The Newsletter of Events and Opportunities for Friends of First United Methodist Church of Loveland

O SEPTEMBER 2015

Rev. Steve Goodier Senior Pastor

Rev. Jeremiah Harris Associate Pastor

Rev. Lauren Miller Minister of Christian Education

Patty Gregory Office Manager

Ann Kessler Youth Ministries

Mary Hannon Business Manager

Judith Pearson Organist

David Dunbar Chancel Choir, Praise Team Director

Susan Harding Bell Choir Director

Anna Boyle Nursery Staff

Morgan Sowl Nursery Staff

Janelle Cerney Nursery Staff

Open Air WorshipWe ushered our summer in with worship together at the Foote Lagoon in May, and we are ushering in the fall season with a special Open Air Worship service, this time, a little closer to home. On Sunday, September 6, we will have one worship service at 10:00am on the front lawn of the church with a Finger Food Potluck to follow until 12:30pm. At this service we will be honoring the Truscott faculty and the kids of Corner2Corner, so please plan on bringing a little extra to share with our guests. Plates, nap-kins, cup and bever-ages will be provided, but no utensils!

A sign-up sheet for our Open Air Worship and Finger Food Potluck by last name is currently at the Ask Me Desk.

SUNDAYS8:30amTraditional Service9:45amPraise Worship11:00amTraditional Service

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Times Of Worship THE PASTOR’S PEN

(cont’d on p. 3)

Hello there friends of Jesus! I hope that each of you has had a blessed summer, and that you find time to enjoy these final warm days as we begin to feel the change to cooler weather with the coming fall. Summer has always been a time for traveling, and for many of us within the church, these trips come in the form of mission opportunities in which we seek to make a difference in the life of others. In Matthew 28:19 we are called to make disciples of all nations, and yet while possibly well-inten-tioned, this charge historically, has had devastating effects on non-Christian cultures. This has led to me think more deeply about the role of ministry within our own community here in Loveland.

Last month as many of you know I served on a trip to Mission, South Dakota. That’s right, the name of the town is Mission! This town is on the Rosebud Reservation, and began its history as a Catholic missionary out-post to the Lakota people. What really surprised me was that the local school was operated by the Catholic Church until 1968, and up to that time students would be punished for speaking their traditional Lakota language. As a result of this, today the language is nearly extinct. That’s less than fifty years ago! As someone who believes that God wishes for us to live lives of abundance, this makes me question the passage “how are we to make disciples of all nations?”

Personally, as I have grown deeper and more confident in my own faith, I have become comfortable in being more flexible in how I interpret this passage. What is a disciple? Maybe it’s not molding someone into a person who can quote the Bible chapter and verse, but rather someone whose own beliefs are aligned with that of Christ’s teachings. Duane Hollow Horn Bear, a tribal elder commented that Jesus walked the path of the Lakota, a path that recognized the spirit in all that surrounded him, more so than most Christians walk a path that mirrors this same openness of Christ.

As a church in the world today, we need to ask ourselves in every-thing we do, “Who are we trying to reach and why?” Are we trying to make disciples who believe the same things we do, or can we strive to inspire others to find ways that Jesus’ teachings may add to a greater fullness of life, perhaps alongside an already existing religious tradition? The chal-lenge as I see organized religion in today’s culture is not that it’s irrelevant to society, but rather how can we share our beliefs in a way that inspires others in light of their own individual experiences? These are conversa-tions that are hard because there is not one single answer.

The good news is that our church is already busy making disciples in non-traditional ways. As an example of this is the Popcorn and Corner 2 Corner ministries supported by this congregation. Though they do not directly instruct the teachings of Jesus, they do in fact teach unconditional love and compassion, as our volunteers mirror Christ’s teachings as they take an interest in the lives of these students. Here is where I see the hope for growth in the future of the church! As a congregation called to make

“WHO are we trying

to reach and

WHY?”

disciples’ of Christ, let us begin by asking what are the needs of our community which are not being met? We may be surprised to find that our greatest outreach may not be the worship opportunities within our building, but rather those who we interact with outside our doors. If you have not yet worked with a ministry such as Popcorn, Corner 2 Corner, or heard the stories of our Angel House guests, give it a try and see what helping others meet their most basic needs can do for your own spirituality! Here is where we truly mirror Christ as we strive to heal the earthly needs of those around us. Blessings to each of you!

FUMC NEWS

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The PasTor’s Pen (conT’d)

MeThodIsT Men’s FeLLoWshIP Just like the Broncos we are starting our fall season. The head quar-terback and our guest speaker will be Rev. Steve Goodier. He will lead a discussion on the “The Church of the 21st Century” and the impact this might bring to FUMC Loveland. “Who are the people that aren’t in our pews and how as a church can we reach out to them?”

Mark your calendar for Sunday, September 13 at 7:00am. As always, breakfast will be provided by our expert chefs. Bring your friends, neighbors and significant others for the MMF kick off season. All are Welcome. Contact Roy Allen for additional information. (970)635-2672

Sign-up sheets for the Fall Small Dinner Groups are available at the Ask Me Desk on Sunday, September 6, 13 and 20. Please sign-up as soon as possible. Questions may be referred to Diane Mackender, 593-0326.This is a great way to kick off fall by meeting new people in the church and an opportunity to renew friend-ships with food and fellow-ship.

FaLL sMaLL dInner GroUPs ForMInG soon

FaLL MUsIc season I don’t know about you, but I still can’t believe that sum-mer is nearly over already! Where did it go?! Of course, the positive thing about the end of summer is that we have a fun and exciting Fall music season at the church to look forward to. Yay! And the best part about that is that YOU can be a part of it! The Chancel Choir, Bells, and Praise Team are always looking for new folks to join their ranks, so please come out and join us! And don’t worry, you don’t have to read music to participate; (Do you know how many big star musicians there are in the world that can’t read a lick of music? Lots!) So come join us in the fun! Visit www.seekchristtoday.org for updated information on the church’s music groups and rehearsal times. Hope to see (and hear) you making music soon!

David Dunbar, FUMC Loveland Director of Music

Rev. Jeremiah Harris

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FUMC NEWSVoLUnTeers needed For TrUscoTT eLeMenTary schooL If you have an interest in reading to kids, helping them with their math or spelling, or just like to be a mentor, then we have a special place for you to volunteer! Truscott Elementary School, which is directly across from FUMC Loveland, is once again looking for adult volunteers to work with students one-on-one each week, or to assist the school staff in preparing lesson materials, or to help in other ways to sup-port the school. You might help a shy first grader to better relate to their first few months of classroom activity, or work with a third grader who has just transferred to Truscott from out-of-town, and needs help adjusting to the new environment. Or, you might assist a fifth grade teacher with a student who is math-challenged, or even help a special needs student at the school. There are many ways to volunteer, according to every person’s interests and abilities. The first step is to obtain an application form at the Ask Me Desk for volunteers of the Thompson School District. FUMC will have a special volunteer orientation session on Tuesday, September 1, from 3:30-5:00pm in Coy Hall. After that, volunteers will be matched with opportunities at the school and notified of their teacher contact and start date. See Gene Clarke or Charlie Bouchard for additional informa-tion or questions you may have. A rewarding and fun experi-ence awaits!

(Special Note: Karen Hanford, Truscott Principal, will be speaking on volunteering at the school at Searchers Sunday School Class on September 20 at 9:30am.)

LoVeLand connecT daTe annoUnced by cITy oF LoVeLand The City of Loveland has announced that the fourth annual Loveland Connect event will be held at Truscott Elementary School on Friday, October 23, from 8:00am-12:00pm. Loveland Connect allows area homeless or near-homeless persons to attend a single event where social agencies and other area support groups gather on one day in one location to provide advice and assistance on a variety of needs. Volunteers work shifts from 7:00-10:00am or 10:am-1:00pm, or all day if able, and are paired with attendees to walk them through whatever service booths they need to visit that day. Applications can be found at the Ask Me Desk, and orientations will be held on 10/12, 10/19 and 10/20 by the City of Loveland. Deadline to sign-up is 10/19. For further information, please contact Deb Callies at City of Loveland, (970)962-2705.

neW MUsIc cLass Exciting news! Starting this Fall season, David Dunbar will be offering a fun new class called Adventures in Music, open to everyone. Each hour-long class will have fun lessons and activities in music, tailored to the folks who are attending. Have you always wanted to learn how to read music? Come to the class and you’ll learn how. Or have you always wondered how music managed to evolve from Classical to Rock, or even Hip-hop? Come and find out! You get to help choose the subject matter. What could be more cool than that? Classes will be every Thursday evening at 5:30pm, begin-ning September 10 And don’t worry if you can only come for a portion of the class; latecomers are always welcome! Now go put it in your calendar and then listen to some music. :)

yoUnG adULT FaLL reTreaT - sePT. 18-20, 2015 The Rocky Mountain Conference will sponsor a Young Adult Fall Retreat from September 18 - 20 at Buckhorn United Methodist Camp. All young adults 18 - 35ish (who are no longer in high school) are invited for a week-end of fellowship, faith, and fun. We’ll do some rock climbing again this year and other outdoor activities as well as hear from a variety of speakers about their service in the cause of justice.

The cost of the retreat is $85 and partial scholarships are available. Details are still in process and information will be sent out as soon as possible. In the meantime, please mark your calendars and share this information with any

young adults you are in contact with. If you’d like the conference office to contact young people directly, please forward their contact information to youngpeople@rmcumc.com.

FUMC NEWS

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book TabLe Books from Paraclete Press and Cokesbury will be offered for sale on Rally Day, September 13, in Coy Hall. These books cover a wide variety of genres – study books for small groups, women’s studies, indi-vidual devotionals, and children’s Bibles and story books. Books from Paraclete are offered at a 40% discount. If you are looking for ideas for a Sunday school class, a day or evening study, there may be something on the table that sparks your interest. Looking for a new devotional for personal use? There are some available. All books are able to be ordered in quantity. Only checks and cash are accepted – NO debit or credit cards, please.

LIbrarIan The FUMC library, located downstairs in Fellowship Hall, is in need of a Librarian. Recently Ellen Shepherd and Kathy Dufur have filled this position, but have gone on to other pursuits. We thank them for all the work they have done with the library so far, including creating a computer based log of books and culling our library stock.

Our goal is to have a library which caters to your theological, religious, and follower of Jesus interests. Because we as the Body of Christ at FUMC come from a wide variety of backgrounds and understandings, we wish to create and support a library which offers a wide spectrum of theological needs. But also a library which offers books to stretch our understanding as we open our minds to the many amazing ways which God can reach us with Truth through literature.

If organization is your thing and you love books, please see Rev. Lauren about the possibility of serv-ing as our Librarian. Time which you give to this position is totally up to your schedule!

Do you wish to make a donation for new and current books in religion and faith? You are welcome to place your donation in the offering plate. Does your Sunday school class or small group have ideas for which books to stock in the library? Rev. Lauren welcomes those lists! Please provide her with book title, author, and publisher, if possible.

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corner2corner Corner2Corner begins on Tuesday, September 15 and follows the school calendar every Tuesday and Thursday until May, from 3:37pm – 5:00pm. There have been many questions lately about what we do in Corner2Corner, and we appreciate the interest! Our hour and twenty-three minutes together follows this schedule:

1. We walk to pick up the kids at Truscott and escort them to Coy Hall where we begin in a circle reviewing our after-noon together.

2. We play a large group game for 5-10 minutes, outside if the weather is nice or inside in Coy Hall. We play Freeze Tag, Bop the Balloon, “Get On The Bus” Tag, “Fruit Basket Upset”, kickball, or run relays – any game to get them moving before we sit down to begin our work.

3. Large game is followed by snack – pretzels, gold fish, fruit snacks, cuties, peaches, etc. 4. We then break up into two equal groups. One group works on homework, plays the copy-righted “Reading Game” developed by a Children’s Librarian at Loveland Library which allows the adult reading buddy to help the child not only develop the ability to read, but together they work on comprehension and connection to life. We use flash cards, play math games, or use other resources to develop their school skills.

5. The second group goes to another room for an enrichment activity. In the past we have made pizzas, created cards for holidays, painted with watercolors, made recycling art, saw the bug collection from the Bug Guys at University of Colorado, science projects brought by the Larimer County Extension agents, took field trips to the Garbage Garage at the Larimer Landfill and visited the Beemer sheep farm, along with a wide variety of other opportunities.

6. After 25 minutes, the groups switch so everyone has a chance to complete their homework and experience the enrichment piece.

7. Our afternoon together ends at 5:00pm!

Our kids can benefit from your help! 1. Tutors to work alongside the kids as they do their home-work, play the reading game, or math games. You may volunteer once per week, twice per week, or occasionally, we welcome any variation of the above! 2. Folks willing to share their talents with hands-on activities for the kids in 4, twenty-five minute sessions in a week, on Tuesday and Thursday. This is a once per year commitment, unless you would like to help more often. 3. We need healthy snacks. Monetary donations are appreciated for this purpose as we try our best to provide 20 of exactly the same product so we may offer every kid the same snack. Please mark your donation Corner2Corner, place it in the offering plate, or mail it to the church.

Training is provided for tutors. Our first is Tuesday, September 1 from 3:30- 5:00pm. A Reading Game training will also take place, although time and place was not yet established at the time of this article. A background check and FUMC Safe Sanctuaries Training is required for every volunteer, even if you have had a background check through the school district. Contact Rev. Lauren with any ques-tions you have or to volunteer!

FUMC NEWS

CHILDREN’S MINISTRYVacaTIon bIbLe schooL hIGhLIGhTs

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

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VacaTIon bIbLe schooL hIGhLIGhTs

CHILDREN’S MINISTRYVacaTIon bIbLe schooL hIGhLIGhTs

neW PUPPeT GroUP! Children: Would you like to act in puppet plays? We’ll get to know the puppets and how to care for them. We’ll learn how to make them speak, move, and act happy or sad or excited or sleepy. We’ll practice puppet plays. (And sometimes we’ll play a silly puppet game.) And when we’re ready to perform a play, we’ll do that on a Sunday at Children’s Church. Does that sound like fun? If so, and especially if you’re a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grader, sign-up at the Ask Me Desk in Lobby Court. Parents and others: This will be a midweek evening group, using the church puppets (people and animal). Scripts will reflect kids’ reading ability, with en-couragement to advance as skills and self-confidence develop. Once a child com-mits to a role, he or she is expected to be at the performance on Sunday and at the couple of midweek meetings prior to performing. NOTE: Can you volunteer to help on an occasional and flexible basis? No puppetry skills required—just a desire to get in on the fun, to encourage, and to assist the kids. We need several volunteers in order to fulfill Safe Sanctu-ary policies, and the more the merrier so nobody feels overburdened.

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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

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GLobaL hoPe brooMFIeLd, G3 MeeT-UP In the summer of 2014 our kids in Vacation Bible School committed to $35.00 per month for two years to sponsor a child in Kenya through Global Hope, a mission project which started through a UM pastor in Broomfield. This project continues to grow and flourish as children, now in four countries, are supported by contributions by the Body of Christ in the United States. These children are nurtured by loving caregivers, given the opportunity for educa-tion, as well as a roof over their head and food to eat. Global Hope is having a G3 Meet-Up on Saturday, September 12, 1:30pm at Broomfield United Methodist, 545 West 101th Ave., in Broomfield. This will be a time to learn from, share with, and be encouraged by other Global Hope champions. You’ll get to hear about volunteer and mission trip opportunities, as well as different ways you can make a bigger impact in the cause of orphan care. Join us for a fun time of fellowship and we’ll supply plenty of yummy snacks and sweets! Rev. Lauren will be attending the Meet-Up. If you would like to learn more about how we can con-tinue this support of Global Hope, you are invited to join her. There is not cost for attending.

serVInG In WorshIP We are expanding the participation of children and youth in our worship services! Children as well as adults have gifts to offer God through service inside and outside the church. If your child is in 4th or 5th grade, they are invited to participate in worship and hospitality in a significant way. These are the ways your child can participate: Serve Communion, read the scriptures, offer the Community Prayer, an usher or greeter, or a sidewalk greeter. If your child is interested, please contact Rev. Lauren. (970)667-0876 (office), (970)690-4367 (cell) raLLy day Parents, are you happy? Are you happy to have the fall routine back in place? Are you happy to see your kids off your school? Are they happy to see their school friends again? Are you all ready for a new adventure in a new year of school? YES? Well, so are we! Our church kicks off it’s fall season on RALLY DAY, Sunday, September 13 with a Meet & Greet in Sunday school with your preschool and elementary child’s Shepherds & Teachers. The Children’s Council is excited about what we are going to offer this year in Sunday school and the Children’s Ministry. Information will be available on Rally Day on what we have coming up for the fall as we start off a new year of learning God’s truth and learning to love others! “naVIGaTInG The bIbLe” cLass All kids in 3rd grade are invited to participate in this special class ~ Navigating the Bible. All 4th grad-ers who have not had the opportunity to take this class before, are also invited! This nine week introduc-tion to the Bible begins Sunday, September 20, from 11:15am – 12:30pm. Together, we will discover the Bible’s importance, where the Bible came from and how it was developed. We will use every part of the Bible - the index, maps, and techniques to find individual books, chapters, and verses. The kids will use their developing Bible skills to answer questions about each division of the Bible. Parents/guardians are invited to be involved in this time of discovery. Adventure Bibles will be presented to each 3rd grader and attending 4th grader at an 8:30am service in November. Parents and kids will have one class togeth-er, discovering their child’s new Bible. The exact date of Bible Sunday will be announced soon.

FaMILy and chILdren’s MInIsTry aT FUMc Family/Children’s Council meeting Thursday, September 10, 6:30pm in the Balcony. Discussion and plans for fall are on the agenda. If you are in need of childcare, please be sure to contact Anna Boyle before our meeting.

YOUTH MINISTRY

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“reVIVe” senIor hIGh yoUTh GroUP sePTeMber acTIVITIesSeptember 6: Labor Day Weekend - No Youth Group. September 12: Broomball with Longmont and Windsor UMC. Meet at the church at 3:45pm. Bring $10. Pizza afterwards at Greeley UMC. Lock-in afterwards to plan fall events, week one worships and finishing our mural. September 13: Fall Youth Group programming begins 4:00-6:00pm. Bring a friend! Meet in the Youth Range.September 20: Fall Youth Group programming 4:00-6:00pm.September 27: Fall Youth Group programming 4:00-6:00pm.

“da GroUP” MId hIGh yoUTh GroUP sePTeMber acTIVITIesSeptember 6: Labor Day Weekend - No Youth Group. September 12: Broomball with Longmont & Windsor UMC. Meet at the church at 3:45pm. Bring $10. Pizza afterwards at Greeley UMC. Lock-in afterwards to plan fall events, week one worships and finishing our mural. September 13: Fall Youth Group programming begins 4:00-6:00pm. Bring a friend! Meet in the Youth Range.September 20: Fall Youth Group programming 4:00-6:00pm.September 27: Fall Youth Group programming 4:00-6:00pm.

chUrch coUncIL on yoUTh MInIsTryOn August 2-4 the members of CCYM (Church Council on Youth Ministry) met at Park Hill UMC for several days of elections and planning conference events. We are pleased to announce that Lauryn Simon is our chairperson of Youth Quest. Abbi Flaming is our District Representative and Ben Clegern is our Youth Service Fund organizer. They chose their theme for Ignite and secured their guest speaker. We will meet again in September to finalize the plans for Ignite. Please pray for these amazing young people as they help others be connected to our church and confer-ence events.

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