September 2026 | Rally Day

When I was a kid, I remember that Labor Day weekend marked the start of something new. A new school year, new teachers, possibly new subjects, hopefully some new friends while also holding on to the old ones. In preparation, there was school shopping for supplies like pencils, paper, and folders, but also for new clothes. The first day of school every year was filled with excitement, a little fear, and a lot of hope. It was going to be new. Of course, much of it wasn’t really new. I was going back to the same school, with many of the same classmates, following the same routine I had  followed the year before. But September still felt like a fresh start. 

As an adult going to church I experienced  the same thing.  We used to call it “Rally Day,” as the Sunday  after Labor Day would be a fresh start to a new season. Ministries that took a summer hiatus  began again and in theory, it prompted the rallying of people who had been away during the summer months to come back and reengage.

Here, at Christ First, September is our new start.  We will rally together as our fall rhythm begins again, with worship in the main sanctuary  beginning on September 13th, complete with the Chancel Choir who begins rehearsals on the 3rd in preparation. Bible Study  will begin again on Thursday, September 10th at 10:15 am and  it will be followed by the Prayer Team at 11:30. In many ways, September still brings that sense of beginning, a time of rallying.  

But as I’ve been thinking about the old phrase, “Rally Day, “ it makes me wonder if rallying isn’t just a call to come back, but also God rallying us to go out. For so long, the new season of church has been focused on bringing people back into the building: come back to worship, come  back to ministries and missions — and I certainly hope we do! Gathering together is very important. We need one another. We need to worship together, study together, pray together, laugh together, serve together, and grow together. But Jesus called us to more than gather, he called us to go — to be witnesses, make disciples, reveal grace, and share God’s love. The mission statement of the United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We gather, grow, and go. So, as a church we are going,  as part of the fresh start God is giving us this September. Over the  summer, we began Covering the Community, opening our chapel on Monday mornings for anyone who wants a quiet place to pray or someone to pray with them. Now, as we enter fall, we are going to begin carrying that prayer beyond the walls of our church.

On September 20th, after worship and a potluck meal together, we will head out into our neighborhood for a Prayer Walk. We aren’t going out to knock on doors or try to convince anyone of anything. We’re simply going to walk through the community God has placed around us — with open eyes, open hearts, and a willingness to pray. We will pass by homes without knowing the stories of the people inside. Someone may be grieving, or lonely, or facing a health concern, or wondering how the bills will be paid. There may be families in conflict, people carrying unspoken burdens, and some may just need to know there is hope. We may never know their needs. But God does. And we believe that prayer matters. We believe God moves through circumstances, through people, and within us. We know that God is good and powerful, full of love and grace.

We will go, trusting that God is already at work. When we pray for our neighbors, we begin to see differently, as strangers become neighbors. The community around our church becomes more than just the place where our church is located  — it becomes people whom God loves and has called us to love. Our Prayer Walk is the first step in this fresh, new season. Covering the Community will continue to grow as we invite people to adopt streets and commit to praying regularly for the people who live there.

As we rally together and then rally to go out, may God move through us so that Christ First becomes a source of hope, healing, and wholeness in our community. A fresh, new season is beginning, I hope you’ll be a part of it.

Peace, 
​Pastor Sherry