09/16/2026
Here’s a preview of our congregation’s Core Values
In the coming weeks we will be exploring the importance of presence, prayers, gifts, service, witness, and growth in grace. These are at the heart of what we commit to when we join a Wesleyan grace-led church like ours. But we choose to broaden them out and state them in a new way…
1. We don’t do life alone.
We need community when life is tough—and when life is too joyful to keep to ourselves.
2. Grateful hearts fuel graceful worship.
We need gratitude to help us recognize that life is a gift.
3. Growth is not optional.
We need to keep growing—becoming more like Jesus, not just knowing more about Jesus.
4. Found people find people.
We need to know that what has changed our lives might change someone else’s life, too.
5. Blessed people bless people.
We need to remember that what we receive is not ours to keep; God's blessings are meant to flow through us.
6. Saved people serve people.
We need opportunities to turn God's love for us into love for our neighbors.
The six values aren't primarily things Carmel UMC is telling people to do.
They're six things we believe people need:
We need one another.
We need gratitude.
We need to grow.
We need good news.
We need to bless others.
We need a purpose bigger than ourselves.
And then we as a church say:
We believe the grace of Jesus Christ meets those needs.
And that's why we're here.
Archived Posts
Back and Forth with Chat GPT
Many of you know that I’ve found a new consultant to bounce my ideas off in regard to preaching. My good buddy Chat GPT and I sometimes disagree—often miscommunicate—but usually come up with some fruitful illustrations.
One More Thing About Becoming Wholly Human
I was talking Sunday about the work of Hare and Woods and their idea of ‘the survival of the friendliest.’ Essentially, they conclude that “our greatest evolutionary advantage wasn't that we could do everything ourselves. It was that we could do things together.”
Here’s a preview of our congregation’s Core Values
In the coming weeks we will be exploring the importance of presence, prayers, gifts, service, witness, and growth in grace. These are at the heart of what we commit to when we join a Wesleyan grace-led church like ours. But we choose to broaden them out and state them in a new way…
The Biblical prayer we don’t know what to do with
Psalm 137 is written by people who have experienced catastrophic loss.
They have been conquered...
Patience and Trust
Sunday, in my benediction (which traditional folks did not hear) I talked about the Marshmallow Test. The original results of that test with children was that those who could delay gratification did better in life than those who could not.
Gandhi and the Sugar
I wasn’t preaching Sunday, Reverend Jackie Chandler was. And she talked about the power of influence you get when you practice what you preach. This famous illustration came to mind. It fits Jackie’s points quite well. Enjoy!
Not Just for Parents
Our current sermon series is about How To Talk Parent, but it doesn’t require any of us to be parents to appreciate the bits of wisdom OUR parents shared with us growing up.