Joys:
+ Amy Abshire shared the joy of
safe travels across the country with her friend, and a great visit with her
sister. Now, she celebrates being home.
+Sally Owen shared the joy of having a
great trip, visiting a friend, and enjoying the beautiful wildflowers along the
way.
+Amy McWilliam thanked God for her
daughter Maggie’s successful surgery and recovery that includes a robot
navigating inside her, helping her to heal. Thanks be to God for the miracle of
advanced medical treatments that are available to us these days!
+ Belinda Alkula thanked God for
Ben Glancy being with us today. She thanked
God for our new DS, Jessica Rooks, who had an open house at her home yesterday,
for clergy and their families. Our new church district is called the Colorado
Front Range District. The virtual adult Bible study called Mission u is almost
over! It has been a rich time of learning together -- 102 registrants from across
the USA. Belinda is thankful for a helpful husband who has been doing laundry
and dishes while she has been involved with all the preparations for this
virtual study!
+ Pastor Charles celebrated DS Jessica
Rooks’ two doggies whom everyone enjoyed during yesterday’s Open House. One
clergy family with two young boys really enjoyed playing with the puppy who spent
hours playing fetch with them. Dogs and children delighted in one another’s
company! And their joy impacted others around them. He thanked God for those around
us who make us laugh!
+Rebecca Glancy thanked God for church
conference connections that result in wonderful opportunities that really
impact people’s lives! Her conversation with The Mountain Sky Conference staff
member Courtney Van Linder included her recommending Austen Hartke’s book, “Transforming:
The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians.” Last fall, Rebecca’s son
Ben was actively involved in our church family’s virtual book discussion on
this book. And then, earlier this summer, Ben served as a volunteer liturgist
in a Zoom worship service led by Austen Hartke.
+We celebrate this week's birthday:
Amy Abshire, Sabrina Bishop, Tim Cook, and Jennifer McNabb.
+We are blessed by those who served
this week: Belinda Alkula (videographer), Lorie
Courier (pianist), Larry Esposito (sermon reader), Sandra Jordan
(flowers), Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host), Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), Bob Muckle (soloist),
Myrle Myers (fellowship), Jim Vander Vorste (greeter), and Joey Vander
Vorste (liturgist).
Concerns:
+Joan Cooper would like prayers for
her friend, Cheryl who is in rehab following a fall.
+Etta Levitt is requesting prayers for
her daughter, Jody, Jody's husband, Tom, and the rest of Tom's family at the
passing of his 15-year-old grandson last week.
+We join with many across our nation in mourning the deaths of the 164 killed and 301 injured due to gun violence last week.
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+Pastor Charles will be on renewal leave in August. Look to the News You Can Use and the August newsletter for further details.
+Jerry Beaber's memorial service will take place on August 26 @ 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul's UMC.
+The ladies of St. Paul's UMC are invited to a catered luncheon at the church to celebrate the life of Donna Wasson and her active participation in the life of the St. Paul's United Methodist Church family. Date of Luncheon: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 with the time TBA. Please R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, September 19 to either Joan Cooper / 303-898-8034 or Belinda Alkula / 303-916-2349.
+Bishop Karen Oliveto is leading a final Holy Land Tour for the Mountain Sky Conference, February 19-28, 2024. It includes two options: the traditional tour (via bus) or walking the Jesus route from Galilee to Jerusalem. Both groups will meet up at hotels and various holy sites. The life of Jesus takes on even greater meaning as we visit the places where Jesus walked, healed, and called the disciples to join him. We will remember our baptisms at the Jordan, sing carols at the place of his birth, pray at the Garden of Gethsemane, and take communion together by the empty tomb. For more information, contact bishop@mtnskyumc.org.
+Our Mountain Sky Conference Circuits are gearing up for another great year of creating opportunities for joy, connection, and trust throughout MSC. However you're looking to connect, there is a Circuit waiting for you! Visit our Circuit Database and find where you plug in! Questions about joining a Circuit, or want to know how to start your own? Contact our Conference circuit host at this link.
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| Flowers from Sandra Jordan |
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| Bob Muckle shares the summer music selection |
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| Lorie Courier offers the postlude |
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| Myrle Myers offers the fellowship fare |
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| We love fellowship time! |
We have witnessed since the breakdown of the Hanoi summit in February 2019, peace talks between the U.S. and North Korea remain at a stalemate. One year later, the Covid-19 pandemic closed the borders between the peninsula’s North and South indefinitely.
But in all these circumstances—political and otherwise—the longing desire for just and lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula remains strong. The ecumenical movement in the Korean Peninsula and worldwide through the World Council of Churches continues to resource this longing desire for peace.
Read more at this link.
Francis Asbury statue - Washington, DC
From the earliest years of the denomination, pastors were appointed to serve a large number of local churches and preaching places located within a large geographic area. These ministers traveled regularly throughout their assigned areas and came to be known as circuit riders.
We invite you to take a short quiz about the circuit riders who helped spread the gospel and build The United Methodist Church. We encourage you to share the link with others and compare your scores! After you take the quiz, review the complete answers and learn more about our history and the brave circuit riders.
Take the quiz at this link.
~ John Wesley (commentary on 1 Timothy 4:15)
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| Icon of Lazarus of Bethany |
+Thanks to Bobby Dahlstrom, Sandy Bainbridge, and Pastor Charles for their help yesterday at the Wesley Center @ CU workday.
+Michele Matthews celebrated her nephew's daughter's first birthday yesterday at a family gathering in Longmont.
+Judy Waller is looking forward to the church family outing this week at the BDT.
+Belinda Alkula is thankful for the new cord protector strips that Steve Batch provided.
+Angela Baker gives thanks for her daughter (Samantha) who is with her ahead of surgery this week.
+We give thanks for a guest, Dan who is is visiting us this week and for Katherine Richardson who is with us after helping Sydney move to Oregon.
+Suzanne Polacek gives thanks for a new great-niece, Melody Grace.
+Pastor Charles gives thanks for Sandy Bainbridge and Bobby Dahlstrom who were on hand yesterday at the Wesley Foundation's workday. Pastor Charles was happy that he got to use a front loader to move a lot of rock!
+We celebrate this week's birthday: Joyce Brandon, Scott Glancy, and Marcia Hult
+We are blessed by those who served this week: Belinda Alkula (videographer), Angela Baker (flowers), Steve Bainbridge (greeter), Rebecca Glancy (liturgist), Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host), Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), Hyeji Park (pianist), and Gary & Bren Smith (flowers & fellowship).
Concerns:
+Amy McWilliams asks for prayers for her daughter, Maggie who had surgery last Tuesday.
+We join with many across our nation in mourning the deaths of the 161 killed and 427 injured due to gun violence last week.
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+Jerry Beaber's memorial service will take place on August 26 @ 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul's UMC.
+The ladies of St. Paul's UMC are invited to a catered luncheon at the church to celebrate the life of Donna Wasson and her active participation in the life of the St. Paul's United Methodist Church family. Date of Luncheon: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 with the time TBA. Please R.S.V.P. by Tuesday, September 19 to either Joan Cooper / 303-898-8034 or Belinda Alkula / 303-916-2349.
 Dawn at St. Paul's |
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| Flowers from Bren & Gary Smith and Angela Baker |
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| Fellowship is a treat! |
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| Bobby and Pastor Ashley Murphy hang a painting by Pastor Charles |
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| Pastor Charles uses a front loader to move rock! |
A sunny day was in store this morning as some tasks were waiting to be tackled at the Wesley Center @ CU. Thanks to Sandy Bainbridge, Bobby Dahlstrom, and Pastor Charles for coming out to lend a hand!
Amidst a season of cultural wars, remnants of COVID-19, and
disaffiliations, it was a joy to share, virtually, with my home conference, the
Baltimore-Washington Conference. We are so thankful for new technology that
allows us to go home without leaving our house. It was a wonderful annual
conference, superbly conducted by Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, who is not only
an outstanding preacher, but a very capable presiding officer. The Bible study
was extraordinary, led by my colleague, Bishop Peter Weaver, on the Book of
Acts, in which he recalled the story of the actions of the first apostles. His
insights set the tone of an upbeat conference, which amidst much business,
ordination, special recognitions, and difficult decisions, set aside much of
one day to be saturated in mission in schools in the Baltimore area.
Alas, during these sessions on disaffiliations, I felt deeply
wounded when I witnessed 23 churches disaffiliate. Although it is a small
percentage, (less than ten percent), a loss of any part of the body is still a
loss. My personal pain was an existential one, for three reasons. First, out of
26 years of ordained ministry in the BWC, and 20 years residing in the bounds
of the conference during retirement, this is my home. Secondly, 12 of those
active years were in positions of leadership in the conference, where I often
visited and ministered some of these churches, from Baltimore to West Virginia,
and Washington D.C. to southern Maryland. Thirdly, this conference is the place
where Methodism began in 1784, at Lovely Lane Chapel in Baltimore. For these
reasons and more, I had great pain. Yet, I can only imagine what it must be
like for conferences experiencing losses in the hundreds. St. Paul says it best
in 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, "For as the body is one and has many
members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so
also is Christ.” And so, we ask: “Can these bones live?"
Read more at this link.
here.
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| A member of the Knights Templar |
+Rebecca Glancy gives thanks for Ben's return from college and for Mawce's succesful dental work.
+Judy Waller is thankful for her move to the Meridian.
+Belinda gives thanks for the ninety-nine taking part in Mission u.
+We celebrate this week's birthday: Austin Cooper
+We are blessed by those who served this week: Belinda Alkula (videographer), Steve Bainbridge (greeter), Angela Baker (flowers), Kathy Lloyd (Zoom host), Etta Levitt (Zoom usher), Hyeji Park (pianist), and Joey Vander Vorste (fellowship & liturgist).
Concerns:
+Steve Matthews asks for prayer for he co-worker, John, who is having medical issues.
+We lift up in our prayers everyone from our church family that are traveling this week.
+Amy McWilliams asks for prayer for her daughter, Maggie, who is having health concerns.
+Joan Cooper lifts up in prayer Donna Wasson's daughter, Debbie and her friend, Randy, who are both recovering from medical treatments.
+Ron Revier asks for prayer following some flooding at his home.
+We lift up in our prayers those in our nation and around the world who are being affected by climate events.
+We join with many across our nation in mourning the deaths of the 173 killed and 460 injured due to gun violence last week.
