It's Better When You're Here!

Plenty of churches exist for themselves. Some churches, even whole constellations of them, exist primarily to serve their members or elevate their pastors.

But as we wrap up our series on our mission statement today, we are reminded of why we exist. We exist to inspire the hope of Jesus Christ.

This is not a passive hope. It is not a hope meant to sit still or stay comfortable. It is a hope that puts on work clothes, that steps into the world, that serves, loves, and labors for the sake of others.

May we be a church known not just for what we believe, but for how we live out the hope of Jesus Christ.

Passage: Romans 5:1-5 CEB

At the beginning of a new year, I’m especially grateful that we get to pause, set our tone, and ground ourselves in our mission statement: With God’s help, we embrace and connect with all people, and together experience the love, light, and hope of Jesus Christ.

Last week, I was pretty sick, and I’m so thankful that Rick was able to step in and cover for me as we focused on the theme of love. He even called me “confetti,” which I absolutely loved. It made me smile—and it also got me thinking.

Because no matter how loud the world’s hatred may seem, it’s never louder than love. Love always rises. Love always remains. And love, especially the love of Christ, continues to break through in ways we may not even realize at first.

Passage: John 1:9-14 CEB

A few years ago, when the leadership of Shepherds came together to shape a new mission statement, everything centered on one clear calling: to connect people to the love, light, and hope of Jesus Christ.

As we step into a new year, our leadership knew it was essential to return to those same foundations—to ground ourselves again in what matters most: the love, the light, and the hope of Jesus Christ.

Our mission is simple, but it’s vital.

With God’s help, we embrace and connect with all people, and together we experience the love, light, and hope of Jesus Christ.

May we be a church that shows up when it matters most— a church that loves in the nick of time.

Join Reverend Michael LeBlanc on our last Sunday of the year!

Christmas has arrived.

The gifts, the songs, the stories, the turkeys—they’re all wonderful. But tonight, I want us to listen more closely. I want us to hear why this season exists.

And it’s not just because Jesus was born—no, not only that.

Christmas matters every time any of us chooses to keep Christmas well. It matters whenever grace is received, remembered, and lived out.

Grace has come.

So let us keep Christmas well.

Passage: Titus 2:11-15 CEB

As we arrive at the last Sunday of Advent, I pray that we have prepared our hearts.

Just as the eggs in our incubator have been given an environment conducive to growth, I pray that over these last four weeks, you have been able to grow as well.

Soon, we will have chicks—and soon, we will have Christmas.

My prayer is that hope, peace, and joy have found you, and that this week, love has met you in a new way.

God is with us.

May we love like it.

Passage: Matthew 1:18-24 CEB

Last week, we talked about how this season of Advent isn’t just about surviving, but about growing. It’s an invitation to do more than simply make it through—to allow God to form us into disciples who are willing to let the chaff fall away, the things that hold us back, so that new life can emerge.

Today, I want to talk about what that new life looks like. I want to explore how a church that chooses to reclaim joy can actually change the world. Because a church marked by joy doesn’t just feel different—it lives different. And when that kind of joy takes root, it begins to transform not just the church, but the neighborhood around it.

Passage: Luke 1:46-55 CEB

Today we enter the Sunday of Peace in this sacred season of Advent—a time when we pause to reflect on the peace Christ brings into our world and into our lives.

But this isn’t a passive or complacent peace. It’s not a peace that asks nothing of us. Instead, the peace of Christ is deep, steady, and transformative. It’s a peace that invites us to grow, to mature, and to participate in God’s restoring work in the world.

So as we gather today, I want to challenge us to consider: What does true peace look like for us as Christians? And how might God be calling us to embody that peace in our actions, our relationships, and our communities?

May this be a season of growth, of stretching, and of drawing closer to the One who is our Peace.

Passage: Matthew 3:1-12 CEB

Join us as guest preacher, our Worship Coordinator, Michelle Manzi brings us our sermon this Sunday morning.

I am always grateful for the kind and encouraging words I hear from so many of you after I preach—especially when the topics get a little spicy. Knowing I can speak about generosity with my whole chest tells me something important: this church is not a people who simply go through the motions. You are a church with purpose, with conviction, and with power.

As we wrap up our journey on generosity today, I’m excited to invite all of us into a moment of action—coming together as a family to offer our pledge cards and commit ourselves to the work God is doing among us.

Let us steward this generosity.

Passage: Mark 12:41-44 CEB