I pray this finds you all having a wonderful week.

Have you ever found that some of the most meaningful trips aren’t the ones you plan months in advance, but the ones that happen at a moment’s notice? Last week was one of those trips for me. I had the privilege of traveling back to my home state of Iowa to celebrate the life of my uncle, Donald Sorensen, who went home to be with the Lord at the age of 94. It truly was a celebration of life. My uncle loved Jesus deeply and shared the good news with anyone who would listen until the very end.

Perhaps the sweetest part of the trip was reconnecting with family I hadn’t seen in more than 20 years. Yet as soon as we sat down together, it felt like no time had passed at all. Laughter came quickly, stories flowed easily and love covered the years apart. Isn’t this the power of family and connection?

As I reflected on that thought on the plane trip home, I was reminded of the way the apostle Paul describes the church: “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5).

The Woodlands Methodist Church is certainly a big church, but more than a “mega church,” I see it as a mega family! No matter your entry point into TWMC, here’s what I know: You are a part of a larger body of faith. And when you zoom out even further, we’re reminded that the family of God stretches far beyond our walls — into neighborhoods, over nations and across generations. The beauty of the body is found in this reminder, friends: In Christ, the church is never just an institution; it’s always a family.

Just as my family reunion in Iowa reminded me of the ties of love that run deep, so too does the church remind us that in Christ we are part of something bigger, stronger and eternal. That’s the beauty of being one body, one family, in Him.

Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of family — both in our homes and in Your church!

Grace and peace,

– Mark