Category: From the Pastor

  • Lent Devotion, Day 1 of 44

    Lent Devotion, Day 1 of 44

    I am going to write a daily devotion that will take us through Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, ending on Good Friday. I will use the SOAP method, which will model this practice for your own devotional life. In a basic sense, Gospels tell the story of Jesus, God in the flesh and the Savior of…

  • February Letter from the Pastor

    February Letter from the Pastor

    Dear First United Methodist Church,  I want to thank you for the warm welcome you extended to me and my family during our first month with you. You shared God’s love with us.  In February, we move from Valentine’s Day on February 14th (commercial holiday) focused on romantic love to the season of Lent, focused on…

  • October 25, 2020 Letter from Gary Upleger

    Dear Church Family, “I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.”Ephesians 1:16 Over the last few months, I have come to know those words of the Apostle Paul in a much deeper fashion and they reflect my own feelings toward you. I have fully felt the power…

  • Important Announcement from FUMC and Pastor Gary Upleger

    It is with deep sadness that the Staff-Parish Relations Committee shares the following message from Pastor Gary Upleger: Dear Church Family, You all know that I have lived my life as a rather open book before you. Over the years I have shared with you many stories of my life and struggles.… Read more “Important…