Pastor’s eNote: Weekly Update

I did not grow up going to church as a child with my family. I attended my first worship service when I was 13 years old at a rural Oklahoma United Methodist congregation. The service was simple enough with a choir, hymns, sermon, and prayer. For the folks there every week, it was likely quite ordinary. For me it was all new and a bit foreign.

Five years later I was invited to a week-long Conference on Prayer & Healing. The Conference worship was charismatic with the full operation of the gifts of the Spirit. Most all the music was what we called “contemporary.” I later became the director of that Conference and am thankful for the spirituality and lessons learned.

When it comes to worship, I find expression in a variety of settings from the most liturgical to the most charismatic. My experience in each of these spaces, and the gamut in between, is that folks prefer their own style and setting. By having an affinity for a diversity of worship settings, I’ve become a bit of a misfit.

If you have been in worship at FFMC recently you have noticed how our worship is becoming a bit of a hybrid between what has often been called “traditional” and “modern.” These titles may not convey what we are doing. It is more than a blend. We might call it a synthesis of good music for praise and worship of God.

How can we share in the great tradition of hymns and choral music along with prayerful choruses and expressive praise? Can we have great music from a variety of traditions which celebrate the greatness and goodness of God? These are all questions I am holding as your Lead Pastor. We gather to worship God more than our own preferences. True as that statement may be, finding our expression of God’s supreme worth is still grounded in what has meaning for each of us.

To be clear, I am still finding my way toward a worship that can express our praise and thanksgiving. Sam Mathews and Scott Higbee (our worship music staff) are accompanying me on the journey of musical expression. As we continue exploring this worship “synthesis,” I hope you will be praying with and for us. The goal is not to just shake things up; rather, the goal is to find our best and highest way to honor our God revealed in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Grace to You All,

Pastor Craig Brown

(October 28, 2025)