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Have you ever been so surrounded by joy that it’s almost like you can touch the Holy Spirit, she’s so present? Last Saturday was one of those days for me. Our first Compassion Camp brought together children, youth, and volunteers from United Methodist Church of Geneva, Batavia United Methodist Church, Wesley United Methodist Church, The Neighbor Project, and surrounding community for a morning filled with fun, faith, friendship, and a lot of jumping at The Neighbor Project in Aurora. From the moment children arrived, the space buzzed with excitement. They jumped into songs, stories, yoga, crafts, and compassion projects while volunteers of all ages worked side-by-side, embodying the lovingkindnessRead More →

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First, thank you. Thank you to everyone who prayed for our family and wished us well while we were away. We had a wonderful time exploring the Big Island, Maui, and Oʻahu. We experienced breathtaking landscapes, learned about the islands’ rich histories, and encountered people whose generosity and hospitality left a lasting impression on us. I’ll have more to share in the weeks ahead, but one lesson has stayed with me. Wherever we went, people spoke naturally and joyfully about what it means to be Hawaiian. Their identity wasn’t something they held tightly for themselves. They shared it freely—with stories, language, food, customs, music, andRead More →

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Do you remember what summer felt like when you were a kid? The days seemed endless. There were bikes to ride, sprinklers to run through, popsicles to eat, books to read, and just enough boredom to spark creativity. Summer felt spacious. It was a time to linger outside until the lighting bugs came out and to lay in the grass to see what the clouds looked like. So, let me ask: How is your summer going? Have you found moments to breathe? To laugh? To linger over dinner with people you love? Have you watched a sunset or read a book just because you wanted to?Read More →

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Not too long ago, I was scrolling on TikTok when an interesting video popped up on my For You page. It was a video of a woman calling a church, asking them if they would be able to supply her with some formula for her baby who hadn’t eaten in days. Now, the catch about this video was that she didn’t actually have a baby, and she didn’t actually need formula. No, she was not trying to scam people, but rather she was genuinely interested in seeing if the church would actually help someone in need. They didn’t. I clicked on her page and sawRead More →

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A couple of weeks ago at Annual Conference, Bishop Schwerin “fixed the appointments.” That is one of those wonderfully odd Methodist phrases that sounds, at first, like something was broken and needed repair. But in this case, “fixed” means set. The bishop sets the pastoral appointments for another year of ministry, and clergy and congregations receive those appointments as part of our shared covenant in The United Methodist Church. So, with gratitude, I am glad to share that this marks my tenth appointment year at The United Methodist Church of Geneva: four years as your associate pastor and now six years as your senior pastor.Read More →