Monday Morning Coffee: "One Family"

 

Peace to you, dear church family,

I trust you had a meaningful and joy-filled Easter.

During our services, I shared that one of the convincing signs of the resurrection is the transformed lives of the disciples. Fearful hearts became bold witnesses. Broken people became a living testimony of hope.

Another great blessing we share is this: we have been adopted into God’s family. The early church was a resurrection community. Because Christ is risen, barriers fell. Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free. All became one in Christ.

We are still living in that same blessing today. Through the Rue family’s warm hospitality, the Hans experienced a beautiful Easter gathering. Some came from Korea, some from China, one from Germany. We were all different, yet we were united so quickly. How? Because Christ is risen. We are one family.

What a gift it was to celebrate Easter together across our churches. Each place was special in its own way. At Mars Hill, Pastor Mary led with joy and grace. At Hodgdon, we were encouraged by the presence of children, youth, and their families. At Houlton, we shared a full and joyful day, from sunrise service, to breakfast and fellowship, to new member celebration, to special music, and messages for all ages.

For me, this Easter will stay in my heart for a long time. It reminded me deeply: we are family. And once we are family, we remain family through thick and thin. Because Christ is risen, we are eternally united as a resurrection community.

You can revisit our Easter celebrations here:

Services:
Hodgdon Service
Houlton Service

Message:
Podcast Audio
Blog Reading

May we walk this week in the peace, purpose, and power of the risen Christ!

In Christ's love, 
Pastor Victor

Easter Celebration Update

 

Peace to you, beloved church family.

Some of you may be wondering about the Easter Sunrise Service, as the weather forecast for this Sunday is not favorable. Rather than canceling, we will gather indoors for our Easter Sunrise Service at 6:00 am in the Upper Room (Choir Room) at the Houlton church.

It will be a prayerful and joyful time, featuring candle lighting and readings of the disciples’ first-person testimonies based on the Gospel of John. The service will also be livestreamed on the Houlton church Facebook page, so you may join either in person or online.

If coming out early is difficult, you are warmly invited to join us for Easter Breakfast from 7:00 to 8:00 am at Houlton. Special thanks to Gabriel Grimm, Jessica Bonin, our Hope Circle and Outreach Team members for helping make this meaningful gathering possible.

We will also celebrate Easter worship at each church:

• Hodgdon and Mars Hill at 9:00 am

• Houlton at 11:00 am

Come, let us celebrate together.

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!

In Christ's love,
Pastor Victor

Good Friday Service Link

Peace to you,

I pray your day is going well and meaningful in God’s grace.

Although we were not able to gather in person for our Good Friday service, we can still worship and pray together in spirit. You can watch Pastor Joyce’s Good Friday prayer service here:
https://youtube.com/live/k6t3Amr-4ok?feature=share

I also invite you to watch Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz. This short video beautifully tells the story of Jesus, the Lamb of God:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNT1AThOgME

May you stay close to Christ today.


In Christ's love,
Pastor Victor


P.S. Maundy Thursday service link:
https://youtube.com/live/x4kWziv1HDM?feature=share

From Cross to Resurrection: Holy Week & Easter

Peace to you.

Blessings on your Holy Week journey.

You may have heard the saying, “No cross, no crown.” It is true. Without Christ’s death, there is no life. Without Holy Week, there is no Easter.

This Thursday, our three churches will gather at Houlton at noon for our Maundy Thursday service. Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning “command” or “mandate”—Jesus’ call to love one another. Together, we will worship and meditate on that final night with his disciples.

On Friday, weather permitting, we will gather at Mars Hill at noon for our Good Friday service, led by Pastor Joyce.

Then on Easter Sunday, we will begin early with our Easter Sunrise Service at 6:00 a.m. at the foot of Derby Hill in Houlton. It will be simple, yet powerful, as we wait and witness the joy of the resurrection. Afterward, we will share Easter breakfast together at Houlton UMC from 7:00–8:00 a.m.

We will also hold our regular Easter services: Hodgdon at 9:00 a.m., Mars Hill at 9:00 a.m., and Houlton at 11:00 a.m. At Houlton, we will celebrate new members, Gabriel Grimm and Jessica Bonin, and enjoy special music: a trumpet performance by Adam Metzler and a solo by Jeff Putnam.

Easter is a wonderful time to invite family and friends and to celebrate together. 

It has been a meaningful journey with you. Joyce and I are deeply grateful to be part of this beloved community. 

Have a blessed Holy Week. We love you all deeply in Christ.

In Christ's love, 

Pastor Victor 

*Mrs. Wotton's "All about Maple Syrup" at Together Tuesday (March 31, 2026)

Easter Lily List Update (As of March 31)

Peace to you. 

I pray you are well on this snowy morning.

Below is the Easter Lily list so far. Please take a moment to review it and let me know if everything is correct. If your name is missing or if there are any typos, kindly let me know.

Also, if you plan to bring your own lily and would like to add names, please feel free to share that with me.

Thank you so much. Have a blessed day.

In Christ's love,
Pastor Victor

-----------------

In loving memory of Gerald Benn from Carolyn Benn

 

In loving memory of Ruel and Virginia Taylor from Rue Geishecker

 

In honor of our church families of Hodgdon, Houlton, Mars Hill, and Patten from Victor and Joyce Han 

 

In loving memory of Dolores Jackins, Melbourne and Mabel Jackins from Cathy and David Hutchinson and family 

 

In loving memory of Rev. Dr. Kwan Y. Lee and Mrs. Kum Hwa Lee from Susan and Bertrand Laurence

 

In loving memory of Mandy Swallow and Douglas Merritt Sr. from Jean Merritt

 

In loving memory of Mike Swallow, and in honor of Hodgdon UMC's children, Diane Ketchum and the choir from Mary Miller

 

In loving memory of Hubert Strecker from Vernell Strecker

 

In loving memory of Melanie Wilson from Jerry Wilson, Howe Family & Fagnant Family

 

In loving memory Bernadette Howe & Galen Howe from Howe Family

 

In loving memory of our Parents, Grandparents & Great -Grandparents from Jerry Wilson & Howe Family

 

 

In loving memory of __________________ from Galen and Sharon Wilde

 

In loving memory of Dr. Donald Woods and our parents from Helen Woods

Monday Morning Coffee: "Why Holy Week?"

 

Peace to you. 

“What does ‘holy’ mean?” A church member asked during Bible Study.

We rarely use this word in daily life, yet it is at the heart of God’s nature and ours.

Holy has a twofold meaning. For God, it means perfectly pure and good—no sin, no flaw. For people, it means being set apart for God, called to live differently because we belong to Him.

This is why we call this week Holy Week. Jesus, perfect and pure, became sin for us and took up the cross, so that we might belong to God and live differently. This week, we remember his sacrificial death and celebrate his resurrection.

Yesterday, we celebrated Palm/Passion Sunday. Joyce shared how Jesus comes to us as the Prince of Peace. I shared what it means to live as God’s holy people with a missionary mindset.

You can watch and revisit the services and messages here:

Services

• Mars Hill Service

• Houlton Service

Special Music

• “Jesus Above All Names” by Hannah Han & Susan Laurence

Messages

• Joyce’s blog on the Prince of Peace

• Victor’s podcast

• Victor’s blog reading

I also shared the life story of Brian Ketchum. We do not need to go abroad to live as missionaries. Anyone who sets their heart on God’s kingdom is a missionary. Read his full story here: "From Selling to Giving" by Brian Ketchum

This Holy Week, we have Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services planned. Please watch for updates, as a snowstorm may arrive on Friday.

May this final week of our Lenten journey be meaningful and transformative.

In Christ's Love, 
Pastor Victor 

Bible Study Plan – Beginning Next Week

Peace to you,

I hope you are doing well.

As we look ahead, we will be journeying through several New Testament letters together over the next eight weeks, with the hope of completing our study by the end of May:

1. Galatians & Ephesians
2. Philippians & Colossians
3. 1 & 2 Thessalonians
4. 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, & Philemon
5. Hebrews & James
6. 1 & 2 Peter
7. 1, 2, 3 John & Jude
8. Revelation

We will begin next week with Galatians and Ephesians. I have attached the reflection and discussion questions to help guide our time.

My prayer is that, as we continue to study and meditate on God’s Word, we may stand firm in faith and grow into maturity in the fullness of God’s will.

Have a blessed week. Love you all.

In Christ's love,
Pastor Victor