Poor Methodist Church…

Poor Methodist Church…

Yesterday, I learned something during a Stewardship and Finance gathering in our Annual Conference connection that has stayed with me and I would love to share with you. We were reflecting on how, historically, different churches have often been associated with different social contexts.
We are learning

We are learning

This past Tuesday, April 21, we -photo- had the opportunity to participate in the Stewardship Gathering of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference, where we learned and received practical tools for stewardship, responsible resource management, and fundraising.
The new that resurrection brings

The new that resurrection brings

I have been wondering lately if we are ready for what is coming. And please, don't get me wrong, I do not ask this in a fearful way, but in an honest one. Because the truth is, something new is unfolding before us. Easter happened Resurrection was proclaimed But, Monday still came
A Holy Week to remember

A Holy Week to remember

This past week, our communities at Crosswicks and Groveville walked together through a Holy Week that was spiritually meaningful and full of deep moments. I feel grateful. Not only for what we did, but for what we experienced together.
The strange way of Jesus | Part 2

The strange way of Jesus | Part 2

... Some began to see the one they had called the “King of the Jews” as a disappointment. How could he ask them to forgive Rome? How could he speak of loving enemies when the people were suffering under oppression? A disappointed crowd can easily become a dangerous crowd, especially when religious leaders know how to manipulate emotions...
Are you ready for Holy Week?

Are you ready for Holy Week?

Every year Holy Week arrives, and yet it never feels the same. Perhaps because our lives are never the same either. We come carrying different joys, different worries, different questions in our hearts. And still, year after year, the story of Jesus invites us once again to walk with him through the final days of his earthly journey.
I Feel Grateful

I Feel Grateful

Please, let me share with you that over the past few days I found myself looking at several posts on social media that slowly filled my heart with gratitude, hope, and even a bit of joy. They were photos of friends of mine. Clergy colleagues and lay leaders from different annual conferences, including the Greater New Jersey, who traveled to Washington, D.C. to take part in the Public Witness for Immigrant Justice organized by the United Methodist Church.
A Lenten opportunity to care

A Lenten opportunity to care

Today I would like to invite you to remember that Lent is a season that calls us to pause and look again at our faith and at the world around us, because we believe that following Jesus is about prayer, and reflection, but also about love in action. Throughout the Gospels we see how Jesus constantly paid attention to those whom society often overlooked: the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the forgotten.
Alfred “Al” Herbert

Alfred “Al” Herbert

In loving memory of our brother | Dear friends, It is with a tender and heavy heart that I share that our beloved Al Herbert passed into the presence of the Lord this morning, February 25, just a few minutes before I arrived to visit him.
A season to make room

A season to make room

On February 18th, we began our Lenten journey together. Early in the morning we offered Ashes to Go at Crosswicks, and later we gathered for our joint Ash Wednesday service at Groveville. It was a beautiful time of reflection, prayer, silence, and repentance.
Honoring Black History Month in Worship

Honoring Black History Month in Worship

We give thanks for Rev. Racquel Santiago from Grace AME Church in Crosswicks, who delivered the Word of God in our service this past Sunday. She brought a powerful and inspiring message that spoke deeply to our hearts and challenged us to live our faith with courage and conviction.
Let me finish my prayer first

Let me finish my prayer first

In these pews (photo) happened a story that Albert Raboteau tells in his book “A Fire in the Bones,” as follows: “On a Sunday morning in 1792 or 1793, the black members of St George’s Methodist Church in Philadelphia learned to their surprise that they could not sit in the benches they normally used...
Let us get ready for Lent together!

Let us get ready for Lent together!

It’s hard to believe, but Lent is already around the corner! It feels like we just packed away the Christmas decorations and now the Church is gently inviting us to slow down again and prepare our hearts for Easter.