Oct 18 2026 ~ Week 1 — Christ brings us together

Series premise: From the beginning, the church was never meant to be a collection of independent followers of Jesus. Christ gathers people who would otherwise remain separated and makes them into something new: a body, a household, a people, a dwelling place for God. That makes Ephesians an especially strong letter for this campaign. The first half of Ephesians announces what God has already accomplished in Christ; the second half asks what life looks like because of what God has done. Grace comes first. Then comes our response. The three-week movement is: Week 1 — Christ brings us together. TESTIMONY HEIDI A place to belong. Week 2 — Christ forms us together. TESTIMONY -someone from small group who has had a story of how they were supported A people who need one another. Week 3 — Christ sends us together.  TESTIMONY -who has a story about serving              A people with purpose. A recurring series statement: We are better together because God is building us together. WEEK ONE — THERE'S ROOM FOR YOU Big Idea: Nobody should have to wonder whether there is room for them in the family Jesus is building. Overview: The first movement of Better Together begins with belonging. Before Paul tells the church what to accomplish, how to behave, how to serve, or what gifts to use, he reminds them of what God has already done. There were people who had been regarded as outsiders. People who were “far off.” People separated by religious, cultural, and social barriers that had existed for generations. And Christ does not merely invite those outsiders to become better versions of insiders. Christ creates a new community in which the old categories no longer determine who belongs. That is an important distinction for Joy!'s first campaign goal. There are people around us who are “done” with church. But we should be careful not to identify them directly with the “godless Gentiles” of Ephesians 2. Many have not rejected God at all. Some have been wounded precisely because they cared deeply about God and encountered a church that communicated, intentionally or unintentionally: There isn't room here for someone like you. Our calling is not to rescue spiritually inferior outsiders. It is to become increasingly faithful to the community Christ is already creating—a household where barriers come down, people who have been kept at a distance are brought near, and those who expected to remain strangers discover family. Our first campaign goal is therefore much bigger than social-media advertising. It asks: Are we willing to leave the comfort of our walls to help people discover the welcome Christ has already extended to them? Scripture: Ephesians 2:13–22 Focus on Ephesians 2:11–22 in worship because verses 11–12 establish the problem, but build the sermon primarily around verses 13–22. Important Verses To Return To: “You who once were far off are made near.” “You are no longer strangers.” “You also are built together.” The Invitation Piece - For Joy Our campaign goal says we want to connect with at least 20 people who are searching for a welcoming and affirming Christian community. Those twenty are not a metric. They are twenty stories. Twenty people God already loves. Twenty people who may be wondering whether they could ever risk church again. Our giving makes it possible for Joy! to go toward them. Social media isn't the mission. An off-site gathering isn't the mission. A community partnership isn't the mission. Those are simply doors where walls used to be. =============================================================== Speaker – Pastor Mark Borgetti Welcome to Joy! Lutheran Church, Gurnee, IL Our mission: Reach our neighbors with Christ’s love so all lives are changed Newer to Joy! or not sure where to go from here? We would love to get to know you! Digital connect card: https://www.joylutheran.org/get-conne... View our upcoming events: https://www.joylutheran.org/the-conne... Need Prayer?: https://www.joylutheran.org/prayer-re... Facebook Page:   / joylutheranchurchgurneeillinois   Facebook Group:   / joylutheran   Give online: https://www.joylutheran.org/giving.html Give online: https://www.joylutheran.org/giving.html