Elevation Waterloo Sermons

This Sunday, we’re continuing our series on Noticing God, and this week we’re exploring the most challenging – yet rewarding place to encounter the Divine. It’s a practice that moves us beyond simple observation and into a way of living that can change the very fabric of how we interact with the world around us. If you’ve been looking for a way to bridge the gap between your spiritual life and you...

This week, we are excited to welcome TK and Nikki from Future of Africa to come and share with us. 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 in June. We are looking forward to hearing more about their passion and vis...

As time goes on we can sometimes feel as if we have been missing God in our day to day. You may have learned practices you were told would guarantee a happy and flourishing spiritual life, but these practices now feel distant or simply never served you well. In our upcoming summer series “Noticing God” we will explore practices which have benefitted members of our community as they search for, liv...

They’re doing it again! This week, our Youth will take over the Sunday gathering at 22 Willow. From the welcoming, worship, announcements and connection time, to the message/teaching, they’re in control!

The Gospel of Jesus continues to unfold, and there is still more to be revealed. We do not fully know or understand all that is to come, but scripture provides encouragement that we are participating with God in the continuing unfolding of the “very good Gospel”. This Sunday we will look at the mystery of the Gospel and the renewal of all things.

What does Jesus have to do with the gospel? This may sound like a ridiculous question. The answer may feel irritatingly obvious. But are we able to explain our ideas around the gospel from the story of Jesus? Are we able to explain what we mean by 'the gospel' without Paul, or Peter, or John? Continuing our series on The Unfolding Gospel, we take a look at how Jesus not only fits in, but s...

What if the most terrifying parts of our tradition are actually the most hopeful? This week, we’re looking at the “destruction” promised in the Gospel. Not the destruction of people, but the destruction of everything that prevents us from truly experiencing and extending the love we were made for (aka sin). Come discover a version of judgment that doesn’t lead to fear, but to a radical wholeness f...

We are continuing with the second week of our “Unfolding Gospel” series this Sunday. We began last week by spending some time reflecting on the goodness (Shalom) that God intended for all of creation, and how that dream extends to even today. However, we don’t have to look long and hard to see that so much of creation is not experiencing and living in this shalom. So, what is wrong? Where do we fi...

This week we begin our new series, The Unfolding Gospel , by exploring Shalom —the goodness God created and is drawing us back into.

Join us this Easter Sunday as we will explore the story of Jesus' resurrection. On the heels of our Lenten series about The Justice of Jesus, we ask how this justice informs the resurrection story. With a look at Jesus' teachings, life lived, and how everything ties together, we hope to widen and explore the mystery of Christ's resurrection in our lives and beyond.

How do we understand Palm Sunday in the original historical and scriptural context of Jesus, Justice & Empire? And how does the example of Jesus in Palm Sunday inspire us to live in ways that peacefully resist the ways of the empires of our day in 21st century Southern Ontario today? This Sunday, we conclude our series on ‘The Justice of Jesus’ by diving into the ancient, non-violent, unifying...

How do we move from feeling overwhelmed by the world’s needs to actually participating in its healing? This Sunday, we continue our Justice of Jesus series by diving into the practical architecture of the Kingdom. We will explore four essential disciplines that sustain any movement for restoration: Prayer, Advocacy, Partnership, and Community. Join us as we move beyond theory and into practice. Fo...

The Church as we know it in our Western culture has become intertwined with the dominant colonial systems and power structures. These systems and structures do not reflect the ministry or the justice of Jesus, and can perpetuate inequity and harm on the marginalized. This Sunday’s sermon will look at how our congregation may pursue justice by intentionally stripping away those biases and actively...

In a world of "Thoughts and Prayers" and performative social media posts, what does it mean embrace the cost of Justice? Join us this week as we dig into the story of the  Good Samaritan  as we continue with our lenten series on  The Justice of Jesus .

This Sunday, we invite you to join us as we begin this season of Lent together as a community. As we consider the path that Jesus walked on earth - showing us the way of love, justice and peace - we are invited to examine the ways that our faith, worldview and understanding of Jesus have been shaped and corrupted by colonization and empire. We’ll be spending some time reflecting on how centering t...

Despite 100 other names or titles for God, the writers of the New Testament want us to hear that God is safe and God is good and God is right here, right now — and that makes all the difference.

We’ve always been told that Abraham’s silent obedience on the mountain was the ultimate act of faith. But what if his silence was actually the problem? This Sunday, we’re digging into one of the Bible’s most disturbing stories to ask: Does God want our blind submission, or does God want our holy protest? Join us as we consider the name Jehovah Jireh, not just as the God who provides a sacrifice, b...

This Sunday we continue in our “Names of God” sermon series by looking at a name that Jesus gives to the Holy Spirit: The Advocate. We will look at how Jesus describes the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who follow him. We will also look at the role of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of Jesus and the early church. As we look into the scriptures we can find encouragement in knowin...

The story of Hagar is filled is a difficult read, filled with dark undertones of slavery, misuse, oppression and desperation. This Sunday we continue our series on the names of God, by looking at this story of Hagar, as she becomes the only person in the Old Testament to assign a name to God, El Roi, “The God who sees me.” Together we will explore the rich meaning of this naming in the context of...

Join us for our Service and Learning Recap and Reflection gathering. Rather than dividing up around the region like we normally do on Service and Learning weekends, we gathered in the Sanctuary for some singing together, updates from the Peace in Action Team, and some videos that both look back at our serving and learning together in 2025, and to look forward to this coming year!

Does God have a name? Sometimes it is translated in English as Yahweh, sometimes as Jehovah but most translations of the Bible instead render it LORD. Why is this so confusing and what can we learn about God from this name recorded in the story of Exodus.

Advent, Week 4: Joy – Resilient Joy: The Lord is Near. As we are nearing the end of Advent, we look forward to the “good news of great joy for all people” that the angels proclaimed in Luke 2. But joy is sometimes elusive, and it can ebb and flow with the ups and downs of life. This week we will look at Phillipians 4 and at Paul’s instruction to believers to “rejoice in the Lord always”. Is that e...

This week we continue the Advent season by lighting the candle of Peace. In this act we recognize our longing for peace to come fully to this world, often gripped in the horrors of violence and hatred. We will be exploring the calling to peacemaking in Jesus teachings, and how scripture guides us towards peace as an outward expression of the peace in our own hearts. We will ask questions like; how...

As we enter into the season of Advent we light the candle of Hope. What does hope look like in a world that seems to be unravelling around us? Is it just a feeling or is there something more practical to it? Join us as we examine how to have defiant hope in a chaotic world.

This Sunday we are excited to have Heather Morgan join our gathering to teach on the theme of Disability Justice and the Church, and invite us into a conversation to grow in our understanding and practices as a community. Heather shares her time between co-pastoring at Vox Community Church in Barrie and working on her PhD at Emmanuel College at the University of Toronto, where she draws from her l...