Hyde Park United Methodist

God is at work in the dark places, even when we cannot see it.Reflection Questions 1. When you are struggling who helps you (or what helps you) get back up and try again?2. What is one thing you could do today to encourage someone (a friend, family member, stranger) who is struggling with their faith in God? 3. Who are some of the saints that have encouraged you on the journey of faith? How did they encourage you? Take a moment and thank God for their presence in your life.--Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps--

The culmination of remembering our membership vows is an act of recommitment, which would include the submission of our estimates of giving cards. Reflection Questions:In what way do you experience this congregation as a “household”? How are you uniquely called and gifted to build up the work of this church? How will you recommit your efforts of prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness?--Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps--

The kingdom of God is built one life at a time, one relationship at a time, one moment of personal invitation at a time. Reflection Questions:What experience have you had with evangelism that is coercive or argumentative? What natural ways will you be a witness for Jesus? Which of the five ways to be a witness come easiest for you? Hardest?Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

What does it mean to serve others? For many of us, growing in our ability to serve means learning how to be uncomfortable in situations that stretch our boundaries. It means learning new names, extending ourselves, and focusing on the needs of others instead of our own.Learning to serve can be a process. Thankfully we have many examples of processes in our day-to-day lives that can model for us what it means to serve.Reflection Questions:How do you think serving others can lead to deeper relationships or even friendships in your own life?How does knowing and taking care of yourself help you serve others better? Have you ever felt too drained to help others?Why do you think it can be difficult to accept help from others, and how does this challenge your understanding of mutual service?HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Giving of our time, talent, and treasure is a central aspect of discipleship, and, for some, is the most difficult one to surrender.Reflection Questions:1. When have you had a good experience baking bread, or enjoying bread someone else made?2. What difference does it make to see yourself as part of the global church of Jesus Christ? 3. How will you see your financial generosity as a way of making a living impact for God and others?Find out more at HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

Since the early church, Christians have been called to gather (ekklesia, which is translated as both “church” and “gathering.”) When we are present to each other, in worship, small groups, and service, we can experience the presence of God in a powerful way, along with the mutual support and accountability that comes with being together.

A natural and important follow-up to our 125th Anniversary Celebration is a season of recommitment to grow deeper as disciples, wider in our reach to others, and united in mission to love God and love all. This five-part series reviews the five-fold membership vow that each member took to become a part of this church. Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian. It connects us to God, raises our attention to the Holy Spirit, and unites us together.HydeParkUMC.org/nextstepsReflection Questions:1. Reflect and describe the first time you remember praying.   2. How have you struggled with prayer?3. How does regular prayer practice strengthen your inner being, root you in love, and help you comprehend God’s grace?

Stories from our heritage not only tell us about our past. They remind us of who we are. Such is the story of our church’s beginning, back in 1899, when a small group chose to sing “I Love to Tell the Story” at the site of what would become our church. Their courage and witness, coupled with their choice of song, tells us something about who we are.  HydeParkUMC.org/nextstepsReflection Questions:1. How can you re-prioritize your life, to focus less on being remembered, and more on being part of a story bigger than yourself? 2. How will you remember the “old, old story” of God’s love in your life? 3. How will you live into the story of God’s love through this church?

This week Mat sits down with former senior pastor of Hyde Park, Jim Harnish, with the topic of discovering and recognizing continuing threads of your life in the both spiritual and historical sense. HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

The writer of Hebrews scans over the long history of men and women who lived by faith, some of it in gory detail! But then the text looks directly at us to say that God’s story will not be perfect (complete, whole) without us.  We have the beautiful stories of how God has been at work through the people of this congregation over the past 125 years, but the story will not be complete until we step into it, i.e. lay aside the things that keep us from moving forward and run the leg of the relay that is before us. HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

As Hyde Park begins its celebration of 125 years, Magrey and Mat sit down to discuss what it means to have a spiritual legacy.HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

In 1899, a group of 30 people from First Methodist in Tampa crossed the Hillsborough River to begin meeting in a two-room schoolhouse at the corner of Platt and Magnolia. 125 years later, we are living into a legacy that has proclaimed the good news of Jesus and built the kingdom of God for generation. This three-part worship series celebrates the grace of God and the history of our church, and points us toward an exciting future for generations to come.HydeParkUMC.org/nextstepsReflection Questions:What favorite stories do you know about your ancestors? What does it mean for you to think of yourself as a simultaneous descendant and ancestor? How will you live faithfully now to leave a living impact for those to follow?

This week Magrey sits down with Gary Mason to talk about the current situation with Israel-Palestine and how to find common ground in the mist of intense disagreement and conflict. HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Sharing the gospel with unbelievers is essential. Paul's example in Acts 17 shows how we can bridge the gap by using familiar language and imagery to reveal God's love in Christ.HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. How have you struggled with questions of meaning and purpose in your life? 2. How do your struggles help you connect with unchurched people with similar experiences? 3. How does putting Christ at the center of our lives help with those struggles?

Sally and Mat sit down this week to discuss how inter-faith relationships can work and how to build those bridges.HydeParkUMC.org/nextsteps

One of the most common questions we ask of our faith is, “What is Christianity’s relationship with other religions?” What are we to do with the passage from John 14, in which Jesus declares that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father but through him? In an age of religious pluralism and religious intolerance (even violence), how can we be charitable and loving toward people of different faiths, while still maintaining the core of our Christian convictions? HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsQuestions for Reflection:  1. What is your experience with people of different faiths?2. In what ways are you using your gifts to cross barriers and build connections/relationships with those whose beliefs are different from yours?3. What is one thing you could do to start a dialog with someone who practices a different faith?

This week, we have started a new sermon series discussing our Christian heritage and how we can relate to people of other faiths. Magrey and Mat sit down to talk about their own personal experiences in exploring and being raised in environments of differing faiths.HydePaKUMC.org/NextSteps

 John Wesley’s famous sermon “Catholic Spirit” provides guidance on how Christians of different perspectives and traditions can find common ground, just as Jehu and Jehonadab joined hands in the passage in 2 Kings. Despite some significant differences among Protestant denominations, we hold much more in common, and we are called to forge a dynamic and united witness to the good news of Jesus Christ in the world. HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What is the story of your religious journey? What faith traditions shape who you are?2. What similarities among denominations do you find most meaningful?3. What is best about being United Methodist to you?

This week, Sally and Magrey talk about the impact that was the witness of Mary Bethune in education and how all of us can be inspired from it.HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps

Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator, philanthropist, and civil rights activist, whose work was deeply rooted in her Christian convictions. Bethune-Cookman University stands as an enduring reminder of her legacy, as this states only United Methodist historically black college. Her famous quote “Without faith, nothing is possible; with faith, nothing is impossible” captures her belief in the power of God to transform hearts and communities for the better.  HydeParkUMC.org/NextStepsReflection Questions:1. What Voices of Inspiration in this worship series have been most meaningful to you, and why? 2. What insights and inspiration does Mary McLeod Bethune’s story evoke in you? 3. How will you become a voice of inspiration to others?