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COVID-19 Guidelines & Updates updated 2/25/22 Check out the documents below to stay up-to-date on Russellville First's guidelines for in-person gatherings. Russellville First COVID-19 Guidelines-Updated 11-5-21 Arkansas Conference COVID-19 Response AR Department of Health COVID-19 Information CDC Guidelines

Current Landscape of the United Methodist Church Current Landscape of The United Methodist Church If you were unable to attend the all-church meeting on Sunday, April 24, 2022, concerning "The Current Landscape of The United Methodist Church," the presentation slides and additional information can be found here [hyperlink]. There is also a helpful statement from our Council of Bishops entitled, "A Narrative for the Continuing United Methodist Church." If you have any questions or concerns about this information, please feel free to speak to our lay leader, Mrs. Linda Woods or our Senior Pastor, Dr. Tony Griffin. https://arumc.org/current-landscape/ https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/files/websites/www/a+narrative+for+the+continuing+united+methodist+church...._.pdf Please clean this up as necessary. Thanks! Check out the documents below to stay up-to-date on Russellville First's guidelines for in-person gatherings. Russellville First COVID-19 Guidelines-Updated 11-5-21 Arkansas Conference COVID-19 Response AR Department of Health COVID-19 Information CDC Guidelines

Advent and Christmas Sermon Series Information Generation to Generation: We are invited to look at the characters in our scriptures and wonder: What did each character pass on or contribute? How did each character participate in God’s liberation and love? What is our role now? What is our generation’s task? What will we carry forth, and what should we leave behind? In the midst of narratives, policies, and rhetoric designed to divide us, what does it look like to practice belonging to one another? The work of God is always unfolding—in and through us. This Advent season, how will we carry it forth? 2024 Advent Devotional HOMETOWN CHRISTMAS: GENERATION TO GENERATION Join us for this holiday season kick-off event from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 1. This is a great way for ALL AGES to start the Advent and Christmas season. Join us for things to make, things to eat, games to play, and so much more as we celebrate Christmas through the ages. UWFAITH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON ALL women are invited to the United Women in Faith Christmas Luncheon on Tuesday, December 3 at 12:00 p.m. in the Family Hall. Come for a fabulous lunch, door prizes, and entertainment by the RHS Chromatic Choir. Lunch is $10.00 and can be paid at the door. CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Join us in the sanctuary on Wednesday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m. for our annual Children’s Christmas Nativity Pageant. Enjoy our children’s re-enactment of the Christmas story, complete with familiar hymns! You won’t want to miss it! This will be Wednesday night programming for that night for SLAM, Surge, Impact and Adults. UNITED WOMEN IN FAITH HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES The UWFaith of Russellville First is excited to invite the community to be a part of the 2024 Holiday Tour of Homes Fundraiser on Sunday, December 8 from 1:00-3:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased from any UWFaith member or from the church office. LESSONS AND CAROLS As we shop, as we plan, as we wait, and as we gather, let us look forward and consider the gifts we have to offer in response to God’s incredible gift of Love? Join us for Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 15 in the sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. We will end by raising lighted candles as we sing “Silent Night.” NEIGHBORHOOD CAROLING Please join us for a night in the Neighborhood! Family Caroling will be on Wednesday, December 18th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. We will fellowship together with warm soups to start, venture out into the church neighborhood to sing Christmas carols, and return back for hot chocolate, popcorn and to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" as we warm up from caroling. JESUS’ BIRTHDAY PARTY Celebrate Jesus’s birthday with us! All children and youth are invited to the Family Hall during the Sunday School hour (9:40-10:30 a.m.) Sunday, December 22 to join in the party for Jesus. Breakfast, games, crafts, and more! COMMUNITY BLUE CHRISTMAS SERVICE We're joining together with Central Presbyterian and All Saints' Episcopal Church on Sunday, December 22 at 5:30 pm for a Blue Christmas service, which will be held at Central Presbyterian Church, 400 W. Main Street. Snacks and fellowship time will be before the service at 5:00 pm. While the Christmas season is often one of joy and celebration, it can also be a time of grief and sadness. The Blue Christmas service will acknowledge the challenges the come with the holiday season and it will be a time for worship, prayer, and reflection. CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE We will gather Tuesday, December 24 at 5:00 pm. for our Christmas Eve worship service in the Sanctuary. Come together with carols and Holy Communion. COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE We will celebrate the First Sunday After Christmas on December 29 with a combined worship service at 10:40 a.m. Advent & Christmas Pop-Up Sunday School Class ADVENT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS TAUGHT BY PASTOR LAUREN Join Pastor Lauren for an Advent study on the book "Wanting More," a study written by former FUMC associate pastor, Rev. Michael Roberts, and contributed to by Pastor Lauren. This will be a 6-week study on Sunday mornings beginning Sunday, December 1 from 9:40-10:30 am in the Cornerstone Classroom, Room 211. You will need to order your own book, which can be found on Amazon. If you have questions, please contact Pastor Lauren at lauren@russellvillefirst.org .

WEBSITE PRIVACY Privacy Policy This is a website of The United Methodist Church of Russellville in Russellville, Arkansas. By using our site, you consent to our Privacy Policy as detailed below. Our website privacy policy is as follows: Information security practices We and our website hosting providers employ a variety of security measures in our data centers and hosting facilities to protect against the unauthorized access, theft, loss, misuse, or alteration of information we collect from you. Cookies Cookies are small files that our sites store on your computer through your web browser (if you allow it) that enable our systems to recognize your browser and remember certain information. We use cookies to: Understand and save your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. Help remember and process donations or items for purchase. Compile aggregate data about site usage in order to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may also use trusted third-party services that track this information on our behalf. You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies through your browser. If you disable cookies, some of our features will not function properly. IP address tracking When you connect to our site, our servers recognize the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the computer providing you with Internet access. The IP address is used to gather location information of site visitors and can help diagnose problems with our servers or otherwise administer our site. Personal information collection We collect information from you when you create an account, make a donation, register for an event, sign up for a newsletter, respond to a survey, or any time you enter information into our site. Users can visit the site anonymously, with the understanding that our servers do collect IP address information. In order to complete the purposes of your visit to our site, you might be asked to enter your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit card information or other details. We may use the information we collect from you in the following ways: To complete the purposes of your visit. To personalize your experience and to allow us to deliver the type of content in which you are most interested. To improve our website in order to better serve you. To send emails regarding your account, donation, registration, etc. To send periodic email newsletters you requested. To follow up with you after correspondence with us. Third-party disclosure Any information collected is for use by the church. We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personal information. This does not include website hosting providers and other parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or serving our users, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release information when such release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others' rights, property, or safety. Access to your information Upon request we will provide you with access to all information that we have collected about you. Visitors may obtain and correct this information by sending a request to us at office@russellvillefirst.org so that we may take action to remove such information. Email and Text Message Notifications If you wish to unsubscribe from our email campaigns, please click on the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email sent from us. If you opt out of our email marketing, we will still send you messages related to our transactions and relationship with you, such as order confirmations. If you wish to stop receiving text messages from us, reply STOP, QUIT, CANCEL, OPT-OUT, or UNSUBSCRIBE to any text message sent from us. For more information, see our Mobile Messaging Terms and Conditions available at [insert link to your mobile terms]. Third-party links Sometimes we include or link to third-party websites on our website. Third-party sites have separate and independent privacy policies; we have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Privacy policy changes We may change this policy from time to time. If we do, we will post the new policy here. Any questions about our website, inquiries about copyrighted material, or concerns about this policy should be directed to: The United Methodist Church of Russellville 304 S. Commerce Avenue Russellville, AR 72802 office@russellvillefirst.org 479.968.1232 Food Menu

150 Years: Our History Watch the October 29, 2023 Worship Service History of Russellville First (1873-2023) History of Russellville First (1873-1992) Pastors of Russellville First History of Women of Russellville First History of the Stained Glass Windows History of Methodists in America History of Manna House

Pastors & Staff Meet Our Pastors Rev. Dr. Tony Griffin SENIOR PASTOR Pastor Tony is thankful to be called to pastor in The United Methodist Church. It is his heart’s passion to help shape people into faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Tony was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas and has served in ministry in Arkansas, Georgia, the United Kingdom, and Oklahoma. He holds degrees from Southern Nazarene University, University of Arkansas, Little Rock - William H. Bowen School of Law, Emory University, and Duke University. He is an inactive lawyer and Certified Public Accountant. Tony enjoys reading, hiking, snow skiing, and time on the lake – almost anything outside with his family and friends! He has been married to Tracy for almost 30 years and they have three children, Addison, Will, and Lainey. They also have two chihuahuas, Ethyl and Olive, and Labrador retriever mix, named John Wesley Griffin (he goes by Wesley!). It is his joy to serve as your senior pastor! Tony Rev. Lauren DeLano ASSOCIATE PASTOR Pastor Lauren grew up in Fayetteville, AR, and her family has been answering the call to ministry. Her parents live in Wisconsin where her dad currently serves as a pastor at a local United Methodist Church. Her brother and sister-in-law (Matt and Amber) live in Texas with their two children. Her brother Matt is a Church of Christ Pastor. Pastor Lauren is married to Jacob Grosskopf, Geology Professor at Arkansas Tech University, so she already has ties to Russellville. After graduating from Fayetteville High School, she earned her Bachelors of Art in Psychology from Hendrix College before receiving her Masters of Divinity from Boston University School of Theology in 2016. Pastor Lauren is currently serving as a jurisdictional alternate serving on the ARUMC delegation, a participant in Advancing Pastoral Leadership - a leadership program for young clergy across our jurisdiction, and she also serves as the Chair of the Conference Council of Young Adults. She loves to travel and explore new places: she and two of her clergy friends are on a mission to visit all 75 counties in Arkansas, having already been to 44 of them. Some other hobbies of hers include listening to podcasts, reading psychological thrillers, watching and playing sports--especially cheering on the Hogs. Rev. Cindy Bright PASTOR TO FAMILIES Pastor Cindy is blessed to be living out her calling as a United Methodist Deacon at Russellville First United Methodist Church. Her goal is to embody the servant ministry of a Deacon and to walk with youth and their families as they deepen their connections between God, church and their day to day lives. Cindy was born in Little Rock, and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina until her family returned to Arkansas when she was a junior in high school. She graduated from Sheridan High School, the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cindy h as served churches in the Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kentucky Annual Conferences. Cindy enjoys reading, baking, biking, walking and enjoying nature. She can often be found humming or singing – sometimes without even realizing she’s doing it. She loves a good (or really bad!) pun, and Seinfeld trivia and dialogue takes up an inordinate amount of space in her brain! Cindy has been married to Jeff for over 30 years, and they have two daughters, Sarah and Rachel. They are grateful God has called them back to live and serve in Jeff’s hometown and home church in Russellville. Lauren cindy Meet Our Staff Page Phillip s DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN & FAMILY MINISTRI ES Page grew up in Alma, Arkansas, and graduated from Arkansas Tech University with a degree in History Education. She met her husband Jeff while attending TECH and they have bee n married for over 30 years. They have three children: Jacob, Molly Grace, and Harper. Page taught High School Social Studies at Lincoln and Dardanelle and 5th grade at St. John’s Catholic School. She then served as a substitute teacher for the last 9 years, mostly in elementary schools. The Phillipses have been members of Russellville First for over 20 years. Page has helped in all areas of Children’s Ministry and was so excited to put her love of children and Jesus into practice by helping children and families grow in their faith. This July will mark her first year serving as the Director of Children’s and Family’s Ministries at Russellville First. She truly Believes God’s call on her life is to help children know Jesus and she is so thankful to have the opportunity to do this every day. Christi Burris DIRECTOR OF YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRIES Christi is thankful to be a part of the spiritual journey for the children in church. She loves teaching children about the love Jesus has for them. Christi was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She’s a 2000 graduate of Dover High school. She has been a member of the Russellville First for the past 7 years and on staff for 3. Christi enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading, crocheting and watching her children do their various sports. She has been married to Travis for 20 years and they have six children: Keagen, Payten, Alysen, Carson, Owen, and William. Brooke Shamblen ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CHILDRE N & FAMILY MINISTRI ES Brooke and her husband of 18 years moved to Arkansas 10 years ago this past summer from Charleston, South Carolina. They live in Russellville with our three amazing boys, ages 16, 13, and 5. They Shamblen family stays busy a nd very active with soccer and various involvement within the community. Brooke is the true definition of a “Boy Mom,” and she loves every minute of being the Queen of her castle! You may have seen her around in the halls of TLC as a junior preschool teacher and in the Nursery with the littles. She loves being a part of a child’s learning and exploring new experiences with them in addition to enriching their hearts with The Word. Brooke looks forward to getting to know all of you more and is thankful for this opportunity to be more involved with our church. Emily Westcott ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF YOUTH & FAMILY MINISTRI ES Emily lives in London with her husband of 10 years, Eric, and their two amazing children Ella and Trace. They spend their free time camping, hiking, and enjoying time outside in our beautiful state or reading an enjoyable book. Emily has been a preschool teacher for several years, 3 of those working in the Honeybee room at TLC. She also has been in the church nursery with the littles. She is blessed and extremely excited to be given the opportunity to serve FUMC in a new position with an older age group and to get to know you all more! Megan Grace TLC DIRECTOR & CHILDCARE COORDINATOR Megan joined Russellville First United Methodist Church with her family in 1988 and has since been baptized and confirmed in the church. She began working in the nursery in 1999 and became Director of Childcare in 2017. She also began working at TLC in 2007 and became the Assistant Director in 2016. Her passion is, and always has been, with children. Megan is married to her high school boyfriend, Ryan, and together they have two children; a son, Weston, and a daughter, Kasyn. She enjoys spending time with her extended family, camping, fishing, hunting, and being outdoors. Her favorite past time is watching her children compete in various sports. Valerie Roys TLC ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT Valerie joined the TLC Family in 1984, when she enrolled her children in The Little Church Program at Russellville First Methodist Church. In 2002, she began teaching in the infant room and 6 years later moved into the TLC Director position. Valerie was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and spent her childhood moving about as her father was in the Navy. Russellville became her home when she entered the eighth grade. She married her high school sweetheart, Mark Roys, and had 3 daughters, Melissa Burton, Amy Ford and Megan Grace. The family joined the church in 1988. She’s into antiques and loves the “hunt” for the next little treasure. Her pets include 2 dogs, 2 cats and a brood of chickens. She enjoys cooking, especially preparing meals for frequent family gatherings. Her favorite pastime is spending time with her 7 grandchildren, Devin, Alyvia, Kaylee, Weston, Kasyn, Lila, and Bo. Garrett Snavely CHANCEL CHOIR DIRECTOR Garrett is excited and optimistic to serve as Chancel Choir Director. He has a degree in keyboard/vocal music education from Arkansas Tech University, where he graduated in December of 2020. Garrett started singing as a choral intern at FUMC in 2017. From there, his love of high-church worship has only grown. Along with his involvement in music ministry in the Methodist tradition, he remains active as a substitute organist and pianist for local churches, as well as serving as an assistant organist at Central Presbyterian Church in Russellville. Garrett lives in Dardanelle and teaches private music lessons to local students and at River Valley Music Center, where he has worked since July of 2021. Brian Faulkner PRAISE BAND LEADER Chris Becnel DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Chris Becnel has been working with youth ministry since he was a teen. He grew up in Magnolia, Arkansas, and served as a junior high youth minister in Conway, Arkansas, while working on his bachelor’s at the University of Central Arkansas. He received his master’s in educational leadership from Arkansas State University. When Chris graduated from college, he worked as a drug prevention specialist in Union County, Arkansas, where he traveled internationally working with governments and schools to expand their prevention programs. He taught junior high and high school in south Arkansas for 10 years before moving to Russellville. He is a certified French & business teacher and licensed real estate agent. Chris enjoys traveling, camping, making music, and spending time with his family and friends. He’s visited 31 states and 23 countries. He and his husband Brad have two children, Harrison and Sophie. David Condley FACILITY MANAGER Terri Kulbeth OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Terri Kulbeth has been blessed in being part of the staff at Russellville First for over 25 years. It is her desire to represent Jesus Christ to all she comes in contact with. Terri was born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In the places she has called home over the years, throughout Texas and Arkansas, she has always been an active member of the Church. While her son was in the Pottsville school system, Terri held several positions in the Pottsville PTO she also enjoyed volunteering at the school. Terri enjoys biking, hiking, cooking, walks along the beach, and meeting new people. She is grateful for time spent with friends and the memories made along this shared journey of life. Terri has a son Kurtis, daughter-in-law Hanna, and granddog Murph. She enjoys spending time with them and cherishes the memories they make together. Becky Worley ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT page P christi Brooke megan valerie garrett brian chris David Terri Diana

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Russellville First United Methodist Church. We're glad you're here. Make Disciples. Love God. Love Others. WELCOME TO RUSSELLVILLE FIRST Sunday Worship 8:30 a.m. & 10:40 a.m. | More Than Manna Worship 4:30 p.m. Worship Prayer Request Give Now Advent Stay Connected Form Worship Service Videos Watch our Sunday Worship Services online. Click Here to Watch on Youtube Check Out Our Monthly Newsletter How to Find Russellville First Manna House MISSION: to provide food and hygiene items for those who need it and to share God’s love with the hungry of Pope and Yell Counties. Click here to learn more.

How can we help you? Call the church office at 479.968.1232 or email using the form below. Click here for prayer requests. Contact Us I would like more information about the church. I would like to visit with a pastor. Other (Type your message below.) Thanks for connecting with us! Submit

Manna House Manna House is open Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to Noon Who We Are Eligibility Hours of Operation How You Can Help WHO WE ARE Manna House is a ministry that began in September 2000, and is sponsored by Russellville First. It is supported by donations from our church members and others in our community. Our mission is to provide food and hygiene items for those who need it and to share God’s love with the hungry of Pope and Yell County. We are located on the corner of 3rd Pl. and Boulder Ave. ELIGIBILITY Persons receiving goods must reside in Pope or Yell County. Families are eligible to receive food every 14 days from the date of their previous visit. If you are a first time visitor, all you need to bring is a photo I.D. If you are a repeat visitor, you will also need to bring a current utility bill or other proof of residency. HOURS OF OPERATION Monday – Friday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. HOW YOU CAN HELP PRAY for those we serve and for us to have servants’ hearts as we attempt to eliminate hunger in our community. DONATE FUNDS to Manna House. No funding is provided through the operating budget of Russellville First. Manna House relies totally upon donations from supporters to this ministry. All funds donated directly to the “Manna House Designated Fund” are utilized to purchase the products we provide. VOLUNTEER your time to serve during the hours we are open or to assist in restocking. Volunteers complete all functions of Manna House. Contact the Church Office at 479.968.1232 to help. Who We Are Eligibility Hours How You Can Help

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NEED SUPPORT? Get connected with a Congregational Care minister. Just fill out this form and let us know your needs. First & Last Name Email and/or Phone Number How can we care for you? SEND Your request was sent. If you are not connected to a CCM within a day or two, please call the church office at 479.968.1232.