Vision Sunday 2026

By Melinda Sparks-Renner

 As we prepare for Vision Sunday, my heart is filled with both gratitude and anticipation.

 When I look back at where we have been, I am deeply thankful. We can see the faithfulness of God woven through every season—the joyful moments, the challenging moments, the prayers that were answered, and even the moments when we could not yet see what God was doing. We have worshiped together, served together, walked through difficult seasons together, celebrated together, and grown together.

     None of it has been without our stories or without meaning.
     
Every person who has walked through our doors, every prayer that has been prayed, every child who has been taught, every life that has been encouraged, every act of service, every song that has been sung, and every sacrifice that has been made has been part of the story God is writing in and through this church.
And that is what makes Vision Sunday so important.

Vision is not simply about creating a plan for the future. It is about understanding why we are here and faithfully discerning where God is leading us next. It is about remembering our purpose so that our future is not simply bigger, busier, or more impressive—but more meaningful.

We don't want to move forward just for the sake of moving forward. We want to move forward because there are still people who need hope, families who need community, hearts that need healing, children and students who need to know they are loved, and neighbors who need to experience the love of Christ.

     The past gives us something to be thankful for.
     The present gives us something to steward.
     And the future gives us something to hope for.
 
     I believe God is not finished with us.

There are chapters yet to be written. There are prayers yet to be answered. There are people we have not yet reached and stories we have not yet heard. There are ways God wants to use our gifts, our generosity, our compassion, and our faithfulness that we may not even be able to imagine today.

     My hope for Vision Sunday is that we will not simply hear a vision—we will feel its meaning.

May we remember that the church is not ultimately about buildings, programs, budgets, calendars, or numbers. Those things can serve the mission, but they are not the mission. The meaning of what we do is found in lives being transformed by Jesus and in ordinary people saying yes to God's extraordinary work.
So, as we look ahead, I invite you to look back with gratitude and forward with faith.

Thank you for every way you have helped carry this church to where we are today. Thank you for your prayers, your generosity, your encouragement, your service, and your willingness to believe that God can do more.

     And now, let us believe again.
     Let us dream again.
     Let us pray again.
     Let us step into the future not knowing every detail, but trusting the One who holds every detail in His hands.

     What God has done gives us reason to be thankful.
     What God is doing gives us reason to be faithful.
     And what God is going to do gives us reason to be hopeful.

I am grateful to be on this journey with you, and I am excited about what is ahead.
With gratitude for yesterday, faith for today, and hope for tomorrow,

Grateful for all of you, 
Melinda Sparks-Renner