The Builder
May 2023
Eastertide Update 2023
On Easter Sunday we proclaimed the joy and the miracle of the Easter resurrection: “He is risen, He is risen indeed!” How have your Easter days been since that Easter Sunday? Have you found new life in the old, new hope in the midst of despair, or springtime blossoms coming out of the thawing winter ground?
It’s Eastertide—a season and a reminder that Easter is not just one day on the calendar, but a whole way of living.
The month of May will hold much for us during Eastertide. We’ll welcome the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus Sacred Music Ensemble, Illuminati, on May 7 as they share their ministry of music with us. On May 28, the Chancel Choir will feature their springtime Cantata as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday and the birthday of the Church.
May will also bring some vacation time for Pastor Angie, and some vacation time for me. It will bring a New Membership Class on May 28. And it will mean preparing to welcome Danii Green, our new Broad Street Seminary Student—a newly redesigned staff position at Broad Street. Danii will be moving to Ohio from Missouri this summer, to begin seminary work at MTSO in Delaware, OH, this fall.
Danii brings a particular interest in digital media, young people, and cultural excitement for the kinds of ministries that Pastor Angie has led during and after the pandemic. They’re big, big, big shoes Pastor Angie has created here at Broad Street, and they’re ones that neither Danii nor I will attempt to completely replicate or fill.
Danii has sensed a deep calling to ordained ministry and found, through Broad Street’s website, a community rich with opportunity and support for exploring, affirming, and pursuing a call to ministry.
Danii is not coming to us as the next associate pastor, though. Broad Street’s leaders have determined the time is right for us to move from a two-pastor appointment to a one-pastor appointment for the foreseeable future, in order to best steward our resources as we continue dreaming and discerning next opportunities and ministries at the corner of Broad St. and Washington Ave.
Karen White, our seminary intern from United Theological Seminary, in Dayton, will remain with us throughout the summer and into the next school year as she continues work on her Doctoral degree. And, I’ve been re-appointed to stay with you for yet another year, too!
So, May will be a busy month of music and ministry; and a month of preparing to say goodbye and hello. It is Eastertide, indeed.
Until then, keep loving one another, keep spreading the message of Eastertide, and keep holding Pastor Angie in heart and mind as she and Annette prepare to begin a new pastoral appointment as lead pastor in a community they already know and love. Keep watching for details as we prepare to celebrate Pastor Angie and wish her Godspeed.
With love,
Pastor John Girard
Broad Street to Host Artist and Performer Kimayo on May 24th
7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:30
Kimayo is a folk-pop artist, performing in New England since 2019. Her authentic and personal songs are relatable and vulnerable. Coming out as queer in the Spring of 2021, her new music explores self-discovery with an adult contemporary sound. Her engaging performances even led to winning Best of the Lakes Region: Music (Solo) in 2022. Through her music, Kimayo seeks to cultivate connection, solidarity, and hope for each of her listeners.
In this event, Kimayo opens up about her life, personal struggles, and overcoming hardships. From coming to terms with and celebrating her sexuality, to wrestling with her faith, she offers her experience with humility and vulnerability. Through poignant songs and narrative, Kimayo invites us all to welcome, affirm, and love unconditionally.
Trigger Warning: This concert is open to adults and mature teens with parental discretion as this event contains sensitive topics relating to physical and mental health.
The Heart of the City Foundation is excited to announce the completion of the Kitchen Renovation Project at Broad Street United Methodist Church!
Please Join us for a Celebration Open House
Sunday, June 4, 2023
12:30 p.m.
Broad Street United Methodist Church
501 E. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Let’s celebrate the successful conclusion of the Neighbors with a Heart Campaign, tour the newly renovated kitchen, and express our appreciation to Campaign Donors.
No RSVP required; Refreshments will be served
AIDS Walk Columbus 2023
I am very happy to announce that Broad Street UMC raised $5,342 for the AIDS Walk. Without you, we would not have reached our goal! Initially, the goal was $1,000, and with all your support we were able to surpass that!
Thank you so much to all of the walkers for advocating and raising donations for this worthwhile cause! And a big thank you to all of the BSUMC friends who contributed!
Thank you,
Sue Hughes
A Note from Bishop Palmer
Greetings in the strong name of Jesus the risen Christ:
I continue to be amazed when I read, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” John 3:16 KJV. What generosity, that Christ died and was raised to new life to give us life abundant. In what ways do we honor God for such generosity?
I write to you today to express my deep appreciation for your generosity expressed through your financial support for the connectional church. Your church is one of 458 that supported The United Methodist Church at the 100% level. Thank you. Together, we do more than any one church, district or conference can do alone. The work we United Methodists do is not possible without your financial support.
In the past year, your support:
resulted in education and exploration opportunities for people discerning their calls to ministry.
helped many churches understand what it means to be in community with citizens returning from incarceration.
allowed us to keep the promise that 100% of all gifts to UMCOR would go directly to relief and disaster support.
These only highlight a few of the things we can do together to support, equip and strengthen local churches and community outreach ministries, development of Christian leaders both lay and clergy, and missions locally and globally.
I hope you will take the time to visit www.wocumc.org to see and rejoice at the many ways your faithfulness in connectional giving is making disciples of Jesus Christ, renewing the church, and changing the world.
The enclosed certificate, while inadequate, shares my heartfelt appreciation for your congregation's faithfulness. Please share and display it in a prominent location.
The mission of the West Ohio Conference is to equip local churches to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world ... a world of justice, love and peace filled with people growing in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Our staff is here to help. Please do not hesitate to contact us should a need arise.
Your servant in Christ Jesus,
✝︎Gregory V. Palmer
West Ohio Survey Invitation
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Grace to you and peace in this Eastertide.
The West Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church, through our Connectional Table, has initiated a strategic planning process. The first phase of this process is to understand the current state of the conference, including the perceptions and experiences of clergy, lay leaders, and the local congregations as well as conference leaders and staff.
To gather this information, our strategic planning consultants from Measurement Resources worked with us to create a conferencewide survey that will be distributed primarily electronically. A paper survey and alternative forms of data collection will be made available as needed. Please follow the instructions included on the first page of the survey. A link to the survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ClergyandLayLeadership.
The survey will be open until May 30th, and we encourage you to share the link with others in your congregation.
The results of the survey and other data collected will be used to ground the Conference leadership in its current state so that the conference can make data-driven decisions for a better future state. Please know your responses will remain confidential.
Should you have any questions about the conference or the reasons for strategic planning, please contact Tom Hofmann, Chairperson of the Connectional Table at thofmann@wocumc.org. For any questions or assistance related to completing or distributing the survey, or for paper copies of it, please contact Elizabeth Pafford at epafford@measurementresourcesco.com.
Please accept my gratitude in advance of your participation in this important future forward effort. Your engagement will help chart a vibrant, mission driven future for all of the West Ohio Conference, its local churches and ministries.
Your servant through the Risen Christ,
✝︎Gregory V. Palmer
New Member Class
Interested in taking the next step in your faith journey and becoming a member of Broad Street? Plan to join us for a one-hour new member class on May 28th. Sign up by clicking the button below.
Save the Dates for Pride Month
June 16 at 7:00 p.m. is the return of the Central Ohio RMN Worship Service, which will be held once again at Broad Street UMC!
June 17 is the Stonewall Columbus Pride Parade and Festival
If you are considering participating in the Parade, please let Nancy Taggart know so she can get an accurate count of the number of wristbands, which are required of all participants! Reach her at nancytaggart55@aol.com.
Broad Street to Host Mission Trip Travelers in July
Thank you in advance, Broad Street UMC, for your upcoming hospitality in July! We are a group of 20 who are traveling from Concord Trinity UMC in St Louis, MO, to Trucksville, PA to serve a rural community in a variety of ways. Fifteen of us are youth, grades 6–9, and the others of us are adults—some of which have been serving in youth ministry for 30+ years! We will be helping the community by doing what is needed, from basic home repairs to serving social service agencies like family services and nursing homes. We are joining together with five additional churches in the Northeast region to do as much work as we can from July 8–15th. We were looking for a place to stay somewhere in Ohio and we found your affirming congregation to be a safe place for us to land at the beginning of our trip and as we conclude our journey at the end of that week. We’re so grateful for your willingness to share your space. Thank you!
Supporting Broad Street’s Ministries
Your continuing faithfulness in giving to the mission and ministries of Broad Street is deeply appreciated. We are especially grateful to those who have switched to online giving, as we do not have to process checks to receive those gifts. To give via check or cash, you are welcome to give in-person on Sunday mornings or mail your offerings directly to the church. To give online, we encourage you to use one of the options below.
Go to broadstreetumc.net and click on “Giving” or click on the button directly below.
Text the dollar amount to (614) 665-0525.
Recurring Events:
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. — Livestream & in-person Worship | Sanctuary
Sunday: 12:15 p.m. — Ringers on Broad Rehearsal | Sanctuary
Monday–Thursday: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. — Church Office Open
Monday–Saturday: 12:00 p.m. — 501 AA Group | Room 306
Monday: 6:30 p.m. — Volleyball League | Gymnasium
Wednesday: 3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m. — Manna Café | Kitchen, Jim Thomas Hall
Thursday: 7:00 p.m. — Heart-to-Heart NA Group | Room 306
Thursday: 7:30 p.m. — Chancel Choir Rehearsal | Choir Room, Sanctuary
Events and Meetings:
May 1: 6:45 p.m. — Packing Sack Lunches with the Paulist Community | JT Hall
May 9: 1:00 p.m. — History and Archives Team | Room 305
May 10: 7:00 p.m. — Finance Subcommittee
May 13: — Central Ohio Beekeepers’ Event | Fellowship Hall, Gymnasium, Kitchen
May 15: 6:45 p.m. — Packing Sack Lunches with the Paulist Community | JT Hall
May 15: 7:00 p.m. — Leadership Board | Zoom
May 21: 12:15 p.m. — Cancer Patient/Survivor & Caregiver Support Group | Parlor
May 24: 7:00 p.m. — Kimayo Music Concert & Witness | Sanctuary, Narthex
May 28: 12:15 p.m. — Come to the Water Healing Ministers available after Worship
May 28: 12:15–12:45 p.m. — Coffee/Fellowship Gathering | Narthex
