During these summer weeks, we turn our attention to the Book of Acts and the story of the earliest believers. What was the Church for? Who was included? How did they handle conflict and change? How did they share leadership and respond to the Spirit’s unexpected movement? These are the same kinds of questions we still ask today. Inspired by the United Methodist hymn “We Are the Church,” this worship series will trace the Spirit’s work through the early Church and invite us to consider our own place in the story. Week by week, we will reflect on how the Church is formed not by perfection, but by faithfulness in community. We will celebrate how that work continues today through Vacation Bible School and mission trips, in the joy we bring to worship, and in the Spirit-led conversations we have along the way.

June 15 – Trinity Sunday – “Together”

Scripture: Acts 2:38-47

Theme: Trinity Sunday invites us to consider what it means to reflect God's communal nature in our own lives. The church is not meant to be a loose network of individuals, but a living, breathing body bound together by grace. As we begin this summer series in Acts, we start with the truth that God’s nature is not isolation, but community - and we are called to live that out, not just in theory, but in practice. Through shared meals, generous hearts, mutual care, and Spirit-filled worship, we learn how to be the Church together.

June 22 – VBS Sunday – “Let Your Light Shine”

Scripture: Matthew 5:14–16

Theme: This Sunday we celebrate the ministry that has taken place all week during Vacation Bible School. With the theme Adventure Island: A Quest for God’s Great Light, children have explored what it means to follow Jesus and shine brightly with love, joy, trust, and hope. Through stories, songs, games, crafts, and friendship, kids have learned that they don’t have to wait to grow up to reflect God’s light - they are already shining. Today we join them in that joy, remembering that Jesus calls all of us to be light in the world, right here and right now.

June 29 – “Sent Out to Serve”

Scripture: Acts 9:32–43

Theme: This Sunday we commission the youth and adult leaders traveling to Colorado for this summer’s mission trip. In Acts 9, we find Peter moving from place to place, responding to the needs of the people. He prays with the sick, lifts up the broken, and brings new life where others had given up hope. Mission is not about going somewhere to fix people - it is about showing up with faith, listening with love, and being willing to be surprised by what God will do. As we send out our team, we remember that all of us are called to live as people who bring healing, encouragement, and hope - not just across the country, but in our daily lives.

July 6 – UWF Sunday

Scripture: Luke 10:1-11 

Theme: Faith, Hope, and Love in Action. The United Women in Faith are leadings worship this Sunday, and the Rev. Carter Ellis is coming to preach and share about the ministry at the HUB.

July 13 – “Who Was I to Think That I Could Stand in God’s Way?”

Scripture: Acts 11:1–18

Theme: In this passage, Peter returns to Jerusalem to face criticism for eating with and baptizing Gentiles. His defense is simple: he saw the Spirit move. The boundaries that others tried to enforce based on heritage, ritual, or cultural expectations were no match for God’s grace. This moment challenges the early church to rethink who belongs, how the Spirit works, and what it means to be part of God’s people. We are reminded that inclusion is not ours to control and that the Spirit often shows up in the places we least expect. The Church still wrestles with these questions today and we must continue to ask, with humility and courage, whether our assumptions are standing in God’s way.

July 20 – “And the Chains Fell Off…”

Scripture: Acts 12:1–19

Theme: Peter is imprisoned. James has just been killed. The early church is under real threat, and fear is in the air. But while Peter sleeps in chains, the church prays. And while the guards stand watch, God moves. A light fills the cell, the chains fall off, and Peter walks free. This story reminds us that God's power is not limited by the barriers we face - whether they are made of iron, fear, politics, or injustice. We all face moments when ministry feels blocked, when progress feels impossible, and when the world seems to be working against the Spirit's movement. But God's work is not stopped by human hands. Sometimes quietly, sometimes dramatically, God makes a way.

July 27 – “We Too Are Only Human…”

Scripture: Acts 14:8–20

Theme: Paul and Barnabas heal a man in Lystra, and the response is immediate - and wildly off-base. The people assume they must be gods in disguise and prepare to offer sacrifices. It’s a moment full of cultural and linguistic confusion, where sincere gratitude and spiritual longing become tangled in misunderstanding. Paul and Barnabas do their best to clarify, but even their message gets distorted. This moment reminds us that ministry doesn’t always land the way we intend. Good news can get misheard. Kindness can be mistaken. But still, we keep showing up, speaking truth, and trusting that God works even through our limitations. The early church faced these challenges often (and so do we).

August 3 – “Was There Ever a Prophet Your Ancestors Did Not Persecute?”

Scripture: Acts 7:54 – Acts 8:3

Theme: This Sunday begins a two-part focus on one of the most radical transformations in the New Testament: the story of Saul, who becomes Paul. But before we get to his conversion, we need to see clearly where he started. Saul does not begin as a neutral figure. He stands by, watching the execution of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and gives his full approval. He is not a passive bystander but a man committed to stopping the Jesus movement by any means necessary. We cannot fully appreciate the power of grace in Paul’s life without first reckoning with the depth of his violence and opposition. The Church often wants to skip ahead to the redemption without facing the damage. But transformation begins with truth and this story shows us both the high cost of faithfulness and the incredible reach of God’s mercy.

August 10 – “So That You May See Again…”

Scripture: Acts 9:1–19

Theme: On the road to Damascus, Saul is confronted by the risen Christ. He is knocked off his course, physically blinded, and spiritually awakened. What follows is one of the most dramatic reversals in scripture. Saul, the persecutor, becomes Paul, the apostle. This transformation is not just about a change in behavior. It is a complete reorientation - a new way of seeing, a new way of living, a new calling and community. It is the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit, made possible by the courage of people like Ananias, who dared to believe that even Saul could change. As we close this series, we are reminded that radical transformation is possible. Our job as the Church is not just to welcome it, but to expect it, support it, and affirm it - even when it stretches our assumptions about who people are and who they can become.

For more information about participating or leading in worship, please click the following links:

• Sunday Morning Worship Information
• Stilwell UMC's Worship Ministries