Happy New Year from Pastor Matt

Siblings in Christ,

I pray that you are entering the New Year with God's love and light leading the way. A new year invites us to renew ourselves—to pause, reflect, and open our hearts again to God’s grace. One prayer I return to whenever I begin something new is the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer. You will find it attached below, and I invite you to pray it with me as we step into 2026 together.

In 2025, we continued to grow as disciples through our G.R.O.W pathway—as we Gather in worship and community, Reflect on God’s Word and grace, Offer our gifts in love and service, and Walk alongside one another and our neighbors in faith. You embraced this journey not as a checklist, but as a way of life shaped by grace. Because of you, discipleship here is not just taught—it is lived.

Charles Wesley’s hymn remind us:

“Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down…”

That divine love has taken shape this year through your hands and hearts. Through your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness, God’s love has been made tangible. Your generosity—of time, compassion, and financial support—has allowed our church to continue sharing God’s love and light with our community and beyond.

As we look ahead to the new year, we do so trusting that the same grace that has carried us this far will continue to lead us forward—still gathering, still reflecting, still offering, still walking together.

Thank you for being part of this song God is still writing among us—a song of faith, hope, and love, sung from generation to generation.

With deep thanks and abiding joy,

Grace and peace, Happy New Year and Merry Chrsitmas!

Pastor Matt Franks

Senior Pastor at Castle Rock First United Methodist Church