Come, Praise god!

     As a precautionary measure to protect the health of our congregation and community, we will not be worshiping in- person at this time. Once we re-open, join for worship each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. with blended music, Bible-based messages, young people's time, and interactive prayer. 
     Meanwhile, watch our latest worship service below. 
                                               NOTE:
In lieu of in-person giving, you may send your offering for the Lord's work to the church address through the mail: 308 S. State Street, Hart, MI 49420. Thank you for your continued generosity!

worship for june 7 - "guest pastor" reverend bill haggard

As Pastor Steve rests his voice with a paralyzed left vocal cord, the Rev'd Bill Haggard, pastor with Pentwater UMC, will be our featured "guest" preacher this Sunday, as we join in with their live Sunday service. Here are the links:
  1. On Facebook go to "Centenary United Methodist Church Pentwater" page and scroll down to the live feed, beginning at 10:25 a.m. this Sunday, June 7...OR:
  2. On YouTube.com, in the search bar, type billh59551. At that channel, click the live feed...AND/OR:
  3. You can also go to a host of other Michigan UMC online services this Sunday or anytime by checking out this link:   https://michiganumc.us1.list-manage.com/track/click…​

worship for may 31 - Pentecost sunday

Pastor Steve, still with laryngitis, reflects on the coming of God's Holy Spirit upon the disciples at Pentecost ​and the birthday of the Church, concluding that the Spirit is still the true power of the faithful and the uplifting inspiration for service to others.
  1. ​Session #1's link is here: youtu.be/om48LerW11A?t=310 

worship for may 24

Pastor Steve "talks" about Christ's Ascension and the disciples' response of awe, apprehension, and awareness of Jesus' absence.
--Here's the link for "Open the Eyes of My Heart" by Sonic Flood (with others out there on the Internet, too, if you want to look):
​​youtu.be/N6yw3OTGeaM (this one kind of rocks...)
​--To make a donation to help the Midland area flooding response, click this link (and it's in the article's next-to-last paragraph):  https://michiganumc.org/michigan-responding-to-glbr-flooding/?      utm_source=Michigan+Area+Master+Communication+List&utm_campaign=333866ff0d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_08_01_02_55_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1e193f36cb-333866ff0d-411507525.                   
​--For the next webinar series session #2, click the "www.umcjustice.org" link at the end of the "Worship for May 17" box below.

worship for may 17

Pastor Steve, with laryngitis, talks about how in suffering God is with us,​ and how, like Jesus, we can bring our world to God and God's presence to our world in the good we do, particularly by alleviating suffering.
Two additional helpful song videos are at these links:  youtu.be/l1lyTPbeZfc (David Archuleta of American Idol fame singing “Be Still, My Soul” from his home on April 26) and https://youtu.be/vACn9kwWU8Y (The Imperials with Russ Taff singing a forty-year-old favorite, “Be Still My Soul”—but not the same as the hymn). Last, here's a related webinar series on relieving suffering: www.umcjustice.org/what-you-can-do/seminar-program/covid-19-webinars?emci=f019fc5f-5694-ea11-86e9-00155d03b5dd&emdi=56f2d11d-3995-ea11-86e9-00155d03b5dd&ceid=2695263

worship for may 10 - no video: Pastor steve has laryngitis

Please DOWNLOAD THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT for a written summary of this week's message and other worship suggestions from Pastor Steve, who has laryngitis. Included are these songs: youtu.be/nPWQNiSnbyw ("Tradin' My Sorrows") and youtu.be/FFbfbx2-dyU ("For the Beauty of the Earth"--and you'll need to skip through the ads: sorry). You may also revisit any of the worship videos below, and/or check out a host of other United Methodist links at michiganumc.org/easter-2020/online-church-by-city/. Thank you for your understanding and God Bless You!
20-05-10-e5-laryngitis-summary-house-home.docx
File Size: 20 kb
File Type: docx
Download File

worship for may 3

​After reading Psalm 23 as sheep graze, Pastor Steve discusses the age-old image of God as a Shepherd who provides for us, protects us, and blesses us abundantly, even under our shadowed circumstances.

worship for april 19

Pastor Steve talks about Jesus' fearful disciples being locked behind doors after the Resurrection, and how Christ brings peace for our fears. (Please excuse the uncentered screens, and the low battery alarm distracting me at the end of the message--cute story, too!--not to mention the mismatched audio "lip-syncing" during the sermon message on, particularly...)

worship for easter, april 12

Pastor Steve talks about how our empty sanctuaries are like Christ's empty tomb, serving as signs of life and a testimony of love for others as we stay home, not caged up but dispersed in Christ's freedom. The poem "How the Virus Stole Easter" is shared, as well as a worldwide virtual choir singing, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (click here for a clearer version of the song:  youtu.be/Pr54po5s0nQ).

holy maundy Thursday service

Be ready to participate in this brief interactive service with a piece of bread (or cracker), a drink, and a hand-washing station.

worship for march 22

Watch the Lenten Series "Conversations with Christ" with the story of Jesus' talk with Nicodemus in John's Gospel, Chapter 3, featuring the verse John 3:16, "God so loved the world..." 

worship for march 15

Watch the worship service for Sunday, March 15 below. 
Note that the middle song is muted due to music copyright issues.

worship for april 26

After sharing an outdoor walking rendition of the story of the Emmaus Walk, Pastor Steve points out that Christ is already and always present with us, being principally revealed through scripture, with service to the 'least of these,' and in community togetherness

worship with Bishop bard

Our bishop, David Bard, requests that Michigan United Metho-dists and others watch this service--anytime during the Easter Season actually--produced by the Michigan Area Conference UMC as recorded at the East Lansing University UMC facility. You can also visit the Michigan Conference website pages at:
​michiganumc.org

palm-passion sunday Worship

After a Palms celebration, Pastor Steve compares watching re-corded athletic events after the victory is known, to re-hearing the crucifixion story, knowing the victory of Christ. Here are links to the Vanderbilt Divinity School's slideshows for better viewing: lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/slides/Ax_LiturgyofthePalms.pdf& lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/slides/Ax_LiturgyofthePassion.pdf (with some additional slides).

worship for march 29

Pastor Steve talks about not being robbed of life during fearful times. See a related article: www.umc.org/en/content/jesus-wept-finding-gods-comfort-when-times-are-bad?

pastor steve's recommendation

See Pastor Adam Hamilton's message about fear and the COVID-19 outbreak which he gave at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City.