'inclusive' Tagged Posts (Page 3)
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…
Start Close In, Revisited
July 3, 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, I wrote this way back in the fall of 2020 as I started my first internship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. So much of this message still resonates with me today, four years later, even on a night when I am working a paid shift on call, writing a sermon, making a visit,…
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…
You Belong, Revisited
June 19, 2024A Note from Pastor AprilGreatest Hits Dearest Friends, During this month of Pride, after we have celebrated our third anniversary of being a Reconciling Congregation, helped sponsor the Hilliard Pride Fest for the fourth year in a row, and provided musical leadership at last Friday’s Reconciling Ministry worship service, it’s beautiful to remember where we were two years ago on our first anniversary. Belonging The desire to create a space for belonging remains just as true today as…
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…
The Summer Day
June 5, 2024A Note from Pastor April & Mary Oliver Dear Friends, Yes, I know we aren’t “technically” fully into the season of summer until the 20th of June, but I can’t help but feel the shift in the season as soon as school lets out. Amid busyness and vacations and summer rhythms, I invite you to take some space and enjoy this classic Mary Oliver poem. May there be room for us to notice the small grasshoppers and the…
Annual Conference
May 30, 2024A Note from Pastor April HUMC Family, Last night the West Ohio Annual Conference convened at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Each year, equal numbers of clergy and lay delegates from each church across West Ohio gather to worship, pray, commission and ordain new clergy, and vote on important matters before the annual conference of the United Methodist Church. Your two pastors, along with your Lay Delegates, Stephanie Harrell and Michael Haney, will be representing our church as…
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…
The Church
May 15, 2024A Note from Pastor April Dear Friends, Spending time with family has always been really precious to me. When Martin and I made the move to Ohio in 2003, we left behind our families in Arkansas. Since then, my immediate family has only become more scattered across the US (my sister in Seattle and my brother and his wife in Colorado). Though we make lots of efforts to stay connected and see each other throughout the year, I…
Help Greet Families for Preschool Graduations
45-minute Shifts AvailableThursday & Friday, May 16 & 17Sanctuary 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! The graduation programs are at 9:30am, 10:30am, and 1pm both days,…
UMC General Conference Decisions
Announcement about General Conference Decisions Over the last two weeks, members of The United Methodist Church gathered in Charlotte, NC, for the postponed 2020 General Conference. While the General Conference made many important decisions, we want to lift up some specific changes that relate to the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people into the life of the Church. This General Conference voted to: We give thanks for progress in the pursuit of justice and inclusion. May our connection grow in love,…
Fill Your Cup
May 8, 2024A Note from David Bartholomew Dear Friends, So, you’re hoping to be in tune with today’s discipleship in a time when your views on social change can make or break nearly all sense of community? No matter what beat you’re marching to, we can all find common ground in the idea that we are here to do what He has called us to do. That is the very foundation of what led me to join the congregation officially…