Annual Holiday Wreath Fundraiser
UMCE will kick off its annual Holiday Wreath Fundraiser this Sunday, October 17! Wreath orders will be taken for three Sundays (Oct 17, 24 and 31) in Fellowship Hall after the 8:30 and 10:30 services and delivered to the church the week of Nov 15-19. Orders are due by Oct 31, and payment is due when your order is placed. The online ordering/drop ship option will be available, too. Contact Debby Humphrey at dmhnco@gmail.com or 303-587-7353 with questions. Thanks for supporting this fundraiser for UMCE’s General Fund!
|
|
Membership Fundraiser - UMCE Mugs!
We now have gorgeous UMCE mugs available for purchase! For $12 you can be reminded of our love for God and people. There is a collection basket in Fellowship Hall or contact the office to purchase. The funds are being collected for the membership budget. This budget is in part towards growing our church family!
|
|
The Latest Upper Room is now available
The Upper Room devotional for November/December is now available in the narthex. If you would like one mailed to you, or access a digital copy please contact the church office by replying to this email. $2 suggested donation.
|
|
New Online Giving System
We have moved our online giving system and need your help! Currently you may be using the Vanco online giving system OR the GivePlus app on your phone for your online giving.
We have now moved to a new system called Breeze and need you to move your giving over there ASAP.
You can also setup your giving by texting this number and following the prompts: (720) 902-9593
Easy Peasy!
You can also set this up as a first time online giver too. Please call Jessica in the office if you need help!
|
|
Sunday Adult Education Class
Come meet with fellow church members in the library between the two services. All are welcome! Hope to see you at 9:30 am on the coming Sundays. **Please note that masks are being required for attendees. Thank you for your cooperation!
|
|
Two-Part Series on Immigration
When asylum-seeking immigrants are released from an ICE detention facility onto unfamiliar streets near Denver, Colorado, where can they go for help? Since 2012, Sarah Jackson and her team of volunteers at Casa de Paz have welcomed them into her home and helped to reunite them with their families.
Casa de Paz (House of Peace) offers shelter, meals, plane/bus tickets, transportation and emotional support to immigrants released from detention as they transition to their final destination.
Hear more about this extraordinary ministry! And read ahead at casadepazcolorado.org.
October 17: Welcome Strangers. A document telling a timely story of Loving Thy Neighbor followed by discussion. “A testament to the power of community. A film whose subject is a beacon, lifeline and bridge to the immigration process”. -Palm Springs ShortFest Jury Statement
October 24: Meet Peggy and Dwight Steen, Ambassadors to Casa de Paz. Peggy and Dwight will share with us the story of Casa and their experiences as volunteers extraordinaire. They will answer our questions about Casa de Paz and the immigration process. Peggy and Dwight are members of Trinity UMC. Please give them a big welcome!
October 31: Immigration seems to have been in our headlines for as long as anyone can remember. Many, if not all, of our ancestors came here as immigrants. So why hasn't the challenge of immigration been resolved?
- Come hear the stories of those who have come to the United States, legally or otherwise.
- Learn why they came to the United States and what their journeys have been like to become productive members of our society.
- Learn why the issue hasn't been resolved and why it may likely never be resolved in our lifetime.
|
|
Coffee Fellowship Hour
We could use some help with people signing up as fellowship hour hosts on Sundays. There is a sign up sheet in fellowship hall. Please consider signing up to keep this important fellowship time continuing.
What does it mean to be the host? Put on fresh coffee and bring in some goodies (store bought or homemade). That's it!
|
|
Parking Lot Retaining Wall Stabilized
We can check off a huge project that the Trustees had on their Wish List for a long time. The so-called “Leaning Wall of Pisa” has been repaired! Several years ago, the Trustees solicited proposals from landscaping companies to rebuild the wall that borders the main parking lot that actually leaned precariously more than the famous tower in Italy. After determining that the work would cost our church in excess of $2,000 the project was tabled in favor of higher priorities.
That all changed thanks to the volunteer efforts of 16-year old Landon Hartman who accepted this arduous project in partial fulfillment of Landon’s work to obtain the Boy Scout rank of Eagle. The actual physical work on the 260-foot long wall took just two days, but there is so much more to the story.
The planning effort that went into the project was done over a 65-day period. Landon’s behind the scene efforts included gaining approval from our church and from Landon’s Scout Troop 888 and the hierarchy of the Boy Scouts. In order to make sure that the project was even doable, London conducted a “proof of concept” wherein a 20-feet long section of the wall was worked on in order to determine if the logs could be reused, what materials would be needed to stabilize the wall, and most importantly, how much work effort it would take to rebuild the entire wall. Landon obtained promises of assistance from at least a dozen scouts from his own troop, additional scouts from other troops (some located in Denver).many adult Scout Leaders, and even a few members of our own congregation. A major success of the project was when Landon obtained materials including 12-tons of pea-gravel graciously donated by Martin Marietta and nearly $200 in hardware donated by Home Depot.
|
|
The visible part of the project all came together on the work days October 7th and 8th. That is when the many Scouts and volunteers started demolition of the wall, removing the soil behind the outward leaning logs, rebuilding the wall to have a vertical face, installing a pea-gravel drain wrapped in filter fabric along the back side length of the wall, then topping the filter off with topsoil. Additionally, a path using excess excavated soil was made along the wooden fence where we can now more safely hang banners visible to Safeway and also many dozen wheelbarrow loads of pea-gravel were hauled to the Great Escape playground. All this was done at absolutely no cost to the Church!
All the work was completed in the two days Landon had allocated for the work, there were no injuries, and the wall looks great! Special thanks goes out to Landon Harman, the Scouts of Troop 888, the adult volunteers and our own members Michael Eaton; Ann and John Thomas, Bill Graf, and Penn Gildersleeve.
|
|
2022 Stewardship
Our Stewardship Campaign for the 2022 calendar year is about to begin. The theme this year will be ‘Entrusted Treasures, God’s Gifts in Our Hands,’ which will be the subject of a four part sermon series beginning in October. Please prayerfully consider your support of the ministry of our Church in 2022.
|
|
Stewardship Moment
“Eating lunch with friends.”
“Playing games.”
-Lindsey’s favorite things about UMCE Youth Group.
Connecting with the UMCE Youth Group has been one of the few highlights of the pandemic for my daughters. We used to feel too busy to set aside Sunday afternoons for Youth Group. We had time during the pandemic to try it out — it was one of the few safe activities around— and now plan our weekends around it.
Like many, my kids suffered unease and anxiety from having their every-day expectations upended. I can’t imagine what some youth are experiencing when I hear reports from Children’s Hospital of Colorado and school-based health centers that a “staggering” number of kids are seeking treatment for clinical anxiety, depression, and self-harm — certainly the result of isolation, hopelessness, and widespread acrimony. We all know that the simple childhood pleasures of eating lunch with friends and playing games — in person — have become rarities, pandemic or not. Even as things start to feel more “normal”, youth still intensely crave the most basic things: a sense of connection and a chance to be heard.
UMCE’s Youth Group provides a safe forum for my daughters and other middle- and high-school students to explore the highlights and lowlights of their week; offers a consistent place to develop healthy in-person relationships; and is made possible every single Sunday by trusted adults who model selfless, respectful behavior. The annual Youth Mission Trip is defined by authentic service and relationships. What more could we hope for during times like these? Please join me in thanking Sarah for her leadership, as well as Bryan and many other volunteers for their tireless commitment to our youth. And thank you, UMCE, for supporting youth programming. Perhaps it is more important now than ever before.
Tracy Atlas
|
|
Pizza with the Pastor
If you are new to UMCE and would like to find out more about the church, please join Pastor Sarah for pizza on Sunday, October 31st. We’ll gather in the library after the 10:30 service for an informal time of getting to know one another better and an opportunity to discover more about UMCE! If you’re interested, please RSVP to the church office by Thursday, October 28th.
|
|
Messy Church
October 13th we'll be launching this year's Wednesday program. Messy Church is a family-oriented church service that we'll be holding from 6-7PM with Pastor Sarah every week. This is a great opportunity for a casual, kid-friendly worship service with something for everyone! There will be crafts, games, discussions, and a brief message.
|
|
8:30am Ushering Help
We are in need of more ushers for the 8:30am service. It's usually on a rotating basis, approximately once per month, depending upon the number of sign ups. Please contact Penn Gildersleeve or the church office.
|
|
Journey Towards Racial Justice
Do you care about racial justice and want to learn more? A great way is to read books and articles and watch and listen to podcasts and videos that help us to hear different voices and gain different perspectives on racism and how it lives and works in our society. Last year some members of the United Methodist Church of Evergreen spent many weeks learning about and discussing racial justice and equity issues and ways to drive positive change in our world. This fall we would like to offer more sessions on these topics to a new group of people including not only interested individuals who attend UMCE, but also interested members of the broader community in which we live.
As a beginning to this ongoing conversation, over several weeks we will read Ijeoma Oluo's book, So You Want To Talk About Race. "Oluo offers a guide to recognizing how barriers may be different for people of color and how to learn from and participate in complex - and often uncomfortable - discussions about race."
We will hold 4 discussion sessions from 7:00 - 8:00 pm MT via Zoom on the following Thursdays: October 14, October 28, November 11, and December 9. The focus of the first meeting will be getting to know each other and learning where people are on their journey toward racial justice, and the next three gatherings will be facilitated discussions on the assigned chapters. We will provide a safe space in which we can choose to admit our own past mistakes and in which we may help each other figure out ways to make improvements in ourselves and in those around us.
We are looking forward to learning from our community and hope you can join us as we all strive to raise the bar and take action for equality and justice. To become part of this supportive study group, please let Heather McGaughey (hpmcg@pacbell.net) know you would like to join.
(Please note you do not need to know anything about racial justice to join this study.)
|
|
2021 Alternative Gift Fair Is Just Around the Corner
The Alternative Gift Fair is back in person this year on Saturday and Sunday, November 13 and 14 at Evergreen Lutheran Church. Last year, we went virtual, due to Covid restrictions, so we’re thrilled we will be back live! We are again sponsored by six local congregations, including ours.
This year, we will have 30 charitable organizations selling and those charity vendors will charge at their tables for their own items sold (some may require cash or check), so we can free up cashier space that will allow for safer distancing throughout the church. Also, for safety, we will offer only sealed food and drink for outside or off-site consumption. Don’t forget to buy goodies to take home from our Bake Sale table, which is how we fund our expenses to put on the Fair each year. We don’t charge the charity vendors to be at the Fair.
In order to help this year’s Fair to be a success, we also need both volunteers and shoppers! As you recall, our motto is “Shop once. Gift Twice.” When you do your holiday shopping at our Fair, you can buy beautiful crafts, jewelry, art, baskets and clothing from around the world for your family and loved ones. However, you are gifting not only for those you buy for, but also those in need, both near and far, that the charity vendors support. For more information, go to our website www.gifttwice.org , where you may also click on the Volunteer button at the top of the homepage to sign up to help. Or, you may also go directly to the volunteer page HERE.
Please shop and volunteer with us again to help make this year’s Alternative Gift Fair another huge success!
|
|
EChO Volunteer Opportunities
Evergreen Christian Outreach is excited to announce the opening of the EChO Shelter at a new location. Beginning Monday, October 18, the shelter will be open for people who need food and a place to sleep on cold nights. The Church of the Hills has made its lower level, which includes facilities for sleeping, eating, showering and laundry, open for shelter guests for the coming winter.
Volunteers -- including people to serve as hosts and people to bring in evening meals -- are needed to help keep this great program going.
Options for food hosts include bringing a hot meal for ten at 6 p.m., or bringing in plastic containers of individual meals, to be kept in the shelter's freezer and used as needed. Two volunteer evening hosts are needed to be at the shelter from 6 to 10 p.m. (Overnight hosts, who arrive at 10 p.m., are presently being paid; however, volunteers are encouraged to sign up in case one of the paid hosts is unavailable. The overnight hosts split the night, so that one is awake at all times.) For further information, please contact Tim Clancy Tim@Evergreenchristianoutreach.org or sign up here.
|
|
|
|
|
Animate Bible Study with Pastor Sarah |
|
|
|
|
Animate Bible Study with Pastor Sarah |
|
|
|
|
Journey Towards Racial Justice Group |
|
|
|
11:45am @ Fellowship Hall & Zoom |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
