Crosswicks United Methodist Church

09/07/2026

God from whom every provision flows,

We give thanks for all workers and for the labor that sustains our communities. Remember those who are underpaid, overworked, or treated without dignity. Lead us toward a world where our work is honored while rest is protected, so that every person is treated with fairness and respect. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

09/02/2026

☕️ Join us!

08/27/2026

Let us share our heritage!

One of the joys of being the Church is discovering that we do not walk this journey alone. Sometimes we only need to look around our own community to find neighbors who are also worshiping, serving, praying, and seeking to share God’s love.

That is why I am very excited that Crosswicks UMC and Grace AME Church, right here in Crosswicks, will be sharing in a pulpit exchange this coming season.

On Sunday, October 11, 2026, we will have the joy of welcoming Rev. Racquel Santiago, pastor of Grace AME Church, to preach at Crosswicks UMC while I join our neighbors for worship and preach at Grace AME. Then, on Sunday, January 24, 2027, we will exchange pulpits once again.

There is something meaningful about opening our pulpits to one another. The United Methodist Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Church have distinct histories, experiences, and traditions, while sharing roots in the Methodist movement. An exchange like this gives us an opportunity to hear another voice proclaim the Gospel, and also to know our neighbors better, strengthen relationships, and learn from one another.

Perhaps that is one of the gifts of doing ministry in a community like Crosswicks. We do not have to travel far to encounter another part of the Body of Christ. Sometimes that relationship is just down the road.

I hope you will mark October 11 and January 24 on your calendars and join us in giving Rev. Santiago a warm Crosswicks welcome. May these Sundays be the beginning of deeper friendship, shared ministry, and many more opportunities to walk together as neighbors in faith.



Warmly,

Rev. David Gaitan

08/26/2026

We had such a great time joining Crosswicks Boy Scout Troop 55 for an exciting evening at the Trenton Thunder game! It was wonderful to spend time together, enjoy the excitement of the ballpark, and share a beautiful summer evening with members of our community. To make the night even better, the Thunder won! Thank you to Boy Scout Troop 55 for letting us be part of such a fun and memorable evening together.

08/20/2026

Here we go again!

After the vacations, the summer, the weather, and after a year that has brought us many good things and also some not so good ones, the time has come for Groveville and Crosswicks to come together!

During this past year, we have had opportunities to worship, share meals, gather for administrative matters, plan, serve our communities, and get to know each other better.

We have also had difficult conversations, asked important questions about our future, made progress in some areas, and discovered that there is still much for us to talk about, discern, and do together. And maybe that is exactly why this feels like such a good time to gather again.

On Sunday, September 13 at 10:30 a.m., we will have our next Groveville and Crosswicks Joint Worship Service at Crosswicks UMC, followed by a potluck lunch, because after everything we have been doing together, there should always be some time to simply sit around a table, enjoy good food, laugh, catch up after the summer, and enjoy each other's company.

I am really looking forward to this opportunity, and I hope you are too. Whether you have participated in every joint activity we have had or this will be your first one, I hope you will come and be part of this special morning as we continue discovering where God may be leading our two congregations.

So please save the date, think about something delicious you might want to bring for the potluck, and join us on September 13 as we worship, eat, and spend some good time together.

I can't wait to see you there!


Warmly,

Rev. David Gaitan

08/04/2026

Time is coming!

07/28/2026

07/16/2026

One Year ago...!
..On July 1, I was blessed to begin serving as the pastor at Crosswicks UMC, and it is difficult to believe how quickly this first year has passed! As I look back, I find myself filled with good memories of the worship times, events, meetings, and with gratitude for the people who have welcomed my family and me so warmly into the life of this beautiful congregation.

Throughout this year we have worshiped together, celebrated Holy Communion, shared fellowship, observed Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, civil celebrations, and many other meaningful moments in the life of our church. Together we have strengthened our partnership with Groveville, participated in community gatherings, welcomed neighbors from other churches and faith traditions, and begun dreaming about what God may have in store for us in the years ahead.

Like many small congregations across our denomination, Crosswicks has also continued facing financial challenges. There have been understandable concerns about sustainability and questions about the future. Yet one of the lessons this year has taught me is that God's faithfulness is often revealed precisely in the middle of uncertainty.

Time and again, we have received unexpected financial blessings, generous gifts, and encouraging signs that shows us that we are not walking this journey alone. These moments have strengthened our hope and encouraged us to keep moving forward with confidence in God's provision.

During this time we have witnessed faithful volunteers preparing worship, caring for the building, supporting activities and gatherings, praying for one another, and quietly doing the work that keeps our congregation alive. These acts of love are often unseen, but they are deeply significant in the Kingdom of God.

One thing I have especially come to appreciate about Crosswicks is the deep sense of community and love that exists here. I know that, because of work schedules, family responsibilities, health concerns, and many other circumstances, attendance naturally varies from week to week. Yet what has impressed me is that even when we are not all together on the same Sunday, the bonds of this church remain strong.

This first year has also been one of dreaming together. Our conversations about the future have been an invitation to prayerfully discern how God is calling Crosswicks to continue serving this community for generations to come, and I am grateful for the curiosity with which you have embraced those conversations.

When I first arrived, we were getting to know one another. Today, I no longer feel like someone simply appointed to serve this congregation because Elizabeth, Laura, and I truly feel that we have found a welcoming community.

Thank you for your kindness, your encouragement, your patience, your laughter, and your faithfulness throughout this first year together. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of walking beside you as your pastor, and be sure that I look forward with great hope to everything God still has in store for Crosswicks UMC.

May we continue following Christ together with courage, humility, generosity, and joy, trusting that the One who has been faithful thus far will continue leading us into the future.


Warmly,

Rev. David Gaitan

06/24/2026

.:A walk to remember:.

It was June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally heard the news that they were free. The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued more than two years earlier, in 1863, but that promise of freedom had not yet become real for many enslaved people in Texas because the message, and the enforcement of that freedom, arrived late. Juneteenth tells us a delayed story, one about a freedom that should never remain only words written on a piece of paper, but must become justice made real in the lives of the oppressed.

Observing and celebrating Juneteenth is deeply important because we are giving value to freedom, and we are also remembering the pain of waiting, of being told too late that our life already belonged to us. We should not forget the cruelty of slavery, as we celebrate the strength, faith, courage, and creativity of Black communities.

This past week, we had the blessing of gathering at the Crosswicks Quaker Meeting House for a beautiful ecumenical Juneteenth event. It was a time to listen, learn, remember, and give thanks. There, we were blessed by a powerful poem about Black skin and the beauty, dignity, and story that many bodies carry.

It was a moving reminder that every person is created with sacred worth, bearing the image of God.

One of the stories that touched me deeply was about hair braiding. We learned how, for enslaved people, braids were not only beautifully decorative, they could also carry messages. In some cases, braids were used to show patterns, directions, and even maps that helped people find their way toward freedom. What looked like a hairstyle could also be a sign of wisdom, creativity, resistance, and hope.

That story stayed with me, making me reflect on how, even in the hardest times, people find ways to care for one another, protect one another, and move together toward freedom. In this way, enslaved people embodied the Gospel of Jesus, bearing witness to God's justice, love, hope, and salvation even in the midst of oppression.

We are very grateful to Angela Robinson and Shirley Matlak from Crosswicks UMC for teaching us and leading such a meaningful time. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, your stories, and your hearts with us. We also give thanks for Dan Wolverton, also from Crosswicks UMC, who received an honorable mention for his service to the community.

May we carry Juneteenth lessons with gratitude, humility, and hope!



Warmly,

Rev. David Gaitan