This Sunday  |   What's Ahead  |   Groups  |   Giving Update   
 
Last night we said goodbye to Sandra, our dear nanny who has lived with us and loved our children alongside us this past year. Our house was filled with all the smells of Sandra's favorite foods, all the sounds of a lively party, plus all the emotions of goodbye.   
 
I loved the entire evening. From preparing food together, to the kids playing inside and out, the hugs and gifts and prayers and tears - my heart was full.  It felt like a little taste of heaven to me, with so much love in the air it was palpable. One of the reasons I savored the night was because it was all face to face and heart to heart. So much of my life is lived in logistics-land where schedules and plans and lists seem to dominate. But last night, there were no screens or texts or typing. There was no voice coming through a device with no face, and no Facetime simulation of real life. No, it was the real deal. People who love Sandra gathered to express it in person.   
 
There is no replacing in- person. I'm grateful for all the virtual ways we can keep connected to one another from afar, bu t there is just no replacing in- person, shared space, eyeball to eyeball time.   
 
And here is a little secret: No one else can build this for you. You must show up in your real body  with all its insecurities and accomplishments.    You'll have to  get your skin in the game of messy, imperfect,  sometimes boring, often impractical, inconvenient, unproductive and  surprising relationships. From time to time I hear people complain that "the church" just isn't building a strong enough community for them. And while I'm always open to  the  ways  we  can improve, my heart and  my  life tell me that no organization can do this work for you. You must  cultivate it - like a garden .  You will have to be the one to plant seeds of friendship, and water them, and pull up the weeds.   A church can point the way towards deep spiritual community by offering environments like small groups, and creating shared experiences together - but all of these things only serve as a signpost - an arrow - that points the way. The church programs are just  arrows  pointing towards spiritual friendship,  they can not replace it.  Spiritual friendships are only fostered face to face and heart to heart.  A church can point towards  deep  community, but it cannot create it for someone. An organization and its leaders can seek to model and build and value spiritual friendships, but they can never be a substitute for someone showing up and doing this work themselves. If you're going to know true community, you have to commit yourself to some relationships long past the point where  you find yourself saying of  those relationships, " they  just don't work for me anymore."  You'll have to get disappointed, work through that, and stay. If you want to experience friendship, community, and love you'll have to show up, over and over again and sometimes, when you're least expecting it, you just might bump into a little bit of heaven here on earth - where Christ himself is present in the bread and in the wine and in the going away party for your friend.   







This Sunday Banner
Making plans for Christmas Eve? Join us for worship at 10:30am, 4:00pm, or 6:00pm. After services, stop by our interactive nativity with live animal petting zoo and photo booth!

What's Ahead Banner
Community Meal on New Years Eve
Join us for breakfast at 9am on Sunday 12/31, and ONE worship service together at 10:30am (no 9 am worship service that day).

Are you a 20-something? 
Join us for a 20-something focus group lunch on Sunday, January 21st. We'd love your input on the development of a young adults ministry at Platt Park Church. Contact  tim@plattparkchurch.org to learn more. 

Blessing Bags
We invite you to take a "Blessing Bag" with you a fter any of our Christmas Eve services. These bags contain helpful supplies that you can give to someone holding a sign on the side of the road or in need this winter. Keep this in your car, and hand it out when the opportunity presents itself. Thank you for helping spread God's love in a tangible way this winter.  

Living is Giving Sermon Series & New Group Sign Up Starting in January
Join us Sunday mornings at 9 or 10:30am (childcare available) this January as we launch a new sermon series on spreading the ridiculous love of God through acts of service. Our small group promotion & sign up will start in January also. 

Interested in serving internationally this summer?
We are sending serving teams to Guatemala & Mexico this summer. Interested in learning more? Contact  anne@plattparkchurch.org 

Christmas Offering
Tonights offering will go towards our end-of-year giving goal of 65K. This money will be used to spread the ridiculous love of God in 2018. For details on this goal, please pick up a Christmas Offering insert at the "connect" table in the back of the sanctuary. Thank you for your generosity! 

Connect, Grow, and Flourish!
Looking for ways to connect in our faith community?  Want to find a place to serve in our church, in Denver, or even globally?  Stop by the 'Connection Table' in the Parlor after service and  learn more about the good things that are happening in our faith community!  Susan Stein, (pastor of community integration & soul care) would love to chat with you and share opportunities to connect, grow and flourish at Platt Park Church!  For more info, please email susan@plattparkchurch.org

Nepal Partnership
Interested in our partnership in Nepal?  Let us know! We would love to include you on our monthly ministry update email newsletter. To be added, please fill out a connection card via paper or via our app, or email us at   info@plattparkchurch.org .

Download our Church App.  
We now have a custom church app you can download to stay connected with everything here at Platt Park Church! You can access sermons, events, and give, right through our Church's app. Just go to your phone's app store, search for Platt Park Church, and download. Or click here:  Download Our App

Looking for a way to connect in our faith community?
Consider volunteering during Sunday morning services. We have needs for volunteers in the following areas: Greeter Team, Communion Servers, Hospitality Team, Media Presenters, and Children and Youth Ministry Volunteers.  Contact Susan Stein (susan@plattparkchurch.org) for more information and to get involved!

The Daily Practice: Time with God
The Daily Practice: a devotional tool from Platt Park Church for developing the habit of daily time with God.  Learning to love God takes practice. Just like exercising a muscle, our hearts are trained to love from the bottom up, through the formation of our habits and practices. Discipleship is about curating our hearts to love God and the things that God loves. Forces of our culture train us to love things other than God all the time, but spiritual practices help us to be attentive and intentional about what my heart really loves and desires. Following Jesus is more a matter of hungering and thirsting than of knowing and believing and it is our habit forming practices that form our desires over time.
May this daily practice tune your heart to sing His praise.  Click  HERE  to listen on the web, or find us wherever podcasts are available by searching for "Platt Park Church" or "Daily Practice: Time with God".

#CasseroleCare Volunteers
We're thrilled to offer #CasseroleCare to our new moms, families undergoing a severe illness, and others in need! It's a good-old fashioned meal train, where we deliver home-cooked or freshly prepared restaurant dinners. Service opportunities include meal preparation, delivery, or simply donating a gift card from your favorite fast casual restaurant! Please indicate #CasseroleCare on your comment card, or contact Marcie Everett at marcieneverett@gmail.com for additional details. 

The APPLE TREE CLOSET is open for shopping!
Beautiful, upscale women's clothing, shoes and accessories are regularly donated to us by Common Threads on South Pearl and you can purchase them for a fraction of their original price. Students and those with low income can even shop for free!  The proceeds from this ministry benefit our Benevolence/Blessing Fund. Come check it out on the lower level!  (Due to space limitations we are no longer accepting donated items from the congregation). 

Groups Banner
FALL/WINTER GROUPS ARE ONGOING! 
Small groups are one important way to grow deeper in relationships with God and with one another. We learn to know Christ more and how to follow him in word and deed in the context of community. Joining a small group is such a vital and easy way to get to know others in the church, establish friendships and grow in Christ in a more relaxed setting. Sometimes participating in a group can help you determine if joining a church in Denver is for you.  
 
Adoption Connections (For people with ties to the adoption)   
Leaders- Gwen & Tim Vogelzang  
Fourth Friday of every month, 6:15pm - 8pm @ Platt Park Church (Parlor)   
We welcome Platt Park members as well as anyone outside the church body who has ties to the world of adoption. Whether you've adopted internationally, domestically, through foster care, you're considering adoption, you were adopted, you placed a child for adoption...everyone is welcome. Bring dinner and eat as a family at 6:00pm, if you wish! Our formal time together will begin at 6:30; when we will share journeys, discuss adoption related topics, and grow in community. (Childcare starting at 6:30).   
 
Babies and Tots (For families with babies and toddlers)  
Leaders: The Detzels, the Larsons & the Rondeaus  
First Saturday of every month, 4pm - 6pm @ Platt Park Church (Parlor)   
We are a new group for parents of babies and tots! We will keep it simple, gathering together for guided conversation, worship and community building (and maybe some food too!) Childcare provided.   
 
Evening Edition (For women)  
Leaders- Carol Schmidt & Heather Easter  
Thursday evenings, 6:30pm-8pm @ Platt Park Church (Lounge)   
"Have you ever wondered why sometimes you seem to "succeed" spiritually, and other times you seem to "fail?" Or, when you are fully trusting and obeying God, that you seem to encounter more obstacles, discouragement, and defeat? As crazy as it may sound to our modern world, the Bible says that there is an enemy, and he is out to devour us like a roaring lion. This fall, the Evening Edition Women's Group will be studying C.S. Lewis' book The Screwtape Letters. This book is a timeless classic told from the devil's point of view. Childcare Provided.   
 
The Front Door (For people who are new to our community)  
Leaders- Tim & Susie Grade  
Sunday nights, 5pm- 7pm (October 8, 15, 22, 29) @ the Grade's home   
Are you new to Platt Park Church? Do you want to meet more people and get to know the pastors? This four-week group is an opportunity for people who are newer or not-yet connected in the faith community to share a weekly meal and conversation about the mission and vision of our church. We will gather in co-pastors, Tim and Susie Grade's home for a potluck style dinner, followed by casual conversation.  
 
Holy Yoga (All are welcome!)   
Leader- Kari Johnson  
Mondays from 6:30pm-7:30pm @ Platt Park Church (Social Hall)   
Holy Yoga is the intentional practice of connecting our entire being; body, mind & spirit, with God. You will experience a Christ centered yoga practice including breath work,   
meditation and physical postures. This "Slow Flow" yoga is for all experience levels, linking breath with motion. Modifications are offered if you are looking for a  more gentle  practice or if you are looking to up-level. Come join us for an opportunity to connect to God through His Word, worship and wellness. All levels are welcome! Please bring a mat, water bottle, and a friend! No childcare. Suggested Donation: $10  
 
Just Worship (All are welcome!)  
Leader: Charlie Dodrill  
1st Wednesday of every month, 6:30-7:30pm @ Platt Park Church (Sanctuary)   
Charlie and others will lead us in an hour of worship. Come, relax, rest, sing, BE in the presence of God as 'he inhabits the praises of his people' (Psalm 22:3). Childcare (0-5  yr   olds  
 
Morning Edition (For women)   
Leaders: Lara Hedberg & Kelli Detzel   
Thursdays Mornings, 10:00am - 11:30am @ Platt Park Church (Parlor)   
Join us for connection, honest conversation and weekly prayer. Get to know other women and be known as we open the scriptures and discuss the book "What is the Bible ? :  How a book of Poems, Letters and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything," by Rob Bell. Childcare Provided.   
 
Monday Night Men (For men)   
Leader: Mark Bixler  
Mondays, 7pm - 8:30pm @ Platt Park Church (Parlor)   
This fall we will be reading Richard Rohr's book, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective. Find out about these 9 personality types, how you see the world, and how others might see the same world differently!   
 
Simply Jesus (All are welcome)  
Leaders: The Kidds & the  Haverlands    
1st & 3rd Mondays, 7pm - 8:30pm @ the Haverland's Home   
We will be studying John  Ortberg's  book,  Who  is this Man? Jesus' influence has swept over history, bringing his inspiration to the evolution of art, science, government, medicine, and education. This book and video series will challenge and encourage us to lead lives of dignity, compassion, forgiveness, and hope that will continue to inspire and challenge humanity today.   
 
Connect (All are welcome)  
Leaders: Charlie Dodrill & Susan Stein  
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, 6:30-8:00pm, (Location TBA)   
Come learn and engage with different spiritual practices for our continuing journey toward the heart of God. You will hear from some amazing spiritual formation leaders in our community and gain practical guidance in the spiritual disciplines. Join us and experience new ways of hearing from and being present to God. Childcare provided.   
 
Sunday Funday for Families (for families with school-age kids)   
Leaders: Olivia Kosky & Anne Coughlin  
First Sunday of the Month, 5:00pm- 7:00pm @ Platt Park Church   
Sunday  Funday  for Families is a group where families can connect, socialize and learn together. This fall, we will be utilizing a video series called "Have a New Kid by Friday: How to Change Your Child's Attitude, Behavior & Character in 5 Days." This series is most relevant for families in the season of life of character-building and setting expectations for behavior in their kids. Childcare provided.   
 
Sunday Morning Bible Study (All are welcome)   
Leader - Sandy Laws  
Sunday Mornings, 10:30am- 11:30am @ Platt Park Church (Lounge)   
Big Picture Thinking of God: Have you ever wondered about what happened in the Garden of Eden? And how it fits into the New Testament. Or why God created us in the first place? Or what is God's plan  is  for his people? If you've had these questions and want to examine the major themes of the Bible and how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together, then join us for a five-week study on The Big Picture Thinking of God. This class is taught by Sandy Laws, New Testament scholar and graduate from Denver Seminary. Childcare provided.   
 
Wednesday Morning Men (For men)   
Leader - Tim Grade   
Wednesdays, 7am - 8am @ the REI Starbucks (1416 Platte River Rd.)   
This Fall we will be reading Richard Rohr's book The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective. Find out about these 9 personality types, how you see the world, and how others might see the same world differently!   

 
For more information or to register for a group, please visit   www.plattparkchurch.org/growing  

Giving Banner

We believe giving is at the heart of the message of the Gospel. John 3:16 says, "God loved the world so much that he gave..."

We appreciate your presence and partnership in our family of faith. Thank you for your generosity. Our weekly budget is $7,000. 
 
November 19: $6,242.00
November 26: $4,840.00
December 3: $12,119.00
December 10: $7,643.00

Ways to Give:
  1. Online at plattparkchurch.org/give
  2. Text the word "platt" to 77977
  3. Download the Platt Park Church app (visit your app store and search "Platt Park Church" then download)
  4. Via an offering envelope (included in the weekly worship program)
  5. During Sunday worship gathering (via the offering boxes)
Mission
In everything we do here at Platt Park Church, our deepest hope and prayer is that people are becoming passionate, devoted followers of Christ. 


Platt Park Church
303.974.7489

We are a simple, honest community of faith in Denver's historic Platt Park Neighborhood.