As our church grows, so does our need to serve a greater variety of people; we find ways to serve our seniors, those retired from jobs or at least from bigger jobs. People who are single by choice or by unforeseen circumstances can find a place to grow and share at FUMC. The last and fastest growing group that has found a life in our church are the young ones. With only a handful of children and youth a few short years ago, we now enjoy the presence of children and youth in ministries throughout the church.

Retirees come in many age ranges. Our “seniors” have been retired for many years – but they still serve on ministries or committees that continue to be important to them. As our seniors move toward the retirement homes and even on to nursing homes, they are not forgotten – many of our ministries reach out to this cherished group of adults and find ways to celebrate their presence.

The younger group of “retirees” (around 50 – 70 years old), tend to be the leaders in our church. Many have come from very active lives in a church where they moved from; others have been so busy with jobs, that they really look forward to being able to commit more of their time to finding ways to serve God and church. And they often do that within the social groups they connect to in the church.

Our greatest opportunity to expand our evangelical heritage has come through the desire to give a younger generation new ways to express their faith, translate that faith into actions and make a difference in the world.

We welcome families with children into our church, whether they come from other church backgrounds, or have no previous church experiences to draw from. Our goal is to seek ways for them to encounter Christ.

We’ve recently created new positions in the children and the youth areas to help us reach out more effectively to this growing segment of our church. Though most of these families have one or two working parents, we invite them to serve on boards and short term task forces to make sure their needs are heard and understood as we continue to embrace that niche of our membership.

Singles are represented in most of the ministries within our church.

The S.A.L.T. (Single Adults Learning Together) Bible Study group meets the first and the third Wednesday each month at 7pm in Room 4. The group selects an area of study which may be a book of the Bible, or a spiritual growth study book. Leaders may rotate, depending on area of study.

The Out To Lunch Bunch meets once a month to travel to some interesting place, or go shopping, and usually have lunch before returning to the church.

Here at FUMC Bella Vista we offer exciting, interactive learning opportunities for people of all ages, beginning with our youngest children. Each Sunday during the 9:30 a.m. worship hour we offer "Early Christian Awareness" for tiny tots and toddlers in our nursery.

Children from Pre Kindergarten (age 4) through 6th grade are invited to start their classes in our contemporary service. From there, we head downstairs for our classes. We currently use the HeartShaper curriculum. You can check out the scope and sequence here. Classes are divided currently Pre K - K, 1st - 3rd, and 4th - 6th.

The second Friday of each month from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., our 5th & 6th graders meet for our Friday Night Club (F.N.C.) This is an opportunity for the children to meet together for a deeper study of God’s word and is also a place where they can talk about issues or anything else they may need to discuss.

We also believe in the safety of our children. We are a “Safe Sanctuary” church. We have a check in station downstairs in the children’s wing to insure accountability for your children while they are in our care.

Director of Children's Ministries, Carrie Drish, will be happy to answer any questions you may have. All the information that you need to know about what is going on with our children's programs is right here at your finger tips! First UMC - Bella Vista Children's Ministry Blog.

We are empowering teens to live their daily life thru Christ by bringing them closer to God thru FUN, FELLOWSHIP, and FAITH. All teens 7th thru 12th grade are always welcome at any of our ministries’ classes, meetings, service, or outings.

Sunday School class - 9:30am to 10:30am
Teens meet in the Contemporary Service and sit together for Praise singing and then move down to the Youth room for Bible Study.

Wednesday nights (except during school breaks)
6:00pm to 6:45pm - Youth Choir - Choir room
7:00pm to 8:00pm - CrossWord meets in the youth room on the lower level

Girls and Boys Groups meet on Sunday nights in homes. Contact for info of times, dates, and home locations.

We are very active in doing local service projects and mission work throughout the year and normally take a mission trip during the summer.

Contact the First United Methodist Church of Bella Vista, Director of Youth Ministries, Danette Baker, with any questions via our online mailform or send an email to fumcbvcrossword@cox.net.