Dr. Stanley M. Wicks Dir. of Worship, Music and the Arts Retires
I write to you today with a “cup filled to overflowing” and with deep gratitude and thanksgiving for being together in ministry at First United Methodist Church of San Diego for the past 22.5 years. After many years of thinking about and praying for a season in life when I would no longer be involved in full-time music ministry I have decided to retire at the end of this calendar year.
I am so grateful to all of the clergy, staff, choirs and congregation of this church, both past and present, who have supported the music ministry over our many years together. A special thanks goes to my immediate predecessor, Robert Cooper, who set the music ministry on the course that would become one of the finest in greater San Diego. Also to Daniel Burton, our 30-year Organist and Composer-in-Residence, for helping me to step into the large shoes that I needed to fill when I arrived in July of 1998. My time here at First Church has taught me more about faith, relationships and music making than I could have ever have dreamed of. You have all been a part of that nurturing and I am eternally grateful.
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Communion Distribution Pick-up
Sunday, Oct. 25 | 3:30 - 5:30 PM | Mission Valley Campus | P2 parking lot
November 1, is Communion Sunday at First Church. Since the shut-down, we have offered safe, prepared communion elements for pick-up in our parking lot. Please enter the west driveway and turn into parking lot P2 where a pastor will offer you a blessing from a safe distance. You'll then be invited to pull forward to pick up the number of elements you will need for your household from a table all while remaining in your vehicle.
Thanksgiving Food Drive 2020 begins this Sunday
Sunday, Oct. 25 | 3:30 - 4:30 PM | P2 parking lot
First Church is again partnering with Wesley UMC to distribute ingredients for a full Thanksgiving dinner to hungry San Diego families. We are asking you to prayerfully consider these options:
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Donate to the "Special Gifts - Wesley Thanksgiving Fund", either by check or online (select "special gifts" and write "Wesley Thanksgiving Fund" in the memo line).
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Shop for items on this list and bring to First Church where it will be sorted and packaged for distribution at Wesley. If you select this option, please consider bringing your goods in new, reusable bags that can be used for distribution.
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Volunteer to help sort, and package food bags for distribution on Monday, November 23, or volunteer to monitor health practices at Wesley during distribution on Tuesday, November 24.
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In-person All Saints Communion Services
Sunday, November 1
The service will be brief, as we gather to remember the saints who have gone before us - those we have loved and remember with gratitude to God for their lives. We will also celebrate Holy Communion together.
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Mission Valley Campus
Please note that currently our in-person events will take place outside on the Linder Patio under careful guidelines. Attendance is restricted to 45 people at each service. Registration is mandatory. No walk-ins please.
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Ocean Beach Campus
Please note that currently our in-person events will take place outside in the court yard under careful guidelines. Attendance is restricted to 25 people at each service. Registration is mandatory. No walk-ins please.
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ZOOM WITH US
October 19 - 25
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Midday Gathering: Using Cannabis as Medicine
Wednesday, October 21 | 12:15 - 1:15 PM | RSVP
Speaker: Elisabeth Mack RN, BSN, MBA, founder of Holistic Caring, Medical Cannabis Counseling and Educational Services. Cannabinoids have the potential to reduce pain, soothe anxiety, reduce inflammation, and promote better sleep. But with 100 years of prohibition against this plant, people don’t know how to properly use it medicinally and for wellness. Elisabeth will explain how to approach modern cannabis medicines and how to safely add them to your treatment plan.
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New Beginnings Membership Class
Sunday, October 25 | 12 - 2 PM | RSVP
Sign up today for this personal conversation with Revs. Trudy Robinson and Jessica Strysko via Zoom. Together we will explore: what does Church membership mean? What is First Church all about? The blessings of company on our Christian journey. The responsibilities of belonging to a community of faith.
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Pastor's Bible Study: Singing the Psalms in Worship
Wednesdays, through Nov. 4
Dr. Stanley M. Wicks, Director of Worship, Music and the Arts at First Church teaches this series entitled Singing the Psalms in Worship: an historical overview of how the Psalms have been sung in worship from their beginnings in ancient Palestine through the early and medieval Church, Reformation and up through the present day. Our Zoom events allows for 100 participants. Make sure to sign in early.
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Younger Adults 4th Sunday Brunch
Sunday, Oct. 25, 12 -1:30 PM
Grab a bite and join us!
It will be great to see everyone’s faces.
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Prayers of the People
Wednesdays, 9:30 AM
Ongoing
Join us as we pray for one another and shared prayer requests.
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Conversations
Wednesdays, 7 PM
Ongoing
"24 and Me:
A Divine DNA search
for relatives in the Bible"
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Koinonia
Fridays, 8 AM
Ongoing
A devotional is led by group members. All are welcome.
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Heart of Christianity
Sundays, 10:30 AM
Ongoing
"Ecology, ethics, and interdependence: The Dalai Lama in conversation with leading thinkers on Climate Change.”
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Grief Support Group
Sundays, 11:15 AM
Through Dec. 13
“Understanding Your Grief”
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Build an Adirondack Chair Project
Through Oct. 31, 2020 | Cost: $69 /chair
In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, volunteers from First United Methodist Church have spent hundreds of hours building homes and interacting the community in order to give low-income families the security and comfort that comes with homeownership. Although Habitat has scaled back work on jobsites to outside volunteers, they presented the First Church with a unique opportunity to get our “hands dirty” in a safe environment that still supports this ministry, in the form of purchase and assembly of Adirondack chairs. Each chair can be purchased online, assembled as a family, or household project and donated to the Habitat Re-Store where the profits back put back into building projects. If you are interested, please rsvp below.
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Veterans Day Red Cross Blood Drive
Tuesday, Nov. 10 | 9 AM - 3 PM | Parking lot P5
RSVP below by Nov. 6. No walk-ins.
In honor of our military this Veterans Day, consider giving blood to the American Red Cross!
The Red Cross has a constant and ongoing need for blood donations. There is no known end date in this fight against coronavirus, and the Red Cross needs your help to meet the needs of patient care.
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Please RSVP by Nov. 6. Limited to 25 participants. |
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Tips for live-stream worship:
Go to our Live Stream page - check out the buttons on this page in advance to:
Gather and light a candle to signify the holy presence of Christ.
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Lead Pastor
Rev. Trudy Robinson
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9 AM | Rev. Trudy Robinson
"We Will Trust"
10 AM | Rev. Jessica Strysko
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Do you have problems finding our live-stream or a link is not working?
- Go to Youtube.com
- Search First Church San Diego
- "Bookmark" or save the First Church San Diego as your "favorite"
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Children and Youth Ministries Sunday Schedule
For more information contact the Dir. of Discipleship for Children & Youth Kenton Reaves Hundley, 619-297-4366 x118
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Kids First Sunday Monthly Fall Schedule
1st Sunday: Communion and Zoom call
2nd Sunday: Work sheets and activities sent by email.
3rd Sunday: Kids First Zoom call
Students 1st Zoom Sunday Evening Fall Meet-ups:
The Summit Grades: 6-8 at 6 PM,
The Mountaintop Grades: 9-12 at 7 PM
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Stewardship Campaign Begins
As stewardship season begins for our whole church, the Water's Edge is excited to have testimonial videos from several members of our community. Each one shares a story of transformation that has happened in their lives and in the world because of our connection to one another as we grow in faith. We look forward during this time to living our faith by practicing generosity in every way - with our financial gifts, our gifts of service, and our spirit of love toward others. We need more generous people in the world, and Jesus teaches us the way to practice generosity in our lives, so that we can be people who make a positive impact in the world around us. The Water's Edge will seek to increase our pledged giving to be more than it was last year, as a way of demonstrating what God has been up to in our lives, helping us to grow as generous disciples.
Blessings, Jessica
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First Church Anti-Racism Response Update
Together we become the change...
What are we doing about it?
First Church is taking steps to make sure our siblings who are people of color are valued in our world. The Church Council and Trustees have created a Racial Justice Endowment which will allow for a yearly distribution of grants to organizations and non-profits who are devoted to eliminating racist practices and advocating for anti-racist policies. We anticipate the first distribution to be in December 2020 and the church’s commitment is to continue supporting these efforts through grants long into the future.
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Covid-19, First Church & You
Simple steps to stay physically, spiritually, and emotionally well in an age of the corona virus.
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CHURCH BUSINESS & NOTICES |
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Did you miss the "State of the Church" Message?
Stewardship Season is here!
We want you to feel good about being a part of the future of the church through your commitment to pledge. To that end, here's a brief message to let you know the "state of the church," and some of our plans for the future.
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We hope you will consider offering a pledge for the 2021 operating budget of First Church! |
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Annual Church Conference & Council Meeting
Sunday, Nov. 8 | 12 PM | Via Zoom
Don't miss the opportunity to reflect on the past year and give thanks for the ministries and people of the church. We will conduct some essential business for the coming year, including nominations for the lay leadership of the church, pastors' compensation packages, and membership reports. We will hear from our District Superintendent John Farley in his last year of his superintendency.
This annual Church Conference and Council Meeting is an opportunity for us to give thanks to God for God's presence in this unusual year, for the church's ability to serve others, and for all of the people who love First Church. All are welcome to attend.
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Office Closed
The church office remains closed under state/county order. Staff continues to work from home and are available via email or the church voicemail system.
How to give when the church office is closed and worship is online?
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Give online using your credit/debit card or ACH transfer from your checking account. Gifts can be one-time or automatically recurring each week or month.
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TEXT to Give. Just text MYCHURCHGIFT to 73256 and see how easy it can be!
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Mail your check directly to the church via US postal service: First United Methodist Church of San Diego, 2111 Camino del Rio S., San Diego, CA 92108.
Thank you again as we work to keep everyone safe this season and work to meet the church's ongoing expenses. Please let Jason Tucker know if you have any more questions about giving and tithing to First Church.
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Giving
Operating fund income which includes: pledges, record of giving, unrestricted gifts, interest earnings, and contributions from the Children's Growing Center, Ocean Beach and our leased properties at both locations.
BUDGET FOR TOTAL INCOME: $1,558,157.00 (10/11, 2020)
ACTUALS FOR TOTAL INCOME: $1,496,719.00 (10/11, 2020)
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Weekly Attendance
Sunday attendance at Mission Valley Youtube Live Stream 10/11/2020:
During the live-streamed services on 10/11 Sunday we had 869 in-real-time viewers with an average watch-time of 26 minutes on the First Church YouTube channel. We currently have 652 subscribers to our channel! If you would like to be a subscriber: log in to your Gmail account, go to our YouTube channel and click on the subscribe button to the right on the page. As a subscriber you can choose to be notified every time we are live-streaming. |
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Deaths: Check our website for weekly updates regarding deaths, memorial services and funerals. |
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619-297-4366
2111 Camino del Rio South,
San Diego, CA 92108
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