The University Church

04/22/2026

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Saturday, April 25 · 10:00 AM–2:00 PM · Sign up to join us for a day of serving together!

01/25/2026

Devotion for Today, 1/25/2026

Matthew 5:9 (NRSV)

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

What does it mean to be a peacemaker in a world filled with conflict and violence? Does it mean never angering anyone, or never getting involved in conflict?

When I was studying theology, I took a class called Spirit and Art of Conflict Transformation. We talked a lot about what it means to be a peacemaker, and one of the things that my professor and mentor Tom Porter constantly told us was that, often people who raise awareness of an existing conflict are accused of being the ones creating the conflict. However, this is not true. If someone brings your attention to a fault that you have, or that you have wronged them in some way, they are not creating the problem, rather they are attempting to address it with you.

So why do we bring attention injustice and harm? Is it to belittle the offender and shame them? No. Rather, we should do it in order to make peace. We cannot make peace with someone who is unaware of the harm they have caused us. Pretending like everything is ok when it is not, is not peace. It was Dr. King who famously said, "Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but the existence of justice for ALL people."

So, when we live out our identity as children of God who are peacemakers, often we will be accused of being the ones stirring up trouble, when in reality, we are actually trying to create peace. How many churches, families, and countries mistake the absence of conflict for the presence of peace? Sometimes, things have to get worse before they can get better.

There is no better example of this than Jesus. Jesus was the original peacemaker. Jesus shows us the way of peace. He is the Prince of Peace. In order to bring peace to us, and to reconcile us with God, he had to bring awareness of the conflict that existed between God and humanity. This was not done to shame us, but rather to start the process of reconciliation. But people accused Jesus of all kinds of things, including being an insurrectionist. Perhaps today he would have been considered a domestic terrorist.

I can't talk about this without mentioning the recent events that have unfolded in our nation. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest the brutal occupation of Minneapolis by federal ICE agents who brutally and indiscriminately are tearing communities and families apart, and are now murdering people in the street.

How can we be peacemakers in this age? It does not mean being silent and withdrawn. It does not mean being a doormat to unjust and violent people. It means standing up for the oppressed, for the marginalized, and for immigrants. All of these groups of people have a very special place in the heart of God, and those who would seek to do them inordinate and indiscriminate harm cannot be children of God.

Yet we as children of God must continue not only to pray for peace, but also to demand peace by confronting the injustice and violence head on. Not with more violence and hatred, but with courage and with love wherever we may find ourselves.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Mark K.

01/25/2026

From our Bishop

A PASTORAL LETTER FROM BISHOP HEE-SOO JUNG

Dear Beloved People of The Ohio Episcopal Area,

I write to you today with a heavy heart and a praying spirit as we witness the recent tragic deaths of two people in Minnesota. These losses are not isolated incidents. They are part of a wider pattern of fear-driven, indiscriminate immigration enforcement that has crossed moral and spiritual boundaries. Nothing can justify violence against human life.

As an immigrant myself, I know in my own body what it means to live under the weight of uncertainty, vulnerability, and being labeled. I also know that many who are called “undocumented” are not criminals. They are workers, parents, and neighbors who crossed borders because economic systems, political violence, and family survival left them no other choice. Today, families, industries, and entire communities in the United States depend on their labor and their lives. This is why we must continue to call for comprehensive immigration reform that reflects reality, justice, and mercy.

Scripture is unambiguous about God’s heart toward the stranger. “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the stranger. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the stranger as yourself” (Leviticus 19:33–34).

The crisis before us is not only legal or political—it is moral and spiritual. The United States is being tested at the level of its soul. Will we be a nation shaped by fear and exclusion, or a society rooted in hospitality and justice? Our faith reminds us that God is always found among the displaced, the vulnerable, and the unwelcome.

Jesus himself was a refugee. Scripture tells us that his family fled violence and crossed borders to survive (Matthew 2:13–15). And our Lord teaches us plainly:

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).

The church cannot be silent in such a moment. The Ohio churches are called again to be a people who build true human community—where dignity is protected, where the stranger is seen as neighbor, and where love is stronger than fear. Laws matter. Policies matter. But before all of that, the spirit of hospitality must shape our homes, our congregations, and our public witness.

Let us become communities of sanctuary—places where justice has a face, and mercy has hands:

We lift before you the names and faces of those who have died, and the families who now grieve. Hold them in your healing light.

Make our churches places of welcome, where the stranger is no longer invisible, and the wounded find safety.

Let justice walk freely in our streets and let compassion become the language of our nation.

Break the power of fear. Restore the soul of this land through the love of Christ, who makes us all neighbors.

Amen.

01/24/2026

Hi everyone, we will not be having service tomorrow. Be safe and God Bless!

12/03/2025

Hey everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well!

I know we have been seemingly inactive for the past few months. We are not dead; there actually is a lot of new life at The University Church. We are preparing for our transition into being a new church. Our new name will be "The Garden Community Church."

This is not going to be University Church 2.0, this is an entirely new vision. Some programs will continue such as our Third Thursday, Community Health Workers, and AmeriCorps programs.

Coming in early 2026, we will update our page, our website, our logo, and outdoor signage.

But I (Pastor Mark) would like to invite you all to come to a Christmas Eve service this year, at 6pm on December 24th. This will be a chance for us to gather together in celebration of Christmas, and as one of the last times as The University Church.

We are going to be taking a special offering on that day to help raise money for the new branding that we will need.

We have been working hard to reimagine not only our physical space, but the vision of who we are in the community. If you haven't been to see us in a while, I would like to personally invite you to come join us at 6pm on Dec. 24th at 4747 Hill Avenue, for a time of worship followed by fellowship.

This is also an invitation to be a part of the new church, as we continue to vision and dream of what is possible for this faith community in Christ.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Mark Kwiatkowski

10/26/2025

Just out of the people we were able to count, we had at least 360 people there tonight. Likely more, but it was a great night! Thanks to everyone who helped make it happen!

10/25/2025

The Trunk or Treat was a success! Thank you all who came out and participated!!

09/28/2025

Thanks to the many people who came out last night, and who helped make it happen.
It was a wonderful time, and it was great to see so many people and kids enjoying this beautiful space.

If you weren't there and you missed the announcement. We are going to be shifting into a new season that God is calling us into. In the near future, we will be known as

"The Garden Community Church"

We have a lot of work to do when it comes to branding, marketing, and signage, but truly last night was a foretaste of what The Garden will be.

We will be posting more events, including a grand opening date in the near future. In the meantime, keep following this page to stay up to date on all that is happening.

Our next big event will be a Trunk or Treat on Oct. 25th. We need volunteers to bring their cars and provide candy for the kids. We also need sponsors and community partners to help to continue to make these events possible.

Above all, I give thanks to God for the bountiful life that is springing up from the ground of our beautiful garden.

Blessings to you all,
Pastor Mark

09/07/2025

Pepe is ready for church..are you?