Worship (11:00)
11:00 Sunday: In-person and Facebook Live www.facebook.com/Bristol-Hill-United-Methodist-Church-475979519122116
We are blessed with the gift of music. The God's Vibration band plays two Sundays each month and our choir sings every week during the school year.
Got a musical gift you would like to share? See Tammy Culver or any of our helpful folks to point you in the right direction.
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Current Sermon Series
Rend Your Hearts: Claiming the Promise * February 21 - March 28, 2021 (Lent)
Lent is upon us! So, what is the season of Lent? Why do we have this period of preparation, of fasting and self-denial, of repentance and confession, of putting our spiritual house in order? So that we can be prepared for Easter. Lent is about embracing the Resurrected One with our whole, open, and longing heart.
What we discover as we make these preparations is that there are so many things that get in the way of our true embrace of the risen Christ. Some of these things are external, but many of them are internal. They are habits and preferences and inclinations that clutter our souls. So, the season of Lent comes along to give us space and appropriate reminders that we need to clean house to receive the one you and I call Lord.
This spiritual work is both a painful and a fulfilling exercise. That is why this year we have a two-part title for this series, a dual theme. The truth is, we need both: the rending and the claiming.
Upcoming worship:
Sunday February 21 This is the Sign
Sunday February 28 Walk Before Me
Sunday March 7 All these Words
Sunday March 14 Look Up and Live
Sunday March 21 Written on the Heart
Sunday March 28 The One Who Comes (Palm Sunday)
* Series referencing: www.umcdiscipleship.org.
Previous Series
The Call: the life and message of the Apostle Paul * July 19 - August 23, 2020
The Apostle Paul is famous as the most prolific author in the New Testament and the greatest missionary and evangelist of all time. We are going to share some insight s from Adam Hamilton and other sources as we apply the profound writings of Paul to our lives in 2020. Paul had his critics in his lifetime and still today. I agree with much of Paul's teachings and disagree with some, but his influence, devotion and steadfast faith are without question. Paul is a role model for sharing the good news in tangible and profound ways.
We will learn more about Paul and more about ourselves as we grow through this summer series.
Upcoming worship:
Sunday July 19 Called to Follow Christ
Sunday July 26 Called to Go
Sunday August 2 Called to Suffer
Sunday August 9 Called to Love
Sunday August 16 Called to Give
Sunday August 23 Called to Be Faithful
* Series referencing: Adam Hamilton, The Call: The Life and Message of the Apostle Paul, 2015.
Easter Earthquake: how resurrection shakes our world February 26 - April 12(Easter Sunday), 2020
Earthquakes shake our basic assumption that the terra firma will stay firm, that the earth will reamain steady under our feet., that the world's current existance is the way it will always be. When tectonic plates shift beneath the earth's surface and the ground shakes beneath our feet, it rattles the bedrock assumptions upon which we build our lives. Sometimes our earthquakes are very personal, fracturing our health or our relationships.
The Easter earthquake reverses the deadly, God-foraskern assumptions upon which far too much of our world and far too many of our lives operate. The earthquake promise of Easter is that God has not forsaken any of us. The risen Christ willl meet us along the confused, chaotic, fearful paths of our lives and speak the same words the women hear at the tomb, "Do not be afraid." .
Our Lenten/Easter worship series:
Wednesday, February 26 Ash Wednesday -Beginning Where Our Stories End
Sunday , March 1 Shaking the Powers
Sunday , March 8 Surprising Hope
Sunday , March 15 Beyond Belief
Sunday , March 22 Healing Scars
Sunday , March 29 New Life in the Graveyard
Sunday , April 5 Descending Into Glory
Thursday , April 9 A Last Supper That Still Lives - at Metropolitan Ave.
Sunday , April 12 After the Earthquake
What Makes a Hero?: the death-defying ministry of Jesus March 10 - April 21(Easter Sunday), 2019
When you think of a hero, do you imagine a character from the pages of a comic book or someone who taught you valuable life lessons? For most of us, we share a similar picture of who is a hero. Our fictional and real-life heroes all know seperation, trial, and in one way or another, you and I share these same experiences.
Author Matt Rawle says, "Our heroes represent the stories we wish we could tell about ourselves." Hero stories offer transformation and lessons on how to understand the world as well as offer examples of what could be.
There are heroes in the Bible. Jesus was a hero. (Still is...) Quite frankly, a death-defying hero. I would like a litle bit of that stuff, wouldnt you? Let's live into transformation this Lenten and Easter season as we learn and grow togther.
Our Lenten/Easter worship series:
Wednesday, March 6 Ash Wednesday - at Bristol Hill
Sunday , March 10 [Batman] Good, Evil, and God
Sunday , March 17 [Spider-Man] Right, Wrong, and Holy
Sunday , March 24 [Wonder Woman] Us, Them, and the Body of Christ
Sunday , March 31 [Iron Man] Have, Have-Not, and the Kingdom of God
Sunday , April 7 [Captain America] Old, New, and Covenant
Sunday , April 14 [Superman] Life, Death, and Resurrection (Part 1)
Thursday , April 18 Life, Death, and Resurrection (Part 2) - at Metropolitan Ave.
Sunday , April 21 Life, Death, and Resurrection (Part 3)
Season of Creation September 9-30, 2018
The Season of Creation is an ecumenical observance during the month of September. In a day when the fruits of creation are often exploited and so much chaos pervades the world in which we live, it is imperative for us to take a moment to pause and breathe in the same Ruach (Spirit of God) that was at work in the beginning of creation. God is still at work! Do we see it in the world around us?
Rehab February 14 - March 8, 2018 
There is much to mine from considering our Lenten journey this year within the frame of rehab, much to explore, much to learn. But the core of the learning in rehab, like the core of the learning in Lent, isn’t cognitive. It’s behavioral. In rehab, we learn how to live differently, to set a “new normal” for ourselves and our relationships after a period of time or perhaps a crisis has made it clear to us it is impossible to live as we had before. Our goal for all who engage this period of time is that the way of Jesus becomes either the “new normal,” or, for those who have been consistent in the journey over time, is strengthened as our normal.
It is with that sense of gratitude and hope of a journey well-begun that we will enter Holy Week.
Day 1: February 14 (6:30 PM) Ash Wednesday: Mortality
Week 1: February 18 Wilderness
Week 2: February 25 Intervention
Week 3: March 4 Program
Week 4: March 11 Recovery
Week 5: March 18 Promise
Rise Up! January 7 - February 11, 2018
It has begun. We are on the trajectory home. The seed has been planted and has sprouted: The birth of Jesus Christ -Incarnation - God among us - Emmanuel.
The Love of Christ has come into the world and is spreading until Love of God and neighbor will conquer every heart. We are called to our 2018 mission, Rise Up and prepare the way for the good news of Jesus Christ. Rise Up and bring your neighbor. Rise Up as we make our way back home to the source, to God in Jesus Christ though the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
1. God Is Speaking! (January 7)
2. Listen (January 14)
3. Move (January 21)
4. Answer (January 28)
5. Focus (February 4)
6. God Is Speaking! Part 2 (February 11)
Coming Home: Christmas 2017 December 6 - December 31
1. Come Down Home (December 3)
2. Home Is Where We Meet (December 10)
3. Joy Is Our True Home (December 17)
4. God Makes This World Our Home (December 24)
5. A Manger For the World (Christmas Eve)
6. Going Home Again (December 31)
Healing & Hope: We Are Easter People April 23-June 4 2017
Every single day we draw our hope and our healing from the victory Jesus won for us on Easter Day - resurrection to new life for all who believe and follow him. Come share God's love as we open up the good news of the Gospel in 2017.
6 Decisions That Will Change your Life January 8 - February 16, 2017
Starting from author and pastor Tom Berlin's book, 6 Decisions that will Change Your life, we will discuss the decisions that we want to make or are still making afresh every day. How will these affect our becoming more like Jesus, a continually maturing disciple of Christ? Our key decisions will be:
1. The Decision to Follow (January 8)
2. The Decision for a New Life (January 15)
3. The Decision to Mature (January 22)
4. The Decision to Respond (January 29)
5. The Decision to Persevere (February 5)
6. The Decision to Surrender (February 12)
Together we will study Scripture, examine our lives, explore these concepts together, and decide for Christ.
The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss
Moral principles in stories by Dr. Seuss have Biblical foundations. July 24 - August 28, 2016
As we head back to school, let's learn and enjoy with my favorite doctor, Dr. Seuss.
July 24 A person's a person, no matter how small (Horton Hears A Who)
July 31 It's Not In Your Hands, Or Your Wallet (The Grinch)
August 7 Where Are You Called? (O The Places You'll Go)
August 14 Us vs.Them (Sneetches)
August 21 It's All About Me (Yertle the Turtle)
August 28 Humility, Persistance, and Reconciliation (Green Eggs and Ham)
Plugged In? Power for Life 2016
Do you want to know if you are on the right track? In the firey letter to the churches in Galatia (now central Turkey), Paul admonishes the Galatians and us to remain faithful to the foundations and the inclusiveness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on which Paul started those churches. We are made righteous by faith, not by trying to earn our righteousness by perfectly keeping "the law" - someone's restrictions and hoops. We can be confident we are achiving Christ's purpose when we see the fruits of the Spirit springing from our lives of faith (Galatians 5:22-23 CEB But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this.)
May 29 Tripped up again - We can fall for any spiritual interpretations if we are not well grounded in the basics of the Gospel (unplugging from Jesus.)
June 5 Even Me?! - If Jesus can make Paul do a 180, Jesus can correct your course (and continue to)
June 12 Holding On To Our Gift- Remember this: It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. Faith justifies, not perfect rule keeping.
June 19 Our Father Abraham - Believed God and it was credited to him as Righteousness - before the 10 commandments.
June 26 Religious Nuts or Spiritual Fruit? - Doing what's right: How do you know one from another for certain?
July 3 In This Together - unity in the Spirit, in mission and ministry. (Communion liturgy)
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July 10 Like A Good Neighbor - What does being a good neighbor look like?
July 17 VBS Celebration Sunday - Come see what the children learned and can teach you! (Party after worship!)
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Special Sundays
5/08 Mother's Day - More Than You Think (Carnations for all women)
5/15 Disciple Bible Study Witness (hear the graduates tell what 34 weeks of Bible immersion meat to them)
5/22 "Triple Play" God in three persons - All for you and me
Victory Revealed - Healing and Hope from the Revelation to John
In the book of Revelation, John gives us the words and images that are to sustain Christians in times of difficulty. At the time when this was written, Christians were under extreme duress as they were persecuted and killed. How could they hold on to their faith? Join us for this insightful worship series of healing and hope. Learn the promises of God as we uncover the ultimate result of the struggle between good and evil, “Who wins?”
4/03 "Freed for a Purpose"
4/10 "The Right Response - Worship"
4/17 “Who are these people?”
4/24 "No More"
5/01 "Victory Revealed!"
The GOD We Can Know* (Lent and Easter 2016)
2/14 Knowing God - The Great "I Am"
2/21 "I Am the Good Shepherd" – Knowing God’s Care
2/28 "I Am the Light of the World" – Knowing God’s Guidance
3/06 “I Am the Bread of Life” –Knowing God’s Satisfaction (Holy Communion)
3/13 "I Am the True Vine" – Knowing God’s Power
3/20 Palm Sunday: "I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" - Knowing God's Way
3/24 Holy Thursday: The Last Supper (7:00 PM at Metropolitan Avenue UMC)
2/21 Easter Sunday: "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" - Knowing God's Possibilities
* adapted from a work by Rob Fuquay "The GOD We Can Know" Upper Room Books, 2014.
Touching Today's Tough Topics: When Christians Get It Wrong*
1/03 When Christians Are Unchristian: Hypocritical, Judgmental, Sheltered, too _________!
1/10 Christians, Science, and Politics: The more you know, the more you don't know
1/17 When Speaking of Other Religions: Us vs. Them
1/24 When Bad Things Happen: for a reason?
1/31 Human Sexuality: Who is Welcome at Christ's Table?
2/07 When Christians Get It Right: A Big House
* adapted from a work by Adam Hamilton "When Christians get It wrong," Abingdon Press.
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2/10 Ash Wednesday Service 6:30 PM (Sanctuary)
Start your Lenten season off right by placing yourself under God's loving leadership.