The Week ·
We welcome all who worship with us this day. May you experience God’s presence and find inspiration for the journey of faith. This morning the leaders in worship are Rick Jenkins, sound engineer; Holly Hoxeng and Kathleen Williams, ushers; Rachel Yates, liturgist; Sarah Johnson, violinist; Dean Stalnaker, music director; Rev. Dr. Holly Heuer, preacher. All music today is used by permission CCLI –1800777/One License #A-716927.
Thanks to Men’s Breakfast for hosting our fellowship hour this morning. We serve fair trade coffee in reusable mugs.
Prayers this week are for Gary Wolfer; Nancy Coffern; Olson’s newly adopted great granddaughter, Kayla; Janet Schlenker, traveling mercies; Wade and Angie; Dody Clark upon the thirteenth anniversary of her daughter’s death; Dorothy Scully; disappearance of Doug Gray; Marti in hospice; Patsy and her son, Jim; Lane, cancer free and wife, Janie.
The Calvary Mini-Messenger will be coming out next Thursday, mailed and emailed. We welcome your questions, quotes, concerns and ideas.
Session will be organizing a Transition Team. There will be various functions associated with our transition -- the physical move into the south wing of the building, maintaining communication with those affected by the transition, and the team who will be exploring ministry partnerships. If you are interested in serving on any of these teams, please speak to Holly. We hope you can find a place to serve.
The Book Club will meet on Monday, May 14 at 1:30 in the Calvary Library. We will discuss the book "High Wide and Lonesome," by Hal Borland. This is a Colorado story. Mr. Borland's family came to the area of Brush, Colorado by covered wagon and settled there in 1910. Sydney Summers will lead the discussion and we hope you will join us, whether or not you get to read the book. Looking ahead, on June 11, the book of the month will be "Major Pettigrew's Last Stand" by Helen Simonson.
We will be honoring our graduates, Hannah Karn and Lindsey Ketterer next Sunday, May 20th.
Mark your calendars for a special mission event on May 20. After worship, we will have the opportunity to help Church World Service in two ways. First, we will assemble emergency kits - packages that may be distributed quickly after a disaster. We will provide the supplies, if you will provide the easy labor. Second, Fatuma Osman and her children, along with friend Anisa, have expressed their interest in cooking Somali snacks for us, as a fundraiser to help them make ends meet. From sanbuus to mufta to pasta, you will be delighted by the aroma and taste of these traditional Somali foods, made in our own kitchen. By purchasing these items, you will help this refugee family become self-sufficient as they learn to take their skills and apply them profitably. It will also be a nice time for you to meet this grateful family and see how your support of Church World Service impacts lives of refugees all around the world.
Pentecost is Sunday, May 27th. This is the annual celebration of the birthday of the church. We will have balloons, kites flying and music from the children. It is always an important occasion to remember the gift of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Wear red, yellow or orange – signs of the flames resting on the heads of the people. If you would like to “fly” one of the kites, please let Holly know.
Pentecost Gifts: Each year we celebrate the birthday of the church with a gift. This year in the bright spirit of Pentecost, Calvary will provide gifts of summer blooms to the newest church in our presbytery, North Highlands Presbyterian Church. Pastor Ashley Seaman suggested that the congregation would like three hanging baskets of summer flowers. So, following our regular worship service, we will prepare the flowering baskets, and around 11:15 a contingent will deliver them to North Highlands Presbyterian Church. The timing is intended to coincide with the conclusion of their regular worship service. A list of items needed on May 27 is below, and a sign-up sheet will be placed in the narthex.
small pots of ivy or greens -
new gardening tools and gloves -
a small donation to cover the cost -
flowering plants -
potting soil -
Calendar of Events ·
Sunday, May 12: 9:30am: Worship
Monday, May 13: 1:30pm: Book Club
Wednesday, May 15: 7:00pm: Session
No Choir Practice
Thursday, May 17: 11:00am: Prayer Shawl Ministry
Sunday, May 20: 9:30am: Worship
11:00am: Mission Project
In the Community ·
NEWS FROM DENVER PRESBYTERY : Calling all those interested in the church’s mission! The Mission and Ministry Work Group of Denver Presbytery invites you to a discussion with David Crittenden, Director of Stewardship for the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). This Wednesday, May 16, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Presbytery Center, David will listen to the needs, passion and concerns of our Task Forces, Covenant Communities, Mission Partnerships and congregational mission groups, as we describe our varied work in the mission field. This will be our turn to describe the support we need from the General Assembly and to share ideas for fruitful activities. We also hope to have an opportunity for groups to promote upcoming events, so that we might be able to join forces as the Body of Christ in the world. Your participation will truly enhance this event. For more information, please call either Nancy Dixon (720-939-5069) or Rachel Yates (303-400-3329)
There is still time to register for camp at Highlands Presbyterian Camp and Retreat Center! Although some of the programs are full, there is still space available for YOU at camp! Don’t let the summer slip away. Call Rev. Scott Thompson at 303-747-2888 to find out which camps still have openings. Register at www.highlandscamp.org
Senior High Opportunities at Highlands Presbyterian Camp will, once again, be super fun this summer! The traditional senior high camp will occur from June 24-29, while adventure camps run a few times throughout the summer. There will be many opportunities for outdoor adventures like the amazing new zip lime, mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, along with group experiences and time to make new friends and renew old friendships. Participation in daily Bible studies and worship centered on a daily parable of Jesus will encourage you to seek Christ’s love as you make your way through our increasingly complex world. Register at www.highlandscamp.org.
New at Highlands Camp this summer: the Zip Line! Are you prepared for the high adventure trill of the summer? Safely buckle into your harness and zoom along 1,000 feet of high wire suspended above a mountain meadow. The zip line is featured in all of our senior high and college camp weeks, as well as being available for your retreat, conference, or family vacation. Call Rev. Scott Thompson at 303-747-2888 to learn more. Register at www.highlandscamp.org
Building Community ·
Calvary offers a variety of activities that build community in different ways. We intentionally work to provide a lot of opportunities and venues in which one may "get – and stay – involved" with the congregation, our community and the broader world of the church. We are actively focused on nurturing meaningful worship, on doing mission, on ministering to our community, and on teaching our faith. We welcome all who would like to join in empowering our community to be faithful disciples and obedient servants.
Mission & Outreach ·
Calvary is committed to and supports a number of mission projects in the local community and around the world. Our church is a giving church: Calvary has had the highest per capita giving record in Denver Presbytery for some years now. We are very proud of that. We support a missionary in Nepal and have supported a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, and have sent a mission team to New Orleans. We build Habitat for Humanity houses and contribute to Neighborly Thrift Store. And on first Sundays we give food to the Covenant Cupboard. Our members are involved in a wide variety of community services, including the Denver Dumb Friends League, Crop Walk, Brookshire House, Toys-for-Tots, the Heifer Project, Engineers without Borders, the League of Women Voters, and other service programs.
Special Events ·
Calvary always enjoys an occasion to celebrate our life together in Christ. We have regular pot-luck dinners, breakfast celebrations, work days, and a fellowship time with delicious treats following worship. We enjoy each other. We welcome you to share your time and talents with us to help make our church a more vibrant congregation.
Education ·
We believe that through education we learn to love God with our minds, and so we offer ongoing educational programs at Calvary, with opportunities for study for both adults and children on Sunday mornings after worship. There are always choices in our adult classes, as we try to respond to different needs and interests. Our pastor regularly teaches a daytime Bible study classes, as well as leading Advent study sessions and a Lenten series. We love our children. We offer them opportunities to learn the faith through the rotation model of education. They cook, do art projects, work on the computer, sing, memorize Scripture, do drama and play as they explore God’s covenant with us.
Music ·
We have an active music ministry that offers praise to God through instrumental and vocal music. We always welcome new voices in our adult choir, which practices on Wednesday evenings at 7:15, and in our small but enthusiastic children’s choir, which performs regularly in special worship services during the year. We are inspiringly led by Dean Stalnaker, our music director. Our beautiful organ and grand piano fill the sanctuary with glorious sound.
Small Groups ·
We believe that the Spirit moves in forming compassionate community. Here at Calvary we have an active small group ministry with a variety of interest groups forming regularly. Currently we have a range of groups, some long established, others just beginning. Here are the groups that are currently meeting and their sponsors:
Book Club -- Nancy Coffern
Cooking/Dinner Club - Julie Christiansen
Daytimers
Gardening Group -- Sydney Summers
Growing with the Enneagram - Holly Heuer
Men's Breakfast - Fred Huff
Prayer Shawl Ministry - Pat Herring
We are always open to ideas for a new group activity.
Do you have one?