REV. DON HANSHEW, SENIOR PASTOR

REV. RACHEL COLLINS, PASTOR OF DISCIPLESHIP

Fountain City United Methodist Church received the Emergency Food Insecurity Grant in the amount of $1500. We are very thankful to receive this grant. Our church has multiple outreach programs that have and will continue to allow us to provide meals for our members and neighbors.

This grant allowed us to provide meals on four Tuesday nights for our Celebrate Recovery Worship participants and others from the community who are able to come. We offer a free Community Meal each month for our unhoused neighbors, the community, and church members. These meals provide discipleship opportunities, involve multigenerational volunteers and feed up to fifty people who may suffer from food insecurity. The additional funds were used to provide for our last Fellowship Meal which we serve prior to Wednesday night programming.  

We are grateful for this opportunity. As the number of unhoused neighbors continue to increase, and the economy remains uncertain, this type of funding will be essential to churches being able to provide essential resources to both church members and the community.

Sincerely,

Gail Clift,

Community Outreach Team

Are you ready to move forward in your relationship with God? Personal discipleship is a step in the right direction. One way to do this is to commit to reading through the Bible in one year. From January 1-December 31, 2026, we will follow the chronological timeline of Scripture. 

Daily Scripture reading will require a new commitment to growing your relationship with GOD. Let’s start together and finish strong! Reading Plan >>

Fountain City Fellowship Returns January 7

Discipleship classes return on Wednesday, January 7 with meaningful opportunities for children, youth, and adults all in one evening. This semester offers a rich variety of ways to learn, grow, and connect, along with a tasty, shared meal.

Join us at 5:30 p.m. for dinner, followed by classes at 6:30 p.m. Whether you are coming for the food, the fellowship, or the chance to deepen your faith, there is a place for you. See you there!

Join Pastor Don on January 11 during the Sunday School hour for Second Sunday as he discusses Rhythms of Renewal: Crafting a Simple Rule of Life.

All are welcome!

SERVING OTHERS

Community Meal | January 27

5:30 PM in Wesley Hall

Our next community meal will take place January 27. Join us as we open our doors to the community for a warm meal and fellowship! This event is open to everyone in the church, our housed and unhoused neighbors, and anyone else who is HUNGRY. We have some great cooks so come and eat with us!

Knoxville Warming Centers

Four Warming Center sites and an overflow site will open when the temperature reaches 25 degrees and below. This will most likely happen several nights next week. Our church's support is to provide rides from Cokesbury to the overflow site if needed. We are still asking for a driver and rider on these nights. A sign up genius will be posted next week. You have to be a church member to drive the van but anyone can be the second person on the van.

The Community Outreach Team is continuing to provide support to our unhoused neighbors by checking on them and providing warm items and other resources. Our donation ask for January includes hand warmers, gloves and thick socks. Please leave these in your Sunday School classrooms and they will be picked up. Thank you!

Let’s Un-Deck The Halls | Tuesday, January 6 • 9:30 a.m.

Calling all volunteers looking for fun and fellowship as we “un-deck” our tree-lined hallways. We need your assistance taking down and storing Christmas trees and decorations. Just show up!

Blessing Box Needs:

• Individual servings of cereal
• Shelf stable milk (individual servings)
• Granola snack bars
• Bar soap
• Toothbrushes 
• Toothpaste

Thank you for your support of this important mission!

NEWS AND NOTES



Combined 11 a.m. Worship Service on December 28

Join us this Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary for a combined worship experience in a traditional setting. Our 8:30 a.m. service will meet as normal. 

Couples Event

We are so excited to be planning a couples event at FCUMC! Mark your calendars for March 20-21, 2026 for a fun, engaging, eye-opening weekend. Whether you're married, engaged, or even just thinking about it, you and your partner are invited to be part of our inaugural weekend! 

But first, we'd love to hear from you - please complete a short (we promise!) survey about what would help make the MOST of a couples ministry. And be the first to know what's coming!

Take the survey >>

In order to inform our community about our wonderful Sunday School classes, we have launched a Sunday School Promotional Video Initiative. You have probably seen a few of these videos on our social media! We are asking each Sunday School class to film a 30-second video that covers the following: 

1. Name of your class
2. Room number
3. Age range 
4. One sentence description of your class

These videos are being posted on the church's Instagram and Facebook page! Please complete this form to select a date and time for Britney Barthol to visit your Sunday School class. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Britney. 

FOUNTAIN KIDS & FOUNTAIN LITTLES



23rd Annual Father Daughter Dance Registration is Open!

Saturday, January 31, 2026 | 5:30–8:00 pm

Fathers, grab your best girls and head on down to FCUMC for our ever-popular Father Daughter Dance! DJ Tara will join us once again. We will also have a special photobooth opportunity. Let’s make some memories!

Tickets are $25 per daughter and father/ father figure, and $5 per additional daughter. This is one of the biggest fundraisers for our Fountain Kids Ministry! Everyone is invited so share with your friends, your family, your neighbors, and your coworkers! All ages are encouraged to celebrate the special relationship between fathers and daughters!

Over half of the tickets have already been purchased so don’t delay! Register now >>

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY

Resurrection 2026 | January 23-25, 2026

LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, TN

Resurrection is an annual weekend retreat filled with worship and spiritual growth for youth and their mentors. Each year over 12,000 individuals come together in Pigeon Forge, TN to celebrate the God of The Resurrection. Through inspirational words and music led by nationally-known speakers and musicians, young people encounter the Lord in new and deeper ways. FRVR FREE is leading worship again this year, and the speaker is Paul Taylor Smith.  

Students in 6th-12th grades (and parent volunteers!) are encouraged to register! Registration includes lodging in a cabin (the Legacy Lodge in Pigeon Forge), entry to the event, and some meals. A deposit of $50 is suggested and the total cost per student is $100. Scholarship opportunities will be available to cover some of the expense for students who participate in our January fundraisers!

All students who have attended multiple youth group events in the last six months are invited to sign up, including new events leading up to Resurrection. If have a question about your student’s or your student’s friend’s eligibility, please contact Matt Randle.

This registration is for Youth Only. If you are interested in being an adult chaperone please contact Matt Randle. A parent meeting will be announced soon to discuss Resurrection as well as information for the coming year. Register >>

COFFEE & FELLOWSHIP ON SUNDAYS AT THE WELCOME CENTER

Stop by the Welcome Center before or after worship (8:00-10:45 a.m.) and let us bless you! See you Sunday!

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

8:30 a.m. Traditional Service in the Sanctuary

9:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Discipleship

11 a.m.Traditional Service in the Sanctuary

11 a.m. The Journey Contemporary Service in the Gym

Childcare and children's ministry is provided from 8:30 a.m. through the conclusion of the 11 a.m. worship services.

FOUNTAIN KIDS SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Fountain Kids Sunday School • 9:45 a.m.

Fountain Littles Sunday School • 9:45 a.m. 

Fountain Kids Bible Experience • 11 a.m.

Fountain Littles Childcare • 11 a.m.

THE SPIRIT NEWSLETTER

Check out the December 2025 edition of The Spirit Newsletter.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Friday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

NEXT UP AT FCUMC

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

January 6: Un-deck The Halls | 9:30 p.m.

January 7: Fountain City Fellowship resumes

January 23-25: Resurrection Event for Youth

January 27: Free Community Meal | 5:30 p.m. | Wesley Hall

January 31: Father Daughter Dance | 5:30 p.m. | Gym

Pastor On Call

After Hours & Weekends

When you need urgent pastoral care while the church office is closed, text or call 865-689-7894 to reach the

pastor on call.

Pastor Don's email:

Pastor.Don@fountaincityumc.org

Pastor Rachel's email:

Pastor.Rachel@fountaincityumc.org

Live-Streamed Worship Services:

11:00 a.m. The Journey Contemporary worship and 

11 a.m. Traditional worship

 are live-streamed on our YouTube channel. Our Tuesday night Celebrate Recovery service is live-streamed on the CR North Facebook page and available on YouTube after its conclusion.

Give Now