Join us online and also follow along with our online bulletin.
This week, Hillside and First United Methodist Churches, from Duluth, Minnesota, have prepared a very special worship experience—a service that will bring the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. directly to your heart and mind.
Join us at 10am on Sunday, January 17, 2021, where we will watch together as a church family. Or, if you wish, anytime after the 10am premiere.
First Familyis again temporarily an online-only newsletter. January’s edition will join years of archived newsletters. They are always there and they are searchable. We have also decided to activate all the links within First Family to allow you to simply click to bring you directly to websites and email addresses.
Take a look, share the link, bookmark the page, or download to have on your computer if you wish. If you, or someone you know, would like to have First Family delivered, please email info@fumcduluth.com
Out of an abundance of caution and care and wanting to do no harm, we will not return to in-person worship until it is safe and healthy to do so. Thanks for being flexible and keeping worship a priority.
During January we will continue to worship online on YouTube every Sunday morning at 10am. The service can be watched any time after 10am Sunday morning, but we encourage as many of us as possible to watch together as a community of faith. Please make worship a soul destination.
Sunday, January 17—Human Relations Sunday. Our Racial Justice Action Committee is helping with this special service. Daniel Oyinloye’s Sermon is titled “This Mountain.”
Sunday, January 24—The sermon title is “Driven by Vision.” We will reflect on what God has for us next and our purpose.
Sunday, January 31—Pastor Cynthia Coffin-Langdon presents her sermon, “Now is the Time.”
Public school districts have been told to reserve money, intended to help low-income children, for private schools.
Public schools have faced three distinct challenges since the coronavirus pandemic began—scrambling to make sure that low-income children don’t go hungry, teaching students remotely who lack internet access and bracing for dramatically smaller budgets.
Congress tried to help in the $2 trillion economic relief package known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES Act, by designating $13.5 billion for public schools. The money was supposed to be distributed to school districts based on the number of low-income students they enroll.
A new directive from the U.S. Department of Education, however, tells districts to share far more of the money than expected with private and religious school students, even though fewer than 5% of those children are poor.
We have grieved the tragic, violent death of George Floyd … we have watched protests … seen destruction take place … and named the racism that is among and within us.
This is how we as FUMC are responding:
• We name the sin of systemic racism and proclaim that discrimination in any form is evil and against the Gospel.
• We declare that ALL people are fully and equally created in the image of God
• As the sign at First UMC boldly proclaims: WE STAND FOR RACIAL JUSTICE & EQUALITY
Next Steps:
• We will make bold proclamations on our website, Facebook and other places that we stand for racial justice and equality
• We will continue to make masks to give to the NAACP to distribute and explore joining the NAACP as a congregation
• We will learn together. There is a book study for the community on the book, “White Fragility.” 50 people are already participating and all of us will have opportunity later in the summer
• We are starting a Social JUSTICE Action Committee:
A committee that is formulated specifically for this time, how we as individuals and as a congregation respond to racism in our society. All are welcome! Specifically invite youth/young adult voices! Jojo Coffin-Langdon will be the staff person to take the lead on this committee. Please email her if you would like to join. Families@FUMCduluth.com
• Be praying for love to guide us … for deep community to form us … for justice and equality to take root
