Faith@First - February 21, 2025 | Faith@First

Faith@First - February 21, 2025

Posted by Rev. Brittney Stephan on February 21, 2025

Regret has a way of sneaking up on us when we least expect it. Maybe it’s a conversation we wish we’d handled differently, a relationship we let drift away, or an opportunity we let pass by. Regret can feel like carrying a backpack full of “what ifs” and “if onlys,” weighing us down as we try to move forward.

One of my favorite scenes from Encanto comes when Abuela, overwhelmed by the pressures of protecting her family, realizes how much her own fears have caused harm. She carries deep regret for the ways she has treated Mirabel and the others, but in the end, she chooses something different—she chooses healing. She doesn’t stay stuck in regret; she seeks reconciliation.

That’s what grace offers us: a way forward. We see it in scripture, too. Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, denied even knowing Jesus three times. Imagine the weight of that regret! But Jesus didn’t leave Peter in his failure. After the resurrection, Jesus meets Peter by the sea and gives Peter a new purpose. Instead of dwelling on the past, Jesus calls Peter into a future shaped by grace.

I think about my own regrets—things I wish I had done differently, words I wish I could take back. But I have also seen how God meets us in those places, offering us the chance to learn, grow, and step into something new. Regret doesn’t have to be the end of the story. God’s grace is bigger than our past, and there is always an opportunity for redemption.

So if you’re carrying regret today, take heart. We are all invited into something new. May we all have the courage to let go of what weighs us down and step forward into the grace-filled future God has for us.

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.