Welcome! We are becoming an Acts 1:8 church. What is that kind of church? It is a church that can't ignore the hurting people in the world, that hears the cry of the needy and answers Jesus' command: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth!" Specifically, our prayer is to share through God empowered witness, God's great love to our friends and family in Washington, Wilkes and surrounding counties, Georgia, and all the world! How do we do this?
In the town of Washington and to residents of Wilkes County we reach out in many ways. God's Marketplace, Inc, a local nonprofit we started with support from the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches, provides food and clothing to families. God's Marketplace, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) with many churches involved. GMI has a Thrift Store and a Food Pantry. At Christmas First United Methodist organizes and runs Angel Tree, a local community outreach to families with food and presents. We hope this will become a year-long outreach because families don't just hurt at Christmas, they have needs all year long. Our Seekers' Circle of friends reaches out to students with new book bags filled to the brim with school supplies. At First United Methodist we help whenever we are asked and look for additional opportunities to generously give to many local projects.
Our youth reach out at Thanksgiving with meals to homebound and elderly. In addition they join other youth for a week in the summer and repair houses in Lincoln County.
We join UM churches all over the world through World Service and UMCOR Giving. We've sent two mission teams to help in Katrina Relief- one to Pascagoula and the other to Pearlington and donated money to Haitian Relief through United Methodist Committee on Relief, where 100% of our money goes to help others.
Summer of 2010 we went on our first mission trip to El Salvador. Our team included team leader, David Jones, Gale and Rich Seibert, Ralph and Kay Bray, Kris Fisher, Tena Blakey, and Todd Lewis. While there they set up a thrift store like the one we have here. They took 17 suitcases full of items to supply the Thrift store. Other UM churches in the Sourtheastern U.S. have also taken clothes to re-supply their thrift store. The money generated from this store will be used to supplement the outreach ministries of the UM Church in Ahuachapaun. This past spring we shipped 3 pallets of clothes to the store there. Soon, we'll begin praying for a new team and how God would have them minister.
Washington First UMC is an exciting church. If you are tired of warming a pew or tired of wondering what it would be like to live a dynamic, Christian life, then pray about becoming part of God's work here.