Things are Buzzing!

Greetings in the Name of our Lord,

Bear one another’s burdens, and in this fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

Things are buzzing around Stonebridge UMC. Every week, something special happens. New people showing interest, new opportunities are rising, and people are stepping forward to make our ministries great for Christ.

The past week has been full of God moments. 

Last Sunday we had “Bring-a-Tithe Sunday”. I don’t have the final totals because the contributions continue to come through the mail. I do know that over the past two weeks we have received over $60,000. Hallelujah! Stay tuned for the final report. 

BUT… the giving only tells a small portion of the Stonebridge story. Between the worship services, I had trouble going down the hall to preach in the 11:00 am service in the RAC because the children were crowded around the doorways in the children’s area. They were having fun, and I could not help myself but pause and play a little myself. It was great! 

After the 11:00 am worship service, Pastor Jana shared with me how excited she was about the number of new guests that are interested in Stonebridge UMC. Next, my wife Amy wanted me to write down the names of people she had met that were interested in ways to get involved. As I stood in the foyer of the RAC, I could see why people were interested – before and after each worship service it is like there is electricity in the air. 

I got so involved in talking, I almost forgot that I was due to join the Stephen Ministries meeting for lunch upstairs. This ministry trains laity how to listen and provide emotional and spiritual support. For the next hour, I sat in awe of how caring and loving these individuals are. As I listened to them share around the table, I realized this is Stonebridge UMC… a place where we bear one another’s burdens. 

Monday was a day of more energy. It was the first day of school for Sunshine Kids Preschool. I had the honor of holding the door for parents and kids as they started a new school year. It was awesome! They were taking pictures and smiling with anticipation of this new journey. What a gift. Wow!

Tuesday, we had our worship planning meeting. The room was alive with stories of making connections with new people and ideas on how to make worship more meaningful. God is so good. 

Wednesday evening, we had the monthly serving ministries team meeting. We reviewed all the community mission efforts and spent some time firming up plans for future projects. It is amazing how much this church does to make a difference in people’s lives. Incredible.

Yesterday was Thursday, and God was still blessing. All day, Stonebridge buzzed like Grand Central Station with people coming and going, working to get ready for Sunday breakfast and worship as well as putting together Harvest Boxes for Meals on Wheels. Then to top it off… Pastor Jana shares with me that we had over 20 youth at our Wednesday evening student ministries gathering. My heart is singing. 

Oh my, I hope I don’t miss anything! I know we are not perfect, and we have a long way to go. But right now, as I write this, I am so excited about what YOU and GOD are doing together to make a difference. 

We are a place of God’s love – the most joyous place on earth – where people care about each other. As the old song proclaims… when the people gather, there's singing and there's praying, there's laughing and there's crying sometimes, all of it saying – We are the church together!

Keep it up Church. Keep it up. God is working among us, making all things new. 

See you Sunday! Don’t forget. One service at 11:00 am and breakfast for everyone!

Pastor John Allen