Faith Story of our Church By Terry Pettengill

 Faith Story of our Church for the Past 2 1/2 Years

October 19, 2025

God will make a way – where there seems to be no way.

He works in ways we cannot see – He will make a way for me.

He will be my guide – hold me closely to His side.

With love and strength for each new day – He will make a way.

We know that song – we know God’s promises are real.

Two and a half years ago, our beloved pastor, Dan Blevins, had to resign from his duties here due to illness. Shortly after that, the United Methodist Church faced uncertainty as thousands of conservative congregations decided to leave the UMC.

Thankfully, retired Pastor Mary Miller stepped in to help our church deal with these circumstances. We had meetings to explain these changes. We lost several members of Stetson Memorial because of this division.

BUT – God made a way!

We had no appointed pastor, but we had people willing to let God lead us. We struggled to fill the pulpit: we had guest speakers, testimonies, Pastor Dan sent sermons for us, and Pastor Mary and Paula Lilley filled in as they could. We weren’t discouraged about moving forward. We were committed to keeping our church open.

We prayed aloud on Sundays, we prayed at home for God to guide us – to keep us as a beacon to our community.

Boy! Did He answer!

God spoke to our hearts, minds, and souls – nudging us, urging us to work together. He brought us closer – He brought us so much JOY.

It wasn’t one or two people – it was many taking on roles to make worship go smoothly. We as a congregation had already served as ushers, greeters, liturgists, using cell phones to put our services online, giving children’s messages, playing the piano, running the media – well, running the media still remains a challenge.

People were asked and said yes, to give Prayers of the People, Offertory Prayers, to lead worship for guest speakers, to read scripture, and more.

There’s so much that happens to keep our worship services flowing smoothly and to have them filled with God. Behind the scenes, we have many who do the following: make the bulletins, run the bulletins off, place flowers on the altar, prepare the altar candles making sure the wicks are ready to be lit, change altar cloths for church seasons, make sure the sanctuary is warm or cool, turn on or off the lights, count attendance, clean the sanctuary, pick up items left behind in pews, lock and unlock the building, prepare and serve communion, and keep the sign outside up to date.

God is working through us! Again, it’s not just one or two people who do all these things. We are following our church mission – so, to paraphrase, our mission is “to reach out to all people, wherever they are, to receive them as they are – and to encourage them by our actions to develop a personal relationship with God.

We will strive diligently to nurture and equip everyone through discipleship that they might go out into the community and beyond, to be the church, the body of Christ.”

God is faithful. By Him we were called into fellowship with Jesus. We thank God for the grace given us in Jesus Christ. We certainly have been enriched in the past 2½ years.

What a mighty God we serve!

He continued to lead us to be a light and a help to the people of Patten, despite our challenges. He knew we could do it, and He knew we are faithful. Our church is a beacon of God for all.

Listen any Sunday morning to all the JOY – before, during, and after service!

Thank you, God / Jesus / Holy Spirit, for Your guidance, and thank YOU, His people – for doing His work these past few years!