Our Growing Young Team has been busy at work behind the scenes and recently attended a two-day summit in Lapel, Indiana with our Cohort groups to develop next strategies. While this is something we are excited about enacting, it is important to remember Growing Young is a process that takes time to nurture, and if it’s done correctly should never really end.

Thanks to your enthusiasm in this Growing Young movement, 126 of you participated in our recent churchwide survey. Your responses to questions about the six core commitments exhibited by churches who are Growing Young show our church is strong in three areas:Taking Jesus’ Message Seriously, Engaging in Warm Relationships and Being The Best Neighbors. The survey also showed our church scored low when it comes to Empowering Keychain Leadership, Prioritizing Young People and Families Everywhere and Empathizing with Today’s Young People. Our Team believes if we focus on Keychain Leadership and Prioritizing Everywhere we will inherently improve in the area of Empathy.

Keychain Leadership means empowering young people by inviting them into roles and activities that already exist in the church. For example, Veronica is a student at Avon High School who currently helps lead the NewDay Praise Band on a weekly basis. We can do a better job in Keychain Leadership by getting to know our young people – like Veronica – and discovering their interests and talents as we invite them to lead and share their voices. Do you know five young people in our church? Today is a great day to start praying for our young people and making an effort to know them!

Prioritizing Young People and Families Everywhere means allocating attention and resources to young people and families in our congregation and beyond. While we need to be better at reaching and serving all young people, we especially see a need to focus on those whose ages range from their teens to mid thirties. Conversations with our key leaders about how we allocate staff time and responsibilities as well as our financial resources are to come. We plan to dispatch all teams, groups, committees and classes across PUMC toward this effort as well. We hope to start soon with tangible projects such as sending care packages to college-age students, as one example.

As mentioned earlier, by focusing our prayers, attention and energy on the above two commitments we will naturally improve in the realm of showing empathy to today’s young people, which means we will be able to move beyond judging or criticizing and actually understand and act on behalf of younger generations.

We continue to seek your prayers and pray you are as excited as we are to experience the Spirit moving all of us through this process! Our prayer is that we will not just grow young, but become a place where people of all ages thrive and grow closer to Jesus and the living out of his missional call in their lives! Thank you for being part of the journey!

I was a miracle baby – I have an elder brother, 12 years apart. My late parents, Emily & Solomon, always introduced me to people saying “he is our miracle son.” My mother was told she could never conceive. She visited different doctors but all said the same. One day, my dad was informed a pastor from Houston, Texas was visiting Pakistan and their church as well. He was known to be a great healer. They were very fortunate to meet him. He prayed over my mum and told her with great faith she would conceive soon. After a few months mum conceived. People around them who knew their situation, including the doctors, were astonished with this great miracle.

The faith of my parents helped them achieve what they were longing for, as prayer without faith lacks power and purpose. It is so important to acknowledge and thank God at all times.

As years passed by, the anticipation of when I would finally find my wife approached. We met in 2005 and married in 2007 by Our Almighty Father who guided us in every setback we had, related to issues with our families in denial due to our different nationalities. My wife is a beautiful and strong woman who has always stood by me and our family in challenging times. came along my daughter in 2009, followed by my son in 2014. God has been so merciful and has blessed us with amazing children; we always ask for His guidance so we may teach them right from wrong & so they choose the path of life by keeping Jesus the center of it.

Our family has faced challenging situations. The worst was when my daughter’s life was threatened. Whilst I was already going through a desert experience, losing my job due to COVID and my wife was on thin ice with her job as well this led to our children not being able to continue schooling; I also lost my mother around this time. Under the circumstances, we completely became hopeless, problems came crashing upon us as all this happened too fast. This was my time to go on my knees and pray, which I did with tears pouring down, and all I had to say is, “Father I have no idea what comes up next for us, you guide and lead us to what you want for us as I have no clue of what I am going to do.”

Within a few months Almighty God navigated a new path for us and it led us to the United States of America.

Our lives took a U-turn as soon as we arrived. The greatest joy for us was to see our children attending school again. But what really stood out most was the church we came upon. Attending PUMC has been a transformative experience. The sense of community and belonging we’ve found here is inspiring. The sermons often provide us with valuable lessons we can apply to our daily lives, fostering a deeper connection with our faith. Overall, our time at this church has not only enriched our spiritual lives but has also welcomed us to many beautiful people and the love they bestowed on us.

I thought to myself when hardships and unmanageable situations occur, why is that the only time I approach God and implore Jesus for help? What I have understood is I should not only go to Him in tough times but also remember Him in the good. By doing this, I comprehended that God never judges no matter what I did or said. God has and will always be by my side under any circumstance. And I want to thank God for all God has done for my family and I. In the end I can say that from the very beginning until now my life along with my family has been nothing but a testimony to Jesus’ unending love for us. He is our living God, our strength and our shield.

Church family, music has always been central to my faith in God. From my early days in the youth group band More Than Conquerors to leading worship today, I have found that music connects us to Him in ways words alone cannot. As the NewDay worship leader, I have the joy of guiding our congregation into His presence through song.

A Lifelong Calling to Worship

Since high school in 2007, I have been leading worship in our community. Starting in youth group, I learned that worship is more than just singing—it’s an offering to God. Those early experiences shaped my understanding of how music invites us into His presence. Over the years, my role has changed, but my heart remains the same: to help our church encounter God through worship.

Music as a Bridge to God

The Bible is filled with examples of music drawing people closer to God. The Psalms, written by David, express raw emotions of joy, sorrow, and gratitude. When we sing together, we follow in the footsteps of believers who have worshiped through music for centuries. Worship isn’t just about the lyrics or melodies—it’s about opening our hearts to God in a way that invites His Spirit to move among us.

Witnessing God Move Through Worship

One of the greatest joys of leading worship is seeing how God moves through our music. A song can bring peace to a troubled heart, inspire surrender, or even lead someone to faith. When we, as a congregation, lift our voices in unison, it’s a powerful reminder that we are one body in Christ. Worship is not about performance but about creating a space where we can encounter the love and presence of God together.

The Joy of Leading Worship

Leading you all in worship is more than just a role for me—it’s a calling. I prayerfully choose songs that speak to where we are as a church, whether in times of celebration or deep reflection. My hope is that each song we sing together draws us closer to God. Seeing you engage in worship—lifting your hands, closing your eyes, singing from your hearts—reminds me why I do this. Worship is a gift from God, and I am honored to share it with you.

Worship Beyond Sunday

Church, worship doesn’t only happen on Sunday mornings. It’s a way of life. Whether singing in the car, meditating on lyrics, or filling your home with praise, music has the power to keep our hearts connected to God. He doesn’t seek perfect singers—He desires sincere worshippers. Psalm 100:1 says, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord,” and that’s what matters most.

Music as a Reflection of God’s Glory

Ultimately, worship through music is about glorifying God. It shifts our focus from our struggles to His greatness. During our busy lives, worship allows us to pause, reflect, and be reminded of His faithfulness.

As we continue worshiping together at Plainfield United Methodist Church, my prayer is that every song we sing deepens our faith and strengthens our connection with God. Worship is a powerful gift, and I am grateful to share it with each of you. So, I encourage you—sing out, engage fully, and let the music guide you into a deeper relationship with Him. Because when we lift our voices as one, we step into a holy encounter with our Creator.