Hopefulness

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Greetings in the Name of Christ our Lord, 

This week, we began our home gathering tour, Celebrate Stonebridge Church. Twenty people joined us at the Dankel's home for a meaningful evening of fellowship. Together, we celebrated the growth and progress of our ministries and shared hopes for the future of our church. I took many notes as people opened their hearts about the dreams they carry for Stonebridge UMC, and it was truly inspiring.

I left the gathering feeling deeply encouraged and grateful. The spirit in the room, the love people expressed for our church, and the honesty of the conversations were a true blessing. One comment especially stayed with me: someone shared that they sensed a shift in our church from hopelessness to hopefulness. What a beautiful reminder that God is at work among us. God is good!

Our next gathering is on June 11. Get your name on the list for a gathering. They are filling up fast. See below for the locations and dates. Just to be clear… these gatherings are NOT fundraisers. These gatherings are about celebrating our ministries, getting to know each other better, and dreaming together about the future. 

You can RSVP at john@mysumc.org or click on this link.

The schedule and locations are…

  • Thursday, June 11, 6:30 pm (desserts) – Alex & Lacey Cesarz’s home

  • Tuesday, June 23, 6:30 pm (desserts) - Mike & Erin Clark’s home

  • Thursday, June 25, 6:30 pm (desserts) – Trevor and Connie Castilla’s home

  • Sunday, June 28, 12:30 pm (lunch) – Dave and Becky Neeley’s home

  • Sunday, July 12, 12:30 pm (lunch) - Jack and Kym Radke’s home

The input from the home meetings in 2024 and 2025 helped us create the foundation for our ministry emphasis in 2025 and 2026. Stonebridge UMC has always been about the people. When we gather, we will worship, celebrate, share our hopes and dreams, and look forward to the future with anticipation of God’s vision for our church. 

The celebration I shared on Tuesday evening is the sense of partnership I feel—with our staff, our leaders, our servant-hearted volunteers, and our church family. I’m deeply thankful. We are walking this road together. 

See You Sunday!

Pastor John Allen