The Year of Invitation
In 2026, our worship and ministry theme will be “The Year of Invitation.” Throughout the year, we will give special attention to extending Christ’s welcome in reaching out and inviting neighbors, friends, and newcomers into a community where grace is shared and lives are shaped by God’s love.
Starting the Year in Prayer - A Bible Study
Let us begin the new year grounded in study and prayer. Join us Monday mornings, from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., where we will explore Dynamite Prayer: A 28-Day Experiment by Revs. Rosario Picardo and Sue Nilson Kibbey. Over seven weeks, we will journey together, experiencing the comforting and transformative power of prayer. Pastor Lahronda will facilitate the class. (In Observance of the MLK Holiday, there will be no class on January 19)
Pickleball
Strengthen your connection with our church and community through the great game of Pickleball! Open to all ages and skill levels, this weekly team meets on Mondays in the Family Life Hall.
Learn more and REGISTER HERE
Women of Faith Bible Study
The Women of Faith Bible Study will begin a new seven-week study on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., where we start in Room 303, then break into small groups. We will be studying “When You Pray” by six different authors.
If you have questions or are interested in joining, please contact Martha Lee Sanders at trsanders@mindspring.com.
Upper Room Zoom
You are invited to join us online for scripture, devotion, prayer, and friendship founded in faith.
We meet on Wednesdays, from 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. via ZOOM.
(Except on the third Wednesday of each month, when we meet in person for lunch in the Family Life Hall.)
REGISTER HERE to receive the ZOOM link to join!
Church Family Supper
Join your church family for Church Family Supper on Wednesday, January 28, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Hall. Please register online so we know you’re coming & can plan accordingly.
2026 Vacation Bible School
2026 VBS: Participant Registration Opens February 1
This year’s Vacation Bible School is June 8-11 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. each day. Rising 4-year-old PreK - rising 5th Graders are invited to participate as we explore Snowball Mountain Challenge: Find our Strength in God! Through Bible stories, crafts, games, and more, each day is filled with activities that remind kids that God is with them, no matter where they go or what they encounter.
For more information on VBS, or help registering, please contact our Director of Children’s Ministry, Amber Whitaker.
2026 Mission Trip Information Session
Find out about opportunities to share in God’s love and grace through community development in 2026. The meeting will be held February 1, from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. in the Holy Grounds Cafe. Light refreshments will be served.
Power 45 Soup-er Bowl Fundraiser
Join us for our first Power 45 Soup-er Bowl Sunday Fundraiser on Sunday, February 8! Stop by during the Sunday School hour (10:10 a.m. – 11:10 a.m.) or after the second worship service (12:20 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.).
Our Power 45 kids will be preparing and serving delicious soup. Guests are welcome to enjoy their meal together in the Family Life Hall or grab soup to go. All proceeds will support Children and Youth Ministries Retreats & Events.
This event is first-come-first-serve, until we run out of soup!
SAM Trip to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Musuem
Join the Senior Adults for a special trip to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum on Monday, February 9. We will leave on the church bus at 9:30 a.m. from the Polk Street parking lot, so please arrive a few minutes early.
The cost is $10, payable at the library doors. After our tour of the library, we will stop for lunch at The Varsity. Lunch will be pay-on-your-own, and they are also accepting cash.
Parent's Night Out
Enjoy a night out on Friday, February 13, while we take care of your children!
February’s Parent’s Night Out will be a Heart Party! Children ages 6 months–3rd grade are invited to wear red or pink and join our nursery staff for a fun-filled evening learning how we can love God and love one another. The night will include crafts, games, and snacks!
Please be sure to bring a nut-free dinner and a water bottle or sippy cup for your child.
REGISTER HERE
Family Promise Week
Marietta FUMC is excited to support Family Promise of Cobb County, a ministry to assist working families and children with temporary shelter and meals at local churches, while they receive support to develop careers and income to obtain their own homes.
Ash Wednesday
Join us as we enter the season of Lent together. All are welcome to worship and receive the imposition of ashes at one of our two services, held at 12:00 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. We hope to see you there!
The nursery will be available for children 4 & under at the 6:30 p.m. service.
Young Adult Ministry Kickoff
Join us on Saturday, February 21 for the kickoff of the Young Adult | College Adult Ministry for Marietta FUMC! Come enjoy snacks and refreshments in Holy Grounds Cafe and hear the plan for 2026 as we launch our ministry for ages 18 - 30. Matthew Canada, the Director of Young Adults at Marietta FUMC will share his testimony and the hopes for the Young Adult Ministry.
2026 Women's Retreat
Join the Women’s Ministry Team for an overnight retreat at The Hotel At Auburn, Auburn Alabama on Friday, March 13 through Saturday, March 14, 2026.
The registration confirmation reply email will contain the link to reserve rooms at the reduced rate.
Blood Drive
We invite you to make a difference by participating in our upcoming blood drive on Monday, January 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Family Life Hall.
Sign up today at www.redcrossblood.org using sponsor code: MFUMC.
Wonderfully Made 2026
You and your child are invited to participate in a special event called Wonderfully Made, on Friday, January 23 and Saturday, January 24! Open to children in the 5th and 6th grades, Wonderfully Made is a United Methodist resource that offers preteens and their parents an opportunity to begin the important conversations about bodies, human growth, sexuality, reproduction and relationships from a Christian perspective.
Discovery Weekend
Join us on Friday, January 23 through January 25, 2026 for THE BEST WEEKEND OF THE YEAR! Discovery Weekend features amazing worship, off-campus host homes, and college and high school leaders ready to serve in BIG ways for our middle school students! Throughout this weekend, students play games, experience worship, hear challenging messages, and participate in a service project.
Church Family Supper
Join your church family for Church Family Supper on Wednesday, January 21, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Hall. Please register online so we know you’re coming & can plan accordingly.
Senior Adult Luncheon
Join our Senior Adults for the first Luncheon of 2026 on Wednesday, January 21, in the Family Life Hall from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The speaker is MFUMC member, Glenn Gray.
Church Family Supper 1/14/26
Join your church family for Church Family Supper on Wednesday, January 14, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Hall. Please register online so we know you’re coming & can plan accordingly.
Power 45 Winter Kickoff
Join us on Sunday, January 11, from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. for our FIRST Power 45 meeting of 2026! We will be meeting in the Fuse Box at 1:00 p.m.
Church Family Supper 1/7/26
Join your church family for the first Church Family Supper of the new year on Wednesday, January 7, from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Hall. Please register online so we know you’re coming & can plan accordingly.
One Worship Service: December 28
We will have one worship service at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary! Join us as we continue with the Christmas spirit, singing and proclaiming the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Christmas Family Choir
Sing with Us This Christmas Season! Join us for the easiest—and most joyful—music of the year: Christmas carols! Experience worship from a new perspective as you help create the Christmas spirit. All are welcome, and you’re invited to sit with family and friends while wearing your Christmas best.
2025 Jingle Jammies
Join us for Jingle Jammies on Monday, December 22 from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.! This event is for children in 3rd grade and below. All kids are invited to come in their pajamas for a morning of Christmas crafts, games, and a holiday movie!
The Longest Night: A Service of Reflection
You are warmly invited to gather with us on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. for a gentle, contemplative service for those among us who are carrying the silent burdens of the heart during the holiday season. Come as you are and rest in the healing presence of Christ, who meets us even in our darkest nights.
Church-Wide Reception: Rev. Blair Tolbert
There will be a church wide farewell reception for Rev. Blair Tolbert on Sunday, December 21 from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the Family Life Hall. Join us as we share our gratitude for the many ways she has led, loved and inspired our church family. You can also give a love offering on our Givepage. Select "Love Offering - Pastor Blair Tolbert."
Birthday Party for Jesus
Join us in the Fuse Box during the Sunday School hour on December 21 for Jesus' birthday celebration!! We'll sing Happy Birthday, enjoy some cake, and play some festive Christmas games and activities.
No registration required.
Senior Adult Ministry Christmas Luncheon
Join us for a festive Senior Adult Ministry Christmas Luncheon on Wednesday, December 17 at 12:00 p.m. at the home of Jane Cooley. Enjoy a delicious meal, warm fellowship, and plenty of holiday cheer in a welcoming setting. Guests are invited to bring a dessert to share—a perfect chance to show off your favorite holiday recipe!
Power 45 Christmas Party: Progressive Dinner
We hope all of our 4th and 5th graders can join us on Sunday, December 14 from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for our Christmas Progressive Dinner! We will be meeting at the Welcome Center and then taking buses to different houses for our various courses
Lessons and Carols
Join us December 14 at the 9:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. worship services for a service of scripture and song led by members of all ages from the Music Ministry. Each service tells the story of the Nativity through a series of scripture readings from the Old and New Testaments, interspersed with beloved carols and anthems.
Christmas Angels
Be a Christmas Angel This Holiday Season! Help bring joy and warmth to families in your community this Christmas! There are three meaningful ways you can make a difference:
WAYS TO HELP:
1. Sponsor a Child
2. Make a Financial Donation
3. Volunteer on Delivery Day
Young Adult Christmas Dinner
Join us on Friday, December 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lower Room (Building C) for a dinner party for returning college students and young adults to fellowship, eat, and hear the vision for the young adult ministry moving forward.
A Celtic Christmas with Emmet Cahill
Monday, December 8, 7:00 p.m., Sanctuary | (Doors open 6:15 p.m.)
World acclaimed Irish Tenor, Emmet Cahill, hails from Mullingar, Ireland, and is the lead singer with PBS phenomenon Celtic Thunder. He will be accompanied by Pianist Seamus Brett with featured performances by the First United Methodist Church of Marietta’s Chancel Choir and the new Glatter-Götz Pipe Organ. This Christmas concert will include stunning renditions of your favorite Christmas carols and sing-a-longs for the entire audience.
Christmas Pop-Up Shop
Stop by Holy Grounds on Sunday, December 7 to find some great Christmas gifts and goodies at our Holiday Pop-up Shop Open extended hours from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. There will be special treats and drinks too!
Christmas Eve Services
Christmas Eve services will be Wednesday, December 24: Children’s Nativity Service at 3:00 p.m. and Candlelight Communion Services at 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., & 11:00 p.m.
Nursery will be available for the 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m. services.
Year-End Contributions
To make in-person year-end contributions to the church, please do so on Sunday, December 21, or December 28, or at the Welcome Center during regular church office hours up to Christmas Eve.
Advent Wreath Workshop
Families of all ages are invited to join us in the Family Life Hall for an Advent Wreath Workshop on November 30 during the Sunday School hour (10:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.)! Together, we’ll create a wreath and candles to celebrate the Advent season (complete with a take-home liturgy).
We hope you can join us! REGISTER HERE
Amazing Grace Offering 2025
Wellroot Family Services’ programs are designed to restore children and families through Jesus Christ. Your Amazing Grace Offering gift helps keep families together, equips foster parents, and provides housing and support for young adults aging out of foster care. To donate, visit our website and select "Amazing Grace 2025" or indicate “Amazing Grace 2025” on your check either in our Sunday offering or in the church office.
Power 45 Friendsgiving
Join us for our November Power 45 meeting on November 23 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.!
Sign up to bring an item for our potluck: HERE.
Register to attend: HERE.
SAM Luncheon Friendsgiving
Join us as we share the love of Christ with our community guests through the Good Samaritan Ministry Thanksgiving Meal!
Thursday, November 20, at 11:30 am, in the Family Life Hall.
There is no cost to attend.
Christmas Poinsettias
Poinsettias can be ordered by completing the order form on the back and visiting one of the tables in the Welcome Center or on the bridge after services on Sunday, November 30 and Sunday, December 7, or mailing it to the church.
Beth Berman Dinner and Silent Auction
Beth Berman Mission Fund Dinner & Silent Auction
Date: Thursday, November 13th
Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Location: Family Life Hall
Individual Event Tickets $40
Table of 8 Tickets $320
Join us for an evening of fellowship and generosity in support of the Beth Berman Mission Fund.
Charge Conference
On Tuesday, November 11, at 7:00 p.m., the 2025 Charge Conference will be held at MFUMC in the Sanctuary.