Journey Toward God

Dear Church Family,

Just about everyone can remember where they  were the morning of September 11, 2001 and the days that followed. As we approach the 10th anniversary of this tragic event, my prayers go out for our country and all those affected by this act of terrorism. I pray for healing and hope for the future. I pray that we can learn to live without fear. May we remember the victims and families from September 11.

As the summer comes to a close and school starts back up, there is no doubt that we will be as busy as before. As many of you know, Chanda has begun going to Edison to complete her RN degree. Please pray for us during this time of transition. I also appreciate your prayers for the rest of my family.

Now that I am commissioned as a Provisional Elder, I begin two years of “supervised years.” I will be participating in the new conference program called “The Crucible.” During this time, I will be participating in retreats, seminars, and other work as I prepare for ordination in June of 2013. The first of these events will be September 14-17.

Many of you have had the opportunity of being part of Emmaus. For those who are not familiar with it, the Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen your walk with Christ. My wife and her mother will be going on their Emmaus Walk this month. I have been asked to be one of the speakers for this event. It will be an exciting weekend. Please be in prayer for Chanda, Gail, and me. I hope that those of you who have not been to Chrysalis or Emmaus may consider going in the coming year.

As we finished up our series on Romans 8, I hope that you all have learned something more about what it means to be a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ. I hope that you have had the opportunity to memorize and internalize scripture as well. It has been a dynamic study of learning those words that describe who we are as Christians: freed, empowered, adopted, transformed, assured, and loved.


Beginning in September we are going to begin a new sermon series focusing on the book of Exodus, entitled “Journey Toward God.” We are all on a journey. There are obstacles and trials that get in our way. There are distractions that may cause us to lose focus of our goal. As we look at Exodus, we will be examining our lives to discover if we are journeying toward God or away from God. We will discover that journeying toward God is the way for us to live life to the fullest. It is the way for us to have the abundant life that Jesus offers. We need to get out our map and compass. We can’t be too ashamed to ask for directions. We want to set our course on a journey toward God.

Not only will you have the opportunity to learn about Exodus through the worship services, we will also be offering small groups that will give you the opportunity to gather with others and discuss the book of Exodus. I hope that everyone will take advantage of this opportunity for fellowship and discipleship.

We have also established a team that will be working to explore beginning at second worship service here at Hoffman. Please be in prayer for God’s guidance as we discern how we can best reach the people in our community who are in need of a relationship with God and other Christians.

Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin

Dear Church Family,

The summer is going too fast. It is hard to believe that July is already here. June was an exciting month. I would like to thank everyone for the generous graduation gifts from the church. Chanda and I are looking forward to using them to dine out for the Adventure series. I also look forward to making a trip to Cokesbury to spend my gift card. Thanks for being such a supportive and giving church!

July is here, and that means that July 4th is just around the corner. Some of you may not realize this, but my first real experience in West Milton was July 4, 2010. Rev. Kevin had invited me to come up and be in the parade. We met many of you while spending the day here in West Milton. We are looking forward to celebrating our first Fourth of July as residents of West Milton.

July is also an exciting time for our church. We will be having our Art Show, Adventure Series, Dayton Dragons Game, 5/2 Lunch Bunch, and Kids Club. There are many ways for you to get involved at Hoffman this Summer (see inside for more details).

I want to share with you a few scriptures that are near and dear to the hearts of Christians all over the world.

- “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
- “For I am convinced that [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
- “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear….”
- “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
- “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
- “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ.”

I have shared all of these passages with you for a reason. Not only are they inspiration for our daily lives, but would you be surprised if I were to tell you that they were all contained in one book of the Bible? What if I were to tell you that all of these beloved verses were contained in one chapter of the Bible? That’s right all of these verses can be found in Romans 8.

Beginning on July 10th, we will be starting our new Sermon Series called “Alive!” Romans 8 is one of the best-known and best-loved chapters in all of Scripture. It is teeming with life and promise and hope for all those who take the time to refresh themselves in its words. It is my prayer that this six week sermon series in Romans 8 will renew and strengthen us as a church as we behold what it means to be truly Alive!

Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin

Unleashing New Life

Dear Church Family,

I hope that you have all had a great month of May. I know that I have. It has been busy, but it has been good. On Saturday, May 21st, I graduated with a Master of Theological Studies from United Theological Seminary. I had finished my Master of Divinity in 2009, but I had decided to pursue a second degree that would allow me to focus on Biblical Studies, especially Greek and Hebrew. It is a wonderful relief to have finished. After 22 years of schooling, I am no longer a student. (We’ll see how long that lasts.)


When graduation season comes, we know that summer is within sight. This summer will be an exciting time for us at Hoffman. In addition to our Adventure Series that many of you are participating in, we have many events planned for the summer, which are listed below:

-Annual Conference Trip (June 8)
-Church Sale (June 23)
-Art Show (July 8-9)
-Dragon’s Game (July 9)
-Church Picnic (August 7)

In addition to all of that we will be continuing the 5/2 Lunch Bunch this summer. This will be my first experience of Lunch Bunch. I am looking forward to it. For those of you who do not know, Lunch Bunch is one of our summer outreach programs. We will be feeding the children and doing VBS curriculum during June and July. Let Pam know if you want to be involved.


The West Ohio Annual Conference will be held June 5-9. This year’s conference is a particularly exciting year because I will be commissioned as a Probationary Elder in the United Methodist Church. This will place me on track for ordination at annual conference in June of 2013. Annual Conference is a time when clergy and laity from all over West Ohio gather for worship, workshops, and business. The theme for 2011 is “Unleashing New Life,” taken from Acts 5:20, which says, “Go stand in the temple courts and tell people all about this new life.” We will be challenged to share our God stories with those whom we encounter in our everyday lives. I challenge each of you to find opportunities to share your God story with those you encounter. It is important to acknowledge the ways that God has worked in our lives and share that with others.


As most of you know, we are well on our way in our series on the life of David—“As David’s World Turns.” We are continuing this series through the month of June, where we will look at

- Days of Our Life: David’s Confession (Psalm 51)
- Guiding Light: David and His Poetry (Psalm 23)
- All My Children: David and His Sons (1 Kings 1)
- One Life to Live: David’s Last Words (1 Kings 2)

We could spend an entire year looking at the life of David. After all, he is mentioned in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament figure. He has the longest biography of any biblical character. David is a dynamic figure. I hope you will join us as we wrap up the life of David this June.


Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin

Lent: A Time for Rest, Renewal, and Repentance

Dear Friends,

At Hoffman UMC, we are coming to the end of our study on Christianity’s Family Tree. It has been a great time of looking at the other traditions within Christianity. We have learned more about our brothers and sisters in Christ and more about ourselves. We have discovered ways in which we can learn from those who come from other traditions. I hope that you have enjoyed this series as much as I have. It is important for us to understand that the Christian faith is much larger than Hoffman UMC, and I think we have seen that through our study together. I pray that this study has helped each of us become more effective disciples of Christ.

This month, we will be entering into the season of Lent. Lent is the season that leads right into Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday (March 9th) and concludes on the Saturday before Easter (April 23rd). During this season, we prepare ourselves for Easter. It is a time for rest, repentance, prayer, service, self-examination, and self-denial. It is a time for Christian growth and renewal. Lent lasts 40 days (not including Sundays).

Historically, Lent was a time when those wanting to join the Christian community would learn about the faith. Easter was the day in which new members would be accepted into the faith. Well, we are adopting this ancient practice this year. We will have a new member’s class during Lent, and we will be accepting new members on Easter Sunday. If you are interested in this class, please let us know as soon as possible.

As we prepare for the time when we reflect on Christ’s gift of salvation to us, we generally make sacrifices by fasting. This is not necessarily a fast from food, but it is sacrificially giving up something in our lives. I had a friend who jokingly gave up things like Brussels sprouts and exercise. Unless you really like Brussels sprouts and eat them regularly, this really wouldn’t constitute a sacrifice. During Lent, we fast from something that we do a lot and find pleasure in. This fasting is done as a discipline of self-control and to help us identify with Christ’s sufferings on our behalf. Chanda and I usually fast from a common item. Last year, we gave up meat. In the past, I have also given up things like television, computer usage, instant messaging, and online gaming. Consider what you might give up this Lenten season and share it with me and others. It can be an opportunity to share your faith.

During the 6 Sundays of Lent, our sermon series is “Encountering Jesus.” We are going to be looking at 6 places in the gospel where individuals encountered Jesus. We are going to see what we can learn about Jesus through the encounters. We will be looking at his encounters with: the devil, a religious leader, a blind man, a woman, a dead man, and a political leader. During at least one of these sermons, I am planning to try a new style of sermon that I have never attempted before. This should be an exciting series for you to invite friends to.

We are also going to have several small group studies going on during the Lenten season. We hope that you will find a small group to join that you may grow in your faith through the study of God’s word and fellowship with others. You will find the details of these studies in this newsletter.

Having been here for seven months now, Chanda and I are planning to go on our first vacation at the end of March. We will be leaving on March 28th and will return on April 4th. Be praying that we will get the rest needed to come back and serve a renewed energy.

Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin

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

Dear Church Family,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving as you reflected on the blessings that God has given. God certainly has richly blessed me over the past year. I am extremely thankful for being sent to serve as the pastor of Hoffman. It has been a great joy for Chanda and me to be part of this church family.

We have some exciting things going on during the Advent Season this year. Our Christmas party will be on December 4th and the Kid’s Choir Performance is on December 12th. We will also be having two services on Christmas Eve. Our 7 o’clock service provides the opportunity for families with children to worship and be home early. Our 10 o’clock candlelight service is a traditional service with the choir providing a musical Christmas celebration. We hope that you are able to make it out for these great events this Christmas.

Chanda and I would also like to invite you stop by the parsonage (141 S. Main St.) on Sunday, December 19th for a Christmas Open House. This is an opportunity for you to visit with us in our home and have a time of food, fun, and fellowship as we celebrate Christmas together.

Our sermon series for the season of Advent is “A Life-Giving Christmas.” Do you want this Christmas to be different? To focus on things that really matter, rather than just things? This Christmas, experience authentic joy . . . joy that doesn’t come with a price tag. “A Life-giving Christmas” is about finding a more meaningful way to celebrate this year, and finding hope for the New Year. Please join us for worship this Advent as we look at:
- Sunday, November 28: “Hope . . . next year, things will be different!”
- Sunday, December 5: “Peace . . . strength to hold on”
- Sunday, December 12: “Joy . . . to get me through the tough times”
- Sunday, December 19: “Love . . . gotta have it!”

As we prepare ourselves for Christmas, we are going to take a look at our Christmas Wish Lists. What is it that we really want for Christmas? I am going to challenge us to make our Christmas Wish Lists life-giving. There are a lot of things in this world that seem to deplete life. Especially during Advent, people participate in a lot of non-life-giving activities that seem to drain them—the busyness of the season, added stress, and financial problems, to name a few. As you think about what you really want for Christmas this year, think of things that give life, rather than deplete it. Think of things that energize you, people around you, and the kingdom of God as you make your Christmas Wish List this year.

In January, once Christmas has ended and the New Year has begun, we are going to start an exciting series that I hope will peak the interest of many. We are going to begin studying “Christianity’s Family Tree.” This study is a look at the different Christian denominations in our country today. We will investigate a different denominational family each Sunday in worship and in a study on Sunday afternoons at 4 PM. You will read more about this in next month’s Towers, but until then, mark your calendar and plan to join us and invite your friends.

Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin

A Lot to Be Proud Of

First of all, we would like to thank everyone for your cards and gifts during Pastor Appreciation Month. It is great to hear your words of affirmation and encouragement. Chanda and I appreciate each of you more than you know. It was also a great comfort to receive your cards and words of consolation concerning the death of my grandfather. You are a very caring people.
November is another exciting month for our church. We look forward to the Election Day Dinner (Nov. 2nd) and the Craft Show (Nov. 20th). Hoffman is also going to be the home of the District Regional Charge Conference this year. We will have 300 pastors and church members from all over the district coming to our church. It should be an exciting time. It is an honor to be given this privilege. It is something we could be proud of.

Our church recently received a letter from Bishop Ough indicating that we have met the criteria to be honored as an Acts 2 Congregation. We are one of only 204 of the 1,110 West Ohio congregations that grew in five of the following areas of fruitfulness:
-growing worship
-new persons professing faith
-persons being baptized
-persons engaged in faith-forming small groups
-contributing 100% of their conference apportionments
-growing membership
In his letter, Bishop Ough says, “Acts 2 congregations are bearing the same fruit we see in the early church. Acts 2 Congregations are open and responsive to the Holy Spirit. Acts 2 Congregations are making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” This is a great distinction. It is something we could be proud of.

Our 175th Anniversary Celebration was a wonderful time. It was great for us to reflect upon the many years of ministry of our church. We had 7 pastors, the bishop, and the District Superintendent present. We looked back at all our church had accomplished through the years. It is something that we could be proud of.

As a church, we certainly have A LOT TO BE PROUD OF, but—as many of you heard in a recent sermon (10/24)—pride prohibits our progress. Our pride comes when we look at ourselves in comparison to other churches. Our church is older than others. Our church is an Acts 2 Congregation, while over 800 are not. Of all the churches in the district, our church was chosen to host the Charge Conference. These are all things that we could be proud of, but if we focus on them, our pride will prohibit our progress.

As we look at our church, we should never compare it to other churches. We must compare our church to God’s purposes for the church. Our church should be the hands and feet of God in a world that is hungry and hurting. Our church should be the mouthpiece of God in a world that is lost and seeking. Our church should be the love of God in a world that is unloving and unkind. We must connect people with God. When we fail to accomplish this task, we should be humbled at the task that has been laid before us. A task in which there is always more work to do.

Please do not misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with celebrating what we have done as a church, but we should never rest on our past accomplishments. We must look forward to the future that God has intended for Hoffman UMC that we may continue “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” for the next 175 years.

Yours in Christ’s Service,
Pastor Justin