“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” -Psalm 46:1
Barnabas, The Encourager
Meet Barnabas, the FUMC Staff Encourager. This “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36) lives to encourage people through challenging times. When Pastor Taylor mentioned a worship series on the parables this summer, Barnabas offered to help. See their conversation in the video below.
Parables Worship Series
June 7-July 26
You know the feeling…that feeling that happens as you listen to or read a story, and the realization washes over you: this is really about me! This is just the feeling that Jesus was going for when he shared parable after parable with his disciples. Parables are short stories that shine a light on our lives and help us to see the world a bit differently. They spur us toward change. They reveal who God is. They give us a vision for the world God dreams of. This summer, we invite you not just to read the parables, but to be read by them. Beginning June 7, we will spend Sundays decoding the stories and uncovering how Jesus uses them to transform us. Join us!
- June 7 – Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-8)
- June 14 – Parable of the Good Shepherd (John 10: 1-5 and 11-18)
- June 21 – Wise and Foolish Builders (Luke 6:47-49)
- June 28 – Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
- July 5 – Returning Master (Luke 12:32-40)
- July 12 – Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:16-24)
- July 19 – Parable of the Yeast (Matthew 13:33)
- July 26 – Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)
Living the Parables with Barnabas
For the month of June and July, Barnabas will provide ongoing activities to help challenge us to live the parables in a new way. Begins June 8! Don’t miss out! Sign up to receive weekly encouragement messages and our guide to living with the parables each week, June 8-July 27.
Introductory message from Barnabas, click here.
More details on weekly emails from Barnabas, click here.
For the months of June and July, Barnabas will provide weekly emails to encourage the congregation and share weekly guides for engaging with the parables in new ways:
- Capture – Consider a few words or take a picture of something that represents how each parable has transformed the way you see things.
- Create – Make something inspired by each parable.
- Retell – Find a way to tell and experience the parable anew.
Monthly Challenge
Don’t miss out! Sign up to receive his emails every Monday, June 8-July 27.
Our weekly emails over the summer will be archived here.
June Challenge, download pdf here
July Challenge, download pdf here
Learning the Parables
Wednesdays, June 10- July 29, 6:30-7:45 p.m., Zoom Online
Like many Jewish rabbis, Jesus was fond of using parables as a means of getting his audiences to arrive at deeper spiritual truths. Many of Christ’s parables were intentionally difficult to understand. In other cases, Jesus was very clear about what he meant, but we have trouble understanding him across so many years of history! Join Dr. Brad King and Lara Greene to explore more deeply with your head and your heart some parables you think you know, and some you have never heard before. This combination class will alternate between the two styles of our teachers and their expertise. Zoom link provided after registration.