First UMC will not host in-person Sunday Worship until further notice.

​Beginning March 19– April 5 (weeks beyond will be evaluated on April 5):

1. Sunday Worship will be broadcast on Facebook at 10 am on Sundays, then emailed for those who were unable to see it live.
2. Confirmation meetings will be conducted online next Sunday, most likely through Zoom. (Zoom is an easy, online platform for group meetings using mobile devices, desktops, and telephones.) Online lessons will also be distributed. Not familiar with Zoom? Here's a helpful how-to on Zoom. 
3. Our Church buildings will be closed to all activities and ministries.
4. Richard Bauman's Bible Study is still being held each Sunday at 9 am. Contact Richard Bauman at rmb4mrr@sbcglobal.net for more details.
5. Eggstravaganza has been cancelled for this year. We are brainstorming about ways to get the already-filled Easter eggs out to our neighbors in the coming weeks.
6. First Kids Mother’s Day Out follows the school district schedule, and will not meet this month. If you are in need of childcare, please contact our offices for babysitting referrals.
7. You can still reach church staff by phone, in the office, Monday-Thursday from 9am–3pm.
8. If you have a Pastoral Emergency, please call the church office or call Pastor Mike directly.
9. If you are a person in the higher risk category and have avoided going out into public, let your church family help! We can organize other members to run errands, pick up groceries, etc. Our church is a family so let's pull together during this uncertain time.
10. As you know, our church depends on your giving … and even though we won't be worshiping together this week, we will still have financial obligations to keep. Please continue to mail your contributions, if you are able.
11. Sign-up for this church newsletter. Send an email to secretary1fumc@sbcglobal.net to be added to the list.

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​God is with us and will be with us when these days are over! Make the best you can of these times through Bible study and prayer. This is an opportunity. God has plans for you “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Dear First UMC Church Family,
Following the advice of the Bishop, and after careful consultation with our church leadership, First UMC Sealy, along with most Methodist churches, has suspended traditional services and activities for the next couple of weeks. First Sealy is currently planning to get Sunday services broadcasted on Facebook, then sent via email, but please continue to check our Facebook page and our website to stay informed and updated.

So, in short, beginning March 19– April 5 (weeks beyond will be evaluated on April 5):

1. Sunday Worship will be broadcast on Facebook at 10 am on Sundays. More details coming.
2. Our Church buildings will be closed to all activities and ministries.
3. Our Lenten Bible Study is being postponed. Richard Bauman will contact participants if things change.
4. Community Lenten Lunches have been cancelled.
5. Eggstravaganza has been cancelled for this year. We are brainstorming about ways to get the already-filled Easter eggs out to our neighbors in the coming weeks.
6. Confirmation activities are cancelled, but our staff is working on ways to get our confirmands together to continue our lessons and discussions. These relationships are needed now more than ever.
7. First Kids Mother’s Day Out follow the school district schedule, and will not meet this month. If you are in need of childcare, please contact our offices for babysitting referrals.
8. You can still reach church staff by phone, in the office, Monday-Thursday from 9 am–3 pm.
9. If you have a Pastoral Emergency, please call the church office or call Pastor Mike directly.
10. If you are a person in the higher risk category and have avoided going out into public, let your church family help! We can organize other members to run errands, pick up groceries, etc. Our church is a family so let's pull together during this uncertain time.
11. As you know, our church depends on your giving … and even though we won't be worshipping together this week, we will still have financial obligations to keep. Please continue to mail in your contributions, if you are able. .
12. Sign-up for church E-News. Send an email to secretary1fumc@sbcglobal.net to be added to the list.

For 2,000 years, Christians have been called to turn away from anxiety, stress, and chaos and instead turn to Jesus Christ. We ask that you join us in pressing into the living hope that has been bestowed upon us through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

​Brother Mike

First UMC Family: 
 
The situation regarding the COVID-19 virus, and the steps being taken by community, state and national leaders to curb its further spread, seem to be changing on a daily if not hourly basis. If you do not already know, Sealy ISD and most surrounding schools/universities have decided to close their classes. Because of this, and our long-standing policy of following Sealy ISD in regards to school closings, our First Kids Mother’s Day Out will remain closed until the week of March 23.
 
At this time, we have no plans to cancel Sunday worship services, and we simply make these particular requests:

1. We would ask that you be wise. If you have a compromised immune system or seasonal allergies, please use your best discretion about your attendance.
2. In the event that local and state health officials do recommend closure or we determine it is in the best interest of the First UMC Sealy family to cancel Sunday services, we will inform everyone to the best of our abilities through our website, emails, and social media.
3. There may be members of our congregation who are not on social media or do not regularly check their email.  Please share this with your small groups, Sunday school class and friends. 
4. Finally, if you know someone in our church family that is ill and needs to be contacted, please let us know about them in the church office. 

​While we cannot control the virus, the spread or the impact it has in our church, we’re doing everything we can to make our church as safe and clean as possible. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to help us do just that.
 
Also … please remember … that God has not called us to live in fear but in faith.  As the apostle, Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind..” Our prayer is that God will fill all of us with these three gifts, no matter what comes our way.