Friday, August 21st, 2020 |
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Onsite worship: 8:30 & 10:30
Online worship: Available from 9 on
Online Kid's Sunday School: 9:30
Onsite Kid’s Sunday School: 10:30
Onsite Youth Group: 12:30 - 3
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OUTDOOR PANCAKE BREAKFAST THIS SUNDAY! |
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Come enjoy fellowship and a hot stack of pancakes on Sunday, August 23 @ 9:30am.
For safety purposes, it will be held outdoors, with social distancing maintained, and there will be no self service.
Please come and join us.
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Join the Barefoot Mile UMCE Team!
On Saturday, August 29th, join the UMCE Team and walk a mile in solidarity with impoverished and trafficked children to raise funds for JOY International, a global non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, restoration and reintegration of children, teens and young women affected by trafficking and the prevention of child trafficking worldwide. We will walk together at Marshdale Park.
Need assistance? Just reply back to this email to contact Jessica.
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Capture the Flag
At 1PM (ending at 3PM) on August 29th we will hold our August Capture the Flag event. Bring your water guns and join us for a good time to close out the summer.
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Shout Out to Lauren & Eileen Alter
- Lauren turned 90 on August 3rd.
- Lauren & Eileen celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary on July 15th.
- They hosted the youth group for yard and ditch projects during the youth service week and fed them a great lunch!
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Update on the Onsite Church Relaunch
As we enter the third month of worshiping onsite under the current conference, state, and county COVID19 guidelines, the care with which we set up our standards for safety has given us a worshipful, positive experience. We give thanks to our Lord for providing ongoing guidance, strength and grace.
Each speaking lectern has a large sneeze/cough guard on it. Masks are on except when a speaker is behind their individual guard. We are averaging nearly half of our pre-COVID19 worship attendance, which seems appropriate given many of our congregation are waiting before feeling comfortable coming to onsite worship. We have included a few photos of our set-up.
Church groups continue to prefer meeting by Zoom for now. The evening AA and daytime Al-Anon groups are very appreciative we are allowing them to meet. Those groups are important lifelines for their members. They have been diligent about following the guidelines in place.
During the week staff wear masks when anyone is in their office and whenever outside their office. Pastor Deb is meeting with individuals at church as well as making calls and sending emails/notes. Safe distancing, entry, masks and sanitizing protocols are the same as those we have in place for Sundays. In-home and care center visits remain on hold.
The careful plans Sarah and the program relaunch team established to resume our onsite children’s and youth ministries at the appropriate, safe levels have been appreciated by our youth, kids and their families during this difficult time where they have few opportunities to gather. The special summer session which Great Escape held with their COVID19 standards came off with much success and grateful families.
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“Introduction to the New Testament” Begins on August 31, 7 p.m. via Zoom
The results are in – and they were close! Pastor Deb will lead “Introduction to the New Testament” beginning Monday evening, August 31, 7-8 p.m. via Zoom.
This class, one of the popular UMC short-term Disciple bible studies, includes study, a DVD and discussion each week. The cost is $18 and includes a study book.
Please register by calling the church office 303- 674-4810 or by email office@evergreenumc.org. This is a great study for whatever level of New Testament knowledge and understanding you might have.
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September/October Upper Room Now Available
These are now in the narthex. If you would like one mailed to you, please reply to this email. Upper Room is also available online in digital format, if you prefer that, please reply to this email and request access.
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Lifting up Two of Our “Pastors Emeritus” Among Us
The Rev. Dr. Dick Vickery & the Rev. Dr. Scott Schiesswohl both served long and outstanding years as pastors for UMC of Evergreen. They are now retired and living here in Evergreen. Rev. Scott is continuing to serve as a part-time pastor at St. James UMC in Central City. We have the blessing of including both of them in our community of faith for fellowship and care. Rev. Dick is currently enjoying good health, though has had some ups and downs over the past few months. Rev. Scott just had successful knee surgery on August 11. Here’s contact information to be able to touch base with them.
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Church Office Hours Updates
Starting 8/21 through 9/3, the church office will be closed and Jessica will be working remotely due to school scheduling and COVID situations. Please contact her via email and/or her cell number during that time (303-720-9187).
Pastor Deb will be on vacation 9/9 through 9/16.
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Finances Year to Date through June 30 |
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Ministry Jottings
Kindness and Compassion
“I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.” – Job 29:15
“Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? How then can we deal treacherously each person with their brother or sister?” – Malachi 2:10
“When I was young I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people,” said Rabbi Abraham Heschel. From the Jewish perspective, an unkind person does not believe in God.
“How could anyone who believes in the God of the Bible treat his or her fellow human beings, all of whom are created in God’s image, with less than compassion?” asks Rabbi Joseph Teluskin
The story is told that when Abba Tahnah the Pious was entering his city on the Sabbath eve with a bundle slung over his shoulder, he came upon a helpless man lying at a crossroads. The man said to him, “Master, do an act of kindness for me. Carry me into the city.” Abba Tahnah replied, “If I abandon my bundle, how shall I and my household support ourselves? But if I abandon a man afflicted with such a need, I will forfeit my life.”
He set his bundle down on the road and carried the afflicted man into the city. Then he returned for his bundle and reentered the city with the last rays of the sun. Everybody was astonished at seeing so pious a man carrying a heavy bundle as the Sabbath was beginning, something forbidden by Jewish law. They exclaimed, “Is this really Abba Tahnah the Pious?”
He too felt uneasy at heart and said to himself: “Is it possible that I have desecrated the Sabbath?” At that point, the Holy One caused the sun to continue to shine, thereby delaying the beginning of the Sabbath.
Your kindness and compassion toward others count for eternity and show others the nature of our loving Lord.
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August Sermon Series
Lessons from Sunday School:
Aug 2 {communion} “The Greatest Freedom is in Having Nothing to Prove”
Aug 9 “When You Play to Your Strengths the Giants Fall Faster"
Aug 16 “I Was Meant to Party With My Enemies”
Aug 23 “Just Occasionally – I Can Hide”
Aug 30 “Don’t Lose Heart”
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The Church and Society team is hosting a Racial Justice Corner on the UMCE website listing resources for the congregation on Racial Justice. The resource list includes programs, videos, books and resource listings/information to help all learn more about racism and anti-racism and to provide ideas for all of us on ways to help seek racial justice in our world.
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MOUNTAIN RESOURCE CENTER UPDATES |
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Previous looks at the work of JOY International focused on the RESCUE and HEALING of young victims of sex trafficking.
PREVENTION is always in the forefront.
DID YOU KNOW?
Human trafficking is the second largest black market industry behind illegal drugs. It's the FASTEST GROWING global industry! (International Labor Organization May 2014.)
Demand, poverty and lack of education are 3 of the driving forces behind the sexual exploitation of children around the world. JOY strives to educate vulnerable people about human trafficking by providing them with relevant information about trafficker's schemes, as well as providing food, clothing and shoes to ease their burden of poverty.
An example is recently in April, 2020, a flood destroyed the homes and crops of 27 Ugandan school girls and their families that JOY helps.
A “financial safety net" was sent from JOY to provide essential food and supplies to these girls and their families, thus helping them to survive the losses.
JOY also believes that trafficking can be prevented through education. A recent parent resource, "Family Centered Internet Safety", and the "Why Are You Barefoot" curricula for grades 1-6 are examples of JOY's education initiatives. Dr.Jeff Brodsky speaks around the world to groups like airport and hotel personnel about how to recognize trafficking, and how one can help prevent it. He is available to speak to local groups as well.
The ultimate form of prevention is the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of the perpetrators. This is the goal of every rescue, so enslaved young people can return to a life of freedom and of promise.
Please support the Barefoot Mile fundraiser on August 29th by walking in person or virtually, and donating whatever you can to support this lifesaving work.
THANK YOU from your Mountain Community JOY Team!
P.S. Join the Barefoot Mile UMCE Team!
On Saturday, August 29th, join the UMCE Team and walk a mile in solidarity with impoverished and trafficked children to raise funds for JOY International, a global non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, restoration and reintegration of children, teens and young women affected by trafficking and the prevention of child trafficking worldwide. We will walk together at Marshdale Park.
Need assistance? Just reply back to this email to contact Jessica.
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MEAN STREET MINISTRY UPDATES |
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Mean Street Ministry has continued to serve our clients throughout this difficult time. We are taking safety precautions seriously and in doing so are still able to provide a hot meal in our café Mondays through Thursdays as well as open our food bank on Tuesdays and Thursdays for folks to personally shop for what they need. Our Monday and Tuesday night outreach to the motels on Colfax continues to be strong. We see God’s hand and His blessings each day as we serve the people of God for the glory of God.
Each day we are blessed with new stories of God’s Spirit working here at Mean Street. Our clients actively seek prayer from us and the miracles keep coming. Take Juan for example. Our outreach team first met him at a motel and he was contemplating taking his life. Our team spoke with him and shared God’s message of hope. Juan stated that he was a believer but had thought about giving up. Our team invited him to come to Mean Street, have a meal and get to know folks here. The next day Juan came and we were able to sit and pray with him and listen to his story. He now wants to volunteer with us because he said he can feel God at Mean Street. What a blessing it is to be a blessing!
We are only able to be a blessing with your help! We are such a small staff and our volunteers are the heart and soul of this ministry. The Covid-19 situation has caused a reduction in our volunteer base and we are in dire need of friends who would like to join us in our mission.
Some of our current volunteer openings include:
- Box truck Driver
- Van Loader/Organizer
- Food Bank Re-Stocker
- Front Door Greeter
- Registration Check In
- Meal Prep/Provide
- Café server
- Café Setup/Take Down
- Street Outreach
You can volunteer as many or as few hours as your schedule allows – there are no set requirements.
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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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