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? | Exodus 16:1-20

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

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: Regret for Joy | 1 Kings 8:62-66
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.

Following a powerful partnership journey to Tanzania, the United Methodists of Greater New Jersey have set forth on an ambitious mission: the “For Tanzania 2024” campaign.

The following is worship resources to aid in bringing this campaign to your local worshipping community. Together, we can build a church, support pastors, and make a lasting difference for our siblings in Christ across Tanzania.

Fall Kick-Off Series

The idea of talking about our faith and sharing it with others can cause strong reactions. Fear. Nerves. Excitement. Uncertainty. Let’s face it, telling the Good News of the Gospel can be difficult for lots of reasons, even when our faith is at its strongest. Yet a faith worth having is a faith worth sharing! Thankfully, scripture not only tells us to share our faith, it also helps us learn how, for our own time and place. Coming soon!

Week 1: The Great Commission | Matthew 28:16-20
Week 2: The Good News is for Everyone | Acts 10:30-48
Week 3: Meet People Where They Are | Acts 17:16-28
Week 4: The World Needs the Good News | John 3:11-20

Stewardship & Generosity Campaign Series

We get lots of messages about what is important, what the “good life” is, and everything we need to do – and have – to achieve it. Still, so many of us remain unsatisfied, chasing after the next thing in search of fulfilment. But there is good news for us! God desires for us to have lives of contentment, freedom from worry, and joy in abundance. And Jesus shows us the way there. As we learn how to find our contentment in God, we will also discover the beauty in giving. Our lives will be evidence that the good life is the generous life – a life through which the grace of God flows into the world.

Week 1: Living in a World of and with Scarcity | Matthew 6:24-34
Week 2: Finding Our Contentment with God: Spiritual Maturity | 1 Timothy 6:6-12
Week 3: The Gift of a Self-Emptying God | Ephesians 3:5-12
Week 4: Abundance is Communal and Connectional | John 6:1-14

Advent & Christmas

Anyone who has hosted a Christmas dinner or party can tell you, there is a ton of preparation that goes into throwing these holiday celebrations. Many of us find ourselves doing lots of preparing in this busy season of lights, tinsel, and wrapping paper. Yet, what are we really preparing for?Who are we really preparing for? This Advent, hear God’s call: “Prepare!” – for the coming one, Jesus. Hear this imperative as an invitation to strip away all the fuss and ready your heart and life for the change that is coming when Jesus gets here. Coming soon!

Week 1: Keep Awake | Mark 13:24-37
Week 2: Get Ready | Mark 1:1-8
Week 3: Testify | John 1:6-8, 19-28
Week 4: Be Courageous | Luke 1:26-38
Christmas Eve: Go! | Luke 2:1-20
Week 5: Worship and Bless | Luke 2:22-40

God’s mercies are new every morning! But sometimes it is easy for us to get stuck in the same old routine. This New Year let’s hit the “reset button,” so we can claim the fresh start God makes available to us. As we rediscover our true identity in the love of God, we will discover new purpose and, guided by the compass of God’s values, head off in an exciting God-given direction! Designed for the New Year.

Week 1: Soul Reset | Luke 3:21-23

Week 2: Reset Purpose | Mark 1:32-39

Week 3: Reset Values | Galatians 5:24-6:10

Week 4: Reset Direction | Acts 9:1-15

Throughout Scripture and today, God sustains God’s people in the most basic of human ways – physically, with food and drink, and spiritually – with food and drink for our souls. This Lent, as we remember what it means to be human, we find refreshment from God’s fountain of grace. The different images of cups shown in Scripture will serve as a touchpoint for exploring aspects of our relationship with God. What does our brokenness say about us? What does discipleship look like? What does it mean to seek justice? This exploration culminates in the most exciting celebration of all – that Jesus is risen for us and we have new life in him! Designed for Lent 2022.

Ash Wednesday: The Cup of Fasting | Isaiah 58:1-12

Week 1: The Broken Cup | 2 Corinthians 4:5-11

Week 2: The Cup of Living Water | John 4:7-29, 39

Week 3: The Cup You Choose | Psalm 16

Week 4: The Cup of Discipleship | Matthew 20:20-28

Week 5: The Cup of Compassion | Matthew 25:31-46

Week 6 Option 1: From Empty to Overflowing (Palm/Passion Sunday) |

John 12:12-19, Psalm 22, Psalm 23

Week 6 Option 2: The Overflowing Cup | Psalm 23

Holy Thursday: The Cup of the New Covenant | Matthew 26:20-29

Good Friday: Jesus’ Cup for Us | Matthew 26:30-27:66

Easter Sunday: The Cup that Never Runs Dry | John 20:1-18

Church is not a place you go, it’s something you are and something you do. Encounters with Jesus change people, not just for a moment, but by transforming us into something new. But we are not new by ourselves! We become new as part of a community, the church, held together and sent out by the Holy Spirit to introduce more people to the transformative Jesus! To be the church is to do God’s mission in the world. Designed for Spring.

Week 1: Be A Witness #ToInfinityAndBeyond | Matthew 28:16-20

Week 2: Be a Disciple #notjustachurchgoer | Luke 9:23-25

Week 3: Be Transformational | Romans 12:1-2

Week 4: The Church of the Pentecost | Acts 2:1-21 (focus:17-21)

The heart of worship is celebration! We celebrate who God is, what God has done for us in Jesus, and the new Spirit-filled lives we get to live because of it. By taking the time to celebrate God’s gifts to us — gifts of diversity, unity, promise, and new life – we are attuning ourselves to the good things in life, so that, even in times of struggle and hardship, we can be sustained. Designed for Summer/After Pentecost.

GNJ Clergy Team, Facilitator Gabby Corbet

Week 1: Celebrate Diversity | 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Week 2: Celebrate Unity| Ephesians 4:1-16

Week 3: Celebrate Promise | Romans 4:3;13-25

Week 4: Celebrate New Life | Mark 5:35-43

Laity Sunday is observed on the third Sunday in October (October 16, 2022). Each year The United Methodist Church celebrates the ministry and witness of laypersons everywhere through a special service.