Scroll down for our latest video and info. Click Archive for previous services.

Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church

Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church, Charlevoix

April 30, 2023 - July 16, 2023

Open: Into the Light, 4/30/23

Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities, 5/14/23

Open: Into the Light, 4/30/23

"Emerge" week 3: "Open: Into the Light," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children and a reflection on Luke 24:28-49 by family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a video, "Open Unto Me," by Howard Thurman and The Work of the People.

"There are times in our lives when we must learn to see the world differently. Caterpillars have limited vision and are only able to sense changes in the intensity of light. When they become butterflies, they are gifted with a completely new eye structure that allows them to form images and take in a huge range of colors — even more than the human eye! Let we who have limited vision in this life be reassured by God’s presence, even when we cannot know what lies ahead. Today, we open ourselves to the light of enduring hope."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Unwrap: Waking Up, 5/7/23

Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities, 5/14/23

Open: Into the Light, 4/30/23

"Emerge" week 4,"Unwrap: Waking Up," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection from John 11 & 12 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, a video, "The Partier," by Rachel Held Evans and The Work of the People, and open table Communion. All are welcome!

"In the opening of the tomb of Lazarus, in the unwrapping of his funeral clothes, the community had to face their unknowing — and perhaps disbelief — and trust that the resurrection Jesus had facilitated was real. The range of emotions was vast. As the butterfly’s cozy environment cracks further open still, it is the effort of the process of emerging that makes change possible — waking up, rolling away the stone, unwrapping what will be."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities, 5/14/23

Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

"Emerge" week 5, "Unfold: Claiming New Possibilities," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Matthew 16:13-20 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Look and Listen" from Isaiah 51 by The Work of the People.

"We all come into this world as seeds of potential. Just as mighty oak trees grow from tiny acorns and beautiful butterflies grow from humble caterpillars, each one of us is gifted with unique potential for growth and transformation. Today as we continue our journey through the “Emerge” series, we dare to imagine unfolding our wings and claiming our space in this beloved community."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

"Emerge" week 6, "Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Exodus 16 by the Rev. Jonathan Mays, and a video, "Equality" featuring Aaron Strumphill by The Work of the People.

"Just as butterflies leave behind their chrysalises, baby birds break out of their shells, and snakes shed their skin, we too discard old parts of ourselves in order to keep growing. We go through changes in work, in family structures, in friendships, in our own beliefs and values, all throughout our lives. When we give ourselves permission to say ‘yes’ to new experiences and ways of being, that often means letting go of old habits and patterns, a kind of decluttering the mind, body, and spirit. Today in worship, we will ponder what it means to release what is no longer necessary so that we might make room for positive changes."
Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Journey: The Places We Will Go, 5/28/23

Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

Journey: The Places We Will Go, 5/28/23

Coming Soon!

"Emerge" week 7, Pentecost Sunday, "Journey: The Places We Will Go," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children and a reflection on Acts 2:1-4 & 10:34-36 with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, and a video by The Work of the People.

"Friends, we gather today for a special occasion in the life of the church: Pentecost! This week is the culmination of our journey through the “Emerge” series where we have focused on metamorphosis and resurrection through the metaphor of the butterfly. We celebrate the life of this beloved community by honoring our traditions and looking to the future with hope, faith, and joy."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 6/4/23

Let Go: Leaving Behind What We Don't Need, 5/21/23

Journey: The Places We Will Go, 5/28/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 6/11/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 6/18/23

Coming Soon, 6/11/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 6/25/23

Coming Soon, 6/11/23

Coming Soon, 6/25/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 7/2/23

Coming Soon, 7/16/23

Coming Soon, 6/25/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 7/9/23

Coming Soon, 7/16/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Coming Soon, 7/16/23

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

February 12, 2023 - April 23, 2023

SAD: Walk This Way, 2/12/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

SAD: Leave Room for Dessert, 2/19/23

"Spiritual Affective Disorder," Week 6: “Walk This Way,” features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Psalm 119:1-8 and the First Nations Version of Acts 17:27b-28 by the Rev. Jonathan David Mays, and a video, "Love, Justice, & Mercy," by William Barber & The Work of the People.

"Research shows that one of the most effective mood-boosters is moving our bodies. Stretching, walking, and dancing can send feel-good endorphins coursing through us and the change can feel like a light coming on. The Hebrew authors of our scriptures used the metaphor of 'walking' in God’s ways to help us see the benefits to our spiritual lives of moving toward the goodness of God. During our worship series, we are looking at the ordinary activities of our lives with a new perspective, seeing the potential for deep spiritual connection and nourishment in our everyday rhythms. This week our spiritual practice will help us see our walking (or any kind of movement) as a blessed gift of God’s love in action in the world!”

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

SAD: Leave Room for Dessert, 2/19/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

SAD: Leave Room for Dessert, 2/19/23

Greensky Hill concludes "Spiritual Affective Disorder" with week 7: “Save Room for Dessert” featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, "Time for Children" with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 by the Rev. Jonathan David Mays, and a video, "Very Good News," by Lisa Sharon Harper and The Work of the People.

"During this worship series, we are exploring how our everyday activities can become spiritual practices that bring more light and meaning to our lives, and provide sustenance to those around us. The server at your favorite restaurant might regularly say to you, 'leave room for dessert!' In other words, don’t eat to excess — leave some room. This is a good spiritual practice, says the author of Leviticus. Gleaning is the practice of gathering food for those who need it out of the abundance of what is available. What awareness can we bring to the food we buy, cook and throw away as part of our spiritual mandate to care for the human family? Whether it is cooking more than enough and sharing with someone who needs it, buying extra at the grocery storeto donate to the food bank, or getting involved in a gleaning network’s efforts, our everyday use of foods is our spiritual practice this week.”

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

Greensky Hill begins the Lenten series, "Lookin' for Love," with a brief imposition of ashes ceremony for those who want to start their 2023 season of Lent with that Ash Wednesday tradition that we had to cancel because of the weather this year and with Week 1, "Look for the Resister," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection on Psalm 32 & the First Nations Version of Matthew 4:1-11, and a video, "Dust We Are and Shall Return," by The Work of the People.

"Lent is a wonderfully reflective time to reassess where we are searching for meaning and purpose. A question for us this year is: don’t we often look for wholeness and happiness in places that offer only temporary ‘good feelings’ and satisfaction? We will discover that the stories of Jesus show us how to truly love. This week we hear how Jesus resists evil in the desert. We see the futility of looking for love in empty highs, in tempting fate, and in mindless adoration. Rather, as Jesus demonstrates, it is in our resistance to evil that we find true communion with God. Resistance to evil starts with our own confession of complicit acts that move us further from love. Our groaning can turn to 'glad cries of deliverance' as we choose good over evil time after time — even and especially if it isn’t the 'popular' thing to do."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Helper, 3/5/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Thirst-Quencher, 3/12/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Resister, 2/26/23

Week 2 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by The Drum Voices of Greensky Hill and worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Psalm 121 and the First Nations Version of John 3:1-17, Communion, and a video, "Dust We Are and Shall Return," by The Work of the People.

"Oftentimes we believe that we must 'deserve' the love we receive. We work, work, work to get approval and to feel like our life is justified — pulling our own weight, thinking that whatever life we create, and love we get, is only what we ourselves can conjure up. But the scriptures offer the image of God as our 'keeper' — always helping, always present. Nicodemus has followed all the rules and done everything he can do, and yet he is still looking for love — for tangible connection with God. Jesus says that he must be born 'of the Spirit.' It’s not all up to simply 'doing the right thing!' It is about allowing the Spirit to help birth love in our lives."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Thirst-Quencher, 3/12/23

Week 3 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by Hadassah Greensky and worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Exodus 7:1-7 and the First Nations Version of John 4:5-42, and a video, "Story Like This," by Shellee Layne Coley and Kelly Ann Hall and The Work of the People.

"Our worship series for Lent continues as we contemplate the ways we have looked for satisfaction in things that cannot satisfy. The Samaritan woman at the well in our scripture today found out that the water she came for was not really the water she needed so desperately. This woman had looked for love in many places, in many faces. When she was finally offered a soul-quenching love by Jesus, she became a powerful messenger of Good News. Just as the water given by God that flowed in the desert for the Israelites offered new life, the desert of our lives can be refreshed if we look for love regularly at the well of living water and offer life-giving water to others."

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Shepherd, 3/19/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Thirst-Quencher, 3/12/23

Week 4 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Psalm 23 and the First Nations Version of John 4:42; 46-54; 9:33-39; & 10:10-11a, and a video, "Leaving Ourselves at the Altar," by The Work of the People featuring Phuc Luu.

"We have been focusing on where love is to really be found during this season of Lent. We too often look for love in the security of powerful figures, sure that they can 'fix' things for us. It was no different for the people of the First and Second Testaments. They were looking for Kings, Saviors, Liberators who would offer peace and security in uncertain times. And they often looked 'in all the wrong places.' The Pharisees just can’t believe that this trouble-maker, rule-breaker named Jesus is the One, the Son of God and Savior. Time and again Jesus uses the unlikely metaphor of a Shepherd to teach us how we ought to love and care for each other. No wonder, the Shepherd does what is needed, when it is needed, regardless of the 'rules.'"

Series Design/Original Liturgy © Worship Design Studio. Used with permission.

CCLI 20391192

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Liberator, 3/26/23

Week 5 features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse, Children's Time, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on Psalm 130 and the First Nations Version of John 11:1-45, and a video, "Watering Dry Bones," by The Work of the People.

"Sometimes the things we think offer love actually seek to bind us, preventing us from being full and whole and offering our best love to the world. This season of Lent, we continue our look at our faith narratives that show us about true love. The story of Lazarus, whose funeral shrouds trail him out of the tomb, offers us a metaphor of new life as we recognize that true love is that which unbinds us, that wants for us more, not less, freedom and life. Jesus says to us, 'Come out! Walk! Live! Love! Shed your funeral clothes and offer your deepest self, your deepest love, for the world.' Of course this kind of love can be dangerous, as we will see as the events of Holy Week loom closer. But the price of continuing to look for love in the wrong places is higher than the blessing of life lived boldly."

CCLI 20391192

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Unexpected, 4/2/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Liberator, 3/26/23

"The disciples must have been excited and terrified all at once. The entrance into Jerusalem for Passover week had turned into a big deal. How would Jesus be received — by the people and by the authorities? And an entrance can define perception! Surely they would make as big a splash of confidence as possible. And then Jesus asks for a donkey. 'A…donkey?!' Once again, Jesus demonstrates a love for peace and a love for common people by creating an entrance that proclaimed the power of God’s 'kin-dom of heaven,' not Herod’s kingdom of oppression. Looking for love? Keep your eyes out for it in unexpected places."

CCLI 20391192

Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/6/23

Lookin' for Love: Look for the Liberator, 3/26/23

Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/6/23

Greensky Hill Indian United Methodist Church invites the community to take 12-15 minutes to connect together apart for an online Maundy Thursday service. If you can, have a little bit of olive oil nearby and set your space for a contemplative experience, e.g. quiet, candlelit, and comfortable. Dr. Marcia McFee at Worship Design Studio, wrote, "Along with my collaborators, Ted Lyddon Hatten and Chuck Bell, this Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings is timeless in its message and rich in its symbolism (especially around the brokenness of our world)."

"Holy Week Meditation

and Rituals of Anointing"

Used with permission.

Love Wins (Easter), 4/9/23

Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places, 4/23/23

Holy Week Ritual of Three Anointings, 4/6/23

Greensky Hill celebrates Easter with "Love Wins," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Children's Time with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of John 21:1-18, and a video, “Act as if You Were Free,” by Ilia Delio and The Work of the People. All are welcome.

"During the season of Lent leading up to this moment, we have been asking ourselves if we are lookin’ for love in all the wrong places, if we are giving our attention to the things that do not really sustain our lives and add to love in this world. This day is the culminating message from the Gospel. In the end (or is it the beginning?), we find out that love always wins! All things of this world pale in comparison to what resurrection looks like in our lives. New-found meaning, purpose, attention, wholeheartedness, wellbeing, peace: these are the things that matter – the things the Teacher shows us. And no matter how many 'wrong places' we've looked for love, the graves give way to the light of a new day as we learn to love as Christ loves us."

CCLI 20391192

Tombs and Cocoons: Trusting the Dark, 4/16/23

Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places, 4/23/23

Greensky Hill invites the community to a new 7-week worship series, "Emerge: A Metamorphosis Moment," with week 1: "Tombs and Cocoons: Trusting the Dark," featuring songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of Luke 1:26-38 and John 19:38-20:1, and a video, "Psalm 31" by The Work of the People. All are welcome.
"The butterfly has long been a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus, as well as our own resurrection as we emerge from the power of fear and death. In this series, we will consider the process of metamorphosis as a guide to examine our own transformations from cocoons and tombs to the unfurled beauty of all God calls us to be. During this season, we will consider what it means to be a people who believe that transformation is possible — that we can move beyond the leaves we find ourselves on and turn into beautiful beings that can fly to new heights and see and experience the world in the sweetest of ways, tasting and perpetuating the nectar of goodness."

CCLI 20391192

Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places, 4/23/23

"Emerge" week 2: "Coming Out: Leaving Comfortable Places," features songs and prayers in Anishinaabemowin and English, music by worship pastor Sharon Osterhouse and others, Time for Children with family pastor Sarah Sheaffer, a reflection by the Rev. Jonathan Mays on the First Nations Version of Hebrews 11:1-3, and a video, "Creative Scripture Engagement" by Pete Enns and The Work of the People. All are welcome.

"'And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.' This quote by writer Anaïs Nin speaks profoundly to our current theme in worship, 'Emerge.' A caterpillar forms a chrysalis and stays inside for a time while the magical process of metamorphosis occurs. And a day comes when that protective shell is too constricting — the butterfly within must break free! Today we gather to encourage one another out of our comfortable places so that we may truly bloom."

CCLI 20391192

About Greensky Hill

We share sacred space.

We remain a sanctuary of love in a setting of natural beauty.

We preserve a unique Native Heritage.

We invite people to experience community as sisters and brothers in Christ and empower people to serve all in need.

We worship together every Sunday at 10 a.m. (in person and online).

Our simple log church was built in the 1840's. Surrounded by trees marking the site of a long sacred meeting place, the church was constructed with large hewn logs notched at the corners and laid horizontally over a stone foundation. Much of the lumber used in the building was brought by canoe from Traverse City. Today the church continues to be an active, racially mixed congregation, some of whom are descendants of original worshipers. Our three ministry priorities are: to be radically welcoming, to be an Anishinaabek cultural center as well as a living Christian church, and the Greening of Greensky Hill.

We care for creation, we care for our community, and we love sharing meals with our neighbors.

Through our partnership with Manna Food Project, we have Family Food Boxes available at no charge and with no strings attached. If you're interested in worship or other church activities, you are more than welcome; however, you should never feel obligated. We also care for our community with United Methodist Women and Men's Club meetings, Grandmother Moon ceremonies, Bible Studies, children's ministry, water protector events, and other activities.