e-Soundings

Are you Sidestepping the Apocalypse? (...for a "nice" Jesus?)

Do you shy away from the passages that talk of destruction and death, wars and rumors of war, of stone falling away from stone and walls destroyed, of earthquakes and famine? Every year in November, we end the Lectionary year... Read more →

What’s your “Follow up” for after Christmas?

With a little preparation, the covenant community of Christ, the church, can offer a safe and healing place, a place to start over again and incorporate important changes in our lives. It can a place where life can move closer to God’s dream for all of us if we can help it be that way. Read more →

E-Z Small Groups – 3 Steps to Starting New Groups & Keeping Sm. Groups VITAL

   It’s no secret: Small Groups take a substantial investment in start-up time, leadership training and “overhead/maintenance time.”  The lead pastor is usually instructed to commit significant time or hire a specialist staff member. ... There are three simple and straight forward that if done enthusiastically, can drastically reduce the amount of overheard needed to keep small groups going.  Read more →

Breaking our Methodist Heart, once again........

What is the most sad and deeply disheartening about this whole impasse / separation action being considered by the United Methodist Church is that we truly need both "sides" as well as the "middle" in order to deeply and profoundly explore the gospel message for our sexualized society today. Read more →

What's in a #?............. #unconditonallove .......... #gracefulforgiveness.... #eternallovenow ............. #radicalservice

Hashtags are one word "tag lines" that reveal a special handle for web content. In this "Agapé Season" of our lives, Joanne and I have identified these four words as "words" to live by. They express the basic Christian outlook,... Read more →

Have you ever tasted heaven? # I see a new Church

Now is a true revolutionary time to proclaim the radical, transforming, heavenly, unconditional love of Jesus Christ, spoken and lived in ways that invites everyone to come home. Read more →

What is the "Gospel", the "Good News" of Jesus Christ?

We're self-centered enough to think that if only we're good enough we'll be in love and with our loved ones forever. But we know deep down that no matter how hard we try, we're never really good enough. We all... Read more →

Who are all these people?

After church on Sunday (July 23), you may have noticed a group of people under our “Gathering Tree” in front of the Sanctuary. They were all ages and dressed in various ways: casual, shorts & sandals, work clothes and one... Read more →

“Like a thief in the night…” FIRE! DANGER! TERRORISM! DEATH!

FIRE! SMOKE! DANGER! WAR! TERRORISM! DEATH! OUR HEARTS ARE WITH CARMEN LANE AND HER FAMILY…. It’s one of our most terrifying nightmares. You awake from a deep sleep to the smell of smoke. You know something is not right and... Read more →

Of Marriage Covenant Renewal, Lent and Easter

On Feb. 8, we invited our married couples to come forward and renew their wedding vows. Our chancel was filled with couples holding hands, looking into each other’s eyes and repeating their vows to “have and to hold…for better, for... Read more →