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Testimonials
Elaine Harris
Our church is a special one. No matter what kind of day you're having you always know that there will be a smile waiting for you.
Robert Phillips
Testimony - April 30
First, I want to thank every person who has worked so hard to make this campaign a success. It has been an amazing effort by a diverse and talented team. I haven’t seen anything like it during my 29 years as a part of this church. I can’t wait to see what God can do through us in the coming years.
What is God’s will for my church?
According to the Discipline of the United Methodist Church, the church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world. The first two are easy. We gather to worship every Sunday. We offer Sunday School and special studies to help us as believers to grow in faith. It’s the third one that is difficult. God wants us to do our part to lead the world to Christ. What an assignment! If God’s saving work is going to be done in League City and its surrounding area, then He is depending on us and our Christian brothers and sisters in other churches to do it.
Our world is in a mess. I look around and see that marriage and family life are being threatened as husbands and wives forget the vows they made when they were married; I see young people and adults struggling with understanding what is really important in life; I am sickened because it seems that people have forgotten how to be civil to people who disagree with them; I am saddened when indifference allows us to ignore people are sick, hungry, lonely, and lost; and I am shocked by the number of people who do not know God as their Father and Christ as their savior. The solution for all of those problems can be found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is God’s will for my church? I believe God wants our church to offer Christ’s solutions to the people of League City.
What is God’s will for me in my church?
That’s really a simple question to answer. When I joined the Methodist Church many years ago, I promised to support it with my prayers, my presence, my gifts, and my service. God doesn’t intend for me to pick two or three from that list, He expects me to do all four. Why? First, because all of those things are needed to help accomplish Christ’s work. Second, to grow as a Christian, I need to support my church by praying for it, by being here, by tithing, and by using my limited talents. That’s God’s will for me.
What is God’s will for me in this campaign?
In Gospel of John, Chapter 21, beginning with verse 15, we find a story that is dear to my heart. Shortly after Easter Sunday, the Risen Christ asked Peter three times, “Simon, do you love me?” Three times, Peter said, “Lord you know I love you.” Then Jesus said, “Feed my lambs, Tend my sheep, Feed my sheep.” In other words, Simon, if you love me, show me by taking care of my people.
On the night that I was ordained as a Methodist minister, long ago, Bishop John Owen Smith used that story as the basis for his sermon. He told us that if you really love the Lord, you will do all you can to take care of His people.
What is God’s will for me in this campaign? God wants me to show Him that my love for Him is worth more than words that are easily spoken and quickly forgotten, it’s worth sacrifice that costs me something worthwhile. This campaign is not about money, it’s not even about buying land to build a church, it’s about enabling League City United Methodist Church to do its part in offering the saving grace of God to those we call “neighbor.” It’s about feeding God’s lambs, tending Christ’s sheep. I can’t stand the thought that one child will miss out on discovering God’s love because I didn’t do enough. All that I have came from God. God’s will for me in this campaign is to do whatever I can with what He has given me.
Freddie Black
Jesus said, "Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14. This has always been one of my favorite verses. When I was young I was terrified of being separated from my parents - much more so than was normal. It was the tireless and very patient work of several women at my church that allowed me to conquer this fear and even enjoy being in Sunday School. This was only the beginning as I learned so many wonderful, valuable lessons growing up in church. I look now at all of the hundreds of children moving into our surrounding neighborhoods. We at LCUMC have an opportunity and an obligation to provide a church that includes teachers and facilities to support this rapidly growing area. Freddie
Jack Riordan
It was four years ago, almost to the day, when Jeanie dragged me kicking and screaming to visit the League City United Methodist Church one Sunday morning. I wasn't overly impressed with the entrance until the greeters offered a warm and sincere welcome. And the people inside seemed quite open to their new visitors too. Subsequent visits gave us a message that we were welcome to come and join this cogregation. Later, we ran into a few people who didn't or wouldn't speak. They just seemed to ignore us as though we were not even there. Something didn't seem quite right. Then I had an idea! I went out of my way to say hello to them with a warm smile. You know, the kind of greeting we were given the first day we visited the Church. It worked! Today, some of those people are some of my best friends in the Church. Our Church generates the warmth of Christian fellowship and community service. And the best part? I am able to participate in creating that warmth. We all have that opportunity here at LCUMC.
Kristi and Randall Browning
As League City United Methodist Church endeavors to grow God’s Kingdom through the purchase of land and the eventual construction of a new church building, we have been called to reflect on the riches we have received in abundance during our ten years of worship and fellowship here. During the past decade, our family has experienced times of prosperity and happiness as well as times of difficulties and sadness, as every human being does at some time or another. God has sustained, strengthened, and loved us unconditionally throughout these experiences, but would we have known the full measure of his grace and mercy without this body of Christian believers we think of fondly as “our church family?” Probably not.
Just as God intends for us to meet together as a body and to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” He has worked through the members here as they have shown love and encouragement to each other (Heb 10:24-25). Repeatedly, our family has received support and love from this congregation. Through the teachings, activities, and outreach missions at this church, our children have grown into responsible, kind and caring young adults, whose feet are firmly planted in a forward direction with their faith walks. We adults have also matured in our own spiritual journeys with the hearing, study and sharing of God’s Word offered through the various ministries here. We have had the opportunity and privilege to serve and share our beliefs beyond this church as we traveled to Costa Rica on a mission trip. And when one of us was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease and the other faced the numerous challenges of caring for an aging parent, we were reminded of God’s enduring love through the prayers of members and their many expressions of compassion—especially the hugs and encouraging words! Their examples of Christian love helped us not only weather the storms but strengthened our own beliefs in the power of His Word and the gifts of His love, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ.
To continue fulfilling the mission of the United Methodist Church with “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” and reinforcing our own church’s mission statement “Serve, Share, Worship and Win Disciples for Christ,” we have been forced to look at the local demographics, especially the area’s potential for further population growth. As a congregation, we have made the decision to relocate our church to better serve these growing needs. We must now take the next step forward by committing the resources necessary to purchase the land upon which we will build a foundation to nurture and grow God’s earthly Kingdom. We believe we are being called to search within our hearts and understand what we need to sacrifice in order to see His plan succeed.
As Christians, we acknowledge that everything we have comes from the hand of God. Therefore, we believe that all these things which we have been given belong to Him (1Chron 29:14-16). Realizing that God has always provided for our needs and will continue to bless us, we decided very quickly to support this capital stewardship campaign. For we are confident, as believers of Jesus Christ, that God’s gifts are the only ones that are guaranteed to keep on giving during our earthly existence and will continue to bless us with His promise of eternal life. God has been faithful in His constant and abiding love to us, and likewise, we desire to honor, serve, and please Him with our gifts! --Kristi and Randall Browning
Darwin Gilmore
Just out of College in 1949 I moved to League City to teach in the Junior High School. I moved my membership from the Elkhart Methodist Church in Elkhart, Texas to the League City United Methodist Church. After Emma Lou and I were married, Emma Lou moved her membership from the Seabrook Methodist Church. Rev. Hunter was the Pastor when the League City Methodist Church was moved from the one half block of the original site to the present five acres near the freeway. The new Church had a small Sanctuary, a small chapel, kitchen and several classrooms. The church membership began to grow. For eight years I served as Sunday school superintendent. With steady growth the new sanctuary was built during the years Bro. Joe Wilson was pastor. We were members of the Young Adult Class when the Church moved from the original site, after several years the class was informed we needed to change our name. Now as Seekers we have fifty plus members and need space. If everyone plus visitors are here on Sunday some members will have to go to the Pastors office during Sunday school. The new twenty five acre site will provide space for a larger Sanctuary, classrooms, activity areas and adequate parking. The population of League City continues to grow, now is the time to provide adequate facilities for THE LEAGUE CITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
Lee and Sylvia Streater
The growth of our church is exciting. Our mission is to win disciples for Christ. Our loving and caring congregation is certainly making headway there. What wonderful problems we have created – crowded Sunday School rooms, not enough storage, and certainly not enough parking. The opportunity before us will solve these problems and provide the means to serve even more people and expand our ministries.
Our little church in Kemah closed with only 35 families on the roll. We moved our membership to League City in 1970 where we were welcomed with open arms, our girls each had a Sunday School classroom and teacher, and the Young Adults met all our personal needs. As the years passed our facility has become “used up.”
We need to plan for the future growth now just as our forefathers planned for the present facility. God’s plan for us became evident with the land becoming available for a new location. God is leading us now to step forward for “A Foundation for the Future.” Believe this, pray about it, and become involved.
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