Nancy Bryan-Ellison 8/7/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 8/7/25

Showing Up and Showing Out

I am still reflecting on the strong witness of our Crossfire Youth Ministry last Sunday—both youth and adults. They played the instruments, they sang the songs, they served communion, and they spoke eloquently in prayer and testimony. They showed up, they showed out, and they inspired! I was struck by several points our Minister to Youth and Families, Sarah Henson, made. One of those was that so much of youth ministry is about showing up—being present and available for each other and for others outside of the church family. Jacob Favre, adult chaperone and father of Maddie, spoke personally in his witness about the transformative effect just showing up has—for others and for yourself—even with the late nights of talking and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Daughter Maddie showed up and invited her friend Addie to come along; it was Addie’s first mission trip. I suspect it won’t be her last—she had a wonderful time.

It is this intentionality of witness that draws others closer to Christ. Interestingly, our worship attendance in the Sanctuary and online has been ahead of 2024, and for June and July, the increase has been 9% higher in the Sanctuary and 14% higher online than during the summer a year ago. Our people are showing up, showing out, and inviting others. That’s how things grow.

As part of our Bring 1 initiative this fall, we will have significant and celebrative opportunities every month to show up and show out. This weekend is one of them. The now four performances of Something Greater are filling up fast. We’ve invited friends to go with us Friday night. You can reserved your spot HERE. And on Sunday, after the 11 o’clock service, we will celebrate Jill Stoel’s thirty years of service—years that she and her late husband, Gerry, gave so generously to all of us in the kitchen—as she retires from her role as Kitchen Manager.

There’s a lot to be proud of, a lot to thank God for, and a lot to invite others to see—as we show up and show out for the Christ who animates us all.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/31/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/31/25

Celebrating the Future Hope Now in Every Communion

In his very dense book Looking East in Winter, Archbishop Rowan Williams points out that the Orthodox Church experiences communion with a different perspective than those of us in the Western Church—both Catholic and Protestant. We in the West tend to celebrate the past: what Christ did that night around the table with his disciples as he said, “Remember me when you break this bread and drink this wine.” As Rowan says, communion is “turned into a backward-looking action, understood not as an anticipation of the consummated future (emphasis mine) but as a repetition of the saving past.”

Better understood, when we share communion, we are teleported side by side into that great future reality where Christ is all and in all, as Christ brings all of creation back into oneness with God. There is no more suffering; there are no more tears or pain. This reality was inaugurated by Christ’s death and resurrection, where all powers—including death—were brought under Christ’s control. That is the future reality we can experience and rejoice in every time we share together the bread and the cup. This is our confident hope—something I know is running in short supply for many.

Amplifying our communion and our communal hope Sunday will be our Minister of Youth, Sarah Henson, and the “fresh voices” of our youth as they witness, in a variety of ways, the hope they saw and manifested in their travels this summer. I am excited to be at table with them and with you as, together, we anticipate our consummated future with Christ, our eternal hope—NOW.

Yours in Christ,

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/24/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/24/25

There’s “Something Greater” Coming This Fall

It may be a bit of a summer lull right now, but something greater is coming—in fact, some things that will have us literally standing up and cheering.

Overarching these events will be periodic reminders to ourselves to Bring 1, meaning the event is one we’ll want to share with others—especially those who haven’t experienced our church, or perhaps Jesus, in a long time. We believe these monthly events will be real milestones—points of pride and excitement. They will include the consecration of our new “front door,” complete with driveway, parking, and landscaping. Later, we’ll consecrate our new Yardbird Maintenance Building, celebrate Trunk or Treat, and give thanks for being debt-free with a ceremonial note burning! All of this leads up to December’s community Christmas Pops Concert and our Christmas Eve services. You get the idea.

In addition to the new flooring, we’ll have multiple occasions to Bring 1—one friend, one neighbor, one store clerk we know who may not have a church home. These are all easy-entry opportunities to introduce someone to the ministries of our church. And two more opportunities are just around the corner in August.

Our original Something Greater musical will debut August 8, 9, and 10 in the Chapel. Written by our own Kim Ross and Robin Anderson, this theatrical production—performed by young adults—brings to life an imagined story of the prophet Nathan and King David, alongside the very real story of the royal lineage that led to Jesus.

Also in August, we’ll welcome our annual Fresh Voices series featuring outstanding preachers on four of the five Sundays while Cammy and I take some vacation time. Each Sunday is another opportunity to Bring 1 guest or family member.

I am very proud and very excited about what the Spirit is doing in our midst. Through June, our in-house worship attendance is up 5.5% over the same time last year. Our total attendance—both in-house and online—is up 9.5%. With our Bring 1 invitational effort, I look forward to reporting what the second half of 2025 looks like compared to last year.

Something greater is coming …

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/17/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/17/25

Refusing to Be Touched by the Pain of Others

I’m wrapping up our Reluctant Prophet series this Sunday as we explore Paul’s “prison letter,” Colossians 1:15–28. The section begins with a “hymn” (vv. 15–20) that the writer includes to clarify the centrality of Christ and his sacrifice for everyone and everything in heaven and on earth. It may be the most grand and poetic Christological statement in all of the New Testament.

Getting our minds and hearts around it can be a huge challenge because we naturally—and sinfully—categorize the world and all that’s in it: better/worse, higher/lower, richer/poorer, smarter/dumber, deserving/undeserving. We almost always place ourselves in the better-regarded category. This is our ego and our sin. By demeaning others so that we can feel better about ourselves, we distance ourselves from them emotionally. Their “worth” is less, and therefore less deserving of our care and regard. We cease to be touched by the pain of others. This is our sin—but this cannot be our way, says our New Testament prophet.

Instead, Paul states, we are to regard Christ as the “head of the body (the church),” “the firstborn from the dead,” and therefore, having “first place in EVERYTHING” (emphasis mine). Christ rose from the dead out of a love for all of creation that could not be killed. This is a love that commands our attention and our hearts—if we are open to it. It is a love that changes our orientation toward the world and all our categories within it. If we are indeed a people who are “going on to perfection in love” (Wesley), then we will find ourselves caring for and loving more and more people and things around us—even those that pain and disgust us—because Christ loves and cares for them every bit as much as Christ loves and cares for us.

When we realize that our hearts are softening toward this or that person or group, we can thank God that the Spirit is working within us. When we find ourselves being touched by the pain of others, we can be sure that God is healing pain within us—and that Christ is gaining a deeper foothold, placing God first in our hearts in ALL THINGS.

This Sunday, we will be graced by the Wesley Ramblers from the Wesley Foundation at Texas A&M as they help lead us in worship. Their “hymns,” like Paul’s, will lift Christ up as first place in everything. I look forward to seeing you in the healing place.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/10/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/10/25

Being Present

The picture on the front page of The Dallas Morning News this morning captured the moment well. There, amidst the river-strewn debris near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, was a hand-painted sign that simply read, “Jesus Wept”—the shortest verse in the Bible (John 11:35). It also captured the moment well when Jesus encounters Mary, Martha, and their grieving community after the death of their brother Lazarus. There is nothing else to do in that moment except cry. No finger-pointing, no what-ifs, no theological rationalization—none of that is of any help. Only crying is—being present with tears and hearts.

Like you, my heart has been heavy all week since the news broke … and continues to break. We immediately contacted longtime friends and members of FUMC Kerrville to confirm they were okay. They were. But they knew people who would never come home. It was heartbreaking. All I could do was affirm that Cammy and I were present with them in their personal and community losses, and in sadness of heart and prayer.

I often tell people that the book of Job is one of the great teachers of how to be both helpful and unhelpful in the face of unimaginable loss. Job loses everything to tragedy; there is nothing to do but sit in the stunned silence of his unspeakable grief. His two friends come, and for a week, simply sit with him—saying nothing. Counselors would tell you they could not have been more helpful to their friend. Then they blow it. They start asking questions about what he could have done to cause this. What did he do to deserve it? It is painful to read, in large part because it captures biblically what we so quickly move to: the blame-and-rationalization game. For people who are hurting, that is nothing but cruel.

No, at the end of the day, we are left gasping in our speechlessness in the face of such tragedy. Yes, there will come a time when hard lessons can be heard—about weather forecasting and warnings, about early response systems that rural counties have difficulty affording, and about the plain human tendency to minimize the importance of such things. But that time is not now. Now is the time to simply be present with those we know affected by this tragedy, and to be present with each other—sometimes in silence and tears that say, “I know.”

Lord, remember them unto your kingdom,

P.S. FUMC Plano is receiving donations for the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). 100% of your gifts will go toward disaster relief in the affected area of our sister Rio Texas Conference. You can give HERE, and select “UMCOR Disaster” from the drop-down menu.

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/3/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 7/3/25

Wearing Shorts and a T-Shirt to Work

It’s not often that I do that—except when I work with the Yardbirds on a Friday morning doing yardwork at the church. But I’m wearing them today as I travel an hour and a half west to spend time with our youth at Conference Camp on Lake Bridgeport—the Mount Horeb for thousands of children, youth, and adults who have met God there over the decades. It is one of the great joys of my calling as a pastor.

During my time there today, I’ll hear stories from the youth about small group study and conversation, time in the pool and on the sand volleyball court, perhaps some shaving cream fights, late nights and tired days (especially toward the end of the week), camp food, silliness, singing—all told with lots of smiles and laughter.

For Courtney White, Matthew Hopson, Riley Hilton, Griffin Shoemaker, and Sarah Bush Henson—our FUMC Plano counselors there with some 150-200 youth—it is work, to be sure. But it is work made lighter by the knowledge that God is at work in all of it.

The leadership team has come together in a spirit of unity, purpose, and joy.
Griffin Shoemaker, our Modern Worship Leader, is not only leading music but also preaching his first sermon at Vesper Point.
Youth have been encountering the depth of God’s love as they sit on benches at sunset, staring at the cross on that same point.
Jaeson Antley, one of our youth, signed up for camp the day before it began—right after returning from South Korea with his family.
New friendships are forming as our youth connect with others from different churches, already making plans to reunite NEXT year at Bridgeport.
Inspired by the Spirit, our youth are reaching out and inviting others to experience what God is doing at camp.

All of these are just some of the energized evidence of God “passing by” at Bridgeport Camp and working wonders in their midst.

So I put on my shorts and t-shirt to go to work today—to see what all God has been doing in these young people’s lives. Hallelujah! Amen.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/26/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/26/25

Pardon Our Construction; Lives Being Built

A new view of what’s taking shape — thanks to Ephraim Nitanga for capturing this exciting moment from above!

It has taken longer than anyone anticipated, but we have finally obtained the necessary permits from the City of Plano to begin the construction planned since our land sale a year and a half ago. Heavy equipment is now rumbling, grading dirt for the new driveway and 60-space parking lot. Ground will now be broken for the new Yardbird Shed next to the Gym.

In short, we will experience what I call “construction chaos” for a few weeks this summer as these new things are built. We will work hard to make parking as least inconvenient as possible. But the construction is also a sign—a sign that something else is under construction: people’s lives.

Not visible to all, we have persons among us—new and long-established—whose lives are in various stages of “construction chaos” as the Spirit works to build or rebuild them. We have people grieving the loss of a spouse, struggling with cancer and Alzheimer’s, still seeking employment after a layoff, dealing with mental health challenges, substance abuse, loneliness, setbacks at school, and anxiety about loved ones.

In all these real-life circumstances, God’s healing Holy Spirit is at work—through prayer and through the presence of others among us—to help build new piers, new foundations, new places to stand. It’s messy. It hurts. And it always takes longer than anyone wants.

However, by faith, new life is being built—because God is always in the business of building new life. Christ’s resurrection was the ultimate statement of that truth. Pentecost’s “groundbreaking” for the Church affirmed it again. And 2,000 years later, we claim that truth for ourselves—even as we direct people where to park on the grass and where to park their lives for a time of healing, construction, and new life.

Thanks for your patience.

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/20/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/20/25

Letter from Bill Downs

Nowhere to Mail

For the first time in over 14 years, the FUMC PX does not have an address to send our toiletries and snacks.

The most recent recipient, the Base Chaplain at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq, sent me a kind email thanking our church for its support over the past five years. He shared that with the drawdown of troops and better access to supplies through a well-stocked PX, he believes it would be better for us to direct our resources elsewhere.

Following his advice, I’ve recommended to the Missions Committee that we place a moratorium on collecting further donations until we can identify a new way to support our troops or veterans—if one arises. Otherwise, we may consider this the official closing of the FUMC PX ministry.

What began with six boxes and $300 has grown into a ministry that, by God’s grace, has shipped the equivalent of 1,824 large USPS flat-rate boxes to 25 different military units around the world—including Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Bahrain, Germany, South Korea, and Alaska—as well as 40 additional boxes to members of our own church family on active duty.

It has been my great honor and privilege to serve as the messenger on behalf of our church, delivering your generosity to those serving our country. Every donation, every dollar, every note made a difference. And I’m proud to say that, to the best of my knowledge, no church or Missions Committee funds were ever used—this was a ministry funded entirely by YOUR gifts.

The praise and the honor belong to you—the members and friends of our church—who gave so faithfully, and who allowed us to share God’s grace, one peanut at a time, with men and women defending our freedom.

It is YOU who made it all possible.

Thank you for your support, your generosity, and your confidence in this ministry.

God bless our troops and veterans.

Love to all,
Bill Downs

At the Older Adult Luncheon in November, the UMC Plano Quilters honored Bill with a Quilt of Valor, recognizing his many years of dedicated service.

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/19/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/19/25

Going Away and Going to God

Last week, our Crossfire Youth Choir returned from its tour to Florida.

This week, we have children at Bridgeport Camp.

Next week, our middle schoolers are going to San Antonio to help with home repairs.

Like going on vacation, our young people are going away. But they are also going to God. There is an intentionality to draw near to God and draw near to the people of God in all the places they are going. It is a time of play, to be sure, but moreover, it is a time of intentional spiritual formation. In the earliest gospel, Jesus calls his disciples to “a place apart” (Mark 6:31) that they might rest with Jesus, talk and laugh with Jesus, learn from Jesus, and pray with Jesus before they re-entered their “real” world. We still do that in the church—in our women’s retreats, Emmaus Walks, even Dinners for Eight. There is something lasting about time spent together with Jesus apart from the daily cycle—even the cycle of church and small group attendance.

Cammy and I are taking the opportunity to go away this summer, and I hope you do too. We all need the change of pace and scenery—even if it’s just an overnight somewhere nearby. But I challenge us to also see that time as going to God. Take some quiet time, and maybe a journal, to observe and record where you encounter God in that different setting—for God is surely there, beckoning. God wants us to find renewal in those spaces so that we might be our better and best selves, representing Christ when we return to our “real” world.

Savor!

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,

From Atlanta to Orlando, Gulf Shores to Baton Rouge — our Crossfire Youth Choir did their own “going away and going to God” by singing, serving, and making memories on an unforgettable tour!

Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/12/25 Nancy Bryan-Ellison 6/12/25

It Wasn’t Jesus

What’s easily lost in the excitement of Pentecost in the upper room two thousand years ago is that in all that followed in that rapid-pace story, Jesus is not present. The excitement, the 3,000 who are converted, the healings that follow, the church pulling their resources together to make sure all have enough—Jesus is nowhere to be found.

It was the Holy Spirit—present in the hearts and lives of the believers—who animated all of that incredible outreach and achievement … and all of them volunteers. There were no clergy, no paid staff, no church buildings; just people who knew the unconditional love of the risen Christ, determined to share that same unconditional love with all. They were doing the miraculous: loving on others!

I think about that as I reflect with thanksgiving on the last two weeks in the life of FUMC Plano:

Dozens of our member volunteers preparing and carrying off a Vacation Bible Camp for 200 kids
A dozen Yardbirds and landscape volunteers beautifying our grounds for company last week (as they do every week)
Dozens of our member volunteers preparing and hosting a successful Clergy Session for some 600 clergy and friends from across Texas
Lay volunteers going to camp, on mission trips, and choir tour
Still more volunteers collecting, organizing, and getting food to neighbors in our community who experience food scarcity
More trained volunteers running a high-quality livestream operation so that hundreds can join us in worship weekly
People volunteering their financial gifts that have cut our debt in half in just six weeks

You begin to get the idea. It wasn’t people waiting for Jesus to do something. It always is faithful people understanding that the Spirit of the living Christ is resting on them taking advantage of their opportunity to be Jesus to those around them, starting with the church–just like those volunteers did at Pentecost 2,000 years ago.

Thank you for being FUMC Plano. Thank you for being a Pentecost church. I am so proud to be among you as your pastor starting my 10th year. Thank you for living the love of the risen Christ for others in his name. Amen.

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