Good morning, COG Family!
It has been a few weeks since the last newsletter. During that time, Melanie and I were fortunate enough to spend a week in Moab, UT. This opportunity to spend time with each other and with God was a blessing. We were amazed daily with the views of God's creation: seeing vast canyons, large plateaus, stone arches, and so much more. It was so inspiring!
One of the highlights of our trip was an outing with a local astronomer who took us to a remote location to view some heavenly sights. We were able to see galaxies, nebula, constellations, planets, and moons. Looking at these celestial objects that are millions of miles away and so vast in size made me feel so tiny, like a small spot in a vast universe. It was a bit overwhelming to be honest.
Though I felt overwhelmed with God's creation, in a very good way, I was continuously reminded that in my smallness, God knows me intimately and He has me in His hands.
He knows our thoughts, our desires, our hurts and pains, our comings and goings, when we sit down and when we rise up, the number of hairs on our heads, and so much more. Not only does He know us intimately, His love for us is beyond measure.
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
Psalm 139:1-6
Remember that God knows you intimately and cares for you deeply.
On a side note, during this incredible week, I remembered a video I had watched from Louie Giglio titled "How Great is Our God," and I had to watch it again when I got back to Colorado. If you have about 40 minutes to hear a fantastic message, click here. It is a great reminder of God's vastness and how intricately he has made us.
There is a lot of information on upcoming events and ongoing activities below. Take your time to look over everything that is upcoming and see where you can get involved and connect with our church and community.
Be salt and light,
Pastor Chris
|
|
Thank you, COG family, for your generosity and faithfulness during these difficult times! Here are our giving numbers for the last tw0 weeks:
Week of September 22, 2020
Giving: $8,462.99
Weekly Budget: $10,121.44
Year to Date Giving: $363,112.16
Year to Date Budget: $84,614.72
Week of September 29, 2020
Giving: $6,125.14
Weekly Budget: $10,121.44
Year to Date Giving: $369,237.30
Year to Date Budget: $394,736.16
Below are the ways that you can contribute your tithes and offerings to the church.
-
Write a check to the church. You can either mail it in to the church or stop by the church and put it in the slot of our mailbox located by the doors of the North Building (4343 S. Flanders St. Centennial, CO 80015).
-
Bill Pay through your banking institution.
-
COG website - online giving.
|
|
Praising God should be a regular part of our day. What are you praising God for? I would like to share your praises with the COG family in future newsletters. Email me your praises so we can all give God an amen. If you want to remain anonymous, just let me know.
Here are praise reports I received over the last two weeks.
"I praise God for our faith (Romans 12:3)"
"I praise God for grandson smiles and laughs" - Chris
"I'm so very thankful for the faithful members of COG who continue to stand together as a community of GRACE through a global pandemic, online services, in-person challenges, and more zoom meetings than we could have imagined! Your continued faithfulness is vital to the body of Christ and essential to the COG body! Love you, Family!" - Catherine
|
|
Children's Ministry Update |
|
The Children's Ministry is finishing plans to resume Sunday morning class time for our children. Nancy has a draft proposal with the elders for review and approval. Our top priority is the safety of our kids and volunteers, so we are taking extra precautions in the planning phase. As the details are finalized, we will send updates via email and will make announcements.
If you are not already receiving emails from Nancy on updates, Sunday lessons, or other activity information, you can email her directly to get added to her distribution list.
|
|
The elders are requesting nominations from the congregation for new elders. Please read Titus 1:5-9 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and pray over these passages. If there is a man at COG whom the Lord lays on your heart to nominate as an elder at COG, please take the following steps:
- Contact that person and ask if he would be ok with you nominating him to be an elder.
-
If he agrees, then email his name to Steve Veteto. You can also put his information on the Elder Nomination Form located in the sanctuary.
Please have nominations turned in by October 11, 2020. If you have any questions, you can reach out to any of the elders at COG.
|
|
The next ladies fellowship event is virtual painting through The Paint Cellar on October 10, 2020 at 6:00 pm. You can get more details on the Ladies Fellowship Facebook page here or the Ladies Fellowship WhatsApp chat. If you need to be added to the chat or want more details on the event, reach out to Joyce Baker.
|
|
* Thursday Evening Women's Bible Study:
- Thursdays beginning Sept 17th
- Time: 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM via Zoom
- "Learning to be Jesus' Disciple"
- For women ages 16 and up
- Please contact Carol Bryan at 303-522-2293
There is still time to sign up!
* Friday Morning Women's Bible Study:
- Fridays beginning Oct 2nd until Dec 18th, 2020 (11-week study)
- Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM via Zoom online
-
Title: A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23
- Author: Phillip Keller
- Description: Experience Psalm 23 in a new way. As a shepherd, Phillip Keller knew what it was to protect a vulnerable flock on a daily basis. He leads the reader to remarkable places: to the greenest pastures of discovery and the coolest waters of fulfillment hidden in Psalm 23, the "Shepherd Psalm."
- Cost of Book: $5.00. You can make payment to COG with a note for the Women's Ministry Bible Study
- Led by Carol Olsen
-
Contact Judy Cale for more information
|
|
Child Evangelism Fellowship |
|
There will be a Good News Club will be meetup every third Thursday from October thru January at COG from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm. This group is for elementary school ages. Check out the flyer below for more details on the Good News Club.
Masks are required during the Good News Club gettogethers at COG. You can register online or download the registration form. If you have questions or want to be a helper/leader, you can email Kathleen Chandler or call her at 720-621-3602.
|
|
Carol Bryan has coordinated a couple of opportunities to help those who are less fortunate. These opportunities happen each year, and it is a blessing to be able to help those around us who are in need. Thank you, Carol, for organizing!
* Blankets for the Homeless: We are collecting donations to pay for new blankets to give to the homeless in Aurora and Denver. One blanket is $6, and we have ordered 72 blankets this year. Please give your donations directly to Carol Bryan or make a check to Community of Grace and put "blankets" on the "for" line. Donations will be accepted through October 18. If you would like to help hand out blankets, please contact Carol Bryan in person or at 303-522-2293 for date and time.
* Titus 2 Ministry: Scarves for the Homeless. We will be meeting in the North Building foyer on Saturday, October 24 from 9-10am to make scarves for the homeless. Please wear a mask for this activity. We will have tables spread out for social distancing. Families are welcome to join in the fun.
|
|
COG will be hosting a Trunk-or-Treat event in the COG parking lot on October 31, 2020, from 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm. This promises to be a fun event where we can get together as well as connect with our community. If you have never been to a trunk-or-treat, it is pretty simple. You bring a decorated vehicle to COG (or undecorated), maybe wear a costume, bring lots of treats, and hand out the goodies to our little guests. If you do not want to decorate a vehicle, you can show up with your kiddos to walk a lap or two around the parking lot to gather treats. We encourage you to invite your friends and neighbors.
Here some guidelines for us to follow to help make sure the event is enjoyable for everyone:
- If you are decorating a vehicle, be on site by 4:45 pm on Oct 31. You can come as early as you need to decorate and setup your vehicle. If you want to hand out treats without decorating a vehicle, we welcome the extra treats for the kids and ask you to also be on site by 4:45 pm.
- We are recommending face masks be worn by everyone attending.
- We are asking you to keep decorations and costumes in good taste and kid friendly.
- Treats must be store purchased/sealed. No homemade treats.
- Those who are handing out treats and cannot maintain 6' social distancing are required to wear a face mask and gloves to help protect themselves and our guests. COG has face masks and gloves if needed.
-
If you would like to be creative with handing out candy to maintain social distancing, use something like this "candy chute".
- If you are not decorating a vehicle and are coming for the event, please park on Flanders Street. The parking lot will be closed off to traffic at 5:45 pm for the safety of everyone.
- We will have prizes for the best decorated vehicles as well as the best carved pumpkins. Bring your pumpkins already carved and displayed for our judges.
- Have fun! Be welcoming and inviting to those we interact with during the event.
Let's make this a great opportunity to get to know our community. If you have any questions, email Pastor Chris.
|
|
Southeast Aurora Christian Homeschool Co-op |
|
The Southeast Aurora Christian Homeschool Co-op is up and running! The co-op is a group of Christian parents and their homeschooled children. The children range from pre-school to middle school grades. We enjoy Bible time together followed by something educational. This can be making something, learning to sew, learning about a marching band (see below), discussing mental health issues, and even having a missionary visit. The requirement to join the group is that you homeschool your child. This is different than remote learning from home because homeschool laws are different then public school remote learning.
The co-op meets on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at COG from 9am-11am. Sometimes we will meet in a park or at a different location for a field trip. We ALWAYS do Bible time and then another fun learning activity. This gives kids time to socialize and play while parents enjoy fellowship. The co-op has met twice so far. The first meetup was at a park where Kathleen Chandler taught us about courage through sharing the story of Esther. We had 15 people join us that week and one of the families joined us at COG the following Sunday.
The second meetup had Lisa Dole lead us through the Wordless Book. We all took a book home to share with our loved ones along with a devotional from Child Evangelism Fellowship. Amy Eichenseer and her friends from the Eaglecrest High School Marching Band joined us in the church parking lot and taught us about the band and different instruments. They even taught us how to do a few marching steps. We loved listening to them play, and it ended up being a great opportunity for the marching band to serve the community. We had about 12 people attend this group.
The co-op has a field trip to Miller Farms to pick produce on Oct 2nd. The next official meetup will be on Oct 9th at the church from 9-11 and two "grandmas" will teach us how to sew pumpkin pillows. If you are interested in joining us or have questions, please contact Lisa Dole at 720-299-4801, or visit our Facebook page at SE Aurora Christian Co-op. We would love to have you keep this group in your prayers as well.
Lisa Dole
|
|
Tell us a bit about yourself.
We moved to Colorado in 2006 after my wife retired from the Navy. We were blessed with having the Hart's as neighbors that introduced us to COG, which quickly became our church home. We have been members of COG for over 10 years now. I grew up in Salem, Oregon where one thing that really sticks out in my memories was the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. I eventually moved to Pensacola, Fl where I met my wife Robin more than 20 years ago. While she was still on active duty, we were stationed in Germany for 3 years. My favorite memory from Germany was earning a bronze medal in a luge competition!
Do you have an unusual skill/hobby/talent?
This past year I started a new hobby as a beekeeper or apiarist. I think bees are fascinating insects. It was recently discovered that bees might hold the key to curing breast cancer! I love the idea of saving bees, our food sources and maybe someday helping people.
If you picked one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
If I had to describe myself in one word, I guess it would be adventurous. I have tried luge, white water rafting, zip lining, and rappelling.
What do you like to do on a day with no set plans?
When I have no set plans, I love to fly fish and camp with my wife and three dogs.
What is a little known fact about yourself?
A little known fact about myself is that I am a Star Wars nerd and enjoy playing virtual reality (VR) video games. Gaming has come a long way from Pong!
What do you enjoy doing at COG?
I have been a part of the Chefs of Grace since it started 3+ years ago. Serving people and providing opportunities to come together is a joy to me.
|
|
Community of Grace Sunday Prayer Time |
|
The prayer team is meeting on Sunday mornings on the COG lawn. We are extending an invitation to you to join us on the lawn from 9:15 to 9:45. Bring a chair and pray for our country, our state, our community, and our church. If the weather is bad, meetings will be held at the Chandler's home: 21415 E. Mansfield Dr., Aurora 80015. If you have questions, email Kathleen Chandler.
|
|
Questions or Concerns?
Email us
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
