January 10 – Onboard the new Executive Council team regarding the years’ process for discerning our future together.

February 10-12 – Cultivate: Searching for Wisdom, Connection, and Peace, our Church-wide Retreat will support the work of church-wide discernment as we discuss our values and build connection.

February 13 – Executive Council discusses what we heard from our church-wide retreat regarding our values and asks for best practices from other congregations who have moved through the discernment process.

February 22 – Ash Wednesday

March 5 – At 4pm our District Superintendent will walk the congregation through a discussion of polity and doctrine as well as answer questions from the congregation.

March 13 – Executive Council will discuss what we heard from the congregation and what we have learned from others who have walked through a discernment process.

April 2 – Palm Sunday

April 9 – Easter Sunday

April 10 – Executive Council will discuss how withdrawal impacts us and others. The team will give careful consideration to Wespath (which hosts staff and clergy pensions) and our global connection (other UMC Agencies).

April 30 – At 4pm Helen Ryde from Reconciling Ministries shares their perspective and answers questions.

May 8 – Executive Council will discuss what values and commitments we compromise by either staying or withdrawing.

May 11 – There will be a Called Special Annual Conference to vote on disaffiliating congregations.

June 4 – at 4pm Matthew Vines shares about the biblical case for LGBTQIA+ persons full inclusion within the church.  

June 12 – Executive Council will discusses the impact of the Matthew Vines event and what we learned from his sharing and those who chose to attend.

June 21-24 – North Alabama Annual Conference will be held in Huntsville, AL.

June 25 – The North Alabama Conference Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett will share why we should stay UM and answer questions.

July 9 – Executive Council hosts a Listening and Learning session for our congregation to ask questions and express their opinions.

July 10 – Executive Council will discuss what withdrawing or staying UMC communicates to our congregation and others and how divisive either decision could be for our congregation, community, and Conference. Conversation will begin as to whether we have peace on a direction for the future of First Church. (If necessary, a Church Charge will be called to vote on Executive Council’s recommendation.)

July 24 – Executive Council will continue conversation (if needed) as to whether we have peace on a direction for the future of First Church?

August 1 – Disaffiliation paperwork must be turned into North Alabama Conference for churches planning to disaffiliate on September 12.

September 12 – There will be a Called Special Annual Conference to vote on the remaining disaffiliating congregations for 2023 under paragraph 2553 in the Book of Discipline.

October 13-15 – Reconciling Ministry Network Convocation in Charlotte, North Carolina.

April 23-May 3, 2024- General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

July 10-13, 2024 – Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference to elect/appoint Bishops held in Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.