Welcome to Rev. Sarah Clark – Our New Pastor Starting July 1, 2021
We are excited for the appointment of Rev. Sarah Clark as our next pastor at UMCE starting July 1, 2021. Rev. Sarah grew up in Illinois as her father was a United Methodist Minister in the town of Normal but now retired in Estes Park. She lived in Brazil for a year before going to Southern Illinois University graduating with a degree in Speech Communications. After college she worked as a community educator at a women’s center but then had the calling to go to Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. While in seminary she was a youth minister for two years then graduated in 2011 with a Master of Divinity.
Her first appointment was in Hamilton, Montana (2011) then her second (2014) and current is with the people at Grace United Methodist Church in Billings, Montana. Her passions in ministry include preaching, crafting worship, teaching, and social justice.
Rev. Sarah married in 2019 to her wonderful husband Jerry Clark in which they met in 2015 while both serving on the board of Not In Our Town Billings, an organization that works to end hate in their community through education and engagement. Their son Zion is currently a freshman in high school who enjoys soccer, drums, gaming, and anime.
Please learn more about Rev. Sarah and connect with her by going to her blog she created for her transition to UMCE. https://www.revsarahclark.com
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Pie Sale this Sunday!
Please remember to buy a fruit pie this Sunday, March 21st to support UMCE’s Program Ministries. They’ll be available for $20 each from 9 am – 1 pm in Fellowship Hall, or drive up and we’ll meet you at your car outside the front door.
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Easter Garden 2021
We invite you to help create our Easter Garden on Easter Sunday. If you would like to contribute, please complete the Easter Garden order form ( print it out here and mail it into the office or pick one up in Fellowship Hall), and $12. Deadline for ordering is Wednesday, March 31st.
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Quarterly Giving Statements Sent Via Email
The church has been working on sending our quarterly giving statements via email. Our plan is that the first three quarters would be sent via email and the final year-end statement would be sent as a hard copy in the mail. It would save the church the cost of postage, paper and printing, as well as time. Thanks to Jessica we now have the capability to use the email feature. We are planning to send the giving statements as of the end of the first quarter (March 31st) via email to those of you who have email accounts. They will go out after Easter. If you are uncomfortable with this approach or have limited ability to use email, please let Vickie Borden or the church office know by April 5th and we will continue to mail your statement. Thank you for your continued support of the church.
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New Six Session Bible Study Begins April 12 – Acts: Catching Up With the Spirit
Join us for a new Monday evening Zoom Bible study beginning April 12, 7-8 pm facilitated by Pastor Deb. In Acts: Catching Up with the Spirit, author and biblical scholar Matthew Skinner explores six key themes that illustrate the ways in which reading Acts is capable of igniting our imagination about the character of the Christian gospel, the work of God’s people (the church), and the challenges of living faithfully in a complex and changing world. The class includes DVD segments and group discussion.
A couple reviews shared:
- “This book is very accessible and offers insights and answers questions that naturally arise from the Biblical text. My Bible study group really enjoyed it.”
- “Matthew Skinner provides in this volume an accessible introduction to one of the most significant books in the New Testament. Skinner is a skillful guide to the major themes of Acts, and his clear and succinct treatment of what Acts teaches us about God's transforming work in the world will prove useful to all readers of the Bible.”
Please register through Pastor Deb or the church office. The cost for the book and class is $15. A Kindle edition is also available {plus class cost $5}.
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Ministry Jottings
Pilate, Caiaphas, Judas & Us
Let’s look at a few of the key people who brought Jesus to the crucifixion. They weren’t terrible people as people go. In many respects they were like you and me.
Pilate receives most of the blame for Jesus’s death, and yet, Pilate didn’t want to crucify him. Why did Pilate condemn Jesus? Because Pilate was a coward. He cared more about his comfortable position than he did about justice. He didn’t have the courage to stand for what he knew was right. It was because of this flaw in Pilate’s character that Jesus died on the cross.
Whenever you and I are willing to sacrifice someone else, in whatever way, for our own benefit – whenever we don’t have the courage to stand up for what we see is right – we step into the same course that Pilate took.
And Caiaphas, was he such a terrible person? Far from it. He was the admired and revered religious leader of the most religious people in that ancient world. He was the High Priest. His personal habits were impeccable. He was a devout and sincerely religious man. Why did he seek to have Jesus condemned? He did it for the simple reason that he was too rigid. He thought he had to protect God from this man, thought he had to protect the Jewish faith, and so he said: “It is good for one man to die instead of a nation being destroyed.” Caiaphas’s essential flaw was that he thought he had the whole truth. People who have fought religious wars, those who have persecuted in the name of religion, have followed in his footsteps
Those who put their creeds above mercy, kindness, and love – walk there even now.
Why did Judas betray his master? He wasn’t interested in the thirty pieces of silver, at least not primarily. Judas had wanted Jesus to call upon heavenly powers, to take control of the situation and throw the Romans out of Palestine. When he failed to do this, Judas no longer wanted anything to do with him. Judas’ fault was that he couldn’t wait.
When we can’t wait and want to push things through – when we think we can accomplish a noble end by human means – we are just like Judas.
Our own character flaws and the ways we cause damage can seldom be transformed until we squarely face them on our own. The empty cross reminds us that suffering is real but not the end, that victory is possible if we strive on. [adapted from the work of Morton T. Kelsey]
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Upcoming EverKids Events at UMC Evergreen
"Wowed by the Cloud!"
This is a monologue reading that the children will be doing for Easter Sunday. It's a series of monologues read by children, about people who are witnesses for Jesus. This is a very exciting opportunity for our children to minister to the church at large. As an ongoing COVID precaution we will be recording the monologues and presenting them to the church via video. Contact Sarah if your EverKid(s) plan to participate, and she will make sure they get a part!
Annual EverKids Easter Egg Hunt!
We will be having our annual Easter Egg Hunt at 9:30 on Easter morning. The hunt will take place outside, and social distancing will be in place. All the children will also receive a small Easter gift from the church, in addition to the prizes they collect during the egg hunt. There is a service at 9:30 if adults want to attend service during the hunt. We will have EverKids Sunday School at 10:30 on Easter Sunday.
Vacation Bible School is coming!
Vacation Bible School is "on" this year! To ensure social distancing we will be holding VBS outside on the church grounds this summer. We will meet from 9AM to Noon during the first week of June. Our theme is The Wild, Wonderful Ark, with a Noah's Ark theme. Stay tuned for more information about sign ups in the coming week. We are also looking for adult and youth volunteers!
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Online Screening of Defiant Requiem on April 8th, Holocaust Remembrance Day
Congregation Beth Evergreen is inviting us to join them for an online screening of the documentary film Defiant Requiem on April 8th (Holocaust Remembrance Day) at 7pm.
The documentary highlights the artistic and intellectual courage of prisoners of the Theresiendstadt (Terezin) Concentration camp and ghetto during the Holocaust of World War II. In 1943, pianist, vocal coach and conductor Rafael Schächter was ordered by the SS to conduct Verdi's Requiem, for which he organized a choir of approximately 150 prisoners. In 1944, after several successful performances, Schachter and his choir were deported to Auschwitz and murdered.
The film runs 45 minutes and will be followed by a discussion with Maestro Murry Sidlin, the featured conductor in the film. The film was nominated for two. documentary Emmy Awards in 2014. Click here to register.
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Mile High Metro District Gathering, April 17th, 9:00am-12:30pm
The theme of the 2021 District Gathering is “Where Love Lives,” stemming from the Western Jurisdiction theme of the same name.
Bishop Karen will share a message and Communion. Keynote speaker, Rev. Amanda Henderson, author of Holy Chaos: Creating Connections in Divisive Times, will offer teaching moments with breakout rooms. Henderson recently partnered with Iliff School of Theology to create the Institute for Religion, Politics & Culture as a place for scholarship and research about the way legislative initiatives are shaped by religion.
The District Gathering will include presenting the slate of Equalization Members, election of District Leadership, and presentation of Quiet Disciple Awards.
We'll also share some upcoming news for the Mile High Metro District!
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Helpful Hints for Scheduling a COVID Vaccine
Clear Creek County vaccine info and sign up, click here. |
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Lenten Sermon Series – “Satisfying Our Soul’s Search for More”
Pastor Deb will bring the Lenten sermon series “Satisfying Our Soul’s Search for More” beginning the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. No matter how good life is, most Christians thirst for something more. Although we are people of faith, many of us aren't satisfied. We long for lives that are more fulfilled, more rich, more meaningful, and more joyful. These messages help us identify our individual thirsts and shows us the great adventure when we discover the freedom, promise, and rewards that come with committing ourselves to a closer relationship with God.
Feb 14: "Priming the Pump"
Feb 21: "Taking the Plunge"
Feb 28: "Tapping Into the Source"
Mar 7: "Jumping in With Both Feet"
Mar 14: "Offering a Drink to Others"
Mar 21: "Filling the Bucket to Overflowing"
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Journey Toward Racial Justice Group |
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Community Easter Egg Hunt |
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6pm @ Fellowship Hall & Zoom |
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1pm @ Fellowship Hall & Zoom |
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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
Online Youth Group: 1:30 - 2:30
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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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