The Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, J. Herbert Nelson, II, is holding a series of regional listening sessions throughout the denomination for the purpose of hearing what’s on the minds of our churches. Accompanied by Deputy Stated Clerk, Kerry Rice and Associate Director for Mid Council Relations, Tricia Dykers Koenig, he will be in the Denver area on February 19th  for a gathering hosted by the Presbytery of Denver. You are invited to First Presbyterian of Brighton, 510 S. 27th Ave., Brighton, CO, from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm.

This is an open meeting, please encourage your members to attend and share in this opportunity to talk about whatever is on their minds with denominational leaders.

Lunch reservations have closed. Please come with your thoughts and questions!

The Presbytery of Denver invites you to

A Service of Installation for

Rev. Christopher Spotts
First Presbyterian Church in Brighton
Sunday, February 10, 2019 at 2:30 p.m.

You are invited to participate in the installation of the Reverend Dr. Christopher Spotts as the new Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Brighton on Sunday, February 10th, 2019 at 2:30 pm in the sanctuary. His father, the Reverend Dr. Dwight Spotts of Spokane, Washington will bring the message. Several other leaders from our Presbytery will officiate. This special service provides an opportunity to witness how the whole Presbyterian Church (USA) functions as the Body of Christ to support member congregations. Come and celebrate this milestone in the life of First Presbyterian Church of Brighton! Refreshments following.

Connecting with the Community through Action

CALL OF THE MEETING:

The Presbytery of Denver Assembly

Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Church |  9180 W. 38th Ave. | Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-4232

Pre-Registration is closed. Please come to the meeting and check in at the registration table.

3:30 p.m.   Registration Opens

Please sign-in at the registration table upon arriving and pick up your Ballot.

Childcare is ONLY available upon request, if a reservation is made before January 15, 2019. Please contact Beth Carlisle at beth@denpres.org or 303.777.2454

4:00 p.m.      Pre-Assembly: Community Organizing - in the sanctuary
In an era when many people believe churches to be irrelevant, there is a way for congregations (of any size) to make a difference: Community organizing. Come and learn about a model of mission in which churches work together with schools, unions and other non-profits to build relational power and create sustainable change in their community. By building relationships between institutions, by identifying and researching issues of importance to the community, and by organizing for action, churches are leading change in the communities they serve.

Come hear how our congregations in Arvada are experimenting with community organizing as mission. Led by Jorge Montiel of IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation), Rev. gretchen Sausville and Rev. John Anderson.

5:00 p.m.      Meal and Fellowship - in fellowship hall
Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Church will host a dinner. Tickets for the dinner will be $8 available at registrations. A mixed green salad, Penne Pasta Bar with Marinara Sauce and optional meatballs for the main course. A seasonal fruit cobbler with ice cream will be available for dessert. 

5:50 p.m.      Announcements - in the sanctuary

6:00 p.m.      Presbytery Assembly Convenes

2018 Book of Proposed Amendments available, click here. Denver Presbytery will vote on these proposed amendments at the January 22, 2019 meeting. The Association of Stated Clerks Analysis is available, click here.

Learn more. Questions, email: Stated Clerk Olivia Hudson Smith.

*Childcare registration deadline: January 15, 2019

ACCESSIBILITY
The location of our January Assembly meeting has a ramp for access to the sanctuary level where the pre-assembly, business meeting and worship will be held. Dinner will be in the fellowship hall. It is located on another level; to access without the use of stairs, outside entrance through another door would be necessary. We apologize for the inconvenience.

*CHILDCARE INFORMATION:
The presbytery will accept childcare RSVPs until one week prior to each meeting.  If there are no registrations at that time, childcare will not be available.  Contact: Beth Carlisle.

MEAL ARRANGEMENTS
Host churches will do their best to accommodate requests for gluten-free, dairy-free & vegetarian meals. Requests must be made in advance to: Beth Carlisle.

NEW TO ASSEMBLY MEETINGS
If you are a new ruling elder commissioner, elected by your session or just want to learn more, click here for information to understand Assembly Meetings.

Racial Ethnic Diversity Work Group presents…

MLK DAY EDITION

Let us observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Day together in conversation and worship!

9:30AM—MARADE @ City Park (Actual Marade begins at 10:30AM)

12:30PM—LUNCH @ Central Presbyterian Church 1660 Sherman St, Denver, CO 80203

1:30PM— FEARLESS DIALOGUE MLK Edition @ Central PC

(Conversation on Issues of Race and Diversity)

2:30PM—WORSHIP SERVICE MLK Edition @ Central PC

For more info, contact Rev. John Yu @ 720-509-9112 | pastorjohn@truelight.church

Click here for bulletin insert.

Click here for printable flyer.

Healing the Wounds of Privilege (webinar)

90-minute Outlook webinar
Tuesday, January 15 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT
Presented by Amy Julia Becker

This webinar will offer congregations and pastors alike a way to address the challenging topic of privilege and social divisions with generosity, humility and hope. This webinar will be particularly useful in the context of predominantly white congregations with members who want to explore the concept of privilege and consider whether a loving response is possible.

Participants will:

• Recognize what privilege is and how it functions in our culture.

• Be able to identify the ways social divisions harm vulnerable people through the injustices of exclusion as well as the ways social divisions harm the very people they supposedly benefit .

• Understand Jesus’ approach to social divisions and apply a model of healing to our broken world.

Live webinar with on-demand video replay — $29.95
(1-6 participants from the same church/ministry)

Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation is offering 50% scholarships for the first 20 registrants. Email a copy of your paid registration to opsf@opsf-omaha.org and OPSF will reimburse you $15 of your webinar fee.

On-demand video replay allows you to watch the video recording on the Outlook‘s website whenever it is convenient for you and as many times as is helpful.

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED

Questions, contact Stated Clerk, Olivia Hudson Smith.

At the October Assembly in the Omnibus motion, a link to the Proposed Amendments to the Constitution (Proposed Amendments to the Book of Order) indicating that the Assembly will be voting on those amendments in the January and March 2019.

Voting on the Proposed amendment to the Constitution of the PC(U.S.A.) will be as follows:

January Assembly:  18-B.1, 18-B.2 Renunciation of Jurisdiction; 18-G. Disciplinary Offense; 18 – H.1, 18-H.2 Time Limit.
March Assembly:  18-A – Election of Ruling Elders and Deacons; 18-C – Officers; 18-D Membership of Presbytery; 18-E – Pastor, Counselor, and Adviser; 18-F. Welcoming to the Table.   

          
Click here for pdf of proposed amendments.

Click here for pdf of Stated Clerks’ Analysis.

The Presbytery of Denver invites
Ministers’ and a Guest

Please join us as we gather for a communion service lead by our new Transitional Presbytery Pastor, Rev. Dana Hughes, followed by a luncheon.

Menu
Mixed Green Salad with Ranch and Vinaigrette Dressing
Chicken with an Orange Cranberry Sauce OR Vegetarian option: Butternut Squash Stuffed with Rice and Quinoa
Herb Rice Pilaf
Seasonal Vegetable Medley
Seasonal Fruit Crisp

Wednesday, December 12, 2018 | 11:00 a.m. Communion Service | Lunch & Fellowship | Wellshire Presbyterian Church | 2999 S. Colorado Blvd | Denver, CO

Please RSVP by November 23rd to Denver Presbytery with your check or register and pay on-line by clicking image to the right. $15 per person. Please indicate meat or vegetarian meal.

TO RSVP and pay on-line, use desktop device. From the drop down menu, select number of attendees and add to cart, a form will pop up to indicate name, guest and choice of entree. After submit form, click on orange “cart” icon that will be at top right-hand corner of screen. Transaction is complete when enter credit card information.

Wild Edges: Crossing the Threshold Into A Sacred World

Sunday, December 9th | 1:30 - 4:30 pm in Roxborough State Park, Denver CO. This half-day offering in the biodiverse ecotone of Roxborough State Park, with its striking and storied rock formations rising sharply between the Ancestral Rocky Mountains and high plains of the Colorado plateau is an introduction to spiritual rewilding practices and deep belonging in community. Through nature-based practices that draw upon the wisdom of sacred narratives and older traditions, we will explore our original capacity to enter into conversation with the world, what the Celts called the sacred Book of Nature. Jesus spoke often of this wild terrain of the kingdom as “treasure hidden in the field.” Take a step across the threshold toward a culturally creative vision for life. Renew your sense of hope and courage to face our current spiritual and ecological crises together, rooted in sacred community with one another, the wild earth, and the great mystery we call God. We invite a suggested donation of $15.

WilderSoul is one of Denver Presbytery's New Worshiping Communities led by Rev. Matt Syrdal. WilderSoul is a nature-based guiding, consulting and coaching practice designed to help individuals cultivate deep wholeness and Self-healing to live lives of greater purpose in deeper service to the world.

Please hold your colleague, Carrie Doehring, and her family in your prayers upon the death of her husband, George Magnuson.  Carrie is a minister member of Denver Presbytery and professor at Iliff School of Theology. George suffered a brain injury Thursday and died a few hours later with Carrie at his side.

Cards may be sent to Carrie Doehring at 2310 South University Boulevard, Denver, 80210. Please do not call at this time. 

A funeral service for the Rev. George Magnuson will be held on Saturday, December 1st, 2018 at 1 pm at St Andrew's Episcopal Church, 2015 Glenarm Place. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Friends of Music of St Andrews Episcopal Church, 2015 Glenarm Place, Denver, CO 80205.  A memorial service will also be held in Chicago: Date to be determined.

May Carrie and the family be comforted in God's loving grace by our prayers and support in their loss.

Ministers of the Word & Sacrament and Church Administrators:

Please share this message and attachments with your Ruling Elder Commissioners

CALL OF THE MEETING:

The Presbytery of Denver Assembly
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Shepherd of the Hills
11500 W. 20th Avenue
Lakewood, CO 80215-1224

~ Opening the Doors – Traveling Together ~

PRE-REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED.
Please check in and registration at the church.

3:30 p.m. Registration Opens – Please sign-in at the registration table upon arriving and pick up your Ballot.

Childcare is NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THIS ASSEMBLY.

4:00 p.m. Pre-Assembly: Committee on Ministry. Church Template: Minor/Vulnerable Adult Protection and Sexual Misconduct Prevention Policy and Procedures - Overview

Meet and Greet Our New Transitional Presbytery Pastor, Rev. Dana Hughes

5:00 p.m. Meal and Fellowship: Tickets for dinner will be available at registration for $8. A taco salad bar with vegetarian and gluten-free options will be available. Pumpkin cake will be served for dessert.

5:50 p.m. Announcements

6:00 p.m. Presbytery Assembly Convenes

PLEASE NOTE:

The Presbytery utilizes electronic communication for assembly documents. All assembly materials are posted on the Presbytery of Denver website www.denpres.org, click Assembly Meetings tab one week prior to the Assembly. Copies of new materials or critical items will be on the registration table.

____________________________________________________________

Previously undocketed business may be presented as new business if a recommended action is placed in the hands of the stated clerk thirty (30) minutes prior to the convening of the Assembly.

John Anderson, Moderator
Olivia L. Hudson Smith, Stated Clerk

Who? Educators, Youth Workers, Pastors, Elders, Volunteers…anyone serving in the area of faith formation from any denomination! 

October Gathering

October 18 |930 AM | Central Presbyterian Church

Topic: Milestone Ministries for all ages

For more information, contact Stephanie Fritz.

~ Join Presbyterian Women ~

Telling My Story with Dr. Christine Mann Darden, NASA Scientist. Dr. Mann Darden is one of the human computers featured in the book “Hidden Figures”, Darden will talk about her life journey and the lessons to be learned from the movie.

Open to family and friends!

Saturday, October 13, 2018 | Program begins at 10 am | Peoples Presbyterian Church is hosting | 2780 York Street, Denver | program & lunch $10

RSVP to Vicky Terry by email or call 720.273.6870, no later than 10/10/18.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.

Who? Educators, Youth Workers, Pastors, Elders, Volunteers…anyone serving in the area of faith formation from any denomination!

September Gathering

Topic: Outdoor Ministries and Faith Formation in Nature

Grace Presbyterian Church | 9:30 AM
9720 US-85, Littleton, CO 80125

For more information, contact Stephanie Fritz.

Green Mountain High School & Green Mountain Presbyterian Church

Cost:
$25 Early Bird Student, $30 Early Bird adult through 8/17/18

Description:
The Second Wind Walk/Run event is returning to Green Mountain this year! The Walk/Run has been going 17 years strong to raise funds to save the lives of youth at risk of suicide. Join other Coloradans on Saturday, September 15, 2018 to walk, to run, to heal, to remember, or to celebrate life.There will be a a short program, entertainment, and a memorial dove release, followed by a 5K fun run and/or a 1 mile or 5K walk. This event also includes games, activities, music and a picnic lunch. All proceeds benefit Second Wind Fund to help pay for life-saving therapy for youth at risk of suicide in Colorado. Fees include a free t-shirt, for those who sign up early.

Saturday, September 15, 2018 | 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

Our Workdays are a great time for your family, your youth group, your congregation to join us for a morning of projects around camp. 

~ Lunch provided ~

All ages are invited to join us as we serve as stewards of this beautiful place!

“Inspiring Mutual Affirmation of Ethnicity in
the Presbytery of Denver”

We are becoming a more and more diverse nation. By 2023, it is estimated that 50% of U.S. children will be ethnic minorities. By 2042, 50% of U.S. population will be ethnic minorities. (And this is due to birth rates, not immigration.) As this nation becomes more diverse, it is more important, now than ever, to engage in thoughtful conversation on issues concerning race and diversity. So, let’s have conversation!

Conversation on issues of race, diversity, and inclusion

Time: Friday, September 14, 2018 @ 6:00PM
Location: North Highland Presbyterian Church
2945 Julian St, Denver, CO 80211

*This is first of several regional events to come. The main audience for this event are members of churches in the NW part of Denver (W of I-25 and N of Hwy 6).

Bring a dish to share. We will be watching a video presentation and engage in thoughtful and provocative conversation about race and diversity.

Please RSVP by Sunday, September 9, 2018
 

The Presbytery of Denver invites you:

See you there!

Who? Educators, Youth Workers, Pastors, Elders, Volunteers…anyone serving in the area of faith formation from any denomination! Please forward this to your peers/committees etc…

August Gathering

August 16th at 9am  (note earlier time) followed by optional Holy Yoga at 1030 am
Shepherd of the Hills
11500 West 20th Av. Lakewood

TOPIC: Faith Formation of the Mind, Body and Soul

For more information, contact Stephanie Fritz.

CALL OF THE MEETING:

The Presbytery of Denver Assembly
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Elizabeth Presbyterian Church
325 S. Banner St
Elizabeth, CO 80107

 ~ Opening the Doors – Traveling Together ~

8:30 a.m.   Registration Opens – Pre-Register, click here. Please sign-in at the registration table upon arriving.

Childcare is ONLY available upon request, if a reservation is made before August 7, 2018. Please contact Beth Carlisle at beth@denpres.org or 303.777.2454

8:30 a.m.      Light Breakfast and Fellowship
9:20 a.m.      Announcements
9:30 a.m.      Presbytery Assembly Convenes

A sack lunch will be available for purchase to eat before you go or take with you.

On-line Pre-Registration is now closed.  Please come to the meeting and check in at the church. 

SEE YOU THERE!

New Webinar Series: Faith over Fear

Addressing Myths and Misperceptions about Muslims

Please join our partners, Shoulder to Shoulder, on August 9th at 1:00pm EST for a "Faith Over Fear" Webinar on Messaging: Addressing Myths and Misperceptions about Muslims in your congregations and communities. This webinar will be the first of a “Faith Over Fear” Webinar Series.

This first webinar, Messaging: Addressing Myths and Misperceptions about Muslims will be facilitated by Shoulder to Shoulder and partners, Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons with ReThink Media, Aneelah Afzali with The American Muslim Empowerment Network at the Muslim Association of Puget Sound, Arsalan Bukhari with the Council of American Islamic Relations and Rev. Terry Kyllo from Neighbors in Faith on Thursday, August 9 at 1 pm ET/10 am PT.

The Presbytery of Denver Immigration Task Force
invites you to an:

Experiential Exploration of the Immigration Issues

ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. PLEASE COME TO EVENT AND REGISTER - SEE YOU THERE!

Why Don't People just come into the country legally from Mexico? This is a day exploration that will invite a broader understanding of the complicated issues. Facilitated by BorderLinks*

WHEN: Saturday July 21 - 8:30 to 5:00 pm
WHERE: Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church (map)
COST: $20 (includes lunch) Pay with credit card online, to right or click on button at bottom of page to pay by check.

In today's climate people are asking the following questions:

• Why do people migrate?
• What happens during the migrant journey?
• How do policies impact people?
• Why don't people just become US citizens?

*A PCUSA supported non profit- organization that has been facilitating educational immersion trips for delegations in the Arizona-Sonora region and beyond the border to Chiapas. Their mission is Through dynamic educational experiences, BorderLinks connects divided communities, raises awareness about the impact of the border and immigration policies, and inspires action for social transformation.   www.borderlinks.org

We are honored to have the expertise and facilitation skills of these experiential explorations.  This is for the entire Denver Presbytery, members of churches, clergy, elders, anyone interested in exploring these issues in a engaging environment. 

Registration online is highly encouraged as the number of facilitators that are coming is dependent on planned attendance

Scholarships are available, please contact Dee Cooper.
 

Traveling Together in Exile

There has been an undeniable sea change in attitudes toward church in America.  Worship attendance has been on the decline for over a decade.  Those who once felt confident about how to plant a new church or to grow an existing congregation, now feel at a loss of how to minister in this climate of skepticism.  The tide has turned and we find ourselves to be strangers in a strange land.  The 'promised land' ministry of American Christianity has been lost.  But a new calling, that of 'being faithful disciples in exile,' is before us.  Locating ourselves in 'exile' will allow us to see how the kingdom of God is still dynamically unfolding around us today.

BRING: BAG LUNCH
WHEN: Wednesday, July 18th
TIME: 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm
WHERE: Presbytery Center, 1710 S. Grant St., Denver

Our third lunchtime gathering will be Wednesday, July 18th, from 12:00-1:15 pm at the Presbytery Center.  In preparation for that gathering, please read Daniel 3.

In 2018, we are incorporating more theological reflection in our presbytery assemblies.  Our presbytery worship services will explore this paradigm shift from ministry in the 'promised land' to faithful ministry in 'exile.'  We will locate ourselves alongside Daniel, who figured out how to remain faithful to the LORD while serving in the courts of Babylon.

We invite pastors and elders to join us for a lunchtime theological reflection on faithful discipleship in exile. In preparation for our March, May, and August presbytery assemblies, we will gather together for a lunchtime theological reflection in February, April and July.  Daniel's faithfulness in exile might show us how to serve God as strangers in a strange land. The worship service at the presbytery assembly following our lunchtime conversations will present the insights discerned over lunch.  

We are traveling together.  It's always safer that way.  We are traveling in unfamiliar settings. The old ways of being church are no longer accessible to us.  But the Spirit of God is ready to guide us into faithful ministry in exile. Come journey with us.

You might also consider watching a 45-minute video by Dr. Mark Labberton on finding ourselves in exile. Click here or watch below.
 

Advocacy for Faith Formation Gathering

June Gathering

Who? Educators, Youth Workers, Pastors, Elders, Volunteers…anyone serving in the area of faith formation from any denomination! Please forward this to your peers/committees etc…

June 21st at 930 am
People’s Presbyterian Church  
2780 York St. Denver

TOPIC: Adult Faith Formation

For more information, contact Stephanie Fritz.