It is with great joy that the Accountable Leadership Board members and I announce that Associate Pastor Marsha Vincent will be appointed to First UMC Lebanon 3/4 time beginning July 1, 2020. Pastor Marsha has been serving First UMC in a 1/4 time appointment and has been an effective congregational care pastor during that time. With increasing her appointment to 3/4 time, Pastor Marsha will continue to focus on congregational care while adding to her duties assisting with Sunday worship and creating other worship, discipleship and outreach opportunities. I’m very excited to continue to have Pastor Marsha partnering with the church and I in ministry in our church and community, and I look forward to the many more blessings our church will experience through her leadership, compassion and enthusiasm. Please join the Accountable Leadership Board members and I in celebrating this joy with Pastor Marsha!

 

Grace and Peace to all,

Pastor Kathy Osiel, ALB Chairperson Karla Lowe-Phelps, Ginny Bounds, Ron Burnett, Chuck Christal, Brad Curl, Bill Ersery, Kathy Hough, Justin Johnson, Matt Michael, Jim Moore, Stan Moore, Susan Mott, Vanessa Ruble, Scott Shumate, and Rita Wall

First United Methodist Church folks,

We continue to take guidance from our Missouri Conference of the UMC, the CDC and local agencies as we make decisions for in person gatherings at the church building due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Therefore, effective Wednesday, March 18th.

• Worship and all other activities will be suspended. We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 virus recommendations from the Conference, the CDC and local agencies and make decisions for when we will resume activities scheduled past March 31^st.
• An online worship experience will be provided through First UMC’s Facebook page and on First UMC’s website at 10am on Sundays. This can be viewed through your smartphone, tablet or computer. Pastor Kathy will also provide other connectional opportunities through teleconferencing and the church’s Facebook page throughout each week worship and activities are suspended.
• Pastor Kathy and Pastor Marsha, as well as the church staff, will continue to be only a phone call, email, or instant message away if you have needs. Please contact us and we will be contacting you!
• Please continue to support the church financially. You may drop off your financial giving at the church office entrance in the drop box or mail your giving in to the church at PO Box 470. Since there will be no activities in the church building spending should slow accordingly. However, if financial giving slows or ceases for a time, we’re prepared to slow spending even more. We’ll use emergency funds before making permanent changes in staffing or programming.
• Please know that the Accountable Leadership Board has spent much time in prayer and consideration of this decision. The physical safety and health of our congregation is of the utmost importance to the board members, Pastor Kathy, Pastor Marsha and the church staff. The faith development and spiritual journey of each congregant is of equal importance, therefore alternate ways of gathering through teleconferencing and social media will be available to you as these two weeks pass. You will be notified as those opportunities develop.