Last week we started our stewardship series, It’s a Wonder-FULL Life, by looking inward. This week we turn our eyes outward, toward the people and the world around us. In Deuteronomy, God’s people bring their first and best as an offering, and then celebrate the abundance together, making sure the stranger and the neighbor have a seat at the table too. In 1 Timothy, Paul calls those who have been blessed to be generous, ready to share, and rich in good works, because the gifts God gives were never meant to stop with us.

Together these scriptures invite us to ask: Who around us needs to share in the goodness we’ve received? Where is God calling us to open our hands and our doors a little wider? Whether you’re a longtime member or just looking for a place to belong, come join us as we discover that a wonder-full life is one that overflows into the lives of others. There’s a place for you here, and a place for you to make a difference.

Special Stewardship Talk given by COA member and Generosity Team member: Beth Reichart

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As we kick off our three-week 2027 stewardship campaign, A Wonder-Full Life, we invite you to take a journey inward and explore the deeply personal intersection of money, faith, and meaning.

Drawing inspiration from scripture and from the 1946 classic “It’s a Wonderful Life”, we will reflect on honest, transformative questions: Where is your heart placed? How does your relationship with wealth reflect your core values? We will have the courage in our sacred space to hold up a mirror to our financial histories and mindsets, creating a space of spiritual clarity to see beyond cultural anxieties and money-driven fears.

By shifting our focus from earthly insecurity to God’s enduring light, we begin to discover how our time, energy, and financial resources can align with a courageous vision for our lives and community. Join us for a powerful time of worship, reflection, and prayer as we reframe our relationship with wealth and take our first steps toward living a wholehearted, “wonder-full” life.

Special Stewardship Talk given by COA member: John Kokish

Make your pledge for 2027 to COA here.

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What comes to mind when you hear the word evangelism? Knocking on doors? Handing out tracts? Trying to convince someone that you’re right and they’re wrong? For many of us, this particular “churchy word” comes with plenty of baggage. But at its heart, “evangelism” simply means good news—good news we receive, embody, and share. We are blessed so that we can bless others, reconciled so that we can become reconcilers, and entrusted with good news that was never meant to stop with us.

It’s also World Communion Sunday, when Christians across nations, cultures, languages, and traditions gather around Christ’s Table. Through special music and prayers, the celebration of Communion, and our World Communion Offering supporting ministries of reconciliation, justice, peacemaking, and global witness, we’ll remember that the gospel is much bigger than any one congregation, denomination, culture, or country. One Table. One family. Good news for the whole world.

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Have you ever wondered whether you missed your calling? Many of us think “calling” is meant for pastors, missionaries, or people with dramatic burning-bush stories. We imagine one perfect plan for our lives and worry we’ll never find it or that we’ve already gotten it wrong. In this week’s installment of our Churchy Words series, we explore a word that carries a lot of baggage and discover that calling starts with a simple truth: if there’s a calling, there’s a Caller.

Drawing on Jeremiah’s letter to exiles in Babylon and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, written from prison, this sermon looks at how God calls us in the middle of uncertain, unchosen, and even painful seasons. It speaks to anyone asking “How did I get here?” or “What comes next?”, whether you’re starting out, changing course, or retired. God’s call isn’t a blueprint to solve. It’s an invitation to live faithfully right where we are, to seek the good of our neighbors, and to walk together as a community. Join us to hear why the most important question may not be what God wants you to do, but who God is calling you to be.

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What does it actually mean to be a disciple? Is discipleship about knowing the Bible, going to church, praying regularly, or simply trying really hard to be a “good Christian”? This Sunday, our Churchy Words series continues with DISCIPLESHIP. Through Micah 6:6–8 and Philippians 3:12–17, we’ll discover that following Jesus isn’t about achieving spiritual perfection or finally “arriving.” It’s about learning a way of life—doing justice, loving kindness, walking humbly with God, and continuing to take the next faithful step.

The good news is that discipleship doesn’t begin with our efforts to earn God’s love. It begins with grace. As Paul writes, we “press on” because Christ Jesus has already made us his own. We are all unfinished disciples, learning and practicing together as God continues to shape us. Join us this Sunday as we ask what it means not simply to believe in Jesus, but to learn to live in the way of Jesus.

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