
Faith Takes Flight
Our junior high students making a difference with underserved communities during their mission trip to Oklahoma
Our junior high students making a difference with underserved communities during their mission trip to Oklahoma
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503 N. Central Expressway Richardson, TX 75080
972.235.8385 fumcr.com
Senior Pastor Dr. Clayton Oliphint
Director of Communications Francy Collins
Graphic Designer Kyle Henson
Communications Team
Paige Hughes
Leslie Kring
Contributors
Katie Barron
Beth Beathard
Sarah Gillette
Alejandra Gonzalez
Caren Houston
Donald R. Joiner
First Connections (USPS 022-024) is published four times a year, by First United Methodist Church Richardson, 503 N. Central Expressway, Richardson, TX 75080. Periodicals postage paid at Richardson, TX and additional mailing offices.
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At First United Methodist Church Richardson, we are, and always have been, a church shaped by bold dreams. From our earliest days, faithful members have listened to God’s voice and responded with courage, generosity, and hope. They dreamed of a church where everyone would be welcomed for Christ, where lives would grow relationally in Christ, and where people of all ages would go out into the community and world to serve others with Christ. We are the fruit of their faith. And now, we hear the Spirit inviting us to dream.
Through the Dream Capital Stewardship Campaign, we are stepping into that holy invitation to invest in the future by retiring our remaining debt and refurbishing and reimagining our campus. Imagine what dreams can be accomplished when money that is now budgeted for interest payments can be redirected to ministry and mission. Can you dream about fresh, welcoming spaces for children and youth, for guests, and for members of all ages?
In this issue of First Connections, you'll see how our church continues to fulfill the dreams of those who came before us and how we are dreaming
boldly for the future. Forty years ago a Sunday school class had a dream to provide affordable, fully furnished, temporary housing for out-of-town patients and their families undergoing extended medical care in Dallas. The result is the amazing ministry of Ark House. This summer FUMCR offered our first missions camp for children with remarkable success – not just from the kids’ and parents’ perspectives but also the adults who said yes to an opportunity to share their time and talents with the next generation. Imagine what seeds were planted! We’re also sharing
stories of new paths, healing, and transformational experiences.
I can’t wait to see what members of our church will dream up next. I hope you will be a part of making these dreams come true. God has a God-sized vision for our church, and we have the opportunity and gift of living into that vision. And dreams can come true.
In Christ,
Clayton Oliphint senior pastor
Since 1886, FUMCR has been shaped by bold dreams and faithful action. Today, we gather in spaces imagined by those who came before us. Now it’s our turn to imagine a future where every generation finds belonging, purpose, and a place to grow in faith. The Dream Capital Campaign is our opportunity to strengthen the community that has strengthened us. Through intentional investment in our people, our spaces, and our financial foundation, we can ensure FUMCR continues to welcome, connect, and serve for decades to come.
Read about campaign priorities, see renderings of proposed construction and timeline, and take the opportunity to pledge or give at fumcr.com/dream
All are invited to learn more about the campaign and our plans as we dream boldly about the future.
Sun, Sept 14, 4pm*
Wed, Sept 17, 10am
Thur, Sept 18, 6pm
Mon, Sept 22, 6pm
Sun, Sept 28, 12pm* (Sanctuary)
* Livestream: fumcr.com/online
Unless listed otherwise, meetings are in Coleman Family Hall and will last no more than an hour. No registration is needed to attend or for childcare.
Visit Shawver Welcome Center to celebrate who we are and who we DREAM of becoming together!
Draw something that represents who you are as an individual or family or something that represents your dream for FUMCR on an acrylic disc that will hang on display and be a small symbol as we come together in boldly dreaming about the future!
by Alejandra Gonzalez
Ten years ago, I was a high schooler involved in The Journey Youth Choir. Our director, Caitlin Molechat, announced that the summer 2016 choir tour would be to Disney World. I still remember the excitement that filled our rehearsals as we prepared for this adventure. For me, that trip was about much more than a performance opportunity. It was a chance to travel with my closest friends, to see the joy that music could bring beyond the walls of our church, and to experience how God could use our voices to reach people in unexpected places.
Now, a decade later, I have the privilege of standing on the other side of that experience. I am blessed to be one of the new leaders guiding the current Journey Youth Choir. Kyle O’Neil and I have announced another Disney choir tour for this upcoming summer! Seeing the anticipation and excitement of the students in the choir reminds me so much of my younger self, but more than that, it fills me with gratitude. God took that experience from my teenage years and grew it into something I never could have planned: the opportunity to give back, to guide, and to watch the next generation discover joy in their faith and music.
Dreams for the future aren’t always brand new visions. Sometimes they are seeds that grow and bloom later in ways we don’t expect. What was once a highlight of my youth has come full circle. My prayer is that the upcoming trip will be more than just fun—it will be a spark of faith, community, and courage that keeps growing in their lives, just as it did in mine.
Throughout my time at FUMCR, I am reminded that God’s timing is perfect and God’s faithfulness stretches across generations. A seed planted years ago in a teenager’s heart is now bearing fruit in the lives of our youth today. That seed—of faith, of leadership, and of the desire to continue pouring into the ministry that once poured so much into me— continues to grow as I walk alongside this next generation. I cannot wait to see what God will grow in them over the next ten years.
By Caren Houston, Ark House Board Member
My fellow Ark Sunday School Class member Ben Glomb was an inspiration to our class. Forty years ago, he was being treated at Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and learned about local churches who were renting apartments to out-of-town patients and their families. Following his death, we emotionally took his dream and started Ark House with one apartment near Baylor Hospital.
This “class project” has grown well beyond its initial supporters and single apartment to 16 apartments serving patients at multiple hospitals in the area. As Ark House was getting started, my dad was sick with cancer. I empathized with Ark House residents as they had to leave their homes and towns to get the medical care that they needed.
Ark House eventually formed a nonprofit, still maintaining its all-volunteer structure and close relationship with FUMCR, which helps with insurance, volunteers, and donations. The nonprofit pays the rent and furnishes the apartments.
Ark House “shepherds” check on residents via phone calls. Forty years ago, long distance was too expensive to call home, so a local phone call from a shepherd gave them a friend to talk to. Shepherds continue to provide a personal contact. My involvement through the years has been recruiting shepherds who can connect with residents, including some who speak other languages or practice other religions. Shepherds are special people: they listen but cannot fix things and care for those who want to talk as well as those who don’t.
Ark House has always put my own concerns in perspective. It has continued for 40 years with many changes but one consistent purpose: to give patients coming to Dallas a comfortable, affordable home while they are here receiving treatment.
Iwas born into and reared in the FUMCR family, and I have seen firsthand how this church has positively impacted lives and evolved over almost six decades of my connection. I’m thankful for my late parents and grandparents, all long-time members, who instilled in me a strong work ethic, taught me life skills, and more importantly, displayed an unshakeable faith in our compassionate, loving God. I am also deeply indebted to all the other individuals (family, friends, colleagues, teachers, professors, pastors) who have helped me throughout my life and along my journey leading me down the path I am on.
Being an active member in FUMCR’s Sawdust Ministry and Richardson Area Interfaith Habitat allows me to live out my faith in tangible ways by building things for others. Similarly, as a
by Donald R. Joiner, M.D.
vascular surgeon, I have relied on my faith and my skills to fix and repair things, albeit in a completely different environment, with obvious, significant risks and benefits.
I am thankful for those who took the time to show, teach, lead, or guide me, so that I now possess the abilities to help others in ways that I feel I am able. Whether it is teaching a surgical resident how to suture a damaged blood vessel or teaching an elementary child how to read a tape measure and build a bird house, sharing skills and God-given talents with younger generations is necessary to ensure that they thrive and prosper. A simple skill or a complex one, when demonstrated and taught correctly, can be used repeatedly over the lifetime of an individual. Hopefully, a spark is ignited deep within one’s soul to use that learned skill with a servant’s heart to help someone in the future.
Maybe this summer’s new Elementary Mission Camp at FUMCR, with its focus on being builders of God’s love, will be that spark. It was a privilege and honor to be involved.
I am excited to see our church display such a high level of interest in children and youth development, with many programs and educational opportunities to grow them in Christ and to show them how to serve others with Christ. Teaching my own son fundamental life skills has been at the pinnacle of my life’s responsibilities. The future is shaped by what we teach our children and youth. I pray that we will build them up while helping them find the small gate and navigate along the narrow road.
A dream of Missions and Children’s Ministry came true! Guided by FUMCR adults who regularly serve in mission, 2nd-5th graders learned about the needs of our community and discovered how they can make a difference through education, experience, advocacy, and of course, fun. Together they grew in faith, served others, and saw that God can work through them in powerful ways, right now!
This October, we’re opening our doors and hearts to a season of spiritual growth, meaningful connection, and community life together. Whether you're an adult, youth, or child, you’ll find a place to grow in Christ through dynamic short-term studies and gatherings that nurture faith and build relationships.
Dinner: 5:00-6:00pm // Classes before & after // More info: fumcr.com/wednesday
Beathard,
ou will not survive without a heart transplant.” Words I never expected to hear, delivered by my cardiologist after two long years of unsuccessful medical treatment. I wasn’t afraid; in fact, knowing I might receive a new heart gave me a feeling of hope for the first time. Hope that I might live after all. Hope for a future with my family.
My heart journey began 19 years ago when I experienced severe heart failure at the young age of 50. I had an enlarged heart and a fatal arrythmia, both proving difficult to treat. Despite excellent medical care and the prayers of many, I continued to decline rapidly. Having a heart transplant was my only option.
I was evaluated and placed on the National Transplant Waiting list. After waiting only 30 days,
which is unusual, we received a call that there was a heart for me! We were happy I was getting a new heart but also sad for the donor family who was now grieving.
Catherine Isadore, my organ donor hero, was only 23 years old. She was a young mother of three children under the age of five. She had not yet signed up to be an organ donor, so her mother and husband made that very difficult decision. Catherine saved three other lives in addition to mine that day. We will always be grateful for my precious gift of life.
We have been blessed to have met not only Catherine’s mother but also her three children. At a 5K race a few years ago, the children were able to listen to their mom’s heartbeat. The relationship with the donor family has been beneficial for both families. I can personally thank them for saving my life. And the donor family says seeing how well I am doing helps them in their grief.
Gary and I had only been members of FUMCR for a short time when I had my first heart event. The outpouring of support and prayers were incredible and sustained us both during a very challenging time. The heart image
depicts my heart being mended by many, many prayers. By the grace of God, excellent medical professionals, and my organ donor hero, I am alive and well – almost 17 years strong. If you are an organ donor, thank you. If not, please consider becoming one. donatelife.net
Our youth live out their faith in powerful, joy-filled ways that stretch far beyond our campus—into neighborhoods, across state lines, and into the hearts of those served. Their summer mission trips in Santa Fe and Norman and youth choir tour through New Mexico and Colorado are shining examples of this. Whether serving in local communities or lifting voices in worship, they are learning what it means to be disciples in action.
On these pages, you’ll find heartfelt notes written by these youth that capture the spirit of these experiences. Through their words, may you catch a glimpse of how God is moving in and through the next generation at FUMCR.
“Every mission trip has left me longing for more of God and built a daily devotion to God. It has created many friendship bonds, including some of my best church friends.” - Anonymous
“It’s really fun to hang out with friends and spread God’s love through work. Sometimes it can be a little hard, but it’s really all worth it.” - Molly Moulton
“These lessons will carry me throughout my life and make me a better Christian and an even better overall person.” - Parker McKenney
“I’ve been on mission trip all 4 years of high school, and every time it is one of my favorite weeks of the summer. Getting to serve communities around the U.S. with friends is so fulfilling and tons of fun. You won’t regret going.” - Sam Casey
“I felt close to God when we were worshiping at night.” - Madison Livingstone
“Mission trip is one of the best things you will experience. Not only does it strengthen your bond with God, it also helps you make lifelong friends. It truly allows you to see the good God does as you help people.” - Harris Cohorn
“I would not be the person I am today without going on mission trips. These trips show you that God is real. I’ve made life-long friends who love Christ.” - Will Patton
“Missions have changed not only my life but so many more. This is one of the most positive things I have done in my life.” - Nicholas Twilley
"I can confidently tell you that these mission trips every summer were the best decisions I ever made. My bond with Christ and my peers grows every single trip, and getting to see the smile on someone’s face once we’ve finished a project on their home is something I can’t put a price on.” - Anonymous
“The week you’re on mission trip may be the most fun, emotional, exhausting week of your life, but I promise it’s worth it.” - Zuri
“I felt God’s presence whenever I saw people singing along or dancing to our music.” - Katherine Dunbar
“You can see the work of God in everyone here and how God loves us all. Consider being a part of something that has changed my life and everyone else who is part of Youth.” - Gretchen
“I saw God's love being presented during the tour whenever we sang to everyone. When we started to sing to everyone at all the different places, all of their faces lit up. I also saw God's love being presented when we got to talk to everyone after we were all done singing.” - Caitlin Livingstone
by Sarah Gillette
I’ve been a member of this amazing church for more than 15 years. I started as a VBC volunteer and have been involved in various Children’s Ministry roles over the years. However, this past June, I spread my wings and tried something new. A friend invited me to join the mission trip to North Carolina. I was nervous, but I decided to take the leap and set out on the long van journey with a group of people who were, at the time, complete strangers.
We arrived at our modest host church in Mars Hill, NC, and were shocked to see that, even though time had passed since the devastating hurricane, many homes and communities were still in ruins. During our week there, we had the privilege of working on two different houses. The humble, beautiful people of North Carolina welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. We helped rebuild not only homes but lives.
That week, deep friendships were formed. The experience of working together, sharing meals, fellowshiping, and
participating in devotionals led by Rev. Sarah MarsalisLuginbill and Tracy Thomas brought us closer together and created long-lasting bonds.
I will never forget that experience or the homeowners we met. This church is inclusive and mission-minded, and that’s exactly why I love it. By leaning into that spirit and stepping outside my comfort zone, I grew in my faith and was forever changed.
I encourage you to take part in something at FUMCR that challenges you. It might make you uncomfortable at first, but through that discomfort, you’ll grow closer to God and to the people who make this church feel like home.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, let there be light, and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good.
The light came in two forms, the greater to rule the day, and the lesser to rule the night— and the stars. The same stars that numbered Abraham’s descendants. The same starlight that heralded the birth of Christ.
The same light that lives in you today.
Light to see.
To envision what’s ahead of us.
To dream about what is possible.
Throughout Scripture, God spoke to his people through dreams— not fantasies, but glimpses of what could be. These weren’t naive or idle hopes. They were holy assignments.
And while the vision came from God, it was up to faithful people to act. To trust. To move their hands and feet in alignment with God's will.
God still has dreams for First United Methodist Church Richardson today and inspires our vision for the future.
Let there be light.
What do you say to someone when the darkness in their life doesn’t go away but instead keeps on building? What can you offer someone hurting who already goes to therapy and smiles in public, but you sense they’re drowning behind closed doors? Compounding loss and grief takes its toll on many, seen and unseen. We come to church and hope the sermon might give us insight into why our world flipped upside down, why pain follows us through every door, why things can’t go back to the way they were. Sometimes we leave the worship service feeling slightly more hopeful because the music was beautiful or the scripture was touching, but we still feel lost due to our circumstances.
2025 has been the year my world changed, and I began to really drown. For those who wear their masks well, grief is completely hidden to others, but it’s no less painful or life altering. I had no idea where to go, who to talk to, or what I would even say if I found someone. If someone who noticed my pain hadn’t suggested Stephen Ministry, I don’t know where I would be today.
I had seen the people in blue shirts serving communion on All Saints Sunday and being a caring presence at a Service of Hope and a memorial service, but I didn’t actually understand who they were or what they did until I met with our director of caring ministry. “Have you thought about talking to a Stephen Minister about this?” she asked.
I think I laughed out loud.
I love attending this church, but I didn’t want to dump my trauma onto someone I would have to then face on a Sunday morning. I was afraid my business would spread through their group, into the congregation, and I would have to find a new church home and start over. Then she showed me the core values of a Stephen Minister:
A Stephen Minister is:
• A Christian friend who really listens and maintains confidentiality;
• A companion during difficult life transitions; and
• A trained lay person who provides distinctly Christian, one-to-one care, presence, and prayer.
It sounded exactly like what I needed. I thought it over and agreed to try it, making a big deal about confidentiality. We discussed how often I’d like to meet, what kind of person I would feel most comfortable talking to, and the next step
of sharing my information with the Stephen Minister I was matched with so we could plan from there. I figured I didn’t have much more to lose and prayed this would make a difference in my ever-spiraling life.
I’ve met with my Stephen Minister weekly since February, and to say they were a “godsend” is an understatement. I shared my story with them, and they heard me. I cried, and they didn’t flinch. I showed them the secret fire that was burning behind the scenes of my life, and they sat in the burning room with me, reminding me that I wasn’t alone. And on Sunday morning or at the grocery store, we smile at one another and go on about our business.
I already felt safe at FUMCR, enjoying volunteering and worship opportunities. I knew I loved the staff and the clergy, but I didn’t know that this program existed or how life saving it could be. Grief is so vast and unknown, and yet, misery loves company. The company my misery loves is this safe community where shared grief is allowed to exist, allowed to be seen, and for a moment, we can all put down the heavy bag we’ve unknowingly been carrying, together.
If you are carrying something that feels too big to hold alone, please consider sending a confidential email to Karen Varner (kvarner@fumcr.com) to learn more about what Stephen Ministry could look like in your life. And if you’re someone who would like to learn more about becoming a Stephen Minister, she would be happy to know you and tell you more. This ministry and this church have so much to offer. You do not need to hide your burdens in the shadows and suffer alone. You are so loved.
Signed, Anonymous
Music has been such a part of my faith journey that I almost can’t separate one from the other.
Growing up, my dad was the choir director at First UMC in Wellington, Texas, and my mom played piano and sang in the choir along with my grandmother. My siblings and I sat with our grandfather every Sunday until we were tall enough to wear a robe and join the choir as well!
When we visited FUMCR, Joel and I were looking for a place for our boys to grow up and have friends at church, but I was also looking for a choir to sing with - one that
was inviting and provided wonderful music every Sunday. I knew we were in the right place when Kim O’Neil came down the aisle at the early service, after listening to her own kids sing in the youth choir, to invite me to sing in the Chancel Choir. Mike Lightfoot came out of the choir loft with his wife Mary (another husband/wife duo leading the choir!) to introduce himself on the Sunday we joined and invited me to come sing as well. I did that following Wednesday and have been singing with the Chancel Choir ever since.
It was clear to me then how wonderful and well-suited Mike was for his role. A church choir is made up almost exclusively of volunteers, who willing give of their time and talents to help lead the congregation in worship. The challenge of having a wide variety of abilities, not knowing who will be there every week, and preparing a group of otherwise unconnected people to pull together and row in the same direction, so to speak, was met by Mike’s impressive ability to choose beautiful and appropriate music for all of those things, while fitting the scripture or theme of the service.
Mike had a dream to grow the music ministry not only with the Orr Music Suite but by building a reputation in the area as a top choir that performs many different genres in a worshipful way. He has challenged the choir with sacred music, like the Fauré Requiem, while also
championing new composers, like our very own Rick Holt. He has taken the Chancel Choir across the globe on various choir tours and prepared the choir for many special concerts. He has expanded the music staff to meet the needs of our congregation with a youth choir, multiple children’s choirs, bell choirs, and even an ukulele choir! Mike has surrounded himself with incredibly talented staff to help accomplish his vision of a thriving music ministry that affirms traditional worship, modern worship, and our growing online ministry. He has had the complete support of Pastor Clayton and the church staff, which has been an incredible blessing and much appreciated.
Mike’s servant-leader attitude and ministerial spirit have been instrumental not only in growing our music ministry but in recognizing that we can bring God’s blessings to so many people through music. It’s why I continue to sing and why the choir has retained longtime members and added new members at the same time.
Caitlin Molechat has done the same with The Journey Youth Choir, which has grown from about a dozen youth 13 years ago to over 50 junior high and high schoolers who regularly participate in our 8:45am Sunday service – an impressive feat in and of itself! I am absolutely thrilled that Caitlin is stepping into the role that Mike is vacating with his retirement. She shares Mike’s vision for music and ministry, is a fabulous musician in her own right, and is a
wonderful choral director. Mike is leaving his legacy of 23 years as our Director of Music Ministry in excellent hands, and I’m thrilled to have a front row seat to what happens next! I hope you will join us in this next chapter, as we dream big for our Music Ministry. We’d love to have you!
Memorial and honorary gifts are a special way to celebrate a life, birthday, anniversary, special occasion, or just to say thank you. Below are the gifts given May 1, 2025 to August 31, 2025
Bob Bass by Jim and Kay Bass, Martha Bass, Rick Reedy, Suzy Jefferys through the Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Rusche Foundation, Dee Ann Foley, Gloria Scott
David Bookout by The Apostles Sunday School Class, Walnut Hill OB/GYN Associates, James and Sharon Richards, David and Kathryn Waldrep, Sylvia Deadwyler, Bob Hughes, Betty Bartula
Marvis Brock by Carol and Bill Nelson, LaVerne and Tom Sewell, Edwin and Cindy Murr
Elvin Bryant by Jean von Hoffman, Billy and Betty Corbin, Naz and Mart Alcorta, Janie Alcorta, Bonnie Edwards, Sawdust Ministry, Anne Pate, Cornerstone Sunday School Class, Benita Belsley
Carleen Carstens by Jean von Hoffman
Homer Cary by Jean von Hoffman, Pat Hatinger
Dorothy Cheairs by Jennifer Rawlinson, Bonnie Edwards, Bill and Betty Corbin
Richard Fleming by Mary Lobb
Carol Harris by Jean von Hoffman
Dale Henderson by Jean von Hoffman, Catherine Edwards, Bonnie Edwards
Beverly Jarchow by Pamela Mitchell
Julia Castleman by Richard and LaRuth Morrow
Charles Wells Tucker Baptism by Aunt Tracy and Uncle Rick
Michael Lightfoot by Bonnie Edwards, Mike and Linda Proch
Carolyn Johnson by Tim and Missy Griffy, Chip and Jennifer Rawlinson, Ralph and Susan Holder, Debbie Hoff, Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner, Bonnie Edwards
Mary Kennard by Jean von Hoffman
Vera Kuhlman by Gloria Scott
Wilene Landfair by The Marangell Monday Family, Kim, Lauren, Jack, and Ellie, The Chambers family in Colorado, Laura and Chris Curran, Ida Kaufman and Mark and Janis Reid, Linda Palmer Robinson, David, Cherry and Caroline Goldsholl, Beth and Mike Goldman, Kimberly Dalrymple, Marion and Dianne Brockette, Kristy Rorschach, Landfair Chambers Family Fund
Michael Lyons by Joy Anderson, Pat Hatinger
Bonnie Perry by Tim and Missy Griffy, Richardson Symphony Inc.
Judith Reagan by Bonnie Edwards, Frances Reagan Wheat
Mary Richardson by The Marangell Monday Family, Kim, Lauren, Jack, and Ellie
Frank Robertson by Bonnie Edwards, Jean von Hoffman
Betty Stripling by Canyon Creek North Garden Club, The Li Family
Jane Tallent by Beverly Davis, Dena, Jonathan and Lauren, David and Catherine Baumgartner
Carl Tinch by Jean von Hoffman, Bonnie Edwards, Marilyn Dickson
Kay Fisk by Teresa Cave
Natalie Nenovich by Richard and LaRuth Morrow
Christmas Market
November 14-16
Featuring special and unique fair-trade goods and “shares” of non-profits that serve others
503 N. Central Expressway P.O. Box 830877
Richardson, TX 75080
972.235.8385 fumcr.com
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