When is the last time you had a real conversation? Though today we are more connected than we have ever been, we are also (at least) as lonely as we have ever been. Most of us are connected to hundreds or thousands of people online, and yet loneliness is still pervasive. Somehow we’ve come to bel...

It’s no secret — Jesus has a heart for kids. When His disciples attempted to turn away the children that were brought to Him for a blessing, Jesus used their innocence to set an example for those who hope to share in the glory of heaven. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hi...

Arien Canales, Co-Director of the Cerulean Gallery, moved to Dallas to work in the art industry, but was struggling to find a church family that felt right and where she would fit in. In came Cerulean Gallery Owner and Director, Caroline Kneese and the church she and some of her family called hom...

Most people know about Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday: over-the-top parades, purple and gold beads, king cakes, and celebrations. But what’s Ash Wednesday? Most know it’s the first day of Lent and that it’s customary to give up something for the forty days of Lent, but why do we do it? Just as the c...

One would guess that Rev. Paul Rasmussen’s favorite day of the year would be Christmas or Easter. That guess, however, would not be correct. His favorite nights are the two nights a year Belong Disability Ministry’s Spotlight Theater puts on their show. “This has really become a hallmark program...

You may have noticed some recent upgrades taking place across Highland Park United Methodist Church’s Mockingbird campus. In particular, three areas are being upgraded to kick off the new year: the historic Sanctuary, the Margaret E. Jonsson Sanctuary Garden, and the Wesley Hall basement. From ne...

On February 6, Rev. Joy Gonzalez welcomed a crowd to a first birthday party at the House of Blues. This party was to celebrate a labor of love that took over two years of planning, and as Rev. Paul Rasmussen tells it, many knocks on his door from a passionate, persistent pastor who wanted to star...

Raising up the next generation of great Christian leadership is one of our church’s top five organizational initiatives. Nothing brings me more joy than to see the success of that goal realized. Some 12 years ago, HPUMC recruited a young pastor from seminary to lead its most ambitious church pla...

Growing up, were you always interested in music? Yes! I grew up in a musical family. My mother was an alto and the pianist for our church, and my father sang bass in the choir. I began singing through the graded choir program of our church, and still have the perfect attendance pins! What was t...

“Doodling and coloring,” that’s how Cindy Johnston’s father, Jim, would describe what this father-daughter duo does together. But it’s so much more than that. It’s art. For over two decades, Cindy and Jim have teamed up to create unique masterpieces, rich in color and visual intrigue. After Jim...