The Kingstowne Communion

Sunday, July 6, 2025 | You Asked For It | Pastor Michelle preaches in our summer 2025 series based on the questions our congregation has asked for, this week answering: "Is there anything about Christianity that evangelicals get right?"

Sunday, June 29, 2025 | You Asked For It | Pastor Michelle preaches in our summer 2025 series based on the questions our congregation has asked for, this week answering: "How do we hold together God's justice and mercy in the face of the worst humans can do?"

Sunday, June 22, 2025 | You Asked For It | Pastor Michelle preaches in our summer 2025 series based on the questions our congregation has asked for, this week answering: "Is there such a thing as a just war?"

Sunday, June 15, 2025 | You Asked For It | Pastor Michelle preaches in our summer 2025 series based on the questions our congregation has asked for, this week answering: "Why do we still call God Father?"

June 9, 2025 | Mauren & Elise, two of our graduating seniors, offer our graduate message around the metaphor of God as potter.

Sunday, June 1, 2025 | Pastor Ryan LaRock guest preaches at our annual Pride Celebration Service

March-April 2025 | Divine Exchange (Wk 6): Uniting Us with God (Participation/Theosis Theories) | Throughout the season of Lent, we unpack six theories of Jesus's atonement (that great divine exchange), exploring all the possibilities of how Jesus achieved redemption of all the world, wrestling and finding the holes in what Christians have been known to believe, and re-centering God's love in the story of redemption as we consider the lengths to which God would go and all that God would give to be with us.

March-April 2025 | Divine Exchange (Wk 5): Defeating Sin & Death (Christus Victor Theory) | Throughout the season of Lent, we unpack six theories of Jesus's atonement (that great divine exchange), exploring all the possibilities of how Jesus achieved redemption of all the world, wrestling and finding the holes in what Christians have been known to believe, and re-centering God's love in the story of redemption as we consider the lengths to which God would go and all that God would give to be with us.

March-April 2025 | Divine Exchange (Wk 4): Relieving Our Judgement (Penal Substitution Theory) | Throughout the season of Lent, we unpack six theories of Jesus's atonement (that great divine exchange), exploring all the possibilities of how Jesus achieved redemption of all the world, wrestling and finding the holes in what Christians have been known to believe, and re-centering God's love in the story of redemption as we consider the lengths to which God would go and all that God would give to be with us.

March-April 2025 | Divine Exchange (Wk 3): Redeeming Our Human Debt (Satisfaction/Ransom Theory) | Throughout the season of Lent, we unpack six theories of Jesus's atonement (that great divine exchange), exploring all the possibilities of how Jesus achieved redemption of all the world, wrestling and finding the holes in what Christians have been known to believe, and re-centering God's love in the story of redemption as we consider the lengths to which God would go and all that God would give to be with us.

March-April 2025 | Divine Exchange (Wk 2): Transforming Our Hardheartedness (Moral Example Theory) | Throughout the season of Lent, we unpack six theories of Jesus's atonement (that great divine exchange), exploring all the possibilities of how Jesus achieved redemption of all the world, wrestling and finding the holes in what Christians have been known to believe, and re-centering God's love in the story of redemption as we consider the lengths to which God would go and all that God would give to be with us.

March-April 2025 | Divine Exchange (Wk 1): Transcending Our Created Limitation (Recapitulation Theory) | Throughout the season of Lent, we unpack six theories of Jesus's atonement (that great divine exchange), exploring all the possibilities of how Jesus achieved redemption of all the world, wrestling and finding the holes in what Christians have been known to believe, and re-centering God's love in the story of redemption as we consider the lengths to which God would go and all that God would give to be with us.

March 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the eighth sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, following John Wesley's three simple rules and learning from his wisdom on money and advocacy for racial justice.

February 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the seventh sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, following John Wesley still to London, where Wesley, late in life, begins to understand faith a journey of going on to perfection.

February 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the third sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, following John Wesley still to Bristol, where Wesley responds to his peers with a grace that leaves room for the mystery of God.

February 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the fifth sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, following John Wesley to Bristol where Wesley invites us to wrestle with grace & good works.

January 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the fourth sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, following John Wesley to Oxford where we find John Wesley, aiming for holiness, but discovering God's heart-warming grace.

January 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the third sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, following John Wesley to Oxford where head, and heart and truth and grace, collide to birth new, compelling both-and expression of faith.

January 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the second sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, expounding on Wesley's mother Susanna's impact on his middle way of faith, friendship, and "Catholic spirit."

January 2025 | Pastor Michelle preaches the first sermon in a series on the history and theology of Methodism, beginning in Epworth with the Puritan prayer that sparked a revival.

Pastor Michelle connects one last Christmas movie, a cult favorite "Love, Actually," to the Christmas story and significance of the birth of Jesus.

Pastor Michelle relates the classic Christmas story to "The Polar Express" and discusses the effect of the "uncanny valley" on our perceptions of Jesus.

In our Traveler's Christmas service, Michelle recounts the life of Dr. Seuss and his writing of the Christmas classic, while asking whether our personal images of Jesus are filled with the kind of transformative, cosmic wonder that saved the Grinch.

Rev. Michelle Matthews talks about "The Santa Clause" and "The Christmas Chronicles," relates a brief history of St. Nicholas, and discusses the disconnect of being good to be on the nice list, when we can only truly be saved by the grace of Jesus.

Rev. Michelle Matthews discusses how Home Alone is the perfect Christmas movie, and how we can take Gabriel's message to Zechariah to heart this Advent season.

Michelle Matthews kicks off our Coming Soon series by discussing what Christmas Vacation can teach us about Advent.

In the conclusion of our sermon series on the book of Nehemiah, Michelle Matthews reads from Nehemiah 13, discusses how the demographics of the DMV affect our follow-through, and how we can refocus by going deep instead of wide.

Continuing our sermon series on the Book of Nehemiah chapters 8-10, Michelle Matthews preaches about the Feast of Booths (aka the Feast of Tabernacles), and how the modern resurgence of building sukkahs points to a need to counteract the loneliness of living in today's world.

Preaching on Nehemiah 5-7 in the wake of the 2024 election, Michelle Matthews reflects on her pilgrimage to England, the concept of "Heartedge," and how Kingstowne can use these lessons to grow as a community that can offer compassion for others.

Michelle Matthews preaches on Nehemiah 4 on All Saints Sunday, discussing how Nehemiah displays a leadership combination of self, skills, and spirit that still applies today. The sermon is followed by a prayer for our nation on the eve of the 2024 election.

From our costumed & collaborative All Hallows service, Rev. Dawn Jefferson from Hope UCC reads the Scripture, while Pastor Michelle joins Rev. Amber Neuroth from Hope UCC in a pastoral reflection on the meaning of All Hallows Eve. Rev. Melissa Porter-Miller closes in prayer.

Rev. Michelle Matthews gives an overview of Nehemiah 2 and discusses how collaborating with ordinary members of the community can yield unexpected results and renewal.

In her first Sunday back from renewal leave, Rev. Michelle Matthews begins a sermon series on the book of Nehemiah and shares the insights she gained during her time away, including a reassessment of what is most valuable to us as Christians.

In a joint service of The Kingstowne Communion and Franconia UMC on World Communion Sunday, Pastor Michelle and Pastor Melissa are asked questions by youth from churches about the meaning, power, and relevancy of Communion.

Sunday, September 29, 2024 | Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 6: "Draw the Circle Wider" | Rev. Kameron Wilds wraps up this sermon series with a message on Mark 7:24-30 that demonstrates how the story of the Syrophoenician woman shows the humanity of Jesus, and urges us to keep making our tables bigger while drawing the circles of our inclusivity wider.

Sunday, September 22, 2024| Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 5: "Let's Go!" | Rev. Dr. Daniel Park preaches on Mark 6:6-13 and how Jesus sent his disciples can be instructive for the modern church to create fresh expressions of worship.

Sunday, September 15, 2024 | Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 4: "The Chili Tree" | Rev. Dr. Katie Carson Phillips delivers a message on Philippians 4:1-7 about a chili incident, the shadow of death, being flexible, and her vision for the future of the church.

Sunday, September 8, 2024 | Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 3: "Becoming a New Community" | Rev. Thomas James delivers a message on 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 on how the modern day church can draw on the lessons of Paul to look past all of our human divisions and build a new community.

Sunday, September 1, 2024 | Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 2: "Do I Have To?" | Rev. Dr. Jonathan Page preaches about taking Sabbath in a sermon centered around Deuteronomy 5:12-15 & Luke 13:10-17.

Sunday, August 25, 2024 | Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 1: "The Need to Be Seen" | Rev. Amanda Miller Garber leads a discussion centered around John 4:1-30 on the loneliness epidemic and how it affects the church today.

Sunday, August 18, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week7: "Abbott Elementary & the Prayerful, Persistent Power of Hope" | Pastor Michelle preaches in a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, August 11, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week 6: "Young Sheldon, Unpredictable Seeds & the Mystery of God" | Pastor Michelle preaches in a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, August 4, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week 5: "The Good Place, Perfection & Practicing Heaven Now" | Pastor Michelle preaches in a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, July 28, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week 3: "Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Barren Trees & Bearing Fruit" | Guest pastor Alyssa Densham preaches a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, July 21, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week 3: "Bluey, Lit Lamps & Tilled Soil" | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, July 14, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week 2: "The Bear & the Journey Toward Being Found" | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, July 7, 2024 | Bingeworthy: The Stories of Our Lives & Other Parables | Week 1: "Schitt's Creek & the Treasure of a Wider Table" | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the binge-worthy parables of Jesus, as told through the lenses of some of our favorite binge-worthy shows.

Sunday, June 30, 2024 | Hide & Seek: Lessons on Shame & Connection | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the lessons from scripture about shame and how it affects the way we connect with others and God.

Sunday, June 23, 2024 | Hide & Seek: Lessons on Shame & Connection | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the lessons from scripture about shame and how it affects the way we connect with others and God.

Sunday, June 16, 2024 | Hide & Seek: Lessons on Shame & Connection | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the lessons from scripture about shame and how it affects the way we connect with others and God.

Sunday, June 9, 2024 | Hide & Seek: Lessons on Shame & Connection | Pastor Michelle preaches a series on the lessons from scripture about shame and how it affects the way we connect with others and God.