In our tradition, confirmation is a time of learning and growing in faith for our younger teens. It is a sacred act that signifies a deeper commitment to the Christian faith, empowering individuals to live out their beliefs and participate actively in the life of the Church. At this Sunday's 9:45 a.m. service, we are receiving into faith in Christ and membership in the church the young people that have gone through our confirmation training.
Read MoreWednesday night, 65 men gathered to hear Don Smith share his testimony of recovery and faith. We were all moved by his message. The turnout was outstanding, and the spirit of support and friendship was felt by all. This is just the beginning of reaching out to help men grow in their faith and find a place of support and sanctuary. Be on the lookout for future events as we plan to expand the opportunities to bring men together.
Read MoreGreetings in the Name of Christ,
This week, I want to highlight three events coming to Stonebridge UMC this month.
Men’s Steak Dinner May 7th, 6:30 p.m.
The Men's dinner is next week on May 7th. There are already 50 reservations for the steak dinner. Don Smith, founding pastor of Stonebridge UMC, will speak about "Addiction, Recovery, and Staying in Love with God."
Please sign up at SUMC Men's Group: SUMC Men's Group Steak Dinner or email me at john@mysumc.org and let me know you are coming. I will put you on the list. This is a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better and grow in our spiritual life and faith. It is going to be an outstanding time together.
Feasibility Information Gathering May 13th, 7:00 pm
The Leadership Board is working with Horizons Stewardship on the feasibility of doing a capital campaign to reduce debt and fund Celebration Hall improvements and A/V. We are having an All-Church meeting on Tuesday, May 13th at 7:00 p.m. to hear the first report from Horizons about what a capital campaign can do to redirect our financial resources into the ministries of Stonebridge UMC. Please consider being part of this important meeting.
IMAGINE Listening Home Meetings
Last year, we received an excellent response to our Making Stonebridge UNSTOPPABLE listening home meetings. We developed five priorities for the fall and successfully achieved four of these priorities. The fifth priority is currently in progress for future implementation.
We are creating a culture of a listening church… where hopes, dreams, and expectations are shared by everyone and heard by the leadership, pastors, and staff of the church.
This year, we will host seven listening sessions. Our objectives are to celebrate our achievements, discuss subsequent steps towards vitality, and increase involvement in volunteer service. These sessions also provide a valuable opportunity to foster new relationships within our church community.
May 20 – Host - Roger and Amy Dankel
June 5 – Host – Jack and Kym Radke
June 7 – Host – Mike and Erin Clark
June 17 – Host – Alex and Lacey Cesarz
June 19 – Host – Frank and Linda Spina
June 24 – Host – Trevor and Connie Castilla
June 26 – Host - Leo and Jana Grimone
The sign up is live at Stonebridge UMC: IMAGINE Listening Sessions. I look forward to having you join us.
This Sunday, I will be preaching on 2 Corinthians 4:7-12. We will explore our need for the treasure of the resurrected Jesus for our lives.
See you Sunday.
Pastor John Allen
Easter was glorious. The music was magnificent. Almost every seat was filled. The hallways were crowded. Easter was a glorious day filled with the resurrected spirit of Jesus!
As I was reflecting on our Easter services, I put together a list of what makes Stonebridge UMC so special.
Read MoreAs we face the weeks following Easter, it is important to remember we are not alone in our efforts in this world. God’s powerful presence should be the driving force behind all that we do.
As the people of God called the Church, we must never forget that we are agents of God’s possibilities in this world. It's not enough to play it safe, reaching only for goals within our grasp. We should attempt things so great for the glory of God that unless he intervenes, we will certainly fail.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreOn March 18, American astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov splashed down after being stranded in space for more than 9 months – 286 days. What was intended to be an eight-day mission, became a lengthy effort to survive.
At the press conference following their rescue, a CBS reporter asked Butch Wilmore, “What is your life lesson or takeaway from these 9 months in space?”
Read MoreThe Church across America is facing the same crisis. Too many Christians want to sit on the sidelines. We need everyone involved. I believe it’s time for us to get back into the game. Basketball is just a game. However, the work we do through the church is not a game and has eternal consequences for our world. It is time for us to get back in the game and make a difference in this world.
Read MoreWhen I was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church my father said to me, “Son, whether you like it or not, from now on people are going to be watching you. Do everything you can to make the right call on how you live. You represent Christ.”
Read MoreSince I was a kid, I have collected coins. A few years ago, a treasury officer who specialized in counterfeits was in one of my Bible studies. I asked him how he could tell the counterfeits from the “real thing.” He laughed and said, “The treasury trains us to recognize the ‘real thing.’” The idea is that if an agent learns to recognize the characteristics of a genuine bill, spotting a counterfeit will be a simpler task. If it doesn't look exactly like the real thing, it's fake.
Read MoreWe are tempted daily to leave our faith behind. Several years ago, a national survey was carried out concerning what people would be willing to do for $10,000,000. I was shocked at the results. In the reading I have been doing, I doubt these attitudes have changed much and have possibly gotten worse.
Read MoreGreetings in the Name of Christ,
Music is a vital part of our worship at Stonebridge UMC. Music touches our souls in ways that words will never reach. As pastor, each Sunday I look forward to the variety of music at each of our services. The music is awesome. Would you consider joining our music ministry? It is the joyous sound that fills our worship.
Our Celebration Choir is one of the highlights of our music ministry. Each Sunday at 9:45 a.m., they lead our praise and worship and offer special music to inspire our souls. Under the direction of Tracy Lastrapes, the choir is growing.
This week, Tracy asked them their reason why they sing in the choir. Here is a listing of their responses.
Ten people said they love to sing, to be in the middle of the music, sing in harmony, and express themselves through song.
Six people said the choir was like family, my place to belong, like home, and a safe place.
Five people said the choir was a way to glorify God, add something to worship, to worship in song, and experience God’s Spirit.
Two people said singing in the choir has been a way of life since childhood.
One person said they sing for their mom in heaven.
One person just simply put JOY!
And finally, one person said, “TRACY WOULD NEVER LET ME QUIT!”
I love the last one… we all love Tracy and the joy she brings to everything she does.
As you can see by the responses above, the choir is for those who love music and love Jesus. I am so excited about what is happening in our worship. Imagine for a moment if we had 30 to 40 members in the choir each Sunday.
Thank you choir and worship leaders at both services for bringing the joy of the Lord to our worship. You are a blessing to us.
I close with Psalm 92:1-4.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
See you Sunday!
Pastor John Allen
We often fear the things outside of our experience – the unknown. In most cases, fear keeps us from dangerous situations. It is a good thing. The avoidance of driving on ice when the roads have not been cleared is a healthy fear.
Fear is real. In some situations, fear is useful. In other situations, fear undermines the life God intends for us. I believe that this is why fear is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. The phrase “fear not”, in one form or another, is used over 100 times. Fear can separate us from each other and from a full relationship with God.
Read MoreI'm thrilled with what's happening at Stonebridge United Methodist Church. During last fall's stewardship drive, we asked everyone to fill out a servant sheet for our ministries, aiming for full participation from everyone at our church. We offered 48 service opportunities through worship, discipleship, community outreach, care ministry, and special events. Most of the teams are already working to make our weekly ministries possible. Others will be working as special events take place in the future.
Our work is not done. My vision is to make Stonebridge the place to serve and make a difference for Christ and the Church. I want to make sure that all our ministry teams have what they need to make Stonebridge UNSTOPPABLE and have fun in their ministry area.
Read MoreFor the next five Sundays, we will be following the key characters of the Genesis saga. Each of these persons are known for their part in the beginning of the Hebrew nation of Israel. Their faith in the one God, Yahweh, sets the stage for the ultimate salvation event in Jesus Christ.
As we follow the lives of these first leaders of the faith, we learn that there is nothing special about them. They were ordinary individuals who dared to put their whole trust in God. It is their faith that sets them apart. Each had their faults. Each was flawed. It was their faith and trust in God that set them apart.
Read MoreA wise teacher was coming to the end of his life and gathered his brightest students around him for one last “class” on life. Each student could ask anything. No subject would be left untouched.
The students were grieved at the thought of losing their teacher but wanted to gain as much as they could from their wise mentor and sage. They showered the teacher with questions about success, advancement, wealth, and accomplishment. They were so aggressive that they often interrupted each other. Finally, the teacher raised his hand for quiet and began to cry.
“No, no, my dear ones. Life is not about what we do, it is about how we live. To all your questions here is the answer.”
Read Morewe will look at the hands of Jesus as a metaphor for His leadership process. Hands provide a powerful symbol for the leadership of Jesus. The Bible is filled with vivid images of Jesus’ hands at work. With His hands, Jesus healed the sick, cleansed lepers, fed the hungry, overturned the tables of the money changers, washed the feet of His closest disciples, and hung from a cross to save sinful human beings. With His hands, Jesus rescued the fearful, reassured the doubting, restored the fallen, and beckoned the already occupied to a higher calling and a special personal relationship with Him.
Read MoreIn our worship services during the month of January, we will be looking at the leadership of Jesus. This week’s sermon will focus on Romans 12:1-2 and Matthew 20:25-28. In preparation for Sunday’s sermon, I wanted to use this space to outline some specifics on taking the next steps in our lives. I recently read an article by Shawn Lovejoy from the Courage to Lead organization. The article reminded me of the principles that I teach and try to follow in my own life as I seek to lead like Jesus.
In the leadership of Jesus, He was disciplined and communicated clear goals.
Read MoreThank you for all you do for Stonebridge United Methodist Church!
2024 was a great year of renewal for Stonebridge UMC. We have seen renewed energy in every area of our ministry for Christ. Stonebridge is blessed with a host of volunteer servants. These servants are making our renewal possible with high commitment and dedication to our mission and vision.
Read MoreChristmas Eve was glorious! Thank you to the host of volunteers who have made this Christmas season so special. Despite the rain, we had great attendance for our Christmas Eve candlelight services. The spirit was awesome throughout the building. Stonebridge United Methodist Church is a special place where all people are accepted with grace and love. As we approach the new year, please know that I continue to pray for you and your families.
Read MoreAddress
Stonebridge United Methodist Church
1800 S. Stonebridge Dr.
McKinney, TX 75072
972-529-5601
Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Sunday Service Times:
In-Person Service
9:45 a.m. in Celebration Hall
11 a.m. in the Robertson Activity Center
You can also view the Livestream Sundays at 11 a.m. on our Livestream page.
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