Your weekly news & updates
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New Sermon Series starts September 8th
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Scripture is clear, we were made by God, for God, to be in relationship with God. Human disobedience, or sin, leads to separation from the God who loves us as beloved children. The ensuing gap between us and our creator is of our doing and making - the results are devastating. Hurt, pain, brokenness, and violence become our norm to the point that when we describe the “human condition”, we mean something that is not well. This is not what God intended in creation, to be human was to be a blessing whereby we reflect the love of God, not a curse that dogs our days with misery. The story of Scripture following our demise in Genesis 3 is a story of God seeking to close the gap between God’s presence and our own. Ultimately God comes as Jesus Christ to close the gap once and for all through his earthly ministry and divine sacrifice. So how do we experience God closing the gap? Namely, we do this through the worship of God that is done in the name of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, God makes this happen and invites us into his own sacred presence in worship. God is God so he can certainly reach us anytime and anyplace. But what we find in worship is a space that is set apart specifically for the worshiping community to encounter God in specific ways. This series is designed to explore worship so we can better understand how God is seeking to close the gap between him and us through the acts of gathering, music, prayer, Holy Communion, and proclamation. Finally, we take the experience of worship with us back out into the world God loves, and we serve, as those commissioned to witness to God’s love. This series begins on September 8th and concludes on October 13th.
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We begin our new series, Closing the Gap, with a conversation around why we gather together before God and not as individuals. Here is a short reflection to help us all prepare for worship this Sunday.
I grew up in church, literally. I was only a week or two old the first time my mother took me to church joining her and my three older brothers in a bi, tri, and sometimes quad weekly ritual of being present with other believers at church. By the time I left home for college, I estimate that I had attended various church worship services close to two thousand times. If you’re guessing that I grew up Baptist you are right! I’m probably actually underestimating if you count the number of revivals - which also means I was saved about 200 times!
As I look over all those years of worship experiences, I must confess that can only recall a snippet or two of any particular sermon. I certainly recall the preachers; I just don’t remember what they said. What then helped shape my faith to the place where I would be able to answer the call to preach myself? Simply put, it was the power and the presence of the worshipping community.
As I said, I don’t really recall any particular worship service - I remember the people who gathered in the pews beside me. For me, the gathering was formative in my understanding of who Christ is and what His Church is called to be. Those people collectively helped shape my faith in powerful ways. Even though I struggle to recall a specific sermon or a specific Sunday School lesson, I learned who Christ is and who I was called to be thanks to the gathered community. Why and how does this happen this way? Because the gathering is ordained by Jesus himself.
Jesus tells us clearly in Matthew 18:29, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (NRSV). There is an amazing God-given power found when gathering in the name of Christ and it is this gathering that defines what Church is, rather than any physical structure. In fact, the Greek word,
ekklesia
or ecclesia in English, is used to denote a body of believers who are called out of the world to be the very body of Christ representing Christ back to the world. A key component of this body is that they assemble together in the name of Christ as directed in Matthew 18:29.
Finally, it is clear that Jesus intended from the beginning of his earthly ministry to create a new reality that is based primarily in community, not individual piety. Please don't misunderstand, there is nothing wrong with personal devotion and study - far from it, such habits are crucial to the Christian walk. But we can never substitute individual devotion to our faith for the gathering of the collective community. Indeed our personal, one-on-one time with God is meant to help us grow in such a way that we can make the collective body stronger. Jesus sets this stage early on as he calls his first four disciples in pairs. These men were two sets of brothers, people who were already connected, that Jesus uses as the foundation of this new “family” that will ultimately become the Church.
Gathering is in our blood as Christians. It is who we are and who we are called to be as the true power of God in the name of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is manifested in the gathering. This is why there is no substituting gathering
together
for worship.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Steve
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What’s next for DUMC?
Over the past two years, a team of people have been working diligently to develop a long-range plan for the church. With much prayer, time, and effort that plan is now ready to be presented to the congregation. Over the next few weeks, you will be hearing more about this plan and how I, along with your planning team, believe God is calling us to wake up to this great dream He has for us! Be on the lookout for a booklet that will be mailed to each household that goes into detail concerning this vision. In the meantime, if you want a preview, members of the planning team will be available this Sunday after each service outside the Library (upper level of the Family Life Center) to share schematic sketches and to take questions. Personally, I am excited about what God is bringing before us as this plan will equip DUMC to grow in our effectiveness and service to our community significantly.
-Blessings,
Pastor Steve
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JOY Monthly meeting
YOU COULD BE A WINNER!! Bingo, prizes and snacks - The perfect combination of food and fun! Join Just Older Youth on Thursday, September 12th at 11:00 a.m. in the CORC. Each person should bring a wrapped white elephant gift labeled for a man or a woman, as well as a finger food snack.
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Table Talk and Life Groups
Starting Next Wednesday
Have you been looking for a place to plug in? Does Denver seem to have more people than you can remember by name? Please come this coming Wednesday, September 11th for Table Talk and Life Groups. There are offerings for a variety of ages and interests including a new group for people who are single again. The singles group is designed for people experiencing separation, divorce or the loss of a significant other. For more information please contact Pastor Todd at
todd.mccullough@denverumc.org
.
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Cub Scout Pack 84 Kickoff
Cub Scout Pack 84 will have its kickoff parent meeting on September 10th in the Roden Scout Center from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Boys and girls grades K-5 interested in cub scouting are invited to attend. Interested parties may contact J. Berley at
jjberley@gmail.com
or 704-308-8519.
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Heartbeats Walk
Join our DUMC Team at the Heartbeats Walk on September 14, 2019. Registration opens at 6:00 p.m. and Walk begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Pursuit Church parking lot, 3618 North Highway 16, Denver, NC 28037.
Psalms 137:3 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from Him.
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S.O.A.P. Sunday School
(Scripture, Observations, Applications and Prayer)
Small group Bible study of Genesis. This group meets weekly on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in WAB 101. We use a commentary study guide and encourage discussion of scripture and its relevant application to daily life. Contact Steve Stephenson at
sgstephenson5@gmail.com
for more information.
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MOPS
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is back in season and our first meeting will be Friday, September 6th from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. We will be learning about what it means to live your life “To The Full” in the midst of raising little ones! Breakfast will be served and childcare provided upon pre-registration. We hope to see you there! Contact Bri Schutter at
b3heydeschutter@gmail.com
with any questions or for more information.
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Moms, Meal and a Message
M3 is a group for moms like you! We are excited to announce that the night time moms group formerly "night time MOPS" will have a new name and format. With the expanded age group, we are now M3 - Moms, Meal and a Message.
We will have monthly gatherings held at DUMC starting in September on the 2nd Monday evening of each month at 6:30 p.m. Our first meeting will be September 9th in the CORC. The message will be focused on "Thrive, don't just Survive". So, whether you're stressed about the chaos involved with back to school or you're fighting mountains of laundry - this evening is for you!
Dinner will be served. Childcare provided. Join us for fellowship, fun, good food and a message! And, put together your own survival kit! ALL moms welcome. Invite your friends. Join our Facebook group:
www.facebook.com/groups/M3MomsMealMessage
Save the dates:
9/9, 10/14, 11/11, 12/9, 1/6, 2/10, 3/9, 4/6, 5/11
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Harbortown
Quick! Before anyone gives it away.... is the book of Joshua in the Old Testament or the New Testament?? This week Harbortown is studying the story of those Jericho walls coming down, and how God used Joshua to do it. Bring your best trumpet playing impression to church this week!
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Staff Contact Information
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Director of
Student Ministry
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Director of
Children’s Ministry
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Director of
Worship Arts
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Associate Director
of Worship Arts
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Director of Communication
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Director of Pre-K Ministry
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Director of Congregational Care
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