'encouragement' Tagged Posts
Holy Land Pilgrimage, Revisited
July 17, 2024A Note from Pastor JonGreatest Hists: Revisiting some previous Letters of Encouragement, in celebration of all God has done during these last four years! Dear Friends, It’s been just over 2 years since I returned from my pilgrimage to the Holy Land. My heart aches for the land in conflict and war and for the people and victims of war. The current climate in Israel/Palestine still does not in any way diminish my memory or experiences on the…
Inauguration, Revisited
July 10, 2024A Note from Pastor AprilGreatest Hists: Revisiting some previous Letters of Encouragement, in celebration of all God has done during these last four years! Dear Friends, This week our amazing VBS kids are experiencing our new curriculum, “Just Like Me.” One of the key lessons they are learning this week is how important it is for each of us to find and use our voices to advocate for others in our community. Like the garden that is in…
Shared Moments, Revisited
June 26, 2024A Note from Pastor JonGreatest Hits Dear Friends, I wrote this letter to you upon the conclusion of my journey through my Masters of Practical Theology. I wonder, do we still appreciate the Shared Moment? // Originally sent January 13, 2021: The journey has finally come to its completion. I mean, I’m still waiting for Methodist Theological School in Ohio to officially award my degree sometime in February, but for all intents and purposes, I have met the…
The Hero’s Journey Revisited
June 12, 2024A Note from Pastor AprilGreatest Hits Beloved Friends, This summer marks four years that we’ve been writing you a letter each week. So much has happened in these last few years, and it feels like it might be helpful to celebrate the amazing things that God has done during that time. So this summer we are going to revisit some of those letters we wrote over the years, starting with the first. Think of it as a “Greatest…
Listening to our Hearts
May 22, 2024A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I’ve been back from my renewal leave for six months this week, and I continue to feel the benefits of those four months away. Some of the gifts were expected — rest, time with family and friends, and a chance to travel were among the highlights. One of the greatest gifts, however, was entirely a surprise. The time away gave me time to LISTEN to what my heart truly desires. I’m…
What Does It Mean to be Saved?
March 13, 2024A Note from Pastor Jon Dear Friends, Can I be honest with you for a few minutes? I mean it… really honest… One of our core values at HUMC is that Authentic Relationships Matter. Being honest and vulnerable help to build those relationships. Honesty and vulnerability are ways of building trust. Having an authentic relationship means that I can tell you what I’m genuinely thinking and feeling, not seeking sympathy and trusting not to be taken advantage of,…
Romans 8: People of the Spirit
March 6, 2024A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, There are a couple of things that might just cause your Lead Pastor to start doing cartwheels around the church in excitement… A teenager showing up to a Bible study on Romans chapter 8. Young adults discussing the Lenten sermons to such a degree that they reach out over email to get clarity on their confusion. (Can you tell that both of these things have happened in the last week?) Paul’s…
Why We Chose HUMC
November 1, 2023A Note from the Rev. Melonie Harnish Dear Friends, I have been attending for the last year but most of you do not know me — my name is Melonie Harnish, and I moved to Hilliard in June 2022. I am a retired United Methodist Elder (pastor) in full connection with the West Ohio Conference. I have been retired since July 1, 2021, after serving in West Ohio for 34 years. I have been married to Sam for…
Pride, Prejudice, & Pronouns
June 21, 2023A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, I remember the first few times I heard people introduce themselves and include their gender-related pronouns. “My name is Greg and I use he/him pronouns.” I was confused. Why was he stating something that (in my mind) appeared to be obvious? Shortly after, I began to see friends introducing themselves with pronouns I was less familiar with. “I’m Jane and I use they/them pronouns.” Now, my English grammar lessons from school…