At The Gathering Place, we’ve spent the past few weeks in our “This Is Us” series—exploring who we are as a church and what God is calling us to be.
We’ve talked about being rooted in Christ, rooted in community, and becoming a church that heals. This week, I wrapped up the series with a powerful reminder: when Jesus is Lord, we are set free, we find our purpose, and we join God’s mission.
Rooted in Christ, Sent into the World
Paul wrote in Colossians 2:6–7, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, rooted and built up in Him…”
And Jesus told His disciples in John 20:21, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Being rooted in Christ is never just about sitting in a pew on Sunday. It always leads to being sent out on mission—into our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and community. The church is not a club or a weekly meeting. It’s a movement.
The World We’re Living In
Following Jesus in 2025 means swimming against the current. Many in our community are skeptical of the church because of past hurt, hypocrisy, or simply because they’ve placed their hope in human strength or politics.
But none of those paths lead to true transformation. Only Jesus does.
Without Him, we drift toward consumer religion (“What can this church offer me?”) or private spirituality (“I’ll just keep faith to myself”). Both miss the point.
The better way? A life rooted in Christ—set free, purposeful, and outward-looking.
Living With Purpose
When we follow Jesus, we discover calling and purpose. Without it, our time, energy, and resources get wasted. With it, everything we do—how we spend money, how we treat neighbors, how we show up in our community—becomes an act of worship.
Faith grounds us.
Hope points us toward God’s future.
Love transforms us into people who live selflessly.
That’s how we join God’s mission.
A Call to Palm Beach County
God’s mission isn’t abstract—it starts right here in Palm Beach County. Being sent by Jesus means looking at our neighborhoods with fresh eyes.
- When we see hunger, we feed.
- When schools struggle, we mentor and support.
- When veterans are overlooked, we show up.
- When grief weighs heavy, we walk alongside.
Every act of service becomes a sign of God’s Kingdom—a preview of what life looks like when God reigns.
What Breaks Your Heart?
Does what breaks God’s heart break ours?
If not, we can pray, “Lord, change me. Help me see people as You see them.” And then take action—because transformation happens not just in prayer but in service.
Jesus is already at work in the pain points of our community. If we want to work with Him, that’s where we need to go.
This Is Us
The United Methodist Church’s mission is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” But really, it’s God’s mission, and we are invited to join it.
God is in the business of restoring what’s broken, redeeming what’s been lost, and reconciling creation to Himself. And we get to be part of it.
So here’s the refrain that sums it all up:
When Jesus is Lord, we are set free.
We find our purpose.
And we join God’s mission.
That’s who we are. That’s what The Gathering Place is about.