As we step into 2026, Pastor Chris offers a glimpse into the year ahead at PTCUMC, highlighting worship series, ministry milestones, and opportunities to grow together in faith.
Happy New Year, PTCUMC!
I’m really looking forward to 2026. Here are a few of the things I’m especially excited about as I anticipate another calendar year with you.
We begin the new year with a worship theme on the Apostles’ Creed. The Creed is the shortest and yet most complete set of distinctive beliefs of the Christian faith. Twelve statements, covered in six weeks, as we explore What We Believe. I’m confident this theme will not only be meaningful for longtime Christians, but will be especially great for those who don’t openly profess faith. It all starts this Sunday, January 4, as we explore what it means to believe in a creating God. I’ll be speaking about renowned scientists who are Christians and about scientific discoveries that came about because of faith’s hunger to know God and God’s creation more fully. Science and faith are partners in the search for truth!
Let’s make January our first “bring a friend month” of the year and see how many new folks discover that PTCUMC is the church they’ve been looking for because of the topics we tackle and the way we approach faith.
Beyond the start of the year and the relaunch of our groups, including some new ones, I’m especially excited about our time together during Lent. This 40 day season, not counting Sundays which are each a “little Easter”, has always been a time when I’ve seen the churches I’ve pastored grow stronger and closer as individuals go deeper in their faith. We’ll immerse ourselves in the Gospel according to Mark, learning from it each week and reading through it together in 40 separate readings. This year, we’ll also seek to give up something that really matters… It definitely won’t be chocolate; you’re going to love this.
The months of April and May will bring their own surprises in both content and guest pastors. We’ll celebrate confirmands, our student ministry will return to the Spiritual Life Retreat at Glisson, Easter Jam will once again reach out to our community inviting families with young children to experience the good news of Easter, and we’ll spring-board from that to inviting kids to our two summer camps in June.
Then, during the summer, we’ll “Route 66” our way through the Bible. (Protestant Bibles have 66 books.) We’ll have some fun learning and exploring the different kinds of Scripture we find as we imagine the Bible as a road trip through time, covering the major sections of both the Old and New Testaments. Of course, how can we do that and not have a car show right here at our facility?! This summer, the place to be is the at PTCUMC!
Believe it or not, this is only a partial glimpse of what we’re planning. The coming year is going to be a fantastic one for our church as we anticipate the completion of the restoration of Building A and the continued expansion of our mission and ministry. It will be a season of growth for personal faith, the celebration of family and friendship, and focused growth in reaching our neighbors with the hope of the gospel.
Pastor Chris
