Vision Sunday 2026 – from words to lived experience
Preacher: Phil Swain Reading: John 4:43-54
Get excited! It’s Vision Sunday at Turramurra Uniting Church. It’s a chance for us to as a church community look back at what God has been doing in and through our church, and look ahead with hope. Over the past year, many people from across our church have been part of a significant mission planning journey — listening to God, listening to one another, and asking honest questions about who we are and who we are being called to become as we look towards the 2030s. In this sermon, Phil will be sharing on what this means for the year ahead.
Vision Sunday is about more than words on a page. It is an invitation to begin turning that shared vision into lived experience. We will be sharing the key priority areas that will guide our focus in 2026 — including worship, discipleship, nurturing faith across generations, sustainability, and the foundations that support our life together — and how we can ‘animate’ these priorities … to bring them to life.
The documentation for Vision Sunday can be found by clicking here.
Sermon Text
There’s a bit of an unfair joke that goes around every year that on Vision Sunday I talk too much — that I get so excited about what God is doing in our church that I try to say everything in one go. Apparently I even speak faster to compensate.
Now, I don’t know if that’s entirely true… but I was given some very clear advice this year. Don’t try to talk about everything. Try to focus on what really matters. Which is actually perfect, because at its heart, this year’s Vision Sunday comes down to one simple question. How do we move from words to lived experience?
Last year, our church took part in a once-in-a-decade mission planning process. Over about twelve months, around 150 people were involved in more than 30 significant conversations — in small groups, large gatherings, surveys, dessert nights, and prayerful reflection. We talked honestly about what is working. Where we are growing spiritually. Where we see opportunity. And where some parts of our ministry and mission might need re-imagining or renewal.
Yes — there were a lot of words, questions, ideas, hopes, concerns, prayers, reflections. But I want to say clearly: those words were not wasted. Throughout that whole process, it genuinely felt like God’s hand was upon us. What emerged wasn’t just a list of ideas, but a shared voice — a sense of who we are, what we value, and what God might be inviting us into as we look towards the 2030s.
During our Growing Generosity program in Term 4 last year, we produced a vision document that captured something important about us. It covers our purpose, values, passion and goals. If you haven’t read it, please do. If you have read it, I’d encourage you to read it again. It really is an inspiring and exciting document.
Just listen to these words about our purpose…
Turramurra Uniting Church is a vibrant, Christ-centred, inclusive community growing in faith, connection, and service…
It’s inspiring. It’s hopeful. They are great words … but — and this is the key point for today — those words only matter if they become our lived experience. They need to be turned into action!
Before I talk more concretely about where we sense God leading us in 2026, I want to pause and place this idea — words becoming lived experience — into a biblical frame.
A few weeks ago, we named John 20:31 as the key verse for understanding the Gospel of John: These words were written so that you may believe… and that by believing you may have life in his name.
John is clear: the words of his gospel are not just information. They are written to lead us into belief — and belief into life. The words are meant to be transformative… or at least point us to the one who transforms.
This was not only John’s approach. It was also Jesus. We see that dynamic clearly in today’s reading.
A royal official comes to Jesus, desperate for Jesus to heal his son who is dying 30 kilometres away. He wants Jesus to come and do something. Jesus responds with that confronting line:
“Unless you see signs and wonders, you will never believe.”
What do you think Jesus is trying to say here? Is this a criticism or is Jesus just stating a fact. The people had heard the words, the rumours about Jesus … of his teaching and miracles … but they’re not sure yet. They want more than words — they want to see something. They were looking for signs or wonder to help them believe.
But here comes the twist. In response to the officials request, Jesus seemingly doesn’t DO anything. Jesus doesn’t go with him. He doesn’t perform a visible action. He simply says, “Go. Your son will live.”
They were looking for action and they got … words. But these words were not empty. There was power in these words. As they discovered … it was at the exact moment Jesus spoke those words, the boy was healed.
Here’s the tension: we say that words without action are empty — and yet here, the words themselves bring life. Words that are spoken in trust, words that are aligned with God’s purposes — those words have power.
It’s a theme that keeps coming up in Jesus’ ministry and in John’s gospel … there is a power in words. And I think it is this idea that we leant into last year in all our mission planning. That those words were important. However, if 2025 was a year of words — a year of listening, prayer, and discernment — then 2026 is about … I think the word I am looking for is … animation.
To animate something is to bring it to life. We believe God is calling us to animate the vision we have discerned — to let it take shape in our worship, our community, and our mission. To move the words to a lived experience.
Lots of things emerged out of the mission planning process, but we as a church decided to start with five priorities … with a sixth thrown in. These priorities are not disconnected projects, but rather they are key spaces where we want to move intentionally from discernment to action.
You’ll find them outlined in the brochure. I really wanted to read them all out loud because they are great, but you can read… so instead I want to walk you through the headings and give you a sense of the direction and spirit of the year ahead.
Taking EVOLVE to the next level.
EVOLVE is already a living example of what happens when faith, community, and creativity come together. Our young adults have discussed what is most helpful, taken the lead, established community around sharing meals; honest conversations are happening; and discipleship is being taken seriously.
In 2026, the focus for EVOLVE isn’t reinvention, but strengthening what already gives EVOLVE life — clearer pathways for belonging, better structure for leadership, and developing a clear message in the way we communicate to the wider community and church.
Re-imagining Friday night and the children/youth/young adult continuum.
We want to be intentional about how faith is nurtured across stages of life — from playgroup to TurraZone to Friday nights and young adults — especially as the needs of young people continue to change … and so we’re exploring new approaches that support connection, belonging, and faith formation.
Re-imagining 9am worship.
The 9am service is our main weekly gathering here at TUC – a faithful and deeply valued worship service. In 2026, we’re opening up a conversation and a season of gentle experimentation — asking how this gathering can continue to be spiritually helpful, life-giving, and accessible for both those who call it home now and those who may yet join us.
Re-imagining Small Groups and Intentional Faith Conversations
Alongside our large gatherings, we are placing a renewed focus on smaller, more intentional spaces where faith can be spoken about honestly and supported relationally. These conversations already happen in many forms at TUC — through Bible studies, shared meals, playgroup chats, activity groups, and informal gatherings. In 2026, we want to strengthen, resource and in some cases even re-imagine these spaces so that talking about faith becomes more natural, more accessible, and more life-giving across the breadth of our church community.
Building a Sustainable Future
Building a sustainable future is about being faithful with the people, time, energy, and resources God has entrusted to us. We are committed to shaping a church that is wise and kind — focused not on busyness, but on fruitfulness. In 2026, we will be paying close attention to how ministry time, volunteer and leadership energy, finances, and facilities are aligned with our vision, so that we can grow in healthy ways and ensure our mission remains sustainable well into the future.
Strengthening Our Foundations
Finally, we are also attending to the underlying culture and practices that support everything else we do. This includes growing a clear “what’s next” culture that helps people move from first connection into deeper belonging, investing intentionally in leadership development and mentoring, improving how we communicate who we are — particularly for those who are new — and renewing our commitment to prayer. These foundations matter, because they help us remain grounded, accountable, and attentive to the Spirit as we move forward together.
How is that sounding so far?
I know — it’s a lot of words… We are supposed to be moving from words to action, to a lived experience and yet I have shared with you a lot more words … and much of the initial part of 2026 is an invitation to be part of re-imagining conversations … which is more words.
But these words are not empty words. They have power and potential. Our experience last year showed us that when the right people are in the room, these conversations are practical, energising, and action-oriented. They lead to real experiments, real learning, and real change.
So today, we’re inviting people who are already involved in, connected to, or passionate about these areas to be part of the next round of conversations. Some will be targeted. Some will be open. All of them matter.
If you feel a connection to any of these areas, let us know — so we can make sure you’re part of the process. Up the back of the church there are some response forms … or we have the process online. Write your name down, scan the QR code, or speak to one of us. Because this vision only becomes real when it becomes shared.
Let’s wrap this up. I want to finish with one final passage from John’s Gospel, but not from chapter 4 where our bible reading was, or even chapter 5 which I referred to … but jump to one of my favourite verses in chapter 6.
After 5 chapters of John Gospel Jesus is in the middle of this incredible momentum. People are coming to hear his words and to experience the life and healing that he is offering. The crowds are huge (at the beginning of John 6 is the feeding of the 5000).
But then Jesus begins to teach in ways that are challenging and confronting – being real about how following him is not always going to be easy. Being part of the mission is costly. Many of these new followers express, “This is too hard” and turn back. Jesus turns to the 12 disciples and asks, “Do you want to leave too?” Peter replies, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
Peter honestly acknowledges that he doesn’t have all the answers, that yes, it is hard, and that to continue to be part of the mission of Jesus is going to be challenging. But they have passed the point of no return. They have had seen and come to know that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Where else would they go … Jesus is the one who has the words of eternal life. They just rolled up their sleaves and continued to follow Jesus.
We know that being church in this era, as the world is turning crazy, is challenging … and doing the mission of Jesus in our context is hard, but we also know that in Jesus we have found someone who loves us and helps us and has the words of eternal life. Where else will we go?
Let’s recommit to rolling up our sleeves and bringing the mission of Jesus, the Vision that God has for our community, from words to a lived experience … and continue to experience and share the life that it brings. Amen.