United Methodist Church of Evergreen
Rev. Deb Olenyik, Pastor
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Last Sunday in the Church Year
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Ministry Jottings by Pastor Deb can be found later in this newsletter. Please scroll down to see what Deb is sharing this week.
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A Gift for You -- An Advent Daily Devotions Booklet.
Available in the church narthex.
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| FAMILY MOVIE & PIZZA TONIGHT! |
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The Church and Society Team invites all parents and kids of the church and the surrounding communities to attend our Children's Movie Night - TONIGHT from 6-8pm. We'll serve pizza for all at 6pm, followed by the movie Toy Story 4 at 6:30pm. There is still time to join us!
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| INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE - THIS SUNDAY! |
Join us on Sunday at 5 p.m. for the community
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
this year will be hosted by the Evergreen Church of the Latter Day Saints {Mormon}, Rt. 73 just past Marshdale.
Sandy Sandusky will be leading a combined church choir including our choir members.
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INTERESTED IN HELPING IN ONE OF OUR MINISTRY TEAMS?
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This is the time our outstanding ministry teams are organized for the coming year. If you are interested in helping in one of these teams, we invite you to contact Pastor Deb or a chairperson before December 15:
- Adult Learning & Fellowship [Dean Penrod]
- Children & Youth [Sarah Sailor]
- Church & Society [Carolyn Hohne]
- Lay Care [Jo Ann Dunn]
- Membership [Terry Vogt]
- Missions [Michael Eaton]
- Worship [Marleen Eggers]
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Donations are being accepted for new and unwrapped gifts for children and teens for Mountain Resource Center and ECHO. Please drop off in the appropriate boxes in Fellowship Hall through 12/2. Toys, games, books and clothing are accepted. Questions? For MRC contact Marlene Eggers (email or 469-441-1347). For ECHO contact Marilyn Gildersleeve (303) 674-4899).
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ALTERNATIVE GIFT FAIR RESULTS
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A big thank you to all those in our UMCE family who planned, volunteered, baked for or shopped at the Alternative Gift Fair on November 9 and 10 sponsored by seven local faith communities and hosted again by Evergreen Lutheran Church. We were blessed this year with great weather and were grateful the snow and cold was delayed to Monday. We raised
$117,327.57!
Special thanks to Sarah, our adult leaders and our youth who worked in the Youth Café again this year. Special thanks also to Bake Sale Co-Chair Linda Schroeder, as the Bake Sale raises funds to cover all the AGF overhead, so that all of the sales proceeds of the charity vendors go to those charities to support their missions to help those in need, both near and far.
Finally, special thanks to UMCE members Penn Gildersleeve, Pem Dunn, Michael Eaton and Carolyn Hohne, who drove the UMCE van all Saturday and Sunday as a shuttle for volunteers and venders between remote parking at Church of the Hills and the AGF site. To learn more about the AGF, go to
www.gifttwice.org.
Bill Graf, AGF Co-Chair
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EVERKIDS 2020 VISION PLANNING
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As 2020 approaches, we would like to take some time to do holistic planning for our EverKids program in the spring. We are calling this new initiative The 2020 Vision.
We would like to get your input and help in redesigning our children's program, so that it is an enriching and refreshing experience for all of our EverKids. You are all personally invited to be part of the EverKids Family Advisory Council.
We will launch this new initiative at a holiday lunch at the church on Saturday, December 14 at noon. Food will be provided along with a presentation, and a discussion forum. Childcare can be provided on-site for anyone who needs it, but please let Sarah know if you will need it, so we can plan appropriately for the number of children who will be there. Please also let Sarah know if you're available to attend, so that she can plan for the right amount of food!
Keep up with the latest news for our UMC EverKids Program by following our blog at
umceverkids.family.blog/ and following us on Instagram at umceverkids!
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UMM BREAKFAST PRESENTATION & SANCTUARY SETUP
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 On Saturday, December 7th Cynthia Latham from Latham Consulting Services will be on hand to present "In Harms Way." Here is a summary of her presentation: It's been one year since wildfire destroyed the community of Paradise, California. Ninety percent of the buildings were destroyed, only six percent of the toxic debris has been removed, and there won't be any safe drinking water until 2022. The Camp Fire is considered to be one of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history. There are important lessons to be learned because the parallels between Paradise and Evergreen and adjacent communities are too close to ignore. We live in one of the highest wildfire risk areas in the country, and it is time to work together to get our communities prepared for wildfires.
Breakfast will be served at 8:00, and all members and friends of UMCE are invited to the 8:30 presentation.
Afterwards, please stay to help us prepare the sanctuary for the Christmas Dinner.
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On Sunday, December 1 after the 10:30 service, j
oin us for the annual "Hanging of the Greens". We need as many volunteers as possible as we decorate the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall. A light lunch will be provided. All ages welcome!
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| LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT WREATH |
We look forward to having a family, couple, or individual light our Advent Wreath during worship. A sign-up for those who would like to do this is in the narthex.
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| YOUTH GROUP 2020 VISION PLANNING |
As we enter the new year, we would like to enlist your help in planning and putting together ideas for the Youth Group in 2020. We're calling the new program The 2020 Vision, and it's going to include a number of new and reinvigorated initiatives for our middle and high schoolers.
To that end, Sarah is hosting a UMCE Youth and Parent Advisory Board lunch at the church on January 4 at noon. She would like to invite you to come and participate in this initiative. Please let Sarah know if you're able to attend, so that she knows how much food to prepare.
Keep up with the latest news for our UMCE Youth Program by following our blog at
umceyouth.home.blog/ and following us on Instagram at umceyouthgroup!
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| ANNUAL CHRISTMAS DINNER - RSVP BY SUNDAY |
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Please mark your calendars for Saturday, December 7th when our sanctuary will be transformed into an elegant dinner setting. Enjoy a delicious sit-down dinner, be entertained by a group of talented performers, and have childcare for the entire evening (there's even a child-friendly pre-party that you can attend!)...all for $15 per person.
Check this week's bulletin insert for more details to
RSVP through 11/24/19.
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| SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGING |
Our UMCE family will again have the opportunity to ring bells for the Salvation Army this Christmas season. Our local Salvation Army chapter is working hard year round to assist those in need in our mountain communities with crisis support for housing, medical care, utilities, transportation and disaster relief. UMCE's own Lauren Alter and former Pastor Dick Vickery are on the Board of Directors of the local Salvation Army. Did you know that the Red Kettle is the primary way the Salvation Army raises money and that 90% of the donations collected stay here in the Evergreen area!
If you are able to sign up for one or more one hour bell ringing slots, please go to the following SignUpGenius site HERE, then:
- Search for the dates (from now until Christmas Eve), times and locations (Safeway, King Soopers and Walmart are posted now and Walgreens will be added very soon) that work best for you, then
- Click "SignUp" for the slots you choose, then
- Click "Submit and Sign Up" at the bottom of the page, then
- At the information page to which you are taken, fill in your name, email and cell phone number. You will receive an email with further information.
It is as simple as that! Bill Graf will be in the UMCE Fellowship Hall before and after the 10:30 service this Sunday if you would like help signing up. Or you can email Bill at [email protected] or call him at 303-246-8330 with questions.
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A trustee from ECHO, Jim Dries, has a vehicle he would like to donate to a family in need.
It's a 2000 Dodge Caravan with just over 200K miles on it. He says it's in perfect condition, he just purchased a new vehicle.
If you are interested, please call him at
303-670-5141.
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This holiday season, you can join the Church & Society Team in sending a message of hope to someone who is locked behind immigrant detention bars. Everyone who is detained in the GEO Aurora Immigrant Detention Center will receive a card and candy bar. This is a simple and powerful way to remind people they matter, they have not been forgotten, and we do care about them.
We can send hope and love to immigrants who are separated from their families during this holiday season.
We have been given guidelines from the detention center on what is and is not allowed for each card. To ensure your card is delivered, please follow these guidelines:
Approved Holiday Greetings
Write only one or two of the following greetings
in each card. The cards that will be given out are ones that contain
ONLY
these greetings. We cannot deliver cards with messages other than the approved greetings.
All languages are welcomed!
Sign the card as follows:
Important instructions:
- Do NOT sign the card with your name, organization name or church name
- Do NOT put cards in individual envelopes
- Do NOT use cards with glitter, stickers, tape or staples
Place all cards (no envelopes) into the box labeled "Hope for the Holidays" located in the Fellowship Hall by
Sunday, December 1
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Donations for the candy bars that are given with each card can be made by going to:
www.casadepazcolorado.org/donate
or send checks/cash to: Casa de Paz, PO Box 111351, Aurora, CO, 80042
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EVERGREEN CHORALE CRISTMAS CONCERT
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 Season of Light is the theme of the Evergreen Chorale Christmas concert. Join your friends on Sunday, December 15 at 4:00 pm to hear this beautiful performance. It will be held at Friedhoff Hall in the Green Center at Colorado School of Mines in Golden. The group ticket prices are $20 for adults, $19 for seniors and $18 for students. You may sign up in the Fellowship Hall or contact Jo Ann Dunn at 303-503-5978. She would need the money by December 8.
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PANEL DISCUSSION TOMORROW
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 We want to share with you an interesting and educational four-part sermon series by St Luke's United Methodist Church, Highland's Ranch on "Homosexuality and the Christian Faith". Click here for more details.
Also, there will be an LGBTQ+ panel discussion on Transgender + Gender Identity with State Representatives Brianna Titone and Christine Monk and other guest speakers on November 23 at the Evergreen High School Auditorium, 4-7pm.
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| CIRCUIT CHARGE CONFERENCE - THIS SUNDAY |
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This Sunday from 1-4 p.m, a
ll are invited to the West Denver UMC Circuit Charge Conference at Applewood Valley UMC. It is a time of connecting with our District Superintendent Paul Kottke, hear about "The Way Forward", connect with folk from the other five churches in our circuit & for each church to vote on some administrative items for the coming year.
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THE WAY FORWARD FOCUS GROUPS FOR THE METRO/
MILE HIGH DISTRICT
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These Focus Groups are the result of one of the petitions that passed at Annual Conference. This will be a time to gather information and to process how The Way Forward of the UMC is intersecting with the Mountain Sky Conference. There has been a wide variety of information distributed, some accurate and some not. This is your chance to get information directly. And to have input as to the direction that the Mountain Sky Conference should take. We particularly encourage any and all laity to come to these sessions. In addition to getting the most accurate information possible, there will be time for sharing and engagement with each other.
- The fourth will be at Lakewood UMC [1390 Brentwood St, Lakewood] on Tuesday, November 26th from 6-8pm
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YOUTH AND CHILDREN'S EDUCATION
AND ACTIVITIES
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CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL
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Action Pack Sunday
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Preschool - 5th Grades |
9:30 am |
| EverKids Sunday School |
Preschool - 5th Grades |
10:30 am |
Wednesday Children's Program
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Preschool - 5th Grades |
4:00 pm |
| SUNDAY YOUTH GROUP |
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Youth Group
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6th-12th Grades |
Noon - 3:00 pm |
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Wednesdays from 9:30 - 11:30 am
Location: Church Library (Rm 12)
Starting September 4th, we will be studying the book "Grounded: Finding God in the World" by Diana Butler Bass. The author, a proponent of hopeful religion, shows us how to understand the sacred nature of the natural world and the unity with the spiritual world in the formation of human faith. We will learn how to love this world more deeply and see God everywhere we look. Contact Jeanne Ambrosier for more information: [email protected] or 303-674-6377
THE MEN'S BAGELRY FELLOWSHIP GROUP
1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 6:30 am
Location: The Bagelry in Bergen Park
The Men's Bagelry Fellowship Group meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at the Bagelry in Bergen Park, across from King Soopers. Contact Bill Graf at (303) 246-8330 for more information.
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LIBRARY ADULT STUDY CLASS (Rm 12)
Sundays from 9:30-10:20 am
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November 24: Urban Peak (UMCE Alternative Christmas)
Presenter: Fayre Ruszczyk
There are approximately 921 homeless youth between the ages of 13 to 24 on the streets in Denver on ANY given night! Thirty percent will be actively recruited for sexual exploitation and other forms of human trafficking.
Urban Peak is the only organization that provides services to these youth. The goal is to help them overcome real life challenge and become self sufficient adults. Essential services like meals, clothing, housing, counseling and job training can make the difference between giving up on life and a life of dignity. Learn more about Urban Peak here.
Facilitator: Carolyn Hohne
{Suggested donation for materials $15.}
Dec 1:
Trusting with Hope -
Recognizing that hope requires trust.
Dec 8:
Faith and Hope -
Hope can look foolish without faith.
Dec 15:
Hope for New Things -
Opening ourselves to God's surprises.
Dec 22:
Hope Fulfilled -
Celebrating the divinely given hope that is "God with us".
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ADVENT STUDY: THE NUTCRACKER
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Advent Study led by Pastor Deb
The Nutcracker:
Looking the beloved Christmas
classic
through the lens of faith
WHEN: Mondays beginning December 2 for 4 weeks
- Noon- 1 p.m. Brown Bag Lunch Study
- OR 7 -8 p.m. Evening Study
$10.00 for study guide collected at first session.
Minimum 6 people registered in the class time slot for it to be held.
Register in the narthex or by contacting the church office.
- Clara: Waiting for Christmas
- Drosselmeir: A Godfather's Love
- The Mouse King: Changing Perspectives
- The Nutcracker: The Greatest Gift
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MINISTRY JOTTINGS BY PASTOR DEB
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Oh give thanks unto the Lord.
For
America with its plenty and freedom;
For the
Bible,
Baseball, and other
Books;
For
Christ, the
Church, and
Children who spend
money as if it does
not grow on trees;
For
Dads who provide, protect and prepare us for life;
For
Easter
, Eyes that see, and
Ears that hear;
For
Faith,
Food,
Friends,
Family, and even
Football;
For the
Good times of the past and the present;
For the
Health of the body and the
Happiness of spirit;
For
Immortality, and
Ice cream;
For
Jesus,
Joggers, and
Jingle bells;
For the
Kindness of nurses, doctors, mail carriers,
clerks, and teachers;
For
Life with a good nights' sleep, a comfortable pair
of shoes and a glass of cold water;
For
Mothers with their tender care;
For
Neighbors who water our plants and care for our pets;
For the
Outdoors with its beauty and splendor;
For
Peace,
Parents,
Picnics, and
Popcorn;
For
Quiet times to rest and relax and reflect;
For
Rainbows, and the
Right word at the
Right time;
For
Senior citizens with their wit and wisdom and for
Single persons with their labor and love;
For
Teeth to chew and
Toes to dance;
For the
Unexpected joys, like a call from a child
away at collage, or a visit from an old friend;
For
Vegetable gardens,
Victorious teams, and
Vacations;
For tone-death
Worshippers who sing just the same;
For all the
Xtra things we forgot;
For
Youth who don't know it all and want to learn;
For
Zoos and
Zippers and
Zest for living.
For the Lord's blessings endure forever.
Blessings,
Pastor Deb
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Attendance & Stewardship Report
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Sunday School & Nursery 11/17/2019
Worship Services 11/17
/20
19
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-------------------------------------------
Needed Weekly
Received 11/17/2019
Difference
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2019 Budget
Needed Year to Date
Received Year to Date
Difference Year to Date
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11/22/2019
-------------
30
90
--------------
$6,309
--------------
$328,086
$283,905
$253,890
($30,015)
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AROUND THE CHURCH -
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
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| Friday, November 22 |
6:00 pm |
Family Movie Night |
| Sunday, November 25 |
4:00 pm |
Circuit Charge Conference |
| Sunday, November 25 |
5:00 pm |
Interfaith Thanksgiving Service |
| Sunday, December 1st |
10:30 am |
World Aids Day |
| Sunday, December 1st |
11:40 am |
Hanging of the Greens |
| Saturday, December 7th |
8:00 am |
UMM Breakfast |
| Saturday, December 7th |
7:00 pm |
Christmas Dinner |
| Sunday, December 15th |
11:40 am |
Chili Lunch & Annual All Church Meeting |
| Tuesday, December 17th |
6:30 am |
Men's Bagelry Group |
| Sunday, December 22nd |
10:30 am |
Choir Christmas Pageant |
| Tuesday, December 24th |
3:00 pm |
Children's Christmas Pageant |
| Tuesday, December 24th |
5:00 pm |
Christmas Eve Service |
| Tuesday, December 24th |
7:00 pm |
Christmas Eve Service |
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TEAM MEETINGS -
NOVEMBER & DECEMBER
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| Tuesday, December 3 |
6:00 pm |
Missions |
| Tuesday, December 3 |
7:00 pm |
Trustees |
| Thursday, December 12 |
7:00 pm |
Finance |
| Tuesday, December 17 |
6:00 pm |
Church & Society |
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Monday - Thursday: 9:00 am - 1:15 pm
Friday: CLOSED
Please call the office at 303-674-4810, or email [email protected] if you would like to add
your event to the weekly Happenings.
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LARGE PRINT HYMNALS, BIBLES AND BULLETINS
are available in the vestibule for Sunday services. Just ask one of the ushers to help you.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES
are available for Sunday services. If you would like to try an Assistive Listening device this Sunday just ask one of the ushers or a sound booth technician.
AN OPEN INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP
is extended to all persons. Please speak with the pastor about your interest in becoming part of this great Christian Fellowship.
RELOADABLE KING SOOPERS/SAFEWAY GROCERY CARDS
are on sale in Fellowship Hall on the
third Sunday of each month
following each worship service. 5% of all purchases made with these reloadable cards goes back to UMCE! You can also purchase these by contacting the church office.
REMEMBER TO USE AMAZON SMILE
when you shop at Amazon. Go to
www.amazonsmile.com
and designate
The United Methodist Church of Evergreen
as your charity of choice. Amazon will then donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to UMCE.
EQUAL EXCHANGE FAIR TRADE COFFEE
is served during our Sunday morning fellowship but you can also order it. Please contact the church office with requests or questions.
Also, please drop some change in the coffee pot to help pay for Sunday morning fellowship coffee.
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THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF EVERGREEN
Growing a community of faith by serving a world of need and changing lives. We affirm a spirit of openness and hospitality to all, including persons of all races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, financial strata, and abilities who seek a closer walk with God.
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