Work with Us: Worship Technology Coordinator

First Church is seeking a part-time Worship Technology Coordinator to help support and oversee the technology that enhances our worship and outreach. View the job posting here.

To apply, please send a brief expression of interest or resume to Brianna Ginn (FUMC Staff Parish Relation Chair) at fumc.west.lafayette@gmail.com.

Freedom School 2026 at First Church

We’re excited to announce that First Church will once again host the Purdue CDF Freedom School this summer! To learn more about the program and its impact, visit our website or check out this recent article from WLFI.

Our team is busy getting ready to welcome students and create an engaging, fun, and meaningful experience. You can help support Purdue CDF Freedom School at First Church by making a gift here. Select Freedom School in the Fund dropdown menu.

Thank you for helping make this summer unforgettable for our students!

Lent at First Church: The Way

Lent is a season of reflection, and this year we journey together along The Way—inspired by the ancient practice of pilgrimage and the modern story told in The Way, set along the Camino de Santiago. Across centuries, people of faith have discovered that intentional journeys—on roads, paths, and even familiar sidewalks—can open us to deeper awareness, healing, and hope.

You don’t have to travel far to make a pilgrimage. This Lent, let’s walk The Way—together. To learn more about our Lenten journey and what to expect, visit our website.

Holy Week at First Church

Throughout Lent we have been walking The Way, inspired by the ancient pilgrimage of the Camino de Santiago—a sacred journey traveled by seekers for more than a thousand years.

Holy Week is the final leg of our spiritual pilgrimage and we invite you to walk these sacred steps with us.

To view the full Holy Week schedule, visit our website.

Can You Brew?

We need more volunteers to help with the hospitality area on Sundays. Volunteers choose between setup and/or cleanup shifts. Setup volunteers arrive at 8:15 AM to make coffee and set out cookies before the 9:00 AM First Up service. Cleanup volunteers put away the cookies and supplies and wash up. This can be done as early at 11:15 AM or after the 11:00 AM Celebrate service.

To learn more, contact Jeanne Norberg at jnorberg@purdue.edu.

Adult Education Class – The Way: Going Deeper

Dates: Sundays during Lent season (except the first Sunday of each month)

Time: 10:00-10:50 AM

Location: First Church, Activity Center

During Lent, the Living Faithfully Thinking Critically class will engage in the church-wide study of the film The Way.

We invite all adults join us on Sunday mornings from 10:00-10:50 AM in the Activity Center. The class is for adults of all ages and meets year round with new, engaging subjects throughout. You are welcome to join us anytime! For more information contact Diana Hoke, hokediana@gmail.com.

Adult Education Class – Neurotheology

Dates: Sundays, April 12-June 14 (except the first Sunday of each month)

Time: 10:00-10:50 AM

Location: First Church, Activity Center

Beginning Sunday, April 12, this new adult education class will consider the topic Neurotheology, a multi-disciplinary field combining elements of science, theology, philosophy, and psychology to examine roles for the brain in feelings of spirituality and religiosity. Topics will include evolution of cognitive capabilities in humans, “neural correlates” of specific regions of brain activation / deactivation with spiritual experiences during brain scans, as well as theories of mind & brain, consciousness & soul, meditation & prayer, dreams, free will, altered states & mystic experiences, and perhaps others.

For more information contact Diana Hoke, hokediana@gmail.com or Cary Mitchell cmitchel@purdue.edu.

Join Us for Chair Yoga – Tuesday, March 17

Dates: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays; March 2026

Time: 5:45-6:30 PM

Location: First Church, Activity Center

Mark your calendars! The next Chair Yoga session is Tuesday, March 17. Join Diane Dahlgren as she guides you through a gentle chair yoga practice. No mat is needed, simply come in comfortable clothes that allow you to move, and arrive between 5:30-5:40 PM to get your chair set up and settled in. 

For more information contact Diana Hoke, hokediana@gmail.com.

Governance Board Meeting – Monday, March 16

Governance Board will be meeting Monday, March 16, at 7:00 PM in Room 209.

Agenda items are due by Monday, March 9, to Perry Brown at perryebrown@msn.com.

No Kings March – Saturday, March 28

Concerned about our government’s methods? Join the next No Kings rally on Saturday, March 28, from 1:00-4:00 PM. People will gather at the Sonya Margerum Fountain next to Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette at 1:00 PM, walk over the pedestrian bridge and around the courthouse, and back across the bridge to the Power to the People Community Fair at the Tapawingo pavilion.

Pastor Duane Carlisle will be moderating a conversation following the march.

The organizers will provide live music, speakers, community organizations, and food trucks.

Feeding Our Homeless Neighbors

In addition to an emergency shelter and dinners, Lafayette Urban Ministries (LUM) offers bagged meals. LUM needs 40 bagged meals dropped off 8:00-9:00 PM each weekday. Think sandwiches, fruit, and snacks like you’d find in a school lunch bag. Consider getting together with others to buy and assemble meals for one night. Contact LUM at (765) 423-2691.

Food Items Needed at Tippecanoe United Food Pantry

The Tippecanoe County United Food Pantry, operated by Church Women United, is in need of specific food items:

Canned items

• Fruits & Vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Beans
• Soup
• Pasta sauces

Boxed goods

• Cereal
• Macaroni & cheese
• Pasta
• Rice
• Crackers
• 
  

Peanut butter is also always appreciated.

Empty egg cartons are NOT needed by the Pantry at this time. However, your recycled plastic grocery bags can always be used.

Please place donations in the labeled baskets located in the Narthex (the First Church lobby). Since storage space is limited, we kindly ask that you donate only the items listed.

The address for monetary donations to the food pantry is:

Mary Alice Bauman

CYU Pantry Treasurer

3116 Sullivan St

West Lafayette, IN 47906



Please make checks payable to Tippecanoe Co. United Food Pantry, Inc.