A Lively Church

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Greetings in the Name of our Mighty Lord,

The late Bill Hinson, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Houston for over two decades and noted author, once defined the “lively church” as the following.  

  • A LIVELY church has parking problems: a dead church doesn’t.

  • A LIVELY church has lots of “noisy” children and young people; a dead church is fairly quiet.

  • A LIVELY church often changes the way things are done; a dead church doesn’t have to.

  • A LIVELY church often asks for more program and mission money; a dead church has plenty of money for what it does.

  • A LIVELY church asks people to open up and risk involvement; a dead church plays it safe and never risks.

  • A LIVELY church seeks challenges and opportunities; a dead church sees problems and dangers.

  • A LIVELY church apologizes, forgives, and seeks forgiveness; a dead church never makes mistakes.

  • A LIVELY church uses its tradition and facilities to serve people; a dead church uses people to preserve facilities and traditions.

  • A LIVELY church believes in God’s future and “lets go” with faith; a dead church believes in the past and “holds on.”

  • A LIVELY church is filled with committed givers; a dead church is filled with tippers.

  • A LIVELY church dares to dream great dreams for God’s Kingdom; a dead church has nightmares.

The words of Dr. Hinson’s “lively church” sounds a lot like Stonebridge UMC. We are a congregation who believes in the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. We are a congregation who believes Christ makes the ultimate difference in our lives and in our world. We are a “Kingdom Church” – living our mission to live and love like Jesus.

I will be preaching this Sunday from Revelation 21. Many Christians believe the book of Revelation at the end of the New Testament is full of doom, gloom, and destruction. Not true. The book of Revelation is a book of hope for every Christian.  

Sunday, we will explore what the Bible says about the promise of heaven. In Revelation 21, we are given a picture of the hope and eternity for which we have been promised. We will look at how this promise can be a reality for us each day. In what ways are we connecting this life with the promise of hope and victory through Jesus? In what ways are we bringing the Kingdom of God to earth?

Remember to bring your “Harvest Box” offering to the church before October 19th. Click here for more information.

See you Sunday! Invite someone to worship. 

Pastor John Allen