Eufaula First United Methodist Church

Rev. Michelle McCarty, Pastor

Cell Number: (580) 695-4775

email: mmccarty2011@gmail.com

Church Office (918) 689-2109

eufaulamethodist@gmail.com

251 Matthews Lane, Eufaula, OK 74432

https://www.eufaulaok-fumc.org/

“My dear children, let’s not just talk about love;

let’s practice real love.” (1 John 3:18)

The 183rd Annual Conference theme this year was “What If Love…” It coincided with our Conferences’ year-long rebranding campaign that you are all familiar with by now. The theme verse comes from the First Epistle of John 3:18.

When we were at conference, we heard the various ways local churches, campus ministries and extension ministries are practicing love and answering the question, “What if love…”

What if love looked like responding to disasters?
What if love looked like a food bank or a clothes closet?
What if love ensured that children had appropriate foster care?
What if love taught children to read?
What if love sent people into communities to serve the least, the lost and the lonely?
What if love made an offering so that a person outside of the United States could go to seminary?

What if?

If you have not read our EFUMC Covenant response to the “What if love” campaign (which was blessed during the covenant service at Annual Conference), please see the copy attached. There are many ways we strive and hope to serve more needs in our community.

Carlos Ramirez, OK Conference Director of Communications and Strategy, stated, “Phase two (after Annual Conference) aims to connect those touched by the What If Love message to local faith communities. Two thirds of the people targeted are people who may identify as spiritual but not religious, hurt by the Church or seeking but not sure where or how to start — all with a sense that their faith has to make a difference in their lives (justice seeking, dignity promoting, welcoming all, caring for creation, to name a few). Unfortunately, these folks may not be ready to be part of our worship services on Sunday mornings. But they may be open to meeting in a home, restaurant or pub or share an interest like knitting, quilting or games.”

We want to be ready to welcome and receive new people where they are! Hospitality and nurture is key! What If Love campaign stretches us to open new pathways in which people that are not part of our community of faith can have an on-ramp to join us.

What If Love pushes us to ask questions like: Who is in our community that is not yet part of our faith community? Which option(s) do we need to offer in order to connect with these people? Who are the people God is calling us to be in ministry with? Have we exhausted all options to “accommodate” new ways in which people can know about Jesus? How can we start a genuine, non-transactional relationship with folks in our community?

May we be align with God’s Spirit to prepare us for the new season in the life of Christ’s body — the church!

Grace and Peace, and loads of Love, Pastor Michelle

Our Covenant

We, the Eufaula First United Methodist Church, commit to creating a What If Love group. This group will be open to all from within and from outside our church.

A special emphasis will be placed on inviting brothers and sisters from our Friendship Kitchen and Food Pantry - both those we serve and the volunteers who serve them.

The EFUMC Fellowship Hall will be opened each Saturday morning as a welcoming and open space where all can feel they belong. Together our What if Love group will create a space for conversation and prayer where faith can be explored, relationships can grow, and love can be lived through service to others.

Group members will be provided physical and spiritual nourishment by eating together at Friendship Kitchen, receiving food from the Food Pantry, talking, laughing, crying, praying, and enjoying one another’s company. This group will explore together our faith, the needs of our community, and how we can put our faith into action by understanding and addressing community needs in any ways possible. The details of our work will be determined by those who participate, but might include addressing the needs of: the poor; the elderly; grandparents raising grandchildren; parents of special needs children; those caring for parents with dementia etc.

Guiding Practices

We commit to shaping this space around four guiding practices:

* Inclusivity and Welcome: Creating spaces where all are honored and respected.

*Justice: Responding to community needs with compassion, courage, fairness, and dignity for all.

*Authenticity: Showing up as we are - honest, humble, and open.

*Renewal: Remaining open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit; allowing God to shape, stretch, and renew our lives.

OUR COMMITMENT

We enter this covenant ready to faithfully follow God’s plans for our work together, trusting that acts of love are transformative. May God guide us, renew us, and use us as a witness to love in our community. Amen.

Children's Sunday School Class We invite all children from 1st grade on up to our Sunday School class at 10:00 am.We use the One Room Sunday School curriculum, so we can adapt to all ages. We always have a Bible story, puzzles, crafts, music and prayer time. Contact Pastor Michelle.

Youth Group The Youth Group meets weekly. Contact Pastor Michelle for details.

Discovery Sunday School Come join us in the Discovery Sunday School classroom for the Wesley Adult Sunday School. The class is located on the west side of our building. Our lesson books are a quarterly series. Each week a scripture is part of the lesson, and the teaching is followed by discussion. Come join us at 10am on Sundays! - Dorothy Merrick, Wesley Class Leader

UWF It is always a blessing to gather with other women who share our mission outlooks. We invite all women of the community to join us - you don't have to be a United Methodist to be in United Women in Faith! Here’s a schedule of our 2026 meetings. The meetings at 12:00 are lunch meetings. May 14-1:00 pm June 11-12:00 pm July 9-1:00 pm August 13-12:00pm September 10-1:00pm October 8-12:00pm November 12-1:00pm December 10-12:00 pm

UMM – Men’s Group This new men’s group is being formed to create a welcoming space for fellowship, faith-centered conversation, and meaningful connection among the men of our church. As we prepare to get started, we want this group to be shaped by the men who will be part of it. Your input is important to us, we’d love to hear your preferences on meeting times and schedules, including:

First week of the month Second week of the month Third week of the month Morning or evening meetings

Your feedback will help us finalize meeting dates and times in a way that works best for the group. Please email your preferences to michaelhtaylor@me.com as soon as possible.

We’re looking forward to building a strong and meaningful men’s ministry rooted in faith, fellowship, encouragement, and service—and we truly hope you’ll consider being part of this new chapter.