In this four-week series, we explore the profound importance of rest in our lives. We start with Elijah's experience of divine rest, learn how to find a healthy balance of rest, work, and play, understand the rhythm of rest modeled by God, and affirm that God has given everyone the gift of rest to be embraced.

Week 1: Release into Rest | 1 Kings 19:1-9
Week 2: A Rhythm of Rest | Ecclesiastes 3:1-13  
Week 3: What Kind of Rest: The Science Behind Rest | Genesis 2:1-3  
Week 4: The Gift of Rest | Leviticus 25:1-19

Do you ever feel like if you just make it over the next hurdle or reach your next goal that you will have finally arrived in life? Many people do, including our Biblical friends, but guess what? That’s called the arrival fallacy, and it can keep us feeling disappointed and unhappy when we get to the “next thing” and find we still haven’t arrived at our hoped-for destination. We are still unfailingly human, flawed, broken. This Lent, let us learn to savor our uniquely human journey without the pressure of arrival, as we reconnect with the God of Jesus Christ who leads us in the way, providing sustenance, meaning, and hope through all our ups and downs.

Ash Wednesday: The Classic Overreach | Week 1: Getting Free and Staying Free | Week 2: It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey | Week 3: Who’s Your Hope? | Week 4: No Going Back | Week 5: The Fake Out | Week 6: Staying Power | Holy/Maundy Thursday: Detour Ahead | Good Friday: Holding On When the Cross Feels Final | Easter Sunday: Setting Out Again

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” (Matt. 5:9). But in a world divided by conflict, violence, and war, there is so much that gets in the way. This series delves into some of the common obstacles to peacemaking – complacency, resentment, and violence – leading us first to receive Christ’s peace in our own spirits and then get to the hard work of making peace in the world.  

Week 1: Wade in the Waters | Amos 5:21-24
Week 2: When Resenting is Preventing | Matthew 20:1-16
Week 3: From Death to Life | Micah 4:1-5
Week 4: The Kingdom of God: And Let it Begin with Us | Ephesians 2:14-16

Real people don’t neatly fit into boxes. In a world of either/or we have a both/and faith. This sermon series addresses the complexities of our spiritual experience. Often, we put ourselves into boxes, or others do it to us. Rather than labels, let us embrace each other and not see the either/or but the both/and.

Week 1: Heart & Head | Mark 12:30-31, Acts 8:26-40
Week 2: Sacred & Secular | Acts 10:9-16
Week 3: Us & Them | Galatians 3:28-29, Hebrews 13:1-2
Week 4: Saint & Sinner| 1 Timothy 1:12-17

This stewardship series focuses on the countercultural, often radical way that Jesus calls his followers to relate to their resources, financial and otherwise. This way of relating stems from a relationship with Christ, shaping values and an identity that come alive in daily action to transform our relationships with others and the world.

Week 1: Who Are You? | Romans 12:1-2
Week 2: Who Are You Wearing Today? | Colossians 3:12-17
Week 3: Love in Action | James 2:14-18
Week 4: Authentic Loving, Authentic Giving | Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40

Coming soon for Laity Sunday 2025.

“There is no room at the inn” is a phrase we hear each Christmas. We see it in our Christmas pageants, as kids dress up like Mary and Joseph. Providing sanctuary was not only part of the Christmas story but is part of our story as people of faith. This Advent, how do we create space in our lives, our churches, and our communities for Jesus, for those close to us, and for the stranger?

Week 1: Room, When Pressure is Closing In | Joshua 2:1-21, Matthew 1:1-5
Week 2: Room in Your Heart| Mark 1:1-8
Week 3: Room in Relationships | Luke 1:24-45
Week 4: Room for Hope | Matthew 1:18-25
Christmas Eve: Making Room | Luke 2:1-20
Week 5: Refuge and Sanctuary | Matthew 2:1-18

Roots give us the stability and nourishment we need to grow and break new ground. As we seek to grow in our faith as individuals and as the church, looking back at the deep roots of the Methodist movement can help us look forward to our future. More than mere traditions or rituals, our Methodist roots are evidence of God’s Spirit moving through our history, the same Spirit who is breathing life into us today.

Week 1: Baptism | Mark 1:4
Week 2: Grace | Ephesians 2:4
Week 3: Personal & Social Holiness: Missional Connection | Micah 6:6
Week 4: Holy Conferencing | Colossians 3:12
Week 5: Communion | 1 Corinthians 11:23

Just as Jesus wandered in the wilderness for forty days, so too can we feel like we are wandering in the wilderness, as we face hardships, grief, temptations, and injustices. This Lent, we will discover what it means to wander these parts of life in honesty with God through the practice of lament. We will learn how crying out to God in our need can help us to fully embrace what it means to be human beings held and loved by a God we can trust. We will learn that even through the darkest valleys, Jesus both goes ahead of us and walks with us.

Ash Wednesday: Lament and Repentance | Psalm 51:1-17
Week 1: Why Lament? | Psalm 13
Week 2: Lament and Honesty | Job 13:1-13
Week 3: Lament and Surrender | Matthew 26:36-46
Week 4: Lament and Community | Esther 4:1-5
Week 5: Lament and Hope | Lamentations 3:19-24
Week 6 (Palm/Passion Sunday): Lament and Action | Luke 19:41-48
Holy/Maundy Thursday: Lament and Love | John 13:1-17
Good Friday: Lament on Our Behalf | Matthew 27:45-51

This spring, as we embrace the new life given to us in Jesus, let us expand our vision to realize that this new life is not only spiritual and not only human, but a new life for all of creation. We will explore our place in God’s wide creation and our special responsibility to care for the earth. As the environment suffers, we are called to take courageous action that reflects God’s plan for the flourishing of all creation.

Week 1 (Easter Sunday): Hope for All Creation | Mark 16:1-15 & Psalm 96:1-2, 11-13
Week 2: God’s Wide World | Psalm 104:5-24 & Job 12:7-10
Week 3: A Special Responsibility | Genesis 1:28-31
Week 4: Facing Creation’s Brokenness | Romans 8:19-25
Week 5: A New Creation | 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Trying to discover the purpose of our lives can lead to a lot of questions. Who am I? Why am I here? What does living with purpose look like? Often, the world is all too ready to give us answers – promising that finding the perfect job or achieving the next milestone will make us happy. But in this series, we will embrace the questions as an invitation to discover what it is that God wants to do with the story of our lives.

Week 1: Why Am I Here? | John 3:1-9
Week 2: What is a Purpose? | Matthew 5:13-16
Week 3: Who Am I? | Acts 9:1-19; John 21:15-19
Week 4: Purpose is Present | Matthew 14:13-21
Week 5: No Time Is Wasted | Proverbs 8:22-31 or Exodus 16
Week 6: Will Purpose Make Me Happy? | Matthew 16:24-26, John 11:1-37

Observing the widespread and severe effects of social disconnection on Americans’ health, Dr Vivek Murthy (Surgeon General of the United States) says that “loneliness and isolation represent profound threats to our health and well-being.” This reality reflects what our faith already teaches us: God created us for connection and community. Drawing on the experiences of the early church in scripture, let us relearn how God leads us into lives of meaningful relationship with Godself and one another.

Week 1: Connection Among Christians | Ephesians 4:1-6
Week 2: Connection with God | John 15:1-12
Week 3: Connection with Community | Hebrews 10:23-25
Week 4: Connection Across Barriers | Ephesians 2:11-22
Week 5: Connection with the Larger Church (World Communion Sunday) | 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Grace is not merely a gift but God's invitation to a relationship that can change our lives and transform the world. In this series, we will delve into stories of transformation, connecting them to our everyday experiences. From feeling like outsiders to being part of a community, from fear to trust, from the “same old” to something creative and new – these are just a few of the transformations that God’s grace works in our lives. Say yes to grace and find new freedom in relation to yourself, others and even your personal and financial resources.   
Week 1: Called by Love | Luke 19:1-10
Week 2: “God Trusted Me with It!” | Matthew 25:14-30
Week 3: The Secret of Contentment | Philippians 4:1-7, 10-14, 19
Week 4: A Disciple’s Lifestyle | Luke 16:1-13

Laity Sunday 2024 | Mark 10:35-45
How we lead matters. When, out of fear or anxiety, we try to clamor to the top, Jesus calls us to a different way of leading - through humility, service, and action.

Life hands us difficult experiences that weigh us down: despair, anxiety, regret, darkness, and feelings of meaninglessness. In the midst of all this, God holds out precious and life-giving gifts – hope, peace, joy, love, light, and purpose. This Advent season, as we prepare for gift exchanges with friends and family, we will reflect on the gifts given to us by the greatest giver of all and how can we receive and embrace those gifts even in the most difficult of times.

Week 1: Despair for Hope | Psalm 121: 1-8
Week 2: Anxiety for Peace | John 14:27
Week 3: Sorrow for Joy | Psalm 30
Week 4: Fear for Love | 1 John 4:7-19
Christmas Eve: Darkness for Light | Isaiah 9:2-7
Week 5: Meaninglessness for Purpose | Jeremiah 29:11

New Year’s Series

Who doesn’t want a fresh start, a clean slate? That is exactly what Jesus offers us; he gives us the chance to begin anew every single day. But this is no ordinary fresh start. When we say yes to God’s new beginning in our lives, we are saying yes to an adventure that will require courage, perseverance, and boldness. We are saying yes to having our world turned upside down and inside out. We are saying yes to being stirred up and to stirring things up. And one thing is for sure: this fresh start is so worth it. So, let’s make it count.

Week 1: Are You Sure You’re Up for This | Mark 8:27-38
Week 2: Hens and Chicks | Luke 13:31-35
Week 3: Ten Lepers. How Many Miracles? | Luke 17:11-19
Week 4: Salvation in the House | Luke 19:1-10

Series for Lent and Easter

Who is God? Why do bad things happen to good people? How can I face the future? Asking questions is a normal part of human life. Having doubts is part of the human experience. We do not have to be ashamed of our doubts or hide our questions before God. In fact, God fully welcomes them and welcomes us. This Lent, we will practice bringing some of our biggest questions and doubts to God. We will practice embracing this deeply human part of ourselves as we move together toward the great and joyous mystery of Easter resurrection. Click here for sermon series.

Ash Wednesday: Living with Questions Doubts | Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 6:1-6
Week 1: Who is God? | 1 John 4:7-19
Week 2: Is the Bible Reliable? | Hebrews 4:12-14
Week 3: Why Should I Go to Church? | Psalm 100
Week 4: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? | Psalm 137
Week 5: How and Why Do I Forgive? | Matthew 6:9-15
Week 6 (Palm/Passion Sunday): Why is Jesus Special? | Mark 11:1-11
Maundy Thursday: Are You Scared of the Future? | John 13:1-7, 31b-35
Good Friday: Why Did Jesus Have to Die? | Colossians 2:13-14
Week 7 (Easter Sunday): Why Be a Christian? | Mark 16:1-8

Spring Series

“…just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life,” (Romans 6:4b). The Bible is full of stories of redemption, change, and hope. Through four of those stories, we will discover how faith in a Risen Jesus can transform our lives for the better here and now. No matter how big or how small we fall, God outstretches God’s hand, ready to raise us up.

Week 1: Rising from Skepticism (Thomas) | John 20:24-28
Week 2: Rising from Denial (Peter) | John 21:15-19
Week 3: Rising from Hatred (Saul/Paul) | Acts 9:1-22
Week 4: Rising from Quarreling (The Church) | Acts 15:1-21

Summer Series on Women in the Bible

Heroes do not just belong in comic books and blockbuster movies. We have them in real life too – people whose courage, strength, and resilience we can look up to as models for our own lives. In this summer series, we will meet four outstanding heroes from our faith story. Their readiness to listen to God’s voice in their lives and act on it inspires us to do the same. Coming soon!

Week 1: Deborah | Judges 4:4-11 and Judges 5:1-9
Week 2: Rahab | Joshua 2:1-14
Week 3: Lydia | Acts 16:13-15, 40
Week 4: Esther | Esther 3:13; 4:13-17

Each year, the United Methodist Church celebrates the ministry and witness of laypersons everywhere through a special service, typically observed on the third Sunday of October, although you can pick an alternative date that works for your church. This year's Laity Sunday resources focus on how God calls and equips us to share God's love and good news with those we meet along life's path. We are reminded that all the world needs our witness. Our witness matters.