Online Worship (June 25) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

June 25

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Online Worship (June 18) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

June 18

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Pastor Robert Retirement Worship Service (June 11) Pastoral Prayer - Athens First UMC

Thank you for your sweet, sweet presence in this beautiful sanctuary, O God and thank you for the sweet, sweet memories that we will take with us during this time of transition.

 

You have blessed us through this church family in so many ways over these past 8 years, and we are grateful. 2015 seems like a long time ago, but so does 1988 when we began this journey of pastoral ministry in the West Ohio Conference. From mimeograph machines and electric typewriters at my first appointment to online worship videos now at this church, so much has changed over the years, but one thing hasn’t changed; your sweet, sweet spirit that has carried us again and again.

 

Your sweet, sweet Spirit somehow helped me to preach my first sermon as a student pastor at the Quincy United Methodist Church in 1986 even though I was a nervous wreck that morning. Your sweet, sweet Spirit is what led me to Findlay, Ohio where I was able to be mentored by an experienced Sr. Pastor whose steady leadership taught me so much about pastoral ministry and for which I am eternally grateful. Your sweet, sweet Spirit is what opened my eyes to how even a little bit of hope can help breathe new life into a struggling church in the city. Your sweet, sweet Spirit was more than able to help a Xenia church rebuild after the 2000 tornado that swept through that town. Your sweet, sweet Spirit called upon the right people at the right time to rise to rise up and guide the Lancaster congregation through a major financial challenge. And your sweet, sweet spirit is still empowering, guiding, and equipping this congregation as we continue to regroup following a 3-year global pandemic. 

 

Thank you for your sweet, sweet spirit that is in this place. And may your sweet, sweet spirit continue to surround this church family during this time of pastoral transition. 

 

Like Abraham and Sarah and Matthew from our scripture readings today, may we each say, “yes” to responding to your call in our lives. And as we step out in faith, remind us of all that we can’t leave behind, the blessings you have given us and the blessings yet to come. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ who promises to be with us throughout life’s transitions. Amen. 

Sermon (June 11) by Rev. Robert McDowell

 

    When I was looking ahead to see what the appointed scripture readings would be for my last Sunday with you as your pastor, they didn’t disappoint. Both the Old Testament and our Gospel readings are about moving. How appropriate!

    In the Old Testament, we have the story of God calling Abram to leave his beloved home to begin a new nation. In our Gospel reading, Jesus calls a tax collector to leave what he was doing to follow him. 

     It’s always nice when the appointed scripture readings line up with the occasion. This doesn’t always happen, by the way. Around this time eight years ago for my first Sunday as your new pastor, the appointed scripture readings did no favors for me. When I read over those scriptures, I knew that God had a sense of humor.

     Here were my choices. It was either going to be a sermon about the death of Saul and Jonathan. Or the other reading was about the importance of giving more money to the church.

      Those were so tempting to use for my first Sunday with you. But Instead, I chose my own scripture reading which I thought was pretty ingenious. It was from Acts chapter 17 when the Apostle Paul went to Athens to share the good news of Jesus with the people in that city. The title of my sermon? I’m sure you remember it because it wasn’t a bad sermon, definitely above average. The title of that first sermon was, “A Place Called Athens.”

     See what I did there? Athens, Greece/Athens, Ohio! 

     I thought that was pretty clever until I discovered that your founding pastor in 1800 had done the same thing! This little discovery reminded me that we preachers stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. 

     Today’s appointed scripture readings actually do match the occasion because they offer us these stories about how God calls us to new places of serving. By the way, do you know where they send pastors when they retire? Out to pastor. That might be the last “dad joke” you’re going to get from me!

     When I was reading over the Old Testament reading where God calls Abram and his family to move from their home, did you notice that God never tells them where he wants them to go? Don’t you find that kind of odd?  The Lord just says to them, 

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” - Genesis 12:1

     That omission seems kind of important to me. If we are going to be moving somewhere aren’t we supposed to know where we are heading? And after the Lord tells Abram and his family to pack up, verse 4 says, “So Abram went as the Lord told him.”

     And we get something similar in our Gospel reading when Jesus is walking by a tax booth and says to one of their agents, “follow me.” And he does! No mention of where they will be going. He just goes!

     What do you pack when God calls you to move to a new place? We’re told in verse 4 that Abram was 75 years old at the time when he was asked to begin this new adventure. When I first announced that I would be retiring, someone said to me, “you’re too young to retire.” 

     And I said, “but I’ve been serving as pastor for over 35 years.” 

    “You’re still too young,” was the response. So then I said to Penny… “You know, I think you’re right. Even though I’ll be retiring from pastoral ministry in the West Ohio Conference, maybe God is calling me to continue to be a pastor in South Carolina.”

     We actually had a continued back and forth on this for a while when I finally realized that God was calling me to continue to serve as pastor. So, I submitted my name to the South Carolina Annual Conference. And just this past month, I received a phone call from their conference office, “Hey, would you be interested in serving as a Pastor of two small rural churches near your new home?” They went on to tell me that they have been without a pastor for the past several weeks and haven’t celebrated Holy Communion in a long time. They would really appreciate having you serve as their pastor. 

     This is why I’m so impressed with Abram and Matthew from our scripture readings this morning, because age doesn’t factor into their decisions to respond to God’s calling in their lives. Abram who is advanced in years and Matthew who was a lot younger but who was probably leaving behind a very profitable business of collecting people’s taxes; they both said, “yes” to God’s calling in their lives! 

     And just think of what it would have been like for Abram who was getting up in years to pack up all of his belongings and move his family to an unknown land. Our scripture reading even gives us a little description of what he packed.

     In verse 5, it says, 

“He took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the possessions that they had gathered.” - Genesis 12:5

     And since there were no moving companies back then, imagine this family having to haul all of their belongings during that long journey. But here’s the really important part of this story that I’d like us to give some thought.

      The most important thing that Abram and his family took with them, the most important thing by far was that they took with them God’s blessing. And the blessing from God was, 

“I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you, and in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” - Genesis 12:2

     During these past few months, Penny and I have been deciding what we truly need to take with us and what we should just leave behind, especially since we need to do a lot of downsizing. So for example, I made the decision that I would leave behind all of my seminary files that I have hauled with me to every church I have served these past 36 years. I was thinking that if I ever became famous, these ancient seminary papers might get used in a documentary about me on Netflix. But since that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, I’m just going to leave them behind.

     As many of you know, I also have a lot of Penn State items that I’ve collected over the years and we really don’t have a place to keep all of those. I know, hard to believe, right?!

     And then I decided that I don’t really need to take all of the clothes that I have accumulated. So I went through the closet and my dresser drawers, and that’s when I came across these 14 year old boxer shorts! Yeah, you heard me right. Here, let me show you why they are so special to me.

     These are my United Methodist boxer shorts with NBA great, Jerry Lucas’s autograph on them!

     These are definitely going with me! You probably want to know the story behind this but I don’t have time to get into that. 

     So anyway, Penny and I have been downsizing as we’ve been preparing for this move. We made a commitment to take only the things we really, really, really and absolutely can’t leave behind.

     And as I’ve been reflecting on this and thinking about this story of Abram and his family who responded to God’s calling to move to a new land, that’s what they were doing as well. Taking only those things that they absolutely couldn’t leave behind. 

     And the most important thing that they could not leave behind was God’s blessing upon them. Without God’s blessing, they wouldn’t have left their home to go to some unnamed place and into an uncertain future. They left because they had been blessed by God.

     And that’s what we are taking with us in our move to South Carolina. All the blessings of serving you these past eight years and all of the blessings of serving churches in the West Ohio Conference for the past 36 years. This is the one thing that we must absolutely take with us and not leave behind. So many blessings!

     The blessing of celebrating baptisms and hearing you sing that beautiful lullaby song to a baby that is being carried up and down the aisles as part of our baptism service. 

     The blessing of celebrating weddings and knowing that the church is an important part of that couple’s faith journey.

     The blessing of joining together in a circle prayer during a Sunday morning worship service to pray for God’s comforting healing presence to be with a member of the church.

     The blessing of watching your smiles as you come forward to one of the stations to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

     The blessing of lifting our candles and singing “Silent Night” together during our Christmas Eve services.

     The blessing of seeing our Scout Troop on a Scout Sunday carry a wooden cross that they had made to the front entrance of our church building where we dedicated it as a prayer cross for people who walk by to let us know their prayer needs.

     The blessing of Growing Tree children giggling as I tried to pronounce dinosaur names during reading time.

     The blessing of enjoying the most awesome covered dish meals together and hearing you share your testimonies of how God has guided you and what a difference the church has made in your life.

     The blessing of seeing this church come together for a major building campaign that included our new front entrance, the remodeling of our sanctuary, and adding an elevator.

     The blessing of our bell and Chancel Choirs, soloists, and instrumentalists offering their gift of music that lift our spirits in such a way that not even an above average sermon can come close to doing. 

     The blessing of hearing you all sing the hymn, “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” on Easter Sunday and the triumphant hymn, “For All the Saints” on All Saints’ Sunday.

     The blessing of walking into this church building early one Sunday morning with a heavy heart not knowing if I would even be able to make it through the morning… the only time this has ever happened to me in over 35 years of ministry… 

     … And one of you happened to see me and you knew I wasn’t OK… And you took me aside and just let me cry and cry and cry until I couldn’t cry anymore. And you told me, “It’s OK.” And that’s all that I needed in that moment. I can’t even begin to tell you what a blessing you were to me. You helped me to lay down my burdens at the foot of the cross. That was the beginning of some much needed emotional healing.

     So blessed!

     The blessing of hearing you share your thin place moments with me and how God was present to you in a very real way.

     The blessing of seeing all of our prayer requests every week and being reminded that this is what it means to be family.

      The blessing of the aroma of hazelnut coffee when you enter these doors on a Sunday morning and knowing that there are caring hearts who are offering their gift of hospitality.

     The blessing of being a pastor of a church that reminds each other every single Sunday morning that we are each a blessed, beloved, and beautiful child of God and that there are no exceptions, asterisks, or loopholes to that foundational truth. 

     So many blessings that Penny and I are going to take with us in our move to South Carolina.

     I’ve been thinking about this sermon for a long time since I’m not only saying goodbye to the wonderful people of Athens First, but we’re also saying goodbye to the several churches that we have had the privilege of serving in the West Ohio Conference that includes churches in Quincy, Findlay, Toledo, Xenia, Lancaster, and for the past eight years here in Athens. God has blessed us in so many wonderful ways through the churches we have served and through the people we have met.

      Since today is my last sermon with you, I really do want this to be above average. I want you to remember me! This reminds me of some advice I’ve heard in preparing a sermon; “Don’t try to be witty, charming, creative, or intellectual. Just be yourself.”

     You know, I’ve never really liked that advice, so I’m still going to try to do a little of both. 

     Penny and I just want to say thank you for blessing us, and in the words of Nobel Peace prize recipient, Dag Hammarskjold, “For all that has been, thanks! To all that shall be, yes!”

All that You Can’t Leave Behind

Sermon Discussion Questions

Genesis 12:1-9 & Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

June 11, 2023

The appointed scripture readings for this Sunday are very appropriate as our church prepares for a time of pastoral transition this month. In the Genesis, chapter 12 reading, the Lord calls Abram and his family to move to a new land where they will begin a new nation. Our Matthew, chapter 9 reading offers us the story of when Jesus called Matthew to leave what he was doing to become one of his disciples. Both of these stories are about being open to God’s calling and the transition that is involved in saying, “yes” to God.

When was the last time that you moved to a different home? Were you nervous, anxious, excited, or hopeful about that time of transition?

We are told in our Genesis story that Abraham who was 75 years old and his family packed the possessions they had gathered and began their journey to the land of Canaan. Matthew would have needed to also pack up the possessions he would need in order to follow Jesus. 

How do you decide what to pack and not pack when you go on a long trip or move to a different location? 

Probably the most important part of the story of Abraham and his family responding to God’s calling to move to a different land is the blessing that God gave to them. The blessing was that Abraham and his family would begin a new nation in a new land with God. The other part of this blessing is that they would in turn be a blessing to others. When we pack to go on a trip or move somewhere, this story invites us to reflect on the blessings that God doesn’t want us to leave behind. It’s important to take those blessings with us!

Share some blessings that God has given you through your family, your friends, and your church family that you never want to leave behind. How do these blessings help you when facing times of transitions in your life?

Since this is a month that will involve a pastoral transition at Athens First UMC, continue to pray for the pastor and his/her family as they move to Athens. Give thanks for the blessings God has given us and those blessings yet to come. May our prayers reflect these words of the 20th century Nobel Peace prize recipient, Dag Hammarskjold, “For all that has been, thanks! To all that shall be, yes!”

Close your time by praying Sunday’s worship prayer, a prayer about transitions:

Holy God, when you call us from our places of comfort to follow you into a new future, remind us that you never do so without also offering a blessing upon us. We are thankful for how you have blessed us along our journey together and we look forward to the new blessings that you have in store for us. We confess that we often overpack when leaving for a trip. Remind us in times of transition to pack lightly and to only take with us what you do not want us to leave behind. Amen.  

Farewell Thank You Video from Pastor Robert - Athens First UMC

Farewell Thank You Video from Pastor Robert

(In Celebration of 37 Years of Pastoral Ministry)

June 11, 2023

Online Worship (June 11) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

June 11

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]

Holy Hump Day (June 7) with Pastor Robert

Today’s Focus:

Final Holy Hump Day Episode

Sermon (June 4) by Rev. Robert McDowell

     Well, this is my last chance in my 8 years with you to explain the mystery of the Trinity. This is my last shot. 

     Actually, you and I know that we can’t fully comprehend how God can be one and yet three at the same time. Just when you think you have the perfect analogy or philosophical approach in fully explaining it, it falls apart at some point.

     And you know what? I’m OK with that!

     No, I’m not giving up on my attempts to understand it intellectually. That’s partially why we have a whole Sunday on the church calendar dedicated to this doctrine. It forces us to wrestle with it again and again and again. And I’m OK with that!

     The reason I’m OK with it is because of our appointed Gospel reading for this Sunday. This is one of those rare scripture passages where we have the Trinity stated in one sentence, not the word, “Trinity” because that word doesn’t even appear in the Bible, but we do get the description of it. It comes at the very end of Matthew where Jesus is commissioning the disciples. This scripture reading has become known at “The Great Commission.”

     We get these words from Jesus, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

     “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

     And so here we have the Trinity included with Jesus’ commissioning. I so wish that one of the disciples would have raised their hand and asked Jesus to further elaborate on what he exactly means by “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” But they didn’t. 

     Quite honestly, I think they had enough on their mind when Jesus commissioned them. This was definitely a “don’t speak moment because I’m telling you to do something that is very important right now.”

     Maybe there’s a lesson in this, that any understanding of the Trinity needs to be connected with the relationships that Jesus is calling is to have in our community and in our world. We do not primarily have a cerebral faith. We have a relational faith. 

     A relational faith includes our relationship with Jesus, our relationships with each other, and our relationships with the people we have yet to meet. And this makes sense since the Trinity is all about relationships; the relationships between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, three persons, and yet still known as one God. 

     We might never be able to fully unravel the mystery of the Trinity from a philosophical approach, but we can discover more about who God is by focusing on how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in relationship with each other. And it’s a relationship of harmony and mutuality.    

     The Trinity reminds us that we have a relational faith. Trinity Sunday invites us to have the kind of harmonious relationships with each other that we see reflected within God’s own self as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

     How can the church be a reflection of the loving, gracious, harmonious, and joy-filled relationship that we see within the Trinity? How can we always strive to be that healthy and growing community of faith of authentic, caring and loving relationships?

     Maybe it does have something to do with always reflecting on this mysterious and beautiful doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus is sending us out in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to make disciples of Jesus, not by giving people religious tracts on how to go to heaven when they die, but by building authentic, caring, and grace-filled relationships with the people we encounter. 

     This is the beauty of our Wesleyan faith. Brothers, John and Charles Wesley, Priests in the Church of England sought to reform the church through the formation of small groups or classes as they called them. These small groups of ten or so people met on a regular basis to build relationships and to encourage each other to grow in their faith. They weren’t meant to replace the church but to reform the church from within. 

     Whenever I hear someone in our church say how their small group has helped them through a very difficult time in their life or how they have met new friends in the church because of their small group, I know that we are doing something right! The church is about relationships. Our faith is about relationships. The mystery of the Trinity is about relationships. 

     In her book, Unbinding Your Heart, Martha Grace Reese refers to “The Trinity of Relationships.” After studying 150 mainline churches that are really alive and growing, she discovered something that they all had in common.

     All of these vibrant churches had a set of three relationships that were very real and healthy. The trinity of relationships include our relationships with God, our relationships with people outside the church, and our relationships with each other within the church.

     In addition to small groups, I think one of the best things we do is when we gather for our Food, Fun, and Fellowship and Thirst events. These gatherings include a covered dish and an opportunity for us to build relationships with the people who attend.

     A couple of months ago, a pastor asked me what my thoughts were in encouraging our churches to fulfill the vows that we make when a person is baptized or joins the church. Here’s the vow that we make whenever someone is baptized. This is right out of our worship ritual:

     “With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life”.

     And this pastor wanted to know what our church does to help fulfill this vow that we make. My immediate answer was to say that we have a discipleship strategy that encourages each person to be involved in Loving Faith, Learning Faith, and Living Faith ministries. 

     But then I said, “But actually it really comes down to the church being a family for each other. If the global pandemic taught me anything, it was to never underestimate a good old fashioned covered dish meal where we can actually sit down together, share with one another, and be a family. That’s just as important as a Sunday School class or a bible study.” 

     Maybe this is why Jesus commissions the disciples to go and baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It’s about relationships. It’s about family. 

     Retired United Methodist Bishop, Will Willimon shares the story of a time when he was asked to preach one Sunday at a little country church in Georgia. The pastor of the church also asked if the Bishop would baptize a teenage boy named, Nathan who had gone through the membership classes and wanted to be immersed and not just sprinkled. Bishop Willimon told him that he never immersed anyone before, but that he would be happy to do it.

     Bishop Willimon agreed and when he arrived at this little church, he met Nathan before the worship service. And Nathan says to the Bishop, “They tell me you’ve never done one of these before.”

     And Bishop Willimon said, “Well, I’ve read about them, Nathan.”

     And then Nathan said, “Well, I’d feel better if we’d run through it first.”

     And Bishop Willimon said, “Yes, I was going to do that, Nathan, go over it together.”

     The pastor of the church had borrowed a portable baptistry from the Baptist Church and had it all ready to go.

     Nathan asked the Bishop if he should take off his shoes for the baptism and Bishop Willimon said, “Yeah, when it’s time, remove your shoes, Nathan.”

     You can see who was running the show for this worship service. Nathan.

     And then Nathan asked if he should also take off his socks. And Bishop Willimon said, “No, you can keep those on.”

     And then Nathan tells the Bishop that they should walk through the baptism ritual. He tells the Bishop that he will come up the steps and that he is to stand to the side and that’s when he is to go down into the tub of water. And he tells the Bishop, “That’s when you can baptize me three times.”

     Bishop Willimon said, “Oh, yeah, that’s when I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three times. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do, Nathan.”

     So the service begins and it’s time for Nathan to be baptized. Nathan answers the baptism questions and then Bishop Willimon asks Nathan if he would like to share anything with the congregation before his baptism.

     And this is what Nathan told his new church family:

     “You know, I wouldn’t be here today if you hadn’t put me here. I wouldn’t have known that God wanted me to be here if you hadn’t told me. When my parents got their divorce, my world ended, and I just thought I didn’t have anywhere to go. I couldn’t imagine myself without a family. But then you showed me that you were the family. And you took me, and all you people who put up with me in Sunday school and everything, I just hope you feel good about what’s happening today, because God did this through you.

     And I want to tell you that I’m taking this seriously and you’re going to be proud of me. And for all that y’all have done, one day you’re going to be able to say, ‘I had a hand in that. And I helped make him a Christian.’ So, thank you. This really ought to be a day when you feel good about yourselves.”

     Nathan might have been the one who was baptized by immersion, but there wasn’t a dry eye in that little church that day. They were a family because of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is about relationships.

    One of the names that we give the other Sacrament that we will be receiving a little later in our service this morning is “Communion.” Interesting word, “communion.” That’s a word that emphasizes relationships. Our relationship with God and with each other. 

     When we share in the bread and the cup, we do this together. We are in relationship because of what God has done for us through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are in relationship through the Holy Spirit who is the presence of the Risen Christ . We are in relationship through our Heavenly Father who created us in his image. 

     Whenever we receive this meal, we truly are a “communion” of brothers and sisters in Christ.  A holy communion.  Thanks for being my holy communion these past 8 years.

 

A Relational Faith

Sermon Discussion Questions

Matthew 28:16-20

June 4, 2023

On Trinity Sunday, we are invited to contemplate the mystery of the doctrine of the Holy Trinity: one God, known in 3 persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Why do you think it’s important to have a Sunday dedicated to this mystery every year?

Our Gospel reading for today from Matthew 28 offers us one of the best verses that include the words of the Trinity. It’s where Jesus tells the disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Why do you think it was important for Jesus to include the description of the Trinity in connection with his commissioning of the disciples to go and make disciples?

Pastor Robert shared that the use of the Trinity by Jesus in our Gospel reading is an indication that we primarily have a relational faith and not just a cerebral faith. It’s a relational faith because Jesus is sending the disciples into the world to share the good news of Jesus with others. To go and make disciples, we need to first build relationships. It’s also a relational faith because within the Trinity, there is a dynamic relationship between the Father, Son, and. Holy Spirit. 

Why do you think it’s important for people in the church share the good news of Jesus through the relationships we form with people in our community and world?

In her book, Unbinding Your Heart, Martha Grace Reese refers to “The Trinity of Relationships.” After studying 150 mainline churches that are really alive and growing, she discovered something that they all had in common. All of these vibrant churches had a set of three relationships that were very real and healthy. The trinity of relationships include our relationships with God, our relationships with people outside the church, and our relationships with each other within the church.

Which of the trinity of relationships listed above come naturally for you? Which ones are more challenging? Share some ways that you find helpful in having strong relationships and what helps you to establish new relationships.

Pastor Robert shared the story of a teenager who had a broken home but thanks to a church family who loved him during that difficult time in his life, he was baptized and became a member of the church. Before he was baptized, he shared these words with the congregation, “You know, I wouldn’t be here today if you hadn’t put me here. I wouldn’t have known that God wanted me to be here if you hadn’t told me. When my parents got their divorce, my world ended, and I just thought I didn’t have anywhere to go. I couldn’t imagine myself without a family. But then you showed me that you were the family. And you took me, and all you people who put up with me in Sunday school and everything, I just hope you feel good about what’s happening today, because God did this through you.”

What are some specific ways that our church can build relationships with people inside and outside the church so that they feel loved and included?

Close your time by reading and reflecting on this promise that we make as a congregation to those who are baptized in our church:

“With God’s help we will proclaim the good news and live according to the example of Christ. We will surround these persons with a community of love and forgiveness, that they may grow in their trust of God, and be found faithful in their service to others. We will pray for them, that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life”.  

Online Worship (June 4/Trinity Sunday) Athens First UMC

Welcome to our 

June 4/Trinity Sunday

online worship service!

Athens First UMC

2 S. College St., Athens, OH 45701

[Live-Stream Begins @ 10:25 AM]