First Church Tables: Making Room for Connection
One thing we heard clearly in our recent congregational survey was a desire for more opportunities to form meaningful relationships—to build friendships, share life, and know one another more deeply. First Church Tables are one way we’re responding. First Church Tables are small groups of 7–9 people from across our congregation who will gather about once a month during the …
Green Team Times – October 2026
By Josie Gobel According to research, just two hours a week in nature have a positive effect on health and psychological wellbeing—and the benefit holds regardless of age, income, or chronic illness. Build nature time into your routine and your family’s. Take a 10-minute nature break, eat lunch outside, talk and walk. Love yourself and your loved ones. Green space …
Holy Cow Consulting Report on Congregational Survey
September 24, 2026 Each week, we’ll be sharing insights from the Executive Summary of the Congregational Assessment. Magi Culture and Paraclete Culture: What it means for strategic planning in a dual culture Responses from the 168 people who completed the survey show that our congregation holds two distinct cultures. The Magi culture is marked by deep intellectual curiosity and a …
Adopt-a-School Update: Fall 2026
Hawthorne, Demco and FUMC had their first meeting of the new school year. It was great to have Sydney Williams join us to learn about our partnership. Hawthorne’s population increased by 30 students, so they are having to add 4K and Kindergarten classes. Another office chair is needed! Regarding the gardens project, Antonio is planning a cleanup day for a …
Congregational Assessment from Holy Cow Consulting
Our leaders have learned—and continue to learn—a great deal about our congregation through the surveys many of you chose to complete. Over the coming weeks, we will share different aspects of what we’ve discovered. We also invite your prayers and your participation as we begin to engage more deeply with the work ahead. As part of this assessment, we explored …
Second Harvest Food Bank Work Day, Sept. 26
Saturday, September 26, 8:15 – 11:45am An easy opportunity to impact food insecurity for families in our area is available on Saturday, September 26 at Second Harvest Food Bank. We will meet at Second Harvest, 2802 Dairy Drive, at 8:15am. This opportunity is for people over 12 years of age. The facility requires closed toe shoes and no tank tops. …
Hope’s Home Ministry Impact Report: January – July 2026
By the grace of our Lord and through your faithful love, prayers, and generous hands, we are blessed to share the journey and fruits of our labor together during the first half of this year. Looking back at 2025, our weekly family of guests averaged 108 precious souls. This year, that number has grown, with weekly check-ins averaging 119 guests. …
Adopt-a-School Update: Summer 2026
The summer has flown by and summer school has come to an end at Hawthorne. The Food Pantry continues to be a busy place, so please consider donating the following items: The Back to School event is Wednesday, August 26th from 5:00-7:00. There will be a community dinner, and all are invited to attend. Donation needs include: Interest in rebuilding the …
How Do We Respond To The Shooting Death Of Corey Ruiz?
from Pastor Cathy Weigand and Kevin Williams, Lay Leader As we grapple with the feelings and frustrations over the shooting death of Corey Ruiz on July 22, we might ask ourselves, as people of faith: How are we called to respond? You may also be wondering, What can I do, practically, to bring both healing and accountability to this tragic situation? First, …