First United Methodist Church PDX
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We are an inclusive Christian community that loves everyone unconditionally and connects with our neighbors to build a more just world.
Join us on Sundays at 8:30 am or 10:30am for worship. PORTLAND FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH is a part of a worldwide denomination known as the United Methodist Church. First Church is one of many congregations in the metro area and around the world. We are made stronger by our connection with other churches.
09/30/2026
First Church staff & lay leadership have arrived in Kansas & are ready for a week of formation at Leadership Institute!
09/27/2026
This Sunday, we continue the series “Good Bones.” This week’s theme is “Grace Forms Us.”
What makes a church a church? What holds a life together?
This fall we will explore John Wesley’s “house of grace,” an image for the way God’s grace meets us, welcomes us, forms us, and sends us into the world. Along the way, we will consider the spiritual architecture of our own lives and the shared life of First Church.
Together, we’ll ask what gifts God has entrusted to us, how we create genuine belonging, how we are formed through life together, and how our congregation can become an even stronger friend for our neighbors and our city.
God is still building on these Good Bones, building us up into a house of grace and a home for all.
The livestream will begin at 10:20am on YouTube, and worship will begin at 10:30am. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiNlphXnBaE
View today's bulletin at www.fumcpdx.org/bulletin
Good Bones | "Grace Forms Us" | Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan | 9/27/2026 | 10:30am This Sunday, we continue our worship series, “Good Bones.” This wee...
09/25/2026
A Word with the Pastor: Alternate Endings
On Sunday afternoon I will transform from “Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan, Senior Pastor” into “Ms. White, murder suspect.” Live Action Clue is back!
This annual laugh is put on by area UMC youth groups. Each year the characters have a different backstory, and the youth must figure out the mystery by traveling room to room to interrogate each character. In 2024 I was cast as exotic animal obsessed Ms. Peacock (Zoo business partner with Mr. Body until everything went south). This year, an avid outdoors loving Ms. White.
Separately, the other Rev. Richards-Kuan was also wrangled into playing one of the live characters by his youth director. To get into the spirit, we put on the 1985 classic, Clue: The Movie. A thoroughly enjoyable hour and a half all told, perhaps the most delightful part is the final reveal.
Spoiler alert (in all fairness you’ve had 40 years to watch it): there’s more than one way the ending shakes out.
At the surface, just one plot occurred. Beneath the surface, subtleties unnoticed or simply unnamed pointed to dramatically different outcomes.
We thankfully don’t live in a murder mystery, but we do live in a world with the possibility of a multitude of alternate outcomes.
Continue reading at https://www.fumcpdx.org/about/news/alternate-endings
09/20/2026
This Sunday, we continue the series “Good Bones.” This week’s theme is “Grace Welcomes Us.”
What makes a church a church? What holds a life together?
This fall we will explore John Wesley’s “house of grace,” an image for the way God’s grace meets us, welcomes us, forms us, and sends us into the world. Along the way, we will consider the spiritual architecture of our own lives and the shared life of First Church.
Together, we’ll ask what gifts God has entrusted to us, how we create genuine belonging, how we are formed through life together, and how our congregation can become an even stronger friend for our neighbors and our city.
God is still building on these Good Bones, building us up into a house of grace and a home for all.
The livestream will begin at 10:20am on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Prb8TKb0-r4
Worship will begin at 10:30am. We hope you can join us!
For more information on our new Zoom Fellowship option, visit www.fumcpdx.org/zoom
Good Bones | "Grace Welcomes Us" | Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan | 9/20/2026 | 10:30am This Sunday, we kick off our new worship series, “Good Bones.” This...
09/18/2026
In the year 2026, it takes some boldness, some amount of gumption, every time we greet the day. Some days we hardly notice it; the sun is out, the people we love love us well, and there is meaningful labor ahead. Some days, it feels like there is not enough of it to get past the morning news.
Life in community together is, in and of itself, a bold move. We also believe that it is at the core of who we are called to be as a people of God.
At the close of our visioning process, we developed strategic initiatives that would lead us closer to our vision of becoming an inclusive Christian community that loves everyone unconditionally and connects with our neighbors to build a more just world. Unconditional love? A more just world? Now THAT is bold! Thus, our strategic planning culminated in what we call our Bold Initiatives.
We are now in the second year of these initiatives and have developed new Year 2 tactics by which to achieve them (carrying over unfinished tactics from Year 1). We believe that these tactics are tangible ways that you and I can live in to the reign of God and the liberation of Christ as a community together, and that they do indeed bring us closer to that bold vision.
Learn about the focus of this year and how you can participate:
Fireside Chat on Sunday, September 20 at Noon in the Fireside Room for a conversational overview of our Year 2 update and time for Q&A.
Worship Moments each Sunday in our “Good Bones” series for a brief description
Bold Initiatives Year 2 summary (link below) to read about each initiative and tactic.
To participate in a tactic is to boldly help God’s reign come alive today. Come be bold with us!
Learn about our Bold Initiatives and read this week's newsletter at https://www.fumcpdx.org/about/news/bold
The screen is risen! The screen is risen indeed!
About 16 months ago, our video wall was significantly damaged. Our Trustees worked diligently to cobble together some funding to replace the broken panels, but through a lot of trial and error, it became clear there was going to be far more need than just replacing a couple panels. And at that point, one significant gift made this possible.
Many of you know that we’ve been in prayer for Sam Naito, who’s in hospice care. Even amidst his own health struggles, it was his generosity that enabled us to prioritize inclusion by installing a brand new video wall. The longevity of Sam’s impact is inspiring at 104 years old. No matter how much each one of us can share, we can follow Sam’s lead and share what we have toward worship, inclusion, service, justice, and community. Thank you, Sam!
Additional thanks are in order for those who spearheaded the project, especially Lindsey McGill, our resident video wall advocate and project manager, using his industry expertise to make sure we were doing what we needed to do. Griffon Singleton managed the staff side. Mark Clayton wrangled the volunteers who spent two weeks installing the new video wall. So thank you to these and everyone else who made this possible: Gene Balcomb, Bob Fujimoto, Dwight Dragoo, the First Church Trustees, Burgener’s Woodworking, Bear Electrical, Planar, Cue Gravity, Rebecca Ralston, Hansen Technology, Neill Jones Technology, and Route 8.
On Sunday, we christened our new video wall with this prayer:
Oh God, bless this addition to the architecture of our sacred space.
May it be used for guidance and inclusion, bringing its addition to the way that the very structure of this sanctuary teaches and leads us in worship.
May it shepherd the guests looking for the next line of the liturgy.
May it teach the child learning the Lord’s Prayer.
May it help the worshipper who cannot easily manage the words and music notes together.
May it bring along the person who hears the invitation but misses the words of the response.
May it distribute ease in our worship life so that those who have never managed a Hymnal would find ease just as those for whom a Hymnal is home.
And, O God, we ask that you would protect the video wall from wild accidents that damage the whole thing. Amen.
09/14/2026
This morning the choir (and the video wall!) made a triumphant return! It was so great worshipping and having fellowship with you all this morning as we kicked off the new program year. Stick around — we’ve got lots of fun in store for the months ahead!
09/13/2026
Join us this morning for Rally Day as we kick off our fall programming! After the 10:30am worship service, we will gather in Collins Hall for a ministry fair and potluck lunch. Learn more about what's in store today at https://www.fumcpdx.org/about/news/rally-day-2026 -- we even have a special surprise in store for you 👀
Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan will kick off our new "Good Bones" worship series with the sermon "Grace Finds Us."
The livestream will begin at 10:20am at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCmoWSzRQNQ
The bulletin can be downloaded at www.fumcpdx.org/bulletin
We now have a Zoom Fellowship option available for those who can't make it in person. Learn more at www.fumcpdx.org/zoom
09/11/2026
Today, on the 25th anniversary of September 11th, we hold in our prayers the thousands who died and their friends and family as they grieve. 🙏
09/11/2026
A Word with the Pastor
Rally Day: Potluck, Backpack Blessing, and a Surprise
We have been waiting for Rally Day for a long time. Whether you’re a lover of potlucks, need a one-stop shop to dive deeper into life at First Church, or you are quite done with some of the more ‘creative’ aspects of summer worship, the arrival of Rally Day is exciting for most.
It is also the perfect time to put the invitations of the last 3 weeks into practice:
- Inviting someone into something meaningful
- Creating relationships of depth
- Showing the way
Get the full scoop on Sunday (and the surprise we have for you!) at
www.fumcpdx.org/about/news/rally-day-2026
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1838 SW Jefferson Street
Portland, OR
97201
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 12pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 12pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 12pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 12pm |
| Friday | 9am - 12pm |
| Sunday | 8:30am - 12:30pm |