First United Methodist Church of Laurel

02/28/2022

Even though gleaned good is often donated because it's "ugly" there is a SIGNIFICANT portion that is beautiful. Often, it was overlooked by the harvester but sometimes entire fields go unharvested due to canceled contracts, timing issues, and cost efficiency decisions.

08/30/2021

Soon, we'll set a date to RETIRE this page - no more worship videos here and no monitoring of this site. There are some things glitchy on this page and thanks to our techs, we found a back door fix, but we can't keep two pages active. Please visit our new page - First Church of Laurel, like it and share it (and comment and message there.) And then "unlike" this page. The clock is ticking. Help us make it a soft and successful migration. Thanks - Pastor Stan

08/12/2021

Hello all, it's come to my attention that several imposter emails have gone out to members of the church likely to solicit gift cards. Please disregard. Know that I would not approach you in such a manner and that if I were to contact you, I would use the email address with the fumcl.org domain. If you received such an email, comment below or DM me here. Thanks - Pastor Stan

07/29/2021

We are slowly migrating to our new (functioning) page - . Our bigger following is on this page. You can help us tremendously by unfollowing/unliking this page and liking our new one. It's hard enough to maintain one church page, let alone two! Thanks for your help. - Pastor Stan

https://www.facebook.com/FirstChurchofLaurel/

First Church of Laurel is a multi-generational, multi-national, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural Christian congregation. All are welcome. Post-COVID you can worship online or in-person on Sundays at 10:00.

07/20/2021

okay everyone - I am learning (and making mistakes) along the way. First UMC has two FB pages. This one (the original) and a new one - First Church of Laurel. The trouble is this original will not allow us to post and host worship so the new page was created. Now the hope is to migrate us away from this site and onto the fully functioning one. (Make sure you like and follow the new page). Now the kicker is - I created a group that was linked to our old page (this one). I cannot link this Living Room group to the new one. SO this group will be short-lived and we'll start over (while there is only 10 of us). So sorry for the confusion - but we need to have a fully functioning page and this one is not it. Look for a new invite to FUMC-Living Room from our new FB page. - Pastor Stan

07/02/2021

Watch the nightly news or pick up a newspaper, and it's readily apparent that our country and our world is deeply fractured. Every day in the news we get bleak pictures of people, people groups and nations warring with one-another. "Us vs them" is a symptom of a deep sin sickness. Black vs white. Rich vs poor. Republican vs Democrat. Conservatives vs progressives. Traditionalists vs liberals. Palestinians vs Jews. Star Wars vs Star Trek . . . (well, you get the point.)

It has always been so, but our shrinking world (travel and communications) in the midst of our brokenness, magnifies the division. Christ came to be the Light - to show us the way out of darkness and division of sin. And He's passed His torch to His Church to carry His Light. We are the witness of a new Community — the Kingdom of God — a counter-cultural, bridge-building alternative to the hateful, fearful, wall-building that separates us.

This Sunday, we will begin Pastor's Stan's first series with First Church — an opportunity to reboot to the simplest praises and practices of our faith by re-examining the "Ecclesia" - the Church. What does it mean to be Church? What is our mission? And how do we live, together, in this world? Will we model Jesus' "city on a hill?" (Matthew 5)

Our series is called "Bona Fide Belonging" and we'll explore God's great design for humanity and God's radical invitation to join in his radical community of love and hospitality. Here's the series . . .

July 4 - Interdependence Day
July 11 - Broken Bonds
July 18 - Jesus - Broken's Cure
July 25 - The Belonging Blueprint
August 1 - Brave Belonging

07/01/2021

Today's blog post is titled "Forgiveness Is From God."
raymcdonald.wordpress.com/2021/07/01/for…

Matthew 6:12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. NLT If you’re anything like me – sometimes the Bible says things that cause me to pause. Stuff like lo…

06/30/2021

Today's devotional video is titled "Where Is Your Treasure? - Andy Stanley."

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?? ANDY STANLEY.Thanks for stopping in and we are hoping these few moments will encourage you to continue as you learn. Always find qua...

06/29/2021

Today's blog post is titled "How's Your Relationship with Jesus?"
raymcdonald.wordpress.com/2021/06/29/how…

Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Recently I asked my new church family to pray for our transition time and for healing and growth. There is…

06/28/2021

Today's devotional video is titled "How to Rest During the Storm - Tony Evans."

▶ Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://tonyevans.org/know-jesus-christ/▶ Stream Sermons: https://tonyevans.org/podcast/▶▶ Free Sermon App: https://subsp...

06/25/2021

Today's devotional video is titled "Win the Spiritual Battle in Your Mind - Tony Evans."

▶ Do you know Jesus as your Savior? https://tonyevans.org/know-jesus-christ/▶ Stream Sermons: https://tonyevans.org/podcast/▶▶ Free Sermon App: https://subsp...

06/24/2021

Today's blog post is titled "Giving God the Glory."
raymcdonald.wordpress.com/2021/06/24/giv…

Judges 7:2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ God wants us to know that it …