November 14, 2025
Dear Radiant,
John Donne, the legendary Elizabethan poet, famously declared:
No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
While I may be tempted to believe that I am an island — an independent, autonomous, and free person unbound from the lives and burdens of others — Donne’s poem depicts something else: the inescapable interconnectedness of humanity.
Therefore, when we hear the church bell tolling signifying a death (that’s how they did it back in the day apparently), we never need to “send to know for whom the bell tolls” for it “tolls for thee.”
Donne’s vision is quite different than our modern vision of humanity. Our individualism has shaped our thinking so much that we don’t just think of our lives as islands, but maybe more like self contained whole continents, worlds, or universes unto themselves.
We shrug at a stranger’s death.
But the truth is, we are diminished and our world is diminished by this sort of selfish vision. God created and recreates us by, in, and for community. All suffer when we live in any other way.
Far before Donne (and far more compelling), is the biblical vision of community. The New Testament portrays disciples of Jesus as sharing life together as Christ’s body. It is a beautiful and compelling picture of persons-in-community loving one another in all their unique particularity in a shared life.
Of course, this way of life is wildly countercultural for us rugged individualist Americans. We would be naive to think this will be easy to adopt this lifestyle.
But in a lonely and fragmented time, it is worth it. As those “in Christ,” it is essential we recover the inherent goodness and possibilities of committed community.
You were made for this (and life is better with friends!).
This is the startling truth for those in Christ Jesus: those who belong Jesus are members of his body. “You are not your own.”
How does that feel? Probably a little strange.
See you this Sunday at 10AM. Excited to dig in with you.
RADIANT EVENTS CALENDAR
HOME CHURCH – ONGOING
RADIANT YOUTH FOOD DRIVE – 11/9,11/16, 11/23
11/14-11/17 – Early Sign-ups for Frontier Ranch Summer Camp Open
11/19 – Men’s Gathering
11/23 – Church Membership Q & A Town hall after worship
11/26 – Thanksgiving Eve Service with ELC followed by pie social
11/30 – First Sunday of Advent
12/24 – Christmas Eve Service 2PM
EARLY FRONTIER RANCH SIGN-UPS
We’re excited to share an exclusive early-registration window for Frontier Ranch—available only to PSWC Covenant churches and their families. This is a great chance for your campers to secure a spot before general registration opens.
Covenant Only Early Registration Window
Opens: Friday, November 14 at 12:00 PM
Closes: Monday, November 17 at 12:00 PM
The private early-registration link and full details are in the links below. Please do not post the link publicly or share outside your Covenant church community. General registration opens December 1st.
Early Registration Link: Click Here
MEN’S GATHERING THIS WEDNESDAY 6-7AM
We’ll meet at ELC!
RADIANT YOUTH
Sign up for updates here.
RADCOV KIDS SCHEDULE
We are looking to fill some gaps in our children’s ministry volunteer schedule for 2026. Please contact Crystal Nicholson if God is leading you in this area: (408) 802-7061
MEMBERSHIP TOWNHALL Q & A – 11/23
We are beginning the church membership journey at Radiant. This is an exciting time but sure to generate questions. We want to create some space to get this conversation started. We are going to meet following service on 11/23 for questions and answers and share a bit more of the vision behind membership at Radiant.
SHARED THANKSGIVING EVE SERVICE WITH EMANUEL LUTHERAN – 11/26 7PM
Radiant and ELC will continue the tradition of a shared service of Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 26th at 7PM at ELC. Bring a pie to share as well for a fellowship time following the service.
FOOD SHARING TABLE AT KINGDOM COFFEE
Kingdom Coffee (Oakdale and Orangeburg) and hosting a food sharing table. Feel free to help yourself to food or bring something to share.
HELP SEND MJC STUDENTS TO URBANA
From Isabella Andrews (Intervarsity staff at MJC) : “The MJC Intervarsity chapter has five students who are hoping to go to Urbana, praise God! Four of the five actually attended the conference last month and had an amazing experience learning more about Jesus. They’ve been so excited to share what they learned with their peers! We were recently talking about finances, and together they need to raise about $2,500 to cover travel, hotel, and food costs.” If you would like to help with these costs reach out to Isabella at (209) 996-6850
BAND APP
One way to connect at Radiant is to join our BAND APP group. Think of this as a sort of Radiant message board — our own little social media space. People can extend invites, share about needs and opportunities.
PRAYER
Join us for preservice every Sunday at 9am at MJC near the children’s ministry rooms.
GIVING
Thank you for your generosity and partnership in Radiant’s ministry!
Here’s a giving update:
October Giving Budget Target: $19,000
October Actual Giving: $14,537
Year to Date (January – October) Budget Target: $190,000
Year to Date Actual: $175,730 (92%)
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Here’s the link to online giving.
Grace and Peace!
Zach
[email protected]
209-497-3710
www.radcov.org
