Breakthrough Prayer

God, shatter any fatigue, weariness, or anything else that seems insurmountable in my faith, and surge through my spirit anew igniting your miraculous kingdom and power! Amen.

Sunday Worship Shake-Up

The Multipurpose Room is currently undergoing maintenance and repairs. This work, including refinishing the floor and repairing lighting, will continue into next week. Therefore, this coming Sunday, August 2, the MPR is unavailable for worship and other activities. At 11:00 a.m., we will come together for a single worship service in the Sanctuary. The schedule for the day is as follows:

8:45 a.m. - Traditional Worship (Sanctuary)

10:00 a.m. - Pop Up Sunday and Sunday School

11:00 a.m. - Worship (Sanctuary)

IMPORTANT: Elevator Information

Unfortunately, the motherboard that controls the elevator was destroyed by a power surge. Since the elevator dates to 1990, it will take time to find a new motherboard or repair/rebuild the current one. This means the elevator at the church continues to be non-functional

The elevator will not be functioning this coming Sunday, August 2. Please plan your movement around the church on Sunday accordingly. If you are able-bodied, please park across the street in the Chamber parking lot so the Office and Vienna Road parking lots are clear for those who need easier access to the first and second floors of the building.

Thank you so much for your patience and understanding.

Pop Up Sunday

Pop Up Sunday and Backpack Blessing are here! Our First Church students will be "popping up" to their new Sunday School classes this Sunday, August 2, during the Sunday School hour. As part of this promotion and in preparation for the new school year, we will also have a backpack blessing during worship, and we will pray for our teachers, school leaders, and employees. Also, the nursery will be moving up to Room 206, and the Children's Sunday School classes will "pop up" to the third floor. For more information, please contact Billy Price (bprice@fumcor.org).

Evening Grace

Join us this Sunday in the Chapel at 6:00 p.m. for Evening Grace. We will dive into Step 5 ("Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs") and examine James 5:16: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

​Matt Holder will lead a reflection about how fulfilling our mission of making disciples and transforming the world requires the church to shift its focus from being a courtroom that judges and condemns to a hospital that offers healing, support, and hope to everyone in need. 

New Grief Support Group Begins August 9

The death of loved ones, including pets, can be overwhelming. Feelings of loneliness, sadness, anger, or despair cry out for relief. Hoping they will go away by staying busy often only compounds the burden of grief.

Hope and healing can be found with others who are willing to confront their loss in a safe, confidential space and help bear one another’s burdens. First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge offers such a space through its Grief Support Group ministry.

The next Grief Support Group will meet Sundays, August 9 through September 27, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in Room 207. Anyone who has lost a loved one or who is facing other significant losses is welcome to attend.

Group facilitators are Gielda Reese, a retired school teacher who lost her 14-year-old daughter to cancer, and the Rev. Bob Cantrell, a retired United Methodist pastor. Together, they offer compassionate guidance and understanding drawn from both personal experience and years of service to others.

Attendance is limited. Advance registration is encouraged, but not required. For registration or more information, contact Pastor Denna at 1-865-483-4357 or dhornby@fumcor.org.

Women of the Bible Study Begins August 16

Beginning on August 16, Pastor Clair will lead a new 12-week Bible study (in two 6-week segments) about women in the Bible. The study will meet weekly at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays from August 16 - September 20 and October 18 - November 22. This study will loosely follow the new book, Her Faith Still Speaks, edited by Sheri Carder Hood with contributions from Holston Conference Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett and FUMC's own Rev. Stella Roberts. Stella will lead the lesson about Ruth, as that was her contribution to this book. All are invited to any or all of this study about women in the Bible.

If you would like to purchase the book, you can find it on Amazon or through Market Square Books, but it is not required for participation in the study. For more information, please contact Pastor Clair (csauer@fumcor.org).

Tech Ministry Opportunity

Do you love the satisfaction of a perfectly blended sound? Are you into technology and feeling called to help make worship at First Church great? If so, then the tech team is the place for you. There are opportunities to support Sunday morning worship by running sound, lights, or slides. Contact AV Production Director, Caleb Roberts (avtech@fumcor.org), to volunteer today.

Church Council Report

The Church Council met on Tuesday, July 28. Below is a summary of the reports shared.

Co-Lead Pastors

• Rev. Clair short-term study about women in the Bible begins August 16

• Stewardship Campaign Oct 11-25 with Commitment Sunday Oct 25. Theme: Connect and Commit

• Work beginning to streamline processes and procedures to provide consistency

Finance

• Financial audit is underway

• On track to meet budget obligations

Staff Parish

• Approved United Healthcare as employee health provider with Finance Director able to negotiate from 11% to 7.15% premium increase

• Employee appreciation event in August

Trustees

• Welcome Center handicap doors and Sanctuary double doors had new hardware installed

• Property and building mapping with a drone and interior photography complete

• Maintenance and coil cleaning on 59 wall units complete

• Library space to be reimagined 

Associate Pastor

• Homebound visits with currently 49 “Stay-at-home Saints." Volunteers needed

• Mahjong: great outreach and fellowship. Plans underway for more classes

• New gathering of young adults studying The 21st Century Christian 

Next Gen Ministries

• Nursery relocating to 206

• Volunteers needed desperately

• Children’s Sunday School classrooms moving to 305 and 306

Music and Worship

• Children PreK-4th grade needed for choir

• Adult Choir: exciting schedule planned

• Young Adults now “Full Spectrum," ages 20s, 30s, and 40s

• Need for improved accessibility in choir loft

Recovery Ministry

• Attendance is up at weekly meetings

• Grant from Anderson County to help provide transportation

• Evening Grace on the first Sunday of every month is for everyone

• First Recovery is a top sponsor for International Overdose Awareness Day in Anderson County. Aug. 27, 6:00 p.m., at First Baptist Church in Clinton

Social Concerns

• Will participate in Secret City Pride and the Knox Pride Parade in Oct.

First Steps

• Reviewed and revised by-laws

• New school year begins August 3

Keystone

• Phyllis Spangler completed Safe Gatherings certification

• Events coming: Carry the Stone, Noonday Knowledge at the Senior Center, and Keystone Karaoke

For more information about all the good ministry happening at First Church, check back next week for the full Council summary!

Connect with Realm Connect

Are you anxious to connect to First Church's new online directory, Realm Connect, but have encountered some road bumps? Do you have questions about settings or features? Stop by the Welcome Center this Sunday, July 26, between 9:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. for help with Realm Connect. You are also welcome to call the office during normal business hours (1-865-483-4357).

Through First Church's new Church Management System, Realm Connect, you are able to update and add personal information on your own, upload profile pictures, view financial statements and giving at any time, and see pictures and contact information for other church members (an online, on-demand church directory)!

Follow the links below to get signed up and for step-by-step directions in setting up your Realm Connect account.

Around the Connection

The United Methodist Church is a connectional church, meaning congregations work together to expand our ministry impact. One important area where we work together is campus ministries. Below is an opportunity to support the ministry of the Wesley Foundation at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

This Fall semester, the Wesley Foundation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville will be opening their brand new basic needs room available to all students and community members. We hope that the room will be something that all students, especially new and international ones, will be able to rely on when in need of hygiene products, school supplies, and more.

Please help us support their journey by donating supplies from the list below! You can donate by mail, through drop-off, or by using our Amazon wishlist here. If you prefer monetary donations, you can send a check through the mail or use Venmo/Paypal with our username @utkwesley. If you choose to use our Amazon wishlist, please put your name on the donation so we can properly thank you!

If you have any questions, please contact info@wesleyfoundation.org

Our address for mail and drop-offs is:

Wesley Foundation, 1718 Melrose Place, Knoxville, TN 37916

We would highly appreciate it if donations could be delivered by August 14th.

August Special Offering -

Music Ministry

Worship for August

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Scripture Readings:

Genesis 32: 22-31

Psalm 145: 1-5, 8-9

Romans 9: 1-5

Matthew 14: 13-21

8: 45 a.m. Traditional Worship - Sanctuary

11:00 a.m. Worship - Sanctuary



Preaching: Rev. Ken Sauer

Our Giving

Offering 7-20-2026 through 7-26-2026: $19,547

2026 YTD Offering: $836,920

2025 YTD Offering: $812,365

July Special Offering (FRC): $4,330

Thank you to all of you who mail in your financial gifts or continue to give online.

Pastoral Staff

Ken Sauer, co-lead pastor

ksauer@fumcor.org

Clair Sauer, co-lead pastor

csauer@fumcor.org

Denna Hornby, associate pastor

dhornby@fumcor.org

Pastor on call:

865-272-9862 (call or text)

pastor@fumcor.org (email)