March Presbytery Assembly
Thanks to Good Shepherd for hosting and to Angela Duggan for capturing the images of an evening filled with important work and great fellowship.
Being Leaders: Living into Your Call
The recent event sponsored by the Presbytery's Leadership Work Group provided stimulating conversation, connections across congregations and new thoughts for leading and living into your call. Read the full report here.
A Letter Regarding Amendment 14-F on Marriage
To the members and churches of the Presbytery of Denver,
As of March 17, 2015 there were sufficient votes across the denomination to support passing the amendment which will replace in our current Book of Order chapter W-4.9000 regarding Christian marriage.
Some, in fact many, will say the Church has turned a corner, broken new ground, gone down a profoundly different path. They will be saying that with joy or with anger, with tears of a hope long envisioned finally being realized or with tears of their worst fears coming true. Either way, there are some things that will change, and some that will remain the same.
What has not changed is the discretion of the session regarding its wedding policy which includes the weddings that occur on church property, and the discretion of each teaching elder regarding the couples for whom to conduct a marriage. The PC(USA) welcomes everyone to participate in the life of the church and into membership of a particular church. As the people of God we practice mutual forbearance, and understand that as a diverse people, we will have differing opinions.
What has changed is the prerogative for a same gender couple to be married by a PC(USA) minister in a PC(USA) church, in those states where civil jurisdiction recognizes same gender marriages.
In Colorado, on October 7, 2014 State Attorney General John Suthers instructed all 64 county clerks to begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear any appeals on the issue.
One of the tenets of our reformed tradition is that God alone is the Lord of the conscience. This provides an opportunity for each Teaching Elder and each session to carefully consider current wedding policies and how to approach each situation.
May the God of hope and love guide you as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lenten blessings,
Cathy Ulrich, Interim Stated Clerk
Diane Ritzdorf, Moderator
Tom Sheffield, Presbytery Pastor
Will Your Church Take the REACH Challenge?
During her sermon at the January Presbytery Assembly, Presbytery Moderator Diane Ritzdorf announced that both she and Vice Moderator Mark Vickstrom are making themselves available to visit churches to talk about how your church might REACH during 2015. Recall that REACH involves risk, empathy, adaptive change and hope and healing, not necessarily in that order. Both are willing to preach during a worship service, issuing the REACH challenge.
We invite you to use this link to Signup Genius to contact them about Sunday dates that work for you and your congregation. Just choose a date and fill in your information including church name, phone number, and worship time. You may establish a Signup Genius account if you like, but it's not required:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090A4BAEAD2FA57-reach
If members of your church would like to meet on a day other than a Sunday, please contact Diane directly. My contact information is included in the Presbytery Directory.
Latino Film Festival
Great films and conversation! Mark your calendars for "Salsa for the Soul", something spicy for the soul and spirit on September 12; and La Pastorela a production of The Shepherd's Quest, December 12th. Events sponsored by the Gala Task Force, hosting a series of educational, cultural, theological events and celebrations in 2015 for Denver Presbytery, recognizing and valuing the diverse gifts of Latino/a Americans in our worship community.
January Presbytery Assembly
Thanks to Calvary Presbyterian Church for hosting our Assembly!