Episcopal Church of the Redeemer

Worshiping God, living in community, reaching out to the world.

Category: Bulletin Inserts

The bulletin insert for August 24, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Feast of St. Bartholomew

The Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bartholomew on August 24.

Detail of St. Bartholomew the Apostle from Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment

Barnabas is one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. We only know of Bartholomew by his listing among them in the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. His name means “Son of Tolmai. According to Holy Women, Holy Men, “He is sometimes identified with Nathanael, the friend of Philip, the ‘Israelite without guile’ in John’s Gospel, to whom Jesus promised the vision of angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man” (Holy Women, Holy Men, 538).

Unfortunately, this is the only information recorded about Bartholomew across the Gospels. Few other historically reliable sources are available. Despite this lack of a reliable historical record, tradition has filled in several details around his travels, ministry, and martyrdom.

Gospel of Bartholomew?

This hagiography, or writing of the life of a saint, has come to diverse conclusions. Some sources hold that church historians Jerome and Bede knew of a Gospel of Bartholomew. Such a text is lost to us today.

Eusebius of Caesarea writes in the third century that a Hebrew text of Matthew’s Gospel was found in India by a traveling philosopher-theologian. Locals attribute it to “Bartholomew, one of the Apostles.”

Evangelist to Armenia?

There is also a tradition that Bartholomew, along with the Apostle Jude Thaddeus, brought the gospel to Armenia. While there, they are reputed to have converted Polymius, the king of Armenia, to Christianity. This enraged the king’s brother, who ordered Bartholomew’s execution. The story holds that the apostle was flayed alive and crucified at Albanopolis. This leads to a common (and sometimes grotesque) depiction of the saint as a man or skeleton holding his own skin.

Episcopal churches named after Batholomew

There are at least 18 Episcopal churches named in honor of the saint. They range from California and the Dominican Republic to Michigan and Georgia.

Perhaps the most famous example is St. Bart’s on Park Avenue in New York City. It is a rare example of Byzantine Revival architecture from 1916 and a National Historic Landmark.

Collect for St. Bartholomew

Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

August 22, 2025
The bulletin insert for August 17, 2025
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Episcopal Youth Event and Encuentro de Jóvenes Episcopales

The following letter from the Rev. Lester Mackenzie, chief of Mission Program, provides an update on The Episcopal Church’s two largest events for young people. It was published on July 25, 2025.

May grace and peace be with you during these warm summer days. After listening carefully and discerning with Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, our leadership team, and many of you across the church, and reading this report on EYE (Episcopal Youth Event) from 2021, I write with a full heart and deep hope for the future of our youth gatherings. We are all asking the same questions; and after much prayer and conversation, I want to share where we feel called to go next.

As Bishop Sean has said, “We will be a strong, adaptive church that communicates and embodies the depth of Christian spirituality and works toward The Episcopal Church’s vision of God’s kingdom by supporting ministry on the ground in dioceses.” This vision guides these plans.

EJE 2026 – A Celebration in Iglesia Episcopal en Colombia

Encuentro de Jóvenes Episcopales (EJE) will meet July 13–16, 2026, in Medellín, Colombia. This gathering will give Province IX a beautiful chance to celebrate faith, culture, and the gifts our young people bring. Our Mission Program team will work closely with Province IX leaders to bring this to life.

Looking Ahead to EYE 2028

After EJE 2026, we will pause to pray and reflect on what Episcopal Youth Event should look like in 2028. This space will help us hear what our communities most need. Some have wondered if EYE could happen alongside General Convention. After looking at that carefully, we decided combining them would stretch our volunteers too thin and make it harder to honor the unique spirit of both events. We will preserve the essence of each gathering and fully support the Official Youth Presence at General Convention.

Regional Gatherings

During late 2026 and 2027, we will invite dioceses, regions, and provinces to host smaller, more local gatherings where we can learn, connect, and try new ideas together.

After EJE 2026, we will gather young people, mentors, and leaders—especially those from communities of color—to help us imagine what comes next. You can expect to hear more about the timeline and opportunities to participate by fall 2026. We will move forward with purpose and care.

As I sit with all of this, I keep thinking about Esther and her moment of purpose. Maybe you are here “for such a time as this.” We must trust that good will grow from this work, even if we can’t see it all yet. I ask for your prayers and your partnership. Here’s how you can join us:
- Lift up young leaders in your communities.
- Share this vision with others who care about youth ministry.
- Walk alongside us as we move through this transition.
- Pray for our youth, their families, and the adult mentors who walk alongside them.
Thank you for everything you do to keep the holy fire alive in our young people. Your dedication makes all the difference.

With deep gratitude,

The Rev. Lester V. Mackenzie, AHC (Associate of the Holy Cross)
Chief of Mission Program, Presiding Bishop’s Office

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
August 15, 2025
The bulletin insert for August 10, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Feast of St. Mary the Virgin

On August 15, the church celebrates the Feast of Saint Mary the Virgin. Mary, the mother of Christ, has been celebrated since the earliest days of the Christian church.

The Gospel of Luke contains a “Song of Praise” that was sung by Mary when her cousin Elizabeth recognized her as the mother of the Lord (Luke 1:43). Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist when her cousin Mary, who was pregnant with Jesus, came to see her:

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy’” (Luke 1:41-44).

Stained glass depiction of St. Mary the Virgin from the Episcopal Church Center, San Diego, Diocese of San Diego

“Mary’s Song of Praise” is also called “The Magnificat” because its opening line in Latin is: “Magnificat anima mea Dominum,” “My soul magnifies the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise (The Magnificat)

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.

Luke 1:46-55

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

August 8, 2025
The bulletin insert for August 3, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Feast of The Transfiguration

August 6 is the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This commemorates Jesus’ unveiling as the Son of God by his radical change of appearance. This was in the presence of Peter, James, and John on a mountaintop.

The Gospel of Matthew records that Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.” At this moment Moses and Elijah appeared, and they were talking with Jesus. Peter, misunderstanding the meaning of this manifestation, offered to make three “booths” (or “dwellings”) for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. A bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud stated, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The disciples fell on their faces in awe, but Jesus encouraged them to arise and “have no fear.” When the disciples looked up, they saw only Jesus (Matthew 17:1-8).

Two other gospel accounts (Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28- 36) mention the Transfiguration. The Second Letter of Peter referred to it, which records that “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” and “we were with him on the holy mountain” (2 Peter 1:16-18).

Importance of the Transfiguration

The Transfiguration is a pivotal moment. It revealed Christ’s glory prior to the crucifixion. This event also anticipated his resurrection and ascension. It also prefigures the glorification of human nature in Christ. Some think that the setting on the mountain is significant because it becomes the point where human nature meets God, with Jesus acting as a point of connection between heaven and earth.

Celebration of the Transfiguration began in the eastern church in the late fourth century. The celebration of this feast is on August 6. The dedication of the first church built on Mount Tabor, traditionally considered to be the “high mountain” of the Transfiguration, was on this date. There are scholars, however, who believe the Transfiguration occurred either on Mount Hermon, which borders Syria and Lebanon, or on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Collect for the Transfiguration

O God, who on the holy mount revealed to chosen witnesses your well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with you, O Father, and you, O Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen (Book of Common Prayer, p. 243).

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

August 1, 2025
The bulletin insert for July 27, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Feast of William Wilberforce

On July 30, the Episcopal Church remembers William Wilberforce (1759–1833), along with Anthony Ashley Cooper (1801-1885), prophetic witnesses of the Gospel of Christ. Wilberforce was a British statesman and evangelical Anglican who used his position as a Member of Parliament from the Yorkshire area to advocate for the abolition of the slave trade throughout the British Empire.

Noted for personal charm and great eloquence as a public speaker, Wilberforce was elected to Parliament from his home town and district of Hull at the age of 21. After a conversion experience in 1784, he joined the evangelical wing of the Anglican church and became interested in social reform movements.

Lady Margaret Middleton, the wife of another Member of Parliament, approached Wilberforce as a likely person to work within the government for the abolition of the slave trade. The enormity of the task was daunting to Wilberforce, who wrote, “I feel the great importance of the subject and I think myself unequal to the task allotted to me.”

But Wilberforce accepted the mission. “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners,” he wrote in his journal in 1787. His health, however, had never been good, and illness prevented him from immediately taking on the challenge. It was May 1789 before he made his first speech in the House of Commons on the subject of the slave trade.

When Wilberforce formally proposed abolition of the trade in 1791, his fellow members voted against his motion by nearly two to one. Wilberforce continued to press the matter, making similar proposals some nine times by 1805. During that time, due to the efforts of many reformers, the British people learned about the horrific conditions endured by enslaved Africans, and public opinion gradually turned against the slave trade.

It took longer to convince Parliament, but the Abolition of the Slave Trade bill was eventually passed in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords by large majorities and took effect in March 1807. Although the successful bill was introduced by another Member of Parliament, Wilberforce received full credit — and a rare standing ovation from the House of Commons — for his untiring efforts. Unfortunately, the 1807 bill did not immediately stop the slave trade. Seafaring traders flouted the law, sometimes covering this illegal commerce by throwing their captives overboard to drown when ships of the British navy approached. Many people became convinced that only the abolition of slavery would stop the trade.

Wilberforce at first resisted calls for outright abolition, writing in 1807, “It would be wrong to emancipate [the slaves]. To grant freedom to them immediately would be to insure not only their masters’ ruin, but their own. They must [first] be trained and educated for freedom.” But he eventually came to support full emancipation and worked to bring public opinion and political will together to that end. He continued to serve in Parliament, supporting a variety of causes, including overseas Christian mission, increased education, and greater freedom for Roman Catholics. He retired in 1825 due to ill health but continued to campaign for an end to slavery.

Wilberforce saw his efforts rewarded when Parliament passed a law in July 1833 outlawing slavery throughout the British Empire. He died three days later at age 73. In honor of his service to the nation, he was buried in the north transept of Westminster Abbey.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

July 25, 2025
The bulletin insert for July 20, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Feast of St. James, Apostle and Martyr

On July 25, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. James, apostle and martyr.

This James is often styled “St. James the Greater,” to distinguish him from the other Apostle of the same name and from James, “the brother of our Lord.” Along with his brother John, James was called by Jesus at the Sea of Galilee as they mended nets with their father, Zebedee, and his hired hands. St. James is named regularly during major events in the Gospels, witnessing the Transfiguration of Christ (Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9), the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5, Matthew 9; Luke 8), and Jesus’ agony in the garden (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22).

For all this honor, though, James also receives correction from Jesus on more than one occasion. He and his brother are given the nickname “Sons of Thunder,” or Boanerges, for their zealous and temperamental dispositions. For example, when Samaritan villagers refused to welcome Jesus, the brothers eagerly asked whether he would have them call down fire from heaven to destroy the town. The Lord rebukes them and instead moves on to another village (Luke 9). The Gospels record the brothers (or perhaps their mother) asking the Lord to place them at his right and left hands in his kingdom, which also results in admonishment (Matthew 20), and James is among the apostles who fall asleep in the garden while Jesus prays (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22).

Still, James’ dedication to Jesus is without question, as he is understood to be the first of the twelve to die for him. As the Acts of the Apostles records, “About that time Herod the King laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1–2).

Holy Women, Holy Men explains the veneration of and devotion to St. James following his death: “According to an old tradition, the body of James was taken to Compostela, Spain, which has been a shrine for pilgrims for centuries” (p. 484). His name was translated from the Hebrew Ya’akov to the Spanish Iago; thus, “Saint James” becomes “Santo Iago,” or “Santiago.” Santiago de Compostela was an extraordinarily popular destination for pilgrimages, leading to the development of the Camino de Santiago, a route across the countryside, marked by the fisherman’s symbol of a scallop shell.

Collect for the Feast of St. James

O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self-denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

July 18, 2025
The bulletin insert for July 13, 2025
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

The Feast of William White

On July 17, the Episcopal Church commemorates William White:
- First bishop of Pennsylvania
- First and fourth presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church
- First and fourth president of the House of Deputies
- United States Senate chaplain
He stands as a foundational figure in the history of The Episcopal Church, shepherding our particular expression of Anglicanism through and beyond the wake of the American Revolution.

White was born in Philadelphia and educated at the College of Philadelphia, now the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1765. In 1770, he sailed to England for his diaconal ordination, returning again in 1772 for his priestly ordination. Christ Church, Philadelphia, called White to become rector. The Continental Congress called White to be its chaplain.

Deeply rooted in both Anglican tradition and early American ideals, White saw the need for an autonomous church that would retain historic faith and order while adapting to a completely new, democratic context. He wrote and distributed a pamphlet, “The Case of The Episcopal Churches in the United States Considered,” which envisioned a church governed not by bishops alone but with broad lay and clerical participation. This was a radical idea for its time, though. of course, White proposed it within the other social constraints of the time. His vision was one of shared authority, unity in diversity, and responsive leadership.

In 1787, White again traveled to England to be consecrated bishop. He eventually took his seat in Pennsylvania.

White became the first presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church in 1789. At that time, it was a position that rotated between the existing bishops (there were only three). In 1795, the Church adjusted the position to be the most senior bishop in the House of Bishops.

White’s time was marked by a growing church that established an American line of bishops. He participated in the consecration of more than two dozen colleagues.

He ordained Absalom Jones, the first African American priest in The Episcopal Church. And he presided over a church that struggled to find a foothold as an institution tethered to English spirituality as other formal connections frayed and snapped.

In this era with the questioning of institutions and shifting authority, we do well to recall a bishop who helped build something lasting, not by power alone, but by patience, prayer, and a commitment to the truth.

Collect for the Feast of William White

O Lord, who in a time of turmoil and confusion raised up your servant William White to lead your church into ways of stability and peace; Hear our prayer, and give us wise and faithful leaders, that, through their ministry, your people may be blessed and your will be done; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
July 11, 2025
The bulletin insert for July 6, 2025
This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Becoming Beloved Community Grants

Episcopalians are invited to apply for a Becoming Beloved Community grant.

The General Convention budget funds these Beloved Community grants to do the following:
- Support projects that seek to create sustainable, systemic change in truth-telling.
- Share the dream of Beloved Community.
- Practice healing and reconciliation.
- Repair the breach in institutions and society.
Since 2019, approximately 120 projects have received Becoming Beloved Community grants totaling more than $1 million.

[These grants] help communities root deeper into God’s dream—where truth is told with courage, healing is practiced in community, and justice flows not as charity but as relationship restored.
the Rev. Lester Mackenzie

Racial Reconciliation

Applicants should review criteria and additional information online at iam.ec/bbcg. Priority will be given to initiatives that address policy advocacy, systems transformation, and environmental change strategies. Projects may include efforts to reform institutional policies, shift cultural norms, reallocate resources, or influence public systems and structures in ways that align with the vision of Becoming Beloved Community.

The deadline to apply for grants will be August 31, 2025. Applications officially opened online on July 3, 2025, at iam.ec/bbcg.

Grants include seed grants up to $7,500 and impact grants up to $15,000.
- Seed grants are geared toward groups launching new projects or growing existing projects.
- Impact grants are aimed primarily at increasing the capacity, impact, and reach of communities and institutions already working to advance justice, healing, reconciliation, and creation care.
“These grants are seeds of communion. They help communities root deeper into God’s dream—where truth is told with courage, healing is practiced in community, and justice flows not as charity but as relationship restored,” said the Rev. Lester Mackenzie, chief of mission program and an Associate of the Holy Cross, a Benedictine community. “As one elder once whispered to me, ‘We do not walk alone—we carry one another home.’

“Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is within you’ (Luke 17:21). These grants call that kingdom forth. Yebo [I agree].”

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.
July 4, 2025
The bulletin insert for June 29, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Traveling the Way of Love: Pray

“Traveling the Way of Love” Season 2 offers video stories of the ways people across The Episcopal Church participate in the seven Way of Love practices. Produced by the Office of Communication in partnership with Evangelism colleagues, it includes study guides to help congregations or small groups engage the stories and strengthen one another’s discipleship. Each week, we’ll share information about an episode, along with study questions suitable for congregational, small group, or personal reflection. You can find each episode and its discussion guide at iam.ec/TWOL2.

Episode 6: Pray

He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’

Luke 11:1

Jesus teaches us to come before God with humble hearts, boldly offering our thanksgivings and concerns to God, or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in the world. Whether in thought, word, or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray, we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence.

1. In this episode, host Chris Sikkema visits Holy Apostles, a congregation founded by Episcopalian Oneidas from New York, who settled in Wisconsin on Menominee and Ho-Chunk land in 1822. The first community initially first gathered beneath the trees to worship, a history reflected in Judy Cornelius’ description of prayer as “holy quiet.” Whether during high mass or under trees, prayer allows us to connect with something of God, transcendent beyond ourselves. Where do you experience “holy quiet”? How does God meet you there?

2. Consider the connection between your own prayer practices and the outward and visible signs that accompany them. For instance, like Jennifer Webster, do you find comfort in the scent of incense or the act of burning tobacco as you send your prayers to the divine? What are some of your unique prayer traditions?

3. The Oneida hymns are an important part of Holy Apostles’ prayer life—both communally and individually. Are there songs or styles of music that you find helpful for your prayer life?

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

June 27, 2025
The bulletin insert for June 22, 2025

This is the weekly bulletin insert from Sermons That Work.

Traveling the Way of Love: Learn

“Traveling the Way of Love” Season 2 offers video stories of the ways people across The Episcopal Church participate in the seven Way of Love practices. Produced by the Office of Communication in partnership with Evangelism colleagues, it includes study guides to help congregations or small groups engage the stories and strengthen one another’s discipleship. Each week, we’ll share information about an episode, along with study questions suitable for congregational, small group, or personal reflection. You can find each episode and its discussion guide at iam.ec/TWOL2.

Episode 6: Learn

Those love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and will come to them and make our home with them.

John 14:23

By reading and reflecting on Scripture, especially the life and teachings of Jesus, we draw near to God, and God’s word dwells in us. When we open our minds and hearts to Scripture, we learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life.

1. In this episode, host Chris Sikkema visits a group of youth in the Convocation of the Episcopal Church in Europe that includes Aija Rios and Bishop Mark Edington. Bishop Edington remarks on the reality that there is no social reward for being a Christian in Europe. Yet, the youth of the Convocation continue to show up for each other, forming community, praying, and studying Scripture together. What does their witness stir in you? How are you inspired or encouraged by their dedication?

2. While chatting with Chris, Aija shares about a weekly gathering at her home parish called “Wednesdays Within the Walls,” which includes Taizé music, a meal, and reading Scripture together, followed by a conversation about the Scripture. From her story, it is clear that people of all ages and walks of life are a part of this weekly community and that all voices are listened to, and that this opportunity to reflect on Scripture within a large group has impacted her life. How could you–or your community of faith–be more intentional about hosting time for reading and reflecting on Scripture apart from Sunday mornings and across demographics such as age and stage of life? What might that look like?

3. In this episode, Chris Sikkema states that it is very hard to be a Christian alone. Perhaps this is because we are not meant to do it alone. From the beginning, the Christian life has been one rooted in community. In our baptismal covenant, we even promise to “continue in the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, and the breaking of the bread.” This includes how we approach studying and reflecting on Scripture. Take a moment and think back on when your mind and heart have been opened to Scripture in the midst of a Bible study or community reflection. How did you learn to see God’s story and God’s activity in everyday life from that experience?

Weekly bulletin inserts

This weekly bulletin insert provides information about the history, music, liturgy, mission, and ministry of The Episcopal Church. For more information, please contact us at stw@episcopalchurch.org.

Sermons That Work

For more than 20 years, Sermons That Work, a ministry of The Episcopal Church’s Office of Communication, has provided free sermons, Bible studies, bulletin inserts, and other resources that speak to congregations across the Church. Our writers and readers come from numerous and varied backgrounds. Small house churches, sprawling cathedrals, and everything between use the resources that Sermons That Work provides.

Sermons That Work podcast

Church of the Redeemer

Church of the Redeemer: Worshiping God, living in community, and reaching out to the world around us. We are an Episcopal Church serving north King County and south Snohomish County, Washington. As you travel your road, go with friends walking the way of Jesus at Redeemer.

Church of the Redeemer is at 6220 Northeast 181st Street in Kenmore, Washington. The campus is a short distance north of Bothell Way, near the Burke-Gilman Trail. The entrance looks like a gravel driveway. The campus is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. And we managed to hide a large building on the side of a hill that is not easily seen from the street.

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

June 20, 2025

Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2026. Services at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm. Gethsemane Watch Vigil from about 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Good Friday, April 3, 2026: Services at 12:00 noon and 7:00 pm.

Holy Saturday worship at 9:30 am.

The Great Vigil of Easter, Saturday, April 4, 2025. Service at 8:00 pm. This is the night....

The 2nd Sunday of Easter (Year A), April 12, 2026. Services at 8:00 am (no music) and 10:30 (music). Education classes resume next week.