Elevation Waterloo Sermons

We're excited to welcome TK and Nikki from  Future of Africa  to come and share with us this Sunday! Future of Africa has been one of our partners for many years, and are continuing as our Global Partner as part of our  Peace in Action Team . TK, Nikki and their family live and work in Ghana, but are here in Waterloo visiting during the month of June. We hope you enjoy watching and hearing mor...

This Sunday we will wrap up our atonement series as we explore one more theory together: Christus Victor. Although this is one of the oldest recorded theories around the atonement, it may offer us new or fresh ways to approach this mystery of at-one-ment. We’ll also spend some time thinking about the impact of these atonement theories on the evolution of the Church over time, as well as our own fa...

This Sunday we continue our exploration of the different atonement theories that have been presented through history. This week we look at Penal Substitutionary, Satisfaction, and Last Scapegoat atonement theories. Devon asks us to explore the themes of violence inherent to these theories, and asks us to consider atonement not simply as something Jesus did on the cross, but something consistent wi...

Atonement, Part II:  Moral Influence & Ransom Theories This Sunday, we’re diving into two theories of the cross: the Moral Influence Theory and the Ransom Theory. Does Jesus’ life and death primarily inspire us to live compassionately, as a divine model of love? Or did Christ’s sacrifice act as a cosmic transaction, “paying a debt” to liberate humanity from Satan’s grip? We’ll unpack the histo...

This week we begin our new series on theories of Atonement. Our first week we will be looking at an overview of this important and controversial topic. Most importantly we will be talking about how we as a community deal learn and live together when wrestling with different beliefs and understanding, and how we live out our vision and values together.

This week, we’re taking some time to explore some of the contemplative prayer practices that we have talked about during our recent series around prayer. We’ll be walking through practices together as a community, as well as providing a space to explore some prayer practices on our own. Additional resources can be found on out website at https://elevationwaterloo.org/contemplative-prayer-practices...

Holy Week began this past Sunday with our Palm Sunday celebration—a time that marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Today, as we continue this sacred journey together, we invite you to join us in reflecting on Christ’s path to the cross and rejoicing in the hope of the resurrection.

We’re wrapping up our Reimagining Prayer series this week by taking some time to consider the beauty of reflecting on the words of prayers that have been written by others, and the gift of borrowing language to express words that may resonate with our own hearts and minds. From contemplative prayer practices to sharing in  Prayers of the People , from more ancient liturgy to modern litanies – we’l...

This week we continue our series “What If: Reimagining Prayer.” This Sunday Devon will share several forms of prayer that he has found meaningful over the years. Together we will explore the connection between prayer and the physical world around us, including ourselves.

Prayers that Hurt, Prayers that Heal: Building Consent into Interpersonal Prayer. Praying for each other is one of the powerful and intimate parts of Christian community. This week Brian and Grace will lead a discussion on how to be mindful of how we use the power of prayer in ways that make everyone feel safe and included.

Whether prayer feels like a sanctuary or a struggle, a familiar rhythm or a distant mystery—whether you approach it with confidence, doubt, or not at all—you’re not alone. This Sunday, we’re stepping into an honest, open-handed exploration of prayer—one that welcomes our doubts, questions and curiosity. Together, we’ll consider prayer through the lenses of theology, science, personal experience, a...

A powerless and desperate widow reaches out to connect with the prophet Elisha.  Together, they offer what they have and do what they can,  and with God’s blessing there is a miraculous outcome.  Their story provides a compelling lesson as to how God participates with His people to provide justice and restore dignity to the most marginalized. Discussion Questions Sunday, December March 2nd, 2025 C...

What do we do with our deepest longings? What does Jesus do? Let’s explore through an underrated story as we continue our  Stories from Scripture: Flannelgraph Not Included  series.

Back in November we introduced the Elevation community to the Peace in Action Team (PiAT),  inviting our community to participate in building the branches of this team.  We are thrilled to further this important work of education, reflection, service, giving and advocacy, rooted in our faith and commitment to justice,  compassion and re-imagined church.  For this special Service & Learning Gat...

This week we will be continuing our  Stories from Scripture: Flannelgraph Not Included  series with a look at perhaps a lesser-known individual from scripture - Rhoda. We may not hear a lot about Rhoda, but her story is not unfamiliar. The mention of her name in scripture, and her experience within the early church community, invites us to reflect about the ways that voices from within our own com...

Learning from the Book of Esther: Laughing in the Face of Uncertainty and Times of Trouble. This week we will be taking a closer look at the book and person of Esther. There are lots of messy topics that this book touches on but like most great cultural events, it may actually be best read as a  comedy . Sometimes one of  the greatest gifts God gives us may actually be Their sense of humour. Humou...

Fierce, witty, and unapologetically bold—the Syrophoenician woman didn't submit or resign to passivity. She was persistent and courageous in challenging the status quo, refusing to take "no" as an answer, and in so doing she partnered with God in creating a more just world. Join us this Sunday as we explore her powerful story, and discover how her example (among others) invites us to...

This week we begin the year with a new series looking at different characters from scripture. To start us off Devon explores the story of Jesus healing a blind man, and how his personal connection to this story has changed and grown over the years. We attempt to journey through the many influences this story has on us today.

Advent hope is beautiful—but it’s also messy. It’s the radiant glow of light on the horizon, but it’s also the ache of waiting, the weight of “not yet.” It’s the tension between the promise of what could be and the pain of what isn’t. Advent doesn’t shy away from this tension. Instead, it calls us to hold on anyway. To risk hoping for a world transformed, for a love that doesn’t let go, for a God...

What does it mean to have joy? Is it possible to have joy even if you aren’t happy? Join us as we explore what it means to have joy during the Christmas season.

December 1st is the first day of  Advent, the season that we anticipate the coming of Jesus, our Saviour. In the teaching time this week, we will be looking into the Advent theme of "Peace".  Prophecies about Jesus call him the "Prince of Peace" and angels heralded his birth with the declaration of "Peace on Earth".  Clearly, the kingdom of God is a kingdom of peace.  But in 2024, our world is fil...

After the excitement of June’s Youth Takeover, our incredible youth stepped up again this past Sunday! The service kicked off with a fun and interactive game, followed by heartfelt worship. The podcast recorded here was a thoughtful panel discussion, hosted by Benji Spee and Jess Niemi, featuring Elevation members Shane Bauman, Tessa Martin, Caleb Conley, and Marian Wiens. A big thank-you to all t...

On November 17th, we took some time to hear from our Mission and Journey teams about the work they have been doing over the last few months to dream and strategize about next steps for continuing to align those ministry areas with our affirmed values, vision and mission. Then, during our discussion time, our Children’s Ministry Exploration Team invited our community into some discussion and sharin...

Join us this Sunday as we explore the final lines of the Apostles’ Creed: “the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.” How does God’s relational love transform these ancient words into a living invitation for us? What if forgiveness is more than wiping the slate clean—what if it’s an invitation to healing and liberation? How does affirming the resurrection of the...

I believe in the Holy Spirit . What does it mean to believe in the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit can be the most challenging part of the Trinity to wrap your head around and is often reduced to simply being a power source…like a spiritual battery. On the other hands some of the worst moments of Christian history have used the supposed inspiration of the Holy Spirit as cover and justification. Join...