We are upgrading our online presentation to make it better represent our worship services.
Better picture, better sound.
I asked for a special lens to slim and de-age the pastor. To which the tech guys replied:
“We don’t do miracles.”
The first Sunday with the new equipment in a couple of weeks will be the trial run. It may even be a bit bumpy. Our “tech folk” will be getting used to some new stuff.
I’m talking about this because I want you to do something. I want you to subscribe to us on YouTube.
Find us on YouTube: Saint Matthew United Methodist, Fort Worth.
Or look up our website: saintmatthewumc.com.
Click on “video.”
Our Assistant Pastor, Mary, preached last week.
Her sermon will come up.
Choose “Watch on YouTube.” And subscribe.
We now have 228 subscribers. Our first goal is to push that to 400.
Then beyond.
I talk to you weekly in this little box.
I hope I have more to say to you than this.
If you can take this much of me each week, you can take more.
I’d love to see you in a pew.
If not, I want you to see me online.
I want you to enjoy our great singers. And this fall, our great choir, directed by our great choir director, Blake Glass.
Is everything great at St. Matthew?
Judge for yourself.
But you’ll have to tune in to find out.
Look us up on your device—and subscribe!
This Sunday: What the Church Got Wrong About Salvation.
11:00 a.m. and after.
saintmatthewumc.com
revmaxb@tx.rr.com
Monthly Archives: July 2025
Max’s Corner
New Equipment—A New Day
As I look out at our sixty to seventy people in the pews on Sundays, I think about something most people do not know.
We are not supposed to be here.
This church is supposed to be dead by now.
Every other United Methodist church like ours in Fort Worth is either dead or dying—old churches hidden up inside an old community.
You need to understand how remarkable it is that we are still here. We must be doing something right.
God has blessed us. We have made a lot of right decisions through the years. And now it is time to make another one—a new emphasis on our online ministry.
We want people in the pews.
If we can’t get them there at first, we want to reach them online.
We now have 228 subscribers to our online ministry. Our next step: we want to build that to 400.
And then beyond.
Watching Online
Our new sound booth was not built properly, so it is being re-fabricated. It will be next week when Chuy and the guys from 4Stage will begin installation and move all operations to the downstairs location in the new sound booth. Jason (head of our audio/video operation) will return from vacation on the 15th. The new set-up (with new cameras) may begin with the concert on the 16th and morning worship on the 17th. That’s two weeks away.
My Class
What can we learn about the problem of suffering through religious and near-death experiences?
Turns out—a lot.
That’s our subject this week.
At 9:45—followed by breakfast.
Breakfast This Sunday
A great Winston breakfast this week.
Feel free to help.
At 10:30.
Our Church Family
Carol Bennett is recovering after breaking her hip and having it replaced. It is still painful. Our love is with her. Lynette Coleman Falck had hip replacement Monday and is back home. Lord bless her. Velma Metcalf, Vicki Giese’s mom, was in an auto accident and is in pain from broken ribs. Lord be with her. Leslieann Griffin is facing surgery on the 18th. She will be in our prayers through it all.
Let us pray for these we love.
This Sunday
“What the Church Got Wrong About Salvation”
That’s the sermon title.
Expect some songs about grace.
Why?
Because that’s my subject.
And that is what it is all about.
How I look forward to gathering with you this Sunday in the house of the Lord!
WELCOME! NEW MEMBER—
Carl Britton. We rejoice in receiving Carl into our church family.
God bless—MB
Mary’s Corner
Greetings, dear friends, in the name of Jesus Christ,
I want to thank all of you who participated in our remembrance service for those lost in the recent Hill Country floods. Speaking their names aloud is a powerful way to honor them and ensure they are remembered. While we cannot fully imagine the grief of those left behind, we grieve with them—placing ourselves in their shoes. So hold each other a little tighter this week. Do something kind for someone else—and something kind for yourself—in honor of those lost lives. If you or someone you know is struggling with complicated grief, please contact the church office to schedule an appointment.
I’ve just come from an Eastside Community Assistance Finance Committee meeting. This year, the ministry has been sustained largely by one generous donor—and for that, we give thanks to God. Without such gifts, Eastside would likely have closed its doors already. As Max has reminded us from the pulpit, we cannot let Eastside Ministries close. Our neighborhood—and four other zip codes—depend on the food and clothing this ministry provides.
Please remember that our September fundraiser will benefit Eastside Community Assistance. Tickets are on sale now in the church office for $25, which includes dinner and music. We’re hoping for at least 200 people in attendance, so tell everyone you know—and even a few you don’t! 😊
Please continue to pray for Carol Bennett as she recovers from hip repair, and for Lynette Coleman-Falck as she heals from her hip replacement surgery. If you get the chance, read Carol’s Facebook post about her fall and the role her Apple Watch played in getting her help. It’s an incredible story.
Remember also those lifted up during worship on Sunday:
LeslieAnn Griffin, preparing for surgery on the 18th, and
Velma Metcalf, who is recovering from a car accident.
There are many others as well. Please take a moment to read the full prayer list attached to this newsletter.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
I pray this week has given you chances to be of one mind, one heart, and one love—especially toward those we’re called to serve. God has made it clear: this is our sacred responsibility, and nothing short of death relieves us of it.
My love to all,
Mary
Kids’ News – “The Boy Nobody Expected”
A long time ago, God had a special job for the prophet Samuel: find the next king of Israel. Samuel was told to go to the house of a man named Jesse, who had eight sons. One of them would be chosen by God to lead the people.
When Samuel arrived, Jesse proudly brought out his oldest son, Eliab. He was tall, strong, and looked like a leader. Samuel thought, “This must be the one!” But God whispered something surprising: “Don’t look at how tall he is or how he looks on the outside. I see what people can’t see—I look at the heart.”
One by one, Jesse introduced his other sons. But God said no to each of them. Finally, Samuel asked, “Are these all your sons?” Jesse hesitated, then said, “Well… there’s the youngest. He’s out watching the sheep.”
That boy’s name was David.
When David came in from the fields, God told Samuel, “This is the one.” David, the youngest, the one everyone had overlooked—he would be king.
Sometimes, the world expects leaders to look a certain way or be the oldest or strongest. But God sees things differently. He sees our hearts, our kindness, our courage, and our love. David may have seemed like just a shepherd boy, but God saw a king.
So if you ever feel small or forgotten, remember: God sees something special in you. He sees possibilities—even in the most unexpected places.
What We Learned:
• God sees what others don’t—He looks at the heart, not appearances.
• Even someone young and overlooked, like David, can be chosen for great things.
• You don’t have to be the biggest or strongest to be used by God.
• God often finds possibilities in the most unexpected places—even in you!
See you in church!
Blessings!