Despite the rise of divisive ideologies, our nation is still the beacon of hope and freedom for the world. As such, we still worship without fear of persecution like much of the world sees. So let us give thanks for the blessings that God continues to offer his people. Let us not take for granted the opportunity to celebrate and worship our Lord. Let us make this time of celebrating our freedom a time for celebrating our freedom to believe and the unity of the Holy Spirit.

June has been an exciting month for Stonebridge UMC. VBS energized our building with a host of children. Last Sunday we commissioned one of the largest groups of youth in the past few years for their mission trip to serve the helping agency UM Army. The Summer Listening Tour – Making Stonebridge UNSTOPPABLE has been outstanding with great participation and a host of ideas to consider. And… this month we received another 8 members into our church family. 

Paul believed that the community of faith we call the Church would be the center of bringing Christ to the world. Through Paul, the Church became a movement that would shake the world. 

As we look at the foundational work of Paul, we might ask if the Church really matters today? Can the Church really make a difference in our world today as it did in the first century? 

This is Vacation Bible School week. I love VBS. It is a time to connect with children and share the love of God through Jesus Christ with children who are eager to learn more about Jesus. 

I hope you have been able to visit our Facebook page and see the pictures. The Spirit of God has been moving through the hallways, worship areas, and classrooms. The kids are having fun, learning Bible stories, laughing, making snacks and crafts. 

This week our building has been teeming with volunteers decorating for Vacation Bible School. The upstairs area has been transformed into an underwater wonder. This weekend the rest of the decorations will go up in the worship areas and downstairs to finalize preparation for VBS.

This is an amazing church. When we need volunteers, workers, and servants, the response is outstanding. We have over 50 volunteers for VBS. Great job! Keep it up! We can always use more. If you want to show up even for one morning, please do. I promise, it will be fun!

As we look at our world what would Jesus say? Jesus would give us the same assurance he gave his disciples on the night before his suffering. He taught his disciples many things about the power that was coming to them. Then Jesus said, “I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33)

We have hope in Christ. We have the assurance of our Savior. For this reason, I look forward to the future with great, undying hope in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Do you have a child or teenager? Do you know a child or teenager? Give them a hug. Listen to their wisdom. Tell them how much you love them, just the way they are. Invite them to the exciting things that are happening at Stonebridge UMC. 

God continues to bless Stonebridge UMC with new vitality and opportunities to reach people. At the car show, I had several people, when they noticed my pastor name tag, ask me about the church. I probably gushed too much about how great things are, but I can’t help it. I love this church and the people in this church. Sunday, one of my mentors came to worship. I greeted him before the worship service and asked him what brought him to Stonebridge UMC. He said, “Are you kidding me, everyone is talking about Stonebridge. I had to come see what all the buzz is about.”

I want to invite you to a series of Summer Listening Sessions to discuss and dream about our future. Can we make Stonebridge UMC an exemplary church for others to follow? Do you believe that God is alive in our midst and calling us to work together to achieve more – to bring more souls to Christ? I believe God is calling us to such as part of the high and holy task of being a Kingdom Church. 

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!”

Wednesday evening, the Men’s Group met for fellowship and food. The participation was well beyond our expectations. I guess when you offer a free steak dinner, men show up. It was great. We filled up the Quad Room with men, fun, and good food. When I spoke, I joked about the free steaks. I said, “I hope you enjoyed the food. But really, there are no free meals.”

If you have seen the movie, “The Boys in the Boat”, you know the incredible power of getting everyone in the same boat rowing together. Can we do this? Can we make Stonebridge UMC an exemplary church for others to follow? Do you believe that God is alive in our midst and calling us to work together to achieve more – to bring more souls to Christ? I believe the answer to each of these questions is yes

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). As the gospels tell the story of Jesus, we find the Savior and Lord encouraging and building-up his followers. The Kingdom of God is defined not by the measure of our success but rather by the measure of our devotion to God. Putting ourselves at the disposal of our Lord to be blessed in order to be a blessing. Happiness or life satisfaction is therefore not defined by our measure of success but rather the measure of our relationship with our Lord. The divine relationship exposes the unique, creative, person we are born to be. 

Easter was a glorious celebration of our Savior’s gift of life. Everything was so organized; it would be impossible to count the number of volunteers that made the day so glorious and smooth. Volunteers were everywhere helping everyone find a place. The greeters were at every corner of the building, the ushers were at their best, the decorations were just right, and the choir, worship leaders, and praise band were better than ever.  

I could bore you with the extensive historical evidence for the resurrection. But there is no need to convince our population of the historical fact of the resurrection. The Barna group, who regularly surveys our population on religious and cultural matters, reminds us that almost 90% of our society believes in the resurrection of Jesus. I guess that is why churches will be full all over the world. We believe the historical evidence. The question is – what difference does it make? Does the resurrection of Jesus change our lives? Will it change the way we make our decisions? Does it really matter to all those who believe? 

Each Good Friday, I think of the agony of Christ on the cross. Yet I know that because of what Jesus has done, I stand forgiven. I am reconciled to a new life with God. There is no other faith that can make this claim. A free gift is given in Jesus. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, it is not any of your own doing but a gift from God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

We call this day Maundy Thursday for the great commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and love neighbor as self.” The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin “mandatum” which means command. As we remember the words of Jesus spoken on this night, let us examine the depth of our love for God and neighbor. As you return home following our serving tonight, remember that Jesus made his way to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray... where afterwards He is betrayed by Judas and arrested by the Jewish High Counsel. 

On Easter, we proclaim that the suffering of this world is not the way of God. Easter is God’s word that darkness is defeated. On the first Easter Sunday, a new direction was set for the whole world. We will never be the same. The power and hope that was given at Easter is now given daily to those who believe. Though we are knocked down, we are not out. Though we are driven into the ground, we are not done. On Easter, God proclaimed that defeat and despair shall not have the last word. 

Sadly, our world has become a “me first” culture. When asked to serve or give, the question asked is, “How will this affect me?”  Instead, God calls us to consider others first, so that all may benefit. God calls us to the least, the lost, and the hurting no matter what the cost. The promise, according to Paul, is that we will “reap what we sow.” In other words, there is a blessing in every sacrifice. 

Invite someone to worship this Sunday. Studies show that people respond to an invite to worship. Almost 100% of those invited are appreciative and 40% will attend. Think about those family members who live in the area, work colleagues, schoolmates, neighbors, friends, or someone who once attended Stonebridge UMC. Invite them and see what happens.