Encouragement (Page 9)
Methodism – Denominational Update
November 16, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I remember the moment I knew the United Methodist Church was the right one for me. I was in seminary in a United Methodist History class, and our professor, Dr. Diane Lobody, was telling us story after story of John Wesley in the early days of the Methodist movement. Wesley lived in the mid 1700s, a priest and academic in the Church of England. He bore witness to the massive divide…
God is a God of Abundance
November 2, 2022A Note from Pastor Jon Dear Friends, Those who have been around Hilliard UMC for a while are familiar with our annual Thanksgiving Outreach. To those newer to our HUMC community, this outreach is a partnership that is shared among HUMC, other area UMC churches, Hilliard City Schools, and the Hilliard Food Pantry. (If you experience food insecurity and want to get on the list to receive food and gift cards through our Thanksgiving Outreach, contact the Hilliard…
Introducing our MTSO Intern
October 26, 2022A Note from Molly Collier Dear Friends, Good day, friends! I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you in person and have enjoyed getting to know you during the community dinners, in between services, and in taking part in Wednesday night classes. I have been grateful for these moments of connection and look forward to many more during my time at HUMC. Relationships, authentic relationships, have always been an anchor for me, and I am passionate…
God loves you… no matter what!
October 19, 2022 Dear Friends, No big letter today, just a reminder that YOU MATTER. You matter to God, and you matter to us! With love to you, from your church staff
Letting Go
October 12, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I’ve always been fond of the season of fall. The cooler, crisp temperatures. The changing colors of the leaves. The start of my Fantasy Football League (and all the delightful trash talking that comes with it). The pumpkin spice EVERYTHING. (Whoever brought the pumpkin spice donuts to church last week… you are very appreciated!) And all the amazing Halloween decorations, costumes, and fabulous candy. (It’s not too late to join us…
Growing Older & Loving Every Minute of It
October 5, 2022A Note from Marilyn Hoeflinger Dear Friends, In November I will celebrate 70 years on this earth. I’m not sure what 70 feels like, honestly. In my mind I am 20, wait, 35, no, most likely 42. I’m not sure why I settle on that number, but when I think of what I want to do and how to do it, it is the body I had when I was 42. When I could sit crisscross applesauce in…
Beginner’s Mind
September 28, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, When it rolled around two weeks ago, I didn’t expect this birthday to be as hard as it was. I’m halfway through my 40s… halfway to 90. It wasn’t so much that I was feeling old… (After all, 45 is the new 35 or something?) Instead, I was pondering the reality that there’s a good chance I’ve already lived more than half of my life. In one of my favorite Richard…
Squirrels Throwing Acorns
September 14, 2022A Note from Beth Palmer Dear Friends, I have a deep need to be seen for who I am and to belong. We all do. We want to know that we matter to others, and that we can show up as we really are and be accepted and embraced as our authentic, messy selves. I have always felt lucky that I get those needs met through my college and seminary friends, my volunteering friends and church friends, and…
Wednesday Community Supper Resumes INSIDE!
August 10, 2022A Note from Beth Latella Dear Friends, Feed My Lambs — join the Wednesday Supper Team! What do cooking and quilting have in common? They are two of my favorite activities, but more than that, for me, they are two methods of offering warmth and comfort. They are also two important ministries of Hilliard United Methodist Church. Both were changed, but not stopped, by the pandemic. Quilters quilted at home, which suited my view of sewing as individual…
Full Circle
August 3, 2022A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, “When life brings you full circle,pay attention.There’s a lesson there.”~Mandy Hale I was eight years old the first time I remember attending Catholic Mass with my grandmother. While some of the rituals felt different from the Methodist church I was used to (why did people keep touching their foreheads and shoulders?), others seemed familiar. I knew you were supposed to stand up when the songs started, and most of the words…
Everyone is entitled to God’s amazing love & grace
July 6, 2022A Note from Shiloh Abner Dear Friends, I believe with every generation, it gets more complicated to raise a child. More and more families are getting away from the church and consequently God because of bad theology and out-of-context scripture. What a refreshing time it was to move to Ohio and find a church that believed that everyone is entitled to God’s amazing love and grace. Coming from previous churches that held on to “traditional” stances on social…