Before the coronavirus, Mary Keckeisen, a critical care nurse at Parkland Hospital, was training for marathons and walking her dogs. “Life was pretty predictable,” she said. Even when the pandemic began, she never thought that COVID-19 would affect her personally or come to our community. However...

It seems no coincidence that we are studying the book of Acts right now. This is certainly the most unusual season I have ever lived through. We have a pandemic that has shut our buildings, but we have learned that the old Sunday school song is true — the church is not a building. The Book of Ac...

Dear HPUMC Family, Racism. The topic unmentionable is now unavoidable. And it should be. Racism is prevalent. Racism is destructive. And racism is incompatible with Christianity. What racism is not, however, is new. In fact, working through racism was perhaps the biggest threat to the early Chris...

This year, HPUMC’s VBS looked a little different but was still tons of fun for the 740 kids that participated. Throughout the week, children learned how to FOCUS and take a closer look at Jesus through games, crafts, and Bible stories. And because it was online, VBS had a far-reaching impact — ki...

There have been so many emotions running through my body since I saw the video of George Floyd’s death. I’ve felt overwhelmed, anxious, sad, and heartbroken. There have been countless incidents where our black neighbors have lost their lives in senseless ways. One is too many. Those feelings have...

Many of us have heard the term, “Pentecost,” but what, exactly, is it? Some confusion may be natural because the term has several meanings. Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish holiday, one of the three pilgrimage festivals in which every Jew who could was required to come to the temple in Jerusale...

Dear HPUMC Family, For the past several days, I have been distraught over the death of George Floyd and the aftermath of such injustice. Heartache, anger, grief, disgust – all rolled into one ball of despair. Our nation and community are in a sad place. We have seen the horror of a human life tak...

When congregants come back for in-person worship at Highland Park United Methodist Church, Rev. Paul Rasmussen wants everyone to be safe, feel safe, and have a meaningful experience. That’s why HPUMC is working diligently toward the goal of being back in the church in early August. “We are gettin...

This time of year, high school seniors are usually making tons of fun memories with friends, graduating in front of their families, and looking forward to whatever the next year may hold for them. While much of that remains true, the current pandemic has also changed so much for these young adult...

I have learned so much from our seniors this year! You have taught me the value of sticking to and staying committed to a community for several years in a row. I think it really hit me during our last family group when you reminisced for two hours about memories from Wesley House. You kept bounci...