New Here | Athens First UMC

New Here?

Welcome! We're so glad you're here. We worship in person and online each weekend and would love for you to join us on Sundays at 9:30 or 11:00 a.m. Sunday School classes meet at 9:30 a.m. We offer additional opportunities to connect, grow, and serve on Sunday evenings, Wednesday evenings, and throughout the week.

We are located in the heart of downtown Athens. Our address is 327 N. Lumpkin Street, Athens, GA 30601. If you're planning your first visit, the information below will help you know what to expect on a Sunday morning. We can’t wait to meet you!

Parking
We love being a downtown church! With that said, we know that parking can sometimes be challenging. Thankfully, parking is available in several locations. There is a parking lot directly behind the church along Hull Street, as well as the top three parking lots off Hancock Avenue designated for Athens First UMC parking. Additional parking is available along the streets and in the Washington Street parking deck. Fees apply Monday – Saturday, but parking downtown on Sundays is always free.

Entering the Building
Our main sanctuary doors face Lumpkin Street. You’ll find handicap parking on the Hancock Avenue side of the building as well as behind the church along Hull Street. The main elevator is in the lobby of the Hancock Avenue entrance under the large overhang. From there, a greeter will direct you to the Sanctuary.

If you need a wheelchair, please ask a greeter or an usher. An usher also can direct you to the best places for a wheelchair-bound person to sit in the Sanctuary.

Nursery
Childcare is available for infants through four-year-olds at each service, 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The nursery is located directly inside the Washington Street entrance. All of our nursery staff are certified in CPR and first aid.

We are a Safe Sanctuaries church and are committed to the safety and well-being of all our children. Our goal is that every child will see the love of Jesus in each person who leads them in study and worship. All volunteers go through a Safe Sanctuaries training and are background checked.

Children and Youth
At Athens First, we believe that children and youth are an important part of our worship community! Children of all ages are welcome in all of our worship services. Worship bags with activities for kids are available at each service.

Sunday School for kids and students meets during the 9:30 a.m. worship service, and during the 11:00 a.m. worship service, children in Kindergarten through 4th grade are invited to leave the sanctuary at a designated time to attend Children’s Church. Our Kids' Ministry team will escort them from the Sanctuary to Room 320. There, they’ll dive deeper into the Bible story introduced during 9:30 Sunday School. It’s a fun, faith-filled time created just for them!

Hearing
We are excited to offer an app-based listening system in our sanctuary! To use our assistive listening system, you’ll need a smartphone and Bluetooth-enabled headphones or hearing aids. Simply download the Listen WiFi app and then connect to the dedicated WiFi network in the sanctuary. Audio will stream directly to your device, and you can adjust the volume just like any other app. Detailed instructions are available in our Narthex.

Online Worship
We worship online and in person at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m.
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Contact Us
If you have other questions or need more information before you visit, please reach out. We look forward to welcoming you to Athens First UMC!