Arapaho United Methodist Church

08/24/2026

WATCH: Pastor Jonathan's sermon on what it means to be welcoming.

https://youtu.be/h6FzxU6rjkk?si=RZDRX_KbYg7K6XIv

Everybody remembers being the new kid. First day, lunch tray in hand, scanning the cafeteria, praying somebody waves you over. That feeling doesn't end at graduation — it walks through church doors every single Sunday. Paul writes to a congregation of former outsiders: "You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." Hear it both ways, because it's speaking twice.

To everyone who is new: you're not a guest here on a trial basis — you already belong, fully, as you are, in all you are, because that's how Jesus welcomes.

And to everyone who's been here a while: you were once strangers too. The Torah grounds the whole ethic of welcome not in charity but in memory — "love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt." Welcome isn't something insiders extend to outsiders; it's family members remembering their own first day. Somebody once waved you over to this table. This week we practice being the ones who wave — because the church at its best is the one lunchroom where nobody has to scan the room in fear.

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08/20/2026

What if your relationship with food could become part of your spiritual journey?

For many of us, food has been shaped by guilt, shame, rules, or striving. But what if there was another way? What if caring for your body could become a practice of compassion, healing, and faith?

Join Arapaho UMC member and licensed clinical social worker Sandi Morse, LCSW, for a two-week conversation based on her new book, Feed Your Purpose: Intuitive Eating as a Spiritual Practice. Together, we'll explore how intuitive eating can help us cultivate a healthier relationship with our bodies while deepening our connection with ourselves and with God.

Whether this is a familiar topic or something you've never explored before, you'll find a welcoming space for honest conversation, reflection, and growth.

📅 Tuesdays beginning September 15
🕖 7:00–8:30 pm
📍 Arapaho UMC

Learn more and register at www.arapahoumc.org/connect.

08/19/2026

Life doesn't always unfold the way we planned.

Some seasons bring uncertainty. Others bring change, loss, unexpected challenges, or simply the question, "How do I keep moving forward with hope?"

This fall, women and those who identify as women are invited to gather around the Book of James and discover a faith that doesn't just survive difficult times, but learns to thrive through them.

Beginning Monday, September 14, Amy Smith and Dina Steiner will lead Thrive: Living Faithfully in Difficult Times, a weekly study based on Jennifer Cowart's book. Together, you'll explore practical spiritual practices, meaningful conversation, and the kind of encouragement that comes from walking alongside others.

Whether you're looking to deepen your faith, build new friendships, or simply find hope for the season you're in, we'd love to welcome you.

📅 Mondays beginning September 14
🕖 7:00–8:30 pm
📍 Room 2 at Arapaho UMC

Learn more and register at www.arapahoumc.org/connect

08/18/2026

Sometimes the world makes compassion seem complicated.

Should we help?
Do they deserve it?
Is it our responsibility?

Jesus had a way of cutting through all of that.

He consistently chose people over politics, mercy over judgment, and compassion over convenience.

This week, our church sign reads:

"It's never the wrong answer to care for people."

We know life is more complicated than a church sign can hold. But maybe this is one truth worth carrying with us wherever we go.

Where have you seen someone choose compassion recently? Share a story in the comments. We'd love to celebrate the everyday ways people are caring for one another.

08/18/2026

What if faith isn't about having all the answers? What if it's about never stopping being a student?

As another school year begins, we're reminded that learning isn't just for classrooms. It's part of the life of faith.

The only story we have from Jesus' childhood doesn't show him performing miracles or preaching sermons. It shows him sitting among the teachers in the temple... listening, asking questions, and growing in wisdom.

Maybe that's the invitation for us, too.

This Sunday we explored what it means to follow a Rabbi whose invitation was never "graduate," but "learn from me." Along the way, we reflected on why questions are not the opposite of faith, why spiritual growth never ends, and how becoming a disciple means embracing a lifetime of curiosity, humility, and transformation.

If you missed worship—or you'd like to revisit the message—we'd love for you to watch.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/15/2026

This Sunday at AUMC: Back To School -- The only story we have from Jesus's childhood is, essentially, a school story. Twelve-year-old Jesus, left behind in Jerusalem (Mary and Joseph made it a full day's journey before noticing — so if you've ever lost track of a kid at the State Fair, you're in holy company), is found in the temple "sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." The Messiah's debut isn't a lecture; it's enrollment. And Luke closes the scene with a line that could be the thesis of the whole Christian life: "Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people."

If Jesus wasn't finished — if the incarnate Son of God had growing to do — then "finished" was never the goal of faith. Many of us were handed a version of Christianity where you arrive, certify the right answers, and coast. But the boy asking questions in the temple grows up to become the Teacher who says "learn from me" — a rabbi whose yoke is a way of life, not a diploma. Disciple means student. Class is in session, questions are welcome, and there is no graduation — only growth. May we follow so closely that we're covered in the dust of our Rabbi's feet.

Come be a part of in-person worship at 11:00 am or join online via www.arapahoumc.org/watch.

08/12/2026

The hallways will fill again today.

Backpacks a little heavier.
Shoes a little newer.
Parents holding on for one more hug.
Teachers opening classroom doors with hope and careful preparation.
Administrators, counselors, custodians, bus drivers, nurses, cafeteria teams, and volunteers quietly making a thousand small things happen so students can learn and grow.

Some begin this year with excitement.
Some with uncertainty.
Some with grief.
Some with great expectation.

Every story matters.

Welcome back, Richardson ISD. You have our prayers.

We are praying for curious minds, compassionate hearts, patient teachers, courageous students, supportive families, and schools where every person knows they belong.

May this year be filled with moments of discovery, unexpected friendships, resilience through challenges, and reminders that none of us walks alone.

To every student, teacher, administrator, staff member, and family beginning a new school year today:

May you know peace.
May you find joy.
May you be safe.
May you be kind.
May you be reminded that you are deeply loved.

We're praying for you.

08/11/2026

A new school year brings new teachers, new classrooms, new opportunities, and often a few new nerves. As students prepare to begin another year of learning and growth, we want them to know they don't go alone.

On Sunday, August 16, we invite all students—from preschool through college—to bring their backpacks to our 11:00 am worship service for a special Backpack Blessing.

During Children's Time, we'll offer a blessing over each student as we pray for a year filled with wisdom, courage, friendship, and joy. Every student will receive a backpack tag to carry throughout the year as a reminder that they are deeply loved by God and supported by their church family.

As a congregation, we'll also take time to pray for teachers, administrators, staff, and all who serve in our schools and universities throughout the Dallas area, including UTD, Dallas College, and other local campuses.

08/10/2026

Continuing the "Today, I Learned…" series, we mark the 70th anniversary of full clergy rights for women in the Methodist tradition (1956–2026). Rather than a sermon, a panel of ordained women teaches us what they have learned along the way — about themselves, about God, and about God's call on a life. Arapaho has a long history of women leading here, and this Sunday honors that too.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/08/2026

This Sunday at AUMC: We are continuing the "Today, I Learned…" series and marking the 70th anniversary of full clergy rights for women in the Methodist tradition (1956–2026). Rather than a sermon, a panel of ordained women teaches us what they have learned along the way about themselves, about God, and about God's call on a life.

Worship begins at 11:00 am. Be a part of our livestream at www.arapahoumc.org/watch.