Join us for worship every Sunday at 9am and 10:30am in the Sanctuary and at 11:15am in Warehouse 839, in person or online (livestreaming or on demand). (You can watch on our website or on Facebook Live — Facebook instructions are HERE.)
Sermon titles, scripture verses, and preachers are listed HERE.
2025: The Whole Story
The Whole Story invites us to dive deeper into the story behind the Bible. Together we’ll explore how scripture came to be, how it has been interpreted across time, and how we can engage it with meaningful and important questions in our modern context. This series will focus on theological reflection, a practice that helps us balance scripture with tradition, reason, and experience to discern God’s will and grow in faith.
We will be guided by Romans 12:2 (NIV): “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—[God’s] good, pleasing and perfect will.” We will engage scripture as a dynamic and living text.
This is an invitation to reflect, question, and grow in faith together, discovering how God’s story continues to shape and transform us.
Sunday Messages
Most services also livestream.
Looking for the booklets that accompany these messages?
August 24 – LAITY SUNDAY – Carriers of the Movement
Romans 12:4-13
Ginny Fisher, Lay Leader, speaking
August 31 – Wesley and Empire: Colonies, Converts, and Conscience
Amos 5:21-24
Pastor April speaking
September 7 – Heart Religion: Pietists and Moravians Before Wesley
John 3:1-8
Pastor April speaking
September 14 – Wesley & the Moravians
Romans 10:14-15
Dr. Jeff Jaynes speaking, Emeritus Professor of Church History, The Methodist Theological School in Ohio
September 21 – Ohio – The Spiritual Center of North America?
Hebrews 11:32-40
Pastor April speaking in dialogue with Dr. Belinda Gore
September 28 –
Pastor April speaking
October 5 – The Truth We Co-Create Now:
Introduction to the Season of Origins
Romans 12:1-2
Pastor April Speaking
October 12 – November 2: see list below.
Origins
A New Liturgical Season at HUMC
General Overview
This fall, Hilliard United Methodist Church will be among the first congregations in the country to launch Origins, a new liturgical season of the church year. Like Advent or Lent, Origins is a time set apart for focused reflection and growth.
The heart of Origins is this: to uncover forgotten or erased stories and bring them back into our shared memory and imagination about who we are called to be. Each year, the season will take a different focus that allows us to dive deep together.
In this first year, our focus will be on the Land Story of Central Ohio — listening to the sacred stories of this land, the Indigenous peoples who lived here for centuries, and the ways colonization, development, and displacement continue to shape us today.
Through worship, storytelling, and community learning, we will:
- October 12 – INVITE the voices and stories too often silenced. Opening Ourselves to a Bigger Story: Inviting the Land, Its History, and Its Peoples to Speak, Psalm 24:1, Pastor April and the Land Story Group speaking.
- October 19 – NAME the harms of displacement and erasure. Naming the Truth about our Past — Lamenting Displacement and Harm while Holding Complexity, Amos 5:21-24, Psalm 137, Pastor April and the Land Story Group speaking.
- October 26 – REPAIR by taking responsibility for the ways forgetting or erasing these stories has caused harm, and committing to the work of healing. Repairing the Breach — Honoring those who Worked for Peace and Restoration, Ephesians 2:14-22, Pastor April and the Land Story Group speaking.
- November 2 – IMAGINE a new legacy of stewardship, justice, and love for future generations. Shaping a Legacy — Making Land Decisions Now that will Lead to Life, Justice, and Abundance for Generations to Come, Isaiah 58:9-12 & Exodus 3:5, Pastor Jon speaking.
Origins at HUMC This Year
Worship Series (October 12 – November 2)
Each week in worship, we’ll focus on one theme — Invite, Name, Repair, Imagine — drawing on scripture, local history, and stories of the land to help us see with new eyes. See sermon titles, scripture passages, and preachers above.
The Origins Art Exhibit
Alongside worship, we are honored to partner with the Great Circle Alliance to host a powerful art and history exhibit in our building:
Mounds, Moon, and Stars: The Legacy of Ohio’s Magnificent Earthworks
📍 HUMC Social Hall
📅 September 21 – October 26
This exhibit tells the incredible story of the ancient Hopewell culture — our Native siblings who built the extraordinary mounds and earthworks here in Central Ohio. Through art, sacred geometry, and story, the exhibit reveals how this land was once known as a spiritual center where sky, land, and spirit were woven together.
You can experience the exhibit on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings during open hours, or schedule a private tour with your small group, family, or ministry team.
Special Events:
- Dialogue Sermon with Dr. Belinda Gore — Sunday, September 21 (all services)
- Opening Reception & Panel Discussion — Tuesday, September 30 at 6:30pm
- Public Talk with Dr. Belinda Gore — Wednesday, October 22 at 7pm
FAQ
Why are we doing this?
Because telling the truth about our past — and the land we live on — is part of our call as followers of Jesus. It allows us to live more justly, love more deeply, and take responsibility for the ways forgetting and erasing stories has caused harm. Origins challenges us not only to remember but also to join in the ongoing reparative work of healing.
Will Origins be the same every year?
No. Each year, Origins will take on a new focus. This first year, we begin with the stories of the land in Central Ohio — a natural starting place. In future years, we’ll explore other forgotten stories that shape our faith and our world.
How can I participate?
- Come to worship each week during Origins.
- Visit the Mounds, Moon, and Stars exhibit and invite friends, family, or your small group.
- Join in the special events and panel discussions.
- Reflect and act: What story are we telling with our lives? How can we join in the work of repair? What legacy will we leave for future generations?
Handouts
These handouts support our message series, The Whole Story.