Visit

Name: Pastries With the Pastors
Start: 2021-11-07T09:30:00-06:00
End: 2021-11-07T10:45:00-06:00
Location: Chapel

Let Us Know You’re Coming

When you are ready to visit, please fill out the short form below to let us know you are coming on Sunday. We can’t wait to meet you! We want to do everything we can to make your first time at FUMCFW as easy and stress-free as possible – so all you have to do is enjoy your first experience as part of our First Church family.

Church is so much more than a Sunday service – First Church is a place where you will never walk alone. We invite you to join us at the On Ramp in the garden after the service – if you are coming from the Sanctuary, exit out the left side of the back of the church and you will see the On Ramp sign to your left as you exit the Sanctuary. We will be there waiting to meet you. We have gifts for both children and adults as a token of our appreciation for you being with us. Plesae stop by, grab a cup of coffee and say hello!

Contact: Lisa Helm, Director of Welcoming Ministries (lhelm@myfumc.org) or call the Main Church Office at 817-336-7277.

Plan Your Visit

What to Expect on Sunday Mornings

At First Church you can always expect to be greeted warmly, welcomed fully, and made to feel right at home from your first visit on. Join us any Sunday to enjoy a friendly greeting, help in finding your way to a wide assortment of Sunday morning options, and an open invitation to find your place in our dynamic and welcoming faith community. You are our honored guest, and we hope the following information will make your time with us simple and enjoyable.

Getting Around FUMCFW

800 West 5th St.
Fort Worth, TX 76102

We are located in the heart of downtown Fort Worth at 800 West 5th Street. All of the parking lots surrounding the church are available for parking on Sunday mornings. Please note on Sunday mornings, Fifth Street is blocked at both ends to allow for safer pedestrian traffic. During weekdays (Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm) only the West Lot and the Main Lot are available for church parking.

learn more

Parking

Click the image to enlarge.

The easiest route to FUMCFW is to take 7th Street and turn into the parking lot, then go straight through the lot until you reach the statue at the end. If you’ll take a left at the statue, you’ll find designated parking places for guests along the first row of our Main Lot marked with green Welcome signs that mark these as Reserved for Church Visitors.

There is also parking available to the east of the church, just off of 4th Street, to the west, just off 3rd street, to the southeast at the corner of 4th and Macon, to the northwest on Henderson from 1st Street to 3rd Street, and to the south off of 7th street.

Look for the colorful light pole banners in each of our parking lots that designate FUMCFW Parking!

Mobility Friendly Parking

If you need a shorter, straighter path to the Sanctuary we offer two options for mobility-friendly visitors. Enter the Justin Parking Lot from 7th Street, proceed straight through the lot toward the front of the church, and park in the designated spots to your right just across from the Garden entrance, but still inside the Justin Lot.
Another mobility-friendly option would be to enter on 7th Street, proceed all the way through the Justin Parking Lot and turn right onto 5th Street (in order to bypass the barricades at either end of Fifth Street) and park on the street (please limit on-street parking to the curb across from the front of the church to leave the other lane open for emergency vehicles.)
Finally, if you will be using a wheelchair, your driver is welcome to pull up to the Garden entrance to let you out and then park on the other side of the street.

Each of these mobility-friendly parking options offers you a straight path across 5th Street so that you can enter the Sanctuary or Wesley Hall through the ramped Garden entrance.

Once You’re Here

Park in the designated parking places, and then cross 5th Street, walk through the Garden courtyard and enter the main building, and our Welcome Center will be on your right. Before and between services/classes,Welcome Center volunteers are delighted to answer any questions you may have about worship services or classes or other Sunday morning groups, as well as how to get to the Children’s Area or Youth Building. They’ll even escort you to your destination if that is helpful!

Along the way, you will be warmly greeted by our Hospitality Team wearing large ASK ME tags around their neck. These friendly folks understand how stressful it can be to visit a new church. They are here to answer your questions, help you get settled in for a great morning, and give you directions or help you find your destination.

If You Have Kids

Sunday Morning Nursery (3 Months – Pre-K)
8:30 am – noon | Children’s Wing

Children’s Academy Sunday School (K – 5th)
9:15 – 11:00 am | Children’s Wing

Confirmation (6th Graders)
September – January | 9:30 – 10:45 am | Justin Youth Building

Youth Sunday Programming (7th – 12th Grade)
Sunday School | 9:30 – 10:30 am | Justin Youth Building

Children's Ministries Youth Ministries

Events for Guests & New Members

We want to make it easy for you to take your next steps in your faith journey so we have several opportunities to help you find out where and how to get connected at FUMCFW:

Pastries with the Pastors

Join us for this breakfast opportunity to learn more about FUMCFW, our Healthy Plate discipleship program, and all the different ways you can get involved in our church and its ministries. Beyond Sunday morning worship services, we offer Bible studies, adult education classes, Grace Groups, service opportunities within the church and community, and many other great ways to connect with other church members and have some fun!

Healthy Plate Discipleship Breakfast

Enjoy breakfast and visit with others who are also looking to learn more about Healthy Plate Discipleship as they put down roots here at First Church. This fun and interactive conversation will help you discover how to take the next steps on your faith journey.

All Events for Guests & New Members

Upcoming Events

Click on the event title to learn more.

Please register for Pastries with the Pastors and/or Healthy Plate Discipleship Breakfast so we can make sure we have plenty of food and coffee for everyone!

Frequently Asked Questions

How early should I arrive?

Just plan to arrive a few minutes early. You should have no problem finding a parking place or a seat in our worship venues.

What if I arrive late?

Please don’t worry if you’re late – it happens to all of us sometimes! In any of the services, there will be ushers to help you find a seat.

What should I wear?

We certainly don’t have a dress code, but it can be good to know what to expect when you arrive. We invite members and visitors who attend our Sunday services to dress in a way that makes them feel comfortable at church. (Some choose to wear suits or dresses. Others wear jeans. Most people fall somewhere in the middle.) Please feel welcome to come just as you are — we are always honored to have you as our guest.

Can I visit any adult Sunday School classes? Do I just show up?

Yes! You are welcome to try any and all of our Sunday School Classes! Descriptions of the classes and their locations are available on the Adult Sunday School page, and teachers and topics for the coming Sunday are published each week in our FUMCFW Weekly Enews.

On our adult Sunday School page, you will notice that there are primary contacts listed for our Sunday School classes. Please feel free to email them if you’d like to have information about the class — and if you’d like, you can let them know you plan to visit — but know that you are always welcome to just show up!

Do you have accommodations for sight/hearing impaired?

Yes! If you are hearing impaired, our Sanctuary is equipped with a robust hearing assistance system. Hearing devices are available for checkout in the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings for use with your own earbuds, our over-ear headphones, or if you have a telecoil (T-Coil) system, it will wirelessly connect with your own personal hearing device.

If you experience any difficulties upon first-time use of our hearing devices, please check with your audiologist to make sure your device is loop compatible.

Large print bulletins are available in the narthex.

Do you have accommodations for anyone with mobility issues?

It can be a challenge to find accessibility in a 1929 Gothic Revival building, but thanks to the hard work of our FUMCFW Accessibility Task Force, our church has made great strides in becoming more accessible to people with mobility challenges. FUMCFW accessibility features include:

Wheelchair seating that intercepts two rows of pews, designed to offer both easy access for wheelchair users and a place within the congregational seating for wheelchair users and their companions to sit together
Reserved accessible seating where many as four wheelchairs users can now sit comfortably within our congregational seating, with a brightly colored edge along the corners of the spaces as a safety feature to help prevent tripping over the raised areas
Handrails affixed to the ends of the pews in the lower balcony now offer help in navigating uneven steps safely
Choir loft handrails provide choir members with mobility challenges safe passage to even the top rows of choir loft seating
Complimentary Valet Parking on 5th Street provides easy access to our Garden courtyard
Ramp entrances are available from the Garden courtyard for easy access into the Sanctuary, Wesley Hall, Welcome Center, and first floor, including classrooms, common areas, and restrooms
Elevators (at both east and west ends) provide access to second and third-floor classrooms.
Accessible restrooms on the first floor and tall toilet-accessible restrooms on all floors also help increase the accessibility of all our spaces.

When do I stand during worship?

In the Sanctuary Services, an asterisk in the worship bulletin will show you those times during the service when you’re invited to stand. In The Gathering and eleven:eleven services, the pastor will ask everyone to stand when appropriate.

What do I do when the offering plates are passed?

Offering plates are passed during our Time of Giving during each worship service. You may notice some members dropping cash or checks in the plates as they go by; others may contribute online, so no need to worry if you want to just pass the plate on!

While we always appreciate financial contributions from our guests as a show of appreciation, we see giving by our members as a spiritual discipline. And, even if you’re not a member but consider FUMCFW your church home, please prayerfully consider giving to our church by check or cash during the service or by setting up an online giving account.

Can I take communion?

In the United Methodist Church, all are welcome at the Lord’s Table, regardless of denominational affiliation, church membership, or belief. All are welcome to experience the gift of grace offered to us through Jesus Christ.

In the Sanctuary and the eleven:eleven services, we celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of every month. In The Gathering and DiscipleChurch services, we celebrate Communion every Sunday. We also offer a brief but beautiful Communion Service every week between services in Leonard Memorial Chapel.

Do I have to join your church?

No, you do not have to join to attend our church — even regularly! FUMCFW Membership is a choice and commitment you are welcome to make when the time is right for you.

Our Pastries with the Pastors event on the 3rd Sunday of each month offers a great opportunity to learn about membership expectations at FUMCFW. Or, you can contact Dr. Mike Marshall (mmarshall@myfumc.org | 817-339-2409) or Lisa Helm (lhelm@myfumc.org | 817-339-2403). They would be happy to meet with you at your convenience to answer any questions you may have.

Please know, whether you are a member or not, you are always welcome to worship among us, participate in any of our activities, and attend any of our classes or group activities!