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Are you fully committed?Fully Committed is all about living out the vows we make as members of our church--prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. It’s a season to reflect on how we can actively participate in God’s work, grow in faith, and strengthen our church family. Through sermons, interactive experiences, Bible studies, and devotionals, we invite everyone to engage, contribute, and celebrate what it means to be fully committed to God and one another.
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Join us each Sunday as we celebrate one of our membership vows in Worship and explore what it means to live them out in our daily lives.
Each Sunday will also feature an interactive station in the Mission Café area.
October 5 • Prayers
October 12 • Presence
October 19 • Gifts
October 26 • Service- join us for a morning of churchwide service projects!
November 2 • Witness
Each Sunday will also feature an interactive station in the Mission Café area.
October 5 • Prayers
October 12 • Presence
October 19 • Gifts
October 26 • Service- join us for a morning of churchwide service projects!
November 2 • Witness
- As part of our Fully Committed series, we’re diving deeper each week into our membership vows—prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness—through a special devotional journey. Every Monday, a devotional is sent out via email; on Wednesday, you’ll receive a short midweek reflection; and on Friday, Brother Ben shares a video on social media to wrap up the week’s theme. Together, these moments help us reflect, grow, and live out our faith in meaningful ways. Read each Monday's full devotional below.
- Beginning October 1st, dive into each vow with a weekly Bible Study, offered as part of Wednesday Night Live programming.
We encourage you to return your pledge card on Commitment Sunday, November 2nd.
If you prefer to pledge online, click here.
If you prefer to pledge online, click here.
When we take our United Methodist Membership vows, we are making a public declaration that we believe in the following things:
1. To renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil
powers of the world, and repent of their sin;
2. To accept the freedom and power God gives them to resist
evil, injustice, and oppression;
3. To confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put their whole trust in his
grace, and promise to serve him as their Lord;
4. To remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve
as Christ’s representatives in the world;
5. To be loyal to Christ through The United Methodist Church
and do all in their power to strengthen its ministries;
6. To faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers,
their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness;
7. To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
These are the promises and pledges we make to God, to ourselves, and to our faith community about the things we will believe, profess, and live into. In our Stewardship Sermon Series, and this weekly devotional, we are going to dive into the sixth point. What does it mean to faithfully participate in the life of the Church as a member?
Participation means to take part in, to lend your time, energy, and attention to a group, idea, relationship, or company to support it and help it grow. The five activities listed above are the way that we participate in the life of the Church here at St. James. Participating is socially, mentally, and faithfully beneficial, as it connects us with a larger purpose, deepens our relationships to other participants, and engages our hearts in the service of God. Each week on Sunday Morning we will be looking at one of these five, and then the following Monday, offering further reflection and follow up about how we can better participate in the life of St. James.
1. To renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil
powers of the world, and repent of their sin;
2. To accept the freedom and power God gives them to resist
evil, injustice, and oppression;
3. To confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put their whole trust in his
grace, and promise to serve him as their Lord;
4. To remain faithful members of Christ’s holy church and serve
as Christ’s representatives in the world;
5. To be loyal to Christ through The United Methodist Church
and do all in their power to strengthen its ministries;
6. To faithfully participate in its ministries by their prayers,
their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness;
7. To receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the
Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.
These are the promises and pledges we make to God, to ourselves, and to our faith community about the things we will believe, profess, and live into. In our Stewardship Sermon Series, and this weekly devotional, we are going to dive into the sixth point. What does it mean to faithfully participate in the life of the Church as a member?
Participation means to take part in, to lend your time, energy, and attention to a group, idea, relationship, or company to support it and help it grow. The five activities listed above are the way that we participate in the life of the Church here at St. James. Participating is socially, mentally, and faithfully beneficial, as it connects us with a larger purpose, deepens our relationships to other participants, and engages our hearts in the service of God. Each week on Sunday Morning we will be looking at one of these five, and then the following Monday, offering further reflection and follow up about how we can better participate in the life of St. James.
“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.”
James 5:16
We first saw this list of participatory activities over 100 years ago, as they were listed by the Methodist Episcopal Church, before being adopted by the United Methodist Church. Prayer was always at the front of the list. Jesus both models and teaches the importance of prayer, as Jesus frequently withdrew to spend time connecting with God, while also teaching his Disciples how to do the same.
The intention of prayer is to communicate with God, both to share with God your heart and mind, and to listen for God’s words of calling, conviction, and love. Prayer helps us align our hearts and minds to God so that we can see and experience the world as God sees it. Prayer is the way we understand God’s will for our lives, and how we can live into that. It is the first of the five ways for us to participate because it is so vital to how engage our hearts and lives with God.
It is also one of the most diverse faith activities in which we can participate. Praying comes in a plethora of ways from the silent and private prayers we offer up in the morning and evening to the prayers of a gathered group of believers who all pray together. Some prayers happen behind the steering wheel, and others before meals. Some are very intentional, praying for one specific things, while others are the more general conversational style. There is no “proper” way to pray, the only thing necessary is a heart longing to connect with God.
We pray not just for ourselves and our families, but also for God’s Kingdom as a whole, and particularly St. James. We pray that our Church would continue to make Disciples, share love, and grow in faith. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ at St. James and in churches around the world.
We pray because it matters, as James said in his letter, it is “powerful and effective”. Let us turn our hearts to God this week, and connect with our Savior.
James 5:16
We first saw this list of participatory activities over 100 years ago, as they were listed by the Methodist Episcopal Church, before being adopted by the United Methodist Church. Prayer was always at the front of the list. Jesus both models and teaches the importance of prayer, as Jesus frequently withdrew to spend time connecting with God, while also teaching his Disciples how to do the same.
The intention of prayer is to communicate with God, both to share with God your heart and mind, and to listen for God’s words of calling, conviction, and love. Prayer helps us align our hearts and minds to God so that we can see and experience the world as God sees it. Prayer is the way we understand God’s will for our lives, and how we can live into that. It is the first of the five ways for us to participate because it is so vital to how engage our hearts and lives with God.
It is also one of the most diverse faith activities in which we can participate. Praying comes in a plethora of ways from the silent and private prayers we offer up in the morning and evening to the prayers of a gathered group of believers who all pray together. Some prayers happen behind the steering wheel, and others before meals. Some are very intentional, praying for one specific things, while others are the more general conversational style. There is no “proper” way to pray, the only thing necessary is a heart longing to connect with God.
We pray not just for ourselves and our families, but also for God’s Kingdom as a whole, and particularly St. James. We pray that our Church would continue to make Disciples, share love, and grow in faith. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ at St. James and in churches around the world.
We pray because it matters, as James said in his letter, it is “powerful and effective”. Let us turn our hearts to God this week, and connect with our Savior.
- What are you going to be praying for this week?
- How do you typically pray? What can you try that is outside of your normal routine?
- How does a deep life of prayer help you to become a more generous person?
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Showing up matters, doesn’t it? Think about a time of great need in your life, maybe you were dealing with a death in the family, some terrible job news, or a difficult diagnosis. In the aftermath of those moments, I bet you can quickly think about who was with you in those moments, who showed up and made their presence with you known. A pastor I know shared a story about his toddler aged daughter dying in an accident. His family was grief-stricken. The pastor’s best friend showed up as soon as he heard, and told the pastor that he didn’t know what to say or do, but that he was around. The best friend stayed in the house for a while, but eventually felt in the way. So he told his Pastor that he was going to be out in his car, until he was needed. He would be present, but not overbearing. The friend stayed there all weekend, only leaving to refuel. The pastor related how this made him feel, knowing that his friend was within arms reach, and there whenever needed. Presence makes a difference.
It makes a difference in our participation in the Kingdom of God as well. First, God desires that we offer our presence in the same way that He does for us. God shows up for us in all times and all places, and asks that we show up to Worship Him. When we come to church, we are showing up for each other, building friendships, strengthening Discipleship, and growing together. It is only through our presence together that we can really get to know one another, build trust, and encourage each other in the faith.
Thankfully, at our beloved Church there are many ways for you to be present, both on campus and online. From weekend worship to small group Bible Studies there is a place for you. I also know that there are so many things that vie for your time and presence. Between work, recreation, family obligations, your time is incredibly precious and sought after. In this culture of busyness, showing up to Church highlights just how important your relationship with God is and is a real act of stewardship as you offer yourself to the Kingdom.
Hebrews 10:24-25
Showing up matters, doesn’t it? Think about a time of great need in your life, maybe you were dealing with a death in the family, some terrible job news, or a difficult diagnosis. In the aftermath of those moments, I bet you can quickly think about who was with you in those moments, who showed up and made their presence with you known. A pastor I know shared a story about his toddler aged daughter dying in an accident. His family was grief-stricken. The pastor’s best friend showed up as soon as he heard, and told the pastor that he didn’t know what to say or do, but that he was around. The best friend stayed in the house for a while, but eventually felt in the way. So he told his Pastor that he was going to be out in his car, until he was needed. He would be present, but not overbearing. The friend stayed there all weekend, only leaving to refuel. The pastor related how this made him feel, knowing that his friend was within arms reach, and there whenever needed. Presence makes a difference.
It makes a difference in our participation in the Kingdom of God as well. First, God desires that we offer our presence in the same way that He does for us. God shows up for us in all times and all places, and asks that we show up to Worship Him. When we come to church, we are showing up for each other, building friendships, strengthening Discipleship, and growing together. It is only through our presence together that we can really get to know one another, build trust, and encourage each other in the faith.
Thankfully, at our beloved Church there are many ways for you to be present, both on campus and online. From weekend worship to small group Bible Studies there is a place for you. I also know that there are so many things that vie for your time and presence. Between work, recreation, family obligations, your time is incredibly precious and sought after. In this culture of busyness, showing up to Church highlights just how important your relationship with God is and is a real act of stewardship as you offer yourself to the Kingdom.
- What has been your biggest blessing from being present with God at Church?
- How could you practice presence more in the coming weeks?
- How has God’s presence shown up for you before? How can you show up for God?