'inclusive' Tagged Posts
Authentic Community Matters
September 10, 2025A Note from Gaby Poliseno Dear Friends, I nervously pulled up to the coffee shop where I was meeting April and prayed that God would help me to not use any curse words in this meeting with my pastor. I have a bit of a sailor’s mouth at times and really did not want this to come through with April, as we were still getting to know each other and she was, after all, a pastor. April warmly…
Seeking Donations for Youth Silent Auction Fundraiser
Seeking Silent Auction Donations Calling all willing to help the youth raise money for our Lakeside Youth summer camp experience with our silent auction! Donated items such as gift cards, homemade items, services offered, “themed” baskets, etc., would be highly appreciated. Deadline: September 21 All donations need to be received by 9/21 to the church office, labeled for youth silent auction, or contact April Andrick for pick-up. Silent auction will preview September 28 and be live October 5! Staff contact:…
Origins: A New Liturgical Season at HUMC
Origins:A New Liturgical Seasonat 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…
Sabbatical Play
August 20, 2025A Note from Beth Palmer Hello Friends! In late July I started back to work after almost ten weeks of sabbatical leave, and I’m so glad to be back with you! But before I tell you about that I want to thank you for your prayers last week — after only two weeks back to work, my husband Frank and I unexpectedly flew to eastern Massachusetts for a week because it appeared as if Frank’s mom was nearing…
Mounds, Moon, & Stars Exhibit
Please Join Us Mounds, Moon, & Stars:The Legacy of Ohio’s Magnificent Earthworks Presented by the Great Circle Alliance & Hilliard UMC The exhibition explores the profound celestial and cultural connections embedded in the ancient earthworks of the Hopewell tradition, where sky, land, and spirit align. Inspired by the sacred geometry of the Great Circle, lunar cycles, and star paths, Mounds, Moon, and Stars invites viewers to reflect on the timeless dialogue between human creativity and the cosmos. The Great Circle…
Serve on the Congregational Visitation Team
Do you have a heart for those who are homebound or ill, and an interest in visiting some members of our congregation occasionally? We’re looking to expand our congregational care team of folks who will make visits to hospitals, care facilities, and private homes. No experience necessary, just a willingness to be a loving presence. Reach out to Pastor April for more information.
Still Standing, Still Celebrating: 4 Years as a Reconciling Church
June 2, 2025A Note from Pastor Jon Dear Friends, Still Standing, Still Celebrating: 4 Years as a Reconciling Church In June of 2021, after a thoughtful and prayerful discernment process, the membership of Hilliard United Methodist Church overwhelmingly voted to become a Reconciling Congregation in the United Methodist Church. It was more than a statement. It was a commitment—to justice, to radical love, and to the full dignity and sacred worth of all persons in the life of the church.…
View for a Black Woman
May 21, 2025A Note from Nikki Buskirk Dear Friends, I often find myself asking, where did I turn left while others kept straight when it comes to individualism? I can’t remember a time when I didn’t think about others’ welfare, when I ever wanted to not include someone. When I was younger, I was the shy, nerdy, Black kid who was often left out. I always tried to make sure others weren’t excluded in anything I was in. Whether it…
Easter Offering Totals
The Easter offering grand total = $18,588.21 Apportionments: $3,746.07 Pastor’s Emergency Fund: $3,746.07 HVAC: $11,096.07 $5,333.44 of this came from outside partners who support our ministry and mission! Thank you for your generosity!
Help Greet Families for Preschool Graduations
45-minute Shifts AvailableMonday or TuesdayMay 19 or 20Sanctuary building Here’s a fun opportunity to serve our weekday preschool families as they come to celebrate their child’s graduation! You’ll welcome families to the event, hand out programs, and direct people to the sanctuary, restrooms, etc. We always want to be strengthening our good connection between the church and the weekday preschool, and this is one way to do that! Sign up for a shift on Monday or Tuesday, May 19 or…
The Lens of Progressivism
May 7, 2025A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, In last week’s Letter of Encouragement, Pastor Jon shared a bit about how the lens of fundamentalism shaped his story. Sunday, he shared more about this lens that has influenced so much of modern Christian practice. Fundamentalism arose largely as a push back to society’s shifting views toward science and evolution. Interestingly, progressive Christians also had concerns about the growing emphasis on reason and the ways some thinkers in the early…
The Lens of Fundamentalism
April 30, 2025A Note from Pastor Jon Dear Friends, When the Letter Becomes Stone:A Reflection on the Rise of Theological Fundamentalism Before I ever studied hermeneutics or learned to pronounce it, I had already been shaped by a singular lens of interpretation — one that read the Bible as both map and rulebook, absolute and unchanging. I grew up in Hopewell, Virginia, just down the road from prominent faith leaders and communities deeply connected to the rise of fundamentalist Christianity.…