Dear Partner in Ministry,
This Sunday we’ll begin a five-week sermon series, exploring the Presbyterian vision of the church as the Body of Christ. A community formed in faith, shaped by hope, rooted in love, and sent as Christ’s witnesses in the world.
Here’s the schedule for the series along with a brief description of each topic from the Book of Order, part of the constitution of our church:
Jan 18: The Church is the Body of Christ: Christ gives to the Church all the gifts necessary to be his body. The Church strives to demonstrate these gifts in its life as a community in the world.
Jan 25: The Church is a Community of Faith: Entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.
Feb 1: The Church is a Community of Hope: Rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation. This new creation is a new beginning for human life and for all things. The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.
Feb 8: The Church is a Community of Love: Where sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished, and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down.
Feb 15: The Church is a Community of Witness: Pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God’s transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord.
Come join us and rediscover the church, not as a place we go or something we attend, but, who we are. A community called not simply to believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but to be the very good news we proclaim for the sake of broken world God loves.
Dr. John Franke
Theologian in Residence
