affinity groups

Getting plugged in at First United Methodist is easy!  We provide a variety of affinity groups to connect members to God, to each, and to the world.  Join the Prayer Team to lift prayer concerns to God or the Knit Wits to make blankets for newborns or hat for cancer patients.  Our United Methodist Men and Women groups are also very popular and highly active!  Check out the list of groups below to see what speaks to you and to find out how to join.

  • The Prayer Team meets every Wednesday at 10:45 am in the Christian Life Center Parlor.  The Intercessory Prayer Team receives the prayer concerns of our church and community. The team also prays over prayer shawls given to those who are sick or hurting, jaunty hats for those undergoing chemotherapy, and baby shawls for babies and young children being baptized. The team also prays for immediate prayer concerns lifted throughout the week.  For more information, contact 501.623.6668, ext 116 or tholt@fumchs.com.  To share a prayer concern (confidentiality is kept) with the team, send to prayer@fumchs.com.

    Prayer team

    The Prayer Team meets every Wednesday at 10:45 am in the

    Christian Life Center Parlor.


    The Intercessory Prayer Team receives the prayer concerns of our church and community. The team also prays over prayer shawls given to those who are sick or hurting, jaunty hats for those undergoing chemotherapy, and baby shawls for babies and young children being baptized. The team also prays for immediate prayer concerns lifted throughout the week.


    For more information, contact 501.623.6668, ext 116 or tholt@fumchs.com.  To share a prayer concern (confidentiality is kept) with the team, send to prayer@fumchs.com.

  • dinner groups

    Come join the fun of our small group dinner groups!  Each group consists of 8-12 people (singles/couples of all ages) who arrange to meet monthly for dinner at a time and date to be chosen by each group.  You may choose to meet at someone's home and bring a dish or go out for the evening.  This is a great way to make new acquaintances whether you have been around for years or just started visiting.    Dinner groups will be composed of all ages, and childcare will be arranged with the different groups. A kick-off appetizer gathering is on Sunday, September 15,  CLC 103, 6:00 pm, to introduce you to your group (childcare provided if requested).  

  • knit wits

    2nd Wednesday of every month at 1:00 PM

    Christian Life Center Room 205

    The Knitwits invite all, young or old, who would like to learn to quilt, knit, crochet, and embroider to their gatherings. Excellent mentors are available for one on one instruction. The group is currently providing prayer shawls and baby blankets for the church’s prayer ministry and jaunty hats for those undergoing chemotherapy. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please feel free to drop in or contact Joyce Thornton at jnthornton@att.net. 

  • Ho Hum

    Low Impact Exercise

    Ho Hum meets every Wednesday & Friday at 9 am in the gym (Christian Life Center 205).  


    Ho Hum (Holy Older Healthy United Methodists) is an exercise program for older adults.  The group promotes healthy and spiritual living through weekly, low-impact exercises.  Everyone is welcome to come to any session!   Click on the picture to the left to see the interview that aired on CBS Sunday Morning.

  • X.Y.Z.

    extra years of zest

    XYZ Fellowship (eXtra Years of Zest) is a fellowship group for retired men and women. They meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 11:30 a.m. in the Shelton Room (lower level of the Christian Life Center) for a potluck lunch and fellowship—September through May. The meeting concludes with a program relating to current events. All retired people are welcome. Come and enjoy the fellowship and get involved in our planning and events. For more information, contact Candy Poirier at 501.623.6668 ext. 117 or cpoirier@fumchs.com.

  • R.O.M.E.O.

    Retired Old Men Eating Out

    Retired Old Men Eating Out

    Wednesdays at 11:30 am

    Location changes weekly!

    Contact Office for this week's location!



United Methodist Men

First United Methodist Church of Hot Springs has a men's ministry program which has the purpose to give all men an opportunity to choose how they would like to serve God, our Church, and our community. More than 100 men attended the first Men's Summit in May 2011 and more than 200 attended the Summit in February 2012. These Men's Summit meetings are planned to be held at least annually to bring all men together for fellowship and spiritual renewal. The men's ministry has five major areas. These include Church and Community Service with Gary Cox, Greg Poirier, and Brooks Clem as leaders and Young Men's group with Stephen Harrison as leader. Spiritual Life with Steve Burns as leader and Publicity with Bill Cluck as leader are part of the men's ministry. The other area is Men's Breakfast Group which meets the third Tuesday of each month for fellowship, interesting and informative programs, and service projects. John Poe and Steve Burns are giving leadership to this group of men.


Every man in First United Methodist Church of Hot Springs is encouraged to be a part of the Men of the Church initiative. Choose when, where and how you would like to serve. Regular announcements about activities are posted on bulletin boards and in the Sunday Church Bulletin as well as in the Messenger. Bart Bledsoe is the current president of the UMM. For more information about the UMM and its activities, contact Bart at bartandjen@hotmail.com.

united methodist women

All women of the church are invited to become an active and involved member of the United Methodist Women (UMW) of First United Methodist Church. Each of the five Circles listed here are part of the UMW Unit. Learn about who they are, when they meet, what they do, and who to contact if you are interested in becoming a member of their group.


UMW Unit Meetings In January, May, September and November of each year, members from all of the UMW Circles come together at 10:00 a.m. in the Shelton Room of the CLC for a time of fellowship, a business meeting, and a mission focused program. In January, UMW Board members prepare a soup lunch and in May and November its potluck with each person bringing her favorite dish. For the September meeting, refreshments are provided by one of the Circles.


New Legacy Circle  Prior to the Grace in Action Circle, New Legacy was the first new UMW Circle to form in many years. This group was organized in December 2012 to accommodate women who work or those who prefer a night meeting. The circle chose its name to carry on the legacy of the mothers of some the members; mothers who served UMW so faithfully. In keeping with the vision of UMW worldwide, the New Legacy Circle nurtures relationships among members. We are organized for growth and offer many opportunities for fellowship and service.

Activities in which members of New Legacy volunteer include Open Arms Food Pantry on the first Tuesday of each month, collecting items for Open Arms, Safe Haven and other missions of UMW.

By meeting in the evening, we offer flexibility for everyone’s schedule. We gather informally on the third Tuesday of each month. Please email Tommie Kelly at tktommie@gmail.com if you would like to be included on our mailing list.


Grace in Action Circle  In the fall of 2015 a group of young women of the church were asked to form a new United Methodist Women’s group. We were so happy to begin our new circle that we named ourselves “Grace in Action.” We meet on the third Thursday of each month for fellowship, lunch and serving our church for the less fortunate people in our community. We have been busy assembling goody bags for children in need of socks, toiletries, hygiene products and laundry detergent. We are very passionate about helping with the Open Arms Food Pantry.

If there are any suggestions of other missions our congregation thinks we can help with, please let us know. If you interested in becoming a part of our wonderful group of women, please contact Laura Whitley at (501) 627-4636.


Helen Wilson Circle The Helen Wilson Circle is named for our church’s former beloved missionary. We meet at 10:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month, September through May, in the homes of various members. We enjoy a delicious brunch prepared by rotating members, followed by an educational, inspirational or uplifting program and end with a short business meeting.

Members of the Helen Wilson Circle volunteer in many local missions, including the Caring Place, Open Arms, Arkansas Methodist Family Health, Cookies on a Mission, Habitat for Humanity, and Open Door. If you are interested in finding out more about this active and involved Circle, contact Carol Smith, Helen Wilson Circle Chair, at 624- 7035, or Jane Bennett, Co-Chair at 525-1717


Jane Murphy Circle On the second Tuesday of each month, September through May, we meet at noon in the Holy Grounds Café of the CLC. Each member brings her own lunch and the hostess for that month provides dessert. Lunch is followed by a short business meeting and a program presented by one of our members or a guest speaker. We continue to meet during the summer months for lunch at a local restaurant.

Some of the service projects in which members are involved include serving lunch at the Jackson House and serving lunch to the Wesley Foundation at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. Other local missions in which we are involved include Open Arms, Open Door, Habitat for Humanity lunch, the church’s quarterly blood drive, Arkansas Methodist Family Health, and Safe Haven. To learn more about the Jane Murphy Circle, contact Claire Wisman, Circle Chair, at 609-9616.


O’Brien-Thornton Circle  Neva O’Brien and Joyce Thornton welcome you to a faith-based, caring group of dedicated Methodist women. We meet at 10:00 am on the second Tuesday of each month, September through May, in the Shelton Room of the CLC.

Our members are involved in all local UMW missions. In May and November, we provide cookies for the Caring Place. We also participate in Cookies on a Mission, and provide items for Safe Haven, Open Arms and Arkansas Methodist Family Health. To learn more about the O’Brien-Thornton Circle, contact Neva O’Brien at 520- 0279 or Joyce Thornton at 624-0946.

Walk to emmaus

"A Journey with Christ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and walked with them." - Luke 24:15


The walk to Emmaus is an experience of Christian spiritual renewal and formation that begins with a three-day short course in Christianity. It is an opportunity to meet Jesus Christ in a new way as God’s grace and love is revealed to you through other believers. The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with the prayerful discernment and invitation from a sponsor. After one accepts this invitation they complete an application. The Emmaus leaders prayerfully consider each applicant and in God’s time, the person is invited to attend a three-day experience of New Testament Christianity as a lifestyle. Following the three-day experience, participants are joined in small groups to support each other in their ongoing walk with Christ.


Through the formational process of accountable discipleship in small groups and participation in the Emmaus community, each participant’s individual gifts and servant-leadership skills are developed for use in the local church and its mission. Participants are encouraged to find ways to live out their individual call to discipleship in their home, church, and community. The objective of Emmaus is to inspire, challenge, and equip the local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, communities and places of work. Emmaus lifts up a way for our grace-filled lives to be lived and shared with others. If you would like to attend an Emmaus Retreat or obtain more information, contact Paula Shiver or Larry Frazier. To learn more about the Arkansas Emmaus Community, click here. The Emmaus Community of FUMC meets quarterly for dinner and fellowship. Contact Larry Frazier for more information.

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