The Gathering

The Bible is constantly warning us against listening to foolish voices. These are people who either don't know, or don't care. Rather than listening to foolish voices, seek out wisdom from someone you look up to. That noise can help shape you into the person you hope to become.

The voices we listen to, day in and day out, shape us. If we're surrounded by critics, agitators and cynical thinkers, we'll begin to see the world through that lens. The antidote to criticism, agitation and cynicism is encouragement. Focus on the encouragers, and tune out the rest.

As we look toward a new year, we can still learn a thing or two from the Christmas story. Unpacking the knowledge of the Wise Men, we find four ways to make this year our best yet.

Now that we're on the other side of Christmas, the world is quick to move on to the next big thing. It's easy to live in the future, while missing the joy that exists in our present. Throughout the Christmas season, choose to live in the now. Choose Joy.

This Christmas, we look to Jesus, our Light in the Darkness. When life feels dim, or when we're unclear on our way forward, the light of Jesus can illuminate a path of hope, joy, and peace. When you're able, be the light for those around you. And when you need it, seek it out through others.

The Christmas Story starts with women. From Mary, to Elizabeth, to the Holy Spirit herself, it's through women and mothers that God kicks off the greatest story of all time.

Parties are all about the people. This Christmas, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, consider who you might invite. After all, what's a birthday party if no one shows up?

As we prepare for Christmas, many of us declutter our homes to prepare for fresh decorations, marking us as someone who celebrates the season. The same can be said of our spiritual lives. We're called to live in a manner that sets us apart during the Christmas season, and beyond.

During the Christmas season, we're invited to take inventory of our lives. What habits are serving us? What tendencies draw us far from God? God wants to do something new in your life. But, first, you've got to make room.

When bad things happen, what does God do? God limits suffering. God shows up, and is present with us until the suffering ends, offering hope in the midst of hardship.

Often we think of “negative emotions,” like anger, doubt, disappointment, or sadness, as a lack of faith, and think we cannot express them to God. We explore the role that these emotions can have in strengthening our faith, and try to answer the overriding question - Is it ok to be angry with (or annoyed with, or disappointed in, or to doubt…) God?

Is God fair or just? Many people think God’s idea of justice is retributive - basically that if you do something bad, he will punish you by having bad things happen to you. But, there is another way to understand justice. Perhaps God does not act according to strict retributive justice, but instead promises us restorative justice, or setting right what sin has eroded. Perhaps God is less intereste...

It’s human nature to want to believe that “everything happens for a reason,” especially when we’re suffering. We want to believe that suffering serves some greater purpose. We’re taking a look at the role that suffering plays in our life, what God can offer us through it, and the limitations of trying to always give our suffering a greater meaning.

Every day, we’re faced with everything from tragedy in the world to struggles in our everyday life, leaving us constantly wondering why? We're exploring this question by looking at the story of Job, learning how God shows up even in our darkest moments.

Political fear is something the disciples experienced, also. We're talking about how Jesus centers us in a climate where our fear is not only real but also exploited. Fear in fact was a major theme of Jesus’ ministry, evidenced by how often he says, “fear not."

Politics can threaten our relationships. When we feel that divide unfolding, we can practice 3 simple rules of engagement: 1. Do No Harm 2. Do Good 3. Stay in Love with God These three rules, coined by Methodist Founder John Wesley, offer us a framework for love that can often challenge us, but that models Jesus.

Jesus is the foundation of our faith, and that faith shapes how we engage in politics and how we respond to those we deeply disagree with. Many of us are asking the question, "How does my faith shape the way I respond to what's going on around me?" Luckily, we can look to Jesus' political engagement as an example for our own. But, we first must dispel two myths: Jesus wasn't political. Jesus was p...

Faith is something we believe. But, on a deeper level, it's something we practice. As we step away from a conversation about our Shared Practices, Pastor Charity Goodwin reminds us why they're so important - and how we can practically begin implementing them in our lives.

Invitation doesn't have to be hard. Jesus gives us an example of how to invite: start with the people you know, listen for opportunities, risk an invitation, let go of the outcomes. People need good news, and we have the opportunity to be the ones that help them find it. It is powerful when someone is able to change their life in light of Jesus. And, often all of that starts with one, simple invit...

You don't have to be an expert in faith to extend an invitation. Your faith is worth sharing. For many of us, a simple invitation to church is the easiest and clearest way to offer someone else the chance to explore Jesus and faith. You don't need to be an expert, or have all the answers. And, you really don't have to try and get people to do anything. Instead, just do what's natural. Share your e...

Jesus WANTS Your Help. Your Faith is worth sharing. All around us, strong voices are projecting a version of church that is judgmental, partisan, angry and condemning. Too few people know that there is another kind of church. That Jesus came not to judge or condemn, but to invite us into lives of love, emotional freedom, and compassion. This Jesus is underrepresented. This kind of church needs a v...

Gathering, meet Pastor Aaron Carter! As one of our associate pastors, Aaron will be joining us across all our sites and online as he considers starting a new church! We're very lucky to have him on our team. In this message, he reminds us that Jesus is for US. He's for you, for me, for all. Jesus' presence in our lives makes a difference.

Faith is more than a static list of beliefs. It is also actively living your life in a way that will help your faith grow and evolve. Just as artists practice their craft as they pursue excellence, we must practice our faith as we pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus. Join us as we learn about the spiritual practices we commit to here at The Gathering in order to follow Christ and pursue growth...

Faith is more than a static list of beliefs. It is also actively living your life in a way that will help your faith grow and evolve. Just as artists practice their craft as they pursue excellence, we must practice our faith as we pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus. Join us as we learn about the spiritual practices we commit to here at The Gathering in order to follow Christ and pursue growth...

Faith is more than a static list of beliefs. It is also actively living your life in a way that will help your faith grow and evolve. Just as artists practice their craft as they pursue excellence, we must practice our faith as we pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus. Join us as we learn about the spiritual practices we commit to here at The Gathering in order to follow Christ and pursue growth...