Western Jurisdiction “Fresh United Methodism Summit” Affirms LGBTQ+ Support; Leaders See it as a ‘Movement Moment’ to Help Discern its Future in the Church

LOS ANGELES (Nov. 18) – More than 200 laypersons, clergy, and bishops gathered in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 14-16 for the Western Jurisdiction’s Fresh United Methodism Summit to help prepare for the denomination’s 2020 General Conference and the ensuing Jurisdictional (Regional) Conference.

The Western Jurisdiction’s Leadership Team, which called for the gathering, concluded that the summit was a “movement moment in The United Methodist Church. The future of the church will come out of the vision of our younger people, leaders who stepped into the forefront of work of the summit.”

In addition to affirming a theological statement that re-states the Western Jurisdiction’s stance allowing the ordination of LGBTQ+ persons and allowing its clergy to perform same-sex weddings, summit participants elected a 10-member team to work a vision for the future of the Jurisdiction. Comprised of five laity and five clergy, persons under the age of 40 are well represented on the team.

“The diversity of our emerging leaders is future-leaning – gay, straight, persons of color, people representing the richness of life across our regions millions of square miles. We heard them voicing the hope that out of chaos, something can be born.” the Leadership Team said in its report.

“We see the summit as an important model for the future, where we rely less on formal processes, and put our trust in the movement of the Holy Spirit and the relational connections built through our discernment and work together,” Rev. Donna Pritchard, chair of the Leadership Team said in the report.

(The Western Jurisdiction’s Leadership Team is comprised of a representative of the Directors of Connectional Ministry in the seven (regional) Conferences in the jurisdiction, representatives of a number of jurisdictional agencies, the jurisdiction’s five active bishops, and at-large members. The Rev. Donna Pritchard of Portland, Ore., is the chair.)

Read more at this link.

This week @ St. Paul's

Monday:  
9:00 am, Yoga with Rebecca

Tuesday:
7:00 pm, Insight Meditation

Wednesday:

7:30 pm, Choir practice
 

Thursday: 

6:30 pm, Pathways to the Future, Mountain View UMC

Saturday:
10:00 am, Circuit Conference, Mountain View UMC
 

Sunday: Christ the King Sunday

8:30 am, Hand bell practice

8:45 am, Church school
10:15 am, Worship
12:30 pm, Beautiful Boulder Korean Church

Scripture lessons for November 24

This week the church year comes to a conclusion with the observance of Christ the King Sunday.

This week's lesson's are from Revelation 1:4b-8 and John 18:33-37.

Three questions:
1) What is truth?
2) In what way does the Revelation to John speak to you today?
3) How much of the Book of Revelation do you accept as true?

Commitment Sunday

Flowers from Sandra Jordan

Bells go through their paces before worship

This morning's worship included the presentation of our financial commitment to the ministries of St. Paul's in the coming year. Today's sermon was taken from Isaiah 65:17-25

Thanks this morning to: Belinda Alkula (Video), Angela Baker (Liturgist), Jerry Beaber & Austin Cooper (Ushers), Jessica Bishop (Nursery), Lousie Cook & Sandra Jordan (Counters), Wally Cleaveland (Alpha&Omega/Accompanist), Scott Glancy (Church school), Sandra Jordan (Flowers), Bob & Melanie Muckle (Fellowship), and Christopher Wahl  (Accompanist)

UMW at work

Great planning meeting of United Methodist Women (UMW) in the Peaks/Pikes Peak District of the Mountain Sky Conference UMW! Thanks be to God for the gracious hospitality of the Broomfield United Methodist Church.

Thanks, Trustees!

Our wonderful trustees were on hand this morning to spruce up the interior of the church. From polishing the pews, dusting the ceiling fans, and clearing out some unused items from various spaces, the church is looking good!

Present this morning were Jerry Beaber, Dan Clark, Austin Cooper, Steve Matthews, and Don & Peggy Fritschel.

Theological Declaration of the Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church

And God promised:  “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17 CEB)

We believe that God’s Spirit is poured out onto all God’s people.  We stand firmly within the best of our biblical and Wesleyan tradition in order to maintain a witness to the wideness of God’s grace in a broken world in need of Christ’s healing, liberating love.

In view of the decades-long discrimination of our LGBTQIA+ siblings and in light of the Special General Conference 2019, which approved—by a narrow margin—a plan that was not only largely unconstitutional but also has pushed The United Methodist Church off of its theological foundation, we refuse to yield to a plan that replaces grace with punishment and that abandons robust engagement of scripture to biblical literalism. We refuse to limit the movement of God’s Holy Spirit in the lives of all God’s beloved children. We stand firm in grace and love.

Read more at this link.