St. Andrew's UMC Brandon

06/04/2026

This week we begin our "Summer At the Movies" sermon series, a fun and engaging way to discover how timeless biblical truths can be found in stories we know and love. Throughout the summer, we'll explore popular films and uncover themes that connect to God's story and our faith journey.

This Sunday’s feature is The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is about two Brooklyn plumbers, Mario and Luigi, who get sucked into a magical world. Luigi is captured by Bowser, and Mario teams up with Princess Peach, Toad, and later Donkey Kong to rescue him. The movie is about the Mushroom Kingdom which we will compare the work we do as ordinary people in the Kingdom of God as followers of Jesus.

📽 To kick off our "Summer at the Movies" sermon series, this Sunday will be a family service including all the kids. There will be no regular Kids Ministry programming at 9:45am - all children are encouraged to join us for worship! Another fun twist is to dress up in your favorite Mario Bros. costume/ accessories. Popcorn will be served! 🍿

We hope you can join us for worship this Sunday!
+ Traditional Service at 8:15am
+ Contemporary Service at 9:45am*
+ Combined Service at 11:15am*
*Livestream available - https://saumcbrandon.online.church/
Follow the link to view the Order of Worship: http://bible.com/events/49617660

06/03/2026

You're not walking through your wilderness alone! When life feels isolating and overwhelming, remember that your current struggle isn't your final destination - it's just the beginning of your journey with Christ. God hasn't abandoned you in your hardest moments.

06/02/2026

Over the past month and a half, we have traced the footsteps of scripture through the sacred, challenging space of The Wilderness. Guided by biblical narratives found in the Old and New Testament and resources from the Bible Project, we’ve watched how God uses the wilderness not to break His people, but to make them.

In this final message, we looked at how the Apostles carried this exact thread into the New Testament letters, particularly in Romans 8:18–25. Writing to early Christians facing isolation and persecution, Paul reminded them that the groaning of the desert is actually the labor pains of a new creation. As biblical scholar N.T. Wright points out, this speaks directly to God’s covenant faithfulness: God’s absolute determination to put a fractured world right through Jesus. The wilderness is never our final destination; it is simply the place where we learn to silence our anxiety, soften our hearts, and trust God for our daily bread and living water.

As we conclude this journey together, the invitation is to stand in hope at the edge of the wilderness and step into the garden of God's peace. We are not destined to live in fear, we are not walking alone, and we are never abandoned by God. Let us leave our "old selves" behind in the desert, trust in the multiplying power of the Holy Spirit, and step forward into the new creation Christ has prepared for us.



If you missed this past Sunday's sermon, be sure to check out our weekly Short Church!
Be sure to like, share, and subscribe to our YouTube page: www.youtube.com/

What if the hard seasons of our lives aren’t meant to break us, but...

06/01/2026

Greetings, St. Andrew's Family and Friends!

A new month brings new opportunities, fresh beginnings, and countless reminders of God's faithfulness.

As we step into June, we pray this month is filled with hope, joy, meaningful connections, and moments that draw you closer to God and one another.

Whether you're joining us for worship, serving in ministry, meeting up for bible study and small groups, or simply seeking a place to belong, there's a place for you here at St. Andrew's!

Here are this week's highlighted announcements:https://www.saumc.net/_files/ugd/7caeae_8678ac36a1f344139d01dea9c2f697fc.pdf

Let's embrace this new month together with open hearts, expectant faith, and gratitude for all God is doing in and through our church community.

Welcome to June!

05/29/2026

From the SAUMC Blog Reach, Create, Serve: "More Than a Youth Group" Aubrey Warren, Director of Youth Ministry, shares the heart and soul of youth ministry at St. Andrew's:

"At St. Andrew’s, Youth Ministry is more than just another thing to do during the week for our local middle schoolers and high schoolers; it is a place where students can grow in their faith, build friendships, and have fun while being fully themselves. We want every middle and high school student who walks through our doors to know they are loved, valued, and welcomed exactly as they are."

Read more from Aubrey on how our youth are all around the life of the church, not just Sunday morning; from ministry, to missions, to serving our community while growing their faith and forming friendships: https://www.saumc.net/post/more-than-a-youth-group

At St. Andrew’s, Youth Ministry is more than just another thing to do during the week for our local middle schoolers and high schoolers; it is a place where students can grow in their faith, build friendships, and have fun while being fully themselves. We want every middle and high school student ...

05/28/2026

What if the hard seasons of our lives aren’t meant to break us, but to make us? Throughout the scriptures, The Wilderness; the Midbar, is more than just a place of barren soil, nothingness, and heat; it is a sacred space. It is a place where God’s people are tested, refined, and transformed. Over the last six weeks, we have walked through The Wilderness as found in scripture and through the eyes of the Bible Project, tracing the footsteps of those who found God in the desert. We journeyed with Hagar as she found God standing by a spring when she needed it the most and with Moses as he learned to lead a complaining people toward trust through the provision of holy manna. We walked with David and Bathesheba through a spiritual wilderness of David’s own making and with Elijah on the side of a mountain where he heard the whisper of God. Last week, we witnessed the Holy Spirit breathe life into our dry bones at Pentecost, and this upcoming Sunday, we finally reach the end of our journey through The Wilderness.

Our final message pivots to the New Testament Letters, focusing on Romans 8:18-25 to explore what happens when the desert season finally ends. We will learn how The Wilderness is never our final destination; it is the birthplace of God’s new creation in each of us. We will challenge our community not to leave this season merely as survivors looking back at Egypt, but as transformed people stepping forward into the promise that our present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory about to be revealed.

We hope you can join us for worship this Sunday!
+ Traditional Service at 8:15am
+ Contemporary Service at 9:45am*
+ Combined Service at 11:15am*
*Livestream available - https://saumcbrandon.online.church/
Follow the link to view the Order of Worship: http://bible.com/events/49614331

05/27/2026

Feeling overwhelmed by broken relationships, financial struggles, or impossible circumstances? Remember: God specializes in breathing life into dry bones! Your job isn't to fix everything - just be faithful with whatever little you have.

05/26/2026

This Pentecost sermon, “Facing Internal Wilderness”, connects the birth of the church in Acts 2 with the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers today. Beginning with the global impact of the United Methodist Church and John Wesley’s “heart strangely warmed” experience, this message emphasizes that Methodism itself was born through the transforming power of God’s Spirit. Drawing from Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones, the sermon highlights humanity’s tendency to trust only what can be seen, while God specializes in bringing life to situations that appear hopeless. Just as God’s breath (ruach) revived lifeless bones, the Holy Spirit gives strength, renewal, and spiritual life to weary people and communities.

This sermon also explores the “internal wilderness” people experience when they feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and incapable of handling life’s challenges. Using the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, the message reminds listeners that God does not ask for unlimited resources, only faithful surrender of the little they have. Through the Holy Spirit, God multiplies human weakness into abundance and hope. John Wesley’s own struggles with discouragement, criticism, and failure serve as a powerful example that even faithful Christian's face seasons of doubt and exhaustion. Ultimately, the sermon encourages believers to trust that the Holy Spirit still lives within them, empowering them to endure hardship, revive what feels dead, and participate in God’s ongoing work of renewal in the world.



If you missed this past Sunday's sermon, be sure to check out our weekly Short Church!
Be sure to like, share, and subscribe to our YouTube page: www.youtube.com/

For this Pentecost Sunday, we will continue our Wilderness series and consider how we handle a wilderness that can happen in our hearts and in our minds. An ...

05/25/2026

St. Andrew's Family and Friends, what a blessed weekend of worship was had! We were honored to have Cathy Stone, Executive Director of Cornerstone Family Ministries, share St. Andrew's impact of giving and participation in the April Wonder Walk/Run: the most monies raised ($13,167.77) and the most walkers. In a special tribute, we remembered our fallen soldiers in a reflection given by Adam Balduff, Associate Pastor, in honor of those who gave their lives in service to our country. In prayer, we wrapped our arms around those facing challenges and offered to be present for those in need.

As we enter this last week of May, we give God praise for all that He has done in us personally and through St. Andrew's as a church family. Keep the faith and keep serving with a heart of gratitude.

Here are this week's opportunities to reach people, create community, and serve the world:https://www.saumc.net/_files/ugd/7caeae_eaf8ba60882e49978896dfbec997b1cb.pdf

Let us go forth in peace to love our neighbors. Have a wonderful week!