What Will Our Kids Believe? | Beyond the Sermon

What Will Our Kids Believe? | Beyond the Sermon

In week one of Well Rounded, Mat sits down with Sally Campbell-Evans to talk about what it means to keep growing in faith—and what that growth looks like when we're raising the next generation. Drawing from Proverbs and John Wesley’s understanding of discipleship, they explore how following God engages both our heads and our hearts, why we never truly graduate from learning, and how raising faithful kids can become part of our own journey of faith. Because teaching children what we believe also invites us to keep asking questions, growing, and living out that faith ourselves. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Well Rounded: Week One // Pastor Sally Campbell-Evans // August 9, 2026

In his sermon “On Family Religion,” Wesley said this about the education of children: “Instruct them early in the morning. Speak to them plainly. Observe the few ideas they have and graft what you say upon them. Teach them frequently. Persevere.” He likely learned these principles from the way his mother Susannah instructed him and his siblings, and it translated into a lifelong commitment to improving the educational systems throughout England. It is part of our legacy and ongoing work as United Methodists.  Questions for reflection: 1. Name someone who grafted some important aspects of faith onto your heart. 2. If education is "a lifelong spiritual practice," what is something new you are learning in recent days? 3. How is what you are learning shaping your character? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Holy Struggle: Part 4 // Pastor Magrey deVega // August 2, 2026

Hosea 12:1-4 gives us insight into this famous story of Jacob wrestling with God. Jacob not only fought with the angel; he also wept as he entreated God. This gives us permission to feel our emotions, even amid the toughest, most existential struggles we have with our faith. But we should always maintain a readiness to “return to God, with loyalty, justice, and hope.” For all his trickster manipulations, Jacob models for us a tenacity that enables us to wrestle with our faith and maintain our faithfulness to God.    Reflection Questions: 1. What inner struggle might God be using to reshape your identity? 2. When have your deepest questions become opportunities for spiritual growth? 3. What false version of yourself is God inviting you to release? Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Your Struggle Has Purpose | Beyond the Sermon

This week Mat and Magrey wrap up the Holy Struggle series by exploring Jacob's famous wrestling match and the life-changing name he receives afterward. Together they discuss why struggle is a normal part of faith, how our deepest growth often begins beneath the surface, and what it means to wrestle with questions of identity, purpose, and God. They also reflect on the surprising role of the subconscious, why moments of silence can bring clarity, and how our greatest struggles can become part of the story that shapes who we become. Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Holy Struggle: Part 3 // Pastor Magrey deVega // July 26, 2026

Jacob fell in love with Rachel, but he was tricked into marrying Leah instead, and he had to work seven more years for Laban before he earned the right to marry Rachel. The context of this story may seem antiquated to our modern sensibilities, but it does convey the need for patience and endurance when what we long for in life seems out of reach. And there is redemption here for Leah as well. Though she was never Jacob’s first choice, she became the mother of ten of the twelve sons whose tribes would constitute the nation of Israel. That includes Judah, whose line would bring us King David, and eventually, Jesus.    Reflection Questions:  1. Where are you being invited to love someone beyond your idealized expectations? 2. What "Leah" within yourself might God be inviting you to accept with grace? 3. How can you praise God, even amid disappointment and fear?  Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps