Menu
On Sunday, January 9, 2022, our Amarillo campus celebrated its first year of operation with a look back at what God has done in and through their congregation. Some of the staff members of our Amarillo campus recently offered their reflections on how they have seen God at work in south Amarillo over the past 12 months.
From Sabby Mannix, Amarillo campus youth minister: I was given the unique opportunity to intern with the Amarillo campus before it was launched. From the start, we wanted our church to serve the community around us. In 2020, I drove through the streets around our church once a week, praying for the Lord to open doors to serve our community when we launched. Now, being open almost a full year, I can see all the moments the Lord has answered that prayer. We have served our community through two Trunk or Treat events, two Angel Tree Ministry gift drives, hosting blood drives, delivering blankets to a nearby dialysis center, providing a meeting space for the Amarillo Youth Choir, and serving Westover Park Junior High through teacher appreciation, serving watermelon at their registration night, and helping with Westover’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. These are just a few of the ways we have been blessed to serve our community and show the love of God. God is continuously answering our prayers by providing opportunities to impact our community and show His love to the world.
From Haley Cooper, Amarillo campus children’s minister: God has moved in many different ways at the Amarillo campus this past year. The children at the Amarillo campus drew pictures and wrote Scripture passages with chalk on the sidewalk by Westover Junior High to encourage the junior high students. Also, for the first time ever, our children performed on stage the song, “Jesus Loves Me,” during a Sunday worship service, showing the congregation how we had been working on the meaning of worship during our Wednesday night children’s ministry gatherings. Our children are learning more and more about God and His character and continue to be such joyous little lights on our campus!
From Andrea Cox, Amarillo campus worship leader: I truly love and am beyond grateful that I get to be a part of the family of God at First Methodist. I have never been a part of a church plant before now, but it has been a quiet desire in my heart for a long time. As a staff member, I joined after the majority of the blood, sweat, and tears had happened to bring this dream to a reality. It was amazing to hear all the “God stories” and see the web of God’s plan come together through so many different people. I heard these stories all in one sitting, as if it all happened all at once. One could expect there to be an explosion of people, participation, and growth right from the get-go after hearing them. That was not necessarily the case — and isn’t that just like the Lord to do things differently than the way we would expect or want? His Kingdom principles do not mirror our culture’s definition of success. He never forsakes our refinement, preparation, and spiritual growth. Slow and steady wins the race. That is how I have experienced God this past year. And as I look back over the year, I am amazed by all that God has done in this church body and in my own life and family. I see my own healing and restoration, I see joy, I see weekly commitment to Jesus, to prayer, vulnerability, connection in community, humility, and forgiveness.
Going into the next year, I truly believe that God wants us to remain faithful and steadfast. To not give up or be discouraged. To continue in prayer. We plant the seeds, and God brings the rain. He wants to continue to refine us, re-form us, re-make us in this process so that as He provides the rain and growth, we will be transformed into a people that are ready for the harvest. We may not see his movement in the moment, but He is living, breathing, and very active.
If you attend — or have attended — the Amarillo campus and have a story you'd like to share about how you've seen God move, we want to hear about it! Please email us at matt@firstmethodist.church.
