Faith @ First - June 12, 2026 | Faith@First

Faith @ First - June 12, 2026

Posted by Rev. Brittney Stephan on June 12, 2026

When I think about how I learned about my faith, I often think about music.

Some of my earliest memories of church involve singing. I can still remember the motions to Vacation Bible School songs, standing with the children's choir on Sunday mornings, and trying my best to follow along in the hymnal beside adults who seemed to know every word by heart. At the time, I didn't realize what was happening. I thought I was just learning songs. Looking back, I realize I was learning more about my faith.

Those songs taught me about God's love long before I could explain it. They taught me that Jesus was always with me, that hope was possible, and that God could be trusted. The melodies stayed with me long after Sunday was over. In many ways, the songs I learned as a child helped build the foundation of the faith I still carry today.

As I grew older, music continued to shape my life. There were songs that carried me through difficult seasons, songs that gave voice to prayers I couldn't quite put into words, and songs that reminded me who I was when I felt uncertain. Even the call to ministry I first heard as a teenager at church camp was surrounded by music. Some of the hymns and worship songs from those experiences are still meaningful to me today because they remind me of moments when God felt especially near. That's why Paul's words in Colossians resonate with me. He reminds believers to teach and encourage one another through "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." Singing is not just something we do before the sermon. It is one of the ways God speaks to us, shapes us, and binds us together as the body of Christ.

Every Sunday at Noblesville First, I am grateful for the gift of music. Whether it is our choir offering an anthem, our congregation singing a favorite hymn, or children learning songs that will stay with them for years to come, God is still using music to form disciples. Maybe that's why God's people have always sung. Songs have a way of carrying faith from one generation to the next. They remind us who God is when we forget. They give us hope when life feels heavy. And they help us discover that we are part of a much larger story.

May we continue to be a people sealed with hope, lifting our voices together and passing that hope on to those who will sing after us.

Keep the Faith@First,
Pastor Brittney

About the Author

Rev. Brittney Stephan

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.