Preaching Bootcamp Deacon, Keli continues our “Liberated Faith” sermon series with a timely invitation to throw off the shackles of false urgency. Despite the chaos that surrounds us, our faith demands that we slow down and put our trust in God, no matter how uncomfortable or unsatisfactory that may seem.
Read MoreWe continue our Liberated Faith sermon series with a look at how we can unlearn and break free from our alignment with white supremacy culture. Rev. Venida explores the role of perfectionism this week, and as we prepare to courageously weave our way through other critical topics in the following weeks.
Read MoreHappy 13th Birthday to Forefront Church! We celebrate and give praise to God for each and every person, service, offering, prayer, hug, kind word, smile, tear, decision, sermon and song that have helped sustain this beautiful community for over a decade. Rev. Venida shares the Good News that the best is yet to come as we continue to liberate our faith and prepare the way for our next chapter.
Read MoreWe are a church truly lives out Jesus's calling to be the mustard seed. A seed that starts small but They do not stay small. They spread everywhere. They become shelter for all kinds of life. And in Jesus’ time, they were not seen as useful or noble. They were scrappy, stubborn, and impossible to contain.
Read MoreThe discipline of celebration is believed to undergird all the spiritual practices we’ve explored over the past few weeks. Rev. Venida invites us to reflect on how the joy found in celebration can strengthen us, ease our anxieties, and open us to deeper love and compassion.
Read MoreTsia̍h-pá--buē: What we (might) talk about when we talk about fasting. Kevin speaks about his experience fasting in his life, both for Lent and, this year, for Ramadan. While we are often weary of discipline, what realizations might come out of the discipline of fasting?
Read MoreRev. Venida focuses on the vital discipline of Rest, a practice that is mentioned frequently throughout the Bible and encouraged by Jesus himself. She invites us to reflect on what the Holy Spirit may be saying about embracing rest more intentionally in our lives, and how rest can strengthen and renew us for the journey ahead.
Read MoreKai Ngu walks us through why we are all shaped and disciplined by various institutions and contexts — the workplace, social media, the government, our families — towards becoming certain kinds of people. And while that’s unavoidable, maybe we can pause and think about who we are becoming through these disciplines, and who we would rather be. Perhaps beginning with the discipline of prayer.
Read MorePrayer Deacon Benny reconsiders how we think about meditation, unpacking some of our cultural perceptions about it—decolonized, de-capitalized, and demystified. In preparation, Benny realizes that he has more meditative experience than he thought and realizes that we all meditate more than we realize.
Read MoreI Will Use My Voice! As we wrapped up our "Dear Paul" sermon series, Pastor Angela shares her thoughts on the misinterpretation of Paul's letter to a church in Corinth that has been used to justify the silencing of femme voices. If a woman is supposed to be silent in church, why did Jesus commission them to share the gospel repeatedly?
Read MoreI Will Use My Voice! As we wrapped up our "Dear Paul" sermon series, Pastor Angela shares her thoughts on the misinterpretation of Paul's letter to a church in Corinth that has been used to justify the silencing of femme voices. If a woman is supposed to be silent in church, why did Jesus commission them to share the gospel repeatedly?
Read MoreRev. Venida adds a unique twist to worship reimagined as she moderates the conversation with Forefront authors and special guest writers on the summer reading panel. They are Naima Coster, Anna Gilchrist, Diane Richards, and Dr. Mark G. Shrime. These featured authors share the impetus for their work, their writing as a sacred practice, and how their books can offer hope and carry messages of divine inspiration.
Read MoreContinuing our Dear Paul Series, Nytasha looks at Predestination and discusses the controversy regarding the interpretation and misuse of the scripture.
Read MoreAs we continue our Dear Paul, Sermon Series, Rev. Venida invites us to imagine a world where body shaming does not exist. Where we are free to move and make decisions about our bodies and lives without being hindered by others’ impressions or opinions of us. Where we are able to use our authentic voices, minds, and creativity to decolonize and free our bodies from self-sabotage and everything restricting us from experiencing liberation. A world where we truly love ourselves and others.
This sermon examines body image oppression, Scripture which may have led us here, and how we can break free of the chains, heal, and reclaim our bodies. What a world!
Read MoreForefront continued our series, Dear Paul: What’s Up with Excluding Queer Folks. Preaching Bootcamper, Jaim Zimmerman-Kent shared a powerful journey about what happens when your heart's truth clashes with what you've been taught. He reveals how his own path led him to better access peace and self-acceptance by rethinking everything he once knew.
Read MoreMary Obasi wrestles with Paul's writings on slavery—he wrote “there is no slave nor free in Christ”—but his words were used to justify slavery. Our sermon this week wrestles with Philemon, systems of control, and what it means to live like we’ve got siblings.
Read MoreJesus reveals and awakens us to radical visions of community. In the context of the Roman Empire, Jesus’s radical visions of community call his followers into conflict with the status quo. Preaching Bootcamper Em Slezak shows us how these awakenings push us to clarify, reconcile, and redefine kinship.
Read MoreThis Sunday marks a powerful collision of Pentecost, Shavuot, and Pride! Rev. Ben Dubow will lead us through Acts 8:26-39, exploring the Ethiopian Eunuch's story—a powerful symbol of radical inclusion.
In our series "Talk Bible to Me," we are discovering that seeing ourselves in the text reveals God's unconditional love for all identities. Whether LGBTQIA+ or anyone feeling marginalized, Jesus' example challenges us to erase divisions and embrace radical inclusion. Let's continue to find ourselves in the story and live out Christ's love!
Read MoreLeviticus is an odd book. It's simultaneously boring and filled with seemingly barbaric actions that we don't ascribe to today. But Leviticus is a super progressive book and is a blueprint for Forefront's continued mission and vision.
Read MoreRev. Venida invites us to make another stop along the Talk Bible to Me sermon series journey. This time with a focus on the Bible and wrath.
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