FOS Story
The Fellowship of Stonebridge Story
The Vision
In the fall of 2001 while attending a Creative Church Conference, Gena and I became intrigued by the thought of starting a brand new church from nothing. I remember very clearly sitting in a local Whataburger together and thinking, “We can do this.” So, Gena and I began to seriously pray and consider the possibilities of when, where and how.
| The following spring, our paths crossed with a seasoned Church Planter, John Worcester, who encouraged us and gave us much direction and confidence in pursuing this vision. John formerly served as the Church Planting Pastor with Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Valley Community Church, Lake Forest, California. Today, John is the pastor of a church-planting church, TEAM Church of Fort Worth, Texas.After much research of fast-growing areas of Texas and all over the country, it became clear that the McKinney/Frisco area of North Texas was the place to be. |
Starting from Scratch
When we moved to McKinney in May, 2003, we had a few financial gifts, our faith in God, and 4 official members-myself, Gena, my mom, and my dad. In June, we hosted a Block Party in our backyard with the help of our mother church, TEAM Church, which drew over 250 neighbors from our community. As a result, we began a Backyard Bible Club during the summer months for the neighborhood kids.
The Beginning
In the heat of summer, we were surveying the area extensively to become familiar with the spiritual climate and needs of the community, as well as to spread the word about our new, exciting church. In June, we began a Home Worship Service that continued throughout the summer. We began with 8 people in our living room and grew to 50 with 2 Home Services by August.
The Vision Becomes Reality
On August 24, 2003, we held our first of three Preview Services at a local elementary school and 270 people showed up, most of whom had never regularly attended church. We followed with 2 more previews in September and October still holding Home Worship Services in between. We launched our weekly services at a Grand Opening Service on October 19th with over 200 people and have never looked back. Much of this success would never have been possible without the continued help of TEAM Church and its members serving in our services until we could become self-sustaining.
The Story Continues
Today, we are a new and rapidly growing church meeting the needs of the Stonebridge Ranch area of McKinney and beyond. As we continue to remain faithful to Him, we are truly blown away and humbled at God’s provision and power each day as He grows this church body. God reminds us daily that it is all about His glory, not ours and only by His power. We exist and always will to bring those who do not know Christ personally to a saving knowledge of His death and resurrection and to train them up in the ways of God. So, no matter where you are in your spiritual journey, you are always welcome at Fellowship of Stonebridge.
~ From Pastor Ryan
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