April 9, 2025
Beloved Community,
As we round the final corner of Lent, I am reflecting on this season of Lament and Theological Reflection. I’ve found it to be meaningful to read the words of our newly adopted United Methodist Social Principles alongside our heartfelt laments, both past and present. This is a complex and challenging season as humans, but we are not alone, and our laments are not falling on deaf ears. This is a huge part of what we celebrate on Easter Sunday, as we remember the story of a God who has passed through the shadow of death and who LIVES.
Holy Week
During this Holy Week, we hope to see you at one of our special services. In addition to our normal Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worship, we will host a prayerful time of reflection with our Prayer Labyrinth in the Warehouse 839 gym. This is a quiet time to walk the winding pathway before you and consider where God is speaking. We are also excited to be joining our friends at Resurrection Lutheran for their Easter Vigil!
In addition to celebrating a God of abundance, a God of life, a God who speaks hope and love in a time of fear and scarcity, this Easter we will also be sharing about some of the important developments that have happened in this past year with our friends at the Hilliard Food Pantry Plus. You’ve probably noticed the Learning Garden that is starting to take shape on the northwest edge of our property, something that we raised money for last year at Easter! In partnership with the Rotary Club, the HUMC Preschool, the Hilliard Garden Club, and the Hilliard Food Pantry Plus, planting and programming begin this month.
Hilliard Food Pantry Partnership
Not only that, but the Hilliard Food Pantry Plus has made a formal request to stay on the campus of Hilliard UMC for the foreseeable future. As they discern what they will need to meet the growing needs of our community, we are entering into a time as a whole church of considering what it would mean for the Hilliard Food Pantry Plus to become a permanent part of our campus. How could this be an opportunity for us to put God’s love into action, and serve our community more fully? How could we re-think the way our campus is designed to allow for more spaces to serve our community both now and in the years to come?
Campus Futures Focus Group Meetings: Seeking Your Input
On Easter Sunday you’ll hear about four opportunities to learn more, share your thoughts, and help us think through next steps as we consider how we want the HUMC campus to be set up so that we are ready to serve the growing needs of our community in the coming years. We want your input, ideas, and engagement as we prayerfully discern where it is that God is leading us in this season. The sessions happening at the church will include a chance to tour spaces in the Warehouse 839 building currently being used by the Hilliard Food Pantry Plus and our other partners!
Special Easter Offering
In the spirit of preparing space to serve our community, we will be taking up a special Easter offering this year so that we are even more ready to be a welcoming space addressing the needs of our community, both here and around the world.
We hope you will consider making a special offering of generosity. Your Easter giving will support three places.
- PASTOR’S EMERGENCY FUND – helps us to quickly respond to immediate needs of people connected to HUMC and our partner organizations who are struggling to pay rent, utilities, or other crucial expenses due to job loss, inflation, and reduced income.
- NEW A/C UNITS in BOTH BUILDINGS – both our Warehouse 839 and Sanctuary buildings need new A/C units in the next six months to continue being able to meet the demands on the systems and provide a place of hospitality for our community. This has become a critical issue earlier than anticipated, and it was not budgeted for in 2025. With your help, we can make some big strides toward covering the total expected cost of $100,000.
- APPORTIONMENTS – helps us to continue to meet our commitment to the United Methodist Church to support the local, regional, and worldwide needs of mission, staffing, and emergency response. With reduction in USAID around the world, these funds will be even more important for many of our partners around the world.
Unless you note otherwise, your offering will be evenly split between these three areas. You can mail your offering, or bring it with you on Easter Sunday. You can also always give through our website or through the Church Center App.
God remains with us
Out of our laments, confessions, and seasons of learning, God remains with us… leading us, guiding us, and pointing us toward new life and new possibilities. We look forward to celebrating with each of you on Easter and then throughout the Easter season!
With all our love and gratitude,
