As the primary contact for small congregations in the MidAmerica Region, I’m aware of just how difficult it can be for volunteers to produce Sunday services week after week. That’s why the MidAmerica staff has developed the Sermon of the Month Series for Small Congregations. For each of the next four months, a MidAmerica staff member will record a sermon for small congregations to use as part of a Sunday service. In addition to the recorded sermon, there will be suggestions for opening and closing words, readings, and hymns, as well as a complete transcript of the sermon. The series starts with my sermon “Realistic Hope and Hopeful Realism.” Here’s a description:

According to recent surveys of religion in America, a continued decline of church membership in future decades seems inevitable. What does that mean for those of us who enjoy the important social benefits that belonging to a religious community provides? How do we manage the tension between hope and realism when it comes to the future of our faith? Let us explore what we, as Unitarian Universalists, can do for religion today...and tomorrow.

Sermons from Rev. Sharon Dittmar, Rev. David Pyle, and Rev. Lisa Presley will be available in the coming months. These sermons will be archived so congregations can use them as needed. For more information about how to access the Sermon of the Month, please contact me at plund@uua.org.