In the opening movements of the Gospels, before Jesus gathers crowds or calls disciples by name, another voice is already at work in the wilderness. John the Baptist stands at the threshold of the gospel story as more than a prophetic forerunner; he is a formative disciple-maker whose ministry directly shapes the earliest followers of Jesus. Without John’s faithful witness, the initial movement toward Christ might have looked very different. John’s ministry was rooted in prep

The season of Epiphany often arrives quietly. After the celebration and familiarity of Christmas, the church calendar shifts into what can feel like an in-between time—long after the manger scenes are packed away, yet weeks before the solemn journey of Lent begins. And yet, Epiphany is anything but ordinary. It is a vital season of revelation that prepares our hearts and lives for the call to discipleship that Lent will soon make explicit. Epiphany begins with light. The word

John Wesley by William Harrington. Painting given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1871. As we stand at the threshold of 2026, the church faces not just the turning of a calendar year but a spiritual opportunity: the renewal of our covenant with God. In United Methodism this practice has a rich history and deep theological significance. It calls us beyond mere resolutions to a disciplined life of grace, obedience, and mission centered in Jesus Christ. The Heritage