Spiritual Formation

Welcome to the Spiritual Formation Website for First United Methodist Church. We invite you to discover an ever-deepening relationship with God through the many resources available.  Take a moment and look at our new section, Opportunities for the Soul, which is a listing of specific retreats and workshops being offered, both within the Church and beyond.  We hope that the resources we provide will assist people of God to delve deeper into the extravagant life-gift of God's love and grace.

Our Purpose

Spiritual Formation is the process by which people are shaped by God's love and enabled to grow in their faith.  We are spiritually formed through practices such as prayer, study, fasting, worship, and other disciplines.  There are several programs at First Church which focus on spiritual growth.  Here at First Church, we provide resources and information about Spiritual Formation, both in our church and elsewhere.

At First United Methodist Church, we are committed to helping those who are interested in forming or joining small groups. We believe that in a church of our size, it is important to be part of a smaller group in order to feel connected to others in Christ and to grow spiritually.

If you are interested in forming or joining a small group or would like more information about spiritual formation at First Church, please contact Rev. Elizabeth Baker.

Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is vital to the health of any congregation. At First United Methodist Church, we pride ourselves on the quality of our worship experiences, but we also realize that spiritual growth takes work beyond participation in a worship service. Therefore, we offer a variety of opportunities for Spiritual Growth during the course of the church year. Some are regularly scheduled programs; others are offered at selected times during the year.

Regularly Scheduled Opportunities

FUMC Prayer Team     Mondays, 12:30 p.m. in the Chapel
     Each week the team meets to pray for concerns of the church, its parishioners, the community, and the world. Members of the congregation and the community have the opportunity to submit prayer concerns for the team to hold in corporate prayer. All prayer concerns are bathed in prayer and then held in confidentiality (if so requested by the one who submits the concern).
     This ministry benefits both those for whom we pray, but also those who pray.

Monday Night Men     Mondays, 7:00 - 8:00 pm in the Parlor

Join pastor Gary Shepard for a men's group discussion based on our church-wide studies of Treasures of the Transformed Life.  For more information, interested individuals may contact Gary Shepard directly by email at gshepard@cfumc.org or by calling the church, 623-3397.

Mid-Morning Meditations     Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel
     Join us each Tuesday morning for an hour of prayer. Each week's prayer experience is different as we utilize many different forms of prayer, ranging from Lectio Divina, guided meditations and centering prayer, to more physical prayer forms such as body prayer, walking prayer, and reflection through journaling or spiritual painting.

Prayer Shawl Ministry     Wednesdays, 4:00 p.m. in the Parlor
     Anyone who knits or crochets (or wants to learn either craft) will be blessed by this growing ministry at First United Methodist Church. Each week the prayer shawl ministry meets for one hour for fellowship and prayer as the members work on the shawls or lap throws they are making for members of the church and community. The whole process of selecting the recipient of each shawl and the colors and pattern for that shawl is one of prayerful discernment. Each shawl is the product of a prayer burden felt for the recipient. Recipients of the shawls may be those who are ill, those who grieve, those who are elderly and alone, or those who are experiencing some sort of struggle or trauma in their lives. Others may receive a shawl in celebration of some joyful event in their lives or merely as a token of love and support from the congregation.
     Each shawl, upon its completion, is dedicated and blessed by the entire congregation in a worship service before being presented to its recipient. Members of the prayer shawl team have found their work for this ministry to be a wonderful form of contemplative and intercessory prayer.

On the Way Home     Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. in the Chapel
     Regular members of the On the Way Home group meet weekly to share experiences from their daily discipline which uses the Take and Receive study series. This five part (six weeks each) study, based on the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, is open to those who have been participating since the first study.
     Several times during the year, between segments of the Take and Receive series, the regular members welcome others to join them for other short-term spiritual growth studies. 

Other Spiritual Growth Opportunities

At various times during the year, other spiritual growth opportunities are offered at First United Methodist Church. Those opportunities include offerings such as:

  • Spiritual painting workshops
  • Banner painting classes
  • Quilting and Prayer Shawl workshops
  • Spiritual Cinema
  • Spiritual Growth retreats
  • "Field trips" for walking the labyrinth, attending special services or lectures

MAY 11

PENTECOST SUNDAY

at

FIRST CHURCH

----------

Great Music

Inspiring Preaching

Engaging Fellowship

Join us on May 11th and every Sunday for.... 

Study and Fellowship at 9:30 a.m.

and

Morning Worship at 10:45 a.m.

 

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    First United Methodist Church
    117 2nd Street | Clarksburg, West Virginia 26301 | PH: 304.623.3397
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