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​ Welcome! We're so glad you're here! ​ We understand that children & youth are not only the future, but also the present of the church. As such, children & youth are warmly welcomed into the FUMC family and invite to participate in a variety of programs to guide them in their faith to know Jesus as Lord & Savior. Want to learn more about your specific age group? ​ ​ Children, Youth & Family Ministry at FUMC is best expressed as FX! ​FX is an abbreviation for Family eXperience. FX is a dynamic environment designed to help us as the church partner with families. FX is a fun, shared experience where families can grow closer together while growing closer to Jesus. It strategically places parents and kids in a world that helps both understand and live out essential truths regarding faith, family and friendship. NURSERY YOUTH FAMILIES CHILDREN

MURAL OF THE LORD'S SUPPER AND CROSSES This Lord’s Supper Mural is given to the glory of God in loving memory of Charles C. Reading and Charles I. Reading. There is an ancient proverb that shares the insight “A picture tells a thousand words.” The beauty of this Lord’s Supper Mural is that it tells the story of salvation in a way that is beyond the power of words to express. Truth is conveyed not only by wisdom and intellect, but by the heart expressed in art. The sacraments have been called “sermons in action.” A famous layperson once said: “I would rather see a sermon than just hear one.” The Lord’s Supper is at the heart of our Christian faith. Here we see the love of God in action. This Lord’s Supper Mural depicting Jesus Christ our Lord and the twelve disciples tells the grand story of salvation and the divine—human encounter in a very dramatic way. The cross tells the marvelous message of God’s love entering the human struggle to liberate us from the paralyzing powers of sin and death. It should be noted that our Lord gathered his disciples at a TABLE rather than an altar. The table is a place where the warmth of friendship and the bond of true intimacy with the host can take place. JESUS IS ALWAYS THE HOST , as the large Christ cross demonstrates in a vivid way. The LARGE CHRIST CROSS is a vivid reminder that Jesus Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. The cross is the only authentic sign of love in our fallen world. The cross is a powerful reminder of how far humanity will go in hate. However, it represents how far Christ will go to demonstrate his love for us. The other TWELVE CROSSES demonstrate how the message of the cross lives on in the lives of the twelve disciples and the cultures they impacted with the gospel. The story continues on. It cannot be stopped. The message continues to call people of every age, race, class, gender, and color to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The LORD’S SUPPER TABLE reminds us that God continues to invite us to commune with him and to develop an intimate relationship with him through the Lord’s Supper. It further reminds us that we are a community of faith where all worldly distinctions face and we are a true family of believers. The BREAD AND CHALICE represent the ongoing nourishment and nurture that God provides for those who love and serve him and the strength and courage needed to follow the example of Christ. The SPOTLIGHTS remind us that Jesus Christ is the true light of the world and that we should at all times keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. The one true light has entered human history and the powers of darkness are unable to extinguish the light. The MONEYBAG reminds us of the tragic consequences of listening to anything except God’s word and will. Only God can meet the deepest needs and longings of the human spirit. However, all the crosses together remind us that there is more grace in God than sin in us. God is faithful to his covenant that he established and sealed with his own death and shed blood. There is no sin he cannot forgive and no person he will ever cast out. This is the good news of the gospel that God has called us to share and proclaim each day until he comes again. May all who view this Lord’s Supper Mural be renewed by the good news of the gospel that all of human life can be released from the bondage of sin and death and then be refreshed by the living bread and the cup of salvation. May the words of Charles Wesley inspire us each time we commune at a Lord's Supper observance: How happy are Thy servants Lord, Who thus remember Thee! What tongue can tell our sweet accord, Our perfect harmony? Who Thy mysterious Supper share, Here at Thy Table fed, Many, and yet but one we are, One undivided Bread. One with the Living Bread Divine, Which now by faith we eat; Our hearts, and minds, and spirits join, And all in Jesus meet. So dear the tie where souls agree In Jesu's dying love; Then only can it closer be, When all are join'd above. Amen. To learn more about the crosses depicted in the mural, click here to view a Legend for the Lord's Supper Mural and Crosses .

Here is information and links to access our church's podcast that will make Pastor Fisher's sermons available. Our podcast is called, "Igniting Your Faith," and can be found on many of your favorite podcast sites such as Spotify, Apple, Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket, Radio Public, TuneIn, and Pandora. You can listen to Pastor's sermons at any time, and download them for future listening. Go to any of the podcast sites and type "Igniting Your Faith" in the search area and you should find it. There will be a picture of our altar window to help you find it. Here are some links that you can use to access the "Igniting Your Faith" podcasts: Here are some podcast links that are live so far for accessing "Igniting Your Faith" podcasts. These are online web page sites but most people will want to use the stand alone app. Links: We recommend TuneIn as the best for Podcasts. It is the most intuitive, and the easiest platform or app to download and organize your favorites. Anchor (home site for the podcast - owned by Spotify) https://anchor.fm/schuylkill-haven-1st-umc TuneIn https://tunein.com/podcasts/Religion--Spirituality-Podcasts/Ignite-Your-Faith-p1449295/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/34xzk1vHqiEjuWAbvtxivh Breaker https://www.breaker.audio/igniting-your-faith Apple Apple provides podcast through the app (Mac OS and all IOS devices) but does not use a direct online web page. Pandora Forthcoming Overcast Forthcoming Google Forthcoming ​ Season One will start with March 7th of this year, but we will quickly upload more sermons to get up to date. Spread the word. Let's grow in God's Word by Igniting our Faith.

FUMC's Privacy Policy Effective date: September 03, 2018 ​ First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven ("us", "we", or "our") operates the www.havenfirstumc.org website (hereinafter referred to as the "Service"). ​ This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Unless otherwise defined in this Privacy Policy, the terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms and Conditions, accessible from www.havenfirstumc.org . ​ Definitions ​Service Service is the www.havenfirstumc.org website operated by First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven ​ Personal Data Personal Data means data about a living individual who can be identified from those data (or from those and other information either in our possession or likely to come into our possession). ​ Usage Data Usage Data is data collected automatically either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit). ​​ Cookies Cookies are small files stored on your device (computer or mobile device). ​ Data Controller Data Controller means the natural or legal person who (either alone or jointly or in common with other persons) determines the purposes for which and the manner in which any personal information are, or are to be, processed. For the purpose of this Privacy Policy, we are a Data Controller of your Personal Data. ​ Data Processors (or Service Providers) Data Processor (or Service Provider) means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Data Controller. We may use the services of various Service Providers in order to process your data more effectively. ​ Data Subject (or User) Data Subject is any living individual who is using our Service and is the subject of Personal Data. ​ ​ Information Collection and Use We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Service to you. ​ ​ Types of Data Collected Personal Data While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you ("Personal Data"). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to: Email address First name and last name Cookies and Usage Data Usage Data We may also collect information on how the Service is accessed and used ("Usage Data"). This Usage Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data. ​ Tracking Cookies Data We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on our Service and we hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your device. Other tracking technologies are also used such as beacons, tags and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyse our Service. ​ You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service. ​ Examples of Cookies we use: Session Cookies. We use Session Cookies to operate our Service. Preference Cookies. We use Preference Cookies to remember your preferences and various settings. Security Cookies. We use Security Cookies for security purposes. Use of Data First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven uses the collected data for various purposes: To provide and maintain our Service To notify you about changes to our Service To allow you to participate in interactive features of our Service when you choose to do so To provide customer support To gather analysis or valuable information so that we can improve our Service To monitor the usage of our Service To detect, prevent and address technical issues Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) If you are from the European Economic Area (EEA), First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this Privacy Policy depends on the Personal Data we collect and the specific context in which we collect it. ​ First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven may process your Personal Data because: We need to perform a contract with you You have given us permission to do so The processing is in our legitimate interests and it is not overridden by your rights To comply with the law Retention of Data First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven will retain your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes and enforce our legal agreements and policies. ​ First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of our Service, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer periods. ​ Transfer of Data Your information, including Personal Data, may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those of your jurisdiction. ​ If you are located outside United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data, including Personal Data, to United States and process it there. ​ Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer. ​ First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven will take all the steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of your Personal Data will take place to an organisation or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of your data and other personal information. ​ ​ Disclosure of Data Business Transaction If First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy. ​ Disclosure for Law Enforcement Under certain circumstances, First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven may be required to disclose your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency). ​ Legal Requirements First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven may disclose your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: To comply with a legal obligation To protect and defend the rights or property of First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven To prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service To protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public To protect against legal liability Security of Data The security of your data is important to us but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. Our Policy on "Do Not Track" Signals under the California Online Protection Act (CalOPPA) We do not support Do Not Track ("DNT"). Do Not Track is a preference you can set in your web browser to inform websites that you do not want to be tracked. You can enable or disable Do Not Track by visiting the Preferences or Settings page of your web browser. ​ Your Data Protection Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain data protection rights. First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete or limit the use of your Personal Data. ​ If you wish to be informed about what Personal Data we hold about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us. In certain circumstances, you have the following data protection rights: The right to access, update or delete the information we have on you. Whenever made possible, you can access, update or request deletion of your Personal Data directly within your account settings section. If you are unable to perform these actions yourself, please contact us to assist you. The right of rectification. You have the right to have your information rectified if that information is inaccurate or incomplete. The right to object. You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Data. The right of restriction. You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information. The right to data portability. You have the right to be provided with a copy of the information we have on you in a structured, machine-readable and commonly used format. The right to withdraw consent. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time where First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven relied on your consent to process your personal information. Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests. ​ You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Personal Data. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the European Economic Area (EEA). ​ Service Providers We may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our Service ("Service Providers"), provide the Service on our behalf, perform Service-related services or assist us in analysing how our Service is used. ​ These third parties have access to your Personal Data only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose. ​ Analytics We may use third-party Service Providers to monitor and analyse the use of our Service. Google Analytics Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualise and personalise the ads of its own advertising network. ​ You can opt-out of having made your activity on the Service available to Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on. The add-on prevents the Google Analytics JavaScript (ga.js, analytics.js and dc.js) from sharing information with Google Analytics about visits activity. For more information on the privacy practices of Google, please visit the Google Privacy Terms web page: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en Behavioral Remarketing First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven uses remarketing services to advertise on third party websites to you after you visited our Service. We and our third-party vendors use cookies to inform, optimise and serve ads based on your past visits to our Service.​ ​ Facebook remarketing service is provided by Facebook Inc. You can learn more about interest-based advertising from Facebook by visiting this page: https://www.facebook.com/help/164968693837950 To opt-out from Facebook's interest-based ads, follow these instructions from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/568137493302217 Facebook adheres to the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioural Advertising established by the Digital Advertising Alliance. You can also opt-out from Facebook and other participating companies through the Digital Advertising Alliance in the USA http://www.aboutads.info/choices/ , the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada in Canada http://youradchoices.ca/ or the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance in Europe http://www.youronlinechoices.eu/ , or opt-out using your mobile device settings. For more information on the privacy practices of Facebook, please visit Facebook's Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation Links to Other Sites Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click a third party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. ​ We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services. ​ Children's Privacy Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 18 ("Children"). ​ We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Child has provided us with Personal Data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Data from children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers. ​ Changes to This Privacy Policy We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will let you know via email and/or a prominent notice on our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the "effective date" at the top of this Privacy Policy. ​ You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page. Contact Us If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: By email: office@havenfirstumc.org By visiting this page on our website: https://www.havenfirstumc.org/contact-us ​ ​

A word to encourage you and strengthen you in your faith, and to let you know what is happening in the life of our church. To access these video messages from Pastor Fisher, please click on the link of interest. December 23, 2021 Dear Members and Friends of Schuylkill Haven First UMC, Below is a link to the Pastor's Chat Dec 23 video for the Christmas holidays, with announcements about upcoming church events. Enjoy! ​https://vimeo.com/659520129 Merry Christmas and many blessings in the new year! Pastor Chris November 24, 2021 Dear FUMC Congregation, I invite you to view/listen to today's Pastor's Chat, for Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/649620149 Happy Thanksgiving! Please take a few moments to view the Pastor's Chat video for Thanksgiving (11/24) at the link printed above. It contains a short Thanksgiving devotion and highlights news about several upcoming events in the life of the church. Thank you!!. ​ Yours in Christ, Pastor Fisher May 18, 2021 Dear FUMC Congregation, I invite you to view/listen to today's Pastor's Chat, for Tuesday May 18, 2021. Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/552045489 It includes updates on lifting more Covid restrictions at Church, including mask wearing changes in light of new CDC/PA Health Dept. Guidelines; plus Graduate Recognition Sunday (May 30), and preparing for a new floor in Fellowship Hall in early June. Closing with a short devotion from Hebrews and prayer. ​ Yours in Christ, Pastor Fisher March 31, 2021 Dear Friends of First UMC Schuylkill Haven, Here is my Pastor's chat video for March 31, 2021, with updates on Holy Week and our latest church Covid quarantine policy update. Enjoy. Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/531501572 Happy Easter! I hope to see you this Holy Week! Pastor Fisher March 3, 2021 ​It contains updates on live worship and on small group ministry, with a short devotion from Luke 6. Here's the link: https://vimeo.com/519167415 Enjoy! Blessings! Pastor Fisher January 27, 2021 Pastor's Message with Devotions and Upcoming Lent Series It is 5 minutes long, and includes a brief devotion and news on our upcoming Lent series, which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. Enjoy viewing! December 23, 2020 ​Pastor's Message with Devotions and Christmas Season News Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! Here is a link to a short video with news on Christmas Eve worship plans, re-assurances about Covid-19's impact on the congregation, and a few other year-end items of church news. December 9, 2020 ​Pastor's Message with Devotions and Christmas Season News Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! Here is a link to a short video sharing devotions and Christmas season news, including an update on Christmas Eve worship plans. November 25, 2020 Pastor's Thanksgiving Message with Covid Worship Protocols Update Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! Here is a link to a short video wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving and giving an update on our church's latest Covid protocols. November 11, 2020 Brief devotion on Psalm 128, some updates on our church's Coronavirus response, and highlighting this Saturday November 14 Thanksgiving Lunch at noon November 4, 2020 Psalm 121 devotion, Sunday 11/8 Anniversary Sunday update, and Wesley Covenant Association simulcast invitation for Saturday, 11/7 October 21, 2020 Pastor's Chat on Coronavirus Safety Measures September 30, 2020 Discipleship and Small Groups Ministry

SMALL GROUPS (UPDATED 03/02/2021) FUMC promotes participation in Small Groups as a way to meet other Christians, participate in shared interests, support each other's needs, and build lasting friendships in a one-on-one setting with limited attendance. ​ During the COVID-19 environment, we need the support of others and the ability to communicate with those of common interest. In the current environment, our Groups are in-person, virtual ( highlighted in this listing ), or blended (in-person and virtual ). ​ ​If you have an interest in joining one of the groups below, contact the leader directly or if assistance is needed, contact ereed@havenfirstumc.org . If Group Leaders need to change their meeting information, contact ereed@havenfirstumc.org with updates. Life in Action Groups Our interest is in following Jesus' command to "go and make disciples". We study and practice within our Group and then go out into the community to make disciples. Recommended readings for this group are listed at the bottom of this page.​ ​ Mondays Led by: Ellen Marino Study Book: Healing Where: Church Frequency: Weekly, 10:00 AM (temporarily filled) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesdays ​Led by: Ann Moyer & Nancy Kraft Study Book: Crucial Conversations Where: Church Frequency: Weekly, 3:00 PM ​ Led by: JoAnn Daum Study Book: Crucial Conversations Where: Church Frequency: Weekly, 3:00 PM ​ Led by: Wanda Langley Study Book: Crucial Conversations Where: Church Frequency: Weekly, 6:00 PM ​ Led by: Dave Williams Study Book: Crucial Conversations Where: On-line (Google Meet) Frequency: Weekly, 7:00 PM (NEW ; starting 04/06/21) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursdays Led by: Eydie Reed Study Book: Crucial Conversations Where: On-line (WebEx) Frequency: Weekly, 10:00 AM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fridays Led by: Mary & Moffette Tharpe Studying: Parables Where: Home Frequency: Every other week, 6:30 PM (temporarily filled) Accountability Groups We are smaller groups which meet regularly to support and encourage each other in our walk of faith.​ ​ Wednesdays Led by: Doug O'Connell Where: On-line Men's Class (Zoom) Frequency: Weekly, 6:30 AM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturdays Led by: Wanda Langley ​Where: Varies Frequency: Weekly, 8:00 AM (temporarily filled) Bible Study Groups Our interest is in-depth study of books of the Bible to better understand its teachings.​ ​ Sundays Led by: Tom Reed Studying: Genesis ​ Where: Church Frequency: Weekly, following worship service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tuesdays Led by: Shirley and Lenny Yenilaitus Studying: John ​ Where: Home Frequency: Weekly, 6:30 PM (temporarily filled) ​ Led by: Bonnie Hawley Studying: Old Testament ​ Where: Home Frequency: Weekly, 7:00 PM (filled) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wednesdays Led by: Ellen Marino Studying: Daniel ​ Where: Church Frequency: Weekly, 10:00 AM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursdays Led by: Doug O'Connell Studying: Revelation Where: On-line (Zoom); contact D O'Connell for link Frequency: Weekly, 7:00 PM Focused Groups We have a variety of Small Groups with specialized interests.​ ​ ​When: TBD Led by: Karen Shiffert Type: Caregiver Support Group (New ) Where: Church ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sundays Led by: Type: Alpha Course Class Where: Church Frequency: As needed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thursdays Led by: Gerri Inama Studying: 12 Extraordinary Women Where: Home Frequency: First three Thursdays of each month, 6:00 PM ​ Led by: Gerri Inama Meal & Chat: Women encouraging women Where: Church Frequency: Last Thursday of each month, 6:00 PM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Saturdays Led by: Don Bergen Type: Men's Breakfast Video Series on Defending the Faith Where: Church Fellowship Hall & On-line (WebEx) Frequency: Third Saturday of each month, 8:00 AM ​ ​ ​ If you would like to start a new Small Group, please contact the FUMC church office at 570.385.3941 for more information. LIFE IN ACTION GROUPS RECOMMENDED READINGS (UPDATED 03/02/2021) The books listed below have been reviewed by the Discipleship Council and are recommended for the Life in Action Groups to use as a guide in their mission to create disciples in response to Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19a. These books are generally available at www.christianbook.com and through other providers. Discipleship Plan Components Component 1 - Experience God ​"A Firm Foundation" by Wesleyan Covenant Association Hope and Vision for a new Methodist Future "​Alpha Course" by Nicky Gumbel Creating space to explore life, faith, and meaning "Healing" by Francis MacNutt Provides a context within which to understand healing ​Component 2 - Follow the Lord Jesus Daily Devotions Component 3 - Share Life Together "The Class Meeting" by Kevin M. Watson A fresh new guide to the theory and practice of the Wesley class meeting "The Band Meeting" by Kevin M. Watson & Scott T. Kisker Demonstrates that the band meeting is not merely another church program ​Component 4 - Serve the Body of Christ "Healing" by Francis MacNutt Provides a context within which to understand healing ​Component 5 - Invest in Others "The Starfish Movement" by Dan Grider Shows how to fully engage with the original Movement that Jesus launched (suggested reading for leaders of Small Groups) "Crucial Conversations" by Dan Grider Draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world "God Space" by Doug Pollock Naturally create room - God Space - for spiritual conversations to happen in your everyday life

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Nursery (Birth through age 4) [ The Little Children and Jesus ] People were also bringin g babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ~Luke 18:15-17 While God's littlest blessings are most welcome in all worship services, our nursery provides an opportunity during the 9:00 AM Sunday morning worship service to allow parents to grow in their faith and experience God’s presence without the distraction of an active child. After all, God did not have “stillness and silence” in mind when he created children! Along with providing an opportunity for parents to grow in their faith, our nursery is an exciting place for these little ones to grow in their faith as well as they come to know, love and follow Jesus. This spiritual foundation begins in the nursery for your infants and toddlers, as they are lovingly cared for and enjoy busy active learning as our leaders make the Bible come alive in a meaningful and fun way! PLEASE NOTE...our nursery is a bug free zone! If your child has a fever, runny nose, cough, diarrhea, unknown rash, discharge from the eyes, illness being treated with antibiotics for less than 24 hours please keep them at home. We look forward to seeing them when they are feeling better. ​ Little Blessings Nursery Policies & Procedures ​ Hours of Operation & Age Limitations Only children from birth through 4-years-old will be allowed in the nursery. Parents of this age-group must be on-site in the event of an unforeseen emergencies. Parents are encouraged to check-in up to 15-minutes after the start of the worship service to reserve your child’s place and so that a nursery caregiver is available should you decide to utilize the nursery at any point during the service. If no children are registered by that time, the nursery may close allowing caregivers the opportunity to worship. Only attendants who have been trained under the Safe Sanctuary policy will be allowed in the nursery. Classroom Check-in and Check-out There is a sign-in sheet located on top of the bookcase where parents MUST sign-in each child. This sheet must be completed weekly! A registration form with details of the child’s age, parent’s information, allergies, etc. must be completed prior to use of the nursery annually and updated as needed. All children’s belongings must have name identification (diaper bags, cups, etc.). Children will only be released into the custody of those listed on the information sheet. Diaper Changing and Bathroom Trips Parents should supply diapers, wipes, a burp pad, and a change of clothing for their child each time they drop off their child. Due to Safe Sanctuary Guidelines, parents are the only ones permitted to do diaper changes. Children who are potty trained may use the nursery restroom on their own. Discipline Policies Physical punishment is forbidden for all nursery caregivers, including parents who serve in a room with their own children. The only discipline allowed in the nursery is time-out which should be limited to the age of the child (for example, 2 minutes for a 2-year-old). Scolding, harsh words and physical punishment of any kind is forbidden. If the child’s behavior could cause physical harm to another child such as biting, hitting, throwing things, etc., then nursery caregivers will get the parent from the service and require that the parent keeps the child with them in worship that day. Children who have been removed may return to the nursery the following week. Repeat offenders will not be allowed to return. Food Parents must label all bottles and sippy cups with the child's name. FUMC does NOT provide formula, bottles, or baby food for infants. FUMC DOES provide snacks (crackers, cookies, pretzels, etc.) for toddlers. Please make sure nursery caregivers are aware of any food allergies. Meals will NOT be fed to children, even if parents provide the food. Wellness Policy For the protection of all children and caregivers, neither children nor caregivers with any of the following symptoms within the past 24 hours will be admitted into the nursery: ​ Fever Vomiting or diarrhea Untreated pink eye or other eye infection Rash Sore throat Runny Nose Persistent coughing or sneezing Drainage from ears Lice, including the presence of eggs or nits COVID, RSV or flu symptoms not listed above We understand that a child may end up getting ill during their stay in the nursery. If a Nursery Caregiver suspects a child does not meet the standards of the Wellness Policy, they will notify the parent and request that the child remains with the parent that week. If your child isn’t feeling well, we encourage you to worship with us online at: www.havenfirstumc.org and look forward to seeing you next week! Medications Nursery caregivers CANNOT administer any medication (this includes Benadryl, teething or diaper rash ointments). If your child needs medication or treatment during their stay in the nursery, you MUST come to administer necessary medications. In the event of a sudden allergic reaction, parents will be notified immediately, and Benadryl will be available for parental administration until proper medical personnel can attend to the situation. ​

MEET OUR STAFF Leading First United Methodist Church of Schuylkill Haven is a team effort. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the pastor and church staff work together in a spirit of unity to fulfill the church's vision to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Senior Pastor | Rev. Dr. Christopher Fisher Rev. Dr. Christopher Fisher is an ordained elder in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, and has served churches in Eastern PA since 1991. He has been the pastor of First United Methodist Church in Schuylkill Haven since 2005. Education: B.A., Lehigh University (1984); B.S., Lehigh University (1984); M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary (1990); Ph.D., University of Edinburgh (2004). He has taught at Asbury Theological Seminary, United Theological Seminary, and served as Director of United Methodist Studies at Evangelical Seminary for many years. He has served as past president of the Eastern PA Evangelical Connection and as a past board member of the Eastern PA Wesley Covenant Association. Dr. Fisher's research specialty is the dialogue between science and faith. He is the author of Human Significance in Theology and the Natural Sciences (Princeton Theological Monograph Series, Pickwick, 2010). Dr. Fisher and his wife Elizabeth live in beautiful Schuylkill County. Other Staff Members Brian Reading Minister of Visitation Ann Moyer Parish Nurse Adam Kraft Treasurer JoAnn Daum Office Manager Cindy McClelland Minister of Music & Organist Marcy Hudock Sexton Pam Setlock Church Secretary Julie Saunders Choir Director Dave Williams Director of Youth Ministry

BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS | THE CIRCUIT WRITER First United Methodist Church issues a bi-monthly newsletter, called The Circuit Writer, as one way of communicating to its members the happenings of the church. The newsletter consists of a letter from the Pastor, Parish Nurse's Notes, monthly calendars, committee updates, scheduled church-wide events, planned youth group events, and other tid-bits of information. Click on the link below to access the desired newsletter. 2024 January/February March/April . May/June. July/August . .

SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES (updated 2/21/21) FUMC promotes participation in Small Groups as a way to meet other Christians, participate in shared interests, support each other's needs, and build lasting friendships in a one-on-one setting with limited attendance. ​ During the COVID-19 environment, we need the support of others and the ability to communicate with those of common interest. In the current environment, our Groups are in-person, virtual (highlighted in this listing), or blended (in-person and virtual). ​ If you would like to start a new Small Group, please contact the church office at 570.385.3941 for more information. ​ If you have an interest in joining one of the Groups below, contact the leader through the contact form below. LIFE IN ACTION GROUPS RECOMMENDED READINGS The books listed below have been reviewed by the Discipleship Council and are recommended for the Life in Action Groups to use as a guide in their mission to create disciples in response to Jesus' command in Matthew 28:19a. These books are generally available at www.christianbook.com and through other providers. Discipleship Plan Components Component 1 - Experience God ​"A Firm Foundation" by Wesleyan Covenant Association Hope and Vision for a new Methodist Future "​Alpha Course" by Nicky Gumbel Creating space to explore life, faith, and meaning "Healing" by Francis MacNutt Provides a context within which to understand healing ​Component 2 - Follow the Lord Jesus Daily Devotions ​Component 3 - Share Life Together "The Class Meeting" by Kevin M. Watson A fresh new guide to the theory and practice of the Wesley class meeting "The Band Meeting" by Kevin M. Watson & Scott Kisker Demonstrates that the band meeting is not merely another church program ​Component 4 - Serve the Body of Christ "Healing" by Francis MacNutt Provides a context within which to understand healing ​Component 5 - Invest in Others "The Starfish Movement" by Dan Grider Shows how to fully engage with the original Movement that Jesus launched (suggested reading for leaders of Small Groups) "Crucial Conversations" by Dan Grider Draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world

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