First United Methodist Church Alexandria, La

06/05/2026

If you haven't joined along for an Urban Sketching meetup, this is a great time to get started!

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06/04/2026

FUMCA Youth Mission Field Report (from Rev. Kennon):

Yesterday, our partners at Live It! sent us to serve at the home of Martha Taylor Winstead, a beloved widow whose late husband was an Appalachian carpet weaver—a craftsman whose humble artistry reflected generations of hard work, tradition, and beauty.

What a sight it has been to watch our youth and adult leaders pour themselves into this day. With power washers, stain brushes, rakes, and willing hands, they have worked with joy, compassion, and purpose. More importantly, they have shown the love of Christ.

Moments like these remind me that the Gospel is never meant to stay inside the walls of a church. It comes alive when we serve our neighbors, care for strangers, and offer ourselves in love without expecting anything in return. Every board stained, every path cleared, and every act of kindness becomes a testimony to God's grace.

These young people have not simply completed a project—they have embodied the love of Jesus. And in doing so, they have blessed not only Martha, but everyone privileged enough to witness it.

"Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." — 1 John 3:18

06/04/2026

Day 4: | An excerpt from the FUMCA Youth Mission Field Journal

Today our service was in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee with the bubbly and hospitable Ms. Martha! Martha hasn’t had a guest in her home in 4 years and is still working at 82, so we welcomed the opportunity to bring some loving work and lively conversation her way. We trimmed the hedges, power washed her home, stained her front stoop, and tidied up her kitchen and living room. All this while keeping her company with the warmth our youth are so stellar at!

Church, you should be so proud of your youth; they are working with such diligence, such kindness, such strength, and such gentleness. They're constantly outdoing themselves in their service. I wish you could be here to see it, you would be filled with as much joy as I am. Please continue your prayers, as tomorrow is our last day of work. We plan to make it the best one yet!!

—Carly

06/03/2026

FUMCA Youth Mission Field Report (from Rev. Kennon):
When the youth finished serving yesterday, Fr. Raphael and Rev. Patti were so moved by their kindness that they decided to invest in our ministry.

They gave a gift so that another young person can one day experience a mission trip like this. They provided a scholarship for a future youth to take our next summer mission trip! They told us that they wanted others to experience the love that they experienced today.

Think about that.

Their service didn’t just bless two people.

It has already begun blessing future people.

One act of love inspired another act of love.

And that is how the Kingdom of God grows.

Jesus once said the Kingdom is like a mustard seed.

A small thing becomes something much bigger than anyone imagined.

Today, the kindness of our youth became a mustard seed.

And only God knows how many lives will eventually be touched because of what happened out in that yard.

06/03/2026

Read all about it in the Rapides Parish Journal.

This summer, young artists are invited to explore creativity, imagination, and self-expression at July Summer Art Camp, a pastor-led art camp designed for students ages 9–13. The camp will take pla…

06/03/2026

Day 3: | An excerpt from the FUMCA Youth Mission Field Journal |

Today we spent the day at the house of Fr. Rafael Ortiz and Rev. Patty Ortiz, retired Episcopal clergy! LIVE-IT Ministries connected us with the couple as they needed help hauling gravel across their yard, along with other yard work. After serving their community their entire careers, having their family in Christ take time to serve them in return was an emotional experience for them.

In a moment of tearful appreciation, Rev. Patty and her husband Fr. Rafael felt led to make a donation not only to LIVE-IT and their local ministry but also to our youth!! They were moved by our youth's work ethic and kindness, and donated toward next year's mission trip to sponsor a child to attend the trip. Rev. Patty also cooked a delicious meal for our group, and told us so many fun stories about their life in ministry.

Our youth were so driven and passionate about the work at hand that they finished the day's work 3 hours ahead of schedule!! To celebrate the hard work, one of chaperones treated all of them to some refreshing local ice cream. We returned to the cabin early and shared an incredible meal: Rev. Kennon's homemade tacos!

06/02/2026

Chill n' Grill kicks off exactly one week from today!

06/02/2026

FUMCA Youth Mission Field Report (from Rev. Kennon):
Carly and I have met both old and new friends during our time at Live It. It was especially good to reconnect with Paul and Terri Danis and Cindy Collins — I worked with them here the summer before last alongside a youth group. We also had the pleasure of meeting Fr. Raphael Ortiz and his wife, Rev. Patti. Fr. Raphael, lovingly dubbed “The Pope of the Smokies,” is a retired Episcopal elder, and Rev. Patti is a retired deacon. Terri Danis, Fr. Raphael, and Rev. Patti are all cancer survivors. For decades, these faithful servants have poured themselves into their communities, and now the church has shown up to serve them. Watching that love come full circle has left more than a few tears of joy. 😭

One photo is Fr. Raphael, me, and our neighbor Rev. Steve Pross — a retired United Methodist pastor who kindly let us borrow his wheelbarrow. Steve is also in remission. Another photo is Paul and Terri Danis (Terri in the visor), founders of LIVE-IT Ministries, along with Cindy Collins, who leads their nonprofit operations.

Browse the photos and get a glimpse of the hard work our youth have been doing.

06/02/2026

An excerpt from the FUMCA Youth Mission Field Journal:

Day 1

As we pulled out from the church parking lot after a delicious potluck lunch to send us off with love, spirits were high! We drove until we landed in Meridian, MS and took over pretty much the entire dining area of the local McDonald's. The boys' car played Giant Uno while we drove and the girls' car listened to some classic jams while writing and reading. We pulled into our hotel ahead of schedule and slept like rocks!

Day 2

After a quick breakfast at the hotel we ambled over to the nearby Buccee's and stocked up on rations (by rations I do mean Beaver Nuggets, beef jerky, and candied pecans) and rolled out to our next destination. After a quick lunch with the kind people of Chick-fil-A, we arrived at Craighead Caverns to take the Lost Sea Adventure tour.

A winding path ran 3/4 of a mile through the caverns and brought us to the largest underground lake in the USA! Our tour guide drove us on a boat around the lake, which was 75 ft at its deepest and a brilliant, electric blue.

The drive began to unfold to sweeping mountain landscapes, and we arrived to our cabin in Gatlinburg a little tired but very excited to start our week!