Miracle Sunday Offering

Hello, church family!

I’m excited to invite you into a six‑week, global journey of faith called Transform the World Like Jesus: Congregations Who Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously. From April 12 through May 17, we will join more than 30,000 United Methodist congregations around the world in worship, learning, and mission.

During these six weeks, we will:

• Experience a powerful worship series each Sunday
• Go deeper in small groups that build on the weekly messages
• Participate in a shared global mission effort

Through this journey, we will:

• Learn how pastors in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines serve faithfully in some of the most challenging contexts
• Share in a worship and small‑group experience embraced across continents and cultures
• Help raise funds to train more global clergy, especially where fewer than 5 percent currently have access to theological education

Here’s how you can begin now:

1. Save the dates: April 12–May 17
2. Sign up for a small group at [insert instructions]
3. Begin praying—for our church, for pastors around the world, and for what God will do through us

Happy Palm Sunday!

As we remember Jesus’ bold entry into Jerusalem, we look ahead to our own call to follow Christ with courage, compassion, and hope. Beginning April 12, we will join tens of thousands of United Methodist congregations worldwide in Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously.

Together we will:

•   Reflect on God’s Word through a focused worship series
•   Engage in small groups that deepen faith and connection
•   Serve and give as part of a global mission movement

We’ll hear powerful stories from pastors serving refugees, leading congregations in remote villages, and nurturing faith in dynamic urban communities—all while helping make theological education possible for more leaders worldwide.

We invite you to start your involvement today:

1. Plan to join us each Sunday, April 12–May 17
2. Sign up for a small group after worship or online at [insert instructions]
3. Pray that God will shape us to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Because Christ lives, love is stronger than fear, hope is stronger than despair, and new life is possible. Beginning next Sunday, April 12, we will join 30,000 United Methodist congregations worldwide to learn how we can transform the world like Jesus.

Together we will experience:

•   Six weeks of inspiring worship
•   Small groups that nurture deeper faith and belonging
•   A global mission initiative that changes lives

As part of this journey, we will help fund theological education in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines, empowering pastors to serve congregations and communities with courage for generations to come.

Be part of this movement:

1. 1. Worship with us each Sunday, April 12–May 17
   2. Sign up for a small group at [insert instructions]

1. Pray that God will move boldly through our church and around the world

Today we begin something truly special.

Alongside United Methodist congregations in Tanzania, the Philippines, Hungary, the United States, and more than 30,000 churches around the world, we are launching Transform the World Like Jesus: Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously.

Over the next six weeks, we will:

•   Worship together around a shared global theme
•   Meet in small groups to reflect and grow
•   Participate in a mission effort supporting theological education worldwide

Our bishops have called the church to unite in this moment. We will hear stories from pastors and students in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines who are answering God’s calling in challenging places.

I invite you to:

1. Worship with us each Sunday
2. Sign up today for a small group at [insert instructions]
3. Pray that God will guide and shape us in this journey

Today we hear Gabriella’s testimony—a student at United Seminary in Harare who discovered joy, meaning, and purpose when life felt like it was falling apart. Her education was made possible through the generosity of United Methodists around the world.

(Play video: https://vimeo.com/1139802748/c075d83177)

The videos are suggested for each Worship week. There is a full list of videos at the end of the manual that may be used if they better connect with your congregation.

Following the video:
God is doing a powerful work through us. In the coming weeks, we will share how we can help raise up many more students like Gabriella to serve communities in some of the most challenging places. Let us continue to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. 

All churches in the United States are encouraged to receive an offering for Native American ministry. You might say, “Today we receive a special offering for Native American Ministries. We invite you to give generously.”

This morning, we continue our six‑week journey, joining thousands of United Methodist congregations around the world in learning how to Transform the World Like Jesus.

Last week we heard Gabriella’s story from Zimbabwe, a reminder that when we invest in leaders, we invest in hope. Today we turn our hearts toward the countless pastors who serve in places where resources are scarce, but faith is abundant.

During this initiative, we are:

•   Growing together through worship and small groups
•   Learning how God is moving across continents
•   Supporting theological education for future pastors

Today we will hear another powerful testimony from a leader whose ministry is transforming lives through evangelism in extraordinary circumstances. As you listen to Princes Knuckles Jalia, Liberia. I invite you to pray:
Lord, how are you calling me to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously this week?

(Play video: https://vimeo.com/1153409450)

Let us continue walking this journey together with open minds, expectant faith and generous hearts.

Church family, what a blessing it is to be part of a global movement of faith. Each week we join more than 30,000 congregations who are worshiping, learning, and serving with us through the Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously initiative.

We have already heard inspiring stories from leaders who are studying and serving the church because of support for theological education. Their courage reminds us that the Holy Spirit is at work in every corner of the world.

Today we hear another testimony from Rares (pronounced Rare – sh) from Romania whose ministry is shaping also lives of refugees who have fled war torn Ukraine refugees.

(Play video: https://vimeo.com/1153774198)

After video –

As we continue this journey, I encourage you to:

•   Stay engaged in your small group
•   Pray for pastors and students around the world
•   Ask God how our congregation can be part of raising up the next generation of leaders

Together, we are learning about how we can make a difference around the world through our giving.

Good morning, church!

We are now more than halfway through our global journey of Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously, and God is moving among us.

Across Africa, Europe, and the Philippines, pastors are serving in places where hope is fragile and resources are limited. Yet their faith is strong, their commitment deep, and their impact profound.

Through this initiative, we are helping ensure that more of these leaders receive the theological education they need to serve with wisdom and strength.

Today we will hear another story of Philip Micah Dopah from Nigeria whose ministry is touching lives in powerful ways.
As we listen, let us remember:

•   Our prayers matter
•   Our participation matters
•   Our generosity matters

(Play video: https://vimeo.com/1153388500/75fbdd1708)

In two weeks, on May 17, we will join thousands of congregations for Miracle Sunday, a day of sacrificial giving to permanently endow theological education for pastors around the world.

Let us continue to open our hearts as God shapes us to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.

Good morning, church!

This morning we continue our six‑week journey of Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously, joining thousands of United Methodist congregations around the world who are walking this path with us.

Over the past several weeks, we have heard powerful stories from leaders serving in Zimbabwe, Liberia, Romania, and Nigeria. Their witness reminds us that courageous leadership often grows in places where challenges are great, but God’s faithfulness is greater.

Today we will hear another testimony from Pastor Simon Peter Koroma from Sierra Leone whose ministry is shaping lives in remarkable ways.

(Play video: https://vimeo.com/1153700998)

As we continue this journey, I invite you to reflect and pray:

•   Where is God calling me to lead with courage?
•   How can my life point others toward Christ’s love?
•   What step of faith is God inviting me to take this week?

Next Sunday, May 17, we will join thousands of congregations for Miracle Sunday, a day of sacrificial giving to permanently endow theological education for pastors around the world. Let us keep walking together with open hearts, trusting that God is forming us into people who love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.

Good morning, church!

Today, we reach the final week of our global journey of Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, and Lead Courageously. For six weeks, we have joined more than 30,000 United Methodist congregations in worship, learning, and prayer. Together, we have listened to stories from leaders serving in places where hope is fragile, resources are scarce, and faith is strong.

This morning we celebrate boldly, giving thanks for the movement of the Holy Spirit across Africa, Europe, the Philippines, and right here in our own congregation. God is raising up leaders whose ministries are transforming lives in extraordinary ways.

Today is also Miracle Sunday, a day when United Methodists around the world join in sacrificial giving to permanently endow theological education for pastors outside the United States. Through this offering, we help prepare 500 students each year for ministry, strengthening the church for generations to come.

As you listen to today’s testimony, of Caleb, a pastor from Liberia who ministers to people who live in a graveyard, I invite you to hold this prayer in your heart:
Lord, use our gifts, our prayers, and our lives to transform the world like Jesus.

(Play video: https://vimeo.com/1139482432/4c92767f13)

Thank you for being part of this global movement of faith. May God continue to shape us into people who love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.

In just a moment, our ushers will receive a special offering. You may complete the giving card (the card is below and may be printed for your congregation) that was passed out this morning (churches are encouraged to pass out the card as people come to worship or may be left at people’s seats).

As you can, we invite you to join one of the giving levels. As a congregation we want to be a compassionate and giving church. Your gift will make a difference. We invite the ushers to receive the offering.