Anniston First United Methodist
You don’t have to have it figured out to walk through the door.
Generations Together — rooted in grace, growing in faith, leading with hope. A church family in Anniston where you can ask honest questions, heal at your own pace, and be known — not just noticed.
- 8:30
- Acker ChapelTraditional — hymns, the Creed, a sermon
- 10:30
- MultigenerationalHymns and new songs, with children’s church
- Summer
- Common GroundJune and July, out at Camp Lee
- Anytime
- Online WorshipWatch from wherever you are
Pardon Our Progress
Our website is under construction as we make improvements to serve you better. Thank you for your patience — and welcome!
Worship Services
Four ways to worship here, and none of them require you to know anyone.
They are different rooms, different music, and to some extent different crowds. Not one of them is the “real” service. Pick the one that sounds like what you are looking for, and if you pick wrong, come to another one next week.
Sundays, 8:30 a.m.
Acker Chapel
Traditional worship in the chapel. Hymns out of the hymnal, the Apostles’ Creed said together, prayer, Scripture and a sermon. No band, no screens, and nobody asking you to greet six strangers.
- Music: hymns, organ and piano
- Room: the chapel — small, quiet, close
- Who’s there: a tight-knit group that leans older, and anyone who wants worship this way
- Children: welcome in the service; no separate programming at this hour
- Length: about an hour — you’ll be back in your car by 9:30
Sundays, 10:30 a.m.
Multigenerational Worship
Worship in the Sanctuary with every age in one room. Hymns out of the hymnal and songs written in the last few years, often in the same hour. If you came for one and not the other, you will get some of each.
- Music: choir, worship band, handbells, organ and piano
- Room: the Sanctuary — large, and easy to sit at the back
- Who’s there: families, teenagers, single adults, and people in their eighties, together
- Children: nursery for birth through age two, a children’s moment, then children’s church
- Length: about an hour and ten minutes
June and July, at Camp Lee
Common Ground Worship
In the summer worship moves out to Martha’s Chapel at Camp Lee. Same church, different setting — open windows, folding chairs, and the lake just down the hill. Plenty of people stay afterward for the water and the afternoon.
- Music: simpler — guitar, piano, voices in a small room
- Room: Martha’s Chapel at Camp Lee, out of town and worth the drive
- Who’s there: whoever comes — it draws a mix, and nobody dresses up
- Children: welcome throughout, and the rest of the camp is right there
- When: June and July only; the Sanctuary service resumes in August
Any time you like
Online Worship
Sickness, travel, a Sunday that got away from you — whatever kept you home, the message from the Sanctuary is here waiting. Watching one before you visit is a completely reasonable way to get a look at a church.
- What’s online: the 10:30 Multigenerational service from the Sanctuary
- Room: wherever you are — phone, laptop or television
- Who’s there: members who are travelling or unwell, and people deciding whether to come
- Children: no reason they can’t watch with you, and no reason they have to sit still
- When: messages are posted the following week on YouTube, and the archive stays up
What’s happening
What’s Happening at Anniston First
Announcements, photos and the week’s news go up on Facebook first. Follow us there to learn more — or just read along here.
Come as you are
You can belong here before you feel settled.
Ask honest questions. Build friendships at whatever speed suits you. Take your next step when you are ready to take it, and not before.
If what you are looking for is a church where the tradition runs deep, the future still has hope in it, and nobody is keeping score on you — there is room here, at any of those hours.
Communion
The table is open.
On the first Sunday of the month every service shares Communion, and in the United Methodist Church the table is open. You do not have to be a member here, or a member anywhere, or have anything sorted out, to come forward.
Children come to the table too. So do people who walked in that morning for the first time. And if you would rather stay in your seat, plenty of people do, for plenty of reasons.
Your first Sunday
What happens, from the car to the last song.
Most of what makes a first visit uncomfortable is not knowing the small things. These are true whichever service you come to.
- You park. The Noble Street spaces run along the front of the building, and there are four lots within a short walk. The maps below mark all of them.
- You come in off Noble Street. Both entrances face Noble. Somebody will be at the door.
- You are handed a bulletin. Everything that is going to happen is printed in it, in order, so you are never guessing what comes next.
- You sit wherever you want. Nobody has saved a seat, nobody is counting, and nobody will move you.
- You sing, or you listen. Both are worship. You are allowed to sit when others stand.
- The plate passes. Letting it go by is a completely normal thing to do, and no one is watching.
- Nobody asks you to stand up. We do not single visitors out. There is a card in the bulletin if you want us to know you came; leaving it blank is a perfectly good answer.
- You leave when it ends — or you stay and talk. Either one is fine, and you can choose on the day.
Getting there
Where to park, and which door.
Parking
The Noble Street spaces are the shortest walk. The West Lot, the Church Lot, the Court Avenue Lot and the Meals on Wheels Lot are all close by, and the maps below mark each one.
Which door at 8:30
The Acker Chapel entrance faces Noble Street, between 14th and 15th.
Which door at 10:30
The Sanctuary entrance, also on Noble Street.
Accessibility
The building is handicap accessible and we have ADA restrooms. If it would help to know exactly where to come in and where to sit, call the church office before Sunday and we will walk you through it.
If you are running late
Come anyway, to either service. Slip in at the back — it will not be remarked on.
Not sure which service?
Call the church office and ask. A real person will answer you, and asking now beats wondering about it in the parking lot.
Facts & Questions
The questions people actually ask.
I’ve been hurt by a church before. Why would this be different?
We can’t undo what happened to you, and we won’t pretend church people always get it right — we don’t. What we can promise: no pressure, no shame, and space to move at your own pace. Some people attend for months before they talk to anyone, and that’s okay with us.
Do I have to believe everything to attend?
No. Doubts and questions are welcome here — faith that’s never been questioned usually isn’t very sturdy. Come as a skeptic if that’s where you are.
Will anyone pressure me to join, volunteer, or give?
No. Membership, serving, and giving are things people choose when they’re ready. Nobody will corner you.
What denomination are you, and does that matter?
We’re United Methodist — but you don’t need to know what that means to worship with us. If you’re curious, we’re happy to talk about it over coffee.
What if I haven’t been to church in 10+ years?
Then you’ll be in good company. A lot of our folks came back after a long time away. You won’t be behind; there’s no syllabus.
What should I wear?
What you have on. Some people wear a tie, some wear shorts, and at Camp Lee in July almost nobody wears either. Nobody is checking.
Life together
This is what a month around here looks like.
Worship is an hour. The rest of it is meals packed, water splashed, songs learned, and a lot of people showing up for each other in between Sundays.
What People Are Saying
In their words.
“This church has become a sanctuary for refugees fleeing hurt caused by other churches. Not only are people finding safety and family here, but I hope that, like myself, others will find a more vibrant, more Christ-centered theology.”
Jon Martin“What surprised us most about Anniston First was how quickly it felt like home. From the moment our family walked through the doors, we were welcomed not as visitors, but as family. We expected a friendly congregation, but we didn’t expect to find such an authentic community — people who genuinely care for one another, embrace questions, and strive to live out Christ’s love with grace and compassion.”
Amber and Scotti Simpson“I keep coming to Anniston FUMC because of both the church we have been in the past and the church we are today. Our church has continued to adapt and transform with new types of worship, old and new music, generational activities, community mission involvement, and a more diverse, friendly congregation.”
Becky LedfordStay Connected
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