March 6, 2025
Dear Radiant,
This Sunday we will hear and meditate upon Jesus’ last words to his mother and the beloved disciple, John. It is a tender moment amid a brutal scene.
But when Jesus says to his mother, “‘Woman, here is your son,’” and to the disciple, “‘Here is your mother,’” he is not only dealing with practicalities.
Jesus is creating a new family.
The cross of Jesus, among so much else, points the church to the sort of community based not on bloodlines, but through the blood of Jesus.
The church as family is an amazing and troubling reality for us.
Perhaps you’ve experienced sweet moments of tender care, deep belonging, and joyful communion with brothers and sisters in Christ. I’ve had these experiences, and it is like, “We were made for this!” This is family.
But the idea of church as family might also bring up some bad experiences, where commitment to a community manifested in feeling judged or controlled.
Worse still, we are all pretty familiar with the reality of cults and how they manipulate the concept of family belonging.
I always feel a little weird calling people “brother” or “sister.”
So, what is Jesus doing here? How do we belong to one another without being “absorbed” into one another?
The key, as we will explore this Sunday, is that it is explicitly belonging to Jesus that creates the church.
It is Jesus who, from the cross, speaks spiritual family into existence and is always the mediator between persons in this family.
This safeguards against what the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer called the danger of “relating directly.” Instead, “Christ stands between me and others.”
Paradoxically, it is the Jesus-mediated relationship that opens up the sort of intimate belonging we crave.
So much more to come, “fam”! (I mean this in the most non-culty way possible.)
See you this Sunday at 10AM!
RADIANT EVENTS CALENDAR
Ongoing: Home Church!
3/8 – Second Sunday Lunch at ELC
3/8 – Radiant Youth Hike Event at Dos Rios State Park 1:30PM (Meet at ELC)
3/11 – Men’s Gathering 6-7AM at ELC
3/22 – Prayer and Worship Night 6-8PM
4/3 – Good Friday Service Details TBD
4/5 – Easter Sunday at Radiant
SECOND SUNDAY LUNCH MARCH 8
Join us for food, community, connection. We’ll have burritos, taco salad, and gather at ELC following the service on March 8. $3 per person, $10 max per family.
RADIANT YOUTH HIKE AT DOS RIOS
On March 8 we are having a collab event with Cornerstone Youth in Turlock and going on a hike at Dos Rios State Park just outside of Modesto. We will meet at 1:30 at the ELC Parking Lot.
PRAYER AND WORSHIP NIGHT
Set aside some time on March 22, Sunday Night to worship God and seek his face in prayer. We’ll gather from 6-8PM (feel free to drop whenever able). There will be moments of worship, silence, and prayer. All ages welcome. We’ll meet in the sanctuary at Emanuel Lutheran Church (324 College Ave).
RADCOV KIDS SCHEDULE
There are some opportunities to serve in children’s ministry in 2026. Please contact Crystal Nicholson if God is leading you to explore serving in this area: (408) 802-7061
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS (INITIAL ROUND WERE DUE 2/21 )
What a great response for our initial charter membership applications! We are celebrating this initial group of applications and will be reaching out to follow up soon. If you did not get a chance to apply and would like to become a member at Radiant, you can find resources and the application on linktree. We will be holding another membership class later this spring.
HOME CHURCH COMMUNITIES 
If you are interested in joining a Home Church feel free to reach out to one of the leads listed above.
COMMUNITY NOTES
MEAL TRAIN
There is a meal train for the Kruegers. Elisa will be having surgery with a 4-8 week recovery and would really appreciate some meals while she’s recuperating. Shed even like some visits too to pass the time. Sign up at this link. Https://mealtrain.com/1r5475
FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY IS HERE…NOT TOO LATE TO JOIN!
Financial Peace University is a nine-week class that’s helped nearly 10 million people learn step by step how to pay off debt, invest wisely for their future, give with outrageous generosity. This nine week course started on Feb. 12 and meets on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm at ELC Fellowship. Sign up here. Questions? Contact Rob Shank (209) 610-5459.
HOPE AFTER DIVORCE BIBLE STUDY FOR WOMEN
Began on February 19th ends April 2nd. If you have been through a divorce, are going through divorce, or are simply wondering how God views divorce you are welcome to join this group. We will be using Kay Arthur’s Bible Study guide: “Finding Hope After Divorce.” This group is for women only and will go for seven weeks. If interested or have questions contact Kristy Asire, [email protected], (209)261-4229. Dinner will be provided!
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 UPDATE
Thank you for your generosity and partnership in Radiant’s ministry!
“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
