Pastor Kristen shares how her daughter Anna was welcomed with deep love by a Palestinian family during her service year in Bethlehem, and how that hospitality reshaped all their lives—from caring for her daily to risking checkpoints to return her belongings during COVID.

Their later reunion showed how love can bridge cultures, distance, and hardship, reminding us that Lent invites us to notice the quiet, transformative ways love appears in our own lives.

Last week at Ash Wednesday, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Shawna Berg reminded us that “love always" begins again. As a community, we named what’s heavy, received ashes and blessing, and were sent with the hope that in a world of chaos and routine, God’s renewing love always begins again.

Starting tomorrow (Feb. 24, 2026), we'll continue our discussion of "Love in a Divided World" with Pastor Kristin Skare. All Lenten services will be available on Thursdays as a podcast episode, just like our Sunday services. Tune in and share!

Guest Preacher Joe Davis reminded us that although we’re all different, we belong to one body in Christ. Using Paul’s message in 1 Corinthians 12, he emphasized that when one person suffers, the whole community feels it—and healing happens when we honor and care for every member, especially those who are hurting or overlooked. His message invited us to see each other’s worth, celebrate our differences, and live out a love that heals and unites.

Pastor Kristin reminded us that real leadership looks nothing like power or status—it looks like kneeling. Using Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, she showed how love requires stepping into discomfort, not away from it. She challenged us to choose service over self‑interest and pointed to our community’s recent acts of generosity as proof that we can bring heaven to earth when we lead with humility.

You are not required to change who you are to become a leader. God embraces who we are and uses us just as we are. The conversations between the Samaritan woman and Jesus show us that God embraces our unique gifts and life experiences to bring God’s good news to the world.

Jesus teaches that real leadership is humility and service, not status. We’re called to stay curious, admit we might be wrong, and lead with love—because people recognize Christ in us by how we treat others, not by winning arguments.

Pastor Peter’s sermon addressed the grief and heaviness present in the community and affirmed that God is still at work. Drawing on Jesus’ call to be salt and light, he encouraged the congregation to preserve love, practice compassion locally, and live out hope by caring for one another.

In a world full of noise, Pastor Kristen challenged us with one question: Who are you following? Through the story of Ruth and Naomi, she reminded us that real strength looks like radical hospitality, everyday love, and choosing Jesus’ way—even when it’s hard.

Pastor Matthew reminded us that God’s call often comes quietly, like Samuel hearing his name in the night. In a world chasing power, true leadership starts with listening and serving. We’re all invited to lean in, pay attention, and live as people who are “just kids with a calling.”

The reading from Matthew tells how the Holy Family escaped to Egypt for safety, finding hospitality. In his sermon, Pastor Peter discusses Epiphany as a reminder that God’s love extends beyond Bethlehem to unexpected places and people. He shares stories of his own experiences of hospitality in Egypt that demonstrate how God’s grace transcends borders and reshapes history. We are encouraged to seek God’s love everywhere and to remain open and hopeful as we begin the new year.