September 27, 2023
A Note from Pastor Jon
Dear Friends,
I don’t know if you’re tired of hearing me say it, but I will continue to do so: I am eternally grateful to each and every single one of you.
In this season of renewal for our Lead Pastor, Rev. April Blaine, you have continued to drive forward our mission and vision of sharing the love of God with all persons, No Matter What. Time and time again, you have stepped up to meet the call. You answer the call to give, to serve, to love, to be the church God is asking us to be. I cannot say thank you enough.
This past spring a group of 20-25 individuals met over a series of months with HUMC member Deb Mitchell. Deb founded her company Cypress Tree and serves as a consultant to businesses and non-profits around our region and the country. Deb has a gift for helping organizations to zero in on their purpose and values, to promote and live out in the place and to the people the seek to serve. (Here’s her June 1st Letter of Encouragement, “There All Along,” about her experience with Deeper Waters.)
The Mission of the United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church, of which Hilliard UMC is a part, has a mission, and that is stated in our denominational book of law called the Book of Discipline. In paragraph 120 it states that the mission of the United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
This has been the mission of the United Methodist Church dating back a couple of decades now.
Who We Are
Building on this, the HUMC working group spent hours in conversation about who we are and who we want to be as a church. This work was to help in the development of what would become our CORE PURPOSE and our CORE VALUES. How do we want to articulate and communicate our purpose and values with the wider community?
After several conversations, work sessions, and more conversations, your Church Council approved the final version of the HUMC Core Purpose and Core Values. We invite you to share them when talking about why we do what we do to live out our mission as a United Methodist Church.
They are as follows (and you’ll find them on our What We Believe page):
CORE PURPOSE
To be a brave and inclusive community, learning and growing together, as we share in God’s unconditional love with all persons.
- We have a special heart for those who have been marginalized by the church and society.
- One’s belonging and dignity are important to us.
- Like in any good relationship, there will be ups and downs and questions. We commit to being with each other no matter what.
- Together as a community, we will grow in our capacity to embody the unconditional love of God in the world.
CORE VALUES
LOVE IN ACTION MATTERS
- We believe that God calls us to address the profound suffering and injustice in the world.
- We believe that God calls us to love through the Great Commandments and the Great Commission.
- We believe that God calls us to be a tangible embodiment of hope and light.
YOU MATTER
- We recognize the dignity of every individual.
- All persons are beloved children of God and loved equally by God.
- You are valued and welcome here.
AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS MATTER
- Relationships are important to a vibrant and diverse community.
- Transparency in relationships increases trust.
- We commit to maintaining relationships with respectful dialogue even when disagreements occur.
Our Core Purpose and Values will shape us in the relaunch of Warehouse 839 worship, the development of our missional non-profit, and every ministry that unfolds from Hilliard United Methodist Church.
Our Core Purpose and Values will be our guide as we move into this fall and the planning of our budget for 2024.
This is how we as a church want to live and move in the spaces and places to which God leads.
The document is not a “perfect” document. There may be wording and parts of the statement with which you don’t fully agree, and that is okay. We won’t ask you to sign anything stating you are beholden to any of these. Yet I’m pretty certain that if you are a part of our HUMC community there’s not much here in the way of surprise.
Be well, friends, and I look forward to seeing you around the church.
Pastor Jon
The Rev. Jon Osmundson
Associate Pastor
