Faith @ First - October 3, 2025 | Faith@First

Faith @ First - October 3, 2025

Posted by Rev. Brittney Stephan on October 03, 2025

Dear Noblesville First Family,

This month, we’re inviting you to pack your bags and join us on a journey of discovery. Our new worship series, Passport: Essential Stops on the Journey of Faith, will guide us through some of the great biblical destinations that have shaped God's story and continue to shape ours today. And just like any good traveler, we can’t forget our passports! Everyone will receive their very own Noblesville First Passport Card during worship. Bring it with you each week and collect a stamp each Sunday as we journey together through these biblical destinations.

Our first stop is Eden, the place where humanity was meant to dwell. In Eden, God and creation walked together in perfect harmony. Though sin disrupted that closeness, God’s story has always been about drawing us back home. With this week being World Communion Sunday, it’s a powerful reminder that we don’t travel this road alone. Christians from every nation and tradition will gather at the Lord’s Table, celebrating the grace that unites us and the hope that sustains us all.

As we set out on this journey, we’re reminded that faith is not a solo expedition but a shared adventure. Each week will be like turning a new page in our travel journal, filled with stories of God’s people, lessons for our own lives, and experiences that draw us closer together as a community. With our passports in hand and God as our guide, we are ready to take the first step into this season of discovery and grace.

Attention Travelers! This is the Final Boarding Call for passengers on Flight Noblesville First. Please make your way to the sanctuary gate. Your flight will be departing shortly.

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.