What future is possible for our churches?

What future is possible for our churches?

...The future of Groveville and Crosswicks may very well depend on our willingness to learn how to “speak the languages” of the people around us, not merely linguistically, but spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. We are surrounded by people speaking the languages of loneliness, grief, anxiety, exhaustion, economic uncertainty, spiritual hurt, isolation, and longing for meaning
Memories, fire of the Spirit, and hope

Memories, fire of the Spirit, and hope

On Memorial Weekend's Sunday, our two communities, Groveville UMC and Crosswicks UMC, shared together a beautiful and meaningful Joint Memorial & Pentecost Sunday Service. It is difficult to fully describe everything we experienced together, because every part of the morning carried its own spirit of reverence, honor, beauty, and hope.
156 years of memory and community

156 years of memory and community

Despite the rain, gray skies, and even the threat of thunderstorms, this past Monday, May 245th, 2026, the Groveville-Yardville Memorial Day Parade continued once again with strength, dignity, love, and deep community spirit. For long times, this beloved tradition has carried on, becoming the oldest Memorial Day Parade in the State of New Jersey, and this year was no exception.
We remember

We remember

On this Memorial Day, we come together carrying memories of sacrifice, service, courage, and love. We remember women and men who gave their lives believing that future generations might continue living in freedom and peace.
Love is calling out

Love is calling out

Our Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi reminded us of something deeply Wesleyan and deeply biblical: God can be found everywhere and in everyone. God can be found among those who are struggling and among those who seem to have everything together. God can be found in the housed and unhoused, in the documented and undocumented, in the learned and unlearned, in those who sing beautifully and in those who cannot carry a tune at all.
Another fruitful Craft Fair!

Another fruitful Craft Fair!

This past weekend, we were blessed once again to celebrate our wonderful Spring Craft Fair, and as always, it brought so much joy, fellowship, and support for the mission and ministry of the Women’s Group.
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.