Eufaula First United Methodist Church

Rev. Michelle McCarty, Pastor

Cell Number: (580) 695-4775

email: mmccarty2011@gmail.com

Church Office (918) 689-2109

251 Matthews Lane, Eufaula, OK 74432

“So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that traps us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:1-2 CEB)

I know we are still feeling the heat of summer, but the promise of cooler weather and fall colors is awaiting just around the corner. It’s hard to believe that school begins in the next few weeks and we will soon be starting our exciting fall church programming.

That means that our Leadership Board and Vision/Fundraising Work Teams are beginning the final year of a three-year journey of learning, growing, dreaming, and co-creating miracles with God through “Creating a Culture of Renewal” (CCR). This third year will focus on making a real culture shift using key elements to create a breakthrough year!

Now that our Vision Work Team has crafted a powerful new EFUMC Vision:

Putting our Faith into Action in Service to All

we will be working to Gaining Alignment and Championing Execution of our Jesus-size vision for our community! The CCR Apostolic Action Plan is taking shape in Phase 2 of our “Building our Future Together” plan with the “180 by 180th” campaign. This includes setting SMART goals, creating a strategic plan for future church growth and developing a discipleship to apostleship pathway. The Vision/Fundraising Work Team is planning exciting monthly opportunities and events as we move closer to our 180th Anniversary celebration in November 2027. You will be hearing more about these plans in this edition of our eNews and in the coming months.

Our Leadership Board continues to work with our SAS coach to strengthen the Simplified Accountability Structure of governance for our church. We have so much to celebrate in the work the LB and Work Teams are doing to strengthen our church’s financial stewardship, transparency and accountability; care for and maintain our church properties; and address mortgage debt challenges and budget alignment; as we are also addressing church growth and renewal needs. We appreciate everyone’s continued support, participation and prayers!

There is so much more to celebrate in this issue of eNews, as we engaged in summer fun activities and participated in the Whole Hawg Festival Parade (with 20 members joining in the festivities, handing out cold water, meeting and greeting new people, and riding in the parade in our three-golf cart caravan decorated with EFUMC “What If Love…” posters and t-shirts highlighting the new UMC national campaign). Our youth have been enjoying the summer months on the lake, joining with youth from Wayland Baptist Church and others from the Youth Shelter in McAlester. We are happy to announce we have renewed our mortgage with the Bank of Eufaula and are working hard to address debt reduction as we did in the spring (Don’t forget our Quilt Wall is back up!).

As we begin Part 2 of our Season after Pentecost Series: MASTERY. Please remember to invite a friend or neighbor to church!

Dear friends, I want to thank you for “putting your faith into action in service to all!”

May God continue to bless us to be a blessing to the world!

Grace and Peace, Pastor Michelle

The Leadership Board is excited to announce a new opportunity for our church family to support the ministries of Eufaula First United Methodist Church while helping reduce our monthly operating expenses through the donation of commonly used ministry supplies.

The Leadership Board has approved the installation of Ministry Supply Donation Boards in two locations within the church. These boards will serve as a visible "wish list" of supplies needed by our various ministries. Rather than purchasing these items through the church's operating budget, members who feel led may purchase and donate them directly. These gifts will be considered in-kind donations to the church.

A special thank you to Sherri Tate, who graciously purchased the whiteboards and volunteered her time to install them. We sincerely appreciate her generosity in helping us launch this new initiative.

Now we need your help!

As we begin building our ministry supply lists, we'd like to hear from each ministry, committee, and church member about the supplies that are used on a regular basis. Examples include:

Paper towels

Toilet paper

Trash bags

Coffee and coffee supplies

Cleaning supplies

Office supplies

Kitchen supplies

Children's Ministry supplies

Communion supplies

Batteries

Light bulbs

And other regularly used items

Please reply to eufaulamethodist@gmail.com email with:

The item(s) your ministry regularly uses.

Which ministry or area of the church the item supports.

Any preferred brand, size, or quantity (if applicable).

Once we have compiled the suggestions, the items will be posted on the Ministry Supply Donation Boards. As items are donated, they will be removed from the board, and new needs will be added as they arise. This will help keep the boards current while giving everyone an easy way to support the day-to-day needs of our church.

Our goal is simple: every donated item is one less expense paid from the General Fund. By reducing our monthly operating expenses, we can be better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us, strengthen the church's overall financial position, and free up funds for the priorities identified by the Leadership Board—including continued progress toward reducing our mortgage debt.

Thank you for your generosity, your faithful stewardship, and your willingness to support the ministries of our church in such a practical way. Every donation, no matter the size, helps make a difference.

Blessings,

Michael
Trustee Chairperson

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. 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 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.

Eufaula First United Methodist Church

Pastor's Pen

SEASON AFTER PENTECOST SERIES — MASTERY

Come Join Us

New Vision Statement Challenge

Whole Hawg Parade

Whole Hawg Parade

Whole Hawg Parade

Whole Hawg Parade

Social Media Update

Ministry Supply Donation Boards

Now we need your help!

PLEASE REMEMBER IN PRAYER

Food Pantry

United Women in Faith

Church History Series

The Envelope Wall is Back!

Grant Money Available July - September

FREE Social Media Presentation

Basic Lay Servant Training — August 8th!

Youth Group & Sunday School

UMC Vision & Mission

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