Church Ministries

Angels on Assignment is an outreach ministry of First Church to the people of Jefferson County. The Angels provide food, clothing, and help with rental and utility payments. Money to pay for the services provided comes from the contributions of church members, organizations, individuals, fundraisers, and grants.

The Food Pantry volunteers work Thursday and Friday mornings.
The Client Interview volunteers work Thursday and Friday mornings. The interviews are Friday mornings.

The Thrift Shop volunteers work Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The Thrift Shop is open Friday mornings.

The A-Team will help construct wheelchair ramps and do minor home repairs to improve to increase accessability for people in need.
If you wish to volunteer your time and effort to this very worthy ministry, please call and leave a message

(Birth-5th grade)
Create Smiles – Make Memories – Build Friendships – Love Jesus
This purpose drives each program and event at First UMC, as we seek to partner with families to teach their children that God loves them and has a special plan for their lives.

Our New Baby Ministry helps and encourages families with new additions to “train up a child in the way that he should go” (Proverbs 22:6). Meals, baby-sitting and a baby basket are provided.

The Nursery is open each Sunday from 8am until noon to care for children age 3 and younger.

Sunday School classes begin for children age 3 through 5th grade.

Sonshine School is a special program for children age 3 through preschool meeting on Tuesday’s from 9am-11:30am.

Children’s Time and Church meets weekly during the 10:30am worship service.

Children’s Library is filled with books and DVDs to check out and enjoy at home.

Chimers, led by Marcia Henson, meet through the school year and ring at 10:30am worship.

Children’s Christmas Musical is presented for our church family during worship in December.

Church Camp and Vacation Bible School are very special summer events that have an intense spiritual impact. (And they are tons of fun!)

Special events, holiday parties, etc. happen monthly to link faith and fun as well as provide lots of opportunities to invite friends.

It is our goal at First Church to provide superior learning opportunities for people of every age. Mary Goins is our Director of Christian Education and Children’s Ministry.

In addition to Sunday school classes for everyone from age 3 through 100 there are other ongoing classes, including Disciple Bible Study and short-term topical studies.

The music ministry of First Church is outstanding! Trained musicians provide the leadership that produces consistently excellent music that is offered to God in praise and with thanksgiving.

The Chancel Choir rehearses each Wednesday evening at 7:15 from mid-August through mid-June and offers an anthem during the traditional (10:30) service each Sunday. New members of the choir are always welcome! So if you like to sing, why not check it out?

Our Praise Band leads the people into the presence of God at the 8 a.m. contemporary service. They rehearse each Monday evening at 6 p.m. in Bryan Dycus Hall. You are welcome to join this great group of musicians!

First Ringers is the name of the adult handbell choir. First Ringers employs five octaves of English handbells to make beautiful music. This choir is known throughout the State of Illinois as one of the premiere handbell choirs in the region. They practice each Wednesday evening beginning at 5:30 pm.

Children in kindergarten through 3rd grade learn to play as a team by using choir chimes. Hence, they are called The Chimers. Their normal practice time is Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

The Pioneers is the fellowship of older adults related to First Church. They meet at noon on the 4th Wednesday of the month from September through May for a meal and a program of interest.

They also take day trips to places of interest such as the Little Theater in Sullivan or the Amish Country near Arcola. The Pioneers meet in Bryan Dycus Hall.

The United Methodist Men take on special projects throughout the year including raising money for various ministries such as the Angels on Assignment. The men also give time and effort on behalf of other ministries such as the United Methodist Children’s Home in Mt. Vernon where they have completed minor repairs.

It is the goal of the United Methodist Men to inspire Christian discipleship and service in the men of the congregation.

The United Methodist Women (UMW) is a fellowship of caring Christian women committed to the mission of Christ in the world. Service projects are held throughout the year to benefit world, domestic and local missions. The UMW at First Church is one unit of an international network that is one of the largest women’s organizations in the world.

The women meet as a total group monthly from September through May. Additionally, the women are divided into circles that also meet monthly, often in the homes of members. The circle meetings are for the purpose of spiritual growth and enrichment.

The circles and their meeting times are:
Elizabeth – 3rd Thursday, 7 p.m.
Martha – 1st Thursday, 1:30 p.m.
Mary – 1st Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
Priscilla – 2nd Wednesday, 1:00 p.m.
Wesleyan Service Women – 2nd Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.

Nancy Gibbs, Parish Visitor
A dedicated team of lay persons visits our congregation’s elderly and shut-ins in the nursing homes, assisted-living centers, and in their homes.

The Visitation Team meets monthly on the last Tuesday from 6:30-7:30pm. We welcome anyone who is interested in being a part of our visitation ministry.

“As we visit in the name of Christ and His church, we must do so with a positive personal attitude. We must believe that Jesus Christ and the church can and do make a significant difference in the lives of the persons we visit.” Methodist Book of Evangelism

First United Methodist Church has a passion for youth. Their growth as Christian disciples is very important to us. The Rev. Annelle Ruemmler directs this ministry with the help of parents and other volunteers.

The Alphas ministry is for youth in grades 6 through 8. They meet at 5:00 on Sunday evenings and on school days at 7:30 a.m. Tuesdays for breakfast and devotions before heading to school.

The Omegas are high school youth and they meet at 6:30 on Sunday evenings. They also meet at 8:00 on Thursday mornings for breakfast and devotions before going to school.

Each summer both groups participate in a special mission trip where the youth give their time and abilities to help other people who are in need. They also have the opportunity to interact with the people they are helping.

Special outings are planned throughout the year for fun and personal growth. These outings might be held locally, or they just might take the youth to St. Louis or Chicago.
Summer youth camps are conducted around the state by the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church. Scholarships are provided for any of our youth who attend one of these camps.

Throughout the school year First Church serves a pizza and soda lunch at noon on Wednesdays for high schoolers. This lunch is open to any students of Mt. Vernon High School who wish to come. We ask each student to contribute $3.00 to cover part of the cost of this program.

Our youth ministry is open to all youth that wish to participate. In fact, we relish the opportunity to serve them!