On Monday, April 7th, HPCUMC held a called Church Conference for the purpose of electing a Building Committee to address many needs and some new initiatives at both the Hyde Park and OTR campuses.
The meeting was called to order by presiding Elder and District Superintendent Designee, Rev. Jenn Lucas, and the following motion was made by current SLB Chair, Jeff Sheldon:
“Pursuant to Paragraph 2544 of the 2020–2024 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, as Chair and on behalf of the Servant Leadership Board, I move that the Church Conference of the Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Cincinnati Ohio authorize a Building Committee. The purpose of the Building Committee will address the needs and concerns of both the Hyde Park and OTR campuses that have been identified over a several year period.”
This committee will collaborate with architectural firms, fundraising consultants, and other judicatory and governmental agencies to secure licenses, contracts, permits, and other legal documents necessary to carry out the projects.
The Building Committee will present in a timely manner, between 45-60 days, a report to an additional Church Conference, which will include drawings and other conceptual materials to clearly communicate the scope and purpose of the projects for consideration by the congregation members present at the next Conference.
The slate of elected Building Committee members comes from a wide range of persons in the congregation and ministry areas at both of our campuses.
The elected Co Chairs are: Paul Bolster and Denis Larrick
The elected Committee members are:
Jason Abbott
Bev Connelly
Janet Elizabeth Herman
Nick Pearson
Drew Young
Rod Cober
Ronda Deel
Lon Kaylor
Mary Wheeler
The Ex-Officio Members are:
Victoria Kuhlman, Capital Campaign Co-Chair
Al Painter, Capital Campaign Co-Chair
Jeff Sheldon, Servant Leadership Board Chair
Mike Hickerson, Property Team Chair
Rev. Dr. Todd Anderson, Senior Pastor
Rev. Kevin Buckley, Pastor of Congregational Care
Rev. Kate Smith, Pastor of Mission & Outreach and Young Adults
Meredith Menius, Director of Operations
The vote was 70-0 in favor of electing the building committee. There were several guests and nonmembers in attendance who did not vote or abstained.
Stay tuned for more details.
Peace,
Pastor Todd
Scan the QR code to view the recorded church conference.
Upcoming Sermon Series
April 27- June 1
Disorder & Order Anew
Roman Catholic theologian and spiritual formation leader, Richard Rohr, describes a process for recognizing God’s work in people’s lives. This process follows three stages: order, disorder, and reorder. In our post-Easter sermon series, we will apply these principles to several biblical stories, exploring the transformation of biblical characters and, we hope, our own lives.
In Rohr’s own words: “I see this pattern in the Bible: (1) We begin with group thinking; (2) we gradually move toward individuation through experiences of chosenness, failure, and grace; and (3) a breakthrough to unitive consciousness occurs for the few who are led and who fully walk through these first two stages.”
Throughout the series, we will witness this process in the lives of several biblical characters and their stories, including:
• Jesus Meets the Fishing Disciples and Makes Breakfast
• The Good Samaritan
• Paul and the Philippian Jailer
• The Syrophoencian Woman and Jesus
• Israel’s Evolving Understanding of God’s Presence
June 8-29
Live It Out Sermon Series
• Come Holy Spirit
• Pray and Serve
• Love & Be Kind
• Forgive
In a world where people are hurting and divided, we have an opportunity to remind ourselves of what it truly means to "Live It Out". But what does "Live It Out" mean, exactly? It refers to important aspects of our faith. Each week in this series, we will focus on lessons that our children have learned in Vacation Bible School.
The Live It Out sermon series highlights key themes of our faith, especially the role of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We will explore how Jesus modeled how we are to be kind to one another, forgive one another, pray for one another, serve one another, and more. Consider this June series as a refresher on the foundational teachings of our faith in Jesus.
Celebrating Confirmation
Sunday, May 11th during the 9:30 am worship service
by Emily Bolin-Meyers, Interim Youth Ministry Coordinator
We are thrilled to celebrate the confirmation of four wonderful young members in our congregation—Mason McKee, Max McKee, Brennan Riggs, and Laura Schap. These students have completed their confirmation classes, which have equipped them with a deeper understanding of their faith and the role they will play in the life of the church.
On Sunday, May 11, during the 9:30 am worship service, these four students will be joyfully confirmed into the church, affirming their commitment to God and their participation in the community of believers at Hyde Park Community UMC. This milestone will be a significant step in their spiritual journeys, and we are proud to support them as they continue to grow in faith.
As part of the celebration, the students were presented with special gifts: Bibles, devotional books and prayer shawls. The shawls were lovingly made by our Prayer Shawl Ministry and presented to them by Christine McHenry and Jo Seilacher during their class on March 30, a reminder of the church’s prayers and care surrounding each student. These gifts symbolize both the teachings they have received and the warmth of the congregation’s support as they continue to walk in faith.
Please join us in congratulating Mason, Max, Brennan, and Laura on this important moment in their lives! We look forward to seeing the ways in which they will continue to grow and serve in the church family.
Blessings to all our confirmands as they embark on this next chapter of their faith journey!
Pictures from the presentation of the prayer shawls.
Learn more about the party!
Join the live stream service at 9:30am
Sunday, May 4th at Hyde Park Square (remember, no in person worship that day!)
We hope you will join us in Hyde Park Square anytime from 6:15-10:00am to help us be a cheering church for the Flying Pig Marathon!
There is one livestream service at 9:30am
June 14-15
Eden Park
38th Annual Juneteenth Cincinnati Festival
Join us as the Juneteenth Festival kicks off at 11:30am on Saturday with the parade of flags representing the African diaspora—the origins and forced destinations of Africans during 400 years of the slave trade.
The free family-friendly festival continues through Saturday evening and Sunday with activities for kids, food, music, dancing, historical reenactments, and a poetry slam.
More info at juneteenthcincinnati.org.
Why Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is an occasion to celebrate one of the most important events in American history–the end of slavery.
Although July 4th marks the American colonies’ 1776 declaration of independence from Britain, the founding fathers did not include America’s enslaved people among “all men” who had been “created equal.” It took a bloody Civil War and constitutional amendments to end slavery nearly a century after the Declaration of Independence.
President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring that all enslaved people in the rebellious states were free. While the Proclamation achieved an intended effect of encouraging many enslaved people to flee plantations and join the Union forces, it proclaimed the freedom of enslaved people held in the Confederacy which did not recognize Lincoln’s authority.
On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas, leading federal occupation forces some three months after the official end of the Civil War. He immediately proclaimed Texas to be under U.S. authority and re-issued the Emancipation Proclamation. He could hardly have expected his action to give birth to an annual African American freedom celebration. Juneteenth became an official U.S. holiday in 2021.
Awning Entrance Doors
You may have noticed these signs at the awning entrance to our building from the parking lot. While we are so grateful for the generous gift from Don and Genie Freeman in April 1994 to give us access to have automatic doors in our building, the mechanics of the doors themselves are starting to show signs of wear and tear.
After 30 years, the Property Team is working to determine how to best fix the mechanisms that open and close our doors, while keeping the integrity of the doors themselves. Stay tuned as the team diligently works with our Facilities personnel, TDG, to get this addressed.
Thank you for your continued patience!
June 28, 12:00pm
Sawyer Point & Yeatman's Cove
Downtown Cincinnati
Join HPCUMC for our third annual showing in the Cincinnati Pride Parade! NEW for 2025: We have a float spot! Being part of Cincinnati Pride gives us a chance to strengthen our community and celebrate the inclusive love of Christ. As a church, it’s an opportunity for us to stand with our LGBTQ+ siblings and strive to be a safer space where all people can belong!
Scan the QR code to sign up and learn more!
Hi, Hyde Park Community!
This is an important time in the United States as many diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs have been removed from companies, educational institutions, and people’s own homes. As a faith community who “strives to embody the hope and love of Jesus for all through service, worship, and companionship,” we are asking you to take this a step further to consider helping out an organization that we are deeply tied to in Cincinnati: Cincinnati Pride. We have walked in the Cincinnati Pride Parade for the past 2 years, making this our third public act of affirmation and celebration with our queer siblings. This year, however, things have changed at Cincinnati Pride.
Cincinnati Pride has made a stance against companies who have rolled back their DEI initiatives, and have removed them as sponsors. (Use the QR code to the right to view the article) One way we can continue to support Pride is to monetarily give to them to ensure they have the adequate funding that has been lost after the removal of large organizational sponsors. The Equipping Team (made up of Pastor Todd Anderson, Pastor Kevin Buckley, Pastor Kate Smith, Dana Calhoun, Meredith Menius, Ben Owen, Sara Pease, and Shari Rust) is asking you to consider giving directly to Cincinnati Pride as an additional way to be involved this year. If you are interested in giving to Cincinnati Pride now AND year round, you can give to the church with “Cincinnati Pride Donation” on the memo, or give directly to Cincinnati Pride themselves.
Give to Cincinnati Pride Directly
As stated on their website, “This isn’t only our identity on the day of our festival and parade- our rainbow shines every day, every month, every year.” Thank you for being a faith community that seeks to hold space for all of our queer siblings who are loved by God in a world that says there is no space for them.
- Meredith Menius (she/they), MSW, MDiv Director of Operations
YOUNG ADULT STUDY
Monday, April 28th - June 9th
(with a break on May 26th for Memorial Day)
Monday nights, 7:00pm to 8:30pm
Bean & Barley
Young adults! Join us this spring for The Grace of Les Misérables, a six-week study that dives deep into the themes of grace, justice, poverty, revolution, love, and hope through the lens of Victor Hugo's iconic novel. Whether you're familiar with the 1,400-page classic, have memorized the Broadway musical soundtrack, or enjoyed one of the many screen adaptations, this study will offer fresh insights into its powerful story.
Led by author and pastor Matt Rawle, this study will explore how the imperfect, relatable characters of Les Misérables embody these ideals and how they connect to our Christian faith and calling in the world.
Whether you’re looking for a deeper understanding of your faith or just want to connect with others, this study will inspire you to see how grace, love, and justice are lived out in the world today.
Grab a coffee, bring a friend, and join us for an evening of meaningful discussion and reflection. See you there!
Use QR code for more information about this study and our Young Adult Ministry.
Volunteer at VBS
June 9th-13th, 2025
Good News! We have had such a great response to VBS that we have a waiting list for both Preschool and Elementary VBS. (To join the waiting list please contact Dana Calhoun)
SO We need yoU! Please help us make this the best VBS ever by signing up to volunteer.
Be a Volunteer! This registration is for anyone who wants to help lead our children during our week of VBS: morning, evening or both!
Questions? Contact Dana Calhoun at dcalhoun@hpcumc.org
PO P S C L ES on the PLAYGROUND
This Summer! June 17th - July 29th
Tuesdays, 10:00am
Meet you on the Playground! (rain or shine)
Meet up every Tuesday this summer at HPC's playground to play with old and new friends! Popsicles and childcare will be provided on the playground so caregivers can relax in the shade.
No need to signup – just show up!
Preschoolers ages 5 & under welcome
Questions? Contact Pam Pilger at ppilger@hpcumc.org
HONORING
our High School Graduates
by Emily Bolin-Meyers, Interim Youth Ministry Coordinator
At Hyde Park Community UMC, we are proud to celebrate the accomplishments and journeys of our graduating high school seniors. On Sunday, May 11, 2025, Hyde Park Community UMC will have the honor of recognizing our graduating high school seniors during the 11:00 AM service. It is a time for our congregation to come together to acknowledge and celebrate their hard work, perseverance, and the exciting journeys they are about to embark on as they step into the next chapter of their lives.
Each senior has a unique story, and we are excited to share their accomplishments and future plans with the congregation. Whether they are heading off to college, entering the workforce, or taking time to explore other opportunities, we look forward to supporting them as they take the next steps in their journey.
Please join us in celebrating this important milestone for our high school seniors on May 11. Let us surround them with love, encouragement, and prayer as they move forward into the next exciting chapter of their lives.
We encourage all members of our congregation to visit the Welcome Center on May 11 to learn more about these remarkable young individuals. It is a wonderful opportunity to express your congratulations and offer your support as they continue to grow in faith and purpose.
Congratulations to our graduating seniors! We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing all the great things God has in store for your futures.
Zoe Allen Hams
Milford High School
University of Denver, Education
Hannah Elizabeth McOwen
Anderson High School
Miami University, Undecided
Cole William Reed
Walnut Hills High School
Michigan State University, Computer Engineering
Sienna Irene Johnson
Mount Notre Dame University of Kansas, Political Science
Dominic Anthony Nguyen
Lakota West High School
Miami University, Accounting
Joseph McKissick Sutton
Walnut Hills High School
University of Cincinnati, Business/Law
Lorelei Jane Turan
Mariemont High School
DePauw University, Psychology
11-15 9:00 AM – Noon 3-5yrs. old (by August 4, 2025) $140 per week (includes snacks and all materials) Visit www.hydeparkpreschool.org for more information.
Family Camp live it out! 20 25 July 27-August 2
Sign up by May 23 to secure your spot!
There’s something for everyone at Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center near Ravenna, KY! Rejoice in the beauty of God’s creation while hiking, swimming, fishing, exploring, playing games, and sharing life together. Renew your spirit and focus on what it means to love, forgive, and serve like Jesus!
“Family Camp is awesome because there’s a ton of fun stuff to do like the pool, the creek, games and bunk beds” - Micah (10) & Rose (7) Jankovsky
“Our family has gone to Family Camp 3 times and everyone has a great time enjoying fellowship in the beautiful Aldersgate Camp near Red River Gorge. There’s lots of fun with family and church friends. We enjoy hiking to the cave, the creek, family bible study, and family games. Pete says that they cook meals for you and there’s almost no WiFi so you really get to relax a lot.” - Pete and Mary Jankovsky
Use the QR code to register today!
Grace on Race St. Market is a community-driven initiative from our Over-the-Rhine Campus, designed to bring people together in the heart of Cincinnati to celebrate and support local artisans, makers, and small businesses.
The idea for the Market was born out of reflection—wondering what it could look like to extend the energy and excitement of Washington Park just steps away to the OTR Campus. On days when the City Flea brings thousands of people to OTR, we saw an opportunity to create something that complements the buzz—a space that’s just as vibrant, but intentionally more accessible.
While the City Flea is a beloved part of Washington Park, becoming a vendor there can be cost-prohibitive, especially for emerging artists and small-scale creators. Grace on Race St. Market exists to lower those barriers. Our goal is to create a place where everyone—regardless of background or financial means— can showcase and sell the things they’ve made with care.
Each Market is more than just a shopping experience—it’s about building connections, strengthening our local economy, and celebrating the creativity that makes Over-the-Rhine so special.
We’d love for you to be part of the Grace on Race story. Come by, explore our diverse vendors, and enjoy a complimentary beverage and freshly popped popcorn as you soak in the creative spirit of OTR. Let’s invest in local talent and build a more inclusive marketplace—together.
We also invite you to invest in this emerging ministry at our Overthe-Rhine Campus—not only by shopping, but by volunteering your time to help make future Markets possible. We need folks to
offer warm hospitality: greeting guests with a smile, handing out free popcorn and lemonade, and making everyone feel at home. We also welcome help passing out flyers in Washington Park to let shoppers know they can find even more incredible artists next door at Grace on Race St.
And if you know an artist, maker, or small business owner who would be a great fit for the Market, share the QR code with them so they can learn more and apply to be a vendor. Let’s make sure every creator has a chance to shine.
2025 Market Dates
Saturdays, 10:00am-4:00pm
May 17
June 21
July 19
August 16
September 20
October 11
Scan the QR code to learn more, sign up to volunteer, or apply to be a vendor.
Parsonage Retaining Wall Project
The timber retaining walls behind the church’s parsonage have been in disrepair for several years and are finally being replaced with a segmented block retaining wall. Due to the wall’s failure, the outdoor decking and patio were nearing the point of collapse. The structure of the parsonage itself would ultimately be endangered if this issue was not addressed. The existing landscaping has been removed and saved in preparation for the construction and temporary access needed to complete the work. Weather permitting, work should be completed in about one month with repairs to the decking and replacement of the landscaping to follow.
Baby & Toddler Play Time
Every 4th Saturday of the Month
May 24th, June 28th, July 26th, August 23rd 10:00-11:00am Rain or shine!
Parents and caregivers of kiddos ages 0-3 at HPC’s playground or Nursery (pending weather).
May 17th
3RD SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH
SEPTEMBER – MAY
Support our local partnerships
Serve projects for all ages & abilities
Serve with some of our partners like New LIfe Furniture Bank or The Center for Respite Care or choose to serve at the Hyde Park Campus helping to prep for VBS or host the Grace on Race St. Market at our OTR Campus. We hope to see you soon!
To find out what opportunities are available and sign up to serve scan the QR code with your phone or visit http://hydeparkchurch.org/superserve-saturday/
Come anytime between 7:30am-10:00am
All are welcome! May 3rd, June 7th, July 5th
Written by Christine McHenry
Christine has been a member of HPCUMC for over 35 years. She is a retired pediatrician with a masters degree in theology from United Theological Seminary. She is a trained spiritual director and supervisor, a trained labyrinth facilitator, and a retreat leader.
Be Still … A Reflective Moment
What do you want me to do for you?
Many of you are probably familiar with the story of Bartimaeus found in the Gospel of Mark. Bartimaeus, a blind beggar sitting on the roadside, encounters Jesus as he walks by and calls out to Jesus to have mercy on him. Here is the story as found in Mark 10:46 - 52 (NRSV).
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.
This is an intriguing story that raises a number of issues for me such as the potential fallacy of assumptions (notice how Jesus doesn’t assume that Bartimaeus wants to be cured of his blindness), the role of freedom to choose (Jesus gives Bartimaeus the freedom to to ask for what he needs) , and the question of faith (Bartimaeus trusts that Jesus can do what he requests of him). But those issues aside, I would invite us all to spend some time with the question Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” How would you respond?
1. Gently close your eyes and take several deep breaths to center yourself.
2. Envision yourself encountering Jesus and calling out to him. Jesus asks that you come closer. He doesn’t assume what you want from him but instead asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” This is a very personal question. Jesus is asking about you. What do you need from him, not what another might need or the world might need. What do you need from Jesus? How would you respond? If possible, keep your response short.
3. Just like Bartimaeus, you may want to combine your response to Jesus’ question with the name you use for the Sacred. It might be Teacher, Lord, Good Shepherd, Holy One, God, or one of a number of other possible names. Combining your answer to Jesus’ question with your name for the Sacred can then becomes a breath prayer which you can use throughout the days and weeks to come.
4. End your time with Jesus, thanking him for his willingness to listen and trusting that he is the giver of all good things and wants what is best for you.
A breath prayer is a powerful spiritual practice that can strengthen and sustain you during difficult times. It is a prayer that you can say with one inhalationone exhalation and combines the name you use for the Sacred with the answer to Jesus’ question to Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Recently I had the opportunity to do this exercise as I was recovering from a hospitalization for a serious infection. I had been acutely aware of God’s presence during that time through the care of the hospital staff and the concern and love of my church family. But as I sat with the question that Jesus asked Bartimaeus, I was overwhelmed by how I had been held by God during my illness. So my answer to Jesus’ question was, “Never let me go.” I combined my answer with one of the names I use most frequently in reference to the Sacred, Good Shepherd, and developed a breath prayer, “Good Shepherd, never let me go.” I have used this prayer many times since I did this exercise and each time it brings me much comfort and peace.
During this time of both personal challenge and cultural, political, societal upheaval it is my breath prayers that help to lessen my anxiety and to keep me grounded and focused on the the Good Shepherd.
Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus is asking you and me the same question. How will you respond?
Feasibility Study Follow-Up
We want to extend a huge thank you to Rev. Rick Vilardo for coming to HPC to give us an update on the results of the Feasibility Study.
If you want to access the information, you can scan these QR codes to review the report itself and Rick’s PowerPoint presentation.
Feasibility Report
Powerpoint Presentation
Enneagram
Type Discovery
Workshops
at Hyde Park Community UMC, 1345 Grace Ave.
Choose either the June OR August workshop weekend!
10:00am-3:00pm (lunch will be included) Sat. August 23rd
Scan the QR code to learn more
10:00am-3:00pm (lunch will be included) with Instructor Katie Whitlock Sun. June 22nd 1:00pm-4:00pm Sun. August 24th 1:00pm-4:00pm & &
Cost is $65 for the weekend, with optional childcare for an additional $15.
Childcare reservation deadline is Wed., June 18th. Sat. June 21st
HPCUMC CHOIR TRIP TO NEW YORK CITY
by
Henry Dolive, with Mary Kay Morris, Editor Wesley Choir Members
The adventure to NYC by the Wesley, Cathedral, and Carillon Choirs was organized around Brenda Portman’s organ recital in The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Initially, the excitement of the coming trip was a bit offset by anxiety about the recent airplane tragedies. Naturally, no one was concerned about their own safety, only about how long it would take to rebuild a church music program at HPCUMC if three choirs and the music director went down. Of course, no such thing happened! Added events for the long weekend ensured that a delightful time, commensurate with the individual cost, was had by all.
Working through Witte Travel & Tours, most logistics were pre-arranged. Arriving at our conveniently- located Park Central Hotel on Friday afternoon, we had time to grab a quick bite and freshen up before being bussed to the Glass House Tavern. The food was exquisite, and the seating arrangement stimulated in-depth discussions with our table-mates.
The next morning, we bussed to St John the Divine to hear the 10 am Walnut Hills High School Choir performance. Unfortunately, this choir had been rescheduled for 4:30. On the positive side, the change gave us more time to see much of the impressive cathedral, as well as to hear two choirs from Chicago perform. For lunch on-our-own, we bused to the theater district so we could eat and attend the matinee performance of Gypsy, with Audra McDonald. The play was spectacular, and the acting and the power and control of Audra’s voice were awesome. The musical is based on a true story, which was enhanced by my cousin, Bill Dolive, who joined us. One summer in the late 1960s, he worked in a New Orleans theater for the woman who was the real-life person portrayed as Baby June in Gypsy. Later that evening we enjoyed the views from the top of the Empire State Building and felt the strong, cold wind.
On Sunday morning, we attended a UMC service at Christ Church, an
old, elaborately decorated church near the SE corner of Central Park. When the minister learned we were from Cincinnati, he confessed that he was from Pittsburgh and a fan of the Bengal’s football archrival, the Steelers. The acoustics in the church were wonderful, both for his wellorganized sermon and for the excellent choir. Possibly because the church is open to the public, there were no hymnals; the entire service, including the music of the hymns, was printed in a long program. After the service and a reception with enviable refreshments, we had free time until our mid-afternoon return to St. Johns for Evensong. For this service, we were seated in the Great Choir area. Being surrounded by singers made the service very intimate. In the middle, along with the conductor, was a cellist who played a haunting counter-melody to the organ accompaniment.
Following Evensong was, for us, the main event of the weekend. After a glowing introduction, “our” Brenda Portman performed her recital on the Great Organ (the Cathedral has six organs). Brenda began her recital with two of her own compositions, “Fanfare, Chorale, and Exultation” and “Fantasy on ‘Ubi caritas’”. Following these pieces, she played movements II. “Invocation” and IV. “Marche pour la Paix” of Four Pilgrimages in Lorraine, Op. 30, by Rachel Laurin. In fulfillment of her doctoral degree, Brenda had made the first recordings of many of Laurin’s works. To conclude her recital, Brenda played two movements from Iain Farrington’s Lay my burden down: “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” and “Every time I feel the spirit”. During the recital, Brenda demonstrated her skills on the four manuals, the multitude of organ stops and 8,514 pipes, and, where appropriate, pulling stops using 32ft pipes which, together with her use of the swell, made the entire cathedral resonate. The NYC trip was capped off by dinner at Carmine’s Italian Restaurant, a well-known NYC family-style restaurant, where the food was good and more than plentiful.
Enhancing trip camaraderie were some family additions to our choirs. In addition to my stage manager cousin Bill; Brenda brought her older son Micah; Drea and Jake brought their two delightful, high-energy daughters; and Ben brought his mother and her friend. All participants, from 6 to 82 years old, enjoyed the trip, a testimony to the efforts of our “Music Meister” Ben Owen.
2025
Tuesday Morning Book Study with Pastor Todd
The War For Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World
Tuesday Morning, Little Theater 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
April 22 – June 3, 2025
Empathy is in short supply. We struggle to understand people who aren’t like us, but find it easy to hate them. Studies show that we appear less caring than we were even thirty years ago. In 2006, Barack Obama said that the United States was suffering from an “empathy deficit.” Since then, things seem to have only gotten worse.
It doesn’t have to be this way. In this groundbreaking book, Jamil Zaki shares cuttingedge research, including experiments from his own lab, showing that empathy is not a fixed trait—something we’re born with or not—but rather a skill that can be strengthened through effort. He also tells the stories of people who embody this new perspective, fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. We meet a former neo-Nazi who is now helping to extract people from hate groups, ex-prisoners discussing novels with the judge who sentenced them, Washington police officers changing their culture to decrease violence among their ranks, and NICU nurses finetuning their empathy so that they don’t succumb to burnout.
Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. The future may depend on whether we accept the challenge.
4/22/25 Session One “The Surprising Mobility of Human Nature”
4/29/25 Session Two “Choosing Empathy”
5/6/25 Session Three “Hatred Verses Contact”
5/13/25 Session Four “The Stories We Tell”
5/20/25 Session Five “Caring Too Much”
5/27/25 Session Six “Kind Systems”
6/3/25 Session Seven “The Digital Double Edge”
Doppelflöte
Melissa Freilich, flutist & Vincent Ryan, organist
Works by: Emma Lou Diemer, George Friedrich Händel, Vincent Ryan, Anders Börjesson, Brenda Portman (world premiere of commissioned piece), and Carl Reinecke.
Rescheduled
More information about the duo scan the QR code or visit https://ourflutestudio.com/doppelflote.
Scan the QR code to learn more about the concert series.
Enneagram Race St. at Grace on OTR Campus
by Katie Whitlock
On Friday, February 28th, if you walked into Grace on Race St. in OTR, you would have seen about 40 people gathering to learn about the Enneagram over the course of a two-day intensive workshop. You would have also seen me (hey!) at the front, walking people through each number on the Enneagram. My name is Katie Whitlock and I’ve been a member of HPCUMC since October along with my boyfriend, Jase Headings. We spend each Sunday sitting in the back left of the sanctuary during the 9:30 service and have loved every minute so far. We are incredibly thankful for the warm embrace we have felt at the church in our relatively short time.
For those who don’t know, the Enneagram is an incredibly powerful spiritual tool that allows us to see past our personality and peer into our own souls, giving us the opportunity to understand more deeply the people that God made us to be. It is a model of the human personality that details nine different motivations behind people’s behaviors, and it works by highlighting both your gifts and your
weaknesses (surprise – they're often the same thing) and teaching you how to balance them. Each number on the Enneagram represents a different motivation, and everyone’s job is to find out which number they most identify with. My own Enneagram journey started in 2020 when my mother first put an Enneagram book into my hand. Since then, I’ve spent the last several years learning everything I can about it. I decided to start my own Enneagram business right here in Cincinnati, and Pastor Kate offered me an incredible opportunity to start teaching classes through our church at the OTR Campus.
After the two-day workshop, we began a six-week class during Lent. I was incredibly humbled to see how many people showed up - both from HPCUMC and our surrounding community. Participants dedicated an hour and a half each Wednesday night to come together and dive deeper into the Enneagram. We’ve discussed what we look like in stress and security, how we process and engage with the world, what we value most, and most importantly we’ve learned to react with
compassion and kindness when someone seems to be so different from ourselves. We’ve spent time learning from each other what we each bring to the table. I’ve heard stories about people’s greatest highs and lowest lows. I am eternally grateful to everyone who came and shared their story, because the Enneagram is something that requires everyone to show up, be honest, and engage. I have been in awe of our church community’s willingness to open up and share their own stories, and I want to thank everyone who shared anything with me and the other participants in the class.
For anyone interested in joining us, we are planning to do even more Enneagram events over the following year. A parenting class is in the works, as well as another two-day Type Discovery Workshop followed by more classes that dive deep into the theory behind the Enneagram held at the Hyde Park Campus. We are planning on offering a few workshops over the summer and launching the class in the Fall, once everyone gets back from their summer holidays. Keep an eye out or talk to Pastor Kate (or me!) about upcoming Enneagram opportunities.
Thank you all for welcoming Jase and I into the church and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to teach what I love. It has been a joy and a privilege to learn from you all. I hope to see even more of our church community at the next class!
What participants said about the Enneagram Workshop:
“I found it very invigorating. I find it helpful to learn more about myself and how I interact with others.”
“It's a small dip of self reflection and improvement that is intuitive and beautiful and I really think a lot of people could benefit from attending something like this.”
“Fantastic presenter! Katie’s application of the Enneagram was so helpful to understanding the numbers and nuances. I especially loved the anecdotes about her family/friends, which almost represented all the numbers! She's quick on her feet and KNOWS the Enneagram.”
“It was interesting to learn about a new way to look at myself and others and understand our motivations and behaviors.”
photo credit: Jon Medina
photo credit: Jon Medina
Bishop Wilke, beloved Bible study creator, dies
By Heather Hahn and Nancy Kruh April 21, 2025 | UM News
As a newly elected bishop in Arkansas, United Methodist Bishop Richard Byrd Wilke hoped to overcome years of declining church attendance by helping people grow in faith and community.
That evangelistic zeal led the bishop, who went by Dick, and his wife, Julia, to develop the popular Disciple Bible Study series, which led millions of people around the world to delve deeper into Scripture.
After his retirement, he also became a voice for full LGBTQ inclusion in the life of the church — believing Jesus’ teachings, expressed in the Bible, direct Christians to create a loving and inclusive community of faith.
He died just as the sun began its rise April 20, Easter Sunday, in Winfield, Kansas, surrounded by family. He was 94.
“He died very peacefully,” said his oldest son, Steve Wilke, Ph.D. “The first thing that went through my mind was the little line in the Easter story, ‘before it was light, the women went to the tomb.’ And so right before day break, he passed away.”
His family saw his death coinciding with the celebration of Christ’s resurrection as fitting. All four of the bishop’s children — Steve, Paul, Susan Wilke Fuquay and Sarah — stressed how much love for Jesus guided their father’s life and ministry.
The family also marveled that he died on the 24th anniversary of the founding of the Richard and Julia Wilke Institute for Discipleship, housed on the campus of United Methodist-related Southwestern College in Winfield. The institute, which continues to offer online courses on Christian faith matters, was founded with funds from the sale of Disciple Bible Study. Steve Wilke is the institute’s executive director.
The Rev. Paul Wilke, a retired United Methodist pastor, recalled asking his father a few years ago what the retired bishop thought about heaven.
“His answer was just crystal clear,” his son said. “His answer was, ‘I don’t know Paul, but what I know is that Jesus is alive.’”
He spent his life helping others to get to know Christ better, especially through the Scriptures. Altogether the four editions of the Disciple Bible Study series have been taken more than 3 million times in all 50 states and multiple countries outside the U.S. It also has been translated into several languages, including Spanish, Russian, German and Mandarin Chinese.
The Wilke family has received countless letters of lives transformed through the Bible studies — people discerning their calls to ministry, prisoners turning their lives around and people just being willing to show up at church in the first place.
Scott Brewer, now executive director of the Great Plains Conference where the bishop spent his retirement, said he thinks Disciple Bible Study had a profound impact on the whole United Methodist Church.
Brewer previously oversaw data services for the General Council on Finance and Administration and pointed out that United Methodist churches’ attendance grew in the1990s. That’s also when Disciple Bible Study was at its peak in popularity.
“I don’t think that it is entirely coincidental that it was also the time that Disciple Bible is going on,” said Brewer, who credits the Bible study with increasing his own biblical literacy and enriching his faith. “If I try to think back to those days, what else would have been happening in The United Methodist Church that would have been so pervasive across the full stretch of the denomination?”
Neil Alexander, retired publisher and president of the
United Methodist Publishing House that published and distributed Disciple Bible Study, shared a similar sentiment.
“Dick and Julia Wilke helped to reinvigorate how United Methodist people respond to God’s call to live and love like Jesus,” he said.
The bishop and his wife’s legacy also includes their four children who each have spent their careers serving The United Methodist Church in various ways. All four are working together to bring Disciple Bible Study to new audiences as an app for the digital age.
“He said it over and over, ‘My greatest joy is my kids are keeping Disciple going,” said Susan Wilke Fuquay, a Christian educator who developed the Disciple Fast Track to make the study more accessible.
“But even more joyful, I think, than that, was that we were all working together.”
At 16, the future bishop gave his life to Jesus and never wavered in his sense of calling, his youngest daughter Sarah Wilke said. She previously was publisher of the Upper Room devotionals and executive director of the United Women in Faithowned Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
As confident as the bishop was in preaching and exuberant in sharing the Gospel, she and her siblings also remember seeing their father kneel beside his bed each night to pray and humble himself before God.
“If I were to say anything to The United Methodist Church, it would be that the gift my father gave was an absolute focus on loving Jesus,” she said.
The bishop was born on June 18, 1930, in El Dorado, Kansas, to Clarence, a funeral director, and Pearl Byrd Wilke. He graduated with a degree in history from Southern Methodist University, where he was a champion debater, student body president and Phi Beta Kappa.
While at the Dallas university, he met Julia Kitchens of Texarkana, Texas. The two wed on June 20, 1953, and for more than 60 years, they remained partners in ministry until Julia’s death in 2016. Two years into his marriage, he earned his Master of Divinity
from Yale University where he also received a senior preaching award.
Over the next 30 years, he established a reputation in Kansas for revitalizing and expanding congregations, first serving Scandia United Methodist Church, then Pleasant Valley United Methodist in Wichita, University United Methodist in Salina and then as district superintendent.
Along the way, he earned a second Master of Divinity — this time with a focus on pastoral care. He graduated summa cum laude from Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1972. The seminary awarded him an honorary doctoral degree in 1994.
With his second master’s in hand, he was appointed senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Wichita. In his 11 years in that pulpit, he initiated televised services that reached central and western Kansas, and under his leadership, the church developed a singles ministry with 500 participants and an adult Sunday school program with an 800-member enrollment.
He also became a prolific author, publishing “Pastor and Marriage Group Counseling” (1974), “Tell Me Again, I’m Listening,” and “Our Father” (1978). All his books were released by the United Methodist Publishing House.
While at First United Methodist, he was elected bishop in 1984. He was assigned to lead United Methodists in Arkansas for the next 12 years until he reached mandatory retirement in 1996.
In Arkansas, he made church growth and evangelism his priorities. In 1986, he published “And Are We Yet Alive?,” a best-selling analysis of why the church was losing membership. Among the recommendations of the book named for a famous Charles Wesley hymn was a more in-depth study of Scripture.
The United Methodist Publishing House invited Wilke to help make that study a reality. The result was the first “Disciple Bible Study: Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study.”
The Wilkes created a blueprint that included daily reading, videotaped lectures by biblical scholars and perhaps, most significantly, weekly get-togethers in small groups.
As a pastor in the 1980s, the bishop later recounted on the Discipleship Bible Study website, “I became aware how isolated and lonely people were becoming and how ignorant they were of the Bible.” He found Sunday school lessons were limited in reach, but then he remembered how John Wesley reached busy, working people through class meetings.
It was an idea that could be applied to Bible studies, where instead of teachers, there would be “facilitators,” whose job was to help facilitate discussion and prayer.
The leadership training program and multimedia resources that engaged people’s heads and hearts over 34 weeks “stands out in UMPH’s 236-year mission to produce and deliver quality resources that advance the cause of Christianity,” Alexander said. Retired Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, who succeeded
Wilke as bishop in Arkansas, speaks with gratitude that the Disciple Bible Study was accessible to churches of all sizes. She speculates that his experience in Arkansas helped him expand beyond the big churches that frequently invest in Bible study series.
“He understood how important it was to teach the Scriptures to people in little bitty churches stuck way back in the hills and hollers,” she said.
Retired Bishop John L. Hopkins, who was elected in 1996- the same year Wilke retired, first got to know the older bishop’s work as a pastor at Methodist Temple United Methodist Church in Evansville, Indiana. Hopkins discovered more than 200 members had completed the Disciple Bible Study, with three to five new groups formed each year by Jim Coy, a layman in the first training class.
After he retired, Bishop Wilke moved back to Kansas, where he was bishop-in-residence at Southwestern College in Winfield. His son Steve was the college’s dean of students at the time. But even in this second life, Hopkins recalls the bishop calling him to tell him how the Disciple study changed a person’s life or to share ways to expand theprogram.
“Many people say he was best known for co-creating the Disciple Bible Study,” Hopkins said. “But his real passion was for helping people know, love and serve Christ and his church.”
Even in a place known more for being unchurched, Disciple Bible Study helped build the church.
The Rev. Jeremy Smith recalls when he was an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon, that a Disciple class filled an
important role in connecting church and society in an urban context.
“In the northwest, we have high rates of civic and volunteer engagement, but folks don’t always have the biblical fluency to explain why they follow the Spirit’s leading,” said Smith, who is now pastor of Edmonds United Methodist Church in Washington. “When young adults and lifelong activists alike asked for an intensive Bible study, Disciple fit the bill.”
In 2019, the bishop also publicly confronted The United Methodist Church as it considered a divide over LGBTQ inclusion. He wrote about how his daughter Sarah’s coming out led him to revisit the Bible.
“If we are to be Christ followers, how can we reject the LGBTQ community in light of Jesus’ ministry?” the bishop wrote.
Sarah Wilke, reflecting on her father’s words, said she thinks they made a difference for The United Methodist Church in a sensitive time. She also thinks Disciple Bible Study can help reinvigorate the denomination today after church disaffiliations.
“And one of the reasons we’re working so hard to put Disciple back out there in this new iteration is people have got to have the story again,” she said, “especially as we rebuild the denomination, which is all of our passion.”
Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News, and Kruh is Sarah Wilke’s wife and Bishop Wilke’s daughter-inlaw. Contact Hahn at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@ umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.
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Todd Anderson
Kevin Buckley
Emily Bolin-Meyers
Dana Calhoun
Jenna Calhoun
Christina Cotrone
Christine McHenry Meredith Menius
Sara Pease
Kate Smith
Julie Vail
Katie Whitlock
Hyde Park Campus 1345 Grace Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45208
Over-the-Rhine Campus 1310 Race St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
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Pastor of Mission & Outreach and Young Adult Ministry
