FAQ’s
About FUMC
We would love to help you.
From time to time we have identified a number of questions that come up quite often about our church from members of the Little Rock community. If you have any specific questions, we would love to help you. Just visit our contact page!
Can I have my wedding here?
We would be honored to host your wedding at First United Methodist Little Rock. Before we move further, let us share our heart for what marriage is.
A wedding in a church is primarily a worship service. It is a celebration of the Gospel; a sacred rite in which two persons and a community of believers commit a marriage to God.
A church wedding is far more than a contractual agreement with two people who simply "want to get married." It is for those who desire to dedicate their marriage to God, complete with a commitment to, and membership in, God's church. The couple should understand that the community of faith is a place for growing in the responsibility and in the blessing of being a child of God. Those seeking to be married in a United Methodist Church by a pastor are asking for a Christian ceremony and are expressing their intention that the wedding service bonds them to the Christian community of which they plan to be a part after their wedding.
Since the marriage ritual of the church declares a relationship to God as well as to each other, the goal is to offer the couple the opportunity to share their commitment to God and to articulate their understanding of the action of God in their lives. Without this spiritual dimension of the marriage, the wedding is only a contractual agreement with each other, and no more than a civil ceremony to be performed by a judge, mayor or other civil authority.
It is the assumption of the pastors of this church that couples requesting a wedding will want to think through these rudimentary understandings of the Christian faith as they desire to commit their marriage to God. These understandings and commitments are basic to the Church's marriage ceremony. The pastors welcome and pledge to be open with any couple who approaches their upcoming marriage in this spirit.
Click below to download the booklet of guidelines that have been instituted in order to establish a procedure for scheduling and planning weddings in First United Methodist Church. They make available to wedding parties the accepted customs of this church. If you are currently a member of FUMC, contact the church office for a separate booklet.
What is the Child Development Center?
THE GERTRUDE REMMEL BUTLER CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER (CDC)
The Gertrude Remmel Butler Child Development Center (CDC) is dedicated to providing quality child care in a loving and educational environment for children six weeks to 12 years of age. The CDC, a ministry of the First United Methodist Church, is governed by a Board of Directors which meets quarterly. The Board is comprised of church members and parents who are elected by FUMC Charge Conference. Under director of the CDC Board, the Center improved the quality of early care offered to young children. The CDC is Three Star Better Beginnings Center awarded by the state of Arkansas. This is the highest award that Arkansas awards.
The staff, through constant external and in-service training, believes that positive self-esteem and a healthy curiosity for learning are the most important qualities for early childhood development. These goals are nurtured and emphasized throughout our program.
Preschool is open to children from infancy (eight weeks) to age five, five days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 52 weeks a year. An after-school program is available during the school year for pre-kindergarten children through fifth grade. Pick-up is available from area public and private schools. Full care is offered to school-age children when school is out for teacher work days, holidays or inclement weather.
Vacation Sensation, a summer program for school-age children, begins in June and runs throughout the summer until school resumes in the fall. Vacation Sensation offers a wide variety of field trips and recreational and educational activities with a returning staff of professional counselors.
Can I rent FUMC's facilities?
You may rent space at FUMCLR depending on date, time and availability. Please contact the church office for more information(501-372-2256).
Can I have a funeral at FUMC?
One role of the church is to comfort those who mourn and religious rites and services such as funerals and memorial services. There is no membership requirement to hold one of these services at First Church. Funerals and memorial services can be scheduled by calling the church office. Please know that while we work to be accommodating, service times and days may be limited by the church calendar. There is no cost for a funeral or memorial service, but some special requests, such as soloists and extra floral arrangements, require payment.
Can you tell me about your organs?
We find that there is a great amount of interest in the organs here at First. Here's a bit of info about them.
Sanctuary Organ
Built in 1986 by Casavant-Freres in Quebec Canada, and revoiced in 2000 by Nichols and Simpson of Little Rock, Arkansas. Has 57 ranks with a wide range of expressions.
Chapel Organ
Built in 1973 by Zimmer Organs in Denver, North Carolina. Has 7 non-expressive ranks.