Rooted in a Young City on the Brazos
First United Methodist Church of Lake Jackson sits at 404 Azalea Street in Lake Jackson, Texas, in the heart of Brazoria County. The congregation traces its beginnings to 1943, when the city itself was new and people drawn by wartime industry gathered where they could. As Pastor Wade Floyd puts it, the church welcomes everyone, from those just beginning to explore faith to long-time Christians, from those who have stayed on the edges of church life to those already deep in ministry. The church's stated vision is to be a vibrant, growing congregation changing lives and reshaping futures for Jesus Christ; its mission is to equip its members to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
The church grew quickly from those wartime roots. The first worship services were led by Rev. Charles Lamb of the Methodist Church in Velasco and Rev. Bascom Merchant of the First Methodist Church in Freeport, who began holding services in the Community House, with the encouragement of Dr. Frank Richardson, Superintendent of the Galveston District. After Rev. Lamb took sole responsibility for the work, the new congregation organized under the Methodist conference that November. In the decades that followed, First Church grew alongside the city. The congregation moved into a newly renovated sanctuary on Palm Sunday 2014, and on November 11, 2018, the church marked its 75th anniversary with special events, a guest speaker during the morning services and a church-wide fellowship dinner.
Sunday Morning in the Sanctuary
Worship is the center of life at First Church. The whole congregation gathers for one combined service in the sanctuary at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The service is also livestreamed at 10:30 a.m. on the church's Facebook page, so anyone can join from home. Sermon recordings are uploaded to the church's online sermon library each Monday, and a full archive of services going back through 2021 is available, with video on Facebook, YouTube, Spotify and Vimeo.
Music is woven into both styles of worship. The Adult Sanctuary Choir sings during the Sunday gathering, and the Praise Band leads music each week, drawing on contemporary-arranged hymns and newer expressions of contemporary praise. The blend gives room for traditional and modern musical tastes within a single service.
Learning Together on Sunday Mornings
The hour before worship is a busy one at First Church. From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., the church offers several paths for adults, youth and children to dig into Scripture together.
- Pastor's Bible Study meets at 9:30 a.m. in Wesley Hall. The pastor works through books of the Bible in series, walking the congregation through studies on Exodus, the Psalms, the Letters of John, Philippians, Nehemiah, Ephesians, Colossians, Thessalonians, Galatians, Titus, the Prophets, Advent and Lent.
- Adult Sunday School classes meet at 9:30 a.m. in Wilson Parlor. Visitors are welcome to drop in.
- Youth (7th grade through college) gather at 9:30 a.m. in the Youth Center, and again on Sunday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for fellowship, games and time together.
- Children in kindergarten through 6th grade meet at 9:30 a.m. in the Youth Center, then move to the Orange Room for Sunday School. After the Time for Young Disciples portion of the 10:30 a.m. service, children are escorted to Wesley Hall for Children's Church.
For those who cannot make Sunday mornings, the Pastor's Bible Study also meets on Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. in the Asbury Room. The Wednesday lunch-hour study follows the same series as the Sunday class.
Children, Youth and Confirmation
Annalisa Galbreath directs the children's ministry, walking with families from kindergarten through 6th grade. The Sunday rhythm pairs Sunday School and Children's Church with the pastor's Time for Young Disciples in worship, so children are part of the wider congregation as well as their own classes.
Julie Floyd oversees youth ministry and the confirmation program. Confirmation is open to any student in 6th grade and up who is ready to confirm their faith in Jesus Christ; church membership is not required to take the class. The class uses Confirm, the only confirmation curriculum approved by the United Methodist Church, and explores three threads: Your Faith, Your Commitment, God's Call. Students learn about the Methodist denomination alongside their own study. The fall confirmation class is paired with a Faith in Action camp for confirmands and youth group. After Confirmation Sunday, 6th graders join the 7th and 8th grade Sunday School class, and then move into the youth group on Sunday evenings once school lets out in May.
Women's Ministry and Adult Fellowship
The Women's Ministry gathers on the third Sunday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Asbury Room for dinner and fellowship. Everyone is welcome, and friends are encouraged to come along. The group is a chance for women across the congregation to slow down, share a meal, and connect with one another outside the Sunday rush.
JOY Ministry: A Place for Every Family
Through the JOY Ministry, First Church shows and shares God's love for families with children who have a disability. The ministry provides a safe, caring environment where children, youth and adults with special needs can worship and experience God's unconditional love. Programs include Church Care at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays so parents can attend worship while their child is engaged in learning and activities; Sunday School at 10:00 a.m., with classes for special needs children or inclusion within the Children's Sunday School classes; Fun Fridays, theme-based evenings of play, activities, games and snacks for special needs children and their siblings so parents can have time to themselves; and a class available for JOY kids during Vacation Bible School each summer, with full inclusion available within the VBS program.
Music and the Arts
The music ministry is built around two groups, both open to anyone who wants to sing or play. The Adult Sanctuary Choir sings every Sunday morning and leads worship music at the 10:30 a.m. service. The Praise Band guides music each Sunday, drawing on a range that runs from contemporary-arranged hymns to the latest contemporary worship songs. No prior experience is required to join either group; willingness to learn and serve is the only prerequisite.
Pastoral Care, Prayer and Hands-On Service
Pastoral care at First Church happens through several steady, low-key ministries that meet people where they are.
- Chapel Prayer. The Chapel is open every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., giving anyone a quiet place to pray. Special prayer cards are prepared ahead of time and made available in the Chapel during those hours; visitors are invited to sign the cards, which are then mailed to those on the prayer list to let them know the church family is praying for them. Prayer requests can be submitted online through the church's prayer request form.
- Prayer Shawl Ministry. The Prayer Shawl Ministry group makes prayer shawls and pocket squares and gives them to people in the hospital and to those at home who need to feel God's loving arms around them. Pocket squares are sometimes tucked into care packages or sent with young people heading off to a week of service or to college. The group meets at 11:00 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the home of Linda Neumann.
- Carpenter's Hands. Carpenter's Hands volunteers are called to be Jesus' hands extended across the community, building and repairing for those in need. While others speak the message of Jesus' love with words, Carpenter's Hands speaks through labors of love. Opportunities are open to both skilled and non-skilled workers.
Reaching Beyond the Walls
First Church takes seriously the United Methodist connectional call to mission at the local, national and global levels. Several long-standing partnerships shape that work.
- Rent and Utility Assistance. The church partners with two other local churches in a rotating phone ministry. Once a week at each of the three churches, volunteers take calls from people in the community who need help with rent or utility bills.
- Habitat for Humanity. Local Habitat teams build three or four houses a year alongside the families who will live in them. Volunteers from the church also serve meals to all the workers and provide devotions on build days.
- Texas Port Ministry. Texas Port Ministry exists to provide spiritual, social and physical care to the Freeport Harbor Community. The church supports the ministry through volunteer involvement and partnership with harbor authorities.
- Loving BISD. Through Loving BISD, churches partner with schools in the Brazosport Independent School District. Volunteers serve in many ways: serving a lunch or breakfast meal to school staff each month, mentoring students, helping with the Brighter Bites program in partnership with the Houston Food Bank, sorting and delivering weekend backpack snacks to students who need them, listening to children read, tutoring in math, helping in the library, and monitoring the cafeteria. The goal is to find at least one church partner for every one of the district's 19 schools.
- UMCOR. The United Methodist Committee on Relief comes alongside those who suffer from natural or human-caused disasters - famine, hurricane, war, flood, fire or other events - to alleviate suffering and to be a source of help and hope. The church supports UMCOR's relief, response and long-term recovery work.
- Refuge for Women. Refuge for Women is a national faith-based organization providing a residential healing and recovery program for survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation, offering safe housing, counseling, and life and work skills development.
School for Little People
The School for Little People is a Christian preschool sponsored by First United Methodist Church of Lake Jackson. Designed to help children grow in a Christian atmosphere and experience Christian living at their own level of understanding, the school creates an environment where children can express their own creativity and grow in the knowledge of who they are in relationship to God, family and others. Many denominations are represented because all are welcome. More information is available through the school office at 979-297-3641.
What the Church Believes
First Church is part of the United Methodist Church, which means it belongs to the wider Wesleyan-Methodist movement and strives to grow in love of God and love of neighbor each day. The congregation describes itself as a community that cares for one another, knowing that through ministry it experiences Christ's presence among them. The United Methodist Church's own statement says the denomination opens hearts, opens minds and opens doors through active engagement with the world.
The church's core values shape this: Spirit-led, Excellence, Fruitfulness, Accountability, Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Faith-Forming Relationships, Risk-Taking Mission, Extravagant Generosity, Connectional Ministry, Fervent Prayer and Diligent Study of Scripture.
Giving, the App and Staying Connected
Generosity is part of the congregation's rhythm. First Church makes giving simple, with three ways to participate: an online giving form on the church's site for one-time or recurring gifts, text-to-give by texting GIVE to 979-300-7787 from any U.S. mobile phone, and a mobile app for Android and iOS that can be downloaded directly. Text-to-give lets first-time users register with a credit or debit card, and afterward they can text a gift amount such as "$100" or "$250" at any time. Giving by text EDIT updates account information, sets up recurring gifts, and checks the status of a gift.
The church also stays connected beyond Sunday morning through a Facebook page, a YouTube channel called Growing in Grace (LJFUMC), and a Spotify podcast, so anyone can follow along with the week's sermon, see announcements, or catch up if they missed a service.
Pastors and Staff
Pastor Wade Floyd has served as Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Lake Jackson since December 2022. He holds a BBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio (2007), an MA in Leadership from Denver Seminary (2011), and an MDiv from United Theological Seminary (2016), and has been a United Methodist pastor since 2014.
Annalisa Galbreath has served as the church's Children's Director since October 2021. Julie Floyd has been on staff since April 2023, working with youth, confirmation, and discipleship. Lisa Young, the church's administrator, has been on staff since July 2023. Nadine Womack has been on staff since November 2014. Dora Riojas has been on staff since March 2006. Brian Wubbena has been on staff since June 2021.
Joining the Life of the Church
The congregation's open invitation is simple: come as you are. Visitors are welcome to worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday in the sanctuary, to drop into a Sunday School class or Bible study at 9:30 a.m. beforehand, or to join the livestream on Facebook from wherever they are. Those who want to learn more can call the church office at 979-297-3046 or email FirstChurch@ljfumc.org.