First UMC North Little Rock member, Sara Cooke joined First United Methodist Church North Little Rock in 1993. She is active in the Chancel Choir, handbells, and is the secretary for United Women in Faith. She is a retired teacher who taught drama and speech in the Pulaski County Special School District for more than 22 years. She brings that experience to NLRFUMC by helping our youth and children’s departments produce plays and Christmas pageants. Recently, Cooke portrayed Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, in a dramatic skit for our Advent worship series.
She is often a liturgist for our Sunday worship services and will happily participate in any church skit.
“I grew up Presbyterian, but it was the mission work of the Methodist church that drew me to NLRFUMC,” Cooke said.
Always an energetic, outgoing, and enthusiastic person, she stays active. If it isn’t at church or with family, she is working within the community, more specifically, the Argenta Community Theater (ACT). She has volunteered as its technical director since 2012. Last summer, ACT produced the musical “RENT.”
“Because of the topic of AIDS being so prevalent in the show, we decided to hang a 20-foot-tall AIDS quilt on the stage and incorporate it into the set,” Cooke said. “We wanted people from all over the area to make a 2-foot square that honored the memory of someone with AIDS. I was very honored to have North Little Rock First United Methodist Church offer to help us accomplish this huge task. NLRFUMC members and volunteers coordinated donations of fabric, glue, scissors, and other supplies, as well as scheduled a day when anyone in the community could come to the church and help create a quilt panel. ACT had production team members there to also participate with the church members.
“Nothing excites me more than people bringing their talents and their souls together for a common goal and great fellowship! I am lucky to be surrounded by these people.”
NLRFUMC members like Cooke have always been driven by missions and strive to make a difference in the community. Members are consistently working for the greater good. The church’s “Neighbor 2 Neighbor” program allows members to help the homebound with household chores or odd jobs. A missions team serves at Canvas Community every month and leads a feeding ministry for nearby Indian Hills Elementary.
To learn more about the many ministries of First UMC North Little Rock, click here: https://www.nlrfumc.org/