FAQs

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Where do I park?

Parking is easy for our visitors. As you enter the parking lot from Saylor Street, there is a drive that goes through the upper end of the lot that leads to a covered area for drop off at the main doors. You will notice the parking to the side of the church.

 

Is there handicap parking?

There are several handicap parking spaces available. As you enter the parking lot from Saylor Street, there is a drive that goes through the upper end of the lot that leads to a covered area for drop off at the main doors; there are two handicap parking spaces available there. At the parking lot to the side of the church there are several handicap spaces available there which enters into Fellowship Hall. There is an elevator available to take you to the sanctuary/office level.

 

What should I expect?

You should expect to find a friendly and welcoming church who will be glad to see that you have come to worship with us. You should expect to feel welcomed as part of the family during our worship services. You should expect a faith community that is Bible-believing, centered on the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and seeking to grow together in the knowledge and love of God.

 

Attire?

Church is no longer a formal affair. When it comes to church, attire doesn't much matter. They understand there is nothing particularly spiritual about a dress or a coat and tie. God is scarcely impressed by such things. "People look at the outward appearance," we are reminded, "but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7). The dress is varied at FUMC; ranges from jeans/shorts and polos (semi-casual) to dress coat, tie, and dresses.

 

May I attend services if I am not Methodist?

Absolutely. Whether you are visiting, looking for a church, or simply want to stop in to see what we are about, we welcome anyone who wants to worship with us.

 

What type of music is sung during the worship service?

We offer a blended worship style that resonates with a wide variety of current and prospective congregants. To accomplish this goal, our Sunday morning service uses elements of both traditional and contemporary worship. We use a mix of hymns, use of the organ and/or piano, guitars/keyboard/drums, traditional hymns of the past along, contemporary music, worship choruses, and anthems by the choir. We believe that the blended service will offer the attendees ways to be led into a time of meaningful worship.

 

May I take Communion if I am not Methodist?

Yes. The United Methodist Church practices open Communion at God's table. We welcome all those who identify as disciples of Jesus Christ. "Christ our Lord invites to His table all those who love him, who earnestly repent of their sin, and seek to live in peace with one another."

 

May young children take Communion?

Yes. "All who intend to lead a Christian life, together with their children, are invited to receive the bread and cup." (Book of Worship)

 

May I attend service but not take Communion?

Yes. We do not want anyone to feel unwelcome because they do not choose to receive Communion. Simply remain seated when others go forward.

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Is childcare available during Sunday services?

We offer a comfort room for parents to keep their children with them during worship without worrying about their child crying or being restless.

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What if I can't get to the Sunday morning or special holiday services?

Streamed Recordings

Beginning March 22, 2020, FUMC started to livestream the worship services. These streamed services can be found through the website, through our Facebook page, on YouTube, or Vimeo.

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Podcasts

We offer a library of podcasts from weekly and holiday services, for services prior to March 22, 2020, in two formats: (1) contains just the scripture and message or (2) if your preference is to listen to the entire worship service, please contact the Church Office at 570.385.3941 or send an email to office@havenfirstumc.org to request a copy of the service on CD.

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How do I submit a Prayer Request?

FUMC has an active prayer life and offers many different avenues of prayer. If a prayer request is for yourself, you may have it announced in church and added to the church bulletin or prayer chain. If the prayer request is for someone else, please be certain that the subject person would approve the amount of information provided. There are strict HIPPA (Federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) guidelines in place to keep a person's health information private and we do not want to violate that ethical standard.

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Prayer Cards: Prayer cards (located in the pews in the sanctuary) may be filled out on Sunday mornings. During the opening hymn, ushers come down the aisles to collect any prayer cards that are to be prayed for during the worship service. There is also a small check-box at the bottom of the prayer card if you would like the request included in the Sunday bulletin prayer list. These cards are not added to the prayer chain! These are only used during church services and to be added to the church bulletin, upon  request. If the prayer request is of a confidential nature and you do not wish to share it aloud, drop it in the box at the back of the sanctuary. No one will read or distribute prayer requests on the cards in the box; God alone knows what you have written. Every couple months the cards are removed and destroyed unread.

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Prayer Chain: The prayer chain is designed to handle prayer requests any time, any day.  A team of over 75 people have committed to praying for every request made to the prayer chain.  Follow-up information is always appreciated so the team can know the progress of the person for whom they are praying. Plus, we love to hear praise reports of how God is working through the prayer life of our church! Prayer requests can be emailed to prayer@havenfirstumc.org or you can call the FUMC office (570.385.3941) during their regular business hours. Once received,  the prayer request is emailed to our prayer chain volunteers.  Unfortunately text messages and Facebook requests are not necessarily seen in a timely manner as they are not checked daily.

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Website Prayer Request Page: You may also submit a prayer request by accessing our prayer request page.

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Prayer is an extremely important part of our church's ministry and we make every effort to give each request our fullest attention.