Pastoral Leadership Revitalization Program

Pastoral Leadership Revitalization Program

Pastoral Leadership Revitalization (PLR) is a program offered by Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation, in partnership with presbyteries, specifically for newly ordained and/or isolated pastors to provide support, rejuvenation, and resiliency. Pastors participating in this program receive monthly coaching from a seasoned pastor and retreats for rest and renewal. The retreats provide education, worship, fellowship and rest. Retreat topics range from resiliency to worship design, from learning the enneagram to church growth. Pastors participating in this program have expressed their appreciation, especially during the pandemic, for how much coaching and retreats have kept them energized for ministry. ALL for only $100!

August 19th Assembly Highlights Now Available!

Welcome to the Wild Animal Sanctuary 

Moderator John Yu welcomed over 80 people to the Presbytery Assembly. The staff of the Wild Animal Sanctuary spoke of the history of the Sanctuary and we watched a welcome video about the vision and values of this amazing place. The Assembly was able to explore the Wild Animal Sanctuary for an hour before the business of the Assembly began observing the animals including tigers, bobcats, and lions.

Opening Worship| Dee Cooper and Assembly Members

Our worship was cultivated by our Lead Presbyter Dee Cooper with an invitation to rest, restore, recreate, reflect, and ponder how we can create sanctuary by allowing love to show us how to create a sanctuary for all. Members of the Assembly were invited to participate in the Call To Worship and to watch and listen to the music video of Sanctuary by Boulder singer songwriter Rebbeca Folsom. 

Land Acknowledgement | Candice Sweet  

We welcomed the Stated Clerk for Synod of the Rocky Mountains, Candice Sweet who spoke briefly about the General Assembly in 2024 in Salt lake City. Candice is also the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Utah. She led us in our land Acknowledgement for the day. 

Welcome  to our New Minister Members /Ministry Relations Committee 

Sheri Fry and Sandy Safford introduced and welcomed our new minister members,  Michelle Fincher, Pastor of Calvary Presbyterian Church and  Karla Lara Maldonado, our New Worshiping Community Incubator Leader, to the Assembly. They were asked to share one thing about themselves that is not in the Assembly Packet and what their favorite animal is and why. We blessed them and their ministry in our midst.  Welcome Michelle and Karla!

Voting at Assembly | John Yu

Voting was a little different and in the spirit of our assembly location. The Assembly was asked to vote using animal voices. There was a lot of buzzing like bees, roaring like lions and tigers, and howling like wolves. 

Omnibus Motion | Pat Queen

The Omnibus passed. Congratulations to Community of Grace and the approval to sell the house formerly owned by Arvada Presbyterian Church.

Agency Review Task Force|Rob Habiger

Rob thanked the existing committees that continue to do their ministry as the new structure is built and until new committees are populated and equipped. Congratulations to Louise Westfall who was elected as the newest member of the Servant Leadership Development Committee. 

Ministry Relations Committee | Sheri Fry 

Candidate Kiersten Hill, who is the newly called Associate Pastor for Youth and Young Adults at Wellshire Presbyterian Church was examined by the Assembly for Ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. After questions and discussion, including one about her favorite Taylor Swift song that describes her faith journey, she was enthusiastically approved for ordination to her call. She will be ordained and installed on September 17, 2023. A joyous day for Kiersten, Wellshire Presbyterian Church, and the Presbytery. Moderator of Committee on Preparation, Chris Spotts offered a prayer of thanksgiving for Kiersten and her ministry. 

Exploration in the spirit of Terra Divina | Dee Cooper

Worship continued with a sermon and scripture from  the book of Job. Dee reminded us of Job and how in the midst of deepest despair he was invited to learn, seek and ask from the animals. She shared that the animals had a great deal to teach us about taking risks into new ecosystems and structures and she invited us to go out among the animals in the spirit of Terra Divina which is a divine conversation with co-created beings and creation. The Assembly had time to go back outside among the animals- to wander, explore, observe, listen, imagine with curiosity, wonder, pray, ponder, and reflect about what we can learn from the animals about ourselves, our creation, our creator, and our call.

Time of Engagement | John Yu

Moderator  John Yu invited the assembly to think about what transpired in this sacred time among the animals. The assembly pondered the following questions. What were some things that were heard, observed, and learned through these experiences? How has God challenged you in these moments? How is God speaking to you through these animals, through nature, and through one another? How have you been challenged? John invited each individual to consider writing a letter to themselves about where God may be speaking to them. The letters will be mailed back to folks in the coming weeks. He also invited each participant to consider the 8 values of the Presbytery. Each person was given 3 animal stickers to place upon the values they believe God is telling the Presbytery to focus on. 

Servant Leadership Development Committee (Committee on Representation) | Nancy Dixon

The Servant leadership Committee brought forth 3 motions with individuals willing and called  to serve in various capacities. Servant Leadership development Committee Moderator Nancy Dixon shared that there were many prayerful conversations to bring about these motions. All the motions passed. There was a nomination from the floor to elect a Commissioner Teaching Elder Alternate to the slate for General Assembly Commissioners.

Congratulations to Cleve Dixon (class of 2024), Martin Cobb (class of 2024), C.J. Biewenga (class of 2025), Bruce Taylor (class of 2025) who were elected to serve on the Ministry Preparation Committee. 

Congratulations to the Commissioners Elected to the 226th General Assembly. Commissioner Ruling Elder:  Jeff Sneddon (Church of the Eternal Hills), Commissioner Ruling Elder Alternate: Diane Ritzdorf (Calvary Presbyterian Church), Commissioner Teaching Elder: Bill Sanders (Honorably Retired), Commissioner Teaching Elder Alternate: Bethany Peerbolte (NWC Incubator Leader)

Rev. Ruth McCollum Huff

Congratulations to  Ruth McCollum Huff (Teaching Elder) who was elected as the Vice Moderator of the Presbytery Assembly for 2024! 

Thank You Servant Leadership Development Committee for your incredible work!

Treasurer Report | Sue Pilcher

Our treasurer gave a brief oral report based on the financial documents in the Assembly Packet. 

Ministry Relations Committee | Sandy Safford

Candidate Amanda Osenga, who is the newly called Associate Pastor for Youth and Families at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church was examined by the Assembly for Ordination to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament. Amanda has served the Presbytery on the Cultivation and Innovation Work Group. After questions and discussion, she was enthusiastically approved for ordination to her call. She will be ordained and installed on October 8, 2023. A joyous day for Amanda, Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, and the Presbytery. Sandy Safford offered a prayer of thanksgiving for Amanda and her ministry. Congratulations Amanda!

Assembly was adjourned with the sound of bears from the Assembly body and blessings from Presbytery Moderator John Yu. 

It was an incredible day with vision and planning from our staff and leadership. 

A Conversation with Rev. Jordan Warntjes about serving on a Presbytery Committee

Recently, our Communications Manager, Beth Carlisle, chatted with Rev. Jordan Warntjes about why he serves on a Presbytery Committee.

Jordan serves as the Team Leader of the Mediation Team of the Minstry Relations Committee (MRC). Some may know this as the former Committee on Minstry or COM. In the new Book of Order, the work of the team is outlined in several areas, but no longer defined as Committee on Ministry.

To learn more about the work of Ministry Relations Committee, and the various teams that serve our faith communities and ministers, click here.

If you are interested in serving on a Presbytery Committee, but not sure what committee is calling you, click here to learn more about all of the work of the Presbytery.

APEIC New Worshiping Community has first gathering!

ALL PEOPLE ECUMENICAL/INTERCULTURAL COMMUNITY (APEIC) is an ecumenical, intercultural, interfaith and international community of worshippers that seeks to claim, live and proclaim the vision of the Pentecost church gathering, (Joel 2, Isaiah 66:18, and Acts 2). APEIC values, incorporates and celebrate differences. It is in fact an intersection where differences meet. People from every nation, tribe and language are invited and welcomed to freely and safely share their different faith journeys in a secure and supportive environment of love and respect.

For long we build churches and worshiping communities of sameness and similarities and yet, a Gospel that intended to be global with the intention of “making disciples of all nations” cannot be limited to one people, one race or one culture. A church that was born globally (Acts 2) cannot be contained in one form of worship or one form of spiritual practice.

How we do this? Well, come and see!

Worship: 5:30pm Second Sunday of each month! (Current) @ Grace Presbyterian Church in Highlands Ranch

New Worship time will start January 2024 will be at 5:30pm the First Sunday of the month!

Questions? Contact Rev. Raafat Garagis at rsgirgis@icloud.com

New Online Directory is launched!

We have a new online, cloud-based directory!

To access, from any browser, simply go to directory.in-c.net/denver/. You will need a personal passphrase to gain access. Please note, this first step cannot be done on smartphone, you must do this initial step to get your passphrase from a desktop or laptop.

Watch the video below to learn how to discover your personal passphrase. Your personal passphrase is unique to you. Please do not share it with anyone, this is how we keep our information secure.

If you need help, please contact Brontë or Beth at the office for assistance! 303.777.2453

*We have learned you cannot do this first step, to discovery your personal passphrase, from your smartphone, but once you have it, you can use the directory from your smartphone.

Fourth New Worshiping Community Incubator Leader is Hired!

Fourth NWC Incubator Leader Hired!

Many of you have had the chance to meet our three New Worshiping Community (NWC) Incubator Leaders that began their work in the first quarter of the year. Bethany, Raafat, and Evan have begun their ministries in our presbytery and we are looking forward to seeing how God continues to use them to gather new communities.

We are happy to announce the hiring of our fourth and last NWC Incubator Leader, Rev. Karla Lara Maldonado. Karla began her work this week and will be focusing on starting a new ministry that primarily reaches the Hispanic/Latino community in the northern part of the greater Denver metro area.

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. Lara Maldonado as NWC Incubator Leader. You can read more about her in the bio below. May God continue to guide Denver Presbytery as it seeks to support and create space for new expressions of church in our midst.

Meet Karla

Karla has a Master of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She received the Carl Kilborn Award from the president to the graduated senior with leadership and potential for ministry and academic excellence. She also has graduate studies in Science and Administration in Mexico.

Karla served in First Presbyterian Church in Weslaco, Texas [FPCW], launching several missional and evangelistic projects, from Bible Study to creating a community garden to a food pantry. God blessed her with guidance, creativity, and effectiveness during her service there. 

Commenting on the ministry of FPCW, a seasonal resident of Weslaco said, "I have visited nine other churches in the area, but I prefer to drive 30 min to FPCW because this church is alive and is truly serving. Other churches say, 'Remember us in your will,' but this church focuses on mission and evangelizing its neighbors. I will move my membership from Minnesota to Weslaco."

Born in Reynosa, Mexico, Karla moved to the U.S. with her family due to her husband's job relocation. Orlando and their two sweet daughters, Sarah and Emma, are Karla's best motivation and inspiration.

Karla loves to sing, laugh, and have fellowship. She enjoys having conversations with people from different ethnicities, religions, and walks of life. In Denver Presbytery, she feels called to reach families through dance, exercise, and art that involve making new friends, sharing meals, and meditation. She can be contacted via email at revkarlalara@gmail.com.