Gathering Waco

04/03/2026

CANCELLED: Due to the weather forecast, we have decided to cancel tomorrow’s Community Easter Egg Hunt.

We are disappointed we won’t be able to gather for this event, but the safety of our families and community comes first.

We invite you to join us for Easter worship this Sunday at 10:30 AM. We would love to celebrate Easter with you and your family.

03/30/2026

We’re excited to host the Robinson Community Easter Event this Saturday at Peplow Park.

This is a great chance to enjoy a fun morning with your family, connect with others in the community, and celebrate together.

Join us Saturday, April 4, from 10:30 AM–12:00 PM for a free Easter egg hunt, hot dogs, chips, and more.

We’d love to see you there.

01/25/2026

Join us online for today's service at 10:30 AM! 🙌

Watch it here:
https://clr.cm/VjQJ

Praise, prayer, and hope await!

Welcome to our online only worship this morning at Gathering! Today is the Third Sunday after Epiphany and our third sermon in a series titles New Year New H...

01/25/2026

Well…our parking lot is completely covered over with white stuff.

01/23/2026

🔔🚨📣 Due to the weather forecast, we've canceled service this Sunday (January 25).

We recorded a special service which will be available on YouTube at 10:30 a.m. Sunday morning: YouTube.com/

For church related emergencies, please text 94000.

Stay safe, and know you're in our prayers!

God bless, Pastor Rory

12/25/2025

Walking in the Light of Christ's Love #9 by Rory Fry

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4).

In 2007, the band Jars of Clay released a song based on an older poem by Christina Rossetti called “Love Came Down at Christmas.” The first verse reads:

Love came down at Christmas
Love, a lovely, love divine
Love was born at Christmas
Stars and angels gave the sign

I often think about these words because they remind me why we celebrate Christmas: the light of Christ’s love has shone on us. As Scripture says.

This light of Christ is a sheer gift, unlike anything else. It doesn’t require batteries, instructions, or careful assembly. It doesn’t break, spoil, or get lost. There are no strings attached, no return receipts. It is freely given because He loves us.

Here we must admit that we do not deserve this love. None of us lives or loves as God calls us to. We all fall short. We all fail to love God with our whole hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.

And yet, God loves us. He gives us eternal life in Christ our Savior. This is why love came down: to shine light into our darkness and to rescue us from the hopelessness of sin.

Love came down at Christmas because we need a Savior. We need someone to bring us hope and forgiveness. That someone is Christ—and He is for us always.

He is the greatest gift imaginable. He is love come down. He is light and life.

Love will be our token
Love be yours, and love be mine
Love from God to all of us
Love for plea and gift sign

Prayer:
Lord, thank You for sending Your love to shine in our lives through Christ. Help us to receive this gift with open hearts and share His light with those around us. Amen.

12/24/2025

Living in the Light of Christ's Love #8 by Matthew James

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:9).

On our return to “the promised land” of Texas on a recent summer roadtrip, my family took a slight detour to visit the tri-state marker of Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. We were able to stand in three places at once. You may have had similar experiences along those imaginary lines we create in our world, trying to stand in as many places as possible at once. At some point, you also may have felt homesickness and the desire to rush to return to your place of comfort.

Today, we prepare our hearts to celebrate the ultimate act of standing on multiple border lines: Christ, the son of God, entered into the body of a man, stepping down from heaven with one foot to live among God’s creation. His stepping across from heaven onto earth had nothing to do with our merit. His arrival was purely out of God’s depth of love for His creatures that are unable to measure up. His perfect justice requires punishment; our constant need to be forgiven requires a sacrifice. Instead of smiting us, which He could easily do, instead He sent his son to take on our punishment as a perfect sacrifice. Jesus lived in two places for a while so that we might be saved from eternal death and separation from God who demands justice but also loves unconditionally. This is the good news of the Gospel!

What should our response to this good news be? We are asked to take up our cross and follow in His footsteps, to stand in multiple places at once. Sometimes, I feel that I focus too much on my foot stuck in the mud of this world, losing sight of the “promised land” of heaven. Other times I might grow too “homesick,” focusing on my foot aching to step onto the golden streets of what is to come, and I lose sight of my God-given responsibilities in the here and now. I must remember that we are called to live a life that should have one foot solidly on this earth, while our other foot stretches across toward our heavenly reward. Our lives should be lived as a sacrifice, seeking to bridge the chasm between the two places to which we now belong.

Due to Christ’s humble arrival in a stable, His stepping across a great chasm, we can have an eternal view in this time and space: spreading the good news to others, helping the hungry, comforting the sick, praising God now, and then, evermore. Through His sacrifice and resurrection, we are guaranteed a place in the true “promised land” of heaven. As the angels proclaimed to the shepherds, Do not be afraid! He is with you every step of the way.

Prayer:
Dear heavenly father, as we await our heavenly reward, just as the world awaited the arrival of the Messiah, give us the patience and the fortitude to walk in Your path. Keep our feet solidly on the ground in the places You have prepared for us. Help us to share your love with the many others we meet along the way.

12/21/2025

Walking in the Light of Christ's Love #7 by Randall Joe Fehler

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

As Christmas approaches, we look forward to celebrations with church, friends, and family. But this season can also bring stress and worry. Did I get gifts for everyone? Is the house ready for the holiday gathering? Or even more pressing, will I be able to pay the bills this month?

Today’s verse reminds us of the miracle of Jesus’ birth. The Messiah came down from Heaven to save us. He lived among us, died on the cross for our redemption, and rose again to show His glory and power. That is incredible news on its own! But God didn’t stop there. As Matthew 1:23 tells us, this child, Immanuel, means “God with us.” That’s astounding!

In the stress and trials of life, knowing that God is with us brings deep comfort. He walks beside us in good times, carries us when we feel we cannot go on, and sometimes gently guides us to do what we never thought we could.

No matter what’s happening in your life today or every day, remember that our holy, loving, and merciful God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is right beside you. Lean on Him. Trust Him. Follow Him. Our Immanuel is with us always.

Prayer: Dear Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus, our ever-present Immanuel. Remind us to lean on You and follow You, not just this Advent season, but throughout our lives, until You call us home. Amen.

12/17/2025

Walking in the Light of Christ's Love #6 by Katie James

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:7–8).

In this passage, James urges his readers to be patient until the Lord’s coming. In many ways, this seems fairly passive. It sounds like we need not try to be perfect or successful, but just to wait. Yet that is not all James tells us. He also advises us to “stand firm.” This is active. This is defensive. This is more in line with perseverance.

Patience, then, seems to have something intrinsically to do with perseverance. It takes patience to grow a crop, like James mentions, and perseverance to overcome the problems along the way. Together, patience and perseverance produce a rich reward.

In the next verses, James advises us how necessary both patience and perseverance are to the Christian walk:

“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:10–11).

We must be patient. We must stand firm. We must persevere. There have been, are, and will be dark days since Jesus ascended. There will be—darker still—days like the ones Job experienced, when he lost his family, suffered tragedy upon tragedy, and felt hopeless. It was not Job who ended up the victor, but God, through Job’s faithfulness. So it is with us. We need neither to lie on the ground in submission to the enemy nor to fight for God like some crusader. We simply need to stay true and stand firm. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. His mercy rendered the birth of his Son, and his compassion bore the cross. We need nothing more to stand firm. We already have the greatest hope.

Prayer:
Lord, you are our greatest hope. Thank you for sending us hope at Christmas. Let that hope help us stand firm through it all, so that we can see what you will finally bring about through us, your church. Amen.

12/14/2025

Walking in the Light of Christ's Love #5 by Jerry Tucker

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you’” (Isaiah 35:3–4).

These verses are a call to courage. Isaiah speaks to those who feel weak, weary, or afraid. His message is one of reassurance: God is not distant. He sees our trembling hands and shaky knees and reminds us that we are not forgotten. The command is clear: “Be strong, do not fear,” because our confidence rests not in ourselves but in God’s faithful promise to act.

When life feels like a dry wilderness—when joy seems far away and faith feels faint—Isaiah’s words echo through the ages: He will come and save you. This is not empty optimism; it is divine assurance. Our hope is anchored in God’s unfailing power to redeem and restore.

Isaiah reveals that God’s coming is both salvation and justice. He will come “with vengeance,” meaning that evil will not have the last word. Every injustice, every sorrow, and every fear will meet its end in His presence. But for those who trust in Him, His coming means deliverance, healing, and restoration.

In Christ, this promise finds its ultimate fulfillment. Jesus is the Redeemer who came to save—not only Israel, but all who call on His name. His first coming brought forgiveness and grace; His second coming will bring complete restoration and eternal peace.

The broader prophecy in Isaiah 35 paints a vivid picture: the desert will bloom, the wilderness will rejoice, and streams will flow in the wasteland. This is what happens when God steps into our brokenness—He transforms desolation into delight.

In the same way, God desires to bring life to the barren places of our hearts. He can turn fear into faith, despair into dancing, and weakness into strength. His redemption is never partial—it renews all things.

How can we encourage others? Speak hope into someone’s life today. Sometimes the simplest words—“Be strong, do not fear”—can rekindle another’s faith.

Trust in God’s timing. He will come through, even when His timeline differs from ours.

Let Christ renew your heart. Invite Him to bring streams of living water into your wilderness moments.

Prayer: Lord, when my hands grow weak and my heart feels afraid, remind me of Your promise: You will come and save me. Strengthen my faith and steady my steps. Let Your presence turn my deserts into gardens of joy. Help me to encourage others with the same hope You have given me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

12/13/2025

IT'S HERE! Join us tonight at 5:30 PM for Movie in the Park featuring Elf!

The park looks beautiful, the Christmas lights are up, and we’re ready to enjoy a fun night with our community.

Cookies, hot chocolate, popcorn, and kids crafts are all free.

Just bring a chair or blanket and come enjoy the evening!

12/12/2025

We are excited! We’re almost there!

For tomorrows Movie in the Park, all you need is:
🪑 A chair or blanket
👨‍👩‍👧 Friends and family
🎄 Christmas cheer

Everything else is waiting for you—cookies, hot chocolate, popcorn, and a fun Christmas craft for the kids.