2025 Sermon Series Planning

This post is a work in progress and will be updated with collaboration.

Encounters w/ God*Summer
1 – 1/5 – Hagar
(Gen 16:1-14)
17 – 4/27 – 27 – 7/6 –36 – 9/7 –
2 – 1/12 – Sarai
(Gen 18:1-15)
18 – 5/4 – 28 – 7/13 –37 – 9/14 –
3 – 1/19 – Jacob
(Gen 32:9-12,22-32)
19 – 5/11 – Mother’s29 – 7/20 –38 – 9/21 –
4 – 1/26 – Joseph
(Gen 41:14-36)
20 – 5/18 – 30 – 7/27 –39 – 9/28 –
5 – 2/2 – Israel
(Gen 46:1-7,26-30)
21 – 5/25 – 31 – 8/3 –40 – 10/5 –
6 – 2/9 – Encountering the Great Command (Duet 6:1-9)22 – 6/1 – 32 – 8/10 –41 – 10/12 –
7 – 2/16 – Encountering the Great Commission (Matt 28:16-20)23 – 6/8 – Pentecost33 – 8/17 –42 – 10/19 –
Encounters w/ Jesus (in John’s Gospel)**24 – 6/15 – Father’s34- 8/24 –43 – 10/26 –
8 – 2/23 – Nathaniel (John 1:47-51)25 – 6/22 – 35 – 8/31 –44 – 11/2 –
9 – 3/2 – Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)26 – 6/29 – 45 – 11/9 –
10 – 3/9 – Samaritan Woman (John 4:7-26)
46 – 11/16 –
11 – 3/16 – The Man at the Pool (John 5:1-16)b47 – 11/23 –
12 – 3/23 – Mary and Martha (John 11a)
13 – 3/30 – Lazarus (John 11b)bAdvent 2025
14 – 4/6 – Mary of Bethany (John 12)b48 – 11/30 – 49 – 12/7 –
15 – 4/13 -Pilate (John 18:33-19:12)50 – 12/14 –51 – 12/21 –
16 – 4/20 – EASTER – Mary Mag & Thomas (20:1-17)52 – 12/28 –

*Encounters with God from the Old Testament
Leaves two open weeks in this first draft. Lot does receive a visit (Gen 19) and loses his wife. Abraham’s warning about Sodom and Gomorrah could be another (Gen 18b). But two open weeks would provide a buffer should anything need to be added.

**Encounters with Jesus from John’s Gospel

Late Spring Options (10 Sundays):
– Ten weeks is a little long for one series, but it is fine to do. 6 to 8 week series really work well and might leave a 2-4 week smaller series.
Judges (7-9 weeks),
Hebrews (8-10 weeks) otherwise it’s 13-15 weeks to cover it all
Colossians (6-8 weeks)
– Other ideas? (more 1 Corinthians, more Isaiah, etc)??

Summer Options (9 Sundays):
– Psalms, Who is Jesus from John’s Gospel (more chapters from John), 9 OT Kings or Good King Bad Kings of Judah, …

Fall Options (12 Sundays):
– Longer section could be two 6 weeks series or a longer series with a shorter one or one long 12 week masterful exposition.

  • Small fillers:
    • Biblical
      • Jude
      • Philemon
    • Topical
      • Distraction

Advent Options:
I have a post of options here and I’m open to other thoughts / ideas.

Biblical Coverage So Far (let me know if these photos need clarification):

Key Sunday Dates, Three Day Weekends and Church or Denomination Events:
Jan 19 – MLK Weekend
Jan 26 – Sunday before Lunar New Year (Wed, Jan 29)
Feb 9 – Sunday after the EFCA Theology Conference in Chicago, Pastor Chris attending
Feb 16 -23 – Presidents Day Weekend & Public Schools Winter Break until returning Mon, Feb 24
Mar 9 – Daylight Savings Sunday, Ash Wednesday is just before, Mar 5th
Mar 16 – Sunday after EFCA East Theology Refresher (Mar 13 & 14) in PA.
April 13 – 20 – Palm Sunday begins Holy Week culminating in Easter on the 20th
April 13 – 20 – Youth In House Spring Retreat some or many of these days? (Check with Johnny)
May 11 – Mother’s Day
May 25 – Memorial Day Weekend
June 8 – Pentecost Sunday
June 15 – Father’s Day (and Trinity Sunday and Juneteenth week (Thursday June 19th)
July 6 – Independence Day Weekend will be a three day weekend, Friday to Sunday
Aug 31 – Labor Day Weekend
Oct 12 – Columbus / Indigenous People Weekend
Oct 26 – POSSIBLY Sunday after the EFCA East District Conference (not yet posted)
Nov 30 – First Sunday of Advent
Dec 13 – Second Saturday is traditional day for our Christmas Party
Dec 28 – Sunday after Christmas and before New Years Day

Key Things I need to get dates for and add before ministry calendar shapes up:
– Membership Meetings
– Quarterly All Churches Meals
– Baptism in Spring (with NYCEF invited early enough)
– Quarterly Outreach Plans
– What else?