SOWING SEEDS

Jesus once told a parable about the kingdom of God.  "It's like a farmer who sowed many seeds," he said.  


He continued, "Some went on rocky soil.  Some landed on a path.  Others among thorns.  And, some landed on good soil." 


As you can imagine, the seeds among the rocky soil couldn't grow deep roots.  The ones on the path were burned up by the sun, and the ones among the thorns were choked out by those weeds.  But, the ones that landed in the good soil produced a bumper crop.    (This is all Pastor Paul's paraphrase, by the way!). 


As we enter our 2023 stewardship season and look at our annual appeal to build our ministry plan for next year, we're considering how God's kingdom operates with abundance and abandon.  


God is the good Farmer in our lives.  God pours blessing upon blessing on us.  God can seem somewhat reckless with how these good gifts are shared with us, just as the farmer seemed a bit reckless with how the seeds were sowed.  God scatters seeds in our lives with great abandon.  


God does so out of a sense of great abundance.  God's grace is unlimited; God's mercy is never-ending.  The end goal of redeeming all those who are stuck in their sin is worth it to God.  


Below, you'll find several stories from members in our congregation who have taken time to reflect on how the seeds of God's generosity were sown with them.  They consider how they learned to be generous with what God has given them and engage in the mission of our church -- to connect people to share in Christ' mission of grace. 

BLessed to be a blessing

God has blessed us to be a blessing to others. It's more than just a phrase; it's who we are.  This year, several member families sat down to reflect on their generosity journey and how they engage with the mission at PMLC.  We hope you enjoy getting to know a little more about the people down the pew from you and how Jesus is showing up in their lives. 

  • the volks

    We left behind a wonderful Lutheran Church when we moved from Nebraska to Plano eight years ago. We hoped to find a new church that had everything we’d left behind; a welcoming Community in which we could actively participate, coupled with strong children and youth ministries where our kids could grow.


    The first time we attended Preston Meadow we were welcomed with open arms. There was a feeling of love and friendship and (continue reading...)

  • the crownharts

    When searching for a new place to worship after we moved to north Texas, we knew that we wanted an ELCA congregation that was a welcoming place with a sense of community, that provided opportunities for spiritual growth, and that served others through meaningful outreach beyond the walls of the church.


    We learned early on that PMLC is a friendly, engaging congregation when we received a personal invitation to join a Sunday morning grow group.  That one, single, personal invitation resulted (continue reading...)


  • THE Schlotmans

    In 2003, with a second child on the way, we moved to North Plano and started looking for a new church home where we could grow our faith as a couple and our kids could be raised in a family of faith. We were looking for a medium-sized church that had a welcoming environment and an active children and youth ministry.   


    When we first visited PMLC, while being warmly welcomed as we entered, we noticed the overall friendliness of the members as they mingled before church. It was this friendliness that made it easy for us to jump in and make many new friends through (continuing reading...)


  • the wisemans

    As newlyweds moving to Plano back in 2008, we made a conscious effort to find the right church for us. I (Sarah) grew up as a member of PMLC and we were married at PMLC, but we were happy members of a Methodist church in Oklahoma. We were looking for that ,church that felt like home, one where we could grow together in faith and raise the family we dreamed of. We visited several lovely churches, but when we visited PMLC, Pastor Paul immediately recruited us to help build connections among other people our age in our faith community. We could hear the Holy Spirit moving in Pastor Paul’s request, and we knew then that PMLC was going to be our faith home, where we worshiped, connected, and grew as a family. 


    PMLC for us means family. It is a place  (continuing reading...)


  • THe fortneys

    We first worshiped at PMLC in 1994 while visiting our best friends from Zion Lutheran Church in Stockton, CA who had moved to Plano.  This was an uncertain time for our family because the company I had worked for had been sold and there was no guarantee I’d continue to have a job. I was torn as to what I should do.  Sometimes God speaks to you quietly and sometimes God speaks loudly.   The title of the sermon at PMLC that Sunday was “Get Up and Go”.  I knew the Pastor was speaking directly to me.  Within a year we moved to Plano and joined PMLC!   


    There were at least 20 PMLC members waiting at our new house when we drove-up to help us unload.  This one gracious act touched our hearts  (continuing reading...)

  • the miculkas

    In 1990 we were searching for a church home for our young family.  Because we had been raised in different church backgrounds (Ed attended a Lutheran church growing up while Evi had attended a Greek Orthodox church), we wanted a loving and welcoming faith community that preached a message based on Biblical scripture.  We visited several churches, both denominational and non-denominational, hoping to feel a connection.  We finally found it at PMLC. 


    It took a little while, but PMLC became our church after we got involved with church activities and ministries, which resulted in friendships, many life-long. Getting to know and connecting with people (continue reading...)


  • the abercrombies

    We were expecting our first child when we moved to Plano in 1990 and first visited PMLC on Christmas Eve that same year.  We were both born and raised Lutherans and wanted a Lutheran church where we could raise our children in a faith community. It was important that the church we joined be welcoming, have a sense of community, and was excited to be a participant in God’s world through meaningful outreach to the larger community.


    From the very first day, we met many new people and made friends by getting involved.  We initially joined the music program. (continue reading...)


  • Shara Margheim

    After my husband’s death I moved to Frisco to be near one of our sons and family. I was yearning for a church home like the one I left…welcoming and a sense of a living, active faith, and had a Stephen Minister program.


    My first memory upon entering PMLC’s narthex and being greeted by almost everyone visiting there before service, was “The search for my church home is over.” People were so friendly and genuinely interested in me and it was obvious they were living their faith.

    (continue reading...)


  • The EIchingers

    Pretty much everything about COVID was terrible. But for us, there was one unexpected blessing that gave us the push we needed to shake us out of our routine and lead us to PMLC.

    Before joining PMLC we were active and engaged members of our prior congregation, but there was no joy. Without realizing it, we were going through the motions of being “good Christians.” We were dutiful, but not deliberate, and our faith was suffering. With COVID forcing us out of our routines, we realized that it shouldn’t be like this. We wanted to feel the joy and energy of being part of a community that actively demonstrated Christ’s message both inside and outside the church.  (continue reading...) 

  • The oplands

    We moved from Iowa to north Texas in 2019 to enjoy family and warmer winters. After having spent 30 years in an ELCA congregation, in looking for our new place to worship, we knew that we wanted a church that had Word-based worship and sermons, was a welcoming and genuine community, and a congregation with a significant emphasis on outreach. We found all of this at PMLC!


    When we first visited PMLC, we were warmly welcomed by several members. But what really caught our attention was a “buzz” in the crowded narthex after the service from people being genuinely excited and happy to share and spend time with each other. As members, we now look forward to seeing our church family and contributing to the buzz.  (continue reading...)