Ins & Outs: From Slave to Sibling, part 1

Christ comes preaching and enacting liberation, release, and divine favor---yet there were slaves in the Christian church from even the earliest decades. Was the message of liberation for the enslaved as well? How did (and does) the gospel reformulate the status and relations of enslaved people?

Hey, hey, my beautiful PVC family,

Lindsey and Danny Stratte have stepped up to the plate this weekend to lead worship in my absence. I'm sick at home and so bummed to potentially be missing you again—but I am deeply grateful for the ways God has blessed our church family with gifted musicians. And not just gifted—but people of sincere faith and real love for Jesus.

I know Lindsay and Danny are going to be such a blessing to you this Sabbath.

Here are the songs they’ve prepared for us:
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Come As You Are, O Come to the Altar, Good Grace, No Longer Slaves, and Break Every Chain.

As we continue our Ins & Outs series with “From Slave to Sibling,” we’ll be reflecting on Jesus’ proclamation of freedom in Luke 4—release for captives, good news for the poor, and divine favor for those on the margins. The gospel doesn’t just improve our status—it rewrites it. In Christ, slaves become siblings. Outsiders become family.

There’s a powerful line in Break Every Chain that says, “There’s an army rising up.”

And in this context, I hear that not as force—but as a people awakened to freedom. A people who believe that in the name of Jesus, chains of oppression, shame, and false identity do not have the final word. The gospel declares liberty—and then invites us to live like it’s true.

If I end up worshipping with you from the livestream this weekend, I’ll be praying these songs minister deeply to you. Sing with conviction. Worship with gratitude. And remember—you are no longer bound. You are brought near. You belong.

With so much love,
Hannah, Your Minister of Music ::

This weekend’s giving emphasis is our Church Ministries Budget—the local giving that keeps local ministry strong and helps PVC grow as a real community, living free in the Gospel.

Our church ministries budget supports the spaces and moments where relationships deepen—things like the Big Lake Winter Retreat, our Super Seniors gatherings, Sabbath hospitality, and the week-to-week ministries that help people feel known, welcomed, and safe to grow in Jesus.

For 2026, our CMB goal is $358,000 for the year, which is about $29,833 per month. January came in a bit under that monthly pace, and that’s okay—this is simply an invitation for each of us to prayerfully choose a rhythm of giving we can sustain, so those ministries are resourced all year long.

Thank you for partnering with God through local giving—and for joining in what He’s doing here at PVC.

Sabbath, February 21
9:15am | First Service with Kessia Reyne Bennett
10:30am | Discipleship Classes
11:45am | Second Service with Kessia Reyne Bennett
4:00pm | Memorial Service for Bob Keeney

Sunday, February 22
8:30am | Oregon Conference Elders Training @ Holden Center

Tuesday, February 27
7:00pm | PAA Constituency Meeting

Wednesday, February 25
6:30pm | Pathfinders

Thursday, February 26
7:00pm | Journey to Wholeness

Friday, February 27
5:54pm | Welcoming the Sabbath!

Sabbath, February 28
9:15am | First Service with Kessia Reyne Bennett
10:30am | Discipleship Classes
11:45am | Second Service with Kessia Reyne Bennett
1:30pm(ish) | Potluck at the Tourville’s