Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God."
"You will be my witness..."We, the people of First United Methodist Church, see ourselves as called by God to be the body and presence of Jesus Christ within our community and world, for the purpose of carrying on His mission and ministry.
Our mission is to make known the presence of Christ, to proclaim Him to others as Savior and Friend, to invite them to confess Him as Savior and Lord, and to demonstrate His love through healing and helping.
First United Methodist Church is a great church with a great tradition, a beautiful facility, a great staff, and a lot of good people. Our music program is incredible with two adult choirs, a praise team, and a beautiful organ played masterfully by our organist. Many of our special services are accompanied by orchestra.
We are on the verge of many new things. We are considering our purpose in a more determined manner. We are working on the development of more small groups. We are working hard at doing a better job at taking care of our members and guests. And we are seeking what it means to be a church downtown.
If you are a member, take advantage of all First Church has to offer in ministry to you and through you. If you are just checking us out, we hope you will find this a place where you can meet God and fulfill God's purpose for your life.
First United Methodist Church has a rich history, that goes from the heights of God's Love and the faith of His people to the depths of a devastating fire that tested the resolve of the church. The beginnings of this church were when Rev. Hugh M. Jones, a pioneer preacher, joined a few prayer warriors in 1877. They met weekly wherever they could to lift up the needs of God's people. The church was born in April, 1881, with five charter members and a pastor, Rev. Ira Wakefield. The church met in Lewis Hall which stood near 614 Main Street. By August, 1882, there were twenty-three members. The lot for the first Methodist Church in Rapid City were purchased September 27, 1882 from William S. Fanshaw for $5,000, at the site of the present Masonic Temple. The initial building also cost $5,000, and was dedicated February 12, 1885. As the congregation outgrew that building, plans were made to replace it. In 1919, the lots at the present church site were purchased, and construction began, only to be stopped for nearly two years because of on-going difficulties. The building was to cost them $81,325 to build. In 1920, Rev. R. A. Bruce, who had been a building contractor before entering the ministry, was appointed pastor, and took actual charge of the construction. The building progressed rapidly, but it cost Rev. Bruce his life! He ran a sliver into his finger doing carpenter work and in a week was dead from the infection. This building was dedicated Easter Sunday, 1922. Then, on August 18, 1957, a devastating fire left the building all but destroyed, with only an auditorium floor and the brick shell remaining. The congregation was offered the use of State Theater by the A. J. Johnson family, where they would continue to meet for two years. The new building, built over the ruins of the 1920's structure, was contracted in October, 1958, and finished by 1960. The structure in use today has recently been remodeled. It is a symbol of how God's people have overcome difficulties to continue His work in Rapid City.
Sunday July 29th through Thursday August 2nd 2007 was the First United Methodist VBS. The theme was SonForce Kids Agents in Action. Activities began at 5:45 pm and ended about 8:10 each day.
Watch this page for information about the 2008 VBS. It promises to be an AWESOME event!
La Vista Del Abrigo 2008
(A Vision of Shelter)
Mission Trip to Juarez, Mexico
June 13-22, 2008
Our Mission: On June 13 – 22, 2008, the Dakota United Methodist Conference will be sponsoring a Senior High and Adult mission trip to Juarez, Mexico. Our mission is to build homes and spread Christ’s love to people in this poverty stricken area.
A little more info:
Who Can Come: Senior High youth and adults. Anyone entering the 9th grade in the fall of 2008 and older is eligible to participate. Be aware that this is a physical work trip. You will be mixing concrete by hand, lifting concrete blocks, digging trenches and working in hot, dry conditions. If you don’t think you can work under these conditions, you may want to consider another trip. HOWEVER, if you do come on this mission trip, IT WILL BE A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE. Be prepared to do the Lord’s work for others, and to have the Lord work within you.
Cultural Activities: We’ll arrive in Juarez on Saturday night and attend a Mexican worship service Sunday morning. We’ll visit the local market and go to a restaurant and Mexican dinner show.
Recreation: We’ll spend a full day at the Hyland Hills Water World water park on the way home.
Lodging: On the way down and back, we will stay in the Denver area at the Broomfield UMC. We’ll sleep on the floor for 3 nights. In Juarez, we stay in dormitories. They are air conditioned and we have bunk beds with foam mattresses.
Cost: The cost is $550 per person. Each person will pay for 5 meals while traveling. All other meals, lodging, recreation and building materials are covered by the total fee.
Important Dates: November 1, 2007 – Registration deadline. If you missed this, please call the church office.
The following is a payment schedule which must be met to hold a position on the trip:
November 2007, Registration Fee $ 50.00
January 18, 2008, 2nd payment $ 200.00
April 25, 2008, Final Payment $ 300.00
THE FUNDRAISERS HAVE BEGUN !!! These fundraisers are to supplement the cost of sending the youth to Mexico for this mission trip. Please support them and keep them in your prayers.
Passport Required: You MUST have a passport to return from Mexico. You should apply for a passport as soon as possible as it may take up to 3-6 months to obtain. A copy of your passport application is due with your registration.
FOR THE COMPLETE REGISTRATION PACKET CLICK LINK BELOW.
Lay Pastors
"If we will admit our inadequacy, we can have God's adequacy....The greatest problem in the church is trying to do God's work with man's strength....The key to Christian sufficiency is realizing that everything comes from God and nothing comes from me."
Ray Steadman
Rapid City First Lay Pastor Program
Lay Pastors are women and men called by God, reconginized by the local church , and trained and commissioned to serve. Lay pastors are ordinary women and men serving God. Lay pastors draw on gifts and life experiences, are willing to learn and grow and work well alongside others in team ministry. Lay pastors are willing to be called by the church to serve wherever it is deemed appropriate.
Those persons who have a mature Christian faith and an ability to share that faith with others, have good communication skills (listening, sensitivity, respect), are able to provide leadership and encourage it in others, are able to help others to develop and use their gifts, have a capacity for personal care, have good understanding of the life of the church, and have a sense of God's call to this ministry role are good lay pastor candidates.
Becoming a lay pastor requires a commitment to serve and participation in training sessions led by Pastors. If you feel called to be in ministry within the church speak to one of the pastors or complete an application for lay pastor ministry. Forms are available outside the main office.
Position: Director of Young Adult & Youth Ministries First United Methodist Church, Rapid City, SD
Salary: $29,000/yr DOE
Job Description: To develop the United Methodist Church educational plan for young adult and youth ministries incorporating modern approaches to attract and retain participants.
Will be responsible to:
- Work with other program staff persons in creating a ministry to young adults which may result in the formation of a new worship service geared to that age group.
- Develop and maintain programs that foster relationship-building aligning the mission of the youth program to the mission of the church.
- Research new trends in leading activities and programs presenting them to the staff team for development
- Market programs through approved avenues to attract and retain members
- Network with leaders from other churches to maintain and grow knowledge in ministries by gathering and disseminating information
- Create and oversee the budget in conjunction with senior pastor
- Accept other responsibilities as assigned
Qualifications and Abilities
- Develops genuine love and growing relationship with Jesus Christ
- Mentors Christian values and actively participates in worship
- Possesses education in social science, seminary or equal life experiences
- Displays good communication and organizational skills
- Embraces openness to research and development of new ideas
- Uses many forms of technology to foster community and communication
- Able to work well with staff and congregation
Closing Date: March 5, 2008
Please send resume to: Pastor Doug Diehl, PO Box 1648, Rapid City, SD 57709, or E-Mail to doug@rapidcityfirst.org