Psalm 100:5; Isaiah 43:18–19; Philippians 3:13–14
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Greeley, Colorado
November 1, 2026
Rev. Juvenal Cervantes
Psalm 100:5
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Isaiah 43:18–19
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
As we celebrate 110 years of ministry, we give thanks for those who came before us, celebrate what God is doing among us today, and move forward in faith to embrace the future God has prepared.
Today is a special day in the life of our church. We gather to celebrate 110 years of ministry, worship, fellowship, service, and witness. For 110 years, this congregation has been a place where people have gathered to worship God, hear the Word, experience Christian fellowship, raise their children in the faith, and find hope in Jesus Christ.
One hundred and ten years is more than a number. It represents generations of faithful people who have prayed, served, sacrificed, given, and believed that the work of the church matters.
Think about all the changes that have taken place over 110 years. Generations have come and gone. Communities have changed. New technologies have transformed the world. Wars have been fought, families have celebrated joys and endured sorrows, and the world has faced challenges that previous generations could hardly have imagined.
Yet through every season, God has remained faithful. The words of Psalm 100:5 remind us:
“For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
That is the story we celebrate today—not simply the story of a church, but the story of God's faithfulness working through the lives of His people.
Our anniversary calls us to look in three directions: backward with gratitude, inward with commitment, and forward with hope.
We honor our past, celebrate our present, and embrace our future.
My friends, we stand between a remarkable past and an unwritten future.
Behind us are 110 years of memories, prayers, worship, service, and sacrifice. Around us are people who need encouragement, fellowship, and the hope of Christ. Before us are opportunities we have not yet imagined and people we have not yet reached.
So, how should we celebrate this anniversary? We honor our past by remembering those who served faithfully and thanking God for His goodness.
We celebrate our present by serving faithfully, loving generously, and continuing the ministry entrusted to us.
And we embrace our future by trusting God, welcoming new possibilities, and preparing the next generation to follow Jesus.
Let us not be a church that simply tells stories about what God did long ago. Let us be a church that continues to make new stories of faith.
Let us be a church where children discover God's love, where families find encouragement, where the lonely find friendship, where the grieving find comfort, and where people of every generation encounter the living Christ.
One hundred and ten years ago, someone believed that the work of the church was worth doing.
Today, we have the privilege and responsibility of carrying that work forward.
And when another generation gathers to celebrate the future anniversaries of this congregation, may they be able to say that we were faithful, that we loved our neighbors, that we proclaimed the gospel, and that we trusted God with the future.
The words of Psalm 100:5 remind us that God's faithfulness endures to all generations.
Our past is a testimony. Our present is a responsibility. Our future is an opportunity. And Jesus Christ is our foundation.
Church, the story is not over!
By God's grace, there are more prayers to pray, more lives to touch, more love to share, and more ministry to accomplish.
Let us honor our past. Let us faithfully serve in the present. And let us embrace our future with courage, hope, and unwavering trust in God.
Happy 110th anniversary! To God be the glory for the great things He has done—and for the great things He will continue to do!
Let us pray:
Gracious and faithful God,
We come before You with grateful hearts as we celebrate 110 years of ministry. Thank You for every person who helped establish this congregation, every pastor who faithfully proclaimed Your Word, every member who served, every child who learned of Your love, and every family that found fellowship and encouragement here.
Thank You for carrying this church through seasons of joy and sorrow, change and uncertainty, challenge and opportunity. Forgive us when we have taken Your blessings for granted or allowed our fears to keep us from following Your leading.
Help us honor our past without becoming trapped in it. Help us serve faithfully in the present. Give us wisdom and courage to embrace the future You place before us.
Strengthen our commitment to Jesus Christ. Make us a church of prayer, compassion, generosity, and hope. Guide us as we reach children and youth, encourage families, care for our neighbors, and share the good news of Your love.
May the generations who follow us find a church that is faithful to Your Word, generous in its love, and courageous in its witness.
We give You all the glory for these 110 years, and we entrust the years ahead into Your loving hands.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we pray.
Amen.