2026.10.11 | Builders & Sharers

Builders & Sharers
Creadores y compartidores
Acts 6:1–7

Preached by 
Rev. Dr. Marvin Lance Wiser

Eden United Church of Christ  
Cherryland, CA 
11 Oct 2026

Fifteen years ago, during Eden Church’s Small Groups and Pilgrims Potluck, Eden did not set out to start programs. Eden listened.

Padres Unidos was already organizing in this community. Parents were already naming what their families needed. Eden took notice of what was already going on. Relationships formed. Leaders emerged. And out of that listening programs were co-created with the community, Comida Para Cherryland and Las Compañeras.

We met with Padres Unidos again this past Friday. The listening has not stopped. Needs have changed. Strengths have emerged. 

Here is what I want us to notice. Fifteen years ago, when the Compañeras Plan was adopted, the church did not stop being the church. It discovered a new way of being the church, perhaps a more meaningful way of being the church—certainly a more impactful way.

That is the story of Acts 6, too. Luke tells us “the disciples were increasing in number.” The church is growing. And the growth reveals a problem that had been hidden, or at least unheard. Sometimes growth reveals what our old structures can no longer hold.

Hace quince años, la iglesia Eden escuchó a la comunidad. Padres Unidos ya se estaba organizando. Los padres ya expresaban lo que sus familias necesitaban. Edén prestó atención. Se formaron relaciones, surgieron líderes y, de esa escucha, nacieron Comida Para Cherryland y Las Compañeras.

Nos reunimos nuevamente con Padres Unidos el viernes pasado. No hemos parado de escuchar. Las necesidades han cambiado y las fortalezas han crecido.

Quiero que notemos esto: cuando La iglesia Edén adoptó el Plan Compañeras, la iglesia no dejó de ser iglesia. Descubrió una forma nueva—y de mayor impacto—de ser iglesia.

Esa es también la historia de Hechos 6. A veces, el crecimiento revela aquello que nuestras antiguas estructuras ya no pueden sostener.

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In Acts 6, the Greek-speaking widows are being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. This is not a scheduling glitch. It is about food, language, culture, access, and power. And Luke lets the complaint into the story. He could have left it out. He doesn’t.

The apostles had options. They could have said, “That’s how we’ve always distributed the food.” They could have said, “We’re doing the best we can.” Or, “The ministry is growing, so why focus on what isn’t working?” Or, “We have more important spiritual matters to attend to.”

Instead, they listen. And ultimately decide to deepen impact. Healthy communities do not fear complaints. Faithful communities learn to listen through them.

So before Eden decides where it is going, Eden needs to listen. In our strategic planning process with the Ross Collective, we call these voices Sharers. Sharers are the whole ecosystem of this church: members, staff, ministry participants, community partners, neighbors, people at the center and people nearer the edges.

Through interviews, focus groups, listening sessions, and a community gathering on—mark your calendars—December 13, we will ask more than “What do you want Eden to do?” We will ask: What are you experiencing? Who is being served well? Who may still be overlooked? Where is God already at work?

Be on the lookout for your inclusive invitation with more details. If we are serious about belonging, we have to be serious about whose voices shape the future. And be honest. Don’t hold back—imagine what would have become of the Greek mothers had they not told their whole story. So, we welcome hearing your full experience with Eden and with Cherryland.

En la historia bíblica, los apóstoles escucharon. Las comunidades fieles aprenden a escuchar a través de las quejas. Antes de decidir hacia dónde se dirige, Edén necesita escuchar. En este proceso, llamamos «Compartidores» a esas voces: miembros, personal, participantes de los ministerios, colaboradores, y vecinos. A través de entrevistas, grupos, sesiones de escucha y nuestro encuentro del 13 de diciembre, plantearemos estas preguntas: ¿Quiénes están siendo bien atendidos? ¿A quiénes se está pasando por alto? ¿Dónde está actuando ya Dios?

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Then comes the center of the story. The apostles have authority, but they do not hoard discernment. They call together “the whole community of the disciples.” And the community chooses seven people for real responsibility. Every one of them has a Greek name, and they even included a newcomer.

Luke shows leadership being placed closer to the community that raised the concern. That is more than delegation. That is empowerment. The apostles did not simply ask the people closest to the problem what they thought. They shared power with them to help build the solution.

That is where our Builders come in. The Builders are not a committee waiting for a finished plan from consultants. They will help create the vision and discern priorities. They will be in meetings, set goals, join the strategic planning retreat in February, and help turn what Eden hears into what Eden does. This week, you’ll receive an email inviting you to let us know if you feel called to serve as a Builder. We hope to hear from people across every aspect of Eden—representing the many experiences, identities, ministries, and communities that make us who we are—so that our Builders truly reflect the breadth of our beloved community. Your voice and perspective matter, and rest assured, we will all be sharers. Sharers help us hear. Builders help us shape. And all of us help Eden become.

En la lectura de hoy, vemos que los apóstoles tienen autoridad, pero no se la reservan para sí mismos. Convocan a «toda la comunidad», la cual elige a siete personas para asumir una responsabilidad real.

Aquí es donde entran en juego nuestros «Creadores». Ellos ayudarán a dar forma a la visión, discernir prioridades, establecer metas y transformar lo que Eden escucha en acciones concretas.

Esta semana recibirán una invitación para discernir si se sienten llamados a servir como Creadores. Necesitamos personas de todos los ámbitos de Edén para que este grupo refleje verdaderamente la diversidad de nuestra querida comunidad.

Y recuerden: todos seremos «Compartidores». Los Compartidores nos ayudan a escuchar. Los Creadores nos ayudan a dar forma. Y todos nosotros ayudamos a Edén a convertirse en lo que está llamada a ser.

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Now, listen carefully to what the apostles say. They are not saying that prayer and preaching matter and feeding widows does not. The outcome proves the opposite. Both ministries matter enough to have leaders, resources, and attention.

The church realizes that the mission has become larger than one group of leaders can carry. Eden knows something about that.

So strategic planning is not asking, “What new stuff can we add?” It asks: What must we preserve? What can we release? What should we grow? What needs to be created? And who is God calling us to become?

We are not making a strategic plan because Eden lacks a mission. We are doing this because the mission matters enough to contextualize it every so often, and then ensure that we’re organizing ourselves around it.

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And notice the kind of leadership Acts 6 imagines. When a problem emerges, the apostles do not consolidate authority. They expand it. They do not say, “Trust us.” They gather the community. They do not protect their positions. They make room for more people to use their gifts.

That is a witness the church can offer a world tempted by concentrated power. Leadership does not have to mean control. Power can be shared. Communities can shape their own future. The Church, following its intended vision should always be an antidote to facism.

Next weekend, some of us will gather at the No Kings protest. And we will share the invitation to “Get Out the Vote.” That is another expression of the same conviction: a community flourishes through participation, not domination. And it's important to protect that with intimidation tactics on the rise. 

La oración es importante. La predicación es importante. Alimentar a las viudas es importante. Todo ello requiere liderazgo, recursos y atención.

Hechos 6 nos muestra una iglesia que comprende que la misión es demasiado grande para que un solo grupo la lleve a cabo. Edén lo sabe.

Por eso, la planificación estratégica consiste en decidir qué preservar, qué delegar, qué hacer crecer y qué crear.

Abrir la puerta no significa sólo dar la bienvenida a las personas a la iglesia que ya somos. A veces, significa permitir que la gente ayude a dar forma a aquello en lo que nos convertiremos. Algunos de nosotros seremos Creadores. Todos seremos Compartidores. Y juntos, descubramos en qué nos está llamando el Espíritu a convertirnos.

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Opening the door is not only about welcoming people into the church we already are. Sometimes it means letting the people who walk through it help make the changes.

Some of us will be Builders. All of us can be Sharers. And ultimately God is the creator of us all, inviting us to share our stories, our wisdom, our questions, our hopes, our gifts, and our power.

So, Eden, let us listen. Let us share. Let us build. Let us open the door. And together, let us discover what the Spirit is calling us to become.