Livingston News - August 2025
- Livingston UMC
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
In this edition:
Dear Beloveds,
Can you believe it's already August? Despite the steamy hot weather we've been having here in central Ohio, my brain still thinks the cooler days of Easter were just a couple of weeks ago. Nevertheless, here we are, with summer vacations about to wrap up for most folks and church activities tend to ramp back up from the summer lull. We have a few of those activities, which you can read more about below.
I recognize that being excited for churchy things and ministry comes with the territory for pastors, and yet, I still don't hesitate to say I'm excited about what we have coming up in the next few months. I don't even know all of the happenings yet, either, but a gut feeling tells me there are some good things ready to come bursting out of this community. Honestly, one of the biggest drivers of that is seeing that we have new folks joining us and staying with us more regularly. I've also been watching how we're staying around in the Narthex sharing in fellowship longer and longer, and I LOVE seeing the love you pour into one another.
I've always been one to feel and trust my gut throughout my life, and my intuition is telling me that good is already among us, with more on its way. I'm hopeful for the work that we have ahead of us, both your Leadership Board and our entire community. Please take a few minutes to read through some of what's coming up in the next few weeks, especially our work with Rev. Dr. Lisa Withrow. This work in particular is incredibly important for as many of you as possible to be engaged with for the good of all of us. I will get you specific dates and times for our meetings with her as soon as possible, though we are looking at later in August.
Kingdom work (or kin-dom, as I like to say) is abundantly needed, and we have so much opportunity to do some new things with and for new people. Are you ready to join the fun?
With love,
Pastor Angie
As we look ahead to a new location for this church and the many wonderful ways people experience God's abundance and grace in and because of the Livingston space, it's important to know who we are and the hows and whys of what we do as ministry in and around the south side of Columbus. New locations bring new opportunities and new ideas of how we can share the beautiful community that we have and want to grow with more people. Later in the month, we will be meeting with ministry consultant Rev. Dr. Lisa Withrow in two separate and distinct Zoom sessions. Through these Zoom sessions, Rev. Withrow will help us discern what our path forward could be. These meetings will be open to all congregants. Your participation is important, and we want your voice to be heard! These meetings will be held on Tuesday, August 26, at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 31, at 3:30 p.m. Keep an eye and an ear open for ways to sign up to attend from wherever you are.
Coming up in September, our sermon series will take a look at the gospel through the eyes of Mister Rogers, who was an ordained Presbyterian minister. His lessons and ways of engaging made complex situations and emotions accessible for young children, and they also resonate with adults today. In times that feel overwhelmingly contentious and perhaps harmful, the power of Mister Rogers' teachings offers followers of Jesus a reminder of the impact we can have when we live and show others a pure, simple expression of the gospel of Christ.
Coinciding with our Fall Sermon Series, we'll be offering a small group Bible study. Using the book Bible Stories for Grown-Ups: Reading Scripture with New Eyes, we will look at familiar Bible stories and reveal new details and interpretations for an adult audience. This six-week Bible study will consider stories many read as children including Noah's Ark, the binding of Isaac, Jonah and the big fish, Jesus and Zacchaeus, Jesus healing a blind man, and the parable of the talents. Together, we will reimagine these stories and open new visions for ourselves as we seek to understand well known pieces of Scripture in our current cultural environment. Mondays at 6:00 p.m., starting September 1, running through October 6.
Due to funding changes, Mid-Ohio Food Collective is not offering fresh produce to its pantries this summer. We invite you to donate extra fresh produce you’ve grown or wish to purchase for our Rosemary’s Cupboard guests on the Sundays listed. These Sundays are just before Pantry service days each month. Contact Sue Leatherman with questions.
Service Opportunities
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Serve each month at Rosemary's Cupboard Food Pantry! This month's guest service dates are Tuesday, August 26, Thursday, August 28, and Saturday, August 30. | Volunteers are always welcome to help the Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio sort and label medications. Call to arrange a time! | Our friends at Village Connections would love to welcome you to their corps of volunteers who make their mission possible! |
LUMC Swag
We have an LUMC Swag Shop through the online print-on-demand company Spreadshop. With the button below, you'll be able to purchase clothing, bags, and mugs that show the world your commitment to treating others with kindness AND to your LUMC family!
Sign Up for Altar Flowers
We know that many times when you choose to provide flowers to decorate the altar, there is a special person or occasion that spurs your choice of that date. So next time you provide Altar flowers, if you'd like to share why, please do! We'll include your dedication in the bulletin and in the slides that are displayed on Sunday morning.
Please email Jane at lumc@livingstonchurch.org by Tuesday afternoon with your dedication so that she can add it to the bulletins, which are printed on Thursdays.
To support our ministries, Livingston United Methodist Church depends on the financial support of members and friends such as you. You may drop off or mail your offering to the church, or click below to give online.
Newsletter Deadline
We welcome informational articles from our community. Please send monthly newsletter submissions by the end of the day on the 22nd of this month to info@livingstonchurch.org. We do not publish advertisements. We reserve the right to edit articles.
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