Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, Read more…
On the north wall of our Sanctuary space (which we call the Christian Life Center or “CLC”) the worship team has mounted a display of interactive visual elements. Our Lenten conversations have explored questions that emerge from the stories in our weekly Gospel texts. These questions are sometimes curious and Read more…
There is a place where the sidewalk ends and before the street begins, and there the grass grows soft and white, and there the sun burns crimson bright, and there the moon-bird rests from his flight to cool in the peppermint wind. Many folks are familiar with the artist Shel Silverstein. Shel found creative expression Read more…
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,the desert shall rejoice and blossom;like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.Isaiah 35:1-2 Rebecca Eyrick is part of the family ministry team at First United Methodist Church. A senior at Purdue University studying Environmental Public Health, Read more…
Happy New Year. The turning of the yearly calendar falls right about at the center of the Christmastide season—halfway between Christmas on December 25th and Epiphany on January 6th. There’s something that feels right about the symmetry of this changeover. I feel like the ending of 2022 is filled with hope Read more…
Last month at our Charge Conference, First Church joined with other congregations at St. Andrews UMC to explore a taste of Messy Church. We enjoyed a light meal and then we played with various hands-on activities—arts, crafts games, all connected to a biblical verse and theme. It was really fun! Read more…
Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (CEB) Every November as I contemplate the message I want to share in this space, whether it is the Prevue newsletter or news for some other church that I have served, Read more…
Recently I was invited to lead a breakout session with our Indiana provisional pastors who are in the Residence In Ministry (RIM) program to offer my thoughts and conversation about ministry in my community and context. I was one of four pastors who was invited to lead a small group Read more…