What Stance Will You Choose?
This Sunday, we rehearse what the church refers to as Palm or Passion Sunday. The crowds who greet Jesus with such warm welcome and fanfare are also among those who, only a few days later, are shouting, “Crucify him!”
Jesus had not changed, but the people’s hearts had; they felt threatened because what they could control was changing. They could not change their economic situation; they could not control the suffering around them; they had no say in the empire’s decisions. Jesus had given them hope and faith, but their faith had turned to fear—fear of change and fear of unfulfilled expectations—which, in their small, sinful selves, led directly to anger and acting out. Add to this the government’s fear of a Jewish uprising around this gifted rabbi, and the decision was clear to them: get him out of the way.
This is what fear does; it scapegoats others with fear we want to push away from ourselves—on an individual level and then a corporate level.
Jesus’ life, and that of his disciples and church, were a constant swirl of change. It still is. The choice for all of us is whether to see change with fear or opportunity. Jesus still encourages: “In the world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). The Church’s 2000-year history and our church’s 179-year history bear witness to that truth. The risen Christ and his church persist. The upcoming Palm/Passion Sunday and Holy Week underline and put an exclamation mark on this biblical truth. This week, and in our lives, Jesus is asking us, “Who are we in the crowd, and what stance will we choose?”
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
Keeping the Vigil – for Resurrection
“The disciples, along with Mary and Jesus’ brothers, ‘all joined together constantly in prayer’ while waiting for the Holy Spirit.”
In what I believe is a first for FUMC Plano, we will hold an outdoor Easter Prayer Vigil beginning at 8 p.m. following our Good Friday service and continuing through the weekend until 6 a.m. Easter morning, just before our 6:45 a.m. Sunrise Service. That creates 34 one-hour opportunities for individuals, friends, and families to gather around a firepit on the Cross Lawn, bringing lawn chairs or blankets, and praying for whatever God places on your heart. There’s a lot to choose from! We will provide prayer guides, suggestions, and materials — as well as wood to keep the fire going.
Prayer was a hallmark of the early church; it went hand in hand with every instance in life, from focusing themselves on God (Acts 2:42) to praying amid the injustices of the world (Acts 12:5). They were together all about prayer. With both the joys of our hope and connection, and the concerns of what is now global upheaval, God calls us to be a people of prayer first, before all else. A focused vigil gives us that opportunity as a church family.
Member Joel Allard is our point person for this ministry; you can reach him at jobuya@gmail.com or at 832-752-7029 with your questions. There will be a sign-up table in the Gathering Area these next two Sundays, as well as a sign-up link here. I hope you will sign up and bring someone along with you.
After a Good Friday Service where we will literally nail our confessions to a cross, a time of prayer under the sky is just the space to feel God’s forgiving, healing, and empowering presence. Cammy and I will be signed up for an hour. We hope you will too.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
One Leaves; Another Comes – Prayerfully
“… select among yourselves men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.’ What they (the disciples) said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.”
This story occurs shortly after the birth of the church in Acts 2. Already a discernment process was in place to select new leadership in the nascent church, and the criteria was as it is today: persons of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.
That criteria is what we look for in candidates for ministry who come before our Board of Ordained Ministry for interviews to become ordained pastors. It is the criteria our Bishop’s Cabinet looks for in pastors they prayerfully discern for appointment to another church. It is an apt description for Rev. Ramon (pronounced Ruh-mahn’) Smith, who will become FUMC Plano’s new pastor on July 1.
Ramon is a man of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. I could not be more encouraged for his appointment and for FUMC Plano’s future under his leadership. he and I have communicated several times already and will have the first of several lunch meetings next week as I do my part to equip him with the history, culture, organization, and vision of FUMC Plano. Like me, Ramon majored in a finance-related field in college — International Business, one of his two degrees before answering a call to ministry and enrolling at the Perkins School of Theology at SMU where, like me, he met his wife, Gabrielle, who was enrolled at the Law School. He has a heart for people, a heart for mission, and a heart for his family that includes their two children, RJ (Ramon Jr.) and Isabelle. And he rocks an amazing bow-tie collection!
Our SPRC was all smiles around the table at the end of the introduction and conversation led by our District Superintendent, Rev. Philip Rhodes. Our Lay Leader, David Boatfield, noted the same smiles around our staff table as he was telling us about Ramon — and for good reason. There is a lot to like and to anticipate as we move through this transition of connectional leadership.
Our SPRC Chair, Kristin White, will make this announcement again in worship this Sunday. I hope that as you have curiosity, you will speak with any of our SPRC members and to me.
Ramon is about the same age I was when I was appointed to FUMC Denton (where Gary Mueller had served four years earlier) — a large step up for me at the time. It was a wonderful experience for me and for the church. I believe Ramon and his family will have a similar experience here because, like Denton, FUMC Plano takes pride in welcoming newcomers well and working to make them feel like family.
So, like the church in Acts, be in prayer and have great trust in what the Spirit is doing among us; the Spirit will not disappoint.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
A Message from SPRC Chair Kristin White
Dear Church Family,
On behalf of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, I am pleased to share that Bishop Ruben Saenz, Jr. of the Horizon Texas Conference has appointed Rev. Ramon F. Smith to serve as the next Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church Plano, effective July 1, 2026.
Rev. Smith currently serves as Senior Pastor of Saginaw United Methodist Church in Saginaw, Texas, where he has led the congregation since July 2021. A native of Raymond, Mississippi, Rev. Smith is passionate about preaching the gospel, forming disciples, and helping churches align their mission with the needs of their communities.
Rev. Smith holds two undergraduate degrees from Mississippi State University and a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He was ordained an elder in The United Methodist Church in 2011. Rev. Smith has served in a variety of ministry settings, including an urban new church start, an urban traditional congregation, and cross-racial appointments as an associate pastor in both a large suburban church and a megachurch.
Within the Horizon Texas Conference, Rev. Smith currently serves as Chair of the Commission on Equitable Compensation and Metro West Chair of the Committee on Superintendency. He previously served on the Board of Ordained Ministry and was elected a Jurisdictional Conference Delegate in 2019.
Rev. Smith lives in Fort Worth with his wife of 19 years, Gabrielle, an attorney, and their two children, RJ (13) and Isabelle (10). He enjoys reading, grilling, and proudly supporting his children in their activities as a soccer and dance dad.
Rev. Smith shares that he is grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside the people of First United Methodist Church Plano and looks forward to what God will do through the congregation’s faith, service, and witness as together we seek to connect God and grace to self and community.
We also give thanks for the faithful leadership of Rev. Matt Gaston, who will be retiring on July 1 after ten years of dedicated service to our church. We are grateful for the many ways Matt has guided and strengthened our congregation, and we will celebrate his ministry in the months ahead.
Please join us in praying for Rev. Smith and his family as they prepare for this transition, and for our church as we continue to follow God’s call. We look forward to welcoming Rev. Smith and his family as we begin this new chapter together in ministry.
Grace and peace,
Kristin White
Chair, Staff Parish Relations Committee
First United Methodist Church Plano
A Steady Word in a Season of Change
A Healthy Reminder from Your Director of Communications
Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of news: transitions, retirements, and changes in leadership. For some, that feels energizing. For others, it feels unsettling.
For many, it’s simply a lot to take in.
Please know that change does not mean unraveling. It just means preparation for what comes next.
Churches have seasons. Pastors retire. Staff members discern new calls. New leaders step in. Through every season, what holds steady is not a personality – it is our purpose!
For generations, First United Methodist Church Plano has existed to "connect God and grace to ourselves and our community." That vision does not retire. It does not resign. It does not disappear when leadership shifts.
Transitions naturally raise questions about what will change and what comes next. The truth is often simpler than our fears suggest. The Church is larger than any one role, and stronger than any one season. We have a gifted staff, faithful lay leaders, and a congregation deeply rooted in service and worship. That foundation remains.
It’s okay if this season feels fragile. It’s okay if it feels uncertain. But, be rest assured, it is stable.
We will walk this season the same way we’ve walked every other season — together. With prayer. With honesty. With trust in the One who has led this church for nearly 180 years and is not finished yet!
If you have questions, ask them. If you need reassurance, seek it. If you are feeling the weight of change, know that you are not alone.
This is still your church.
This is still our community.
And God is still at work among us.
With faith and gratitude,
Nancy Bryan-Ellison
Director of Communications
Celebrating Mardi and Her Ministry with Our Children
by Kristin White
Chair, Staff Parish Relations Committee
After thoughtful discernment, Mardi Bowen has shared with SPRC that she will be transitioning from her role as our Minister with Children and Families, with Easter Sunday serving as her final Sunday on staff, as she returns full-time to her work in real estate and embraces a season that allows for more weekend time with her family.
Mardi has served our congregation with deep care and creativity over many years – first from 2009-2015, and again from 2018 until now. Across those years of service, Mardi has helped plant seeds of faith that will continue to grow in the lives of children and families for generations to come. Through children’s worship, special events, curriculum leadership, and countless moments of presence and joy, she has helped shape a ministry where children are known, welcomed, and loved.
In recent years, Mardi has led our Children’s Ministry through a season of rebuilding and renewal, helping it grow in strength, participation, and joy. With that foundation firmly in place, she steps into this next chapter with confidence in the ministry she has helped reestablish and the leaders and families who will carry it forward.
Mardi’s gifts, energy, and heart for children have made a lasting impact on FUMC Plano, and we are deeply grateful for the ways she has served with love and dedication. While we will miss her presence on staff, we celebrate this transition with her and give thanks for all that has been entrusted to her care.
As we look ahead, we will be actively searching for our next Minister with Children. A full position description will soon be available. If you know someone who may be a great fit for this ministry, we invite you to share the opportunity with them when it becomes available.
In the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing opportunities to express our thanks and to celebrate Mardi’s ministry together. Please hold Mardi, her family, and our children’s ministry in prayer during this season of transition.
We give thanks for all that has been – and trust God’s faithfulness in what comes next.
An Important Announcement from Rev. Matt Gaston
It is with much prayer and great thanksgiving for you, my church family, that I announce I have sent a letter to Bishop Ruben Saenz, Jr. requesting retirement status effective July 1, 2026.
It has been a true gift to serve as your pastor for the past 10 years. It is an honor to preach the Word, celebrate the sacraments, and be with you during those sacred moments of our lives. It has been a joy to live and laugh with you as we have grown in our discipleship to Christ and service to our mission field. My life is richer for loving faithfully with you.
Together, we have connected God and grace to ourselves and to the community. We have welcomed an increasing diversity of God’s children into our fellowship, right-sized our campus, created a new front door for a new chapter, become debt-free, and will soon have a $1M Permanent Endowment to help fund ministry going forward.
For me, 2026 marks 67 years of life, 40 years of ministry, 40 years of marriage, and 10 years at FUMC Plano. The time is right for a fresh voice with fresh ideas to have the privilege I was given in 2016 – to love and work alongside you for the sake of the next chapter of Christ’s mission in our region.
I will work diligently with our Staff Parish Relations Committee, our District Superintendent, Rev. Philip Rhodes, and our staff to pave the way for a smooth and successful transition for my successor, just as Jan Samuels and Rev. Ron Henderson did for me. I am thankful to God for this incredible church and people. You bless me daily, and I love you all.
Breathe peace,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
The Beloved Community
This was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s affectionate term for the larger church that he spent his life working to rally for the sake of so many suffering the injustices of prejudice, fear, and violence at the hands of their fellow citizens and their government. While King’s work across his abbreviated life was often seen as a “Black issue” by Americans, he rightly saw it as a Christian and human issue.
He worked across denominational lines, reminding pastors and congregations of Jesus’ call always to come alongside the poor, the oppressed, the immigrant, the stranger – even the enemy – and always with nonviolent love. This he learned from Jesus and Gandhi. Increasingly, King became disappointed that the larger, white churches remained largely on the sidelines as the struggle for equal rights marched forward. “In the end,” he said, “we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
“Will we as Christians be silent now?” King would ask us today.
Sunday afternoon at 4:00, I will be part of a panel discussion with three other faith leaders around Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and the impact of the church – the “beloved community.” It will be at the Robinson Fine Arts Center in Plano. All are invited to attend. I hope you’ll join us.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor
When Love Looked New
On Christmas Eve, something quietly magical happened in our Sanctuary.
As the lights dimmed and candles were lifted high, many began to see the glow of candlelight in a new way. Thanks to a thoughtful gift from our Minister with Children and Families Mardi Bowen, each point of light became a heart. Through special “heart glasses,” candle flames shimmered and multiplied—filling the room with floating reminders that love had arrived.
It was a simple idea, and a profound one.
Love didn’t just arrive at Christmas; it changed how we saw something so familiar to us. For a few holy moments, the familiar ritual of candlelight was transformed. The faces around us softened. Children smiled in wonder. Adults lingered a little longer. Light became love, and love became visible.
That’s the promise of Christmas: when Christ arrives, the world doesn’t just look brighter, it looks different. It looks new!
And now, as we move beyond Christmas and into the season of Ordinary Time after Epiphany, we carry that vision with us. Epiphany proclaims that Christ’s light is not hidden or fleeting. Glory is revealed! The same love that arrived in Bethlehem continues to shine—calling us to look again, to see more clearly, and to recognize God’s presence in the familiar.
Those heart-shaped lights were a gift for one night, but the invitation remains:
What if we learned to see the world – our neighbors, our church, our calling – through the lens of Christ’s love?
As we begin our new worship series, Glory Revealed, we’ll explore how God’s light continues to break into our lives. We invite you to join us this Sunday as we begin the series with fresh eyes to the beauty, promise, and presence of God among us.
Love has arrived.
And now, God’s glory is being revealed … sometimes in extraordinary ways, and sometimes as simply as a candle, a heart, and a changed perspective.
By Nancy Bryan-Ellison
Photos by Brook Benavides
Thank You, Lord!
A dear friend of mine who is a Licensed Professional Counselor has shared how he often has clients write down a “gratitude list.” Psychologically, there is something powerful, therapeutic, and reinforcing when we physically write down the things and people for which we are grateful. I cannot think of a better way to begin 2026 than to list a few of mine for 2025:
The array of cards, gifts, baked goods, and well-wishes that you gave to our staff over the holidays. We felt hugged!
The moving and uplifting Christmas Pops Concert and Cantata.
Watching our staff act out The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Tears and smiles at the communion rail on Christmas Eve.
Celebrating 40 years of marriage with my girlfriend.
Burning a mortgage note.
Watching our golden retriever crawl and play ever so carefully with a two-year-old.
Marveling at still pulling cherry tomatoes off our vines … in mid-December.
Watching a small child come RUNNING down for a children’s sermon.
Consecrating a “new front door” and Bird Nest.
Being awed by God’s amazing heavenly colors before sunrise while walking our golden retriever.
A burger with my son — just two guys hanging out.
Baptizing a baby and all of us embracing that child with love and covenant.
Looking at Christmas lights, including those on our church!
Some amazing college football games this season.
The smiles of reunion every Sunday around worship, coffee, and donuts.
Thank you, Lord, for these, your many blessings in my life!
I invite you to write down your own “gratitude list” before you get too far into 2026. See how the writing makes you feel facing forward. The challenges will always be there, but God’s grace and sufficiency outdistance them all. Thank you, Lord!
P.S. The totals are still being tallied, but we did finish 2025 with a deficit. More information will come next week as we prepare annual giving statements to mail out. Your church’s leaders will be meeting to strategize on how to faithfully move ahead with ministry in 2026. Thank you to all who made generous gifts in December to reduce our deficit. That, too, is a source of gratitude for me. Blessings!
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor