December 19, 2025 - Faith@First | Faith@First

December 19, 2025 - Faith@First

Posted by Rev. Brittney Stephan on December 19, 2025

Earlier this week, one of the moments of wonder that stayed with me most happened as we gathered for our Christmas Festival of Music, even on a day when plans were shifting and the weather made everything feel a bit more complicated. The cold, the uncertainty, and the adjustments reminded us how unpredictable our carefully made plans can be. And yet, as our Chancel Choir lifted their voices and guest soloist Lan Davis Wilson shared his gift through song, the room settled into a holy stillness. Not because the day was easy, but because the music reminded us of what is true. God is near. Hope is real. Light continues to break into the world.

In that moment, it was not just the beauty of the harmonies or the excellence of the performances that moved me. It was the feeling of being part of something bigger. Music has a way of opening our hearts when words alone fall short. It invites us to slow down, to listen, and to make space for wonder, even when circumstances are less than ideal.

That’s what I hear in the story of the shepherds. They were not expecting anything extraordinary. They were simply going about their work, living ordinary lives, when wonder broke in. Angels appeared. Good news was shared. And suddenly, they realized they were part of God’s story.

But what mattered just as much was what came next. The shepherds did not stay in that moment of awe. They went and told others, returning to their lives changed, praising God and sharing what they had seen. Wonder led them to witness.

This season is full of moments that invite a sense of wonder. Whether it is through music, familiar scriptures, candlelight, or quiet pauses we did not plan for. The question is what we do with them. Do we let them pass as fleeting feelings, or do we allow them to shape how we live and love?

My prayer is that the wonder we experience does not end when the last note fades. Like the shepherds, may we carry it with us into our conversations and our care for one another, bearing witness to the light that has come into the world.

Keep the Faith@First,
Pastor Brittney

About the Author

Rev. Brittney Stephan

The Indiana UMC Conference Cabinet and Bishop Julius Trimble have appointed a new associate pastor for Noblesville First. Rev. Brittney Stephan is an Indiana native and was called to ministry at 14 years of age while attending church camp at Epworth Forest. She is an ordained Elder in the Indiana Conference who currently serves in extension ministry as the Associate Director for Multi-Cultural Vibrancy for the Michigan Conference. She has received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Organizational Communication, and Peace & Conflict Studies from Butler University and a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with a concentration in Liturgy & Music Across Cultures.

A third-generation Methodist, Brittney grew up on a dirt road outside of Huntington, Indiana. She has spent the last decade living in Indianapolis, Chicago, and currently Metro Detroit working in a variety of contexts for The United Methodist Church. Much of her work in the Michigan Conference has consisted of engaging individuals and teams alike to build our cultural proficiency in a way that moves us toward an anti-biased/anti-racist identity that seeks to diversify worship experiences and leadership as a collective whole. Previously, Brittney has served on staff at Huntington Evangelical UMC (Huntington, IN), Sherman UMC (Evanston, IL), Libertyville First UMC (Libertyville, IL), and Meridian Street UMC (Indianapolis, IN). She is passionate about equipping, engaging, and empowering local congregations to foster equitable communities of learning and discipleship.

She has spent time in Zimbabwe at Africa University, initiated a campus ministry at Butler University, and served as a youth leader for a number of years. Brittney’s leadership extends beyond the local church through her involvement in the launch of the new Junius B. Dotson Institute for Music & Worship in the Black Church & Beyond, serving on the Convocation Design Team for The Fellowship of Worship Artists, and on the advisory board with the Center for Congregational Song.

Brittney was hoping for the opportunity to serve in her native Indiana and is overjoyed to join the Noblesville First team beginning July 5 and begin sharing her gifts in family ministries and digital ministry engagement.