The human experience is filled with moments that ask us to rise to the occasion and be exactly who we are divinely created to be… but it’s hard! In these moments, how do you muster the strength and courage to move on? How do you remember that you are uniquely made by the omnipotent source of creation? ENTER, THE HYPE SONG! Join me this Sunday as we explore how the Bible reminds us, exactly who we are, time and time again!
Read MoreRev. Venida celebrates Children's Day with a reading of When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner. This book reminds children that they are deeply loved, and that they each have been created with unique gifts that fit into God's divine plan.
Read MoreJonathan Williams asks us where we look to determine how well we're doing. Chances are, it's everywhere but inwardly. Someone is richer, happier, prettier, healthier, and ultimately, superior to you. And when you live in the land of “er” you absolutely believe that you should also be living in that land of “er.” You’re just not there yet. But Jesus offers another story. One that tells us we're fully and wholly loved regardless of our lot in this world. I know. That sounds trite. boring. Too easy. Well, maybe it is, but it could also change your life. Find out how this coming Sunday.
Read MorePriscilla Alabi examines songs that've gotten her through moments of grief and despair.
Read MorePreaching Bootcamper Damaris Giha shares her experience of struggling to care for herself as a single person, learning to ask for help, and leaning into community for more care. She explores different biblical models for community care and how we as the church are living out this model. Finally, she asks how we can continue to lean into this and devote ourselves to caring for our people so we don't have to do it all on our own.
Read MoreMary Obasi talks about confronting the climate crisis by starting from a place of love.
Read MoreRev. Venida culminates the These Bodies Sermon Series with a message on Body Image. With so many brand and beauty standards attempting to influence how we present ourselves, as well as expectations surrounding how our bodies should behave, Rev. Venida challenges us to renew our minds and to be transformed to the extent that we see ourselves as the beloved of God.
Read MoreRegina Miranda will continue our "These Bodies" series as she delves into Rethinking Mental Health.
Read MoreI have been fat as far back as can remember. As a child, I knew I was bigger than many kids my age but it didn't occur to me that that was a bad thing, until I was told it was. Join Preaching Bootcamper Nytasha Obasi this Sunday as she delves into Reclaiming Our Bodies as we continue our These Bodies sermon series.
Read MoreAs a proud elder, Rev. Venida shares a sermon on aging. From the time we are born, our bodies begin the aging process. With each birthday, we are continuously aware that growing old can come with its fair share of challenges and a host of struggles. How can we live each day with grace and dignity as we age? How can we focus on what we “can” do and not simply what we “can’t” do? How can we rededicate our aging bodies to God as a form of worship?
Read MorePastor Angela continues our “These Bodies” series, centered on Sexual Ethics, Purity Culture and letting go of the baggage we carry about physical love. What is holy…how do we honor each other and meet the needs of our bodies?
Read MoreOur bodies have been dehumanized, criminalized, fetishized, sexualized, and desexualized. Keli's body’s existence in this country came about through the commodification of her ancestors’. That violent intersection of white supremacy and capitalism still informs her relationship with her body. And it is only through the constant unlearning of harmful ideologies (because there are so many!) that she can preach on the topic: Our Bodies are Good! And they are good!
She is excited to start our “These Bodies” sermon series with you all. We will be discussing sexual ethics and purity culture, decolonizing the body, aging and ageism, reclaiming our bodies, mental health and trauma, and body images. But before we can dive into any of that, she believes it is critical that we accept, and walk in, the inherent goodness of our bodies!
Join us as we begin the journey of dismantling harmful influences and embracing the truth that we are fearfully and wonderfully made!
Read MoreRev. Venida celebrates the Good News of Easter Sunday with a message highlighting the power given to us through the resurrection. Through this gift, we can freely embrace our own mortality, and recognize the freedom we have been granted to pursue abundant life through the life-giving love of Jesus.
Read MorePalm Sunday is not a celebration. Palm Sunday is the shattering of hope and watching one's worst fears come to pass. How do we reconcile hope in the midst of our grief, our pain, and the shattering of our own expectations?
Read MoreIt's Drag Sunday with the sensational Flamy Grant! Flamy leads the music and shares her journey that led to her own Radical Unraveling of Vocation. It's a day of celebration like no other!
Read MoreRev. Venida shares a message on the story of Job as we continue the Disruption sermon series. Everything Job holds dear — his property, his family, his wealth, his physical health — has been taken from him. Reduced to suffering and misery, Job laments his circumstances and tries to make sense of what has happened to him. How do we also seek to make meaning of our pain?
Read MoreKai (they/them) speaks about Israel-Palestine, an issue that feels overwhelming to lots of folks: What is the Christian stake in all of this? They will walk us through a historical and theological context that outlines Christian responsibility in the current oppression of and genocide against Palestinians.
Read MoreWhat happens when the unimaginable has happened? Where is God? What happens when our plans, our world falls apart? Join us as we learn from the experience of the Disciples when their lives were disrupted.
Read MoreIn Pastor Mak's final sermon as a member of the Forefront staff, she shares her testimony of her 5 years at Forefront and how this church has impacted her life in tremendous ways. She contemplates the meaning of having a "calling", interrogates the concept of having to "do it all", and shares her hopes for the future.
Read MoreWhat happens when humans disrupt God’s plan for justice? What should be our collective response when we do? Rev. Venida continues our Disruption Sermon Series sharing the good news that God can give us the strength to recreate God’s plans in our own lives with new vision and intention that propel us forward to bring change and liberation to those suffering.
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