This week, we heard from the Gospel of Luke, the seventeenth chapter: “Increase our faith.”

It’s an impulse I think many of us can relate to. The seasons are changing—pumpkin pie and apple picking for some, pecan lattes and warm blankets for others. But even amid the beauty of autumn, we are aware of how much suffering fills our world: year two of a genocide in Gaza, the rise of authoritarianism across nations, and grocery prices that keep climbing. There is so much pain and uncertainty.

So we, too, cry out, “Jesus, increase our faith.”

It feels familiar, but then I remember the ordinary moments. On Sunday, I invited my parishioners to write down one thing they did this week to help their neighbor. Then I asked them to imagine what would have happened if that act had not been done.

Simple gestures—a meal shared, a phone call made, a moment of kindness—these are all moments when God’s love breaks through a world that can feel so broken.

Our faith calls us to act, to lead with integrity and courage, to do what is right, and to be decent human beings.

As the prophet Micah reminds us: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Join us on Oct. 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. for a community forum exploring the challenges of homeownership in Nevada, featuring a team of reporters from KUNR and KNPR.

Moderated by KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck, they will discuss why owning a home is increasingly out of reach for many Nevadans and why it’s coming with new threats like the need for wildfire insurance.

This ticketed event is offered both in-person at the Wells Fargo Auditorium inside the Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, and live streamed for remote viewing.

This event is sponsored in part by Greater Nevada Credit Union.

This week, Pastor Paul Larson features The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong by Karen González.

It is an especially important book to be reading in these times, as Scripture is filled with stories of people who experience displacement—Ruth, Hagar, Joseph, Abraham, and so many others. Through their journeys, we witness the power of God’s liberating love and the call for all people of faith to walk with and welcome the stranger.

Date: October 14, 2025

Time: 1:00-2:30 PM

Register here for this no-cost webinar

Presenters from Semillas (Chattanooga, TN), Albuquerque Rapid Response, and the National Immigration Project

We are also excited to circulate our Survey for Accompaniment Directory, a form for groups who are providing accompaniment support to EOIR, ICE, ISAP, local court, or other locations. This will hopefully serve as a way for folks to be able to locate and connect with accompaniment groups in or outside of their area to provide needed support for community members. We receive a lot of these requests and want for groups to be able to opt in on having your projects shared.

Nevadans who buy insurance through Nevada Health Link are facing premium hikes of 26%, according to the Nevada Division of Insurance—much higher than the 17.5% increase first proposed.

Right now, 9 in 10 Health Link enrollees receive federal subsidies to help lower their monthly costs. But if the enhanced federal subsidies expire, tens of thousands of Nevadans could see their premiums skyrocket.

About 110,000 Nevadans rely on Health Link (KFF estimates closer to 94,500). That’s tens of thousands of families at risk of being priced out of coverage if action isn’t taken.

Lawmakers must act to protect affordable coverage and extend the subsidies that keep health care within reach.