At the heart of Middletown Christian Church’s mission is our call to be a welcoming and inclusive church. Of course being an inclusive church also means we are diverse church. While that diversity can be a beautiful it can also lead to some tensions, especially when we disagree over key matters of faith.

While not always easy to live into, the community of faith that Jesus envisioned was one that welcomed and celebrated diversity. In fact, it was diverse by design.

Join us for a new worship series that is going to explore how we as a church, and as individual Christians, can continue living into Christ’s call to be a reconciling presence in an increasingly diverse and often divide world.

Worship Online or In-Person Here

Series Outline

April 11, 2021 // Diverse by Design

Scriptures: Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11, Ephesians 2:11-22 (with emphasis on 14-16), 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Listen here.

April 18, 2021 // Centered on Christ

Scriptures: Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 7:1-5

Knowing how difficult it would be for people to live into the kind of diverse faith community he envisioned, Jesus established some rules for how it can be done. Those rules still apply today.

Join us for a powerful message that sets the foundation for how we can use those rules to break the bounds that divide us and become a place where all are truly welcome.

Listen here.

April 25, 2021 // Who is Your Neighbor?

Scriptures: Luke 10:25-37, Matthew 22:37-40, Romans 13:8-10

A first step toward healing the divisions we face is to live into Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, is answering the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Better yet, we have to determine how Jesus would answer that question and then seek to follow his example.

Listen Here.

May 2, 2021 // Truth Matters

Scriptures: Leviticus 19:11, Colossians 3:9, Ephesians 4:25, Proverbs 17:4

If there is ever any hope for us to cross our theological, ideological, and political divides, we must recognize that the truth matters. This seems pretty straightforward, yet somehow, a lot of people seem to be struggling with this idea. While Jesus was not addressing this topic when he said that truth will set us free, those words certainly apply to more than their original context.

Listen Here.

May 9, 2021 // Words Matter

Scriptures: Matthew 15:10-11, James 1:26, Proverbs 18:20, Matthew 12:36-37, Psalm 141:3-4

Words matter and if we are ever going to cross the divides we face today, we have to be mindful of what we say about others – including those we disagree with and even those we don’t like.

Watch Here.

May 16, 2021 // Grace Matters

Scriptures: John 13:18-30, 1 Peter 3:9

When we think of grace, we often think of it as something that is soothing and comfortable. The opening lines of one of the most beloved hymns of our tradition begins with the words, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.”

While grace can be sweet, scripture makes it clear that grace is also gritty and getting to the healing and reconciliation that grace provides takes sacrifice. It can be hard, and it can be uncomfortable, but it is worth every effort we can make.

Listen Here.

May 23, 2021 // It’s Up to You

Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-6

Creating the reconciling community that Jesus is calling us to become will only be possible if we recognize that getting there us up to us. We have to be the ones willing to model the love, grace, and hope of Jesus in all that we do. Are you ready to accept the call?