Introduction to 2026 Minimum Effective Salary

The Ministry Relations Committee is bringing forward a proposal to set the 2026 Minimum Effective Salary for ministers of Denver Presbytery at $71,000, aligning with the national PCUSA median effective salary. This recommendation reflects both the high cost of living in Denver and our ongoing commitment to ensuring that pastors are fairly compensated for their service and leadership.

This proposal will be presented for a vote at our Presbytery Assembly on Monday, October 28, 2025, at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church. In preparation, we invite all ministers, sessions, and congregational leaders to attend an informational Zoom session on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 11 AM, where the Ministry Relations Committee will provide background, walk through the details, and answer questions.

We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the proposal and its impact on your ministry context before the assembly gathers for action.

2026 Minimum Effective Salary

The guidelines will be presented for a vote at our Presbytery Assembly on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church. In preparation, we invite all ministers, sessions, and congregational leaders to attend an informational Zoom session on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, where the Ministry Relations Committee will provide background, walk through the details, and answer questions.

We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about the proposal and its impact on your ministry context before the assembly gathers for action.

Pre-Sale Tickets are over. Buy tickets at the door!

Join us for a spirited and meaningful evening in support of our neighbors and siblings in the migrant community!

The Journey with Migrants (JwM) Mission Partnership of the Denver Presbytery invites you to a fundraising celebration to support our vital ministry of accompaniment and advocacy. With the joyful collaboration of seven Presbytery congregations — Montview Blvd., Grace, Capitol Heights, Central, Good Shepherd, Divino Salvador, and Mountain View — we are walking alongside migrant families with tangible care and compassion.

💛 What Your Support Makes Possible:

Proceeds from this fundraiser will directly support JwM’s accompaniment work, including:

• Groceries and meals

• Rent and housing assistance

• Transportation to appointments and job sites

• Citizenship and legal application fees

• Access to healthcare and wellness needs

🎉 What to Expect at the Event:

• A lively paddle raise

• A fun and mysterious Blind Wine Table

• Delicious food and wine

• Light entertainment

• A few heartfelt reflections on this powerful work

📅 Saturday, August 23, 2025
🕓 4:30–6:30 PM
📍 Montview Blvd. Presbyterian Church
1980 Dahlia Street, Denver, CO

🎟️ Tickets: $75 – available online or at the door
💖 Can’t attend? You can still make a difference by donating!
👉 Tickets available at the door!

This is more than a fundraiser — it’s a celebration of solidarity and a chance to make a real impact in the lives of those seeking hope, safety, and belonging.

We can’t wait to see you there!

With gratitude,
The Journey with Migrants Mission Partnership
The Presbytery of Denver

PLEASE NOTE: PRE-REGISTRATION ENDS Thursday, August 14th at Noon so we have time to prepare your name tag and handouts. If you are unable to pre-register, please join us, check in with Bronte at checkin and create your own name tag. Assembly information is all available online. A limited amount of hard copies will be available.

Dear Friends in Christ,

You’re invited to a joyful and spirit-filled August Presbytery Assembly Gathering as we come together under the theme:
Conspiring for Authentic Evangelism

In a time when the word evangelism can feel loaded or misunderstood, we’ll explore what it means to share the Good News today—authentically, relationally, and with deep respect for both culture and context. This gathering will be a celebration of connection, culture, and calling.

✨ Highlights of the Day:

• 🎉 Welcome the Zimbabwe Delegation – Honoring 20 years of partnership between the Presbytery of Zimbabwe and the Presbytery of Denver

• 🥁 Drumming Circle – Begin the day in rhythm and unity, led by Commissioned Pastor Josphat Ombacho of Neema

• 🎂 Celebrate 20 Years Together – With cake, fellowship, and a renewed Memorandum of Understanding

• 🎤 Hear from Special Guests – Including Doug Tilton, Tom Sheffield, and others who’ve helped shape this meaningful global relationship

• 💙 Wear BLUE – A shared color of our two presbyteries, symbolizing unity across continents

🗓 Saturday, August 16, 2025

• 8:00 AM | Check-in, registration, breakfast, and fellowship

• 8:50 AM | Drumming Circle begins (arrive at 8:45!)

• 9:00 AM | Assembly Gathering & Worship

PARKING

Directions

The Iliff School of Theology is located at the corner of Iliff Avenue and University Boulevard. From I-25, take the University Blvd exit and head south. Continue on University Blvd. until you reach Iliff Ave., two blocks south of Evans Ave. Turn right (west) on Iliff Ave. Visitor parking is available in the B Lot located off Iliff Avenue. Enter the main drive and turn left into the visitor lot (B Lot).

Parking

Parking at Iliff is metered, unless you have a permit. Costs for visitors will be $2.00/hour on the Iliff campus.

• For visitors and students (non-permitted), please park at B Lot. Look for the parking kiosk to pay for your parking.

• Iliff has arranged for ADA parking in Lot A, you must display a sticker or license plate your you will be ticketed. This lot is owned/managed by the University of Denver.

• Pay station will be on the NE corner of the B lot.

Join us for a joyful evening of fellowship and shared celebration as we welcome the Presbytery of Zimbabwe delegates to Denver!

🗓 Date: Wednesday, August 13th
🕠 Time: 5:30 PM
📍 Location: Wellshire Presbyterian Church

The Presbytery will provide the main dish (chicken and beef) — we kindly ask you to bring a side, salad, dessert, or other dish to share. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect, share stories, and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of our cherished partnership.

Please Register to Help Us Plan

To help us plan for food and seating, we kindly ask that you register in advance. Let us know how many people will be attending and what type of dish you plan to bring—this will help ensure we have enough for everyone and a good variety to share. Thank you!

We apologize, SIGN UP/REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED!

We look forward to seeing you there!

You're Invited: Denver Presbytery Staff Remote Day!

When: Wednesday, June 18th
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: SUPS & CUPS 14011 W Quincy Ave unit d, in Morrison

On this special Staff Remote Day, the Denver Presbytery staff is stepping out of the office and into the community! From 10 AM to 1 PM, our team will be working remotely at the “home” of one of our New Worshipping Communities, A Stoked Life, led by Mindy and Nathan Heimer. We'd love to spend time connecting with you.

Whether you'd like to grab a cup of coffee, chat about ministry, or just say hello, we invite you to stop by and visit with us. It’s a casual opportunity to connect, share stories, and build relationships face-to-face.

Warmly,
The Denver Presbytery Staff

Reservations for dinner are no longer available. We apologize for any inconvenience.

2025 Presbytery Assembly Theme: Courageously Conspiring Together

💬 Conspiring to Create Courageous Relationships

Moving from Certainty to Curiosity

This gathering will be a sacred space to reflect, dream, and conspire together as we seek God’s guidance for our shared journey. Let us come with open hearts and courageous spirits as we explore what it means to lean into transformative relationships and faithful curiosity.

2025 Presbytery Assembly Theme: Courageously Conspiring Together

For 2025, Denver Presbytery gathers around the bold and unifying theme: Courageously Conspiring Together. At its heart, “to conspire” means to breathe together—an invitation into partnership, shared purpose, and Spirit-filled trust.

This May, our Assembly will focus on one vital expression of that theme: Caring Relationships. What does it mean to truly care for one another in our congregations, communities, and ministries? How do we build courageous relationships rooted in compassion, trust, accountability, and grace?

To conspire for caring relationships is to move forward not in isolation, but in deep connection—with empathy, presence, and vulnerability. It’s the work of building bridges, bearing witness to each other’s stories, and becoming a people who reflect Christ’s love in tangible, transformational ways.

This theme reflects one of the Seven Marks of Vital Congregations from the PC(USA), and is a core part of how we imagine God’s Kin-dom taking shape among us in Denver Presbytery.

As we prepare to gather on May 20 at St. James Presbyterian Church, we invite you to breathe with us—to listen, to learn, and to conspire for connection and care in all corners of our shared ministry.

🕊️ Together, may we courageously conspire for relationships that heal, restore, and inspire.

SCHEDULE | Tuesday, May 20, 2025

5 pm | In person check in, registration, fellowship and dinner begin

5:50 pm | Dinner ends, online checkin begins

6 pm | Assembly Gathering and Worship Begins

To Pastors and Commissioners from the April Presbytery Assembly
(Pastors, please share this with your April presbytery commissioners)

At our last presbytery gathering, we engaged in a creative and meaningful activity—you may remember we planted terrariums! As we worked with soil and plants, we also dug into deeper questions around spiritual formation and transformation—two vital marks of a thriving congregation. (You can revisit those guiding questions here.)

Each group also selected a “terrarium caretaker” to tend their creation until the next assembly. If that was you—thank you!

As we prepare for our May gathering, we’d love for you to share a picture of your terrarium in its current state, whether it’s flourishing or not. Growth of all kinds—thriving, struggling, or even failing—can offer spiritual insight.

We also invite you to reflect on this experience:

• What did you notice during this month of care?

• What have these living things taught you about spiritual growth and nurturing in your own faith community?

• How might tending to life in small, intentional ways shape our understanding of transformation?

Your reflections will help nourish the wider presbytery community. And please, keep the terrarium as a thank-you for your care and presence on this journey.

With gratitude,

Rev. Dr. Dee Cooper
Lead Presbyter

MEET OUR GUEST PREACHER

Rev. Laurie J. Ferguson, Ph.D., PCC

Dr. Laurie Ferguson brings a unique blend of pastoral experience and psychological expertise to her work as an Executive and Leadership Coach. Having served as a parish pastor for over twenty years before pursuing her doctorate in psychology, she understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities of church leadership.

Dr. Ferguson specializes in helping individuals and organizations develop resilience skills and achieve their goals through faithful courage. Her coaching approach is informed by her training in clinical psychology, Jungian and transpersonal psychology, life cycles, human development, and organizational development.

With degrees from Smith College, Princeton Seminary, and Adelphi University, Dr. Ferguson holds both a Ph.D. in psychology and a Master of Divinity. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC).

She resides in the Hudson River Valley in New York. For more information about her, visit her website: lauriejferguson.com

🍽️ You're Invited: Lunch & Learn – General Assembly Overtures Preview

Monday, April 28th | 12:00–1:00 PM | Zoom

Curious about the overtures coming before the PC(USA) General Assembly this summer? Wondering what Denver Presbytery will be voting on at our upcoming Assembly Gathering?

Join us for a Lunch & Learn to explore the overtures Denver Presbytery will consider on May 20 at our Assembly Gathering at St. James Presbyterian Church.

We'll look at these overtures through a PC(USA) lens, considering:

• What these overtures mean for the future of our denomination

• How they reflect our values of justice, equity, and shared mission

• What conversations are emerging across the church

This is a great opportunity for commissioners, clergy, and curious congregants alike to engage in faithful discernment together. Bring your lunch, your questions, and your commitment to being an informed and connected part of our Presbyterian family.

📝 Join Here
📧 Questions? Contact email our Stated Clerk, gretchen Sausville.

Let’s conspire courageously—together—toward a church that listens, learns, and leads with love.

PLEASE NOTE: PRE-REGISTRATION ENDS MONDAY, MARCH 31st at Noon so we have time to prepare your name tag and handouts. If you are unable to pre-register, please join us, check in with Bronte at the registration table and create your own name tag. Assembly information is all available online. A limited amount of hard copies will be available.

If you didn’t reserve dinner by March 24th, it is no longer available. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience.

You’re Invited: A Weekend of Engagement with Rev. Tony Larson

Join us for a meaningful time of worship, learning, and conversation with Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of PC(USA). Across three special gatherings, we’ll explore discipleship, servant leadership, and what it means to follow Christ in today’s world.

THIS IS THE 3RD OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH REV. LARSON.

📍 April 1 | Presbyterian Assembly Gathering: "Discipleship Formation and Servant Leadership"
Gather with us as we reflect, worship, and conspire together for spiritual growth and faithfulness, responding to Christ’s call for transformation.

• Theme: Conspiring… for Spiritual Growth and Faithfulness and Conspiring… to Respond to the Call of Transformation

• Time: 5 pm Dinner and Fellowship | 6 pm Meeting and Worship

• Location: Good Shepherd PC

  Accessibility: Dinner will be held on the lower level which is accessible via the ramp located on the outside of the building. Worship and assembly will be held on the main level. A restroom is available on both levels. Generative time will be held upstairs for those unable to navigate the stairs. There is plenty of parking!

This is a rare opportunity to engage with a thoughtful leader, explore what it means to be the church today, and grow in faith together. We hope you’ll join us!

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS CLOSED.

Come check in with Bronte and make a name tag!

NOTE ABOUT DINNER: RSVP for dinner was due March 24th so we could plan and order food. If you did not register and pay for dinner, please come join us for dessert and fellowship!

You’re Invited: A Weekend of Engagement with Rev. Tony Larson

Join us for a meaningful couple of days of worship, learning, and conversation with Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of PC(USA). Across three special gatherings, we’ll explore Courageously Conspiring Together for Spiritual Growth, Faithfulness, and the Call to Transformation—

March 31 | Lunchtime Workshop: "Models for Discipleship in an Age of Division: Why Church?"
Through the lens of Lukan parables, Rev. Larson will guide us in exploring who we follow, how we embody Christ, and where we are called to build courageous relationships.

• 9:15 – 10:30: Who are we following…?

• 10:45 – 11:30: How do we embody Christ as disciples?

• 11:45 – 12:30: Where does Christ need us to build courageous relationships?

• 12:30: Lunch to follow.

• Optional: Pastors and leaders are invited to stay (or just come) after lunch for conversation about ministry in the current moment and a time of prayer.

• Location: Denver Presbytery Offices

RSVP to bronte@denpres.org so we know how many people to expect. Pizza and salad for lunch!

Check out the other opportunities to connect with Rev. Larson while he is in Colorado!

Join us for a meaningful couple of days of worship, learning, and conversation with Rev. Tony Larson, Co-Moderator of the 226th General Assembly of PC(USA). Across three special gatherings, we’ll explore discipleship, servant leadership, and what it means to follow Christ in today’s world.

March 30 | Worship at First Aurora
Come hear Rev. Larson preach at First Presbyterian Church of Aurora as we gather in worship and reflect on God’s call to bold faith and courageous discipleship. Members of Divino Salvador and Neema Church will also be joining in worship.

• Time: 10 AM

• Location: First Presbyterian Church of Aurora

Bring a friend and check out the other opportunities to hear and connect with Rev. Tony Larson!

Check out the other opportunities to connect with Rev. Larson while he is in Colorado!

You’re Invited to the Ordination Service of Jordan Shive

Dear Friends in Christ,

With joy and gratitude, the Presbytery of Denver invite you to the Ordination Service of Jordan Shive as he is set apart for ordained ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Ordination Service for Jordan Shive

📅 Date: Saturday, February 15th
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM
📍 Location: First Presbyterian Church531 South College AvenueFort Collins, CO, 8052

Jordan, a member of Eagle River Presbyterian Church, is certified ready to receive a call and has faithfully prepared for this moment through his studies at Fuller Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity). He currently serves as a Chaplain Supervisor in the University of Colorado Health Systems, answering God’s call to a ministry of presence as a validated minister.

Join us in celebrating this sacred occasion as we witness God’s calling, offer our blessings, and uphold Jordan in prayer as he steps into ordained ministry.

All are welcome! We hope you will share in this special day of worship and commissioning.

Live stream available at https://firstpresfc.org/livestream/