The beginning is, indeed, a very good place to start. And while I know somewhere out there Julie Andrews is rolling her eyes, that doesn’t make it any less true. The beginning of something is such a great place to be. It’s standing in front of an empty canvas and a bunch of unopened paint. It’s ...

Dear HPUMC, During the last few months, I’ve been checking in with you by video to share the latest updates on the church. With this video, the message is a bit more personal. It involves my health. I’ve included a short message letting you know what is going on. Ashley and I would love your pray...

While HPUMC encourages these difficult conversations, the opinions of those being interviewed are their own and may not represent the viewpoints of all HPUMC congregants regarding these topics. Recently, Courtney Kelly and Heather Deuillet sat down for a one-on-one conversation about racism. From...

Dear Church Members and Friends,You may have read or seen news reports regarding a protest march that took place on the SMU campus this past Friday. Hundreds of students were led by the Black Association of SMU Athletes in a march from the north end of the campus to the south and back. President ...

I didn’t grow up in the Church. In fact, most of my family still wouldn’t identify as Christian. I attended a Methodist church in my hometown of Sanford, NC for a brief time in high school. But, if I’m honest, going to church at that time was less about worshiping Jesus and more about getting to ...

With a bold, beautiful explosion of confetti, our church announced plans to open a brand-new campus at House of Blues, and the dream of Uptown Church was born. That was February 23. A few weeks later, everything changed. Everything. Instead of preparing for a new local church, we were preparing f...

HPUMC has a continued interest in, and commitment to, racial reconciliation and justice in our city. You may remember that I had an open conversation with my longtime friend, Rev. Richie Butler, in July about issues of racial injustice in our country. He talked about his organization, Project Uni...

On Saturday, August 22, school spirit and HPUMC pride were both on full display as hundreds of cars motored by Highland Park United Methodist Church for Drive-Thru Day #2. Students, teachers, and parents received lots of love and encouragement from HPUMC staff members for the school year ahead. O...

God is not intimidated to come with me in my darkness. He holds me up, so I won’t fall. I can’t get away from His presence no matter what emotions I’m presently feeling. God will stand there with me to hold me up. He doesn’t get tired of me or need a break. He doesn’t get too busy to care for the...

Not sure about you guys, but the longer this pandemic drags out, the longer my decision-making processes drag out. Now, even decisions that used to be so simple seem to take forever. Trying to figure out what to do with the kids and school was a process that took a really, really long time, and ...