please go to RedCrossBlood.org/Harvest for more details.

Crafts, Pieces of Art, and Baked Goods Needed for “Bundle Up for Buffalo” Annual Fundraiser: November 15th and 16th

Crafters, potters, artists, and bakers of all kinds – your talents will be needed in November! It may seem a long time from now, but it really isn’t and it is not too soon to be thinking about our annual missions fundraiser, Bundle Up for Buffalo, on Saturday, November 15th, and Sunday, November 16th. All proceeds from the Bundle Up for Buffalo fundraiser help our sister church, Seneca Street United Methodist Church in Buffalo, NY, keep the heat on their facility during the winter months which fall from October 2025 through April 2026. This helps provide a safe, warm, after-school location for neighborhood children to go to.

You have been so faithful in prayer for this “pocket of poverty” in the North for many years. Please consider what you can make, and something that others would enjoy purchasing.  Thank you for your support.

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child, our annual participation in Samaritan’s Purse’s mission for God’s children around the world, is underway. In 2024, Samaritan’s Purse delivered over 11.9 million shoeboxes in over 170 countries and territories, and since the beginning of the program in 1993, over 232 million shoeboxes have been delivered. By filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and hygiene items, you not only give to children in need the only gift they will likely receive for Christmas, but also deliver hope, joy and the gospel of Jesus Christ to them and their families.

Many children who receive these shoeboxes gifts will also be enrolled in Operation Christmas Child’s 12-lesson discipleship program, The Greatest Journey, with over 5.5 million children participating last year. Children learn about God’s amazing love and what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ.

Empty shoeboxes are available in the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, in the hallway near Hinton Hall, and outside of room F145, located on the 1st floor of the Sheldon Family Life Center. Each box includes ideas on how to pack a shoebox, what not to include, and an adhesive label. A $10 processing donation for each shoebox you take and fill covers the processing and shipping of the shoebox and shipping, as well as supporting training and materials for The Greatest Journey activities. The adhesive label allows you to register your shoebox(s), make your donation, and track your shoebox on-line. Completed shoeboxes need to be returned to the Veterans Memorial Gathering Room, the Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall stage, in Hinton Hall, or outside room F145 no later than Sunday, November 16th.

If you prefer to “fill a shoebox” online, there is a special website for you to use. The cost of the Build Online Shoebox option is $30 per online shoebox, and you can also include The Greatest Journey materials for an additional $6. There are two online options:

  • build the shoebox yourself by selecting items to be included in the shoebox,
  • or select the option where the shoebox is built by Samaritan’s Purse.

To complete your shoebox(es) online, please click on OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD ONLINE SHOEBOX.

Online shoeboxes are delivered to certain locations with special customs and cultural needs. Take-home instructions for online shoeboxes can also be found at the Operation Christmas Child tables. This year we hope to fill 80 online shoeboxes. The deadline to complete online shoeboxes is Friday, December 19th.

Operation Christmas Child is a worthwhile and fun project for our Sunday School classes, Women’s Circles, Youth Group, and families with their children to undertake. Let’s try to better Duluth First UMC’s total of 160 boxes we packed last year! For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Charlie Doerlich by e-mail at chaz3d@gmail.com or call 678-662-2115.

Christmas for a Soldier 2025

The Hugs for Soldiers Ministry is collecting care package donations for soldiers serving overseas. Take part in Christmas for a Soldier 2025, our 22nd Christmas for supporting our troops. Please help us spread some holiday joy to troops who can’t be home during the holidays by donating the following items.

  

Christmas Cards: Deployed service members would love to receive a handcrafted or signed card from you with holiday wishes.  Do not seal your cards in envelopes; we do not need envelopes.  All cards are mixed and re-boxed into larger boxes so that your cards are received at various military bases. PLEASE…NO GLITTER on cards! Glitter will come off during the two-week shipping overseas.

 

Snack Items:

  • Individual packets of hot chocolate, apple cider, assorted flavors of tea bags individually wrapped;
  • Instant Ramen Noodle Soup 3 oz. packets;
  • Microwave popcorn;
  • Holiday candy (this is a great time to ship chocolate);
  • Cereal/granola/energy bars, Trail mix, nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit snacks;
  • Slim Jims, beef jerky.

Other Items:

  • Handmade holiday ornaments. Use your creativity and skills to make ornaments! From painted wood ornaments to beaded wreaths and everything in between, your ornaments can be anything you like. PLEASE NOTE: No glitter, no breakable ornaments, nothing dangerously sharp and nothing made out of food/candy.
  • A new pair of socks.

The deadline for donations is Friday, November 21st. Donation boxes will be located inside the back entrance to the Sheldon Family Life Center and on the stage in Dorothy L. Rainey Fellowship Hall.

 

Monetary donations are also appreciated to help purchase items not received and for postage.  Checks are made payable to Duluth First UMC with Hugs for Soldiers written in the memo section, or go to the ONLINE GIVING page on the church’s website – www.duluthumc.org – click on MISCELLANEOUS GIFT and specify “Support Our Troops/Hugs for Soldiers.”

 

For further information, contact Angie Doerlich by e-mail at hugsforsoldiers@gmail.com or call 404-316-8183. For additional information about the Hugs for Soldiers Ministry, please visit their website at www.hugsforsoldiers.org.

Stay Connected with Your Church:  MinistryOne Mobile App

Duluth First United Methodist Church’s Ministry One app for mobile devices allows you to:

  • Watch sermons on your mobile device.
  • Make donations to the church.
  • Easily update your contact information.
  • Connect with other members through the online directory.

To install the app on your mobile device, just follow these steps:

  1. Go to the app store on your mobile phone and search for CHURCH MINISTRYONE. The icon is purple with a white cross in the middle of it.
  2. Once it is downloaded, open the app and enter “Duluth First United Methodist Church” in the box just above the blue FIND YOUR CHURCH button, then click the button.
  3. When the church’s name comes up, click on it.  It will move to a larger screen and at the bottom of that screen, click SELECT THE CHURCH.
  4. It will ask you to allow the app to send you notifications. We would recommend clicking ALLOW.
  5. In the bottom right, click profile.  Sign in with your e-mail (the one you use for church communications) and your mobile phone number.  The spaces for your e-mail and phone number are below the words E-MAIL and MOBILE PHONE NUMBER.  Do not sign using the username/password function.
  6. Click NEXT and it will ask you for a way to send you a validation code.  Click TEXT ME THE CODE.  Enter the code and click NEXT.
  7. After you do this, it will take you back to the menu screen and you should now have a 7th box that says PEOPLE.  This is the directory.

If you would like a copy of the MinistryOne app installation instructions to print out, please click on MINISTRYONE APP INSTRUCTIONS.


Having problems and need help? Please contact Benjamin Rah, Church Administrator, by e-mail at brah@duluthumc.org or call the church office at 770-476-3776.