by Stacey Hilliard | Jul 29, 2026 | Conversations
It is with joy, excitement, and gratitude that I announce an official relaunch of Sunday School at Crawford, beginning August 16. If you’ve been attending worship—either online or in person— you may have noticed that we’ve had 3-7 young children in our midst over the last month, some of them older than our current guidance for nursery use.
In order to support their learning, growth, and connections to the Crawford community, beginning Aug. 16, we will offer the following plan for Christian Education in addition to nursery care:
- All children are invited to stay in worship through the children’s time (early in the service)
- After dismissal, kids will go to a downstairs classroom for 10-20 minutes of structured activities, which may include a story, video, craft or game.
- During the remaining worship time, kids will have free play, possibly in conjunction with the nursery
We’ll begin by using the Mini-Revolutions curriculum from Illustrated Ministry. This lectionary-based program comes with several options for engaging with the weekly story, each embracing inclusive theology that centers wonder over fear, and questions over rote, “right” answers.
Sunday School is open to PreK-elementary age children, roughly 4 years through 10 years. We recognize that this is a wide span, and that some younger learners may do better in the nursery than in the Sunday School room.
Part of this “soft launch” from August 16 through September 6 is to experiment and tweak. Families are encouraged to use the nursery or Sunday School as best meets their needs that day. We’ll be making our own adjustments as we go, providing any updates to the format in time for back-to-church Sunday, which is September 13.
Many and great thanks to Kim Burke and Bernadette who have raised their hands to get the program off the ground, but we will certainly need more volunteers in the rotation. We’re hoping that this flexible, first-step format will work well not only for kids and families, but also for potential volunteers. Being in the classroom even once a month will make a huge difference in moving the program forward. Please speak to Kim, Bernadette, or me if this might be a possibility for you.*
Nursery care will continue to be offered each week, beginning at 9:45 and ending at the conclusion of worship. Many thanks to Cindy Slack who continues to provide a consistent presence and coordinate nursery staff. She is also very excited for Sunday School’s relaunch and ongoing connection between the groups.
With gratitude and hope,
Pastor Jen
*Please note that in keeping with Crawford’s Safe Sanctuary policy, all volunteers must submit to and pass a background check.
by Stacey Hilliard | Jul 14, 2026 | Conversations
Bishop Bickerton’s response to the Latest ICE Shooting: Rembmering Joan Sebastian Guerro
On July 14, the Bishop Bickerton released a statement in response to the latest ICE shooting in Houston. It reads – in part – “On Monday morning, Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old from Colombia, died in a shooting involving federal immigration officers on Pool Street in Biddeford, Maine. According to the Portland Press Herald, Mr. Guerrero was from Colombia, was authorized to work in the United States, and was on his way to work. Reports are coming in that Mr. Guerrero was not the man the agents were looking for. This ICE killing comes less than a week after ICE shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo of Houston Texas.”
The complete statement is published on the United Methodist Church & Society website, HERE. The photo above is from another statement about the shooting, published yesterday (7/13) by the Unted Meethodist Immigration Task Force, which you can read HERE.
by Stacey Hilliard | Jul 9, 2026 | Conversations
I am excited to dive into a new preaching and worship series this summer, based on the New Testament Letters to Timothy. True confession: the epistles (letters) are not my typical go-to preaching texts. Give me a puzzling parable or winding Hebrew Bible saga any day; stories are interesting! But the letters are often so…preachy.
For a while I’d thought it might just be me, but Rev. Edward Pillar, commentator at the Working Preacher whose outlines we’ll expand upon in this series, feels similarly. He shares that the epistles are often tough to preach on because they are themselves sermons: commentary on the not-yet-written-down scriptures as well as the lived experiences of the early churches.
Yet the context of Timothy caught my eye: what does it mean to be a church in generational transition? How do we strike a balance between preserving tradition and leaving plenty of room for new faith expressions? How do we raise up leaders with integrity when those with shakier foundations are happy to take charge? It sounds like—to use a term of my generation—a hot mess there in Ephesus. And at the center is a young leader, receiving (likely unsolicited) advice from a seasoned veteran about how to handle it all.
Lest one think that I see myself in Timothy’s shoes, rest assured, I do not. Likely, he was about half my age (or younger!) and a native to the community where he was serving. Our situation is not theirs when it comes to the players, cultural context, or demographics. But questions about how to hold together a diverse body of believers, how to articulate a mission that is both grounded and expansive, and how to confront messages that are not of Christ, those are all quite relevant for us today. And I’m far from the only one with thoughts to share.
Therefore, consider yourself officially invited to Tuesday Lectio Lunches, beginning on July 14 at noon in the Crawford parlor. Lectio Divina (sacred reading) is a form of Bible study that requires no commentaries or study guides, just a willingness to prayerfully show up and listen deeply to the text. Each week, we’ll hear the text for the coming Sunday several times, holding both silence and space for sharing. And at the end we’ll break bread together–whatever bread we bring for ourselves in a sack lunch.
This practice will allow us to get to know each other as we wrestle together with teachings that aren’t always easy. And it will better inform Sunday’s preaching, giving us all a chance to hear and respond to these lessons for a church in transition.
I recognize that the date, time, and location will not work for everyone. We will have further get-to-know you opportunities later in the summer, both in person and online, during and after working hours.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Pastor Jen
Tuesday Lectio Lunches Schedule (meet at noon)
July 14: 1 Timothy 6:6–19
July 21: 2 Timothy 1:1–14
July 28: 2 Timothy 2:8–15
August 11: 2 Timothy 3:14–4:8, 16-18;
[Note: No meeting August 4.]
by Stacey Hilliard | Jul 3, 2026 | Conversations
Greetings, Crawford UMC!
I wanted to take a moment to share our deepest thanks for the ways you have been supporting our family through this major transition. The cards, meals, and space to settle in have each been so welcome as we get our feet under us in Winchester.
And, indeed, we have been on our feet! Our use of vehicles in the first week has gone way down. How lovely to walk to shops, the library, a playground and natural areas. A stroller that largely sat unused for the last year has been out almost daily. Our son is looking forward to walking or biking to school instead of taking the bus.
We’ve been on our feet indoors as well. I’d love to say that we’re out of boxes and down to hanging pictures, but that’s not quite our reality. Yet even with plenty of remaining to-dos, the parsonage is proving a perfect fit for our family. The cats have ventured out of hiding, finding new favorite perches and sleeping spots. The kids are comfortable and confident (perhaps too confident!) navigating house and neighborhood. Chris has started back to work with relatively few interruptions. Relatively.
As to me, I am breathing deeply. I have been so touched by your understanding of how significant a change this is for our family in general and also for me as a pastor. Colleagues have shared with me (and I am now experiencing) the particular emotions that accompany a first move. The proximity of a big goodbye and a brand new start—to say nothing of the physical labor of moving—is enough to knock you off your feet. The Crawford community seems to have grasped this intuitively, extending grace and space at every turn. I am so grateful.
I am also grateful for the more relaxed summer schedule that seems to be the rhythm here at Crawford. This will allow me to establish and settle into needed routines for work and family. I do intend to hold regular office hours as well as some introductory meet-and-greet events, but it’s a bit early to get those on the calendar. Stay tuned for more updates, and for the time being, you can reach me at rev.jen.mihok@gmail.com.
A favorite hymn of mine is “Guide My Feet,” a spiritual found in The Faith We Sing. It became something like a theme song for my cohort of young adult missionaries (now Global Mission Fellows) in 2007: “Guide my feet while I run this race, for I don’t want to run this race in vain.” The race imagery comes from Hebrews 12 and depicts well the urgency of staying God’s course, especially amidst injustice and struggle.
Yet not all races are sprints. It is my prayer, that as my family finds its footing, and as we as pastor and congregation find our rhythm together, God will guide our feet, bringing us into step for the ministry that lies ahead. I have every confidence that it will be so.
With gratitude,
Pastor Jen
by Stacey Hilliard | Jun 29, 2026 | Conversations
“The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued two devastating rulings that dismantle asylum protections and the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program in the United States.
Read the reaction of United Methodist Agencies, Faith Leaders, and Immigration Lawyers as shared by the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Church and Society, HERE.
by Stacey Hilliard | Jun 28, 2026 | Conversations
“History is more than facts and figures. It is full of real people with real stories. Connecting with those people and stories helps us understand our lives and discern God’s direction for our future. That is why it is important constantly to connect our teaching back to the important people in our church history. To help you do that, we have gathered some interesting, and maybe even surprising, facts about John Wesley to help you connect United Methodist history to your next lesson.” Click HERE to learn more about John Wesley, brought to us by United Methodist Communications.
