Sermon Central

We are a church with a long history which includes wonderful messages from pastors and guest speakers alike. This audio library includes sermons from our pastors Rev. Heidi Welch, Rev. Clark Stein, Rev. Karen Oehl, and special guests - Rev. Dr. William McCartney, Betsy Wooster, Rev. Lisa Drew, Rev. Dave Patton, Michael Jasczcak, Rev. Joy (Parker) Fenton-Jones, Janet Kleckner, Rev. Steve Clunn, Rev...

We are a church with a long history which includes wonderful messages from pastors and guest speakers alike. This audio library includes sermons from our pastors Rev. Heidi Welch, Rev. Clark Stein, Rev. Karen Oehl, and special guests - Rev. Dr. William McCartney, Betsy Wooster, Rev. Lisa Drew, Rev. Dave Patton, Michael Jasczcak, Rev. Joy (Parker) Fenton-Jones, Janet Kleckner, Rev. Steve Clunn, Rev...

We are a church with a long history which includes wonderful messages from pastors and guest speakers alike. This audio library includes sermons from our pastors Rev. Heidi Welch, Rev. Clark Stein, Rev. Karen Oehl, and special guests - Rev. Dr. William McCartney, Betsy Wooster, Rev. Lisa Drew, Rev. Dave Patton, Michael Jasczcak, Rev. Joy (Parker) Fenton-Jones, Janet Kleckner, Rev. Steve Clunn, Rev...

When we start with the assumption that all people are gifted by God, we learn to practice abundance. Hear Rev. Kathy Dickriede discuss a key ingredient of neighboring - abundance!

Loving our neighbors starts with knowing our neighbors. Is God calling us to step out of our comfort zones? Hear guest speaker Matt Mellott talk about his neighbors, borrowing lawn mowers in the middle of the night, dogs and more in this week's message.

Today is the second week in our worship series called The Good Neighbor Experiment. Jesus calls us to love our neighbors—and this spring and summer, we’re going to do this with our actual, literal neighbors. It’s a way for us to “get off our donkey” and love like Jesus. Hear guest speaker, Jen Spieth, meditate on Acts 8:26-40 and share her thoughts about the joy that comes from living as our authe...

Pastor Heidi introduces us to the Neighboring Movement and the three key ingredients of neighboring - Joy, Relationship and Abundance. What happens when we get out in our own neighborhoods and love our neighbors?

In the beginning of the Gospel of John, we are told, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” And now we see proof—Jesus has overcome the darkness of sorrow, pain, grief, despair, and even death. The light shines in the darkness. Cover art from "Rabbouni!" by Rev. T. Denise Anderson. Oil on canvas. A Sanctified Art

We begin our worship service with a processional of palms, hear liturgy from Pastor Heidi, and a special message (and art) from Michael Jaszczak. We will celebrate Holy Communion - ready your bread and juice. Come fill your cup for the week ahead!

This week, let us pay attention to the questions we ask. What assumptions do we carry? What is our intent? How might God be revealing God’s Self in this moment? Through this person?

Why are we so focused on who is right and who is wrong—on who is in and who is out? It’s like the old saying: when you draw a line between Jesus and other people, you always end up on the wrong side.

Faith is a journey of growth. It’s not linear—it has many ups and downs and twists and turns—but it’s movement towards something—towards a deeper relationship with God.

Jesus ends the parable of the Good Samaritan with clear instruction: “Go and do likewise.” He didn’t say, “go and agree with my teaching likewise,” or “go ponder and debate the best course of action likewise,” or “go and lament the downfall of the world likewise.” He said “Go and do likewise.”

Your best shot at making your best contribution to the world is for you to get better at what you are already good at. When you come to a greater awareness of your strengths and begin to develop them, you become more of the person you were designed by God to be.

Our "Get Off Your Donkey" worship series continues with "The Meaning of Life." Human beings … seem to be uniquely afflicted with the quest for meaning. … People look to their parents, their teachers, their pastors, their friends, their therapists – to anyone who might have an idea. The desire to understand the reason for our being is a fundamental part of what it means to be human. What is our lif...

Discipleship is like breathing—inhaling the Spirit of God, taking in what we need, caring for ourselves spiritually, and then exhaling—going and doing—showing the love of God to others and caring for those in need.

Jesus ends the parable with clear instruction: “Go and do likewise.” He didn’t say, “go and agree with my teaching likewise,” or “go and debate your own course of action likewise,” or “go and lament the course of things likewise.” He said “Go and do likewise.” Are you ready to get off your donkey and go and do likewise?

Calling all seekers, all dreamers, all believers... Calling all glass-half-full optimists and lighthouse keepers... Calling all star-chasers and bedtime prayer speakers... Bring your questions, your hope, your faith and your fear into this space.

To paraphrase The Grinch, preparation for Christmas isn’t about bows or boxes or bags, but about something more. It’s about the hope, peace, joy, and love that are so clearly evident in Jesus’ birth, as well as his life, death, and resurrection. During Advent, we light candles for these things each week as a way to intentionally pause and recognize their truth—not just in heaven or this future rei...

When reading a scripture like this mornings', the first impulse is to think, “Oh, this is too monotonous and long. We should shorten it so people don’t lose focus and drift on to their grocery list. We should do only the important parts.” But that’s the thing—each name is important. Each name is connected to a person’s life-story. And like Dana shared in this week’s poetry prayer: there is room fo...

Christ is with us in our depression and anxiety. Christ is with us in the room with the cancer diagnosis and chemo treatments. Christ holds our relationships together when it feels like they’re just hanging by a thread. Or to put it the way Nijay Gupta argues, Paul is “tenaciously emphatic that, whatever the problem, Christ is the solution.” So over and over again, we see Paul assure this congrega...

As we have practiced remembering, releasing, and reimagining, we conclude the series by focusing on restoration. Ultimately, practicing faithful stewardship heals us as individuals and helps us restore right relationship with one another. In the final chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples and fills their empty fishing nets. Even after death, Jesus restores our hope and provides...

This week we practice releasing shame, anxiety, guilt, greed or anything that keeps us from freedom and wholeness. We release the elements of our money story that prevent us from fully living into God’s story. In Matthew, we see a man grieved to let go of his wealth. Releasing is a spiritual practice that frees us from ourselves and liberates others.

On this World Communion Sunday we are joined by Rev. Ash and Peg Welch, and are reminded that the 45,000 Christian denominations are one with Jesus Christ.

We continue our worship series, "Three Simple Rules" with a look at rule number two -- Do Good: a meditation on Mathew 5: 43-48 with visiting pastor, Rev. Ash Welch.