A note from Pastor Travis 6/18/26

Recently I have been seeing an advertisement for Facebook groups. The theme of the ad is that the “talking heads” don’t know anything, so find a Facebook group on the subject. 

That is where you will find people who really know what’s right. The underlying idea is that the experts and the trained journalist with whom you disagree are wrong. Don’t listen to them. Instead, go find a group on Facebook filled with people with whom you agree. 

For years, social media has been criticized for fostering platforms that divide people, and it seems that Facebook is publicly leaning into this idea. It makes me very sad. How will our nation, and our world, ever be healed if we refuse to listen with open hearts and celebrate our diversity.

This Sunday is Pride Sunday. We celebrate with the LBGT community. We honor the diversity of God’s creation and recognize that this diversity is a blessing. Join us as we give thanks to God with openhearts, open minds, and open doors.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Travis

A NOTE FROM THE FOOD DRIVE

The Food Drive gets busier in the summer when kids are out of school. However, many of the people who prepare the food are away on vacation. So, the Food Drive is putting out a call for people to make meals. All help is appreciated. 

You can log onto the website: thefooddrive.org for all the information on how meals should be made/prepared.

Our Community is truly making a positive impact: Read below message forwarded to us from The Food Drive’s executive director, Jana Gimenez:

I first must say that I am such a big fan of what your organization does on Sundays at the first Methodist Church in Melrose! Never even stepped into this church and I felt like royalty as soon as I walked in! I have been wanting to thank you for that amazing experience and truly how it was done was just so tasteful and it made you feel like you belonged. I am so grateful for what you do in the community and it’s just an amazing resource for those in need and it’s done remarkably well so much so that people like myself and others can feel a sense of dignity. And to me that means so much!…I think you do an amazing job at making people mostly feel comfortable and providing such a beautiful resource that our communities is truly grateful to have! Tell a lot of love and care goes into what you do and it shows! … Thank you so much for everything and like I said, I don’t think that I have ever been treated so wonderfully and in organization that helps those in need!