newsletter december 2017 - first plymouth church 2017 a united church of christ vol. 79, issue 6 a...

3501 S. Colorado Blvd. Englewood CO 80113 · 303-762-0616 · Fax: 303-789-2783 · www.firstplymouthchurch.org

A United Church of Christ December 2017

Vol. 79, Issue 6 A Season of Giving

Many of us dread the commercialism each fall, by the time September 1 comes around each year. Christmas sometimes seems but a blip on a chart of the retailers around the globe...just one more holiday for which to gear up three months (or more) ahead of time to recognize the greatest profits.

In contrast, First Plymouth is a haven for those who enjoy the gift of giving from the heart. From hosting the World Gift Market each year, to sharing community with Denver Inner City Parish throughout the year, to opening our homes for the holidays to those without loved ones near, our souls are nourished and replenished, allowing us to give more of ourselves.

The month of November allowed us to once again celebrate Thanksgiving with those from Denver Inner City Parish, which nourished souls as well as bodies. The World Gift Market recognized an 20% increase in sales which is a measure of not only the educational impact upon the patrons, but the reach of assistance world-wide through the vendors’ missions. The joy and appreciation shown by the DICP guests and World Gift Market vendors and patrons alike, validate the efforts of our community.

This December, continue your gift of time, not only to the DICP Santa Shoppe on December 9, but by allowing the restorative properties of music to replenish your own soul by attending Kantorei’s Christmas Concert December 16. For those of us who have been able to keep the true meaning of Christmas as our beacon, as you hold those you love dear close, please remember to reach out to the stranger as well.

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,

I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was

sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me...Truly, I say to

you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

-Matthew 25:35ff

What’s Inside:

Sundays at First Plymouth

Worship Opportunities 2

Minister’s Meditation

December Lectionary 3

Children’s Ministry

December Birthdays 4-5

December Share-The-Plate

SOCKS, SOCKS, SOCKS 6

Candlelight Vigil

Angel Tree

Caring Awards Nominations

Adult CE: December 3

7

Journey to Greece

Dead Sea Scroll Class


8

Transition Update 9

Whole Earth 10

Joys & Concerns 14

Contact Information 15

Back Page:

December Calendar

Guess Who’s Coming to

Dinner?

Web of Care Update


Holiday Office Hours

11

Men’s Breakfast

“The Group”

Kantorei’s Christmas Concert

A Grand Thank You

12

Gifts of Time and Talent 13 December 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the First Plymouth Sanctuary Tickets available at http://kantorei12162017.ezregister.com/

2

Worship Opportunities

ADD PICTURE

Sundays in December at First Plymouth 8:45 a.m. Bible Basics & Beyond

9:30 a.m. Nursery Care 10:00 a.m. Sunday School

10:00 a.m. Worship 11:00 a.m. Coffee & Fellowship 5:00 p.m. Youth Group

7:00 p.m. Youth Band

December 3

First Sunday of Advent The Reverend George Anastos

1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Today is New Year’s Day, at least as far as the ecclesiastical calendar is concerned. Our church year begins now, asking us to prepare our hearts for the incarnation of God and how that plays out in history, in our world, and in our individual lives. It is interesting to ponder what it means to prepare a way in our hearts for God to enter in. Come prepared with your own answer, I would love to be enriched and enlarged by your thoughts.

December 10

Second Sunday of Advent Children’s Advent Pageant

Today we will be led in worship by our children. The theme for the service is “Around the World, It’s Christmas.” The children will share music from a variety of traditions and communities coming together to rejoice and celebrate Jesus’ birth. Enrich your advent season by learning about new customs and music from around the world.

December 17

Third Sunday of Advent

The Reverend George Anastos

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and

wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their

recompense, and I will make an everlasting

covenant with them.

This prophecy from Isaiah is traditionally interpreted by Christians to be referring to Jesus. However, we always must remember that this is a Hebrew text intended for the Hebrew people—a people called by God to bring healing to the world. What does it mean to stand with/in/for both traditions and faithfully live the covenant God makes with us?

December 24, 10:00A

Fourth Sunday of Advent The Reverend David Pettit

Luke 1:26-38 Today we shall worship with our sisters and brothers of Calvary Presbyterian Church. Their minister—the Reverend David Pettit, will be our preacher, the Reverend George Anastos of First Plymouth will be the liturgist.

Christmas Eve at First Plymouth Sunday, December 24

4:00P, 7:00P, and 10:00P This year we will have a change in our schedule of Christmas services. Our early 4:00 p.m. service will continue to be for small children and young families. If what you love are children and their cacophonous voices raised high, this is the service for you. The Chancel Choir will share their gift of music at the 7:00 p.m. service. Our 10:00 p.m. service will be a service of lessons and congregational carols, ending with the singing of Silent Night and lighting of candles.

December 31

The Reverend Dr. Eric Smith

Matthew 1:1-17 I don’t know about you, but I usually skip right over the genealogies in the bible. They’re just a boring list of names, right? Well, not this one. The genealogy of Jesus is the first word of the New Testament–the first “good news” that we hear about Jesus. It’s a list of names, but embedded in that list of names is a lot of history, theology, and hope. As we meet for worship on New Year’s Eve morning at 10:00 a.m., we are at the beginning of something new too–and Matthew’s genealogy of hope might be just the thing to send us on our way into a new year.

3

Minister’s Meditation

ADD PICTURE OF MINISTER

“Every Night a Child is Born is a Holy Night”

For so the children come

And so they have been coming.

Always in the same way they come—

Born of the seed of man and woman.

No angels herald their beginnings

No prophets predict their future courses

No wise men see a star to show

where to find the babe that will save humankind

Yet each night a child is born is a holy night.

Fathers and mothers—sitting beside their children’s cribs—

feel glory in the sight of a new life beginning.

They ask, “Where and how will this new life end?

Or will it ever end?”

Each night a child is born is a holy night—

A time for singing,

A time for wondering,

A time for worshipping.

- Sophia Lyon Fahs

Dr. Fahs was a leading religious educator in the mid 1900s. She was looking for ways to hear the ancient stories with new ears, understand them with new hearts, and see their impact in the world with new eyes. One of the ancient ways of seeing things fresh is to tie them to our own experiences. And there is no experience like watching your own child be born.

Yes, we all know that the hope we see in newborns is never fully realized. War is still part of our world. Racism is still rampant in our society. Equality—gender, marital, ethnic—is still a goal worth working toward, another hope expressed with each child born.

Christmas reminds us it is still worth it: the hope of peace on earth, the work toward justice, the determination it takes stay the course. It is still worth it.

Each night a child is born is a holy night. And a child is born every night.

December Lectionary Texts

Date First Reading Psalm Second Reading Gospel

December 3 Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13:24-37

December 10 Isaiah 40:1-11 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8

December 17 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Psalm 126 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28

December 24 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38

December 31 Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Psalm 148 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:22-40

4

The Advent season is beginning in a few short days so that means Christmas is fast approaching. Christmas is such a fun, meaningful time of year where we celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ and spend time with our family and friends, singing carols, and exchanging gifts and hugs!

This year our Advent Party will be held on the second Sunday of Advent, December 10. This is the same day our Children will be leading worship while performing the cantata “Around the World, It’s Christmas” under the direction of our Associate Music Director, Abby Ballinger. At the Advent Party immediately after church we will decorate the Plymouth Hall Christmas Tree, make Christmas cards for our senior shut ins, and the children will make some holiday crafts as we will share yummy Christmas goodies. Leading us in caroling at the piano will be Phyllis Updike, so it should be a wonderful time for all ages and a fun way to enjoy the holiday season.

The children in our Early Childhood class, three years old through kindergarten, meet in Room B-26 with their team of teachers. This month they are studying the unit titled “A Time is

Coming”. Their Bible Verse is “The time is

coming, declared the Lord, when I raise up a righteous descendent from

David’s line, and he rules as a wise king.” (Jeremiah 23:5) The Anchor Point for this unit is “We prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth”.

Our Grades 1-4 meet in the CE Center on December 3 and December 17 with teachers Melissa and Bobby Mangiameli. On December 10 the entire class will be performing in the worship service. Following the service will be the Advent Party in Plymouth Hall. This class will NOT meet 12/24 and 12/31.

Grades 5-7, the Bible Budz, will meet in Room B-22 with teachers Sam and Eileen Robinson. They will meet on December 3 and December 17, but not on December 24 and December 31.

The 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service is our Family service and will include all our children and youth choirs including our Early Childhood Cherubs, the Revelation singers and our youth group band. Please make sure your children and youth attend Sunday school and youth group so they will know their parts for this very important service. If your child does not want to sing, we will have speaking parts and parts to act out without lines to learn so make sure they come and let us know what they would like to do for the service. We would love it if all our young people took part in “their” Christmas Eve service.

We in Children’s Ministries wish our First Plymouth families and friends a joyous holiday season. Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years to each and every one of you. - Noanie, Alix, Katie, Emily, Alyssa, Tyler, Caroline

Children’s Ministries Noanie O’Brien Geistert, Director, [email protected]

Date Theme Bible Story

12/3/2017 A Baby is Coming Jeremiah 23:5-8

12/3/2017 Mary and Joseph Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 1: 26-38

12/10/2017 A Baby is Born Luke 2:1-7

12/10/2017 The Shepherd’s Visit Luke 2:6-20

12/17/2017 Simeon and Anna Luke 2:25-38

Happy Birthday… ...to Our Seniors

...and to Our

Children

PICTURE FOR MONTHLY

BIRTHDAYS

Stephen Barnes

Marjorie Barnes

Raeanna Biddle

Marilyn Bowlds

Jennifer Brown

Martha Bushey

Linda Cunningham

Karleen Gagnon

Joan Gendreau

Bruce Glenn

Sally Lund

Suzanne Moser

Phyllis Rigsby

Margo Sargent

Frank Taylor

Carolyn Weaver

Blake Barben

Estelle Carpenter

Anna Doyle

Lauren Emily Falconetti

Wesley Jay Hentzen

Kai Knutson

Chiedza Muchineripi

Sophia Muchow

James Roe

Eleanor Spaulding-Barclay

Llewyn Watkin

5

Children’s Ministries (continued)

HOLIDAY HOURS FOR CHILDREN’S

MINISTRIES:

The Nursery will be CLOSED on Sunday morning,

December 24, but will be open at

3:30 p.m. for the 4:00 p.m.

Family Christmas Eve Service

and remain open until the conclusion

of the 7:00 p.m. service.

Sunday School will NOT be held December 24 or

December 31, to allow the staff to spend the

holidays with their families.

Have a joyous holiday season!

The LOVE AND LOGIC class is scheduled to begin Monday, January 22, and will run weekly through Fe b r u a ry 1 2 f ro m 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This class is designed for parents of infants through children in early childhood. Please email Noanie if you require childcare while participating in this class. If you intend on participating in this class, please formally register with your intent with Noanie at fpchildren@firstplymouthch

urch.org. Many of you have said verbally that you wish to take the class but please confirm by emailing, now that the dates are set. If there is enough interest we will schedule the Love and Logic class geared towards o lder chi ldren f rom February 26 - March 26. Children Ministries will be paying the course fee for attendees but require participants to pay for the workbook.

LOFT HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS The Thanksgiving dinner at College View was a great success! Thank you to all the many hands that cooked the meal, transported the meal, plated the meal and served the meal and drinks to our friends at DICP as well as our fabulous clean up crew! A very special THANK YOU to Dianne Williams for arranging the food purchase and managing the kitchen and the cooking again this year. We so appreciate her tremendous help. It truly takes a village and what an amazing village we have here at First Plymouth!

On Saturday, December 9 we will be holding our Santa Shoppe to benefit DICP. We are accepting donations of new or lightly used ADULT gifts to put in our Santa Shoppe. The children will be able to pick out presents for their parents, grandparents or guardians that they otherwise would not be able to afford. After making their choices, volunteers will help them wrap the gifts. We serve a light brunch before we open the doors to the Shoppe

and while the kids wait their turn to shop, they can visit with Santa. Please go to the following link to sign up to help with this very fun event:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e44aaae22a0f49-dicp

We especially need volunteers to set up the Santa Shoppe on Friday night from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Also, remember Denver Inner City Parish on the Colorado Gives Day on December 8.

6

Outreach December Share-The-Plate

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the

world.

- Nelson Mandela

The Rwanda Project, First Plymouth’s international outreach mission, is the Share-the-Plate recipient during December. Loose offerings and envelopes designating “Share-the-Plate” will go toward the education of children from Kenombe Village in Rwanda.

First Plymouth made a 12-year commitment to educate a generation of Kenombe children. We are entering our 12th year, and need to raise $20,000 to see our commitment through. Therefore, beyond the Share-the-Plate proceeds, the Rwanda Project will be undertaking its usual December fundraising efforts to bring education to those who may not otherwise be able to have one.

Our Rwanda contact, Kathy Anastos, visited First Plymouth in October and reported that, through First Plymouth’s efforts, more than 300 students have either graduated from high school or earned a technical certificate (leading to employment) during the 11 years we have supported this project. This school year 30-40 more will finish their educations. Most of these young people would not have been able to attend school without First Plymouth’s help.

The staff at the Solidarite Center in Kenombe Village sent a “thank you” scroll to First Plymouth to express their appreciation for our sustained support. During December, the scroll will be shared with the congregation during a Share-the-Plate presentation.

The education of a child not only benefits the child, but also the family and village members as well as employers who can expand the economy by having access to educated employees. The ripple effects of First Plymouth’s help will extend further than we will ever know.

For the weekly cost of a single Starbucks coffee we can change lives and help bring economic stability to a country which is still recovering from a horrific history. Thank you to First Plymouth for its tremendous support of this small village over the years. While our 12-year congregational commitment ends, the need does not. In the future, First Plymouth will continue to provide an opportunity for Kenombe Village supporters to help build on the educational foundation which has been laid.

Confirmation Classes

Confirmation Classes continue in December and into 2018:

December 3 and 17

January 21

February 4, 18, 25

March 4, 11, 18

April 1, 8, 15, 29

May 6

Contact Alix Wright for more information at:

[email protected]

SOCKS, SOCKS, SOCKS

While visions of sugarplums and overflowing stocking might dance in the heads of many in the Denver area this season, some are just hoping for a pair of NEW socks. The Sock It To Em Sock Campaign provides NEW socks for those experiencing homelessness to over 90 shelters, services and agencies in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Socks for men, women and children are being collected a t F i r s t P l y m o u t h throughout the month of December.

7

Outreach Candlelight Vigil: Wednesday, December 13

With mass shootings happening almost every week across our country, progressive Christians find the need, more than ever, to stand up for human lives lost to shootings and for human lives at risk of a shooting every day.

As witness to this, members and friends of First Plymouth Church are encouraged to participate in a candlelight vigil in front of the church on Wednesday, December 13, at dusk. The vigil is in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre and in honor of all others lost to gun violence.

The vigil will be held in cooperation with both First Universalist across the street and Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence. The program will have participants standing on

both our corner of Colorado and Hampden and First Universalist’s corner. Participants will gather in the First Plymouth courtyard at 4:15 p.m. for opening comments and prayers, followed by moving to either of the two corners from 4:30 p.m. to about 5:30 p.m. Participants are asked to bring their own light sources such as candles, flashlights, cell pones, lanterns, etc.

We will also hold a sign-making party in advance of the vigil on December 5

at 6 :00 p.m. in Plymouth Hall. Please join us!


Please plan to attend the next Adult CE session on Sunday, December 3, when Rev. Alan Johnson from First Congregational UCC, Boulder will share how their church developed and integrated a W.I.S.E. Mental Health Ministry into the life of the church. Join us in the Covenant Room following the worship service and come with your stories and ideas for First Plymouth.

The third organizational meeting of FP W.I.S.E. Task Force will be held Tuesday, December 5, at 7:00 p.m. in the Covenant Room. Please join us as to review a developing mission statement and discuss areas of interest and need.

For those struggling during the holiday season with grief, loss, and sorrow, Sixth Avenue UCC located at 3250 E. Sixth Avenue, in Denver, is holding a Longest Night Christmas Service Thursday, December 21, at 6:30 p.m. This gathering will offer music, poetry, silence, and hymns. Childcare will be available, and the church is wheelchair accessible. Fellowship and refreshments will be served afterward.

Be An Angel This Christmas Season,

Pick An Angel Off The Tree

In the Narthex you will see the Angel Tree adorned with angel ornaments. On each ornament is a child’s name and toy or clothing size. This year’s recipients are the children of Denver Inner City Parish.

Find an angel which speaks to you, remove it and attach it to the unwrapped gift and deliver to the church and place gift(s) under the tree by December 11. Outreach Team members Tom and Gigi VanEgeren will deliver the toys and gifts to DICP.

Thank you for joining us in the Spirit of Giving this holiday season.

2018 Caring Award Nominations The First Plymouth Foundation is seeking nominations for its 2018 Caring Awards and would like assistance from the First Plymouth community. If you know of someone who should be recognized for “outstanding community service,” pick up a nomination form from Mission Central or on-line at https://www.firstplymouthchurch.org/?p=6198. The Foundation board will select from all nominations received one person from the First Plymouth community and one from the greater community so feel free to nominate either a First Plymouth member or someone in the wider community who you believe should be recognized. Nomination are due by January 14, 2018.

8

Announcing a Journey to Greece! The Reverend Dr. Eric C. Smith is leading a trip to Greece in December of 2018 to focus on the natural beauty of the land, the amazing history and culture of the people who live there, and the importance several Greek cities had in the founding of Christianity.

The city of Athens is in many ways the birthplace of western civilization, and it has been home to philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. We will fly into Athens from Denver, spending the first day there, and then travel to Corinth to visit the city where Paul founded one of his most important churches. We will then travel to Delphi to the Temple of Apollo, the theater, the Athenian Treasury, and more, and then onward to Kalmbaka and its hanging monasteries. From there we will go to Thessaloniki, another important city for Paul, and on the way visit the tomb of Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great, which has only recently been discovered. In Thessaloniki we will see beautiful architecture in a Greek seaside town, ancient ruins, and experience one of Greece’s “hippest” cities. From there we return to Athens before returning to Denver.

This trip is operated by the same company that we have used on three previous First Plymouth trips to: Italy, Ireland, and Turkey. It will be led by our Teaching Minister, Reverend Dr. Eric C. Smith, and it will be open to people in the Iliff community as well, so there will be opportunities for study in advance of the trip for those wanting to prepare. Fliers with more information and a registration form will be available soon, online and at Mission Central. This trip will take place December 3-12, 2018. The cost is $2,999 per person, which includes airfare, all ground transportation, all taxes and fees, all museum and site entry fees, and breakfast and dinner every day. You will need to cover your own passport fee, tips for drivers, porters, and other service professionals, plus any souvenirs you want to purchase. Join us for an informational session in January (TBA) for those interested in learning more. Contact Eric at any time at [email protected].

Adult CE

December 17 The Just Faith in Action Committee is honored to host Rev. Tawana Davis and Rev. Dr. Dawn Riley Duval for the December 17 Adult CE session following the worship service in the Commons Room.

Reverends Duval and Davis a r e c o - f o u n d e r s o f Soul2Soul LLC, a faith -based consulting firm focused on racial justice, healing and liberation. They have both served as associate ministers at Shorter AME Church and both partner with The Interfaith Alliance of Colorado in the Facing Racism Program. Please come and enjoy this introduction to authentic inter-racial discourse and egalitarian relationship building.

Continuing Education

Dead Sea Scrolls Classes The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is hosting a traveling exhibit of some of the Dead Sea Scrolls from March until September. To get ready, The Reverend Dr. Eric C. Smith is hosting a four-part series on the scrolls, their discovery, their contents, and their importance. On February 26, March 5, March 12, and March 19, we will gather for a lecture and conversation about the

scrolls. The classes will go from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and will feature lots of images of Qumran (the site where they were discovered), and the scrolls themselves and translations of them. Join us as we learn about the most important and astonishing archaeological discovery of the 20th century, just as they arrive in Denver!

9

Transition Update Thanks to two years advance notice of his retirement given by Senior Minister George Anastos, First Plymouth has the opportunity to conduct an orderly and thorough search for his replacement. In response, Church Council has devised a transition plan which not only spreads the work among various teams, but affords the opportunity for a broad cross-section of the congregation to participate.

Council has appointed the undersigned to be co-chairs of the Transition Process. We in turn recruited co-chairs for the Transition Teams, and are non-voting members of each team. Below is a brief explanation of each team’s responsibility and their chairs:

• Plan Development Team – Melissa Depper and Nancy Fogg, Co-Chairs. Among the issues this team will consider will be the various ministerial models (solo senior minister, part-time senior minister, co-pastors, etc.). It will review transition strategies (interim minister, overlapping ministers, etc.) and devise an initial budget. It will submit its recommendations to Church Council for approval and pass them on to the Church Profile and Recruitment Teams.

• Church Profile Team – Eileen Robinson and Doug Brown, Co-Chairs. Developing a profile of First Plymouth for use in the recruitment effort will be the primary focus of this team.

• Recruitment Team – David Nestor and Carole Westphal, Co-Chairs. Using recommendations developed by the Plan Development and Church Profile Teams, this team will obtain and review candidates for the position or positions of senior minister. Involved in this will be dealing with contract and compensation issues, as well as recommending whether to engage the services of a consultant to scout those candidates who may not be actively seeking a change in employment. The final candidate(s) will be reported to Council and put before the congregation for its consideration.

• Hospitality Team – Nancy Joe Shaw and Joe Shaw, Co-Chairs. This team will organize a celebration of the service of George and Andrea Anastos as they make their own transitions. It will work with the incoming minister(s), if they are not from the Denver metro area, to facilitate their entry into the local environment and to connect them with the various services and professionals which may be useful to them. The Hospitality Team will also introduce the new minister(s) to the congregation and to those external organizations which are important to First Plymouth (Denver Inner City Parish, Kentucky Circle Village, Temple Sinai, etc.).

• Research Subcommittee – Carole Westphal, Chair. This group will be made up of a few members of the Plan Development and Church Profile Teams. It will act as clearinghouse for research needed by each of the teams, and will investigate, among other issues, experiences of other churches during their own pastoral changes.

• Transition Coordinating Committee – This committee consists of Moderator Suzie Wrenn, Vice-Moderator Ken Hoagland, the Team co-chairs and the undersigned Transition Process co-chairs. This team will review the recommendations of each team to insure completeness before forwarding to Council. It will also help to resolve problems any of the teams encounter and will develop a plan for regular and meaningful communication to the congregation.

All of the teams are charged with actively seeking input from the congregation through Congregational Conversations and other methods.

It is anticipated that the Plan Development and Church Profile Teams will complete their work by mid-2018, at which time the Recruitment Team will use the results to begin its primary work. The Hospitality Team’s work won’t begin until near the end of George’s tenure, and will likely continue until well after the new minster(s) has started. Presently, all of the co-chairs are recruiting 8-12 members for each team who represent, as nearly as possible, the demographics of First Plymouth. This process should be completed by the end of the year, particularly for the two teams and the Research subcommittee whose work begins the soonest.

(Continued on next page)

10

Whole Earth

The 6Rs during

Advent and the holiday season

December Tips:

RESIST the “shop ‘til you drop” commercialism of Christmas. Instead, you can help…

RESTORE the devastation caused by this year’s hurricanes by joining the Arbor Day Foundation’s efforts to replant trees in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Florida by going to: https://www.arborday.org/

g i f t i de as / or , m ake donations to other non-profits which support your values...

RECYCLE last year’s Christmas cards to make your own gift tags...

REDUCE the holiday stress in your life by focusing on simple, sacred traditions with loved ones. Transition Update (continued from page 6)

Transition Process Co-Chairs, Denise Brown and Craig Eley, and all of the sub committee co-chairs, are committed to making this process as open as possible to the First Plymouth members in expressing their concerns and opinions. Toward this end, as well as holding a number of Congregational Conversations, we intend to schedule regular after-service informal Q &A sessions so that we can hear from FP members over the next 18 months of this process. The complete Transition Plan, was drafted by Church Council and may be found on the Church’s website at: found at https://

www.firstplymouthchurch.org/?p=6183. While Council has set up this procedure for calling George’s replacement, this effort is not solely in the hands of these Teams. Each First Plymouth member has a responsibility to make their opinions, concerns and suggestions known so that the eventual candidate is the product of our collective experience, judgment and wisdom.

- Denise Brown and Craig Eley – Transition Process Co-Chairs

Films and Books that Inform and Shape Perspective The film “Look and See” is a marvelous exploration of life in a small farming community of Kentucky as industrialization of farming begins to take hold of the country. Thank you Rev. Dr. Eric Smith, for pointing out the value of this film in your Facebook post. The photography alone makes this documentary film well worth watching.

The story of the film revolves around the later life of the famous environment poet Wendell Berry as he takes up the life of farming and writing in a quiet rural setting. As noted in the webpage about the movie, Berry ‘sees’ “in the span of a generation, the agrarian virtues of simplicity, land stewardship, sustainable farming, local economics and rootedness to place have been replaced by a capital-intensive model of industrial agriculture characterized by machine labor, chemical fertilizers, soil erosion and debt”.

This film is rich with readings of Wendell Berry’s poems: We who prayed and wept

for liberty from kings

and the yoke of liberty,

accept the tyranny of things

we do not need.

And this one when he is in despair:

I come into the peace of wild things

Who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief.

I come into the presence of still water

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

Waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

What is it that allows some people to ‘see’ when they look? Through interviews, poetry and photography the film opens with a very important clue. The film is available on Netflix.

11

Community

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?! The Community Life Ministry is aware of many friends and family of First

Plymouth who do not have families in the area. This holiday season we would like to match those of you who would enjoy spending time with other folks for Christmas dinner this year. You may want to be the guest or you may want to invite guests to your home. There are sign-up sheets at Mission Central and in Plymouth Hall during the fellowship time after the service each week. The

requests will be sorted and matched up geographically as best we can and the host will invite the guest to dinner. The deadline for Christmas will be Sunday, December 17. Feel free to contact Susan Oakes with questions at 720-447-1981 or [email protected].

Web of Care Update for December 2017 “life changing” … “raised awareness of others”…

“intentionality of caring”… “transformative”

Above are comments from current Web of Care Coordinators explaining why they choose to be Coordinators. Being a part of the Web of Care Ministry is a wonderful and rewarding experience! Joy comes from the knowledge that you are in keeping members connected to the church in a more personal way. Plus, you can’t beat all the intangibles you get – smiles and hugs.

Since the Web of Care began 83 families have returned to active participation in First Plymouth.

The Web of Care Ministry has impacted the culture of the church beyond what anyone expected. It has created a stronger community feel and unity in the church - it is the fabric of who we are. Some participants in the New Members Class have shared that they felt the warmth and sincerity of First Plymouth members from the moment they walked through the front door. They were so impressed that they decided to join our beloved community.

The Web of Care is seeking members who would be willing to contact a group of 5 members on a regular basis to continue to strengthen the bonds of our beloved community. It is another way to re-connect with members you already know and to introduce you to new members.

The New Members Program assigns mentors to each person. We want to smoothly transition the new members from their mentors to a Web of Care Coordinator. To do this we need more Coordinators! You will receive training and support from the Co-Chairs.

Please contact one of the co-chairs if you are interested. Thank you! Gini Blunden, Deb Hubbard, Janet Rich, and

Tammy Weatherly

Adult CE: Holy Listening

December 31 Hungry for spiritual growth and rebirth? Eager to connect more deeply with your First Plymouth community? Interested in connecting the gospel more closely to your personal life? Experience the emotional power of holy listening in a process known as Lectio Divina. Join us following the worship service December 31, in the Commons Room. Together we will build a stronger Christian community. All are invited and welcome, and no First Plymouth membership or experience with the activity is necessary! Come with an open mind and an open heart.

December Office Hours

The church office will be closed:

December 23

December 25

December 26

December 29

Email specific requests to [email protected]

by December 15 for your requests to be considered.

12

Community

Kantorei in Concert

for Christmas Celebrate the season with sounds of choir and harp as Kantorei is joined by harpist Janet Kay Harriman in performing newly composed h o l i d a y t r e a t s a n d arrangements of some of your favorites! Premiered by the BBC Singers in December of 2016, “My Perfect Stranger” by former King’s Singer-turned-composer, Bob Chilcott, retells the Christmas story. Kantorei will also bring you standard carols arranged by J a c k s o n B e r k e y o f Mannheim Steamroller fame, and they will even ask you to join in on the holiday cheer!

Join us December 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the First

Plymouth Sanctuary. To purchase tickets for this

special holiday concert go to

http://kantorei12162017

.ezregister.com/. . First Plymouth members will find a discount code printed in the weekly bulletins.

“The Group” Meets Saturday, December 9 “The Group” will meet Saturday, December 9, at the home of Lee Probasco and Roger Diggle at 5:00 p.m. located at 205 Holland Street, Lakewood. Please bring a hearty appetizer, dessert, and/or a bottle of wine to share. Directions: From First Plymouth, go north on Colorado Blvd, turn west on

I-25 to US 6 exit. Proceed west to the Garrison/Carr Street exit just past Wadsworth. Exit onto the service road. Turn left at the traffic signal and make another right turn onto 2nd Avenue. Cross Holland Street to the first house on the right. Should you have questions, please call Lee at 303-917-8152 or Roger at 303-335-8137. New members are always welcome.

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast The next Men’s Fellowship Breakfast will be on Saturday, December 9, in Room 212. We begin at 8:00 a.m. with a continental breakfast and intriguing table talk followed by an enlightening speaker. We always conclude by 10:00 a.m. Women of First Plymouth who wish to hear the speaker may share breakfast at 8:00 a.m. at Panera Bread, 6385 E. Hampden Avenue, after which both groups will come together in the Commons Room at about 8:45 a.m. for the presentation portion of the meeting.

It has been called the most dangerous dam in the world. Fortunately, it’s not in Colorado, but in Mosul, Iraq. At our December 9 breakfast First Plymouth’s own Bill Blunden, a retired mechanical engineer, will explain why this behemoth is a catastrophe waiting to happen. If time permits, Bill will also explain the recent Oroville Dam scare in California.

Men’s Fellowship meets at 8:00 a.m. the second Saturday of each month and is open to all FP men. There are no sign-ups, no committees, and no dues. For more information, contact Bruce Glenn at [email protected].

A Grand Thank You to Years of Service The Outreach Team lost two important members this past July. Chairman Kat Haskins and Treasurer Rev Stuart Haskins retired after more than 12 years participating on the Outreach Team. Their experience in community and international projects that offer a helping hand for those with needs for housing, food, economic development and education, was invaluable to the Team. At the August meeting of the Outreach Team, the members enjoyed an ice cream cake and gave Kat and Stuart a card of thanks and a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant. Thank you to Kat and Stuart for their years of service to First Plymouth Church.

13

Gifts of Time and Talent

Thank you once again for including A Little Something in the WGM this year...We truly appreciate your hard work in putting together this event. The crafters of A Little Something definitely benefited from our organization’s participation in the WGM this weekend. Thank you, thank you.

At the 2017

World Gift Ma

rket

Terry Crews & Nanette Harland, Pastoral Care Coordinators

[email protected] • 303-762-0616 x225

Joys & Concerns

These are the Joys and Concerns that have been

shared among our church family since the previous

newsletter. Please hold in your prayers the

following members:

Bruce Evans is recuperating from a very serious infection. Bruce and Donna request no visitors at this time; however prayers and cards are most welcome. Their contact information is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

Larry Barrett, 88 years old, died October 26 in Aurora, Colorado. Larry’s wife, Charlotte, preceded him in death; and he leaves behind his long-time friend, Marilyn Bush and extended family. A service will be conducted on December 2 at Horan & McConaty in Parker, Colorado, with a reception to follow. The obituary is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

Arlene Hutchinson has moved to St. Andrew’s Village. Her contact information is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

Marilyn Mingee, a First Plymouth member during the late 1970s – 1999, died October 21, in Aurora, Colorado, at the age of 90. She was preceded in death by her husband, James, in 2016. A memorial service was held November 10 at St. Andrew’s Village, Aurora, Colorado. Marilyn’s obituary is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

Mary Kay Kernan and Peg Thompson want to thank the First Plymouth community for its support during Peg’s knee surgery and recovery. They appreciated the meals, cards, and inquiries. The second surgery (hopefully last) will be December 19.

Rev. Dr. Eric C. Smith’s second book, Jewish Glass

and Christian Stone: A Materialist Mapping of the

Parting of the Ways, was published last week by Routledge (London and New York). The book was written with support from the First Plymouth Endowment and improved by insightful manuscript comments from several First Plymouth members. A copy will be placed in the church library for those interested in reading it.

Joyce Hoffer died November 2 in Englewood, Colorado, at the age of 85. For her entire career Joyce was a music teacher for elementary age children. One of her specialties was teaching children about other cultures through music. Joyce was elected as a Fellow in the Washington Music Teacher Hall of Fame. She is survived by several family members and her longtime, and dear friend, Belva Baxter. A memorial service was held on November 10 at the Meredian. Belva’s contact information is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

Long time church, choir, and community camp member, Marcy Nicholas, has end-stage Alzheimer’s disease and is at home with in-home hospice. She is in the loving and constant care of her devoted husband, Randy, and surrounded by family and friends. Marcy and Randy welcome cards, visits and calls. Their contact information is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

Judy Kearney’s daughter, Kristal White, is recovering at home in Corpus Christi, Texas, after a previous abdominal surgery had to be repeated. This time the prognosis looks good! Kristal’s family and Judy and Raeanna Biddle, appreciate your prayers for a complete recovery.

Peggy O’Brien is recovering at home from her second cataract surgery. Peggy appreciates cards and calls. Her contact information in on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board.

David “Bubba” Stevenson was featured in a Fox 31 News “Serving Those Who Serve” segment, on November 8. As a Hospice volunteer, days before the pilot’s death, David was reunited with a fellow squadron member and co-pilot with whom he had served in Vietnam. The piece is a beautiful tribute to a friendship from a lifetime ago. The written piece is on the NewsWorthies Bulletin Board. The film piece can be viewed on http://via.kdvr.com/K04GV.

George and Andrea Anastos are the proud grandparents of Logan Richard Werner, born Wednesday, November 8. Logan’s parents Philippa and Bryce Werner are doing well.

We Are the Church Together

14

COUNCIL

Moderator Suzie Wrenn

[email protected] 720-335-3970

Vice Moderator Ken Hoagland [email protected] 303-808-8771

Treasurer Marilyn Miller


Church Clerk Lee Probasco [email protected] 303-917-8152

Members at Large: Term ending June 2018: Keith Conner, Eileen Robinson June 2019: Miracle Nuanes, Ben Williams June 2020: Carolyn Eustace, Peter Fogg

MINISTRIES

Worship Co-Chairs: Nancy Cole & Judy Macomber

[email protected] 303-693-0485 [email protected] 303-948-2189

Christian Formation Chair: Alix Wright

[email protected]

Service (Outreach) Co-Chairs: Bonnie Mucklow & Tom VanEgeren


Community Life Co-Chairs: Colleen Egan & Susan Oakes


Stewardship Grover Wrenn [email protected] 720-201-7717

Whole Earth Co-Chairs: Jan McCoy & Pam Schmidt


COMMITTEES

Business Admin Team Beth Baker Owens [email protected] 303-550-2941

Endowment Committee Harry Adair


Finance Committee Co-Chairs: Harry Adair & Marilyn Miller


First Plymouth Foundation Ken Hoagland


PPRC Debbie Harrington [email protected] 303-796-7090

New Members Program Heidi Thomas [email protected] 303-877-1140

Senior Homes Liz Mascitelli 303-388-3084

Arts at Plymouth Nancy Cole


Just Faith In Action! Co-Chairs: Berkeley Rich & Ruth Neil



Memorials Diane Hoagland


Web of Care Gini Blunden [email protected] 720-220-1520

FELLOWSHIP & OTHER GROUPS

LOFT Co-Chairs: Eileen Robinson &

Noanie O’Brien Geistert


[email protected]

Loaves and Fishes / Habitat for Humanity [email protected] Carole Westphal

720-402-6808

Men’s Fellowship Bruce Glenn


Mental Health Task Force Co-Chairs: Vicki Kreuger & Elaine Borton

[email protected]

[email protected]

The Group Roger Diggle [email protected] 303-335-8137

Thursday Afternoon Circle [email protected] Linda Cunningham

303-221-2294

Travel Club Nancy Joe and Joe Shaw


World Gift Market Amy Turner [email protected] 720-935-5705

Yacht and Donut Club Roger Diggle [email protected] 303-335-8137

Browse the First Plymouth

Library Catalog online at www.librarything.com/catalog/Firstplymouth

Contact Information

First Plymouth Staff 303-762-0616

Rev. George C. Anastos Senior Minister

Rev. Dr. Eric C. Smith Minister of Teaching

Joel Rinsema Director of Music

Abby Ballinger Associate Director of Music

Ricki Vorrath-Moyer Organist

Noanie O’Brien Geistert Director of Children’s Ministries

[email protected]

Alix Wright Intern

Katie Haas Nursery Manager

Terry Crews & Nanette Harland Pastoral Care Coordinators

[email protected]

Lois McCloskey Parish Visitor

[email protected]

Rhonda Williamson Director of Administration

Angie Kreuser & Cheri Armstrong Office Coordinators

[email protected]

Amy Turner Communications Coordinator

[email protected]

Don McLean Facilities Manager

Ralph Basquez Custodian

First Plymouth Learning Center Kiesha Howe, Director

303-762-9355, [email protected]

Unless otherwise noted, email us using first initial and last name @firstplymouthchurch.org

Rocky M

ountain UC

C

www.rmcucc.org

15

Ricki Vorrath-Moyer

December 2017

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

1

2

3

9

:00

A C

on

firm

atio

n C

lass

1

1:0

0A

Ad

ult

CE

: W

.I.S

.E.

12

:15P

W

eb o

f C

are

5

:00P

Y

ou

th G

rou

p

4

10

:00

A K

nit

Wit

Sew

ciet

y

6:3

0P

Ju

st F

aith

in

Act

ion

6

:30P

Lea

rnin

g C

ente

r

Bo

ard

Mee

tin

g

7:0

0P

Ro

cky M

ou

nta

in

Flu

te C

ho

ir R

ehea

rsal

5

10

:00

A W

eb o

f C

are

6

:00P

CF

CU

6:3

0P

M

enta

l H

ealt

h

M

inis

try

6

8:0

0A

Y

ach

t &

Do

nut

Clu

b

7

11

:15

A S

enio

r

Ch

rist

mas

Lu

nch

eon

6:0

0P

H

andb

ell

Ch

oir

7:0

0P

C

han

cel

Ch

oir

8

10

:15

A R

edu

ce G

un

V

iole

nce

Mee

tin

g

9

8:0

0A

Men

’s B

reak

fast

10

11

:00

A C

hil

dre

n’s

M

inis

trie

s A

dven

t P

arty

5

:00P

Hea

rt t

o H

eart

11

11

:30

A B

etw

een

th

e L

ines

7:0

0P

Ro

cky M

ou

nta

in

Flu

te C

ho

ir R

ehea

rsal

7:0

0P

B

usi

nes

s A

dm

in.

12

13

8:0

0A

Y

ach

t &

Do

nut

Clu

b

6:0

0P

W

om

en’s

Can

cer

S

up

po

rt G

roup

(o

ffsi

te)

14

6:0

0P

H

and

bel

l C

ho

ir

7:0

0P

C

han

cel

Cho

ir

15

16 7

:30

P K

an

tore

i in

C

on

cert

17

9

:00

A C

on

firm

atio

n C

lass

1

1:0

0A

A

du

lt C

E:

JFIA

5:0

0P

Y

ou

th G

rou

p

6

:00P

B

e P

eace

/

Mak

e P

eace

18

6

:00P

R

ace

& R

acis

m

F

ilm

Ser

ies

6

:30P

CE

Mee

tin

g

7

:00P

R

ock

y M

ou

nta

in

Flu

te C

ho

ir R

ehea

rsal

19

6:3

0P

Ch

urc

h C

ou

nci

l

20

8:0

0A

Y

ach

t &

Do

nut

Clu

b

7:0

0P

P

PR

C

21

6:0

0P

H

and

bel

l C

ho

ir

7:0

0P

C

han

cel

Cho

ir

22

23

CH

UR

CH

CL

OS

ED

24

10

:00

A W

ors

hip

4:0

0P

Ch

rist

mas

P

agea

nt

for

Fam

ilie

s

7:0

0P

Les

son

s an

d

C

aro

ls w

ith

Ch

ance

l

C

hoir

and

Orc

hes

tra

10

:00P

A Q

uie

t S

ervic

e

of

Ch

rist

mas

25

CH

UR

CH

CL

OS

ED

26

CH

UR

CH

CL

OS

ED

27

8:0

0A

Y

ach

t &

Do

nut

Clu

b

28

6:0

0P

H

and

bel

l C

ho

ir

7:0

0P

C

han

cel

Cho

ir

29

C

HU

RC

H C

LO

SE

D

30

31

11

:10

A A

du

lt C

E :

Ho

ly L

iste

nin

g

The Newsletter deadline for the

January 2018 issue is:

Sunday, December 10

Em

ail

yo

ur

arti

cles

an

d i

nfo

rmat

ion

to

:

edit

or@

firs

tply

mou

thch

urc

h.o

rg

La

te s

ub

mis

sio

ns

ma

y n

ot

be

incl

ud

ed

.

All

su

bm

issi

on

s a

re s

ub

ject

to

ed

itin

g.

Regular Sunday Events

8:4

5A

B

ible

Basi

cs

9:3

0A

N

urs

ery C

are

10:0

0A

Su

nd

ay S

chool

(beg

ins

Sep

tem

ber

10)

10:0

0A

Wors

hip

11:0

0A

Fel

low

ship

an

d C

off

ee H

ou

r

5:0

0P

You

th G

rou

p

7:0

0P

You

th B

an

d

newsletter december 2017 - first plymouth church 2017 a united church of christ vol. 79, issue 6 a...

Documents