First United Methodist Church, 946 Vt., recently began a yearlong celebration of its 150th anniversary.

The date of the church’s major celebration will be Nov. 6-7, marking the anniversary of the arrival in Kansas of the church’s first pastor, the Rev. James Griffing.

The church’s sesquicentennial committee, co-chaired by Jerry and Judy Niebaum, is organizing a number of projects in honor of the anniversary.

Those projects include: making available a written and pictorial history of the church from 1915 to 1954; compiling, editing and writing a new church history of 1954 to 2004; and presenting the church with a piece of iron artwork, depicting a silhouette of Griffing atop his horse, for the congregation’s new, second campus on the west side of Lawrence.

For more information about the church’s anniversary events, call the church office at 841-7500.