by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

MARCH 30, 2026 

Holy Week leads us toward Good Friday, and Good Friday is a difficult day. It is, without a doubt, the most solemn day of the Christian year. It’s a day saturated with sin, torture, deception, betrayal, and ultimately death. The shadow of Jesus hanging on the cross looms long and wide over this day.

In the middle of that horrible day was Peter, and I imagine Good Friday was quite possibly the worst day of his life. It began for him just as it did for Jesus: in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus had asked Peter to come away with Him and pray as He was preparing for Good Friday, and in that special and important moment, Peter fell asleep, just as the other disciples did.

I’ve always thought that Peter was so embarrassed with failing Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane that when the Temple Guards came to arrest Jesus, he tried to fix his mistake by boldly, and we might even say foolishly, grabbing a sword and swinging it at a guard, cutting his ear off.

If that wasn’t enough, Peter then scattered just like the other disciples as Jesus was taken into custody. He was afraid that he, too, might be arrested and tortured or killed. After a foolish attempt at protecting Jesus, Peter left Jesus high and dry.

Perhaps the worst moment of all for Peter, other than Jesus’ crucifixion later in the day, came when not once, not twice, but three times, Peter denied and betrayed Jesus – just as Jesus predicted He would. To make it all that much worse, Luke tells us that on the third denial, Peter was close enough to Jesus to see Jesus look directly at Him. I’m not sure I can even begin to fathom the depth of embarrassment and shame that Peter felt.

Yet, Peter on Good Friday has much to teach us. The truth is that in Peter we find all of us – you and me.

Peter’s Sin Is Yours and My Sin, Too

Peter’s sin is one that every single one of us deals with at various times in our lives. In fact, I’ll double down, Peter’s sin early on the morning of Good Friday is the root sin of all sins. Peter faced the ugly sin of pride.

At dinner just a few hours earlier, while Jesus was celebrating what we would call The Last Supper, we read in Luke 22:31-34,

“Simon, Simon, look! Satan has asserted the right to sift you all like wheat. However, I have prayed for you that your faith won’t fail. When you have returned, strengthen your brothers and sisters.” Peter responded, “Lord, I’m ready to go with you, both to prison and to death!” Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster won’t crow today before you have denied three times that you know me.”

Peter was prideful. He was overconfident. When a person says, “That’s one thing I’ll never do,” that’s almost always the very thing against which the person should very carefully guard. You’ve heard the old adage that pride goes before the fall? History is full of stories – many of them – where fortresses and castles were conquered because the attackers took the route which seemed unattackable and unscalable, and at that very spot the defenders were off their guard.

Satan is subtle. He’s sneaky. He’s cunning. He knows to attack us at the point where we’re too sure of ourselves because those are the places in our lives where we’re most likely to be unprepared. Peter was warned that He would fall, and yet he was self-reliant. He thought he could battle sin on his own. And he fell. What’s worse is that in a few hours, Peter would know that Jesus was dying on a cross under excruciating pain, all while Peter’s last interaction was to deny Him.

What about you and me? The truth is that we all deal with pride on various levels. It’s a sneaky sin. It slithers into our souls often without us even realizing it. We don’t have to be as bold as Peter to proclaim that we would never fall. It can happen when we encounter others daily, and we think, “At least I don’t have to worry about that.” Or it can happen, especially after we’ve been Christians for a while. We come to church regularly. We’ve got the hang of this worship thing. We might even go to a life group or Sunday school class. We serve in a ministry now and then. We put a few bucks in the offering plate. We begin to think, “I’m doing pretty well.”

Then we see this: the cross. We remember that the goal of the Christian life is to become like Jesus. We realize that means picking up our cross and denying ourselves. It means seeking and practicing humility daily and continuously – which doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself. It means thinking of others first. It means remembering what Jesus said in the Upper Room just a few hours before going to the cross when He said, “This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends.” We realize that to love like Jesus means that we’re willing to give our all.

When we hold ourselves up to that standard – at least when I hold myself up to that standard – I cringe. I’m so selfish. I put myself first all the time. I put Jesus last all the time. Suddenly, I’m just like Peter, realizing how I betray Jesus all the time. I look at the cross, especially this week, and I imagine Jesus hanging there humiliated and in more pain than I can imagine, and I remember those words Luke used to describe Jesus when the rooster crowed, “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the Lord’s words: “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And Peter went out and cried uncontrollably.”

I’m reminded once more that the penalty of sin is not the face of anger. It’s not Jesus furious with us, with arms folded and shouting. The penalty of sin is Jesus looking straight at me with heartbreak in His eyes because I’ve let Him down. Peter betrayed Jesus, but I do, too.

Where There’s Love, There’s Hope

I’ve been hard on Peter. He doesn’t come off looking so good, especially in this story, but to be fair, I think we have to say that his intentions were honorable and filled with courage. He was the only disciple to defend Jesus as Jesus was arrested. He dared to go to the High Priest’s house that morning. It was extremely dangerous for him to be there. His life was in jeopardy. Even after being recognized twice, Peter still didn’t leave. He still stayed, trying to watch what the Jewish ruling leaders were doing to Jesus. Yes, Peter messed up royally. Yes, we mess up royally. Yes, our messes, our sins, crucify Jesus as surely as we were members of the Sanhedrin or Pontius Pilate.

But when there’s love, there’s hope. Peter had a deep and abiding love for Jesus. It was that love that allowed Him to be restored after the resurrection. It was that love that allowed Peter to go on and lead the disciples and be the head of the church. There is hope for the person who, even when sinning, still loves Jesus. There was great hope for Peter. Because of Jesus’ act on the cross, there is hope for you and me, too.

Jesus’s Death = Redemption

Lastly, I want us to understand that because Jesus died on the cross, there is redemption. There was redemption for Peter, and there’s redemption for you and me. Luke told us Peter left the high priest’s house crying uncontrollably. There’s a legend that people would imitate a rooster crowing as Peter walked through a crowd, but Peter had a devotion to Jesus that led him to lean on God for transformation. It allowed Peter to start from failure and be greatly used by God.

Here’s the essence of what I’m talking about. It was the real Peter who boldly said in the Upper Room that he would defend Jesus. It was the real Peter who swung that sword at the temple guard to protect Jesus. It was the real Peter who risked his life to go to the high priest’s house so Jesus would not be alone.

It was not the real Peter who denied Jesus. That was a broken Peter. That was a Peter whose flaws temporarily won a victory. Thankfully, that’s what Jesus sees in all of us. The best thing about Jesus is that beneath all of our flaws, He sees the real you and me. He loves us despite what we do because He loves us – not for what we are, but what we have it in us to be. Jesus proved on that Good Friday that His forgiveness is so great that He sees our real personality, not in our fruitfulness, but in our love, and not in our sins but in our seeking to follow Him, even when temporarily we are defeated. He proved love triumphs over our sins, and His forgiveness knows no bounds.

Good Friday is a hard day. It’s a day saturated with sin, torture, deception, betrayal, and ultimately death. But it’s also a day saturated in love – love so amazing, so divine. It changed the world and can change you and me.

All God’s love,

Jay

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

DECEMBER 23, 2025 

Christmas is beautiful, but the very first Christmas was anything but neat and tidy. In fact, the birth of Jesus had scandal written all over it. Mary—a virgin—was pregnant and not yet married. Imagine the tabloid headline: “Unwed Virgin Gives Birth to Baby!” Add a mad king, Herod, desperately trying to kill the newborn Christ and ordering the execution of every boy under two in Bethlehem. Then imagine the King of Kings and Lord of Lords being born in a cave where animals were kept and laid in a feeding trough full of hay. Jesus’ birth was smelly, messy, dangerous, and scandalous. And that’s the whole point. Jesus came right into the middle of mess, pain, and brokenness to show us that He comes into our messy lives, too. None of us has a perfect life. Not one of us. Jesus’ arrival in a chaotic world makes it clear: His birth is for everyone—the good, the bad, the ugly, the messy, and even the scandalous. As we celebrate Christmas, here are three truths from that first Christmas that speak to us today. Jesus’ Birth Means God Is With You In the Gospel of Matthew, the angel tells Joseph that Jesus will fulfill the words of the prophet: “A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel.” And Matthew adds, “Emmanuel means ‘God with us.’” One of Jesus’ many titles is Emmanuel—God with us. Senator John McCain once shared a powerful story about discovering this truth during his years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. His captors often tied his arms behind his back, looped the rope around his neck and ankles, and left him through the night with his head pulled down between his knees. It’s one of the reasons he could never lift his arms above his shoulders. One night, a guard quietly entered the cell, put a finger to his lips, and loosened McCain’s ropes to ease his pain. The next morning, before leaving his shift, the guard tightened the ropes again—never speaking a word. A month later, on Christmas Day, McCain stood in the courtyard when that same guard approached. Without looking at him or smiling, the guard used his foot to draw a cross in the dirt. They stood silently, side by side, remembering the true light of Christmas—even in the darkness of a prison camp. Jesus was born to tell us that God is with us—in the joys and in the darkness, in the manger and in the prison cell. At our home, after Christmas decorations are packed away, we leave one nativity set out all year as a reminder that God is with us—not just in December, but in every season. When life feels out of control, I look at that nativity and remember: I am not alone. You aren’t either. You may feel alone. You may feel the darkness closing in. But you never have to be lonely. Jesus was born to say: God is with you. Jesus’ Birth Means God Is For You One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture is Romans 8:31–32: “If God is for us, who is against us? He didn’t spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. Won’t he also freely give us all things with him?” If God is for us, who can possibly stand against us? Years ago, a teacher at my son’s school suffered a brain aneurysm while jogging. It was devastating. As she recovered, her husband shared updates online—each one more miraculous than the last: she was talking, walking, picking up objects. It was a true miracle. Reading those updates reminded me again and again: God is for us. One day, someone posted a simple line in the prayer group for her: “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” How true that is. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus said: “My peace I give you… Don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) That’s just one of about one hundred places in Scripture where God tells us not to be afraid. Why? Because He is for us. If your life is hard right now, Jesus was born to say, “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” If your life is out of control, God is speaking to you through Isaiah 43:1-5: “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine… When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… When you walk through the fire, you won’t be scorched.”  Jesus’ birth proclaims: God is for you. Jesus’ Birth Means God Loves You John 3:16 may be the most quoted verse in Scripture: “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.” But the very next verse is just as powerful: “God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” Jesus was born to show us God’s love—not to condemn us, but to rescue us. John Ortberg tells a story of his friend Jimmy, who was vacationing in Mexico when his son was swept out to sea by a riptide. Jimmy swam after him, but soon the current pulled them both farther and farther away from shore. Exhausted, he realized they would both drown. But Jimmy’s cousin, who understood the ocean, walked to a hidden sandbar and stood as close as he could. He lifted his hand and shouted: “You come to me!” And they lived. The moral: if you panic and swim in the direction your gut tells you, you’ll die. But if you go toward the one who knows where the solid ground is, you’ll live. Jesus says the same: “Come to me, and you will live.” The world promises that cars, houses, jobs, vacations, and success will satisfy us. I’m telling you—that’s junk. True life and love come only from the God who was born in a manger 2,000 years ago and is calling you to Himself. Here’s the gospel in one sentence: “You’re more sinful than you ever dared believe; you’re more loved than you ever dared hope.” (Tim Keller) Jesus loves you as if you were the only person in all the world to love. He came for you—so He would never have to live without you. Jesus was born to say: “I love you. God loves you.” Do You Believe It? When I was serving Jesus in the local church, I ended every Christmas Eve sermon the same way. I’d say, “Whether you are here every Sunday or part of the community and curious about church, or someone who comes once a year, welcome. We are truly grateful you are here. And I know some of you are thinking: “Those are nice words, preacher. But do you really believe it? Angels? A virgin birth? Wise men? God in a manger?” Let me tell you: I don’t just believe it. I’m counting on it. I’m counting on Jesus being with me. I’m counting on Jesus being for me. I’m counting on Jesus loving me. And I’m counting on Him for you, too. I hope that you’ll choose to count on Him as well. Merry Christmas, friends. I love you, Florida Conference!   All God’s love, Jay

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

DECEMBER 9, 2025 

A healthy culture is one of the most valuable treasures God entrusts to a church. It shapes discipleship, mission, unity, and spiritual vitality. Yet culture must be protected, because the New Testament consistently warns that threats to unity arise not only from outside the church but also from within. As leaders, we must recognize cultural sabotage not to shame people but to guard the witness of Jesus and nurture the spiritual health of the flock. The early church faced these same patterns, and Scripture offers us wisdom for responding. Below is my reflection on ten warning signs that a person may be undermining church culture, expanded with biblical anchoring and leadership explanation. In full disclosure, I saw this list of warning signs shared in multiple places on social media over the past few days. I’ve researched to find its source and cannot. I thought it was excellent, and I wanted to expand on it. 1. They Sow Quiet Discord Division rarely begins with a microphone; it begins with a whisper. Proverbs 16:28 teaches, “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” Paul warned against “grumblers” and those who argue in Philippians 2:14. Leadership Insight: In organizational life, this is known as triangulation—voicing concerns to everyone except the people who can actually resolve them. Leaders must create environments where concerns can be voiced upward, not sideways. A church where people are not heard by leadership will often become a church where people whisper to each other. 2. They Criticize Leadership Privately but Smile Publicly Jesus condemned the Pharisees for appearing righteous outwardly while harboring toxic motivations inwardly (Matthew 23:27–28). Hidden rebellion eventually becomes visible fruit. Leadership Insight: This pattern erodes trust, the oxygen of leadership. When someone is kind in public but destructive in private, they weaponize dual identities. Leaders must address this early because integrity gaps are contagious. 3. They Gather Weak Listeners Gossip requires an audience. Paul warned the Corinthians that “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).  Leadership Insight: Every organization has “available listeners”—people who have unresolved wounds, unmet needs, or unvoiced frustrations. Saboteurs instinctively gather them. Leaders must disciple these listeners, helping them develop spiritual resilience and biblically grounded discernment.  4. They Refuse Correction  Proverbs 9:8 says, “Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you.”  Leadership Insight: Correctability is one of the strongest predictors of long-term leadership potential. A person who cannot be corrected cannot be trusted with influence. Healthy culture requires humility and teachable spirits, not defensive ones. 5. They Create Small Circles Within the Circle Paul instructed the Romans to “…watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way…keep away from them.” (Romans 16:17). Internal cliques function like competing kingdoms. Leadership Insight: When sub-groups form around personality instead of mission, culture fractures. Church leaders must champion alignment—not by eliminating friendships but by ensuring that influence flows toward the mission rather than around it. 6. They Minimize the Voice of the Pastor Statements like, “I hear the pastor, but…” signal the beginning of erosion. The serpent used the same pattern when speaking to Eve in Genesis 3:1, “Did God really say…?” Leadership Insight: Minimizing pastoral authority is not a preference issue—it’s a discipleship issue. The New Testament affirms the importance of spiritual authority rightly exercised (Hebrews 13:17). Undermining that voice destabilizes not just leadership, but spiritual direction for the body. 7. They Elevate Personal Preference Over Corporate Vision In 1 Corinthians 1:10, the Apostle Paul urged the church in Corinth, which was divided over people arguing for their own personal positions, “I appeal to you…that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” Vision is the path the church walks; personal preference is the detour. Leadership Insight: Thriving organizations distinguish between preferences and priorities. Culture-breakers demand that their preferences become organizational priorities. Leaders must continually articulate the why behind the vision to keep the community tethered to its shared mission. 8. They Love Drama More Than Discipleship  Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” Leadership Insight: Saboteurs often thrive in ambiguity, chaos, and emotional turbulence. Drama gives them relevance and an audience. Wise leaders create calm, clarity, and Christ-centered focus—conditions where disruptive behavior cannot easily grow. 9. They Manipulate Through Emotion Delilah (Judges 16) illustrates how emotional pressure can be used strategically. Tears, offense, and hurt can become tools rather than expressions of truth. Manipulation is the underminer’s weapon of choice. Leadership Insight: Emotional maturity distinguishes concerns that need compassion from manipulation that needs boundaries. Leaders must respond with empathy and clarity: love people deeply but refuse to let emotion reframe reality. 10. They Quietly Recruit Others to Share Their Offense In Numbers 16, we find the story of Korah, who gathered supporters before opposing Moses. Offense seeks company. Rebellion seeks a coalition. Leadership Insight: Shared offense creates fragile alliances built on grievance rather than mission. Leaders must proactively cultivate reconciliation and make it normal—and expected—for brothers and sisters to work through conflict biblically (Matthew 18:15–17)  Guarding Church Culture from Sabotage and Manipulation is Essential For church leaders, these patterns matter deeply. Culture is contagious, for better or for worse. A protected culture creates:             •          Aligned mission             •          Healthy discipleship             •          Trust between pastors and laity             •          Unity that can withstand spiritual attack             •          A hospitable witness to the world Pastors, lay leaders, and congregations must partner together in vigilance—not out of suspicion, but out of love for Christ’s bride: the church. May God give us discernment, courage, and grace to cultivate cultures where the Holy Spirit unites us, the Gospel shapes us, and Jesus is clearly seen in us. All God’s love, Jay

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

NOVEMBER 24, 2025 

Every year around Thanksgiving, a certain 1978 television moment gets replayed across the internet: the classic WKRP in Cincinnati episode known simply as “Turkeys Away.” You can view the funniest six minutes of the episode on YouTube here.    Station manager Arthur Carlson, in an attempt to pull off the ultimate holiday promotion, hires a helicopter and drops live turkeys over a shopping-center parking lot, believing they will “fly down gently” to delighted shoppers. The result? Catastrophe. The turkeys plummet like sacks of wet cement. Cars are dented, shoppers scatter, and newsman Les Nessman (in one of the greatest live reports in sitcom history) begins describing the scene like the Hindenburg disaster: “Oh, the humanity!”   Mr. Carlson staggers back into the studio, tie askew, utterly defeated, and utters the immortal line: “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”   Good Intentions and Reality   It’s hilarious—until you realize something profoundly human is happening. A well-meaning man tried to give people something wonderful. He failed spectacularly, publicly, and embarrassingly. And in that moment of humiliation, he discovers that his good intentions didn’t make the turkeys fly.   Thanksgiving can feel a little like that sometimes, can’t it? We want to offer perfect gratitude. We want our hearts to soar in praise. We plan the perfect meal, the perfect prayer, the perfect expression of thanks…and then the turkey burns, the kids fight, the loneliness creeps in, or we realize we’re still carrying bitterness from last year. We plummet. And we think, “As God as my witness, I thought gratitude would come more naturally than this.”   The Gospel Twist   But here’s the gospel twist: God never asked the turkeys to fly.   He asked us to give thanks—not because we’re good at it, not because our lives are flawless, not because we can soar on our own—but simply because He is good. Paul puts it plainly in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”   Notice Paul didn’t say “Give thanks for all circumstances” (some things are genuinely terrible). He said “in” all circumstances—when the turkeys fly and when they most decidedly do not.   This Thanksgiving, let’s laugh together at our plummeting turkeys—our failed attempts at perfection—and then look up. The God who catches us doesn’t require us to fly on our own. He has already given the greatest gift in Jesus, and because of that, even our wobbly, earthbound gratitude is enough.   So eat the slightly dry bird, hug the awkward relatives, say the clumsy prayer, and give thanks anyway.   Because, as God as our witness, He loves turkeys who can’t fly—and He loves us too.   I love you, Florida Conference! Happy Thanksgiving!   All God’s love, Jay

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

OCTOBER 15, 2025 

For those of you who have been following Seedbed’s Wake-Up
Call Gospels series, we are now halfway through the Gospels. We finished the
Gospel of Mark yesterday and begin the Gospel of Luke today. I’ve been massively
encouraged to hear from so many of you who are leading your churches through
this journey. I don’t know how many of our churches picked up this challenge,
but I’m willing to bet it’s close to half based on all the conversations I’ve
had.

I have no idea how many times I’ve read the four Gospels –
many times over the years. They are my absolute favorite part of the Bible.
Yet, once again, I’m finding new discoveries as I read a chapter every day.
That was certainly true for me on October 12 as we started the final stretch of
Mark’s Gospel. J.D. Walt’s entry from that day continues to
marinate in my heart and soul. That day, we read Mark 14, and J.D. focused on
the Last Supper. He zeroed in on Jesus’ words in verses 22 and 24, “This is my
body…this is my blood.” From there, he distilled everything that Jesus did that
world-changing night and the next day on the cross to three words, “Me for
you.”

Jesus offered Himself to all of us on the cross. Me for
you. In that seminal act of salvation and love, He who was whole became broken
so that we who are broken could become whole. Me for you. In that simple
declaration in the Last Supper and lived out on the cross, Jesus also conveyed
His deepest desire of what He wants to hear from all of us: me for You. He
offered all of Himself for us. He wants nothing less from each one of us.

He doesn’t want us for one hour on Sunday. He doesn’t just
want 10% of our earnings. He wants all of us. He doesn’t just want us in a
small group for an hour or two or an act of service here or there; He wants our
whole devotion as we work, eat, sleep, play, and live the rest of our lives. He
wants our whole hearts. He wants us to turn from the things that cause us to
miss the mark (sin) and turn towards Him and place our full trust in Him to
transform us. Anything less falls short of the gift He offered us. Me for
you. 

When we remember the Lord’s Supper by coming forward to
receive the bread and the cup, we’re making our own declaration to Jesus. We’re
saying, “me for You.” That’s precisely why our sacrament is an “open table” in
the sense that Jesus’ salvation is open to everyone, but it’s also why we
should be clear that the invitation to come forward means that we’re doing so
to say back to Him, “me for You.” When we come forward, there’s no right way to
feel or think. We can overcomplicate it if we aren’t careful. The only thing we
should be thinking and feeling – the only words that should be in our hearts
and minds are simple and yet profound – “me for You. 

I’m still shaken to the core of who I am, trying to
understand that the Creator of the universe gave Himself for me! Me for you. I
don’t deserve it. There’s no amount of good I could offer to the world to earn
it. Yet, on the cross, Jesus lovingly took what I deserved, declared “it is
finished,” and offered Himself for me. He did the same thing for you. Me for
you. Me for us.

I’m still a work in progress. I get impatient and
selfish…which is you for me. I get frustrated and grouchy…which is me for me.
I’m so much better having been a follower of Jesus for almost 40 years, but the
Holy Spirit has more to do in me. How does He move me from “you for me” to “me
for You?” He does it through my daily time with Him. He also does it by being
in a Wesleyan band. Through those times of intentional discipleship and by
surrounding me with people who love me enough to tell me hard truths, He
proclaims, “Me for you!” Yes, it can be painful at times to be corrected, but
I’ve learned to seek it out because the goal of “me for You” is such a
beautiful prize. He is worthy, and the fruit that comes from that journey is
beautiful!

I’ve read the Gospel of Mark so many times I can’t remember
the number. Yet, here I am decades later tilling new spiritual soil and
continuing to be shaped and formed. I’ve presided over Holy Communion more
times than I can count, and because of this Gospel journey, I don’t think I’ll
ever participate in celebrating the Lord’s Supper the same way again.

That’s the way it is with Jesus. That’s what happens when
you hear His call, “Me for you.” It’s how the Hope of the World saves the
world. And I’m ready for more!

All God’s love,

Jay

---

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

[Note: This is the text of the sermon I shared during the service of Holy Communion on Friday night at our annual conference gathering.]

JUNE 25, 2025

..In 1960, Egypt began construction of the Aswan High Dam across the Nile River. Ten years later, it was opened in 1970 and still operates today. It had two main goals: to help regulate the Nile River from flooding and to produce enormous amounts of energy. The dam is 375 feet tall and 11,000 feet wide. It has 12 turbines generating ten billion kilowatt-hours, enough to power every city in Egypt. 

…During the long period of construction, the Nile River wasn’t completely stopped. Even as the reservoir was filling, part of the river was allowed to flow past. The farmers downstream depended on it. They drank it, they washed in it, it watered their crops and turned their millwheels. They sailed on it in the moonlight and wrote songs about it. It was their life. But on the day when the reservoir poured through the turbines, a power was unleashed that spread far beyond the farms down river and brought possibilities they had only dreamed of.

…Pentecost is like the opening of the Aswan High Dam. Before Pentecost, the river of God’s Holy Spirit blessed the people of Israel and was their very life. But after Pentecost, the power of the Holy Spirit spread out to illuminate the entire world. None of the benefits enjoyed in the pre-Pentecostal days were taken away, but ten billion kilowatts were added to enable the church to bring the light of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ to every tongue, tribe, and nation.[i]

Powerful Spirit, Powerful Worship

…The Apostles and other followers of Jesus were gathered in a room for the festival of Pentecost. Suddenly, a furious wind from heaven began to blow through the house. Pillars of fire rested on everyone, yet no one was burned. Then Luke tells us that everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in foreign languages they did not know. It was so loud and caused such a commotion that others in the neighborhood heard it and started arriving to see what was going on. 

…Imagine worship at your church getting so powerful that the people who live around your church start arriving to find out what’s going on! In fact, it was such a sight that people thought the Apostles might be drunk, even though it was before 9am. That’s when Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, stood up to preach a sermon so powerful that Luke recorded it in Acts 2. And there are three ideas from that sermon that I want to share with you this evening.

Jesus has Work for Us to Do, and the Holy Spirit Leads the Way

…First, I want you to notice that Peter proclaims that Jesus has work for His followers to do, and He’s sent the Holy Spirit to lead the way in doing it. 

…Peter began his sermon by quoting the prophet Joel:

And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams; and even on my male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. And I will display wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth below,blood, fire, and vapor of smoke….And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

…I want you to notice something from what Peter and Joel said. If you’re old, Jesus has work for you to do! If you’re young, Jesus says, “Get busy!” If you’re a man or a woman, He’s telling you to get moving. There are no excuses. Until Jesus returns, there is work for us to do, and the Holy Spirit is here to lead us, if we’re willing to follow.

…I’ll be honest with you. In my role, I travel a lot – all over Florida. And I’m in a lot of different churches. Sometimes, I meet people who tell me, “We’re just an old congregation, and we’re tired. We need younger people to come and do something.” That’s when I need the Holy Spirit to put his hand over my mouth, because it raises my holy ire! 

If You’re Not Dead, You’re Not Done

…The Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost with a bold message: “If you’re not dead, you’re not done.” Age is not a pass for not evangelizing and discipling. And neither is inexperience. “Your old men will have dreams…Your sons and daughters will prophesy.” I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I need you to hear Peter’s sermon on Pentecost. The Holy Spirit has arrived, and if we’re seeking to be filled with Him, then there’s work to be done. Young, old, men, women, boys, girls – there are people to be saved! When I hear churches make excuses, “We’re too old, we’re too small, we’re rural, we’re urban, we’re poor…” it makes me question whether the people of that church are actively asking the Holy Spirit to fill them. It makes me question whether they’re preparing for the Presence. 

…One of my favorite Christian authors, A. W. Tozer, once said, “If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95% of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95% of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.” I want you to think about that for a moment. Does that describe your church? Does it describe your life?

…I’m willing to bet that almost every day during my devotion time, I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me. When I pray for the pastors and churches of this Conference, I always ask the Holy Spirit to fill you all. I ask that for two reasons. First, I leak, and I know I need a fresh filling. Second, the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost to give us that filling. He wants to fill us. We just need to ask.

…I humbly and lovingly encourage you to ask yourselves tonight, no matter your age, your size, or where you’re located, are you genuinely asking the Holy Spirit to fill you, and are you looking for the work the Holy Spirit has for you to do? Are you just doing what you’ve always done, and the Holy Spirit isn’t in it? Or are you actively asking the Holy Spirit where He’s at work in your community and how you and your church can get behind it?

The Holy Spirit is Always Doing a New Thing, but Never Sharing New Truth

…The second thing I think Peter is sharing in his Pentecost sermon to help us prepare for the presence of the Holy Spirit is to understand a very important idea: the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing, but the Holy Spirit is not sharing a new truth!

…Starting in verse 22 of Acts 2, Peter began to testify to who Jesus is: the Son of God and Savior of the world. The Holy Spirit was doing a new thing on that Pentecost. He was birthing the church, the very movement of Jesus that continues 2,000 years later and has changed the face of the Earth. Not once did the Holy Spirit ever bring new truth. 

…For so many years, we were told the Holy Spirit was doing a new thing as a justification to lead us away from Biblical teaching. It was such a deceiving message that I’ll be bold enough to say that it came straight from the pit of hell, because if successful, that kind of message takes us away from Jesus, not closer to Him.

…My friend, JD Walt, just finished a series on his devotional commentary called the Wake-Up Call. It walked readers through 1 John. One day, several weeks ago, JD wrote about the Holy Spirit doing a new thing but never bringing new truth. He wrote

One of the marks of a maturing follower of Jesus is a humble boldness born of a deep inner conviction about what is true, which consequently gives one discernment about what is false. This comes from the Holy Spirit. But how can you know it is from the Holy Spirit and that you aren’t being self-deceived? Test your sense of discernment by the whole counsel of Scripture. Is your discernment contrary to the teaching of Scripture? Does your sense of discernment require a stretched and strained interpretation of Scripture? If so, there’s a good chance you may be opening yourself up to false teaching. False teaching can take root so easily; through sheer strength of numbers, the consensus in the present can bully the truth of the past. Never mind that it flies in the face of the truth as it has always been taught and understood for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

…In John 14:25-26, Jesus said, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Later in John 16:12-13, Jesus said, “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”

…As JD finished that entry, “The Holy Spirit is always doing a new thing, but revealing new truth? Not so much.”

…As you prepare for the presence and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you so you can be about the new things He has for you, I want to empower you to remember this. The Holy Spirit is always doing a new thing, reaching new people, and sharing the Gospel in new ways. The Holy Spirit is never sharing new truth. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and the Holy Spirit will never contradict Jesus or the word of God. Anyone who tries to tell you differently is leading you astray. Be on guard, and let the Holy Spirit be your Guardian.

Repent To Be Filled

…The last idea that I think Peter is communicating to us through his Pentecost sermon is to give us the one key thing we must do to prepare for the Presence of the Holy Spirit, to fill us, lead us, and guide us.

…The people who heard Peter preach that day were captivated. So much so that Luke tells us in Acts 2:37, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” They were cut to the heart! That’s what the Holy Spirit does. That’s how you know you’ve encountered Him. You cannot interact with the Holy Spirit and not be significantly changed or emotionally affected.

…I want you to ask that question tonight. I want you to be saying to Jesus, yourself, and your neighbor, “What shall we do?” I want you to say it because you’ve powerfully encountered the Holy Spirit today, and you’re ready to prepare yourself to receive His presence and His filling.

…So, what shall we do? Peter has the answer in verses 38-39, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

…We must repent! When someone has brought a new idea to our church, and we’ve said, “We’ve never done it that way before,” we must repent! When we’ve said or thought, “I’m too old, someone else needs to do it,” we need to repent! When we’ve said, “We don’t have enough money, time, or volunteers” without remembering we worship a God who owns it all to begin with, we need to repent! When we’ve been led astray by people telling us the Holy Spirit is doing a new thing, but they’re really trying to sell us heresy, we need to repent! When we’ve thought, “I’m too young or Jesus can’t use me,” we need to repent! When we’ve put our personal preferences of comfort and security ahead of the mission, we need to repent! When we’ve felt the Holy Spirit leading us towards the new thing He’s doing to share the timeless truth of Jesus Christ, and yet we’ve run in the opposite direction, we need to repent!

…And if we’ve never chosen to follow Jesus, then we need to repent, be baptized, and sit under the teaching of mentors who will disciple us into becoming obedient followers of Christ.

From Disobedience to Repentance

…When I practiced law and began to truly know that God was calling me to be a pastor, I didn’t want to do it. I was utterly disobedient. I was certain God was calling me to do a new thing – become an ordained elder in the church – but I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I wanted to make a lot of money. I wanted to have a huge home and fancy cars. I wanted to run for public office. And God beat the snot out of me.

…For six weeks, I rebelled and was recalcitrant. I didn’t have a decent night’s sleep once in those six weeks. I couldn’t eat. My stomach was in knots all day, every day. Work was miserable. I was miserable. I knew what Jesus wanted, and I was refusing. And finally, I repented. I confessed my sins, asked for forgiveness, and told Jesus I would follow what He wanted of me. And I experienced that peace that passes all understanding that Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:7. And my life has never been the same. It’s been more wonderful than I could ever imagine. It’s also been hard, immensely challenging, and at times, an emotional roller coaster. But never once has the Holy Spirit abandoned me. He has led me the entire way, and as my hero, Maxie Dunnam would say, “God’s grace never took me, where God’s grace wouldn’t sustain me.”

…Friends, we need to repent. We need to submit. We need to turn towards the Holy Spirit, confess our sin, and offer ourselves to Him to go wherever He wants, whenever He wants, however He wants.

A Life Filled with the Holy Spirit

…What does that kind of life look like? Luke tells us at the end of Acts 2 in verses 42-47.

…They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

…Seeking the teachers of those wiser than we in the faith – that’s what a life prepared for the presence looks like. A rich prayer life and fellowship. That’s what it looks like. Being filled with awe at the amazing things the Holy Spirit will do right in front of us. That’s what it looks like. Being unselfish with our things and money and using them for God’s needs. That’s what it looks like. Worshipping and praising Jesus. That’s what it looks like.

…Friends, that’s not just something we read about that happened 2,000 years ago. It’s happening today. It can happen in your church in 2025. You don’t have to be a big church. You don’t have to be a rich church. You don’t have to be a church filled with young families. You can experience everything described in Acts 42-47 after Pentecost. 

…But you must understand that if you’re not dead, you’re not done. The Holy Spirit has work for you to do – absolutely no excuses. You can’t be led astray by false teachers who are waiting to get their hands on you. The Holy Spirit is always doing a new thing, but revealing new truth, not so much. And you must repent. You must repent by turning from yourself and turning toward Jesus, asking for forgiveness, and offering yourself to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

…Let’s prepare for the Presence, ask to be filled, and watch the miracles of ten billion Holy Spirit kilowatts happen right in front of our eyes.

All God’s love,

Jay

---

[i] Piper, John. Pentecost is Like the Opening of the Aswan High Dam. Preaching Today. https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2015/august/5081015.html

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

April 17, 2025

Since January 1, I have been on a cross-Florida adventure! My goal was to meet in person, one-on-one, with all 164 appointed pastors in the Florida Conference. As of March 11, I completed that goal, having spent 32 nights in hotels and driven about 4,000 miles. I would travel to a church in an area and typically do six to eight back-to-back, one-hour, individual conversations with our pastors. I journeyed from Tallahassee and throughout the panhandle all the way south to Marathon and Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was tiring, but I finished, as my grandmother would say, “…with a good tired.” (I also got behind in returning emails as between one-on-ones and travel time, the days were full. Thank you for your patience with me if you’ve been emailing me the first couple of months of 2025.)

I finished this goal with a renewed sense of hope and awe in the mission God has given our church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. The Florida Conference is blessed with incredible spiritual leaders. Our pastors are deeply committed to helping lead their churches to be effective in their missions, and it’s showing!

The Ship is Turning Around

One of my observations is that the narratives I heard are almost completely opposite from what they used to be. In our previous denomination, when I would do one-on-ones as a district superintendent, I would often hear stories of decline, no reports of baptisms or professions of faith, and a general lack of excitement. It felt like we were managing decline. That was not true in my conversations over the past two months.

Over the past two months, the norm in my time with pastors was to learn about new ministries in which our churches are engaged. I heard about baptisms and professions of faith and many new members. There was excitement around launching Alpha – for the first time in many churches. So many of our churches have embraced CarePortal, too, as a way to meet people at their point of need and offer them Christ. Churches are finding new ways to reach their communities for Christ. It’s rewarding, beautiful, and exciting!

Watching Over One Another in Love

When I first became a district superintendent in our former denomination 11 years ago, I went to a training where I was told, “You are NOT pastor to the pastors. There is never a moment when you’re not their supervisor. You cannot do both.” I thought that was hogwash then, and I still believe that today. John Wesley charged us with “watching over one another in love.” Our pastors need someone to care for their souls, and it’s one of the greatest privileges of my life to do so. Pastors, you are loved and deeply cared for!

During my time with our pastors, I generally asked at least four questions: how is it with your soul? What is Jesus currently teaching you? How can the Cabinet help you in your ministry? How can I pray for you? The answers were revealing. For the most part, I would say our pastors are energized and feeling optimistic in ways they haven’t felt in years. Yes, there were a few that were weary – understandably so, but it was the exception, not the rule. I learned some amazing lessons that Jesus is teaching our clergy, and I also heard that Christ is teaching many of our pastors patience. That’s something I’m always learning, as well. As always, we have some pastors who are facing difficult things, especially in their families and personal lives. It’s always a privilege to walk alongside them and support them in prayer.

Before meeting with our pastors, I read the evaluations that their Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee had given them. In the very rare circumstance there was an issue, I discussed it with them. I share this for two reasons. First, I want our S/P-PRCs to know that we really do read their hard work. When they submit evaluations, they don’t just go to an electronic filing cabinet never to be seen. Second, John Wesley hated what he called “idleness.” He expected Methodist pastors to be hard workers and pursue God’s glory. I can say that with one or two minor exceptions, we have pastors who are sold out for Jesus and trying their hardest to partner with the Holy Spirit in their communities. I’m humbly proud of them!

Areas for Growth

There are always places where we can continue to grow. There were a few discussions from pastors frustrated that they didn’t feel like people were focused externally enough. I’ve often said that the church is the only organization on earth that exists for the people who aren’t yet members of it. We still have work to do in that regard.

We also have work to do with growing younger. We tend to like our own personal preferences in worship style, discipleship methods, and outreaches instead of asking what are the preferences of the people we are trying to reach? I often challenge church leaders by asking the question, “What preference would you not be willing to give up if it meant your child or grandchild came to follow Jesus?” I know my answer would be none. I’d give up everything if it meant the people I love most said “yes” to Christ. We must help more of our people understand that.

The Future

Our presiding elders have shared that next year they would like to do the one-on-ones, and I’m excited for them to have the opportunity. Because they all serve vital and busy churches, they’ll likely have to spread them out over several months, but they’re ready! We have an amazing Cabinet that loves serving Jesus, and every day I’m grateful for their leadership.

It’s said that John Wesley preached approximately 40,000 sermons throughout his lifetime. Scholars also estimate he rode about 250,000 miles on horseback. My travels didn’t even come close, but I’m honored to follow in his footsteps. I’m deeply grateful to God that he’s allowed me to live long enough to see these signs of revival. The glory is all His!

All God’s love,

Jay

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

MARCH 20, 2025

Since January 1, I have been on a cross-Florida adventure! My goal was to meet in person, one-on-one, with all 164 appointed pastors in the Florida Conference. As of March 11, I completed that goal, having spent 32 nights in hotels and driven about 4,000 miles. I would travel to a church in an area and typically do six to eight back-to-back, one-hour, individual conversations with our pastors. I journeyed from Tallahassee and throughout the panhandle all the way south to Marathon and Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was tiring, but I finished, as my grandmother would say, “…with a good tired.” (I also got behind in returning emails as between one-on-ones and travel time, the days were full. Thank you for your patience with me if you’ve been emailing me the first couple of months of 2025.)

I finished this goal with a renewed sense of hope and awe in the mission God has given our church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe. The Florida Conference is blessed with incredible spiritual leaders. Our pastors are deeply committed to helping lead their churches to be effective in their missions, and it’s showing!

The Ship is Turning Around

One of my observations is that the narratives I heard are almost completely opposite from what they used to be. In our previous denomination, when I would do one-on-ones as a district superintendent, I would often hear stories of decline, no reports of baptisms or professions of faith, and a general lack of excitement. It felt like we were managing decline. That was not true in my conversations over the past two months.

Over the past two months, the norm in my time with pastors was to learn about new ministries in which our churches are engaged. I heard about baptisms and professions of faith and many new members. There was excitement around launching Alpha – for the first time in many churches. So many of our churches have embraced CarePortal, too, as a way to meet people at their point of need and offer them Christ. Churches are finding new ways to reach their communities for Christ. It’s rewarding, beautiful, and exciting!

Watching Over One Another in Love

When I first became a district superintendent in our former denomination 11 years ago, I went to a training where I was told, “You are NOT pastor to the pastors. There is never a moment when you’re not their supervisor. You cannot do both.” I thought that was hogwash then, and I still believe that today. John Wesley charged us with “watching over one another in love.” Our pastors need someone to care for their souls, and it’s one of the greatest privileges of my life to do so. Pastors, you are loved and deeply cared for!

During my time with our pastors, I generally asked at least four questions: how is it with your soul? What is Jesus currently teaching you? How can the Cabinet help you in your ministry? How can I pray for you? The answers were revealing. For the most part, I would say our pastors are energized and feeling optimistic in ways they haven’t felt in years. Yes, there were a few that were weary – understandably so, but it was the exception, not the rule. I learned some amazing lessons that Jesus is teaching our clergy, and I also heard that Christ is teaching many of our pastors patience. That’s something I’m always learning, as well. As always, we have some pastors who are facing difficult things, especially in their families and personal lives. It’s always a privilege to walk alongside them and support them in prayer.

Before meeting with our pastors, I read the evaluations that their Staff/Pastor-Parish Relations Committee had given them. In the very rare circumstance there was an issue, I discussed it with them. I share this for two reasons. First, I want our S/P-PRCs to know that we really do read their hard work. When they submit evaluations, they don’t just go to an electronic filing cabinet never to be seen. Second, John Wesley hated what he called “idleness.” He expected Methodist pastors to be hard workers and pursue God’s glory. I can say that with one or two minor exceptions, we have pastors who are sold out for Jesus and trying their hardest to partner with the Holy Spirit in their communities. I’m humbly proud of them!

Areas for Growth

There are always places where we can continue to grow. There were a few discussions from pastors frustrated that they didn’t feel like people were focused externally enough. I’ve often said that the church is the only organization on earth that exists for the people who aren’t yet members of it. We still have work to do in that regard.

We also have work to do with growing younger. We tend to like our own personal preferences in worship style, discipleship methods, and outreaches instead of asking what are the preferences of the people we are trying to reach? I often challenge church leaders by asking the question, “What preference would you not be willing to give up if it meant your child or grandchild came to follow Jesus?” I know my answer would be none. I’d give up everything if it meant the people I love most said “yes” to Christ. We must help more of our people understand that.

The Future

Our presiding elders have shared that next year they would like to do the one-on-ones, and I’m excited for them to have the opportunity. Because they all serve vital and busy churches, they’ll likely have to spread them out over several months, but they’re ready! We have an amazing Cabinet that loves serving Jesus, and every day I’m grateful for their leadership.

It’s said that John Wesley preached approximately 40,000 sermons throughout his lifetime. Scholars also estimate he rode about 250,000 miles on horseback. My travels didn’t even come close, but I’m honored to follow in his footsteps. I’m deeply grateful to God that he’s allowed me to live long enough to see these signs of revival. The glory is all His!

All God’s love,

Jay

The 2025 Florida Annual Conference will once again be held at Living Hope Church in Clermont, Florida.

Visit the link below for more information on an exciting array of speakers, general information, lunch orders and hotel reservations.

by Jay Therrell, Conference Superintendent

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

It’s well known that Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. I can always tell you how many days there are until Christmas – 41 as of today. I have an app on my phone that helps me keep track. In fact, if you want to know, as I type this, there are 978 hours or 58,684 minutes or 3,521,032 seconds or 4,694,691 heartbeats or 880,251 breaths until Christmas. Yes, I’m that guy! 

I start playing Christmas music on November 1. (As an aside, please don’t send me any emails about Thanksgiving deserving to be celebrated.) I truly love Thanksgiving as well! We don’t decorate for Christmas until the Friday after Thanksgiving. That said, I don’t have any problem with people putting their decorations up early. To each his own!

The “Magic” of Christmas

Since I was a little boy, Christmas has always seemed magical to me. It was a time of wonder, beauty, family, friends, and possibility. The older I grow, that’s still true. It’s just for a much different reason.

It’s still awe-inspiring to me that our God – Creator of the Universe – loves us so much that He left heaven to be born in a smelly, dirty stable. He did it just so He could be in relationship with you and me and offer us salvation. The vast depth of that kind of love is mindboggling to me. It still brings wonder, beauty, family, friends, and possibility. In fact, it’s the possibility that I love most.

At Christmas, it seems people are very open to hearing the Gospel message that God so loved the world that He gave us His only Son. I think the thing I miss most about ministry in the local church is sharing that message on Christmas Eve and inviting people to say “yes” to following Jesus.

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing

When I served in the local church, we did everything we could to help people remember the true reason we celebrate Christmas. We used the Advent Conspiracy materials. One year, we used Mike Slaughter’s book It’s Not YOUR Birthday as our sermon series. Our children’s ministry worked hard to instill in our kids what Christmas is truly about. The same was true for youth ministry.

One of the main ways we kept Jesus at the center of His birthday was through something we called the March to the Manger. I didn’t invent it. My spiritual dad, the Rev. Paul Dickinson, gave me the idea for it when he was my pastor many years ago.

March to the Manger

Every year, I would send out a snail-mailed letter to the congregation the week of Thanksgiving (before Advent began) and our church family to keep Jesus at the center of Christmas. We did that by making sure He received the biggest birthday gift. My charge was to make sure that families gave a gift to Jesus that was equal to or greater than the most expensive gift they gave to someone else. 

If the most expensive gift a person gave was an item of jewelry for their spouse, then give the same amount or more to Jesus. If it was a new gaming system for your children, then give more to the work of Christ in our world. You get the idea.

Each year, the leadership of our church would choose one or two ministries to support with the March to the Manger. Our church helped found a Christian medical clinic in our community for the underinsured and uninsured. Many years the March to the Manger supported that. Sometimes, the March money went to disaster relief. In other years, it helped support World Vision or Compassion International. We gave 100% of it away. Additionally, whatever we received in our Christmas Eve offerings was added to it. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to share on Christmas Eve, when our churches are full, that when people give, everything will be given away to those in need – and so really to Jesus (Matthew 25:31-46).

It was a definite act of faith. We weren’t a wealthy church. Our congregation was made up of school teachers, firefighters, police officers, and government employees. Yet every year we often collected $30,000+.

We took the March to the Manger as a separate offering in addition to the normal offering of tithes during worship. We took the March to the Manger offering all four Sundays of Advent. We’d set out a real manger in the front of the sanctuary. After the sermon, we’d invite people to come forward and bring their Jesus gift. When we sent the letter out before Thanksgiving, we included a decorative envelope they could use, but we also encouraged people to wrap their checks or cash in a small box like a Christmas present. It was always amazing how many people did that. Yes, it was extra work to open the gifts, but it was so beautiful to see and made a great point about what Christmas is all about.

My Challenge to You

I want to challenge our Florida Conference family to consider adding the March to the Manger to your church’s Christmas traditions this year. There’s still time to write a letter and get it mailed out. I’ve included a copy of one of my letters so you’ll have something to work from. There’s no magic in my wording, however. Make it your own.

Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year, and if we lead well, we can help people understand the real reason behind that is because Jesus is the center of it. 

After all, there are only six weekends left until Jesus’ birthday!

All God’s love,

Jay 
_________________________________________________________________
 
                                                                              Sample March to the Manger Letter

Dear Church Family,

In our home, we say the Advent/Christmas season officially begins when Santa’s sleigh makes its way into Herald Square in New York City as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As I write this letter, that’s only five days away! 

During this most wonderful and magical of all seasons, our Advent/Christmas worship series has an intriguing name: The Scandal of Christmas! When you think about it, there was scandal throughout the Christmas story. Mary was a young, unwed mother, pregnant with a child…scandalous! God, Himself, left the perfection of heaven to live among us in the broken and fallen world we’ve caused…scandalous! The Lord of the Cosmos was born in a cave used to keep barn animals with only a manger of hay for a bed…scandalous! We deserve nothing, yet God so loved us that He gave us His only Son so that we might find grace…scandalous! 

Something else that strikes me as scandalous is that every year we celebrate the birthday of the most non-material Person ever born with a gift-giving-extravaganza that rivals every other day of the entire year. It’s Jesus’ birthday, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the birth of the Savior of humankind than by giving a gift that will help all of us to be a part of Jesus’ “Plan A” to save and transform our community.

I challenge each of you to make your gift to Jesus equal to or larger in financial value than the most expensive gift you give your wife, husband, child, parent, or friend.  For example, if you buy your spouse a piece of jewelry, keep Jesus at the center of your gift-giving by making a gift to further His work that is of equal or greater value.  If an electronic item for a child is the most expensive item on your list, make a gift to Christ’s Kingdom work that is at least the same amount.  Let us keep Jesus as the center of Christmas by giving Him the main gift!

Our mission focus for the March to the Manger will be Samaritan Health and Wellness Center. As you probably know, our wonderful church helped to create Samaritan. In its first year, it saw 1,900 distinct patients who were either under-insured or uninsured. Those 1,900 people accounted for 3,500 office visits. Without Samaritan, our community would be hurting…scandalous! Samaritan is already considering expanding, including purchasing a permanent facility on Del Prado Boulevard. We hope our giving will help further that mission. 

How to respond:

Each Sunday during Advent, there will be a manger in the chancel, and we will encourage you during that special time to bring forward your gift to Jesus. Checks should be made out to Cape Coral First with “March to the Manger” written on the memo line.  Please place your financial gift in the enclosed envelope or even wrap it in a small box if you like.  Please remember this is to be a sacrificial gift that is not part of your ordinary tithing and offering to the church.  Please pray and ask God how He might be leading you to help further His salvation mission through our church.

Together, we can further the work of Jesus by letting the world know that He is at the top of our Christmas lists – in this day and age, that’s scandalous, too!  May God give you the most blessed Christmas you have ever had!

All God’s love,Jay Therrell

Senior Pastor