A Vision Comes True

Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ,

With the end of school, May can be a very busy month for families. Let’s not forget the positive influence Sunday worship can be. We are better together. 

On April 19, in my pastor email, I shared a vision of what Stonebridge UMC could do in the next nine months. Concerning Sunday morning children’s ministry, the challenge was to increase the attendance from an average of 25 to 50. Well… this past Sunday we had 39 kids in Kid’s Church and 12 in the nursery. That is a total of 51 kids… Wow! With the adult workers the total was 58. Double wow!

This week I received this from our children’s director, Molly Gardner... 

“It was a fantastic Sunday for Children’s Ministries, not only in numbers, but also in learning and fun. I could share many remarks from the kids today that got me so excited about the direction we are going! From kiddos bursting into the church excitedly asking, “Miss Molly, what are we doing in Kid’s Church this week????”, to “I didn’t think church could be this fun!”, I could go on and on. Super exciting for our kids! And they’re learning so much. Thank you for this opportunity!”

Way to go, Molly! We are on our way. Last night Amy and I were praying over the church and its ministries. When we began to pray over Molly and the children’s ministry, it was like God was saying to me, “John, I am ready to send 100 kids to Stonebridge UMC right now on Sundays. I need you to find the workers to handle the kids. Get ready.” 

I got chills up and down my spine. The kids are already coming. The families, empty nesters, individuals, youth, and young adults are being sent by our Lord. It’s our job to get ready. The first step is to get our congregation working and moving into the future. 

We are scheduling home meetings over the next few months to dream about the church. Already, four families have volunteered their homes. I need to know what day of the week is best for you. Please email me right now and let me know what day is best for you. This way I will know you will be attending and what day is the best to schedule. More details to follow.

This Sunday, we will finish the message series “The 4:8 Principle” based on Philippians 4:8. I am preaching on producing good fruit and guarding our hearts to make room for joy. I will be dealing with the words of Jesus from Luke 6:43-45. To experience maximum joy, we must first improve the quality of our thinking. Our health, our marriage, our family, our career, and all the other aspects of our life are colored by the quality of our mental diet. Together, we will explore how we can train ourselves to be more deliberate about our thoughts in order to guard our hearts. 

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. Invite someone to worship with you. Share the good news of what is happening at Stonebridge UMC. 

Remember, as soon as we get the workers and volunteers, the children will be coming. God is waiting and depending on us. 

Pastor John Allen

One final note… Some have been following the proceedings of the General Meeting of the United Methodist Church. The final session is this Friday. Next week, Jana and I will be sending out an overview of these proceedings. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please call me at 972-979-1188 or email me.