“Sent to Serve, Sent in Love”

“He has told you, O men, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

As we step into a new year, we do so carrying many things—hopes, worries, questions, and prayers. January invites us to pause, to look ahead, and to ask once again: Who are we as God’s people, and what is God calling us to be?

Our ministry theme for 2026 is “Sent to Serve, Sent in Love.” I imagine that when some people hear this theme, a question may arise: “We are small. We don’t have enough people, energy, or resources to be ‘sent.’” But biblically, being sent is not about size or strength—it is about identity. Jesus did not say, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you—once you are big enough.” He simply said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21).

Our church is a gathering of faithful people whom God has sent, and each of us is part of the church that Jesus sends into the world.
This theme, “Sent to Serve, Sent in Love,” reminds us that faith is not something we hold onto for ourselves alone; it is something we are sent with—into our homes, our workplaces, our neighborhoods, and our everyday lives.

Jesus’ words in John 20:21 were spoken not to religious experts, but to ordinary disciples—people who had doubts, fears, and imperfect faith. Yet Jesus sent them anyway, not with power or prestige, but with love.

To be “sent” does not mean we must go far away or do extraordinary things. Often, it means opening our eyes to the places we already are. The prophet Micah reminds us what God desires: “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Serving in love begins right there.

What might this look like in our daily life? It may look like listening patiently to someone who needs to be heard—without rushing to fix or judge. It may look like showing up—bringing a meal, making a phone call, writing a note of encouragement. It may look like offering grace—choosing kindness over complaint, forgiveness over resentment. It may look like serving quietly—stacking chairs, shoveling snow, praying faithfully for others when no one sees. Jesus himself showed us this way. He knelt to wash the disciples’ feet and said, “I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Love, in the kingdom of God, is not abstract—it is lived out through humble service.

As a church, being “sent to serve, sent in love” means we ask not only, “What happens inside our walls?” but also, “How is God’s love flowing through us into the world?” Each act of service, no matter how small, becomes a witness to Christ’s presence.
This year, my prayer is that we would discover anew that every one of us is sent—young and old, long-time members and newcomers alike. Wherever God has placed you, there is an opportunity to serve. Wherever love is needed, Christ is already there ahead of us.
May this new year be one in which we walk gently, serve faithfully, and love boldly—trusting that God will use even our smallest acts for the sake of the world.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Jenny