Welcome New Minister Members

Pat Smith
Pat will be serving Eagle River Presbyterian Church as their transitional pastor. Pat shares his heart beats with the desire to encourage all people to trust in Jesus and live in ways that increasingly reflect the ways of Jesus as his apprentices and participate fully in the life-giving love of God for all people in all circumstances.

Lynn Gifford
Lynn joins as a minister member (at large). She shares, in the spring of 2022 she reconnected with her first head of staff, John Bell, a Minister Member of this Presbytery. The laughter and theological discussions were still the same, but life had changed them both and their friendship. In April of this year, they will celebrate their marriage. Her gratitude for this joyful chapter of life is abundant! She is eager to serve the Church and the Presbytery of Denver as needed and able.

David Hogue
David joins us as a retired minister member and shares he is excited to be living in the great state of Colorado, David says he looks forward to exploring opportunities to participate in the life of Denver Presbytery. 

January 24, 2023 Stated Assembly Highlights

THANK YOU

The January 24th Stated HYBRID Assembly was held at True Light Community Church, sharing space with St. Paul Presbyterian Church. 

Members from True Light Community Church provided a tradiationl Korean meal, assisted with registration and provided a welcoming space for the Presbytery Assembly.  

New Worshipping Communities (NWC)
Lead Presbyter Dee Cooper explained that going forward NWC representatives will have the opportunity to express their opinions on actions to be taken by the Assembly by advisory votes using green (yes) and red (no) cards prior to commissioner voting, as well as have voice on the floor of the Assembly. We want to listen and grow from them and their input.

Installation of Officers
Outgoing Presbytery Moderator, Paula Steinbacher thanked the Assembly for its support during her moderator year and expressed how grateful she was to serve the Presbytery in that capacity. John Yu, Pastor True Light Community Church and Ruling Elder Pat Queen, Green Mountain Presbyterian Church, were installed as Moderator and Vice-moderator of the Presbytery of Denver for 2023.

Worship
Newly installed Moderator, John Yu explained that worship would be done in Korean in keeping with the Assembly theme for 2023 of going “Beyond – Comfort” to experience what our non-English as a first language siblings may experience in our lives together. Worship leaders included Elder Sung S. Lee and Ms. Haeshil Kim, soloist, singing “Arirang”, a Korean folk song. The Sermon Infinite God was based on Psalm 136:1-4,26, and Revelation 1:8. An Offering for the Special Needs Fund was taken.

Election of Denver Presbytery Treasurer
Sue Pilcher was re-elected as Treasurer of the Presbytery

2023 Budget
Pat Queen, Chair of the Finance and Property, Workgroup of Council, introduced the proposed 2023 Budget in two separate formats. The first format reflects the current way the Presbytery functions; the second format reflects the new structure being implemented with the names of new Committees/Commissions with a term beginning immediately upon election and expiring January 2026. The Assembly approved the 2023 budget. 

Servant Leadership Development Committee (SLDC)
Nancy Dixon introduced herself as the Moderator of this new committee. Reflecting that God is doing a new thing, the committee is in the process of discerning its path forward. Nancy presented the committee’s first official actions and Assembly approved them both.

1. The election of the Vision Leadership Commission (VLC). Doug Friesema - two-year term, Rob Habiger, Moderator – one year term, Charla Musgrave – three-year term, Steven Scott - one year term, Chris Spotts – three-year term, Matt Syrdal – two-year term, Loye Troxler - one year term, Jill VanderWal – two-year term.  

2. Election of Moderator and Vice-Moderator of the Ministry Relations Committee (MRC). Sheri Fry, Moderator, and Sandy Safford, Vice-Moderator.

Presbytery Loan and Investment Program (PILP)
Clare Lewis, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, updated the Assembly on PILP investment and loan opportunities and presented eight rebate checks to Genesis, Columbine, Church of the Eternal Hills, St. James, St. Paul, First Englewood, Grace, and Eagle River.

Committee on Ministry 
Diane Ritzdorf, co-moderator, introduced new Minister Members of the Presbyter: Rev. Dr. Pat Smith, Rev. Lynn Gifford, and Rev. David Hogue.

2023 ASSEMBLY DATES

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 ONLINE ONLY
Tuesday, May 23, 2023 HYBRID
Saturday, August 12, 2023 ONSITE ONLY
Tuesday, October 24, 2023 HYBRID

Introducing Rev. Raafat Girgis

Denver Presbytery hired its first two New Worshiping Community (NWC) Incubator Leaders at the beginning of the year. Bethany and Evan have begun their ministries in our presbytery and we are looking forward to seeing how God uses them to gather new communities.  

We are happy to announce the hiring of our third NWC Incubator Leader, Rev. Raafat Girgis. He will begin his work with us on March 1st and will have the wonderful partnership of Grace Presbyterian Church in Highlands Ranch as a home base.

The NWC Incubator initiative is made possible thanks to the generosity of Jane Hays. Thanks to the bequest she left of $1.9 million, we have been able to support the salaries of the leadership of existing NWCs, while also supporting the new Incubator Leaders.

We are thrilled to welcome Rev. Girgis as NWC Incubator Leader. You can read more about him in his bio below. The search team hopes to announce the fourth NWC Incubator Leader in the near future. May God continue to guide Denver Presbytery as it seeks to support and create space for new expressions of church in our midst.

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Raafat Girgis has been serving the church in America and abroad since his ordination by al Delta Presbytery, Synod of the Nile, Presbyterian Church in Egypt.  He became a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by joining the Presbytery of James in Richmond, VA in 1993. Raafat has spent equal years of his ministry in the USA & abroad.  He also received degrees from Egypt and the US.

Before arriving in Denver, Raafat served as a Lead Pastor for New Rehoboth-Greenville and Pisgah Presbyterian Churches located in two counties in PA. Previously he served as a Mission Agent in the Presbyterian Mission Agency as Associate Director for Evangelism and Racial/Cultural Diversity.

Raafat is passionate about launching Intercultural New Worshiping Communities and the Lord utilized him in initiating two of them; in Richmond, VA and Clarion, PA. Raafat believes that he was called “to make disciples of all nations” and believes that small groups or community cells be an effective approach particularly in starting an Intercultural NWC. These gatherings will not be clubs of likeminded people. They will work as intersections where differences meet, interact, and collaborate. He envisions them to be spaces of spiritual and intellectual learning that are safe and secure to all practices of faith where people can share visions and participate in mutual learning.

Welcome Raafat by sending email!

An Invitation from Rev. Steve Poos-Benson

Hello Fellow Pastors and Elders,
 
I’m excited to share with you a program the Presbytery is participating in called, “Guns to Garden Tools.”
 
I’ve long believed in responsible gun ownership. I’ve also felt if people didn’t want guns in their house or possession, they should have a save way to dispose of the firearm. But how to do this?  Do you go to a gun shop? Sell it on eBay or Craigslist? Do you give it to a friend? It’s a tricky issue for many people. We need a safe way to get unwanted firearms off the street and out of people’s homes. Guns to Garden Tools is the answer!
 
On Saturday, February 25th from 11:00-1:00 at the parking lot of Columbine United Church in Littleton, we are hosting a way for people to dispose of their guns for cash. The guns are collected and dismantled on sight by having them cut in two by trained volunteers. The parts are later melted down and recreated as garden tools and art.
 
Your members can TAKE ACTION by:

1. Volunteering at a Guns to Gardens (G2G) Safe Surrender event on Saturday, February 25th. Learn more and sign up here.

2. Donating to support congregations hosting a Guns to Gardens Safe Surrender event in their community. Give here or buy a t-shirt to help us fundraise.

3. Educating folks about the National Guns to Gardens Movement and how to get involved locally. (Contact us to schedule a presentation: gunstogardensmetrodenver@gmail.com) 

4. Dismantling their own guns by bringing them to a Guns to Gardens event. Read more here.

5. Spreading the word to friends and family about this modern-day “swords to plowshares” ministry (click to download printable flyer) and our upcoming event in February.

Let’s get unwanted guns out of people’s homes and off the streets.
 
Columbine United Church is located at 6375 S. Platte Canyon Rd in Littleton. We’re halfway between Bowles and Coalmine on Platte Canyon
 
See you there!
 
Steve Poos-Benson

What are Equity Primes?

Introduced at General Assembly in 2022 and at the January Assembly, Equity Primes were designed to help committees prioritize PC (USA) values of inclusion and equity in a shared space even as they use digital tools to cast votes and access trainings and other information. Read more→

Here are some resources for you to introduce this to your faith communities and committees.  

RESOURCES
Powerpoint Slides
from January Assembly Engagement with Jihyn Oh, Director of Mid Council Ministries, PC(USA) Office of General Assembly.
Race Forward
Toolkit for creating cultures and practices for racial equity. 

Group/Committee Equity Prime | Questions Before Discussion/Decisions

• Why are we trying to make the decision now?

• Do we have enough information to make an equitable/inclusive decision?

• Have we heard directly from those who will be most impacted?

• Have we thought through the impact to the whole church?

• What additional voices/information do we need to make an equitable/inclusive decision?

• What information would lead to more equity?

• Have we honored what’s on our cards to honor each others’ rights and check our own use of power?

• Is this decision being made with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

Arvada and Trinity have a new name!

We wanted to let you know that the merging congregations from the former Trinity & Arvada churches have voted to adopt their new name.

A mockup of our sign along Wadsworth

Community of Grace

The complete list of our new name, mission, values and vision can be viewed with the link below. The congregation received this same document prior to our vote this past Sunday for review of all of our efforts to define who we have become as a joined community. The vote was overwhelmingly positive and the pre-vote discussion added insights and addressed how and why we proposed this new name.

https://1drv.ms/w/s!AmVJutxiToOmg0vSBXrzZvpbJT4p?e=k0nvR8

We will begin the process of working through the legal and electronic formation for our new church immediately, as well as working with Olivia to establish our church with the PC(USA). I hope you all find this milestone in our progress as exciting as it was received by our congregation!

Peace,

Michael McLane, Co-Moderator Administrative Commission