THE VIOLET CONNECTION 1 June, 2026 / Vol. 029
Not Just An Ordinary Picnic!
On a Wednesday evening each May, our Junior High students and leaders head to Blacklick Woods for their annual Picnic in the Park! After exploring the Canopy Walk, the group gathers at a picnic shelter for dinner and fellowship. Following dinner, our 8th graders meet together for a discussion about their upcoming transition to high school and our High School Youth Ministry. Some of our current high school students also share insights and encouragement about navigating those changes. At the same time, our current 6th and 7th graders meet to talk about ways they can welcome the upcoming 6th graders into the Overflow Youth family. These conversations help pave the way for smooth and meaningful transitions within our youth ministry. The students spend the rest of the evening enjoying the playground, basketball court, kickball games, and exploring the park together. This picnic has become a valuable rite-of- passage experience for our students—it’s far more than just an ordinary picnic!
Keith Hurt Next Gen Pastor keithh@violetchurch.com
T here is always something going on in VioletKids! In May, some of the VioletKids made a new friend—Mr. Mark! Mr. Mark has shared his gift of music with us and has already made a huge impact. The response to having a “real music guy” has been every bit as enthusiastic as I imagined. I have it on good authority (from a first-grade boy) that the Hallelu Song is way better with the “real music guy” playing guitar and singing. If you have no idea what that last sentence means, maybe you should come volunteer in VioletKids so you can learn the song too! Mother’s Day was such a sweet day, and I truly wish you all could have witnessed it. Each of the kids was able to make a craft and then choose a rose to give away. One little girl created quite the line behind her as she carefully examined each flower, only to look up and whisper that her mom was the best and needed the most perfect flower. One boy waited for the line to die down before returning to ask for a flower for his grandmother because she needed one too. I loved watching the kids run to their moms, grandmas, and aunts with arms outstretched to present their chosen blooms. I couldn’t help but think of Matthew 6:30 (NLT): “And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.” God loves the little children who so tenderly chose those flowers, and He loves the women who faithfully care for these precious children. VioletKids families: If you travel to a different town, state, or country this summer, please bring back a postcard for our wall! We would love to see where you have been. We also know summer vacation is a fun time to try new things. There is a table set up behind the Check-In desk with games available to borrow. Stop by and grab a game to enjoy with your family, then bring it back and try a different one. It’s a great way to enjoy some free family fun together!
In Christ alone, Jen Hunt Children’s Director jenh@violetchurch.com
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COMMUNITY IMPACT
May was a busy and exciting month for Community Outreach! We wrapped up our final HOPE Bags of the school year while continuing to partner with LifeWise classes and the Pickerington Local Schools Service-Learning Program. It has been such a blessing to serve students and families throughout our community this school year. Throughout the month, we also had the opportunity to host voting at the church, as well as a Send Network event. On Mother’s Day, we celebrated in the VioletCafé with delicious donuts from Fresh Donuts. As May comes to a close and June begins, we are excited to welcome a mission team from South Carolina that will be staying with us for a week. This team will be serving Monday through Thursday in various areas throughout our community. We look forward to sharing more about the ways they will be serving in the weeks ahead! As always, if you’re looking to get involved and serve, I would love to connect with you. If you have any questions or need help finding a place to serve at Violet, please reach out.
Thank you, Jamie McCleese
Community Impact Director jamiem@violetchurch.com
Events Team | Community Outreach
Do you have a heart for serving others and a passion for community outreach? We are looking for volunteers to join our Events Team as we continue creating opportunities to connect with and serve our community! Whether you enjoy organizing, decorating, welcoming guests, helping behind the scenes, or simply being part of something meaningful, there is a place for you to serve. Our next big community outreach event is Mega Sports Camp in July, and we would love to have more helping hands as we prepare for this exciting week of ministry and outreach to local families and children. If you are interested in serving or would like more information, please reach out to me. Come be part of making a difference in our community!
On May 15, we packed our final H.O.P.E. bags for the 2025–26 school year — with more than 200 bags going out every single weekend to Pickerington Local School District students in our community. Over the last 10 years, H.O.P.E. Ministry has packed an incredible 42,313 bags! What started with 1,508 bags ten years ago has grown to 6,154 bags this school year alone — a 16% increase from last year. The need is real, and as you can see in these photos, our shelves are now nearly empty. We are so grateful for every volunteer who packed, delivered, donated, prayed, and gave so faithfully this year. Thank you for helping us care for students and families in tangible ways week after week. As we head into summer, would you continue praying for this ministry, for the students we serve, and for their families? Pray that needs would be met, hearts would be encouraged, and lives would be pointed to Jesus. There are so many ways you can continue supporting H.O.P.E. Ministry: • Help pack and deliver bags on Friday mornings during the school year • Donate monthly food items (and THANK YOU for the mountain of macaroni & cheese and chicken noodle soup donations recently!) • Give financially to sponsor a child — this year each bag cost an average of $3.69, meaning just $15/month helps feed one child for a month through recurring giving to the H.O.P.E. Ministry fund.
What God has done through this ministry over the last decade is incredible — and we believe He’s not finished yet.
VioletGroups on Mission This Summer Summer gives us a unique opportunity to slow down just enough to notice the people around us. While schedules may look different and some groups take a lighter rhythm during the summer months, this season can become one of the greatest opportunities for outreach and connection.
As a church, we don’t just want our small groups to study together — we want them to live on mission together.
Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16 to “let your light shine before others.” One of the simplest ways we can do that this summer is by intentionally reaching out to our neighbors and community.
This doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes ministry looks less like a program and more like an invitation.
What could happen if your group:
* Hosted a cookout or dessert night and invited neighbors? * Met at a park and welcomed others to join? * Served someone in need together? * Delivered cookies or encouragement cards to nearby homes? * Prayed intentionally for the people living around each group member? * Invited a coworker, friend, or neighbor to a group gathering?
Many people are more open to relationships during the summer than at any other time of year. Simple hospitality can open doors for meaningful conversations and Gospel opportunities. Our prayer is that every group would not only grow deeper together, but also begin looking outward together. You never know how God may use one invitation, one conversation, or one act of kindness to change someone’s life. Let’s make this a summer where our groups become lights in our neighborhoods and where people experience the love of Christ through ordinary believers willing to open their homes, tables, and lives. Thank you for continuing to serve, love, and invest in others. We are grateful for each of you and excited to see how God uses our groups this summer.
Brian Naess Associate Pastor briann@violetchurch.com
Welcoming a New Church Plant Partnership
We are excited and thankful to share that Violet Baptist Church is serving as the sponsoring church for Redemption Hill Nepali Baptist Church. God has brought together a special partnership through Pastor Ezekiel Monger, whom I first met through a friend in Vermont. After graduating from Bible college there, Ezekiel followed God’s leading to come to our area and begin planting a Nepali church to reach families with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been a blessing for our church family to come alongside Ezekiel, his wife, and their family as they begin this new ministry work. They worship with us at Violet on Sunday mornings and then hold services on Sunday afternoons in Reynoldsburg as they minister to the Nepali community. We are grateful for the opportunity to support and encourage this ministry and to see how God is already opening doors. Please join us in praying that God would use Redemption Hill Nepali Baptist Church in a mighty way — bringing people to Christ, strengthening families, and raising up disciples for His glory.
Brian Naess Associate Pastor briann@violetchurch.com
Twenty-seven men. One week. Countless reminders that God still changes lives.
This past week, a group of men from Violet traveled together to Chanku Waste Ranch for a mission trip that none of us will soon forget. What began as a construction project quickly became much more than building walls and installing siding. It became a picture of brotherhood, sacrifice, service, and the transforming power of the Gospel. Throughout the week, our team worked hard to build an addition onto a house at the ranch and re-side one of the large buildings on the property. Long days, sore muscles, early mornings, and plenty of sweat were all part of the experience, but every man served with a willing heart. It was incredible to watch different skills, personalities, and generations come together with one purpose — to serve others in the name of Christ. One of the most encouraging parts of the trip was seeing how God worked not only through the projects, but also in the hearts of the men who went. Around meals, prayer times, work sites, and evening conversations, real relationships were built. Men encouraged one another, prayed together, laughed together, and challenged each other in their faith. The greatest moment of the week came when one of the men on the trip surrendered his life to Jesus Christ. Watching him publicly profess his faith through baptism was a powerful reminder of why we go on mission in the first place. Buildings matter. Serving matters. But changed lives matter most. There is something special that happens when men step away from the normal pace of life and intentionally serve together. God uses those moments to strengthen faith, deepen friendships, and remind us that the church is called to actively share the love of Christ. Thank you to everyone who prayed for the team while we were away. Thank you as well to those who supported and encouraged the men who went. Please continue to pray for the ongoing ministry at Chanku Waste Ranch and for the lives that were impacted during the week.
We came home tired, grateful, and reminded once again that when ordinary people say “yes” to God, He does extraordinary things.
Men, mark your calendars now for next year’s trip: May 1–8, 2027.
Brian Naess Associate Pastor briann@violetchurch.com
Over the past several months, a number of our men have faithfully served at Outreach, a local group home for men, helping completely rebuild the kitchen and bathrooms. Led by Steve Bottoms, the crew has invested countless hours of hard work, generosity, and care into this project. As a church, we were blessed to be able to donate funds toward the renovation, but even more meaningful was the willingness of our men to give their time and talents to serve others in the name of Christ. From demolition to rebuilding, they showed the love of Jesus through practical service and consistent commitment. We are so thankful for Steve’s leadership and for every man who helped make this project possible. Please continue to pray that God would use Outreach in a powerful way to impact the lives of the men who call it home.
Brian Naess Associate Pastor briann@violetchurch.com
Men’s Retreat
Attention Men! Grab a friend and join us at Round Lake from August 7th through 9th.
This year our guest speaker will be Aaron Taylor (Link to Aaron's Messages). Aaron Taylor is the Teaching Pastor of Living Hope Church in Powell, Ohio. In 2018, Aaron, his family and a team of faithful followers of Jesus planted the church in NW Columbus. In addition to that, he serves as the City Missionary for Send Network in Columbus where he works with churches to see new churches planted all across the city. He and his wife Elizabeth have been married since 2011 and have two daughters. The schedule for the weekend will include some group events as well as Round Lake’s traditional activities such as axe throwing, basketball, volleyball, fishing, swimming and more!
The cost of this year's retreat is both nights for $110 or one night for $55!
We look forward to seeing you there!
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