Welcome to a faith filled church practicing a religion filled with grace
Searching for a place where you'll feel loved, inspired, and challenged? Then H.U.M.C. may be for you. Come check us out! Sunday Service is at 9 a.m.
Our Church
Our Church
A church can be an intimidating place. We want you to know you're welcome here. Hospitality is a big thing for us. We want to to assist you with any questions you may have.
I want to personally invite you to come experience God's presence at Hartford UMC. Our goal is to impact the world we live in by making disciples. We do that by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Come and be a part of life at Hartford United Methodist Church.
In Jesus name, Pastor Doug
9:00 A.M. service
The 9:00 a.m. service is an indoor, in-person worship service in the sanctuary. Also it is live streamed on our Facebook page: the Bridge at HartfordUMC
Semilla New Church Plant
We are pleased to be partnering with Pastor Miriam Peralta De Garcia and Pastor Cesar Garcia-Rodriguez in the new church plant. The service is at 11:30 p.m.
May we make them feel welcome
Gifts and Giving
Your support and contributions will enable us to further our mission as a church.
You can give through PayPal below,
Venmo ( www.venmo.com/u/TheBridgeat-HartfordUMC ),
Give+ app on your phone,
or your bill pay at your financial institution
Weekly Scripture
July 20th Philippians 4:4-7
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
July 27th - 1 Timothy 2:1-6
2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
August 3rd - Ephesians 2: 11-22
August 3rd - Ephesians 2: 11-22
Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
August 10th - Psalm 119: 97-105
August 10th - Psalm 119: 97-105
August 3rd - Ephesians 2: 11-22
מ Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.
102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
August 24th - Esther 2:1-18
August 10th - Psalm 119: 97-105
August 24th - Esther 2:1-18
Esther Made Queen
2 Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. 2 Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.
5 Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, 6 who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin[a] king of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
8 When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. 9 She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.
10 Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. 11 Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
12 Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics. 13 And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.
15 When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her. 16 She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Missions
Our Church Missions
Our church is mission minded. We have been involved with Cooperative Food Pantry and The Backpack program. We are also involved with the United Methodist Church monthly mission focus on both local, regional, national, and world mission programs.
Cooperating Ministries open 3-6 pm every Thursday
The Cooperating Ministries Food Pantry is made up several churches in the area that works together to provide food for those in need. It is housed here at Hartford United Methodist Church. They distribute food every Thursday from 3 pm - 6 p.m. They are able to provide the food because they get generous donations from many people in our town, the Pokagon Fund has awarded them grants, The Four Winds Casino also helps out at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, Catholic Charities also donates food to the food pantry, along with many of our local farms will give produce and fresh fruit when they are able to. They have been lucky to get donations from Burnett packing and the local Harding's store as well.
Cooperating Ministries gave out 250 bags last week.
Backpack Mission is on hiatus until fall
The Backpack Mission is a program that involves volunteers from the church and members of the Hartford Public Schools to provide food for children and their families for the weekend. Money for this program is donated by concerned community members to help with food scarcity for our elementary students and their families when school breakfasts and lunches are not provided on the weekend. If you would like to volunteer with packing the bags weekly, delivering the bags to the elementary, or donating so that we can provide the food to our children just contact the church or send your monetary donations to the church and designated it to the backpack program.
When we started the program we were filling 40 bags per week -- now we are up to 73 bags per week.
Monthly Mission
For the Month of June- Aug our Mission Offerings will be going towards Peace with Justice . We will accept offering for the month of June.
What is Peace with Justice?
The United Methodist Church uses this day to speak out for peace and justice. Our Social Principles call us to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as peacemakers in resolving conflict. We renew our commitment that to live into our mission of transforming the world, we must prioritize collaboration among nations, work to reduce the use and need for weapons, and foster just, equitable and durable solutions to the root causes of conflict.
Contributions support programs that witness to God’s demands for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world.
The United Methodist Church has a historic commitment to peace and justice. Through the General Board of Church and Society's consultative status with the United Nations, we engage in UN meetings to promote peaceful and just efforts.
Photo Gallery
Tammy playing at the United Women of Faith Christmas party 2025
United women of Faith Christmas party 2025
United women of Faith Christmas party 2025
United women of Faith Christmas party 2025
United women of Faith Christmas party 2025
United women of Faith Christmas party 2025
United women of Faith Christmas party 2025
The United Women of Faith at the Annual Christmas Bazaar
It was a great success for them and would like to thank everyone who donated or purchased items
If you are ever in need of Rada ware please contact the church and they will direct you to the person in charge.
The High School students
spent their May Day
with us doing backpacks
They filled the 137 bags for this week.
They also cleaned the church
inside the church
and outside of the church
We appreciated all of the students
and staff's hard work
We just wanted to say thank you for everything.
Parent Night Out on December 2nd
Back to School Bash August 23, 2023
Passing out school supplies
Passing out Bibles
Signing families up for Backpack food.
On Monday August 7th We started a three day Vacation Bible School
Popcorn for evening snack
They raked not only the entire front yard they did the side yard as well.
On Friday, September 23rd we had our first movie night.
The small crowd agreed it was something they would like to do again.
The team was happy to take part on this first day activity.
On August 24, 2022 Our church attended the Back To School Bash.
We passed out water bottles and suckers.
Susie and Deanna getting the table ready for the Bash
Karymn and Cristela ready to give out the suckers to everyone.
Preparing the bottles for the Back to School Bash.
Preparing the bottles for the Bash.
Preparing the suckers for the Back to School Bash.
The happy couple cutting the cake.
Pastor Wayne annouces them husband and wife.
Pastor Wayne Babcock performed the ceremony.
On July 23, 2022 Pastor Doug and Deanna were wed.
On Thursday, July 7, we had the Feed America Mobile Truck here at the church
With the help of the truck and our own food pantry ---
We have been truly blessed that we could help that many families
The Feed America Mobile Truck is here each month on the first Thursday of the month. But you can get food every week here on thursday night.
The ladies are preparing for the rummage.
The rummage is donated by church members and friends of the church.
The rummage sale will be Friday(june 17th) and Saturday( June 18th)
It is great to have this tradition back.
Please join us for this fund raiser.
The 2nd prayer walk to the police department and the schools.
Praying for our officers that serve
Praying for those who serve the community.
Praying for the high school seniors, students and teachers.
Walking to the middle school to pray.
Praying for the Middle school students , teachers, bus drivers.
Some of our graduates from the class of 2022
Tammy and Dave presented each of the graduates with a gift
What a great addition to our food pantry for those in need of food.
The volunteers sorted the food so that it was ready to be distributed on Thursday nights
On the average the Cooperating Ministries are giving food to 100 familiies each week throughout the year.
Place the heart on the cross to symbolize that God loves you.
Station 12: Justin was able to give communion.
Station 11: The pool with the water in it was where we put the rocks that represented our sin -- and how it was taken from us from his death.
Station 10: The sand bag represented the 75 lbs of aloe, Frankincense and myrrah that was used to wrap Jesus's body in inside of the tomb.
Station 9: Represented the light of Jesus being taken as he died on the cross and his spirit leaving his body.
Station 9: Autumn was there to relight the candle for each participate.
Station 8: Larry would give each of us a nail that was made to take home as a remembrance.
Station 8: We take a hammer and beat a nail into the cross to symbolize what they did to Jesus to crucify him.
Pastor Doug made the whip and we had playing on the computer the beating scene from "The Passion"
station 7: This station was to remind us the beating Jesus took.
Station 6: Symbolizes Peter denying the Lord three times before the rooster crowed.
Station 5: symbolizes Pilate washing his hands from the matter
Station 4: 30 pieces that Judas took for betraying Jesus
Good Friday Stations: Station 1 - what great things that God Created in our world
Pastor Doug Welcoming everyone to Maundy Thursday.
Autumn was the narrator for the skit of the Upper Room.
Jesus (Larry Woodley) preparing to wash Peter's Feet. ( Justin Cardenas)
Jesus:………………………………………. Larry Woodley
Simon (Peter): ………………………..…..Justin Cardenas
Andrew: …………………………………Wayne Babcock
James: …………………………… Roger Danneffel
Judas: ……………………………………….Butch Drumm
Philip: ……………………………………Nick McGlothlin
Bartholomew: …………………….…………. Bob Kuenhle
James (son of Alphaeus): ……………….…..Dale Kaucher
Simon (Zealot): …………………………….Kenneth Smith
Judas Iscariot: ……………………………….Pastor Doug
Shirley and Mickey Cochrane
Roger and Holly Danneffell enjoying Maundy Thursday's Soup and Salad meal
Maxine Melvin
Janet Melvin
Nancy Spoula
Pastor Wayne Babcock
Forground: T. J Mason and his daughter, Becky & Larry Woodley, Deanna Kniss
Table behind: Jill & Justin Cardenas, Doug Nelson, Nick McGlothlin and Des
Autumn schmaltz, Rosemary Heinisch, Wanda Maston, Ronda Kaucher
Dale Kaucher, Becky and Larry Woodley, T. J. Mason and his daughter
Nick McGlothlin, Destiny Chacon, Jill Cardenas, Doug Nelson
Our first Easter Egg hunt was held Saturday April 9th.
We had to move it to inside of the church because of the snow that fell over night.
We are grateful to all of the people that made this possible including Becky and Larry Woodley who chaired this activity.
Justin enjoying the Men's breakfast and fellowship.
The men put on a great breakfast for themselves and a few guests.
The fellowship and devotion amongst the men and guest are so important.
The Food Drive for the Super Bowl and you can tell --the Rams won the food drive as well.
The Pastor and several of the members enjoying the game.
Some of us were enjoying the game while a few enjoyed having the puppy here for the evening.
The guys were intense about the game.
This is what happens when the Pastor leaves his phone laying about and the secretary finds out there is no pass code.
Even on a cold snowday from school are teams are hard at work filling backpacks for the students at school.
This is Team 1 filling backpacks on their snow day on 1.6.22 Without our three teams we would be lost and these backpacks would not be filled.
The volunteers of the food pantry started to sort all of the can goods
The Students food drive was a great success
The Hartford Public High School did a great job collecting food for the Food Pantry
And they should lead us to our next destination.
The group walking to our last spot.
A good time by our group as we walked from the church to the fire department, police department and the school.
Our group at the school praying for the school employees.
Pastor Doug leading us a prayer at the school.
Janet getting the drinks ready for this afternoon
Lisa Buddemeier and Maxine Melvin dishing up the beans
Lisa still dishing up the beans
Myra cutting the cakes.
Ready for outdoor dining.
More out door dining
Silent Auction items
More silent auction items
More silent auction items
More silent auction items
The Church's flowers in the spring of 2021
Spring flowers
The flowers on the corner of the driveway.
Karen Williams cleaning the Memory garden
The flowers we planted last November in Memory of those who passed are coming up just in time for Palm Sunday & Easter.
What a wonderful tradition and honor to those who have been here before us.
This way their memory will be with us every time we see the flowers in bloom.
When they are in full bloom they will be gorgeous. Thank you again to Becky and Larry Woodley for planting these lasting memories.
Food Truck came for a visit on March 4, 2021
We served over 166 families
That means we gave out 9316 pounds of food
We are very grateful for Feed America and for all of the volunteers that helped to make this a successful give away.
We appreciate Miller Thermometer for their help in supplying these materials.
The Backpack Mission received a $2,700 grant from the Pokagon Fund.
Cooperating Ministries gave out over 230 boxes of food on December 17th.
And hopefully every year afterwards the memory of our love ones will continue to bloom for us to enjoy. The bulbs were planted in memory of the following people: Jim Brummit; Jean Walker; Bob Kling; Genevieve Conklin; Shirley Anchor; Richard"Dick"Smith; Bonna Vanderlyn; Helen Norden. Also other's that passed Matthew Efting, The mother of Dan Fitch
So Larry and Becky Woodley took the morning and planted them in our memory garden.
They worked with the Catholic Services, Hartford Lions Club
Also Hartford Hardings
and the Pokagon Fund.
They had people lined up starting at 1:30 and went until
7:00 p.m. Thursday night.
We continue to supply food to families of our youth at Redwood Elementary School for the weekend.
Instead of cut carnations for All Saint's Day it was decided that we plant bulbs in memory of those who passed this past year.
So in the spring we will have a constant memory of those who passed.
All Saint's day - Nov 1st -
Preparing for the Food Pantry distribution on October 29th.
The last few weeks we have had between 60-75 families each week.
The Cooperating ministries team had to restock after last weeks distribution.
Unloading the truck so that we can get ready for this week's distribution.
Oct. 28th the last tailgate get together with Joanne Evans as the host.
Even though it was a typical fall day for Michigan the spirits of these church family members were happy.
It was great how everyone chips in and brings the snacks and enjoys each others company.
It will be great when they can worship together this Sunday Nov. 1st inside for the first time.
The group gathered together for coffee and conversation.
Rev Wayne and many others enjoyed the time to just chat and reconnect over some yummy snacks.
Our hostess(Joanna Evans) finally taking a break to enjoy some food and conversation.
Moon Flowers in our memory garden.
The Electric fireplace gives it a warmer feeling.
With new accents a few pieces of new furniture to bring it together. ( Also paid for with grant money)
A new paint job for the room and hallway -- volunteer labor and using the grant money that we had.
Updated the Social hall using some of our grant money.
Some of the volunteers that worked the food pantry and Feed America Food truck on June 18th
Workers - getting all of the food together as the cars pulled through
Workers planning the process
Ready to distribute the food
Assigning the duties
The crew in full swing-- as cars pull through
God's beauty
What a change --with a lot of hard work.
Lois and Wayne beautifying the front of the church
Lois and Wayne removing the weeds before making it new again.
Social Hall has been cleaned and waxed
Nursery was cleaned and waxed
Halls were cleaned in preparation of hopefully reopening soon.
Jeff Anchor and Justin Cardenas and crew worked hard to clean our floors.
The Weekend Backpack Project is still serving our community.
Each week we have volunteers who are here on Sunday taking in donations at 12:00 .
The food provides meal for the two days on the weekend for breakfast and supper.
The food is ordered from feed America from monetary donations from you.
Also on Sunday they pack roughly 120-140 bags of food for our school families.
The food is then transported to the school-- again by volunteers on Thursday morning.
we would like to thank these people for their support:
Businesses: Burnette Foods Inc., Richter Insurance, Kellogg Hardware, Mann Metal, L.E. Barber Inc. (Benton Harbor, MI), Pokagon Fund (Pokagon Grant)
Associations: Hartford Foundation for Quality Education(Grant) , Lions Club, United Methodist Church - Greater Southwest Conference (Engage Grant)
Public Institutions: Hartford Public School/Redwood Elementary
Other: Congregational Kitchen (Allegan, Mi).
CM food pantry and Feed America Truck give away.
CM food pantry give away
Gardening in the prayer garden
Gardening in the prayer garden
Our youth in Junior Church.
Feed America Truck was here on April 30, 2020
We gave food out from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
They fed 153 families.
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