Growth and Change
Over the past one hundred years the church name has changed slightly as the Methodist organization has changed. It went from The New Farmingdale Methodist Episcopal Church, to the Methodist Episcopal Church, to The First Methodist Church in 1939 and finally to the First United Methodist Church in the late1960's.
Pastors have changed over the years each bringing their own energy, enthusiasm, and ideas to our congregation. Church membership has changed as new members joined and others found it necessary to leave but each was an important part of our family and our growth.
Our building has changed. In 1913, electricity was installed in both the church and the parsonage. The pipe organ was also converted to electric. This eliminated the need for the boy behind the organ to pump the bellows. In 1922, the present bell was hoisted into place after finding the two, previous bells were too heavy and shook the structure. In 1924, our present pews were purchased and installed. In 1940, the present Nursery Room was added as an up-to-date kitchen. The previous kitchen was located where our present library is. With continued growth, large Sunday School attendance, youth group activities, socials, and dinners, a large fellowship hall was planned and completed in 1958. This included a pastors study, church office, modern bathrooms, and spacious storage closets.
In 1965, our new parsonage was completed on Hurtt Ave. and our old parsonage was sold and moved from its almost one hundred year place of honor next to the church to its present location on Asbury Ave. Our church added an entrance driveway on the north side of the church where the parsonage use to be. This was later black topped along with the rear parking area and exit driveway.
Many renovations and modernizations have taken place to this 1894 structure to enhance its beauty, use, up keep, and efficiency. This has included a drop ceiling in the sanctuary, day care, and library as well as the addition of paneling, improved lighting, ceiling fans, a new furnace, and heating systems. The front of the sanctuary was rebuilt and new furnishing were acquired. To the exterior, aluminum siding was installed. Beautiful new cabinets, counter, and carpeting were added to the DayCare Room, and our air conditioning system was installed in 2000. A new room was added to Fellowship Hall in 2003, and has been very useful for our Pre-K class, Sunday School classes,
meetings, etc. Over the summer, we got new carpet and pew cushions. In the fall of 2004, we got new windows and siding, further improving the looks of our beautiful church. It has been a great blessing to receive these donations.
Meeting the needs of the people and the community has changed also. Our music department, which used to consist of only an adult and a junior choir, has hosted over the years an all boys choir, an orff choir, a folk choir, and currently consists of an adult choir, children's choir, Wesley hand bell choir, and a children's chime choir.
In the early 1900's the Epworth League was the spiritual social and business hub of the church. This group of both men and women conducted prayer meetings and saw to the organizing and running of activities of the church. The Ladies Aid which later became the United Methodist Women met the spiritual and educational needs of the women in the church. They also helped with the furnishing of the parsonage and finances of the church by holding bazaars and luncheons and actively took part in mission projects of the church as they still do today.
The youth have always been considered an important part of our church. from early years of devoted teachers giving their time and talents in Sunday School education to the formation of the Pot Luckers. In the 1940's, the Pot Luckers, an organization unique to our church alone, brought fellowship and entertainment to the youth of the church and community during the war years. As the group grew in both age and number so did their mission in the church . They had the ability as a Christian group to earn finances for our church and assisted in supporting many projects that were done over the years. They raised most of their funds by preparing and serving many delicious dinners over their fifty plus years of existence. For many years high school youth have been involved in our M.Y.F. The name also changed to the U.M.Y.F., United Methodist Youth Fellowship. They have expanded from a fellowship group caring about and serving our own church to a mission group which is actively helping to do the Lords work not only in our community but in our Christian community of the world.
Our church is forever learning and growing and this is how it should be:
Learning to love and serve our Lord, Learning to do His work within our church,
Within our community, And within our world, And to constantly grow as a family in Christ.
Original work by Anne M. Willuweit - updated as needed by other members.
Pastors have changed over the years each bringing their own energy, enthusiasm, and ideas to our congregation. Church membership has changed as new members joined and others found it necessary to leave but each was an important part of our family and our growth.
Our building has changed. In 1913, electricity was installed in both the church and the parsonage. The pipe organ was also converted to electric. This eliminated the need for the boy behind the organ to pump the bellows. In 1922, the present bell was hoisted into place after finding the two, previous bells were too heavy and shook the structure. In 1924, our present pews were purchased and installed. In 1940, the present Nursery Room was added as an up-to-date kitchen. The previous kitchen was located where our present library is. With continued growth, large Sunday School attendance, youth group activities, socials, and dinners, a large fellowship hall was planned and completed in 1958. This included a pastors study, church office, modern bathrooms, and spacious storage closets.
In 1965, our new parsonage was completed on Hurtt Ave. and our old parsonage was sold and moved from its almost one hundred year place of honor next to the church to its present location on Asbury Ave. Our church added an entrance driveway on the north side of the church where the parsonage use to be. This was later black topped along with the rear parking area and exit driveway.
Many renovations and modernizations have taken place to this 1894 structure to enhance its beauty, use, up keep, and efficiency. This has included a drop ceiling in the sanctuary, day care, and library as well as the addition of paneling, improved lighting, ceiling fans, a new furnace, and heating systems. The front of the sanctuary was rebuilt and new furnishing were acquired. To the exterior, aluminum siding was installed. Beautiful new cabinets, counter, and carpeting were added to the DayCare Room, and our air conditioning system was installed in 2000. A new room was added to Fellowship Hall in 2003, and has been very useful for our Pre-K class, Sunday School classes,
meetings, etc. Over the summer, we got new carpet and pew cushions. In the fall of 2004, we got new windows and siding, further improving the looks of our beautiful church. It has been a great blessing to receive these donations.
Meeting the needs of the people and the community has changed also. Our music department, which used to consist of only an adult and a junior choir, has hosted over the years an all boys choir, an orff choir, a folk choir, and currently consists of an adult choir, children's choir, Wesley hand bell choir, and a children's chime choir.
In the early 1900's the Epworth League was the spiritual social and business hub of the church. This group of both men and women conducted prayer meetings and saw to the organizing and running of activities of the church. The Ladies Aid which later became the United Methodist Women met the spiritual and educational needs of the women in the church. They also helped with the furnishing of the parsonage and finances of the church by holding bazaars and luncheons and actively took part in mission projects of the church as they still do today.
The youth have always been considered an important part of our church. from early years of devoted teachers giving their time and talents in Sunday School education to the formation of the Pot Luckers. In the 1940's, the Pot Luckers, an organization unique to our church alone, brought fellowship and entertainment to the youth of the church and community during the war years. As the group grew in both age and number so did their mission in the church . They had the ability as a Christian group to earn finances for our church and assisted in supporting many projects that were done over the years. They raised most of their funds by preparing and serving many delicious dinners over their fifty plus years of existence. For many years high school youth have been involved in our M.Y.F. The name also changed to the U.M.Y.F., United Methodist Youth Fellowship. They have expanded from a fellowship group caring about and serving our own church to a mission group which is actively helping to do the Lords work not only in our community but in our Christian community of the world.
Our church is forever learning and growing and this is how it should be:
Learning to love and serve our Lord, Learning to do His work within our church,
Within our community, And within our world, And to constantly grow as a family in Christ.
Original work by Anne M. Willuweit - updated as needed by other members.