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Breakthrough Prayer
God, remove my strongholds of selfishness so that I may shift to selfless sevanthood for you. Amen.
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Special Scheduling Note
The church offices will close at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, so that all of the church staff can enjoy a Staff Appreciation Picnic provided by the Staff-Parish Relations Committee.
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| Women of the Bible Study Begins Sunday | | |
A new 12-week Bible study about women in the Bible begins this Sunday. The study will meet weekly at 5:00 p.m. on Sundays from August 16 - September 20 and October 18 - November 22 in Room 207. Pastor Clair will lead this study, which 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 (on September 13), 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).
| | Children's Choir Begins Tuesday | | FUMC Children’s Choir rehearsals begin on Tuesday, August 18. This year, we’re offering a two-group system to give singers age-appropriate opportunities to learn and grow: the younger group (Pre-K–1st grade) will focus on building confidence, musical skills, and a love of singing, while the older group (2nd–4th grade) will work on developing their musicianship ability to work well with others in a group setting. Both groups meet Tuesdays from 4:00–5:00 p.m. Our curriculum this Fall is called "Finding Your Voice To Be Like Jesus." We’ll also be preparing a small-scale musical for presentation as part of our Christmas Eve celebration. We hope your child will join us this fall! For more information, contact Josh Sumter (jsumter@fumcor.org). | | |
Are you interested in taking a monthly day trip from Oak Ridge to area destinations and events? Join our first “Senior Travelers” event visiting the Mennonite community at Muddy Pond, TN, on September 17. Our neighbors in Muddy Pond will be making sorghum the old-fashioned way—with a horse and cane press. We will see a demonstration of sorghum making, be able to taste some, and have the ability to purchase it as well. There is also a variety store, leather shop, Muddy Mug coffee shop, and "The Country Porch" where we can have lunch. There is no fee for this trip, so just bring cash for lunch or any goods that you would like to purchase. Many homemade items will be available for purchase at the Muddy Pond businesses. Some of the shops take credit cards, but cash works best at the Pond.
We will depart our parking lot at 9:00 a.m. on September 17. Our goal is to return by midafternoon. We have 14 seats available on the church bus. Please email Pastor Denna at dhornby@fumcor.org to reserve a seat.
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The Open Loft is back! If you are a youth in 7th-12th grades, you and your friends are invited to hang out in the Loft any Wednesday afternoon that school is in session between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Youth can relax, work on homework, play games, and enjoy one another's company.
Student Lunches began yesterday! All Juniors and Seniors are invited to First Church each Thursday at 11:00 a.m. for a hot meal. Lunch is $4/person, but no one is ever turned away.
Youth Group meetings resumed this past Sunday. The Youth Group meets each Sunday afternoon from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in the Loft.
For more information about youth activities or other Next Gen Ministries, contact Billy Price (bprice@fumcor.org) or CJ Huskey (nextgenassistant@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. | | Connect with Realm Connect | | |
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. If you have questions, call the church office (1-865-483-4357) anytime during regular business hours.
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The Oak Ridge Girl Scout service unit (ORSU) is pairing with Funds2orgs to do a community-wide service project. The project involves collecting used/discarded shoes. This has the environmental impact of removing shoes from the landfills and recycling them for reuse globally. The project has the potential to earn some funds, which the ORSU will designate for TORCH, the local organization supporting the homeless.
The formal shoe collection began August 1. If you are "spring" cleaning or discarding usable shoes, please bring them to the collection bin in First Church's Welcome Center.
The ORSU goal is to collect 2,500 gently worn, used, and new shoes, which is about 2,500 lbs. of waste kept out of landfills that will also earn $1,000 for TORCH! So start collecting and spreading the word.
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August Special Offering -
Music Ministry
| | For the month of August, the special offering benefits our church's music ministry. We are blessed each week with talented musicians—both paid and volunteer—who commit their time and talents to enhance our worship of God, benefit our church, and serve our community. While even modest music ministries require a surprising amount of funding, ours is a vital and multi-faceted ministry that offers opportunities for singers and instrumentalists of all ages and abilities. We have a huge variety of services, events, and projects planned that will inevitably require some funding outside the provisions of the normal budget. A peek at some of the planned events can be found in Harold Hartman's most recent Church Council report. Your gifts to the special offering will help us keep our ministry going so that we can continue to bless you all and the community in new and exciting ways. We are so grateful for your support! If you would like to support the August Special Offering, follow the link below or mail a check to: First UMC, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Notate “monthly offering” in the memo line. | |
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Worship for August 16
Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
Scripture Readings:
Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8
Psalm 67
Romans 11: 1-2a, 29-32
Matthew 15: 21-28
8: 45 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship - Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship - Multipurpose Room
Preaching: Rev. Ken Sauer, Rev. Clair Sauer
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In Sympathy
Please be in prayer for the family and friends of Martha Reid Greer, sister of Lucretia Pack, who died on August 6 in Columbus, Ohio.
In the Hospital
Linda Battle
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Offering 8-3-2026 through 8-9-2026: $14,404
2026 YTD Offering: $873056
2025 YTD Offering: $866,743
August Special Offering (Music): $13,610
Thank you to all of you who mail in your financial gifts or continue to give online.
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