1st Methodist Church of Mount Holly

11/02/2026

Our Blood Drive this past Thursday was a tremendous success!! 25 units were collected which means up to 75 lives were saved by the donors who came to our fellowship hall to donate blood. Our goal was 28 so we came up just a little short. Our plan is to more than make up for those 3 missing pints at our February blood drive. Stay tuned, the life saving is ongoing!! As Jesus gave his blood to give us eternal life, may we give a little of our blood to extend earthly life!

11/01/2026

Good morning! Please watch the Traditional Worship service online at the link below on YouTube.

Because of You: Standing on the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before

11/01/2026

Good morning! Please watch the Contemporary Worship service online at the link below on YouTube.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/31/2026

Who are your heroes in life? In faith? Are you a hero to someone? How would you know?

The names come easily of our special heroes who helped us become the man or woman we are today. The example of our heroes is even now helping to shape who we will become tomorrow.

Join us this Sunday as we celebrate “All Saints’ Day.” Our message this week is “Standing on the Shoulders of Those Who Came Before.” No one is truly self-made. This week we celebrate the people who sacrificed to give us our faith. We will also look at ways we may become strong shoulders for others who will come after us, whether they be children, grandchildren, or people we have yet to meet. Be sure to join us for an uplifting message that celebrates our heroes in faith who helped shape us and equip us to be a hero in the faith for others. This is one Sunday you do NOT want to miss and a perfect Sunday to invite someone to join you for one service or for both services. At 8:32AM we gather in the fellowship hall for a relaxed, “come as you are” service led by our band. Then, at 10:55AM we gather in the sanctuary for our warm, traditional service where we will be led by the organ and our choir.

Miss a previous message? They are available on the church website and Social Media Page.

Reading ahead? We encourage you to read ahead…the more you know the deeper and richer Sunday’s message will be for you. This week’s key text is Hebrews 11:32-12:2.

Save the Dates:
• Covenant Commitment letters will be received this week and next week in worship. Please prayerfully fill out the covenant commitment letter you received on Sunday or that you find attached to this email. When you have prayerfully completed it, put it in a sealed, self-addressed, stamped envelope and either place it in the box that usually sits on the altar table or leave it on the altar rail. NO ONE will open and read your commitment. We will hold it for about a year and then mail it back to you so you can measure your intent with your action. It is our hope that every faithful participant in our worship and ministry will complete a covenant commitment letter. If you need to receive a covenant commitment letter, please leave us a comment below or send a private message.
• Join us this Sunday and meet our new Children’s Ministry Director Danielle Penninger who officially begins this Sunday. We will have a special opportunity to spend time with her on November 8th between services during the Sunday School hour.
• Wednesday Night Suppers! Join us in the fellowship hall for a “do-drop-in” style meal that begins at 5:30PM. Bring your appetites and stay for Bible Study, Kids ministry and Choir practice after supper!
• Don’t forget Time Change occurs on Saturday October 31st. It is time to “Fall Back” by turning your clocks back by 1 hour when you go to bed Saturday night!
• Calling All Veterans! Please mark your calendar for Sunday November 8th! All veterans and their families will be recognized with a program and lunch after the 10:55AM service. Open to all. We ask veterans to register with Karen Hefner or by sending us a private message with your contact information.
• Charge Conference will be Sunday November 15th at 5PM at New Covenant Global Methodist Church! Since the 1780’s, Methodists have gathered for a once-a-year meeting where budgets are approved and leadership affirmed. This will be a celebration of ministry, a worship service, and a business meeting all rolled into one. We will join with New Covenant and Christ Church (Gastonia) and be hosted by the good people of New Covenant GMC! All are welcome. Current members of the Church Council are requested to be present.
• The Wesley Brotherhood is the Men’s ministry of First Church, and they are meeting Saturday November 21st. Enjoy a good breakfast with men of all ages. Our custom is to meet every 3rd Saturday at 9AM and after breakfast we stay for a brief meeting which often has an inspirational or informational speaker.
• Christmas Decorating at First Church will be Saturday November 28th at 9AM. Breakfast will be provided at 8AM. Many hands make light work. No experience required. On the job training offered free of charge!
• 2027 Car and Truck Show set for Saturday September 18th! The Car show Committee is pleased to announce the date of the next show and report that the 2026 show raised $62.43 per car entered (54 total entries) for a grand total of $3,371.04 that was evenly divided between King's Daughters and Relay For Life, Gaston County. By comparison, last year we raised $44.10 per car entered (102 total entries) for a grand total of $4,498.00. Have ideas for next year or ways we may make our event stronger and better? Please see Jim Wyatt or send us a private message.

Make a Difference:
• We have an App for that! Download for free your very own First Methodist Church App. Go to either the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and search “1st Methodist Mount Holly” and look for the icon with the tall steeple. You can view services, check the schedule of events, make a donation and much more…all from your phone. We are growing the app, and it will be more and more useful as we are able to develop it. Your feedback matters. Download today and tell us what you’d like to see!
• Help Design the 2026 1st Church Christmas Float! We are forming a committee, and you’re invited to be a part of it! For more information or to volunteer, please see Gabriel Fortner. The 2026 Mount Holly Christmas Parade will be Saturday December 5th at 3PM.
• Join us at Gastonia Street Ministry on December 3rd when we will again serve a meal to the homeless in our community.
• Stay informed by signing up for our call list which will provide important updates and a weekly reminder about worship. To have your number added, please see Rhys Todd.
• Help the needy in our community by providing saltine crackers, pork & beans, jelly, and large cans of soup for Community Relief Organization which helps local, qualified persons (please leave in the lobby of the church), or food (pop top only please) and hygiene products for our own Blessing Box near the flagpole by leaving your donations in the lobby of the church.
• Pack a Shoe Box! Operation Christmas Child is in full swing. We have boxes you can pack. Pick up your shoe box(es) in the fellowship hall and in the lobby/narthex of the sanctuary. Want to help but maybe not pack a whole shoebox? Drop off items in the baskets at the entry ways to the sanctuary and fellowship hall on or before November 8! You may also make a financial contribution by clearly marking your donation for OCC and leaving it in the offering plate or basket when it is passed. Looking for suggestions of what to pack or how to pack your Shoebox? Here’s a link to Operation Christmas Child! https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/?_gl=1*m9vpga*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjwoOjVBhArEiwAUwDak6whR5N60zxy2DIyltbN88Rt_azPu5ePrNJjRlNNgPIaha7VOyQ2PxoC0o8QAvD_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAAD2XO8c8E5GWaUGwteR6Mg308mUks
• Volunteer to assist with the Veterans Recognition/Celebration Lunch on November 8th! Volunteers are needed to help fill a host of roles. For more information or to volunteer for the luncheon and program please see Karen Hefner or send us a private message.
• Help pack and package Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes at the Samaritans Purse Warehouse from 9AM to 1PM on December 9th! You’re invited to help us help others! Space is limited and registration is required. We will carpool and take the church van from the church parking lot. For more information or to start the registration process with Samaritans Purse, please see Diane Carpenter or leave a comment below or send us a private message.

10/30/2026

⏰ FALL BACK THIS WEEKEND! 🍁

Don’t forget to turn your clocks back one hour Saturday night, October 31st before you head to bed!

Enjoy that wonderful extra hour of rest, and we can’t wait to worship together with you this Sunday morning for All Saints' Day! ⛪✨

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1

10/29/2026

Here's your "Hope Boost" for today: no matter how colorful your past, God cares for you and can use you in His service. To whom will you share this message?

10/28/2026

What a meaningful time we shared together in worship this past Sunday! If you were with us, we hope this recap serves as a helpful reminder of what God spoke to us. If you missed the service, we are glad you are taking a moment to catch up on what was shared. You can find the whole message on our webpage, on our social media page, and through our app.

Summary: The sermon explored the lives of deeply flawed biblical figures — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses — and the remarkable truth that God chose to work through each of them despite their failures, cowardice, anger, and shortcomings. Drawing on Deuteronomy 34, the message reminded us that the Bible does not sanitize its heroes. These were real people with real struggles, and yet God loved them, used them, and led them toward a promised land they could not earn but could only receive in faith. The sermon challenged us to stop wandering in doubt and fear and to press forward into the future God has prepared for us — both individually and as a church family.

Key Takeaways:
• There is genuine hope for every one of us, regardless of our past. Just as God used Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses in spite of their failures, He can and will use you. The first step is simply inviting Jesus into your heart and choosing to follow Him.
• God has a promised land prepared specifically for you. As believers, we are grafted into God's chosen people through the cross of Christ. God is not idle. He is calling each of us into a purpose, a future, and a mission that is greater than anything we have yet experienced.
• The victories ahead are greater than the pain behind. As a church, we have walked through difficult seasons — COVID, disaffiliation, loss, and uncertainty. But like the spies sent into Canaan, we have a choice about what we see. We can focus on the dangers, or we can choose to see the wondrous possibilities that God is setting before us. The call is to press forward in faith.

As you move through this week, consider two practical responses the sermon offered. First, choose to be a disciple of Jesus Christ — not by accident, not by someone else's decision, but by your own. Second, share your faith with at least one person this week. You do not need to have all the answers. Simply say, "Can I share something with you?" and tell someone about your journey with God. You may be surprised at how ready people are to listen.

We look forward to gathering with you again next Sunday as we celebrate All Saints Day and reflect on the faithful women and men on whose shoulders we stand.

10/27/2026

What do you see when you look at the future? Fear or possibility? This week, Pastor Tom walked us through Deuteronomy 34 and reminded us that the same God who worked through deeply flawed people like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses is the same God working through you.

No matter how colorful your past, there is hope for you. God does not gloss over the failures of the people He uses. He works through them anyway.

God has a Promised Land prepared for you. But like the Israelites, we have to choose to step into it. That step begins with one simple invitation: Lord Jesus, come into my heart.

This week, take that step. Then share your faith journey with at least one person. The victories ahead are greater than anything behind us.

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10/26/2026

Got plans on Thursday? What if we saved a few lives together? Every pint donated saves up to 3 lives. It is easy! Walk-ins welcome. To reduce your wait time, please register here: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/donation-time?zipSponsor=FMCMtHolly&driveType=all

10/25/2026

Colorful Relatives