On February 23-26, 2019 the United Methodist Church will hold a special session of the General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Delegates will gather to consider proposals regarding church policy for same-sex marriage and ordaining and appointing LGBT clergy. In 2016, the General Conference found itself at an impasse on issues of human sexuality. Current church rule (The Discipline of the United Methodist Church) prohibits clergy from performing same-sex marriage and “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” are not allowed to serve as clergy in our churches. Many in the church accept these ru ..read more

Wesley UMC as seen from Whitmore Lake The congregations of Brighton First and Wesley United Methodist Church (Whitmore Lake) are currently in discussions about merging to form one church. If both congregations agree to a merger, the members of Wesley will become members of Brighton First, and together we will join our staff, resources and properties as one church. Each week we will host 3 Sunday worship services in Brighton and a 4thin Whitmore Lake. We will reach out to the local community using our church buildings in Brighton and in Whitmore Lake. The merger vote is on April 15. The mem ..read more

In my tenure as a pastor, I have never been called to lead in the building of a new sanctuary. It's hard to imagine how one leads in such a sacred endeavor. Congregations that build sanctuaries are called to take into account honoring worship traditions of the past while constructing a space that is flexible enough to accommodate worship practices of the present and future. Building team leaders must also listen carefully to the voices of the stakeholders (current and potential worshippers) and be mindful that the worship space intentionally welcomes God's Spirit to move among God's people. W ..read more

I have always liked the passage in Ephesians 2, where Paul lays out the purpose of the Body of Christ. I especially like The Message paraphrase by Eugene Peterson: "God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home. (The Messa ..read more

At Brighton First we have "let go" of our nursery pager system.Last week Missy Setty, the Director of Children's Ministries, carried a plastic box of electronic equipment into my office. She said, "We don't need these anymore. Do you know someone who could use them?"                                                                                                     I looked in the box and was surprised to see the pager system that we have used in our nursery for many years. When parents dropped off their children in the nursery, they picked up a pager so that they could be called back to the ..read more

The ministry of Brighton First is blessed and sustained by those who serve in our church office. Their welcoming and gracious presence reflects our church’s mission and their administrative skills bless the church’s ministry. We give thanks for our church office staff members and the many volunteers who are part of their team. Terry KeefeThe Staff-Parish Relations Committee (human resources) of Brighton First announces that beginning November 1, our office staffing will change. Terry Keefe, who has served as Office and Facilities Manager and Finance Secretary since 2006, will become our Di ..read more

The Finance Committee of Brighton First is currently constructing the church's operating budget for 2018. While the task of building a budget is familiar to those who have managed projects or organizations, creating an annual budget for a church is different in several ways. First, the primary goal of a church is not to produce an item or offer a service. The goal is to create and maintain the space and opportunity for God to work in the hearts of people. Faith is a gift given by God and sustained by God. The congregation of Brighton First works to build a place where people grow in knowledg ..read more

Astro Studios, a branding and web design firm, is on a mission to "fight gravity". These pins are to remind employees of the mission.  The firm calls it a "pin for the win".  I believe that some of my best teachings in church leadership come from secular sources. I appreciate many of the leadership books that I have read that are targeted toward business or non-profit organization leadership skills. Authors with leadership experience in multiple fields offer a perspective that stretches me beyond my own perspective. In addition to books on leadership, I read articles online and check out mag ..read more

I have observed a pattern in conversation lately. I’ve talked with a few people who are more willing to share a specific point of view than to hear a differing view. When there is a conversational shift toward politics or social and moral issues, the tone changes. Some people become uncomfortable and want to end the conversation, while others share their beliefs, but have difficulty hearing the beliefs of others. I have been part of a few discussions where civility has been lost in disagreement. Name-calling and sarcasm take over. One choice I have in these conversations is to throw up my h ..read more

Dr. Marcia McFee, a worship consultant well known in United Methodist circles, believes that communal worship is a place of great power. When we worship God together, God's Spirit moves in life-changing ways.  Brighton First's Worship Design Team began its most recent meeting by viewing a video segment where McFee talks about the "worship threshold", that significant moment when a congregation enters worship together. McFee suggests that the threshold should be marked in some way so that worshipers sense the entrance into the sacred. It has been the tradition at Brighton First to begin wo ..read more