We are so excited to welcome 3 new members into the Stillwater First UMC family of faith - Brady Fields, Skyler Rodenberg, and Angie Esselman! Make sure that when you see them that you give them a warm First UMC welcome!

I’m working on sermon plans for summer and fall. I’ve done a deep dive into your responses this week and found where you are resonating with the sermons I’ve preached among you. I appreciate the time everyone invested in filling out the feedback form.

There were two aspects the majority of you identified as helpful in a sermon: using experience to illustrate the point of the sermon and explaining the scripture passage. A notable mention was receiving a challenge to practical action. A clear last place was the use of the screens to illustrate sermon points. I asked this question to know how to shape my sermons. If you need practical experience to bring it home, then I want to make sure I include that. I could also see how important it is that you receive a full explanation of the scripture and its relevance in your life.

I spend a lot of my sermon preparation time reading commentaries and researching the scripture that is the focus of my sermon. What I heard in your feedback is that you want more on the text, so I’ll shift in that direction. I’ll also try to be more clear about the interpretive norms I bring to the text and why I hold them. Then you can see whether my interpretation lines up with yours and we’ll let the Holy Spirit guide each of us toward the conclusions that will deepen our faith and sharpen our response to serve. At the end of the day, the measure of a good sermon is whether it leads to transformation in our lives. Are you different because of receiving the sermon? Have you heard God speak about what is next for you? If the answer is yes, then it has been a good sermon.

Regarding possible topics, two were clear winners: becoming a better Jesus follower and having hard conversations (staying present to conflict). I was really excited to see this because it speaks to our spiritual hunger right now. Being Christian is a loaded label in our culture. What I heard in your responses, as well as in your comments, is that you want to go beyond a label when practicing your faith. I hope to offer sermons in the coming months that will bring deeper insight into how to follow Jesus.

I know it is a sign of our times that having hard conversations was the second most requested topic. So many conversations are hard right now. Conflict is a given. I heard your desire for tools from our faith that will help all of us experience Christ, even and especially in conflict. That is a high bar; I’ll do my best to meet it. Once again, please accept my thanks for your participation in the survey. Please pray for me as I plan sermons this weekend and each week, as I write them. I really do need your prayers so that I can bring a word from the Lord as often as possible.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Charla

Join us this Sunday, May 18th, for "Senior Sunday" where we will honor nine of our high school seniors who will be graduating next week!  Our 2025 graduates will be introduced at all three services and gifted their Bibles at the 8:30am service. A reception in their honor will follow at 9:30am, upstairs FLC!

Our Mission Team headed out on their journey to San Pedro, in the Santa Cruz District of Bolivia last Tuesday, May 13th. Our dedicated team of 8 members, led by Doug Valley, are serving alongside local Bolivian members. They are partnering on construction work to install a concrete floor for a new Methodist church being built for that local community. They will also be spending time building relationships through worship and fellowship, sharing the love and hope of Christ with our Bolivian brothers and sisters in the faith. They return on May 23rd. Please keep our team in your prayers as they undertake this important mission.

During the season of Lent, our UMC friends and family from Eden Chapel, Highland Park, Lost Creek, Perkins, and from the Stillwater community pitched in and donated to raise money for over 28,000 meals to be sent to areas in extreme need for food. On Sunday, May 4th, with two afternoon sessions, we had our giant food packing event for Rise Against Hunger! It went great. Members and friends of all ages engaged in fun and service together throughout both sessions. Thank you to anyone who helped support and/or volunteered to help packed food for this event.  Thank you for the many prayers, too!

Get excited! It's time to get ready for Vacation Bible School - July 6th-9th!
The theme this year is: Peace, Love, and Plants: Growing in God's Grace
All the nature, all the fun!
To register kids and/or to volunteer, CLICK HERE

Our Early Childhood Center has officially opened enrollment for both their summer program and the 2025-26 school year! If you are interested in enrolling your child, or even sponsoring a child for a family in need of assistance, please visit their new website:
www.stillwaterecc.com