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The Link
December 2017
Monthly news from Washington Park United Methodist Church
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During our small group Advent study this week, we reflected on the word "Anticipation" and looking expectantly forward to the coming of Christ this Christmas. In our Monday group, one scripture stood out among the others in the reading:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers."
For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you." - Psalm 122: 6-8
In our study time that Monday morning, we couldn't seem to get away from the idea of peace, and mostly, how difficult it is to experience in our lives. With family issues and societal concerns - is it just us, or does it seem more complicated now than ever to stay connected with others that hold disparate views from us? More challenging than ever to find hope in the news of the world? More of a pipe dream to hope for and believe in the possibility of peace on earth?
I wonder if generations past looked to the future as a place that would hold peace? That by the year 2017, humanity would have been able to be creative enough and intelligent enough and resourceful enough to achieve this long-sought-for idea of peace? How is it that we continue to be a creation so broken and desperately groaning for "peace on earth, and goodwill to all"?
But peace is what God proclaims - peace that transcends our own understanding (
Philippians 4:7
). Peace that destroys barriers (
Ephesians 2:14
). Peace that is for all the earth (
Luke 2: 14
). And that Christ is the prince of peace (
Isaiah 9:6
). It is the theological paradox that this peace is fulfilled in Christ, but we have yet to realize full peace on earth.
My prayer for you this Advent season is peace - peace that you can perceive and peace that is beyond our understanding. That peace would prevail in your hearts and be sung into the world through you. Peace that is not only a fantastic dream but an even more miraculous reality.
Advent Peace,
Sandi Dillon, Senior Pastor
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December Worship
Advent sermon series
December 3 - COMMUNION SUNDAY/ ADVENT 1,
The Promise of Peace,
Isaiah 9: 2-6
December 10 -
ADVENT 2, Children's Christmas Program
- All children are invited to participate. Arrive at 9:10 am and get in costume in the North Parlor. Children sit with parents and come forward as the bulletin directs.
- Advent Festival 10:45 am - noon in the Fellowship Hall
December 17 - ADVENT 3,
Christmas Choir Cantata
December 24 - ADVENT 4,
Why Christmas Matters,
Rev. Jamielee Demske
- Christmas Eve candlelight services:
- 4 and 6 o'clock - Family friendly candlelight services (children's busy bags available and childcare offered)
- 8 o'clock - Reverent candlelight service
December 31 - New Year's Eve
Worship & Reflective Prayer Stations
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100-Year Anniversary Service
Centennial celebration of the church building
 Washington Park United Methodist Church has a
rich and abundant history. The congregation began meeting in 1891 and the current building was proposed nearly 100 years ago during a stewardship program that began on January 2, 1917.
During the final worship service in the former Myrtle Hill Methodist Church, the church was re-named Washington Park Community Methodist Church. The church bell from the old Myrtle Hill church hangs in our current building's bell tower.
The first services in the current building were held on December 29, 1918 and consisted of three morning services, a communion service at 4 p.m., and an evening service. Addresses were given by the Denver City Attorney, the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, the Governor of Colorado, and possibly the Chancellor of DU. The official building dedication service was held on the following Sunday, January 5, 1919.
We will hold a special service to celebrate the church building's centennial on January 6, 1919 and would like you to be a part of it. Planning for this special event will begin in the coming year. If you are interested in being a part of this committee, please email Kelly Carver at
office@washparkumc.org.
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Music
Christmas Cantata on December 17
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Christmas performance on December 20
Welcome December! During November we have had fun learning about transportation safety, Thanksgiving, and feelings. We came together as a school and had a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch provided and served by our fabulous parents.
We are looking forward to December and focusing on themes including holiday traditions and of course Christmas! The children are working hard on learning their lines, dance moves, and new songs for our annual Christmas performance which will be on December 20th at 11:00 am.
Openings at Wash Park UMC Preschool: We have a few openings in several of our classrooms if you know someone who is looking for a great preschool. We are also looking to add to our substitute teacher list, so let us know if you or someone you know might be interested in subbing for us. Please contact Melinda (preschooldirector@washparkumc.org) or Jessica (preschool@washparkumc.org) for more information, or call us at 303-777-4143.
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Youth Ministry
Youth Group meets regularly after worship service
After a wonderful Thanksgiving meal surrounded by dear friends, I sat back and thought about all that I have been grateful for this year. In addition to my family, my friends, my pets and my home, I have been overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for my new Wash Park family and especially my amazing Youth! Over the past season, we have had fun together and served together, and I could not be more excited to continue in our year together.
Our theme for the fall was "Who are you?", partially because I was excited to get to know each and  every one of our amazing youth, but also to explore what it means to be created in God's image and the responsibility therein. We studied our Bibles, played games, and have had a rollicking good time the whole way through. The pinnacle of this quarter was serving Casa de Paz and celebrating our togetherness at our Love Your #Selfie Lock In, where we hosted 13 kids and 4 adults in an evening of fun, games and (very little) sleep. We couldn't have done any of it without our amazing parent volunteers, who support our youth group so selflessly and kindly. Thank you Parents!
During that time, we also collected many, MANY pounds of Thanksgiving food to be donated at DENUM's final "Food for All" event. My husband Jordan and I represented Wash Park and we were blown away by how much food had been donated by Denver churches. They had planned to serve 400 families with Thanksgiving meals, but we quickly ran through our 400 boxes and still had tables full of food. It was something of a Thanksgiving miracle!
December 1 - Parent's Night Out
Wash Park Youth will host a Parents Night Out from 5:30-7:30 pm. We will have a snack, show a movie, and have play time with our Youth Group. Attendance for each child costs $15, with a maximum of $35 per family. All funds raised will go to the Youth Group's Denver Dive mission trip this coming summer. If you'd like your child to participate,
fill out this signup form by Wednesday, November 29.
As we begin our Winter quarter, we begin a new theme: "What are you made of?" where we will be discussing our values and how our choices have incredible impact on our world. Our quarterly service project will be held on Christmas Day, where Youth and their families are invited to come and help out at Christmas in the Park, sponsored by AfterHours Denver. Wash Park will be passing out backpacks and duffle bags to our homeless and transient neighbors. If you'd like more information on how to participate, please contact me via email.
December Schedule:
- December 1: Parent's Night Out
- December 3: Our Social Creed 11-12:30
- December 10: Advent Festival (No Sunday School) & Secret Santa Evening at the Demske-Zitterkopf apartment
- December 17: Socks and Sandwiches
- December 24: Christmas Eve (No Sunday School)
- December 31: New Years Eve (No Sunday School)
Blessings, with holiday cheer!
Rev. Jamielee Demske
Associate Pastor,
assocpastor@washparkumc.org or
youthgroup@washparkumc.org
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Children's Ministry
Christmas Pageant on December 10
November was a great month for Children's Ministry. We worked on the theme of "Thanksliving": being thankful everyday for all the great things we have in our lives. Now we are studying the Christmas Story during
Sunday School.
 Calling all kiddos...
We will host our annual
Christmas Pageant on Dec. 10. If your child would like to have a part in the program, please arrive at
9:10 am in the North Parlor at the back of the sanctuary. This will be a first-come first-serve basis and the program will be "impromptu". This means there will be a narrator and songs that will cue our adult helpers to send down our angels, shepherds, and sheep to the pulpit area. Grab a spot close to the front for all those adorable photographs! Following this event, join us downstairs for an Advent Festival. Children are welcome, but there will be childcare provided in the upstairs child watch room.
On Sunday, December 24, Sunday School will be held as well as the 3 Christmas Eve services. Childcare will be available for the morning worship service and for the first 2 Christmas Eve services.
Lunch Bunch/Club 456 will be held
on Saturday,
January 20 and
Saturday, April 21 from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm
. This is a time for kids to hang out, do crafts, play games, watch a movie, eat the lunch you packed, and do some relationship building outside of
Sunday
School or church service on Sundays. This is for children 3 years old (and potty trained) through 6th grade. Kids are invited to bring a friend. During this time, parents and caregivers could go out to lunch, run some errands, exercise, or just relax! Please mark your calendars.
"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." Isaiah
7:14
Grow in Grace,
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Missions
Seasonal Mission Projects
Backpacks for Homeless
As the cold weather associated with winter is quickly approaching, WPUMC will continue to collect back packs to be handed out to the homeless at Christmas. Please leave your donation in the bin in the Narthex. These will be handed out on Christmas Day at Lincoln Park in participation with AfterHours Denver's Christmas in the Park. You are welcome to come help hand out Christmas Day. For more information on Christmas In the Park, email office@washparkumc.org.
Denver Inner City Parish Holiday Gift Giveaway
WPUMC will be participating in the 39th Annual Holiday Gift Giveaway. The mission will be providing gifts to the underserved families in the Denver area.
This year we will serve over 1,000 families and distribute over 5,000 gifts. Together, with your donation, we can provide gifts to families who would otherwise be unable to afford gifts for their children this holiday season.
The Holiday Gift Giveaway will be held on Friday, December 15. We are requesting donations of new, unwrapped gifts for children ages 0-18 years of age. The gifts must be new and generally cost between $12-20 each. We ask that they are unwrapped. This collection will last through Sunday, December 10. A bin will be designated in the Narthex where families can drop off donations for this mission. This is a great opportunity to involve the children of the congregation as they learn the true meaning of the season.
We will also have volunteer opportunities to help distribute the gifts to parents on Friday, December 15. More information on how to volunteer will be provided closer to the date of the event. Volunteers will act as elves and help parents shop for gifts for their children. Each parent is assigned an elf who walks with the parent and helps them to select a gift for their child(ren). After the parent has completed their shopping, the elf will escort them to the exit where they can have their gifts wrapped by additional volunteers.
Volunteers are requested to stay for a minimum of 1 hour and food and beverages are provided.
On-Going Mission Projects
Bags of Hope
As a congregation we continue to support Bags of Hope. This mission is strongly reliant on donations to keep this mission alive. Please drop off any of the following items in the bin in the Narthex:
- Small bottles of water (8 oz size)
- Anti-bacterial wipes
- Socks
- Crackers with peanut butter or cheese
- Soft granola bars
This is an easy way for congregation members to give back to the community. Grab a few bags to keep in your car. As you drive around town and find someone in need, you can just hand them one of these bags.
Sandwiches and Socks
The Sandwiches and Socks Mission is part of a bigger mission in our Denver Area. We collaborate with multiple churches and organizations to feed the homeless in Civic Park EVERY SINGLE DAY at noon. Many rely on these lunches to keep them from starvation and the ability to save on the expense of close to $70 a week.
Also, as a church, we make full lunches and distribute them on the fourth Saturday each month. We have had challenges getting volunteers to help assemble and distribute lunches on Saturday mornings. We are now assembling the lunches on the Sunday before the 4th Saturday.
The next event is Sunday, December 17. We will meet in the tea kitchen after church to assemble the lunches. We are also looking for volunteers to distribute the lunches on Saturday, December 23. If you can assist with this, please contact Caroline Christensen at: missions@washparkumc.org or at 713.823.7258.
This mission is easy, family friendly and an integral part of life for almost 600 people a week!
You can sign up on the Missions bulletin board or sign up online.
Donations
We are always looking for donations for missions. Below is a list. You can drop them off in the container in the Narthex.
- Peanut Butter (regular please --- the all-natural brands do not store well)
- Jelly
- Socks
- Granola Bars (soft)
- Chips
- Applesauce cups
- 8 oz water bottles
- Peanut Butter or Cheese Crackers
- Individual packages of Antibacterial Wipes
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Calendar
December 1 - Parent's Night Out
Wash Park Youth will host a Parents Night Out from
5:30-7:30 pm. If you'd like your child to participate,
fill out this signup form. Deadline to sign up:
Wednesday, November 29.
December 2 - Charge Conference
Each United Methodist Church is required to hold a charge conference annually to attend to the business and administration of the church. This year, our conference will be held with other churches in the area, hosted by our Metro area District Superintendent, Paul Kottke,
at 8:30 am at Spirit of Hope UMC, 3885 S Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113.
The business items to be approved at this meeting are pastoral compensation packages, membership report, and the lay leadership report. For the past year, the Administrative Council of the church has been working on a restructuring of our Council, and we will vote on this change of structure as well.
All church members are invited to attend Charge Conference! And in shifting our leadership structure, there is room at the table. We are still looking for those who feel a call to share in the leadership of the church. Please feel free to reach out to Rev. Sandi for more information about the administrative structure of our UMC.
December 10 - Children's Christmas Program and Advent Festival
Children's Impromptu Christmas Pageant at
9:30 am
(during worship service).
All children are invited to participate! Come to the North Parlor at
9:10 am
to get in costume, sit with parents, and come forward as the bulletin directs.
December 10 - Advent Festival10:45 am - Noon
Join us for a pancake brunch, photo op with Santa, crafts, and activities in Fellowship Hall after worship service.
All are welcome!
December 17 - Annual Christmas Cantata during worship service
December 17 - Assembling lunches for homeless after worship in Tea Kitchen
December 23 - Distributing lunches to homeless at Civic Center Park at noon
December 24 - Christmas Eve Services at 4pm (Family Friendly, 6pm (Family Friendly, and 8pm (Revenant).
December 25 - Distributing backpacks at Lincoln Park at noon.
December 25 & 26 - Church Offices closed
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| Birthdays |
Anniversaries |
Emily Haemer 12/01
Olivia Webster 12/02
Elizabeth M. Bankhead 12/04
Chad Peterson 12/05
Doug Poirier 12/05
Mike Scheffler 12/06
Shannon Daily 12/07
Kathryn Dollis 12/08
Lily Griffin 12/10
Ryan Abman 12/11
Maren Strother 12/11
Barb Gonzales 12/13
Lilly Peterson 12/15
Mark Morgan 12/15
Marti Curtis 12/17
Andy Archer 12/18
Julia Couch 12/18
Kelly Goering 12/18
Hudson Burger 12/19
Jennifer Parnell 12/20
Laura Love 12/21
Geoffrey Dickson 12/22
Sean Smith 12/22
Carol Mrzlikar 12/23
Jaime Obleski 12/23
Cheyanne Fleming 12/26
Noreen Marutle 12/26
Joseph Salis 12/27
Blair Goering 12/28
Malebo Marutle 12/29
Will Wieder 12/29
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Sarah Mastalir-Kellner & John Kellner 12/4 |
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