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What happens when a church stops asking “how do we sustain ourselves?” and starts asking “who are we becoming?” In week two of our series, we turn to Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus, a young, uncertain community of Gentiles still discovering that they belonged. We explore what it means to be changed by the church rather than just trying to change others, why growth often comes through questions and uncertainty rather than tidy answers, and how a deep, abiding trust in the unfolding mystery of Christ might hold us together. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

After years of feeling silenced in religious spaces, John shares how an inclusive community helped him reclaim his voice and embrace his questions. He explores “underground growth,” the quiet, unseen changes that show up as more patience at work and with family across political divides.

This Sunday, we will hear from Marty about how Storied Church has been a place of belonging for him, what it means, and the importance of holding space for one another along the journey. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

What does it mean to belong, even if you don't believe? In week one of "The Next Chapter," we reflect on Jesus' parable of the banquet, the tables of familiarity we seek, and small ways each of us can help create a community where every story matters. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

What does it mean to care for the Earth as a church community, and how do these practices deepen our connection to the sacred and to one another? This Sunday, Denise will guide us on a journey of exploration as we understand how our practices as a church are fulfilling this mission. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

This past Sunday we explored what it means to live in a reciprocal, sacred relationship with the natural world. Drawing on Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass, we contrast the Genesis banishment narrative with the Indigenous story of Skywoman, encouraging people to become "indigenous to a place" by caring for the land as if our children's future depends on it. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

What if the call to offer our bodies as "a living sacrifice" isn't rooted in fear, but in belonging? This week we sit with Romans 12:1-8—a passage many of us memorized in youth group, long before we understood it. Drawing on scholar Douglas Campbell's "Translation for Pagans" and his re-reading of Paul's letter as a text of radical inclusion, we ask what changes when we hear ourselves as first enfolded in compassion, before we're ever asked to give anything back. We explore what it means to offer not just our best, most put-together selves, but our whole humanity—the stress, the grief, the unanswered questions—and how the ordinary, unglamorous work of community (the coffee, the setup, the showing up) becomes sacred offering. Wherever you're standing—one foot in, one foot out—there's room to lean in a little further. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

What happens when Jesus doesn't act the way we expect? In this week's message from Matthew's gospel, we sit with the unsettling story of the Canaanite woman — a story where even Jesus is transformed in real time by a woman's persistent faith. Exploring themes of division, who belongs, and the radical hospitality of a table none of us control, this sermon asks us to embrace discomfort as a doorway to a more expansive love. A reflection for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider, or anyone ready to be surprised by who's already seated at the table. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

This Sunday, we dive into the storm-tossed waters of Matthew's gospel—Jesus asleep in the boat, Peter sinking as he walks toward Jesus on the waves—to ask an honest question: what do we do with our fear? Rather than treating fear as a failure of faith, this message names it as deeply human, and explores how trust isn't the absence of fear but the courage to keep showing up anyway. With a tender story about teaching a daughter to ride her first bike, we find a path toward authenticity, community, and the kind of faith that gets back in the boat. Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch

This past week, we explored the ancient practice of a Rule of Life not as a rigid set of laws, but as a trellis to support our spiritual growth. Drawing from Jesus’ own rhythm of service and withdrawal in Luke 5, we discussed how to create intentional patterns around the Spiritual, Self, and Others. Rather than a self-improvement plan, this "version one" rule is a flexible, attainable invitation to reorient ourselves to the present and stay open to the transformational move of the Holy Spirit as our seasons shift. Rule of Life Resources: ⁠https://hullvineyard.co.uk/2026/01/06/rule-of-life/⁠ ⁠https://parkchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/A-Guide-for-Building-a-Rule-of-Life.pdf⁠ Find out more about Storied Church @ STORIEDCHURCH.org TO GIVE storiedchurch.org/give JOIN SC DISCORD: https://discord.gg/MdqSpQPxkH JOIN OUR LISTSERVE: storiedchurch.org/connect instagram.com/storiedchurch facebook.com/storiedchurch