8:30 am - Food and Fellowship in the Fellowship Hall/Gathering Place

9:00 am - Sunday School for ALL ages

10:00 am - Concurrent Worship in the Sanctuary and the CLC



WE are UNITED Methodists!

This Week at Traditional

Sermon: Worth Fighting For

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-11

Join us at 10 a.m. for our traditional service in the Sanctuary for an uplifting message from our Senior Pastor, Rev. Andy Stoddard with music from the Chancel Choir and other musicians.

Lectionary Reading for the week of October 25, 2026

Notes from Andy

This Sunday is a big Sunday in the life of our church. We have two exciting things happening. First, we have our Annual Fall Fest. This is always such a fun event. I’ve always loved a Fall Fest; it’s a great chance to invite friends and family who may not be plugged into a church to come and hang out here. It’s a safe and good spot to get to know a church, its members, and its “heart.” So, I want us all to come out and have a good time, but let’s also plan to invite someone to come with us! 

As we look and build towards our future as a church, it’s also our Commitment Sunday. This Sunday, at the end of church, we’ll all have a chance to come down to the altar and lay down our Financial and Ministry Pledges for 2027 on that Holy Place. Last year, we had 95 pledges with 130 givers to our budget. This year I’d love for us to cross over 100 pledges. Along those lines, while this Sunday is a specific time of commitment, it is not our only time. You can turn in a pledge card online or in person anytime, even after Sunday. You can come by the church and pick up a card, or you can pledge online at www.first-umc.org/pledge2027

This Sunday, when we have our time of commitment, we’re going to have some custom-made matches for every family in the church. Bring your sparkler we gave out in worship the first Sunday of the month (if you forget yours, don’t worry, we’ll have extra). After service, we’re all going to head to the front steps of our church, facing Lampkin, and we’re going to light it up together. We’ll have some folks taking pictures too, for us to remember and treasure this morning. 

And at Fall Fest, when it gets dark, guess what? We’re going to light it up again!  

Is this a little overkill? Yeah, sure it is. But you know what, friends? Isn’t God’s goodness worth celebrating and getting a little excited over? Isn’t God’s provision worth that? Isn’t our shared faithfulness worth it? God’s call? 

Yes! Yes, it is! Bring your sparklers, get your matches, and light them! 

God is calling us to amazing things. We are catching fire with God’s goodness and grace. We are catching fire with God’s love. We are catching fire with what God is calling us to do and who God is calling us to be. We are going to light this world up with the goodness of Jesus Christ. 

But it takes us all. It takes us all to give, to serve, to be present, to pray, to be a part of this Body. We can do it. Together. 

Let’s light it up! 

Andy  

Every morning Andy shares a devotional online. It is available as a video on YouTube or Facebook, as well as a podcast (all your favorite apps). You can also read a transcript and have it sent to you by email. Learn more at www.revandy.org 

Other Events This Week

Monday October 26:

Men's Study: 3 pm in E204

Tuesday October 27:

Taekwondo: 5 pm in CLC

Wednesday October 28:

Bible Study: 10 am

Chancel Choir Practice: 5:45-7 pm

Menu: Stromboli's Pizza!

Thursday October 29:

Taekwondo: 5 pm in CLC

Friday October 30:

Holiday Handcrafts Bazaar: 9 - 3

Upcoming Events

October 25: Fall Festival 5-7

October 30: 17th Holiday Handcraft Bazaar

December 2 - 7: Exam Slam

https://onrealm.org/StarkvilleFUMC/AddPledge/2027

CHILDREN’S CHOIR IN WORSHIP

The children’s choir will sing for our traditional

worship service on Sunday, November 1. The group

will rehearse in the children’s gathering room off

the walking track at 9:00 am on Sunday, October 25

and in the Sanctuary at 9:00 am on Sunday,

November 1. We look forward to hearing them!

CASSEROLE KITCHEN

Help provide a meal for 60 people on the second Tuesday of each month! We're looking for monthly coordinators to recruit 4–6 friends, Sunday School classmates, or fellow church members to prepare and serve a meal. Sign up to lead for a month that works for you!

This Starkville Strong program rescues surplus food from local restaurants and fraternity/sorority houses and shares it with neighbors in need. SFUMC serves as a distribution site on the second Thursday of each month at 3:30 p.m. We need two volunteers each month to distribute takeout meals and share a few warm wishes!

Interested in volunteering? Contact Leslie Fye at lpfye@yahoo.com.

No ongoing commitment required! Volunteer for just the date or dates that work for you. Every helping hand makes a difference!

Operation Christmas Child

Our goal for 2026 is 150 boxes. The shoeboxes are now ready for you

to pick up and complete with your donations. The “Shoebox Store” is open in the

Gathering Place and feel free to use anything in it to help fill your shoebox. We

encourage families to shop together, perhaps choosing a child who is the same age as

your child. Make sure you mark the enclosed label as to sex and age of child for the

gifts you have chosen. Age levels (boys & girls) are: 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14. The age

groups that receive the least amount of shoeboxes are boys 2-4 and boys 10-14. ALL

shoeboxes are due by Sunday, November 15th.

A donation of $10 per shoebox to cover costs of shipping is appreciated but not a

requirement. If you would like to make a $10 donation, there are envelopes available on the “Place filled shoebox” here table. There is also a basket for donations.

If you have any questions, please contact Florence Box or Linda Wells.

Poinsettias 2026

Please consider ordering poinsettias

 in honor of or in memory of people special to you.

The cost is $16.00 each.

You can find order forms in the church office.

The deadline to order is December 1.

Once again, delicious

Holiday Casseroles

will be available during the Holiday Handcrafts Bazaar.

There will be NO Pre-Orders taken this year.

Come to the bazaar to find

your favorites including:

Cornbread Dressing, Chicken Spaghetti,

Heavenly Sweet Potato and Pineapple Delight

in sizes small and large.

See you there!

Host/Serve Sign-up Link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/Fall26Host

Food Sign-up Link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/Fall26Food

Pastoral Care Update

Interested in Serving with Our Students?

We’re building a list of people who are open to helping with children, youth, or college ministry at SFUMC. There’s no commitment required right now, just a willingness to be contacted in the future. If you feel called to invest in the next generation of our church, we invite you to fill out the form below and prayerfully consider how you might serve.

Volunteer Form

Caregiver Support

If you are caring for a loved one and would like some helpful information and some encouragement from folks who are walking in your shoes, please join the monthly Caregiver’s Support Group. Folks meet on the third Thursday in the Ladies Parlor from Noon to 1 PM. Remember to enter the building through the ground floor door, next to the east stairway.