The Church across America is facing the same crisis. Too many Christians want to sit on the sidelines. We need everyone involved. I believe it’s time for us to get back into the game. Basketball is just a game. However, the work we do through the church is not a game and has eternal consequences for our world. It is time for us to get back in the game and make a difference in this world.
Read MoreWhen I was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church my father said to me, “Son, whether you like it or not, from now on people are going to be watching you. Do everything you can to make the right call on how you live. You represent Christ.”
Read MoreSince I was a kid, I have collected coins. A few years ago, a treasury officer who specialized in counterfeits was in one of my Bible studies. I asked him how he could tell the counterfeits from the “real thing.” He laughed and said, “The treasury trains us to recognize the ‘real thing.’” The idea is that if an agent learns to recognize the characteristics of a genuine bill, spotting a counterfeit will be a simpler task. If it doesn't look exactly like the real thing, it's fake.
Read MoreWe are tempted daily to leave our faith behind. Several years ago, a national survey was carried out concerning what people would be willing to do for $10,000,000. I was shocked at the results. In the reading I have been doing, I doubt these attitudes have changed much and have possibly gotten worse.
Read MoreGreetings in the Name of Christ,
Music is a vital part of our worship at Stonebridge UMC. Music touches our souls in ways that words will never reach. As pastor, each Sunday I look forward to the variety of music at each of our services. The music is awesome. Would you consider joining our music ministry? It is the joyous sound that fills our worship.
Our Celebration Choir is one of the highlights of our music ministry. Each Sunday at 9:45 a.m., they lead our praise and worship and offer special music to inspire our souls. Under the direction of Tracy Lastrapes, the choir is growing.
This week, Tracy asked them their reason why they sing in the choir. Here is a listing of their responses.
Ten people said they love to sing, to be in the middle of the music, sing in harmony, and express themselves through song.
Six people said the choir was like family, my place to belong, like home, and a safe place.
Five people said the choir was a way to glorify God, add something to worship, to worship in song, and experience God’s Spirit.
Two people said singing in the choir has been a way of life since childhood.
One person said they sing for their mom in heaven.
One person just simply put JOY!
And finally, one person said, “TRACY WOULD NEVER LET ME QUIT!”
I love the last one… we all love Tracy and the joy she brings to everything she does.
As you can see by the responses above, the choir is for those who love music and love Jesus. I am so excited about what is happening in our worship. Imagine for a moment if we had 30 to 40 members in the choir each Sunday.
Thank you choir and worship leaders at both services for bringing the joy of the Lord to our worship. You are a blessing to us.
I close with Psalm 92:1-4.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
See you Sunday!
Pastor John Allen
We often fear the things outside of our experience – the unknown. In most cases, fear keeps us from dangerous situations. It is a good thing. The avoidance of driving on ice when the roads have not been cleared is a healthy fear.
Fear is real. In some situations, fear is useful. In other situations, fear undermines the life God intends for us. I believe that this is why fear is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. The phrase “fear not”, in one form or another, is used over 100 times. Fear can separate us from each other and from a full relationship with God.
Read MoreThe God who created us is bigger than anything we might face. I'm deeply convinced that the way we live is a consequence of the size of our God. The primary problem in our lives is we are not convinced that we are safe in the hands of a fully competent, all-knowing, ever-present, utterly loving, infinitely big God. When our God is too small, we pray without faith, worship without awe, serve without joy, and suffer without hope. The result is a life of stagnation and fear, a loss of vision, and an inability to persevere and see whatever we are facing to the end.
Read MoreI'm thrilled with what's happening at Stonebridge United Methodist Church. During last fall's stewardship drive, we asked everyone to fill out a servant sheet for our ministries, aiming for full participation from everyone at our church. We offered 48 service opportunities through worship, discipleship, community outreach, care ministry, and special events. Most of the teams are already working to make our weekly ministries possible. Others will be working as special events take place in the future.
Our work is not done. My vision is to make Stonebridge the place to serve and make a difference for Christ and the Church. I want to make sure that all our ministry teams have what they need to make Stonebridge UNSTOPPABLE and have fun in their ministry area.
Read MoreFor the next five Sundays, we will be following the key characters of the Genesis saga. Each of these persons are known for their part in the beginning of the Hebrew nation of Israel. Their faith in the one God, Yahweh, sets the stage for the ultimate salvation event in Jesus Christ.
As we follow the lives of these first leaders of the faith, we learn that there is nothing special about them. They were ordinary individuals who dared to put their whole trust in God. It is their faith that sets them apart. Each had their faults. Each was flawed. It was their faith and trust in God that set them apart.
Read MoreA wise teacher was coming to the end of his life and gathered his brightest students around him for one last “class” on life. Each student could ask anything. No subject would be left untouched.
The students were grieved at the thought of losing their teacher but wanted to gain as much as they could from their wise mentor and sage. They showered the teacher with questions about success, advancement, wealth, and accomplishment. They were so aggressive that they often interrupted each other. Finally, the teacher raised his hand for quiet and began to cry.
“No, no, my dear ones. Life is not about what we do, it is about how we live. To all your questions here is the answer.”
Read Morewe will look at the hands of Jesus as a metaphor for His leadership process. Hands provide a powerful symbol for the leadership of Jesus. The Bible is filled with vivid images of Jesus’ hands at work. With His hands, Jesus healed the sick, cleansed lepers, fed the hungry, overturned the tables of the money changers, washed the feet of His closest disciples, and hung from a cross to save sinful human beings. With His hands, Jesus rescued the fearful, reassured the doubting, restored the fallen, and beckoned the already occupied to a higher calling and a special personal relationship with Him.
Read MoreIn our worship services during the month of January, we will be looking at the leadership of Jesus. This week’s sermon will focus on Romans 12:1-2 and Matthew 20:25-28. In preparation for Sunday’s sermon, I wanted to use this space to outline some specifics on taking the next steps in our lives. I recently read an article by Shawn Lovejoy from the Courage to Lead organization. The article reminded me of the principles that I teach and try to follow in my own life as I seek to lead like Jesus.
In the leadership of Jesus, He was disciplined and communicated clear goals.
Read MoreThank you for all you do for Stonebridge United Methodist Church!
2024 was a great year of renewal for Stonebridge UMC. We have seen renewed energy in every area of our ministry for Christ. Stonebridge is blessed with a host of volunteer servants. These servants are making our renewal possible with high commitment and dedication to our mission and vision.
Read MoreChristmas Eve was glorious! Thank you to the host of volunteers who have made this Christmas season so special. Despite the rain, we had great attendance for our Christmas Eve candlelight services. The spirit was awesome throughout the building. Stonebridge United Methodist Church is a special place where all people are accepted with grace and love. As we approach the new year, please know that I continue to pray for you and your families.
Read MoreAmy and I want to wish a special Christmas blessing for you and your families this day…
"Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen." (by Robert Louis Stevenson)
Read MoreChristmas is a special time of year. We gather as church and family to celebrate the birth of our savior. For some, Christmas is painful and lonely. Loss, grief, crisis, and life changes can bring bittersweet memories that make the Christmas celebration difficult. As the Psalmist sadly states, “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?”
Read MoreI love Christmas! Christmas is the celebration of the greatest gift that has ever been given through the birth of Jesus. Christmas is not without stress. In many ways, it is a mad rush from Thanksgiving to Christmas. So much to do! Then suddenly on Christmas Eve, everything stops. There is a great silence that falls over our communities as we exchange gifts, share meals, and light our candles of faith.
Christmas is a time of making space for the love of Christ; a time of poking holes in the darkness of this world with divine hope; and sharing the joy of giving ourselves to others as the Bethlehem child is given for us.
Read MoreIt is not unusual for friends and church members to groan about the stress of this season. I have even heard my own voice question this season, “How can we celebrate when there is so much to do?” Celebrate indeed... in the most stressful time of year? How do we celebrate?
Christmas is the “celebration” of the birth of our Lord –God in the flesh. Let us not let the excesses of our culture pervert this season. Let us focus on others instead of self. Let us celebrate the gift of Jesus. Let us celebrate what God’s love in Christ has done and is doing. The season of celebration and joy has come. Let us celebrate with gratitude for Christ has come!
Read MoreThis Thanksgiving, let’s focus on the way of a servant. What if we began the holiday season by thinking about living for others as well as taking advantage of the Black Friday deals? Today as I studied online deals, I was drawn to something Nelson Rockefeller once said; that wealth is measured more by what you give away than what you buy. Ella Wheeler Wilcox said that greatness is measured by one’s capacity for kindness.
Read MoreThis kind of commitment is especially important to the Church. When we are ALL IN for Christ, we are uniquely positioned to go ALL OUT in every aspect of our lives. The best part is that God has promised through Jesus Christ to be ALL IN for us. We are loved ALL OUT by God, no matter what.
Read MoreAddress
Stonebridge United Methodist Church
1800 S. Stonebridge Dr.
McKinney, TX 75072
972-529-5601
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday Service Times:
In-Person Service
9:45 a.m. in Celebration Hall
11 a.m. in the Robertson Activity Center
You can also view the Livestream Sundays at 11 a.m. on our Livestream page.
© 2025 Stonebridge United Methodist Church. All rights reserved