Christianity's Family Tree Continues

Dear Church Family,

It is hard to believe that I have been serving at Hoffman for six months now. Time certainly has flown by. Chanda and I have enjoyed our time at West Milton as we have gotten to know the members, ministries, and mission of Hoffman. It has also been great to get to know the community and school. I hope to continue to get to know you and the community better so that I begin casting a vision of where God is leading us in the future.

We are in the midst of our sermon series and study focusing on Christianity’s Family Tree. Our worship services and study have been great. We have had a great turn out to our afternoon studies. For those who have not had the opportunity to make it, each study is self-contained. So, you will not be left behind. Please plan to join us each Sunday at 4 PM.

While we have studied Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Lutheranism, we have many other traditions to study. Here is our schedule for the remainder of the series:
-Presbyterianism (January 30th)
-Anglicanism (February 6th)
-Baptists (February 13th)
-Pentecostalism (February 20th)
-Methodism & More (February 27th and March 6th)

In preparing for this study, I came across a quote from Billy Graham that I found enlightening. He said, “I am now aware that the family of God contains people of various ethnological, cultural, class, and denominational differences. Within the true Church, there is a mysterious unity that overrides all divisive factors… I learned that although Christians do not all agree, we can disagree agreeably. And that what’s most needed today is to show an unbelieving world that we love one another.”

What a hope for the future! Let’s learn to disagree agreeably to show an unbelieving world that we love one another. Through this study and series, we hope that we can enrich our understanding of our own faith by exploring the faith and practices of other Christians. In doing so, I hope that we can learn to appreciate and respect all Christians. I hope to suppress our unwarranted judgments and stereotypes that we may find unity. As we study the theology, worship, and history of each tradition, we grow deeper in our faith and our understanding of Christianity.

As we look forward to Lent, we are planning a new member’s class for the six weeks of Lent. If you would like to learn more about our faith, our church or what it means to join a church, this class would be a great opportunity for you. There is no commitment to join made prior to taking the class. At the end of the 6 week class, you will be invited to join our church.

All who join the United Methodist Church become a member of the covenant community dedicated to making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Members make a promise to God, and the congregation, to uphold the church with their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service and their witness. Hoffman UMC is a church where many hands join together as one to make a difference in our community. We invite you to join us!

May God Bless,
Pastor Justin