Unexpected // Woodstock City Church

Unexpected Community

Speakers: Elaine Scott, Meg Davidson, Lily Mann, and Steen Jones In the final episode of the Unexpected series, Elaine is joined by Meg Davidson, Steen Jones, and Lily Mann for a candid group conversation about how God uses relationships to meet us in life’s most unexpected seasons. The conversation explores what community actually looks like in real life. How to take a first step when you have been burned before. How to pursue connection when you feel too busy, too tired, or too guarded. They also discuss how community can look different depending on season, personality, and capacity, from small groups to serving, mentoring, and simply showing up consistently. This conversation is for anyone feeling alone, hesitant to try again, or unsure where they fit. It is a reminder that while the unexpected may change our lives forever, we were never meant to walk through it by ourselves. For more information or to experience other talks, videos and events, visit us online at www.woodstockcity.org [https://www.woodstockcity.org ]

Unexpected Forgiveness

Speakers: Elaine Scott and Meg Davidson In this episode of Unexpected, Elaine sits down with Meg Davidson for a raw and thoughtful conversation about forgiveness when the harm is real, ongoing, and deeply personal. In this conversation, Meg reframes forgiveness not as a moment or a moral checkbox, but as a posture. She shares how forgiveness is not about minimizing harm, forgetting the past, or restoring unsafe relationships. Instead, it is an internal, ongoing decision to release the debt someone owes you while still maintaining wisdom, boundaries, and self-protection. Throughout the episode, Meg speaks candidly about the damage caused by well-meaning but poorly timed spiritual advice, especially when forgiveness is demanded instead of modeled. She reflects on how pressure to “forgive immediately” once kept her from faith altogether, and how presence, patience, and trust ultimately opened the door to healing and belief. This episode is for anyone struggling to forgive someone who still has access to their life, anyone carrying old wounds into new seasons, or anyone who has wondered if forgiveness is even possible after deep betrayal. It is an honest reminder that forgiveness is not about excusing the past, but about choosing freedom, truth, and healing one step at a time. For more information or to experience other talks, videos and events, visit us online at www.woodstockcity.org [https://www.woodstockcity.org ]

Unexpected Loss

Speakers: Elaine Scott and Lily Mann In this episode of Unexpected, Elaine sits down with Lily Mann for a thoughtful and deeply moving conversation about loss, grief, and learning how to move forward without rushing the process. Throughout the conversation, Lily shares about losing family members at a young age and she reflects on what grief really is, and what it is not. She speaks candidly about the pressure she felt to hold everything together, the exhaustion that followed, and the moment she realized she could no longer carry grief alone. Lily also opens up about the role counseling played in her healing, the importance of allowing joy and sorrow to coexist, and how grief continues to change as life moves forward. This episode is for anyone walking through loss, supporting someone who is grieving, or wondering how to move forward when life no longer resembles what they hoped for. It is an honest reminder that grief does not disappear, but it can become a companion rather than an enemy, and that healing often begins with permission to feel, rest, and trust again. For more information or to experience other talks, videos and events, visit us online at www.woodstockcity.org [https://www.woodstockcity.org ]

Unexpected Blessing

Speakers: Elaine Scott and Steen Jones In this first episode of the Unexpected series, Elaine sits down with her longtime friend and teammate, Steen Jones, for an honest and deeply personal conversation about life when it does not go according to plan. In this episode, Steen shares what a hard parenting season really looked like behind the scenes. The impact on her marriage, the constant weight of caregiving, learning when to push and when to release control, and the quiet decisions that helped them stay connected instead of growing resentful. She shares how counseling, assuming the best in one another, and extending grace became lifelines, not just for surviving the hard years, but for building the joyful, connected family they experience today. This conversation is for anyone walking through an unexpected season. For parents, couples, caregivers, and anyone wondering if the hard part will ever end. It is a reminder that even in the fog, God is present, working quietly, and often preparing something far better than we can see in the moment. For more information or to experience other talks, videos and events, visit us online at www.woodstockcity.org [https://www.woodstockcity.org ]

Invited: A Few Final Thoughts

Guilt-Free Quiet Times: 7 Myths about Your Devotional Time with God by Emily E. Ryan Check out the website for our women's ministry at Woodstock City Church at www.woodstockcity.org/wc-women [https://www.woodstockcity.org/wc-women]. There, you can sign up to get a text reminder when we release new resources and events for women!