Worship Service
Worship service at First United Methodist Church Sacramento is held in the sanctuary at 10:30 am each Sunday. The service generally lasts for about one hour.
The main doors into the Sanctuary are on the 21st Street side of the corner of 21st and J Streets in Midtown Sacramento. The sanctuary can also be entered through a door (under a sign) on J Street, walking through a lobby, right through a bank of doors, and across a grass courtyard.
Parking
Parking is available behind the church, near the corner of 22nd and J Streets and also in the State Net parking in the middle of 21st and 22nd Streets on K Street. Entrance into the sanctuary is through a side door just before the service and through the main doors on 21st Street.
Worship is for Everyone
There are almost 500 members of First United Methodist Church Sacramento who come from parts of the greater Sacramento area. On most Sundays there are approximately 170 people who attend worship, including singles, couples, families and seniors.
A handicap access is located on the 21st Street side of the building. Large print hymnals and voice amplifying devices are available upon request. Communion is served to those who wish to stay in their pew on the first Sunday of each month.
Childcare is provided by screened staff for children under 4. The Nursery is located in the Terrace Room, and the ushers in the Sanctuary Lobby can direct you to the Nursery.
Children ages four and above stay with their families for part of the service. They are invited to come forward for a Children’s message and then go with our Sunday School staff to special programs for the rest of the worship hour. These programs include Children’s Church, Music, Drama and Art.
Sunday School
9:15 to 10:15 am Sunday mornings
Sunday School classes are available for people of every age, from nursery care to adult education. For more information about Sunday School at First Church, please click here.
Fellowship and Finding Out More
Directly after worship (at about 11:30 am), coffee, tea and treats are served in the fellowship hall called the Terrace Room. How to get there is announced each Sunday morning during the service. To find out more about the church, you can chat with folks there or look through and take information about programs and service that are in the display racks in the Terrace Room hallway.
On the second Sunday of each month, the Pastor and Lay Leader host "Coffee with the Leaders" in the Pastor's office, just after worship. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you a little better, and for you to hear more about the opportunities, programs and ministries around the church.
Copies of the church Newsletter, The Visitor, are in the display racks and can also be accessed here.
The church office is open from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday at (916) 446-5025. The pastor and staff can also be contacted via email.
Fun Facts about First United Methodist Church
- First United Methodist Church is one of three Pioneer Sacramento Churches, and was established on October 28, 1849.
- The current church structure was built in 1925.
- The chapel and remodel occurred in 1965 and was dedicated in 1966. The remodel of the chancel area in the front of the church occurred in 1974.
- Dr. Noel LaRoque (a former pastor) designed and created the two sanctuary mosaics, and gave them to the church in the early 1980's.
- 13 chandeliers hang in the sanctuary (12 small and 1 large). The choir director and choir men built and installed the chandeliers in 1934 and 1936.
- In 1924 the church purchased the land for the current church building. They paid $50,000 for the site.
- First Church become known as “United” – First United Methodist Church – through a denominational merger in 1968.
- Boy Scout Troop #1, which still meets weekly in our building, is oldest operating troop under one sponsorship in Sacramento. It was formed from a First Church Sunday School Class in 1916 by the teacher, George Spillman, who wanted more activities for the boys in his class.
- Easter Services between 1946 and 1973 for First United Methodist Church were held in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium.
- The mortgage on the church building was paid in full in 1944. The actual burning of the mortgage took place in the Sanctuary on December 24, 1944.
- A fire and explosion damaged the apartment-business complex on the church property on July 29, 1968. The fire injured several persons, did extensive damage to the commercial building, and damage to the main church building, including damage to the stained-glass window in the library. It was completely repaired.