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October, 2026 |
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Rev. John FlemingI’m writing these words on the first day in many days when the temperature has not climbed above ninety degrees. With pumpkins, mums, hay bales, and pansies just about everywhere, and pumpkin-spiced coffee available at our favorite coffee shops, summer has certainly hung on. But there’s a change in the air, and by the time you read these words, I hope you can feel it. Soon, there will be cooler days and even cooler mornings. Now for a time of confession: Fall is number three on my list of favorite seasons. Summer is number one. I like wearing shorts and T-shirts, and I don’t mind the hot temperatures. I also like the pace of summer more than the pace of the other seasons. Spring is number two. I like it when everything comes back to life, when it is time to till the soil and plant again. Besides, spring is when baseball begins again. Now that I think about it, maybe my favorite season is actually baseball season! Winter comes in fourth. I don’t like to be cold. I don’t like ice, and I’m not a fan of snow. Walking outside is one of my favorite things to do, and it’s hard to do that in December, January, and February. And then there is fall, or as some like to call it, autumn. There are some things I like about October and November. My mom used to talk about how blue the skies are in October. I enjoy the cooler days and nights, the playoffs, and the World Series. October brings Halloween, and November brings Thanksgiving. My problem with fall is the leaves. The parsonage is surrounded by oak trees. There is one in the side yard and three in the backyard. I don’t mind taking care of them. But just beyond our backyard fence, there are many more trees—ten or twelve of them, at least. The nature of a leaf is to blow in the wind, and when the leaves from those trees fall, they usually make their way into my backyard. If the leaves turned beautiful colors—a combination of reds, yellows, and oranges—I might feel a little differently about them. I could marvel at their beauty before they fall. But the leaves at the parsonage won’t do that this year. It’s been too dry, and honestly, they don’t seem to do it any year. So, what’s the lesson here? For me, it’s simple. Falling leaves remind us of changing seasons and grace. The writer of Ecclesiastes puts it this way: “For everything there is a season…” Winter makes me appreciate spring and summer. But the second part of the lesson is about grace. I will mow, mulch, and rake all the leaves that fall in my yard—even the ones that belong to my neighbors. And they will do the same for me. Grace works like that. Grace is the unmerited and freely given gift that God gives us all. Grace is God’s help that carries us through difficult times. Grace is all around us, even when we may not notice it. I’m grateful for grace. So, when the leaves fall, I’ll pick them up. And when the last one falls, I’ll be grateful. Happy Fall, y’all!
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Joy in the JourneyDuring the month of October, our sermon series will be based on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. One of the words that you will find throughout the short letter is the word joy or a variation of it. You might wonder what Paul is joyful about. He writes the letter from a Roman prison cell, and yet Paul is joyful, hopeful, and full of pastoral advice. As one author put it, Philippians speaks to the real places where we live – our joys, our struggles, our worries, our relationships, and our daily walk with God. Here is the schedule for the sermons: October 4th: My Prayer for Our Church (Philippians 1:3-11) My prayer is that this series will encourage our church family right where we are and draw us closer to Christ and to one another. We do not follow Jesus alone, and Philippians will remind us of the joy of walking together in faith. I hope you will make plans to be part of this series each week and consider inviting someone to join you. Wherever you are in your journey, Philippians has a good word for us all. |
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ARktoberfest 2026ARktoberfest is an event that is hosted by Rapp’s Barren Brewing Co. on the square of Mountain Home. This family friendly event is on Saturday, October 3rd from 3:00 to 7:00 pm (VIP Early Entry at 2:00 PM). 100% of event proceeds directly benefit the Backpack Food 4 Kids program, providing essential weekend meals for hundreds of food-insecure students in our local community throughout the school year. We need volunteers at the main entry table collecting tickets, helping at different stations around the square and helping at our Backpack table. Contact Kathy Bauer at 870-321-0019 if you would like to volunteer. |
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Backpack Food 4 KidsBackpack Food 4 Kids has a busy month coming up, celebrating our 20th anniversary!! October will begin with ARKtoberfest, sponsored by Rapps Barren on Saturday, October 3rd. This is held on the square from 3:00 -7:00 (VIP Early Entry at 2:00 PM) and all the proceeds go to fund our Backpack program. We are sending food home for 360 food-insufficient children every weekend this year, so this money is much appreciated. Join us on the square for a fun-filled day or volunteer to help! Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 18th, when we will be celebrating all our volunteers, past and present, with a reception between services. It takes so many people to operate a program like this, from those who pack the backpacks (plastic bags), those who deliver the bins of bags to the schools, those who pick up food orders from stores and unpack it to the shelves, those who write grants, reports, and thank-you notes, those who help with extra fundraising and food drives, to those who donate money and food items and pray for us and the precious kids we serve. Each of you is essential and needed to make the whole, and we appreciate you so much!! You will also see our Backpack Food 4 Kids trailer at some of the local stores during the month of October (October 10th at Harps and October 24th at Walmart), collecting food. Stop by and say hi or buy a few food items for us. Our FUMC food collection for this month is peanut butter, preferably the 16 oz jars. Larger jars are difficult for small children to carry home in backpacks. Thank you for all that you do to help feed our kids and their futures! |
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Spread the LoveFor our monthly food collection during the month of October, we are having a Peanut Butter Drive! Please bring 16oz. jars of peanut butter to the church. This is the size we need for the children's backpacks! Thank you for your support and generousity! |
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Communion ServersStewards: 9:00 servers: 11:00 servers |
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AcolytesOctober 4: Annslee Havens & Ollie Rodgers |
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Broadcast Booth VolunteersCROSSROADS (9:00) TRADITIONAL (11:00) |
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Soundboard OperatorsCROSSROADS (9:00) TRADITIONAL (11:00) |
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More Than A MealJoin us on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of October at 5:15pm as we get together for food, faith and fellowship! Dinner begins at 5:15pm. Followed by a devotional with Pastor John. More Than A Meal is a great opportunity for multi-generational fellowship so invite someone younger or older than you to sit at your table so you can get to know them! It's also a wonderful opportunity to get to know others who attend a different service than you. Our October dates are Wednesday, October 7th and Wednesday, October 21st. We hope to see you there! If you or your group are interested in sponsoring a meal or are able to help set up, serve, and/or clean up, please contact Hollye Lee. |
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Pastor AppreciationOctober is Pastor Appreciation month. This is a meaningful opportunity for us to express our deepest gratitude for our beloved Pastor John and his family for their tireless dedication, spiritual guidance, and unwavering service to our congregation and community. We are thrilled to announce a special Pastor Appreciation Day on Sunday, October 11th here at FUMCMH. From his wisdom in sermons to his compassionate care during both joyful and sorrowful times, Pastor John pours his heart and soul into his ministry. He has been been a consistent source of inspiration, leading us through faith and discipleship, providing care, and helping to build our church family. We invite everyone to join us as we celebrate Pastor John and show our love and appreciation in a couple special ways. During the month of October, we encourage you to shower Pastor John with words of appreciation and encouragement via email, through cards and face to face. On Sunday, October 11th, we will honor the selfless service and loving leadership of Pastor John with a light reception at 10:00am in the UMAC Commons. We encourage you to bring gifts and/or cards that day and let him know how much he is appreciated. We know that your presence and participation will be a wonderful blessing to him. With Heartfelt appreciation, The FUMCMH Staff & SPRC |
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Welcome to the Team!We are so excited to welcome Jennifer Geier to our team as our new bookkeeper! After an extensive search, we are happy to have added Jennifer to our staff. She has been working closely with Lindley Reubin to learn our systems. Please take some time to to welcome her via email, in person during the week or on a Sunday (She has been attending worship with her parents). She will be a huge blessing to First United Methodist church! A BIG shout out to Lindley for filling in dururing the interim and training Jennifer. |
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Thursday Morning JoyOn Thursday, October 1st, we will begin a new 8-week study entitled “The Women of Christmas” by Liz Curtis Higgs . This study will explore the biblical stories of Elizbeth, Mary, and Anna as they await and celebrate the birth of the Christ child. As usual, Liz will use her entertaining writing style to pull out details about these women of great faith that we may have overlooked. Thursday Morning Joy meets Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 AM in the Seeker’s Classroom, #213. Visitors are welcome any time to check us out. We have bible study along with fun, fellowship, prayer, and coffee. It’s a great way to spend a Thursday morning! Call or text Sandra Bainbridge at 870-656-3950 for more information. Books are also available on Amazon.com. |
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SeekersJoin the Seekers Sunday Class for a great study on the Gospel of Matthew. This eight week study is written by Ben Witherington, a New Testament scholar who has written more than 40 books and appears often of TV shows about biblical topics. Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, and in many ways connects us to the Jesus who fulfills the Jewish laws and prophecies. Matthew has been described as the Gospel written by a Jew, for the Jews, about the King of the Jews. The study begins October 4 and will take us right up to the first Sunday in Advent. What a great way to start the season of Advent. Hope to see you there. |
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Bible Presentation & ExplorationOn Sunday, October 11th we will have our annual Bible Presentation! Studying Scripture is one of the most important ways we learn about God. FUMCMH presents personal Bibles to each student in 3rd grade or above as a statement of their growing faith development and as recognition of their being old enough to study Scripture on their own. We celebrate this tradition of presenting Bibles to our 3rd -5th grade students as a gift from the congregation. It is our prayer that this gift will be a starting point for a deeper relationship with God through Christ. Bibles will be presented at whichever worship service the families attend and recipients will be recognized at both. That Sunday afternoon from 4:00-6:00pm we will have Bible Exploration where we will play games and give the children tools to help them use their bible. All children 3rd-5th grade are invited to this regardless of when they recieved their bible. We will have a snack while they are here. |
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Life GroupsLifegroups are a wonderful way to connect and fellowship with one another as well as watch over one another in love. How is it with your soul? If you are interested in starting or joining a Lifegroup, call the church office for more information or slimply use the button below to let us know you are interested. |
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Trick or TrunkIt's that time again folks! Put on your creative caps and mark your calendars! It's time for our Trick or Trunk Fall Festival! We usually have a huge community turnout so we need lots of trunks! If you are unfamiliar with Trick or Trunk, the congregation decorates their trunk with a game for children to play and we hand out candy for prizes. Please make sure your candy is individually wrapped. If you'd like to help by bringing extra candy, you may drop it off in the church office. There will be hot dogs, popcorn, door prizes and more! So, dress up and participate in the fun! If you need ideas for your trunk, Pintrest is a great resource. Set up will begin at 4:00pm. Trick or Trunk starts at 5:00pm and ends at 6:30pm. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact me and if you plan on doing a trunk, please let me know! Thank You! Laura Pedigo |
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All Saints SundayEach year, on All Saints Sunday, we publish a list of those who have gone on to glory since the previous year’s remembrance and include it in our Sunday worship bulletins. Additionally, during each of our worship services on November 1st, we will have a reading of the names of the saints and a bell will toll and a candle will be lit with the reading of each name. We will be sending out letters to the next of kin of each of those lost in the past year to invite them to church on the day that we honor the loved ones they have lost. |
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Better Together TreeIf you have joined our church in the past year, you may have noticed our Better Together Tree accross from the church office. At the end of October we will make the tree available before and after worship for those who have not already done so, to add their thumbprint and name to the tree so look for that in weeks to come! |
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Help Feed Our Students!It is a new year for our 605 Students and a new year for feeding our students! This year we are feeding our 9th-12th grade youth on Sunday evenings. We would love to have you/your family sponsor a meal for our youth this fall. Our students eat just about anything so you are invited to cook something and bring it to us, order something to be delivered or sponsor a meal financially. Contact Kyra Anthony with questions. Use the button below to sign up to provide dinner for them. For donations, simply drop a check in the offering plate or pay online. Be sure to earmark your donation as "youth dinner". Thank you for your support and generosity! |
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One Silent NightChristmas is coming and we are inviting interested souls to join the chancel choir for our Cantata entitled One Silent Night by Pepper Chopin. Rehearsals will start soon. We rehearse our Cantata at 7:20pm each Wednesday after our regular 6:30 Choir rehearsal. If you love to sing, we would love to have you. We will have rehearsal CD’s available to help you. We welcome you! Bring your prayer concerns and we encourage you to be a part of our music ministry. It’s not too late! Pray about it! We look forward to your participation. Terre Ware |
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Thanksgiving VouchersWe are begining to collect donations for this year's Thanksgiving vouchers. This ministry and your donations allow us to share the love and light of Christ by helping families in need have a wonderful family holiday meal. The vouchers are $50 each. If you would like to give to this ministry, make checks payable to FUMC and put "Thanksgiving Vouchers" in the memo section. If you give online, be sure to choose "dedicated fund" and put "Thanksgiving Vouchers" in the memo/notes section. Thank you for your generosity! |
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Download the FUMCMH Church App!If you would like to stay in the know with all things First United Methodist Church Mountain Home, download our church app. You can access news and events, watch services, listen to sermons, receive important push notifications and more; all via your phone! Simply click on the button below from your phone to download the app. You can also use the QR code above using your phone's camera. |
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First Kidz Ministry CornerWow! It's hard to believe it's October already! Fall is one of my favorite times of year! With the leaves changing color and the cool temperatures, what's not to like? With the end of summer being so dry this year, I fear that we may not see all the beautiful colors that are such a blessing to see! Wednesday afternoons have been amazing! We are still loving our "Dig In" curriculum! If your child is not already attending Wednesdays, I urge you to get them signed up. You can register them here. Thank you to the many Wednesday volunteers who make this possible! You are all rockstars! And don't forget about Sundays! Our Kidz Connection time is every Sunday from 10:00 to 10:45am. We usually do a lesson that is based on the same scripture Pastor John is using for his Sunday sermon. If you are interested in being on a rotation to teach on Sundays, please let me know. If we get enough teachers, you will hopefully only have to teach once a month. October 25th is our annual Trick or Trunk Fall Festival from 5:00pm to 6:30pm! There will be food, games, candy, a bounce house and more! We hope you and your kiddos will get those costumes ready and come join the fun! This is a huge event in the community and you will want to be a part of it! I can't wait to see how you all dress up! Please let me know if you plan on doing a trunk. Congratulations to our newest acolytes, Henry Caststeel and Ollie Rodgers! You will see them serving starting this month! Thank you to all our acolytes. It's wonderful to see you already serving God at a young age. Not only are you carrying the light of Christ in and out of Worship, you are also being the light of Christ by showing your servants' hearts! I am so very proud of all of you! If you have misplaced your acolyte schedule, you can find it here. If your child is unable to acolyte on there scheduled day you may switch with another acolyte or ask an alternate to fill in. God Bless! Laura Pedigo
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605 Student Ministries605 Students, Families, and Friends, The cool weather is finally here! I love the summer and the heat and getting to swim and do all of the fun things that summer brings, but there is just something about a cool crisp morning when you wake up or an evening around the fire with good friends, some great music, and smores that I love just as much. I also love this time of year where my sweatshirts become so comfy and a cozy blanket and a book on the back porch are the perfect way to spend an evening. Fall is also a great reminder that seasons change, and nothing lasts forever. We are reminded that the heat breaks, that comfort comes, and that we are surrounded by a God who knows every leaf that falls, every person by name, and everything that we walk through. We are never alone and I challenge you to take time this fall to bask in the remembrance that there is always cool after the heat, that there is a rainbow after the rain, and that no matter what life throws at you- God is with you and there is a community here in 605 Students and First United Methodist Church that will surround you! Here in October 605 Students are finishing up our series on Friendship with Going Places. 605 6-8 will then begin their next series called Over the Top! Over The Top Focuses on Generosity and studies 1 Thessalonians. Have you ever seen one of those random acts of kindness that tend to trend online? Maybe someone gives a stranger an envelope full of cash or the keys to a free car. Maybe they pay off all their bills or cover their college tuition. While these moments of "over the top" generosity can be inspiring, they're not things most of us will ever be in a position to give away. But if we can't give away any brand new cars, what can we give that would make a difference in the world? In this four-week series, we'll see what the book of 1 Thessalonians shows us about loving others through what we can give. We'll discover how to make a big difference by being generous with our time, being generous by sharing the good news, being generous by caring for each other, and being generous with our encouragement. 605 9-12 In October will finish the Going Places series, have a night of student questions and learning, and participate in Trick-or-Trunk! Over the Top will take place in November for 605 9-12 Students. In October we will also be bringing back Lunches at the Schools! Thursday October 1st I will be at the Junior High. Monday October 5th I will be at Pinkston. Thursday October 8th I will be at the High School. I hope your students will join me for lunch on those days. Dig Deeper will also be back on Saturday October 10th at 9:00AM at Jamies! I hope our students in 9th-12th grades will join us for this time together! Full October Schedule: October 1st: Lunch at the Junior High October 3rd: Arktoberfest on the Square benefitting Backpack Food for Kids October 4th: 605 9-12 Youth Group 5:00-7:00PM October 5th: Lunch at Pinkston October 7th: 605 6-8 Youth Group 3:30-5:30PM October 8th: Lunch at the High School October 10th: Dig Deeper @ Jamies 9:00AM October 11th: 605 9-12 Youth Group 5:00-7:00PM October 14th: 605 6-8 Youth Group 3:30-5:30PM October 18th: 605 9-12 Youth Group 5:00-7:00PM October 21st: 605 6-8 Youth Group 3:30-5:30PM October 25th: Trick-Or-Trunk 5:00-6:30PM (No 605 9-12 Youth- Students are encouraged to do a trunk) October 28th: 605 6-8 Youth Group 3:30-5:30PM Kyra Anthony |
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Memorials & HonorariumsANGEL FOOD PANTRY BACKPACK FOOD 4 KIDS GENERAL FUND YOUTH
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Prayer ListPrayers after loss: Concerns: |
