See what's in store at First Church!

Final Student Small Group of the Year

Picnic at the church May 31st from 6-8pm

This is a chance for to celebrate a great year together with our 4th-12th grade students with picnic food and games. If you have any questions, please let Katie Knorr know at kidscount@fumchurch.com for 4th-7th graders and Lisa Aronson for 8th-12th graders at discipleship@fumchurch.com.

Vacation Bible School!

July 13-17th 9-12 noon Ages 4- completed 5th grade

Get ready to turn your summer into an unforgettable adventure with Snowball Mountain Challenge Vacation Bible School 2026 at First Church! Register before June 1st for a free cd/music digital download!

Snowball Mountain Challenge invites kids to an exciting winter sports event where they become Challengers, gearing up for frosty games, snowy surprises, and hands-on lessons about resilience and faith. They will come to realize that with the strength God provides, they can share their gifts, be brave, give their all, pray, and hope. Your kids will be guided daily by the energetic Activities Director Miss Katie and the lovable Ollie the Arctic Seal, who is reporting on the events. Challengers aren’t just playing games. Using their Challenge Companion (the Bible), they learn to draw strength from their faith through powerful stories, while connecting the learnings to Bible Stories and Lift Lessons (Key Learnings).

Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS delivers joy and meaning in equal measure, teaching kids our Mountain motto: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NRSV). Join us for this "mountaintop experience" filled with laughter, life lessons, and lasting faith. As children face their challenges and discover their strength in God, you’ll hear them say, “Challenge accepted – with God I am strong.”

Open to kids 4 years old through completed 5th grade. (When signing up your child, please use the grade they most recently completed).

Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (Doors open at 8:45 a.m. each day.)

Cost: $5 per child (If you'd like financial assistance, please let us know!)

We will conclude the week with a Friday celebration! More information to come. We look forward to seeing all of our VBS friends at our VBS Sunday Celebration on July 19 at 11 a.m.!

TRUE STORY: A 5-Week Series from the Acts on the Early Church

SERIES OVERVIEW: At the end of some adventure stories, the leader leaves, and the team wonders how they'll go on. This week, we’ll see how Jesus’ followers felt the same way when he left for heaven, but he promised that his presence would stay with them through the Holy Spirit. His promise wasn’t just for them—it’s for us too, because true story—Jesus is always with us.

DOWNLOAD THIS MONTH’S PARENT DEVOTIONAL

Our final KidsWorship and Wee Worship will be June 7th with our combined service at 9:00 am. Starting June 14th, we will move to our Summer Childcare Schedule for 11:00 AM for kids 6 years old and younger.

One Church Sunday

June 7th, 9:00 AM

One Church Sunday June 7th- Join us on Sunday, June 7th for a special One Church Sunday as we gather together for one combined worship service at 9:00 AM. On this day, we will not hold our usual 8:30 or 11:00 services.This is a meaningful opportunity to celebrate who we are as one church family. While we may worship in different styles week to week, we are united in Christ, in community, and in our shared mission. One Church Sunday gives us a chance to experience that unity in a tangible way—lifting our voices together, seeing familiar and new faces, and celebrating the unique ways God is at work among us.

Following the service, we invite you to stay for an extended time of fellowship and coffee as we enjoy Sticky Bun Sunday together—a sweet way to connect and celebrate the beginning of summer as one First Church family.

Invite your family and friends to join us at FNB Field on City Island a Harrisburg Senators baseball game on June 7th! (Deadline to sign up for Bleacher seats May 31st!)

This year we have two ticket options: 

• Picnic and Game Tickets 
• Bleacher Game Tickets with Meal Voucher add on

Picnic and Game Tickets:

The buffet-style picnic starts at noon and includes hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, baked beans, pasta salad, chips, cookies, soda and water. Picnic seats are located near the bleachers in the Giant Pavilion.

• $26.50 for adults (age 19 and older), 
• $15 for children/youth (age 4-18), 
• Free for children 3 and under

Bleacher Game Tickets:

New this year...bleacher seats (no picnic included). Bleacher seats will be adjacent to the picnic area.

• $10 for adults (age 19 and older),
• $5 for children (age 4-8),
• Free for children 3 and under,
• Meal vouchers $8 (includes hot dog, chips and a drink)

DEADLINE:

All participants must register and pay by May 31st for bleacher seats. Contact Jeff Hoffnagle with questions at jeffrey.hoffnagle@yahoo.com.

The Senators game starts at 1 p.m.

For when you need a pep-talk...

Parenting is awesome, but wow, it's exhausting sometimes, right? There are very few jobs more thankless than this

one. So whether you're really loving your time as a parent right now, or you're thinking you could really use a

break, we wanted to take a minute to give you a quick pep talk. Check out this video!

Common Sense Media exists to help adults have a better understanding of what kids are watching and make better decisions on their behalf. They offer the largest and most trusted library of independent age-based ratings and reviews. Check them out today to better understand how to guide kids in their media consumption.

What do you think is the biggest difference between being a kid today and being a kid when you were growing up?

Email Katie at kidscount@fumchurch.com and let me know!

KidsMinistry Volunteers Needed!

Are you looking for a rewarding way to serve in the church where you leave a little tired but feel very loved? We are always looking for people willing and able to serve in KidsMinistry! Whether you are looking to sub every once in a while or serve once a month, there's something for everyone! Talk to me, send me an email at kidscount@fumchurch.com, or click here to learn more!

Did you know you we have a Facebook group for families of FUMC Kids with resources, events, and other information for you to stay involved? Click on the Facebook Button below to join the First Church Children's Ministry group today! (And you can check out the church's Instagram as well!)

Hello, my name is Katie Knorr! I am so excited to get to know you and your family! Here's some things to get to know me: I grew up in Bloomsburg, PA and graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I spent the next few years as an Elementary teacher co-teaching in K-5th classrooms. During that time and for years before that, I spent my time volunteering in Kids Ministry programming at my church including assisting with Sunday School, teaching and running Vacation Bible School, and even creating an Escape room from scratch for the community in the catacombs of our church! In my free time, I enjoy singing in a chorus with my friends, watching all things Marvel, Disney, or cooking/baking/DIY competition shows.

I moved to Central PA in 2019 to be the Director of Children's Ministry at a nearby United Methodist Church and I was so appreciative of the time I spent learning about the ministry God called me into. I love that I have the opportunity to be silly, dress up, and teach kids how much the God who made the tallest mountain and the deepest ocean also made each of us and loves each of us! I am so excited for this opportunity as the Director of Children and Family Ministry to deepen the faith and knowledge of your children!

Katie Knorr

Director of Children and Family Ministry

First U.M. Church