a message from our senior pastor

What an amazing summer we are experiencing at First United Methodist Church Richardson! We started with our Happy Campers series and then moved into a series on great hymns of our faith, This is My Song. We’ve watched hundreds of campers come through our doors. One of my highlights each summer is leading the Vacation Bible Camp kids in a rousing version of the song, “My God is So Big.” Seeing our HEROES campers have a camp experience here can melt the coldest heart. The joy I have witnessed on their faces must have been something like the joy the children had when Jesus took them up in his arms and blessed them. Youth have gone out on a choir tour and on mission trips, and they will be impacted for life by these experiences of serving others. In all of these experiences, the spirit and love of God is evident.

We are in a season of growing momentum. Our in-person worship attendance is gaining year over year and moving toward pre-pandemic numbers. Our online ministry continues to expand and thrive. 150 new members have joined our church family through the first six months of this year. New guests continue to show up and find a warm welcome. Many young families are finding a spiritual home for themselves and their children at FUMCR. God’s Spirit is alive and moving through the ministries of our church.

As we prepare for the start of another school season, this is a good time for all of us to renew our commitment to support the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. The church connects us to our spiritual foundation in God. There has never been a more important time than now to have that connection. Regular participation in a faith community has a positive impact on the balance of our lives, our mental health, our spiritual health, and our wellness as human beings. All of this comes from the heart of God, as God gives us our true identity and showers us with goodness, grace, and strength for the demanding journey of life.

I hope to see you soon as we welcome, grow, and serve in our community. God has given us a great mission. Let’s embrace it and pursue it with God’s help.

In Christ,

Clayton Oliphint senior pastor