If We Want Change, We Have to Be Open to Changing
I know lots of people who want to see change around them.
I know fewer people who are open to change themselves for that to happen.
This is what makes Mary’s “Yes” to the angel so remarkable.
Then, as now, there was so much desire for change in the economically oppressed and militarily occupied land of Israel. Being a teenage woman only heightened that powerlessness and vulnerability. She was more than a little surprised when the angel told her that the change desired by many was indeed coming. About the child the angel promised her, the angel says, “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).
Mary could have said, “No thank you,” or “Yes, we need that, but please find someone else.” Instead, she said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary was open to the change she and millions of others wanted to see for their country and for themselves. Mary’s only qualification was her willingness to be a servant to the change she wanted to see. It was true then; it is true now.
The first choral song I learned in 7th grade was “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but Mrs. Butler — one of my favorite teachers — was the rare Black teacher (and a Christian) in a predominantly white middle school in Houston, Texas, in 1970. She did not just want change in racial relations and respect; she was willing to be a servant to the change she wanted to see. I appreciate now her choice of that song for our mostly white 7th-grade choir to sing as we approached the Christmas season:
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”
See you Sunday at the change place,
Lead Pastor
FUMC Plano
"Give us this day our daily bread …"
We pray it from memory; we pray it without ever needing to look at the words. But how much thought have we given to what we are saying in that clause of our Lord’s Prayer? I think, in this Thanksgiving week, it is worth a moment’s pause.
In the early church’s context, bread was the “staff of life” for the impoverished with whom Jesus’ message of life resonated loudly. You might not have much, but if you had bread, you could subsist; you could get by. So for Jesus to teach his disciples to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” he was teaching not just a simple prayer and a simpler diet, but a simpler lifestyle—dependent on God’s grace and one that made room for sharing more with the neighbor in need.
As we gather in abundance this week, might we indeed give thanks for our daily bread—our “enough”—but also for the extra resources that can then be shared beyond ourselves . . . as Jesus always did.
Blessings on you and yours this Thanksgiving week.
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
This Is How Church Works
Frances Graves and newcomer Morgan Burks sifting compost for the Community Garden.
Kelly Campbell and daughter Emma clearing the fence of vines so people driving on Parker can see the good work happening for the community.
Sun Cochran and Megan Oh (and family) bagging groceries for food-short families at God’s Pantry.
Ruth Roberson and Linda Welch doing the same.
Tim Hopson representing us as District Lay Leader at Charge Conference.
Newcomers Dan, Ariel, and Matthew Hampton sorting clothing donations at Hope Restored Mission.
Kristi and John Boog-Scott and Mike Bowen doing the same and loading heavy equipment for a donation to meet a need in McKinney.
Debbie Ison organizing water and other donations for distribution.
Children and adults coloring placemats for persons – some with children of their own – who are incarcerated at a state prison.
Joyce Craig and a room full of women cutting wrapping paper and creating decorative bags for children at Dooley Elementary to use for gifts they purchase for family and friends.
Twenty men removing pews so that new Sanctuary lighting can be installed – also by in-house volunteer labor.
Scenes like these – all from this past Mission Together Sunday – are a living testimony to who we are: a church that worships, then serves.
“‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you, when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’” — Matthew 25:38–40 (CEB)
This is how church works.
This Sunday, we will burn our mortgage note at both services, celebrating with thanksgiving a now debt-free church that has been doing this for 178 years. I hope you will bring a friend to join in this milestone of faithful service to others and thus to Christ.
Yours ... His,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
The Inconvenience of Love
We hear the grumbles.
“I want my usual worship time; 10 o’clock is hard to remember.”
“I want to be heading home by that time.”
“I want to be finishing breakfast at that time.”
“I want to be in my Sunday School class.”
“I want our kids to be in Sunday School.”
What two words are common to these statements? Exactly.
What if, instead of grumbles, we were to hear:
“One 10 o’clock service? I want to see people I don’t get to see!”
“I want to hear our combined choir.”
“I want to wear casual clothes to church.”
“I want to work on a mission project with my Sunday School class.”
“I want to work with my kids on a mission project for others.”
Eleven days before Thanksgiving, we gather for worship as the one body of Christ to be the body of Christ to the world near and far. Or, as I have also heard said, “Mission is not what we do; it’s who we are.” Twice a year, Mission Together imposes on our rhythms; it feels like an inconvenience. But it really is the inconvenience of love.
With you in Christ,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
What are We Standing For?
This Sunday comes just two days before Veterans Day when our country pauses and honors all those who serve and have served in our nation’s armed forces. Flags will be out, marches made, and commemorations spoken.
Here at FUMC Plano, we have a proud legacy of service to God and country. Over the years, more than 200 members of our congregation have served in our nation’s military with distinction. On Sunday, we will stand with them in heart, even as we ask those present to stand and be recognized.
It is one day in the church when we can agree to mix “religion and politic.” But, as we stand together. what exactly are they – and we – standing for?
Regardless of service, every enlisted person makes the following oath:
“I, ____________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
So again, what are we standing for?
Are we standing with them to defend the Constitution?
Are we standing with them to defend the rule of law?
Are we standing with them to defend free speech?
Are we standing with them to defend habeas corpus?
Are we standing with them to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same”?
These are the vows our cherished veterans pledged their lives, on behalf of all of us.
It is certainly why I am proud to stand with them.
So help me God.
Lead Pastor
A Beautiful Cloud of Witnesses
Christmas and Easter are wonderful, but my favorite of all services happens on All Saints Sunday — and for two reasons.
Our son Blaine was born on All Saints Day, November 1 — by itself my most treasured witness to how God moves in God’s “kairos” time.
The other reason is we beautifully remember and celebrate how God has moved through the lives of those who have been part of our church family for decades and who now stand in the presence of God with no more tears and no more suffering.
We name them one at a time.
We toll a bell.
We stand in solidarity of memory.
We light candles.
And perhaps most importantly, we kneel at the rail in communion with this cloud of witnesses, for they are very much alive and very much with us in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup together.
I will feel their presence, as much as I feel my son’s bear hug, when we gather as the one body of Christ this Sunday. It is holy ground for me.
On Easter we proclaim, “He is alive.”
On All Saints Sunday we remember they are alive and with us — a beautiful cloud of witnesses.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Lead Pastor
FUMC Plano
“I Love my Church.”
These words moved me when I heard Don Magnus say them last Sunday in a 56-second video that is worth much more than the minute it takes to watch.
He testified to the joy of serving and giving to something you love. It was only fitting that after the 11:00 service, we consecrated our new Birds Nest maintenance building and, in a surprise moment, revealed two commemorative stones with brass plaques affixed to them (Thank you, Dave Gray). One of the stones honors all of those who have served as Yardbirds, beautifying and repairing just about anything that needs it around and inside our church building. The other stone dedicates the new Birds Nest to the founders and leaders of the Yardbirds over the past 35 years: Don Magnus, Bob Bontz, Jim Murrell, and Tom Durdin.
Founding Yardbirds Don Magnus, Bob Bontz, Jim Murrell, and Tom Durdin stand beside the newly dedicated plaques at the Birds Nest maintenance building, honoring 35 years of faithful service.
It was a short but deeply meaningful recognition of this group who love their church—and they represent a host of others in our church family who give and serve with the same spirit.
Last Sunday, we received pledges for more dollars for 2026 ministry than we did on the first Sunday of our stewardship emphasis a year ago. A lot of people brought their “batons”—their Estimates of Giving—and handed them off into big baskets down front while praying at the rail for what God will do through our church next year. We also received gifts last week for our Free to Grow debt elimination campaign. With funds in hand, our remaining debt now stands at about $72,000. In April it was $750,000. It’s what happens when people who “love their church” serve and give with joy.
I am confident that we will be debt-free by Thanksgiving week, November 23, when we are scheduled to burn our mortgage note. I know we can overcome, by the end of the year, the deficit that we, like most churches, face this time of year. I also know that we can fund all that we feel called to do in ministry in 2026. All it requires is for the 600 families who call FUMC Plano their home to say with their heart’s giving, “I love my church.”
And as we’ve witnessed again and again, God is more than gracious to meet our every need.
See you Sunday as we talk about prayer that matters.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
Wisdom in the Meeting
Biblically, divine wisdom comes to the body when the body meets together:
Jethro advises his son-in-law Moses on how to manage the people (Exodus 18).
Jesus persistently pulled his disciples aside for teaching and practice that strengthened the witness of their doing (e.g., John 6:1–13).
The early church discovered a new way of doing ministry that involved more lay people, expanding the church’s reach (Acts 6).
Since then, the Church—in most of its iterations—has discovered and practiced the power of meeting to discern divine wisdom moving forward:
The Vatican and its dioceses meet.
The Southern Baptist Convention meets.
Lutheran Synods meet.
The United Methodist General and Annual Conferences meet.
In every instance, there is prayer, worship, and thoughtful discussion to discern the Spirit’s leading in a variety of issues the Church faces, both internally and externally, for the sake of Christ’s ministry.
Several years ago, FUMC Plano began holding Town Hall meetings led by our lay leaders to present information and encourage the congregation to speak about the issues we face together. We will hold our next Town Hall Meeting this Sunday, October 19, at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary. Yes, it conflicts with the Sunday School hour—but the issues are important enough to warrant that shared time. This hour provides us with the best opportunity for broad participation in issues that affect us all.
The chairs of our Missions, Trustees, Finance, Staff-Parish Relations, and Church Council will give brief reports, allowing most of our time to focus on your questions. Handouts will be available, and the meeting will also be livestreamed.
We work to give every voice a voice, because in doing so, we better discern the wisdom of what the Spirit is saying through all of us who make up this body of Christ.
I hope you will attend.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
How Does 2% Make 98% of the Difference?
By now, most everyone who considers FUMC Plano as “my church” should have received an envelope with the red-stamped question: Will You Be Part of the 2% Solution? The enclosed letter claims that 2% can make 98% of the difference. How is that possible?
Your church has reported that we are about $300,000 in the red with three months to go. Our expenses are slightly higher than expected, but it is giving for ministry that lags. $300,000 may seem like a large number until you consider the power of numbers, specifically about 600 “family units” who make up the FUMC Plano family.
The median income (half make more; half make less) for an individual in Plano is $56,045 (2023 data)—more if there is more than one person in the household. But let’s stay with the lower number. The average charitable giving rate in the U.S. is about 2.1%; Christians in the U.S. average about 2.3%. God asks for 10%. But let’s stay with the lower, historical percentage.
If 300 of our 600 families gave 2.1% of a $56,045 income, the calculation would be:
300 × .021 × $56,045 = $353,083.50
And this calculation does not account for the other 300 families who call FUMC Plano “my church.” While perhaps small in the eyes of some, 2% makes more than 98% of the difference!
I have heard people say, “I can’t give much.” And I say to them, “You underestimate your power!” This is especially true when added together with 300 other “widow’s mites.” There are seasons for us all—because of health, job, or family-cost issues—when we cannot give as much as we wish. But we all can give to the God who always gives first. And when joined with the other faithful souls who make up our church, your giving makes all the difference in the world.
$300,000 is a big number for these last three months, and the approximately $2,000,000 budget for 2026 is a large number too … but not for the family of FUMC Plano, who have faithfully risen to the challenge for 177 years. And it’s not too big for Jesus, because “with God all things are possible!” Consider faithfully the gift of God’s grace in your life, and then ask the question: Will I be part of the 2% Solution?
Rising with you on eagle’s wings,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
Our Communion Rail Offering: WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY
David, Liliana, and Emma celebrating his doctorate from Perkins School of Theology (SMU), December 2020.
This Sunday, October 5, is World Communion Sunday. United Methodists around the globe will celebrate communion with Christians of all denominations, recognizing our unity in Christ as we join together worldwide in Holy Communion.
Embracing this commitment, United Methodists dedicate this day to nurturing diverse leadership within the church. Gifts received support scholarships and leadership training for underrepresented students.
Contributions fund scholarships for U.S. and international students, as well as grants that strengthen inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Last year, over $360,000 was raised to advance these initiatives:
50% of funds provide scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students of color pursuing ordained ministry.
35% of funds support worldwide training in inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. These In-Service Training Grants help recruit, train, and retain people of color in leadership across all levels of church ministry. Imagine the impact of one World Communion Sunday scholarship recipient on the many lives of people, leaders, pastors, and future pastors.
15% of funds support leadership development among partner churches and communities in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and communities of color in the U.S.
One such recipient is David Rangel, who grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Monterrey, Mexico, in a devout Christian family of lay leaders and pastors. As a boy, he dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player until he entered engineering school.
After graduating from the Engineering School in Monterrey, Rangel joined a mission trip to Dallas, TX, helping a United Methodist church connect with its community. Though he was engaged in meaningful ministry, he lacked the financial resources to pursue his calling.
“It was the United Methodist Church that opened its doors for me to begin my pastorate as a local pastor,” Rangel says. “Later, the church provided the financial support to become a permanent U.S. resident so that I could attend seminary.”
With a master’s degree completed, Rangel sought to continue doctoral studies. The General Board of Global Ministries, through World Communion Sunday offerings, supported his pursuit of a Doctorate at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology.
Rangel’s ministry has been innovative and wide-reaching:
Developing the first Spanish-speaking multi-site model in the Legacy North Texas Conference, opening two campuses in his previous appointment.
Creating a Spanish-language Leadership Institute.
Producing a Spanish leadership podcast, Liderazgo y Estrategias Ministeriales (“Leadership and Ministry Strategies”).
Currently, he is forming a coaching cohort for Spanish-speaking pastors, serves with the Hispanic Latino Planters Group (which evaluates the work of the National Plan with the General Board of Discipleship Ministries), and pastors the largest Spanish-speaking church in the Horizon Texas Conference at Custer Road en Español.
Rangel—and many other scholarship recipients—are making a difference because of your gifts to this Special Sunday offering.
Please give generously to the World Communion Sunday offering on October 5! Every penny you give goes directly to people who need this support.