The United Methodist Church of Hyde Park

On God’s side

Ever been picked last for a team? Eugene Peterson recounts feeling like a “liability” when this happened to him. In Run With the Horses (IVP Books), he says God always wants us on his side — no matter our individual strengths or weaknesses:

“For a long time all Christians called each other ‘saints.’ They were all saints regardless of how well or badly they lived, of how experienced or inexperienced they were. The word saint did not refer to the quality or virtue of their acts, but to the kind of life to which they had been chosen, life on a battlefield. It was not a title given after a spectacular performance, but a mark of whose side they were on.”

Based on its Latin roots, saint is the noun form of the verb consecrate; in other words, Peterson adds, God gave us “spiritual shape” even before we had “biological shape” (see Jeremiah 1:5). Even before forming us, God set us apart, or consecrated us, as saints — and chose us to be on his side.

Remembering that our All Saints' Day Remembrances usually run from November 1st of the preceding year to November 1st of the present year, please use the form below to submit a name you would like for us to remember on our "All Saints Sunday," on the first Sunday of November.

This Fall we will be using John Ortberg's book All the Places To Go…How Will You Know? as a basis for a sermon series and Bible study. Here is the publisher's description of the book:

"Very rarely in the Bible does God command someone to “Stay.” He opens a door, and then he invites us to walk through it—into the unknown. And how we choose to respond will ultimately determine the life we will lead and the person we will become. In fact, to fail to embrace the open door is to miss the work God has made for us to do.

In All the Places to Go…How Will You Know?, bestselling author John Ortberg opens our eyes to the countless doors God places before us every day, teaches us how to recognize them, and gives us the encouragement to step out in faith and embrace all of the extraordinary opportunities that await.So go ahead—walk through that door. You just might do something that lasts for eternity."

The series will start on October 2, 2016 and will take us right through to Advent. There will be links to videos for some weeks available at RightNow Media. I will send out posts to everyone a week before the relevant sessions. 

For over the last decade on most Monday evenings during the Fall and Spring UMCHP offers two hours of eating and study. We start with a prepared meal, you don't have to cook, at 6:00 PM. The cost of the meal is usually around $6 a person and is collected by "free will" offering baskets at each table. Give what you can to help us to keep offering this wonderful time of fellowship.
    

At 7:00 PM classes start and run for about an hour. You do not have to come to the meal to take a class, nor do you have to take a class share in the meal time.
     

Here are the dates for the next session of Monday Night Lights:

Fall 2016-

September 12th: Info night

September 12th  - November 21st

No MNL - Oct. 31st (Halloween Night)

Nov. 7th (Election Day)

Nov. 14th END OF SEMESTER

Pre-Register for any of the below by clicking here.

The following courses are currently running this Spring: