Living in the New Creation

Leadership for a New Era in the Church

A Ten-week sermon series for post-Easter through Pentecost

For churches preparing to seek new pastoral leadership, the time between forming the search team and welcoming the new pastor can prove to be both exhilarating and incredibly challenging. The forward momentum toward the future can be disorienting. This series outline may be useful to adapt for use in such a season. The sermon passages chosen offer perspective from varied voices in Scripture. Inviting guest preachers to participate can enrich experience and help prepare the congregation to welcome a new preaching voice in the future.

Second Sunday of Easter

Agents of God’s Mission in the New Creation

1 Corinthians 3:7-11, John 20:24-29

Ministry focus: election of the Pastor Nominating Committee

On Easter morning Jesus’ disciples left the tomb with both hope and fear. They hardly knew what to do with the news. Huddled together in a strategy session behind locked doors, it appears their fear was bigger than their hope. That is until Jesus comes to them saying “peace be with you”. Link to sermon blog post text here. LInk to sermon video on YouTube.

 Third Sunday of Easter

A New Community in Christ

Genesis 1:26-27, Acts 2:37-47

Ministry focus: small groups, and Family Promise of Spokane

During this season we are exploring what it means to live into the new creation that Jesus Christ initiated. Our current reality may not feel like new creation. But we believe that God is, in fact, at work, bringing about newness and life to individual believers, to communities, to churches, and to all of creation.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Creation Care in the New Creation

Colossians 1:11-23

Ministry focus: Creation Care Weekend including Arbor Day celebration at a local park, an education forum by a local Christian theologian, a nature photography lesson with a local photographer, prayer walks, and family hike and clean up opportunity.

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Peter’s Vision of God’s New Creation

2 Peter 3:13-15, Isaiah 65:17-25

Ministry focus: sharing stories from Creation Care Weekend

For almost 7 years (2004-2011) Sunday night television was dominated by the reality TV show hosted by a former model, a carpenter, and a veteran television personality. Together this trio offered a family-friendly show encouraging altruism and community service. What show? Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show typically featured a family facing hardship. After 7 days away families returned to find their homes transformed. This is akin to Peter’s vision – heavens and earth in need of an extreme makeover.  

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Paul’s Vision of God’s New Creation (Seeing as God Sees)

2 Corinthians 3:1-6, 5:16-21, 1 Samuel 16:6-13, Galatians 5:1-6:18

Ministry focus: Youth Confirmation class

Learning to see ourselves and others as God sees us – as a New Creation in Christ. Outside appearances do not always tell the full story of what God is up to. Because has died and risen, the suffering of the world that seems so prominent will not prevail in the end. It is this hope that drives the church forward until the day when God will make all things new.

Seventh Sunday of Easter

John’s Vision of Incarnation as New Creation

John 1:1-14, Psalm 23

Ministry focus: High School Senior Recognition

The steady heartbeat of the Gospel of John is God’s welcome to all people. In the opening chapter we find God’s incarnate Son Jesus moving into the neighborhood. This Resource: video “The Embassy of the Kingdom of God”, about Ludmilla, a Czech woman in her 80’s, who practices God’s welcome in her neighborhood.  

Day of Pentecost

Racial Reconciliation in the New Creation

Acts 2:1-21

Ministry focus: Buildings and Grounds

From this day on, the gift of the Spirit was no longer confined to priests and prophets. Now young and old, men and women, slaves and free of all races are given the capacity to live life according to a new vision. From the beginning racial reconciliation has been a hallmark of the church.

Trinity Sunday

Science and New Creation

Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1-5

Ministry focus: science exploration in ministry to children and families

One of the hallmarks of thriving church is typically a thriving ministry to children and families.

Second Sunday after Pentecost

New Creation as Renewed Strength

Isaiah 40:27-31, Luke 2:36-38

Ministry focus: senior adults

Transitions in life lead us to new places and new opportunities for growth. Some transitions come by choice and others are forced upon us by outside forces or internal changes. Common transitions are changing schools, getting married and starting a family, job changes, new homes, retirement, health changes, and the death of a loved one. As followers of Christ, we believe that Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd, walks with us through the valleys, the mountains and all stages of life. We believe that God is our source of strength and hope and the support of the church is a mainstay that helps us experience the presence and love of Christ.

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Scripture’s Final Voice: Come Lord Jesus

Isaiah 25:6-10, Revelation 21:1-6

Ministry focus: Hunger-free Summer food drive

According to the Apostle John’s vision of the end of all things recorded in Revelation, there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” in which God “will wipe every tear from our eyes” (Rev. 21:1,4). Some Christians love to talk about heaven and the end of all things – and would rather focus on the here and now. What’s the right focus? Rather than think of heaven and of life on earth as mutually exclusive, perhaps we are to think of them together. Our lives on earth are given hope by imagining heave; and our visions of heaven are given color and depth when we live fully in the joys and sorrows of the present.

Resources for further study:

Commentary on the Gospel of John by Athanasius: a Modern English transition, forward by CS Lewis.

Movie and Video Embassy of the Kingdom of Heaven by Diedox Films 2015, Just Mercy A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson.

Articles: The Arbor of God: Trees are Everywhere in Scripture. Why Have They Gone Missing From Christian Theology? article by Matthew Sleeth in Christianity Today Oct 2018. A Mandate to Love the World: Not Too Light a Thing article by Richard J. Mouw, Fuller Studio website.

Books: Buy This Land by Chi-Dooh Li, 2012, Divided by Faith Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith, 2000 (print) 2017 (audiobook). The Hole in Our Gospel What Does God Expect of Us? the Answer That Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World by Rich Stearns, 2014. I’m Still Here Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown, 2018. For additional resources see Mission Bookshelf post.

Notes: series outline follows the post-Easter sermon series from April 12 through June 14, 2015 at Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church, in Spokane, WA.