First United Methodist Church is dedicated to support those in need within our neighborhood and within our community.

Bus Stop
The Bus Stop is an exciting  ministry for First Church, started by Rev. Scott Dornbush and his wife, Penny, who noticed kids waiting for the school bus each morning on the church property.  Seeing a way to reach out to the  neighborhood surrounding the church, Rev. Dornbush opened the Youth Building to the children in the morning and served them donuts.  The ministry is currently staffed by Rev. Bruce Hay, Jason Huffman (youth director) and Larry Lamely.  This ministry is on Tuesday mornings from 6:45 to 7:30.  The kids still come into the youth building for donuts and play pool or foosball.  The ministry truly fulfills our church’s mission statement to reach out to those “around the corner and around the world.”  The success of the program depends largely on the bus schedules.   We look forward to each new school year to see what children will be introduced to our program.  The Bus Stop was instrumental in forming a second ministry at First Church, the Tutoring Program.

Tutoring - Club 502
This program established at First Church is an effort to provide love, support and assistance to the children and families in the neighborhood surrounding the church.  Volunteers staff the once a week program which is held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:15 and begins with a snack in the Youth Building and moves to the Children’s Building for the actual tutoring time.  Volunteers help children with reading, math, spelling and other basic skill needs.  New helpers are always welcome.

Neighborhood Missions
The annual Easter Egg Hunt and annual Vacation Bible School are open to all children of the neighborhood and of the community.

Good Neighbor Scholarship
The Good Neighbor Scholarship of FUMC is to bless the children, youth and families of our immediate neighborhood. Any youth who graduates from high school while living within one square mile of FUMC and plans to attend either a college or trade school can apply for a minimum scholarship of $500 per year for a maximum of 4 years.

Society of St. Stephen
This organization, staffed by volunteers, provides financial assistance for people in need.  They are approached by individuals who need assistance with utility bills.  Volunteers are needed to speak with those in need, evaluating the necessity of intervention, and disbursing funds where appropriate.

Boy Scout Troop 424
This Boy Scout Troop is sponsored by and supported by First Church.  We recognize the Scouting program as a significant tool for reaching youth in the surrounding community.  We encourage the boys in the neighborhood to join and bring others into our community.  The Church helps to assure that none of these boys are excluded or left out due to financial issues.

Local Support Missions
First UMC Palestine believes in supporting ongoing ministries of other churches and private organizations.  We provide regular and special support to the Stock Pot food kitchen, Meals on Wheels, Sanctuary House, St. Vincent DePaul, Anderson County Crisis Center, Caring People of Palestine and others.

UM ARMY
While high school youth from FUMC go to a UM ARMY camp each summer, FUMC also plays host to a UM ARMY camp group most summers.  Students come from all parts of east, central, and southeast Texas to do construction projects right here in Palestine.  These students will stay in the Fellowship Hall and Children’s Building sleeping on cots and preparing their own food, then spend their days building wheelchair ramps, patching floors and walls, mowing yards, and blessing many people in the Palestine community.

BIG HOUSE
FUMC junior high youth attend a BIG HOUSE missions camp every summer on a Thursday through Sunday in a community not very far from Palestine.  The church also returns the favor, though, by hosting a camp of junior high students who come stay at our facilities and spend their days working at churches and non-profit community centers.  Armed with paint brushes, ladders and lawn mowers, these kids are a big help to various organizations when they come.