Pledge Cards and Time and Talent Sheets Due Visioning Workshop ...

november 2012 E D I T I O NCHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSCHRIST CHURCH UNITED METHODIST ~ 690 COLORADO BOULEVARD ~ DENVERA Reconciling CongregationPledge Cards and Timeand Talent Sheets DueSunday, November 4, 2012Inside2-3 Notes from Greg4 Food Pantry, Ingathering,Habitat Work Day5 Stewardship &Worship and the Arts6 UMW News, Notices &Joys and Concerns7 Notices8 Taize and New Class9 Pipeapalooza10 Operation Christmas ChildLooking Ahead11 Christ Church CalendarVisioning WorkshopSaturday, November 10, 2012IngatheringSunday, November 18, 2012Taize ServiceWednesday, November 21, 2012Christ Church is a United Methodist congregation committed totheological pluralism and cultural inclusiveness. Our faith community encourages a thoughtful approach toreligion, taking seriously both the heart and the mind in nurturing the spirit.We strive to meet the world around us with compassion and love.We seek wholeness in living by working to identify, articulate, and act on the connections betweenour personal lives and the world around us.Our hope is that you will find here a Christian community of integrity that will challenge you andencourage you in your spiritual journey.We offer many opportunities for congregational involvement & community service.We invite you to be a part of our congregation.

CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSPage 2Notes from GregThese are notes edited from a sermon preached on October 28, 2012.Today’s Notes From Greg are about money, budget, giving and grace, all aspects ofstewardshipFirst, I would like to give you some good news and some bad news.The good news is that currently our expenses are only $425 more than our income.The bad news is that our pledged income is $9829 YTD below our budgetedpledges YTD for 2012. If that trend continues through the end of the year 2012,then our actual pledged receipts will be $13,105 under our the pledged amount wecommitted last fall for 2012.“The gospelteaches us tosee our givingas a grace, aprivilege. Godis giving usthe privilegeof displayingthe grace ofJesus in atight-fistedworld.”The budget of Christ Church is a complex instrument and we are constantly retoolingit to make it simpler, easier to read and to make it an effective tool for ourchurch. Basically, it has three income streams:pledged and non-pledged givingchurch use feesnon-endowment investment interest from gifts from the pastThe goal of the finance committee and church council is to move away from our dependencyon the last income stream, non-endowment investment interest, and increaseour ability to rely on pledged giving, with the hope that all members andconstituents of Christ Church would participate in this form of commitment.In other words, the goal is to get ourselves off of the shoulders of those who havegone before us to provide for the tremendous ministry of Christ Church. Whichmeans that it is important that we honor our pledges for the remainder of 2012 andstrive to pledge the same or an increase for 2013.The reliance on the non-endowment investment interest has been in place formany years and it will take several years to move away from it. Until we do, it willserve Christ Church well. We are moving away from it, but at a snail’s pace, whichis a little faster than that of a glacier.Christ Church certainly wants to invite all who participate in its ministries to participatein the vows of belonging as I shared them last week; of offering prayers,presence, gifts, service, and witness. I know that times are difficult. They challengeus, especially when we make a commitment that will rely on our financial support.In fact, the economic downturn of our country affected the budget of my household,and after a great deal of conversation and consternation about the issue, Carolynand I had to change the amount of our pledge mid-stream because of a downturn inclient hours for Carolyn.One of the problems that potentially occurs when we make a commitment, a promise,or a vow, is keeping it. It is a lot of pressure. It is scary. Can I do it? People arecounting on me.

Page 3CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSNotes from Greg continuedSomething I learned a long time ago in systems theory and family therapy, was anaxiom that goes something like this:Tell the truth.Keep your agreements.When you can’t keep your agreements,Tell the truth, then . . .Make a new agreement.When we can’t keep our agreements, our promises, fear sometimes keeps us fromtelling the truth about it and a secret develops. Instead of keeping our agreementwe keep a secret. Secrets can change relationships; can cause some form of withdrawal.That is why I informed the office about the change in our pledge so I couldmake a new agreement and not carry a secret around with me.2 Corinthians 8:9 is one of the Bible’s best verses on the grace of God. If you want aclear definition of grace, it’s here.For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he wasrich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might becomerich.What is grace? Grace is self-giving for the sake of others.Jesus Christ gave of himself for our sake. That is his grace. But why? Why did theSon of God empty himself to enrich us? It is a clear indicator that his grace is gettinginto our hearts when we find ourselves saying, “He loves me. He really does.And I don’t know why.” That’s when grace is moving from a mere concept to a livingpower.The whole point of this verse is that the grace of God makes us gracious. The generosityof God makes us generous. The sacrifices of God make us sacrificial. The graceof God changes us.The gospel teaches us to see our giving as a grace, a privilege. God is giving us theprivilege of displaying the grace of Jesus in a tight-fisted world.Who God is changes who we are. How God thinks changes how we think. So, howare you and I going to be like God as we wind up 2012 and recalibrate our lives for2013? Let’s each one of us think about that and decide.May we press on, relying on that grace to continue to infuse us with faith and fortitude,creativity and dedication, to carrying on the work of God’s Kin-dom.Greg

CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSPage 4Changes to Christ Church Food PantryAs most of you know, CCUM has maintained its own food pantry for quite sometime. Food has been given out to individuals with referrals from other agencies atthe church door during church office hours. It has become clear over the last fewmonths that because of the limited hours the church administrator has in the office,her time and attention needs to be spent on duties more directly related to CCUM.At the same time, no one at CCUM wants to stop supporting people in need withvital food items.“We are notfarmers butwe still dohave “fruit”from ourwork.”The Social Action Committee has contacted Denver Urban Ministries and DenUM ishappy to accept the food donations that used to be held in the CCUM kitchen. Ourelementary school children, with help from Charmaine Robledo, have done a greatjob of keeping the food pantry shelves stocked and organized. They will still be ableto help sort and prepare food donations to send to DenUM. Providing food for DenUM'sfood pantry will also mean that people needing food will not have to travelto yet another location to get food; they will be able to get food assistance at a locationthat already provides a number of other services. The food we collect duringour In-Gathering this fall will go to DenUM. We will provide additional details forfuture food drives at a later date.IngatheringIt’s that time of year, again, CCUM. Ingathering is based on one of the many ordinancesGod established for the Israelites. Exodus 23:16 states:You shall observe the festival of harvest, of the first fruits of your labor, ofwhat you sow in the field. You shall observe the festival of ingathering at theend of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor.We are not farmers but we still do have “fruit” from our work. We have been givenan abundance with which we get the honor of blessing others in need.So continue bringing our nonperishable items weekly this month. The Ingatheringwill conclude on November 18th with a special observance during our worship service.Habitat for Humanity Work DayWe have another great opportunity to partner with Habitat for Humanity and helpa hard-working, low income family realize their dream of owning their own safe,decent affordable home. Not only is the work satisfying, but this is a chance tospend time with and get to know other CCUM members in a new way. We needeight to ten people to work on Saturday, December 8th, from 8:45 am to 4:30 pm ona new home at 3965 Cook St in NE Denver. Please note that we need everyone whocomes to commit to working the full day. Sign up sheets will be available in the Narthexstarting in early November, or you can contact Andy Blackmun at ablackmun@yahoo.comor 720-440-4362 to sign up or ask any questions. Thanks in advanceto everyone willing to help with this fun and important ministry.

Page 5CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSStewardship and Pledge DrivePledging is an important part of our church life. As we work towards a balancedbudget every year, we depend on pledges to determine what we can and cannot doin 2013. This year we included Time and Talent Sheet with your pledge card.Whether or not you can pledge financially (and we do need your financial pledges orelse we can not fund a budget), you now have the ability to pledge this year throughsharing your time, talents, and service. We are calling for you to prayerfully considerwhat you will do for your Church Family this year and return your card. If youdid not receive a pledge card, please contact Rebecca in the church office.We are asking that pledge cards be returned by November 4.You may return your pledge cards by mail, drop it off at the church office, or put itin the offering plate on Sunday.Fill out the Time & Talent Sheet - Stewardship is more than financial pledges, butalso in how you share your time, talents, and service with the world.We need every pledge card returned.Worship and the ArtsPew BiblesIt has come to the attention of Worship and the Arts Committee that the placementof pew Bibles at the ends of the pews can be inconvenient to those sitting in themiddle of the pews To remedy this situation, we will be changing Bible placementstarting November 4, 2012. We will have Bibles available to those wishing to haveone during the service on a book cart in the Narthex. Just pick up a Bible before enteringthe Sanctuary and, of course, place it back on the cart at the end of the service.We hope this new system will accommodate all who want to have access to aBible during the church service. You are also invited to bring your own Bible.Narthex Art Displays Worship and the Arts Committee has been very happy tohave the art work of Pamela Thiele displayed in the Narthex during the month ofSeptember and early October. The next offering will be the photography of our ownKenita Gibbins starting October 14 and continuing through November 11, 2012. November18-Dec. 16, 2012 will be the photography of Strode Weaver. January 6-February 3, 2013 will be the quilts of Louana George. The committee aspires to continueshowing the art of congregation members and community members as well. Ifyou want to display your art or know of someone in the community who would liketo display their art at the church, you can contact Kenita Gibbins for scheduling. 303-399-2119 or kenital@comcast.net. It is our desire to have continuous displaysthroughout the year.Nativity DisplayWorship and the Arts Committee would like to invite all members of the congregationto take part in a display of individual nativity scenes on Sunday December 23,2012. There is no limit to the number of nativity scenes you can bring. If the scenehas a special meaning or is from another country make a sign about the origins andyour family name as well. The displays will be placed in Fellowship Hall and can beviewed and enjoyed with refreshments following worship. Come and celebrate thebirth of the Christ Child in the coming days of Christmas.

CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSPage 6UMW NewsMeetingsChrist Church StaffThe UMW Leadership Team will meet Monday, November 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the UpperRoom.CirclesRev. Gregory YoungPastorgyoung@christchurchcolorado.orgThe Sunshine Circle will gather at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 15th at thechurch in the Upper Room. Dorothy Phillips will present the program and serve ashostess.Dr. William DeanTheologianwdean@iliff.eduVIBE will meet at the church on Monday, November 19th at 7:00 p.m. The programwill be presented by Lorrie Wright and Charmaine Robledo will serve as hostess.Caran Ware JosephDirector of Ministries to Children, Youth & YoungAdultscwjoseph@christchurchcolorado.orgJoy JenkinsDirector of Musicjjenkins@christchurchcolorado.orgRebecca BourgeoisChurch Administratoroffice@christchurchcolorado.orgConcernsEloise Edwards is recuperating back at home. She appreciates prayers and cardsmay be sent to 120 S. Upham Ct., Lakewood, CO 80226.Please keep in your prayers Cathy Hall, Gus Center, Ruth Breningstall, JeanetteKnepper, Marilyn Degginger, Bob Robinson, Irma Simpson, Francis Derick, and BobWhittlesey.Thomas BrumleyOrganist / Accompanisttbrumley@christchurchcolorado.orgJoysTeri BairdPastoral Interntbaird@christchurchcolorado.orgHappy November Birthday to:Frank Smith — 2ndLouäna George — 3rdCrystal Schwartzkopf — 6thBrian Wilmoth — 11thIrma Simpson — 11thCarol Everett — 17thClairissa Hansen — 18thAnne Stonington — 18thEtha Blewett —22ndTracy Kiass —24thCrystal Saxton —24thSoren Tettero —25thHappy Anniversary toBrent and Lindsey Westrop who celebratetheir wedding anniversary on November 8.John and Margaret Simmons celebrate beingmarried for 45 years on November 24.Welcome to the worldEtha Blewett proudly announces the birth of hergrandson, Julius Philip Logsdon born to Jaradand Heidi Gehret Logsdon in Yukon, Oklahoma.8lbs. 6 oz, 20 1/2 inches long.

Page 7CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSChapel Time and Children’s ChoirAdvent is swiftly approaching. Christmas is not far behind. In order to prepare forthe Christmas Pageant, we have increased the number of choir rehearsals for thechildren. Please observe the following chart.Date PreK-2 nd Grade 3 rd -5 th Grade11/4 Choir Remain in Sanctuary11/11 Chapel Time Choir11/18 Choir Remain in Sanctuary11/25 Choir Choir12/2 Choir Choir2012 Christmas Pageant: A Shepherd’s TaleCome join the kids and the adult choir for a celebration with music, costumes, andthe occasional runaway sheep December 9th.Parents: Our dress rehearsal will be from 10am to 12 noon Saturday, December 8.Congregation: Our costume department has requested new or additional materials.If you are a sewing master or maybe just have some good fabrics/tablecloths/scarves/curtains/robes/angel wings hanging about, please contact Joy Jenkins atjenkinsjoy@comcast.net to discuss how you can help. Thank you so much!Visioning WorkshopOur next Visioning Workshop will be Saturday, November 10th from 8:30-11:30am in the Fellowship Hall. We will focus on developing a strategy to expressour church mission statement and values. All members and regular attenders areinvited to join the conversation. Please contact Pastor Young for more informationon all the work that has led up to this next session.Job BoardDo you know of a job opening somewhere? Are you looking for help? Are you lookingfor a job? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then please look for thenew Job Board on the bulletin board on the north wall in the Fellowship Hall. Thereis room to post openings and employment needs to support our congregation.Fellowship Hour This MonthSet Up/ServeServe/Clean upNovember 4 Social Action & Worship and the Arts ReconcilingNovember 11 Adult Ed & Children/Youth Ed NominationsNovember 18 SPRC Trustees & TechnologyNovember 25 Stewardship & Endowment FinanceCHRIST CHURCH UNITEDMETHODIST690 Colorado BoulevardDenver Colorado 80206303-322-0784office@christchurchcolorado.orgwww.christchurchcolorado.orgSummer Sunday MorningSchedule10:15am WorshipChildren’s Chapel(during the sermon)11:15am Coffee/Fellowship HourChurch Office HoursMonday—Thursday9:00am—1:00pmFriday9:00am—12:00pm

CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSPage 8Re-ExperienceTaizeAt Christ Church United MethodistWednesday, November 21, 20126:30 pmYour generous donation ofcanned food and vegetables willgo to DENUM for distribution .Adult Class Starting—Becoming a Justice SeekerIn a small town, people began to notice that people were falling off a local cliff. Sothey went each day, picked up the people, bandaged them up, and sent them ontheir way. Day after day they picked up people from the bottom of the cliff andhealed them.One day someone from the town went to the top of the cliff to find out what washappening and why people were falling off. There they found a group of peoplethrowing these people off the cliff.Most people are merciful; they will pick up the injured and heal them. They say thatabout 20% of us will go to the top of the cliff to find out how to stop it. That's justice.How do we move from mercy to justice?Come and learn the building blocks to becoming a justice-seeker. Beginning onTuesday, November 27th at 6:45 pm, and continuing for 12 weeks, come and explorehow to seek justice in your household, your community, and the world atlarge in public policy. See Teri Baird for more information.

Page 9CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSPipeapalooza 2012Pipe Organ Modifications Underway at FactoryShown above is Don Gauthierholding one of the 16’ Trumpetpipes. The pipes are mitered andfolded to fit our pipe chamber.On the rack are other pipes in thatrank.Work on our organ is progressing at The Reuter Organ Company. The three new sets of pipesincluded in the list of additions are in production and design work continues . Margaret and JohnSimmons visited the factory in Lawrence, Kansas, and on a tour of the facility, snapped thesephotos.Pictured to the right are thesixty-one pipes in the 8’ Cromornerank in the tuning/voicing room, ready to befitted with the reeds at thebottom that make them soundsimilar to a clarinet. Beneaththat is a picture showing partof a reed housing and belowthat, the metal shop where allsuch parts are poured, castand finished.John Regier is shown below in the engineering department,looking at the original 1963 plans of our organ. He transfers theold plans to computerized drawings shown on the right-handscreen to design the space and equipment needed to house all ofthe new organ pipes and redesigned equipment. On the screento the left is a recent picture of one of our wind chests.The 4’ Principal pipes in the picture to the right are cut out andready to be formed. Different colors are used to denote thicknessof the metal during the manufacturing stage. In Tom Watgen’shands are the flat metal pieces that will be used to form the coneshapedfeet of each of the sixty-one new pipes in that rank. Onthe shelves to the side are the flat, colored pipes, cut out andneatly stacked, ready to be formed into actual pipes.

CHRIST CHURCH CONNECTIONSPage 10Operation Christmas ChildLooking AheadOur church is again collecting shoeboxes filledwith items for Operation Christmas Child, aministry of Samaritan’s Purse. From Nicaraguato Madagascar and beyond, millions ofchildren in over 100 countries will experiencethe joy of Christmas.The mission of Operation Christmas Child is todemonstrate God’s love in a tangible way toneedy children around the world, and togetherwith the local church worldwide, toshare the Good News of Jesus Christ.Bring filled and labeled shoeboxes to churchby Sunday, November 11. There is a collectionarea in the Narthex. If you have questions or need girl/boy labels for the top,please call Larry Bourgeois at 303-733-0875.How it works:1. Use and empty shoe box or small plastic container.2. Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl and the child’s age category:2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.3. Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to the child. Items likepens, pencils and sharpeners, solar calculators, markers and crayons and otherschool supplies. Small toys like cars, balls, stuffed animals, kazoos and slinkys.Hygiene items like toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and washcloth. Other itemslike t-shirts, socks, hair clips, sunglasses, and flashlights with extra batteries.4. If you are able, include $7 donation per box to help cover the costs of shipping.5. Place a rubber band around each closed box and return it to the table in theNarthex.December 1:Hanging of the Greens and Chili Cook-off from 9am to noon. Adults and youthwill decorate the church for Advent while children enjoy fun crafts and activities.We’ll gather in the sanctuary for a short time of worship with carols and scripturethen head to the Fellowship Hall for chili. The church staff will provide all the condiments,just bring a pot of your best chili to share.December 9:Christmas pageant during worship. Additional information is on page 7.Join our Celebration of the Year at the All Church Conference on December 9thfollowing worship. Lunch will be served.January 27:Mark your calendar now for the Christ Church Talent Show following worship.Please bring a dish to share at the potluck and get your act ready!

C H R I S T C H U RC H C O N N E C T I O N S CALENDAR — NOVEMBER 2012 E D I T I O N — PAG E 11Sun Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat1 11:00am Election 3:30pm NeuropathySupport2 11:00am Election 7:30pm Al-Anon—Adult Study3 8:00am RMBCI 8:30am Al-Anon 9:00am MCHD InternationalDay 9:00am BODA4All Saints DaySundayDaylight Savings Ends 9:00am Education 10:15am Worship 11:15am Fellowship 11:30am Stewardship& Adult Ed 11:30am YouthGroup 1:00pm RMCC5 10:00am Staff Mtg 11:00am Election 4:00pm Rocky MountainChildren’s Choir 5:45pm Welcoming 6:30pm Take NoteRehearsal 7:00pm UMW LeadershipTeam Meeting67:00am Election7 5:00pm MCHD StaffMeeting 5:45pm Worship andthe Arts 7:00pm ChancelChoir Rehearsal 8:00pm Brass Quintet8 9 7:30pm Al-Anon—Adult Study10 8:30am Al-Anon 8:30am VisioningWorkshop 9:00am BODA11 9:00am EducationHour 10:15am WorshipVeteran’s Day 11:15am Fellowship 11:30am Trustees &Reconciling 6:00pm DGMC12 10:00am Staff Meeting 4:00pm Rocky MountainChildren’s Choir 6:30pm Take NoteRehearsal13 14 5:00pm DenverDemocrats 7:00pm ChancelChoir Rehearsal 8:00pm Brass Quintet15 8:00 L’Esprit de NoëlBoutique 10:30am UMW SunshineCircle 3:30pm NeuropathySupport16 8:00am L’Esprit deNoël Boutique 7:30pm Al-Anon—Adult Study17 8:00am L’Esprit deNoël Boutique 8:30am Al-Anon 9:00am BODA18 Ingathering 9:00am EducationHour 10:15am Worship 11:15am Fellowship 11:30am Finance andChildren/Youth EdCommittees 6:00pm DGMC19 10:00am Staff Meeting 4:00pm Rocky MountainChildren’s Choir 6:30pm Take NoteRehearsal 7:00pm UMW VIBECircle20 21 6:30pm Taize Service 8:00pm Brass Quintet22 23Thanksgiving DayChurch Office ClosedChurch OfficeClosed 7:30pm Al-Anon—Adult Study24 8:30am Al-Anon 9:00am BODA25 9:00am EducationHour 10:15am WorshipKoins for Kids 11:15am Fellowship 11:30am SPRC &Congregational Care 6:00pm DGMC26 4:00pm Rocky MountainChildren’s Choir 6:30pm Take NoteRehearsal 6:30pm ChurchCouncil27 5:30pm RMAA BoardMeeting28 7:00pm ChancelChoir Rehearsal 8:00pm Brass Quintet29 30 7:30pm Al-Anon—Adult Study