We start the new year with a special worship series that will integrate Biblical storytelling and teachings, Christian tradition, and socio-political realities. We’re going to risk telling the truth in church; lamenting, protesting, and complaining about what is wrong, yes, but doing so with hope that God has an alternative for us to pursue together. God’s desire is a greater good for us all. Let’s face the falsehoods around us, and seek to hear God’s alternative.
Christmas just is not complete without Christmas Eve worship by candlelight. We hope you will consider joining us for one of our special services to celebrate this holy evening. Each service will feature the traditional singing of Silent Night by candlelight.
Join us this Advent season for our fun and festive Advent worship series: “Christmas Through the Lens of Hollywood”. In addition to entertaining us, movies can have the ability to touch our hearts. We invite you to be join us each week in worship as we reflect on how the traditional themes of Advent (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love) are viewed through the lens of some of Hollywood’s favorite Christmas movies.
Mountain Pathways is an original study and small group experience that invites participants to prayerfully evaluate the connection between their beliefs and their behaviors, and then pursue a pathway of growth as a follower of Jesus Christ.
Join with Rev. Ron and others from our congregation and community to read and discuss together the book Life After Loss (by Rev. Bob Deits) which provides wisdom and practical exercises for navigating the uncertain terrain of grief and recovery. We will meet through the season of Lent, for seven Mondays beginning March 3, 2025.
As we grow in grace, we learn to jettison those things that separate us from God and God’s love and pursue those that help that love be made real in our world. In the new year, Rev. Ron Bartlow will lead us through seven key turning points in his faith – sharing stories, experiences, and Biblical lessons that have contributed to his ongoing growth as a disciple of Christ.
Mr. Jerry Giah, principal of the Gretta Moffat School, has shared the school’s annual report with us. St. Paul’s UMC has long supported this mission endeavor, named after a church member. In the report, Jerry shares the number of students (136) and that our congregation generously provides the salaries of the entire staff. The report also shares some ongoing needs for the ministry, including the building of a dormitory and the pursuit of solar power.
World Communion Sunday reminds us that we gather together with Christians around the world, joining together at a common table of grace set by our Lord Jesus Christ. This year, in celebration of this special Sunday, we are inviting all who call St. Paul’s United Methodist Church their home church to come together in a single, celebrative worship service.
We believe being kind matters, and we know it could make a difference. But apparently we can all use a reminder, as the “Ben’s Bells” mosaics around town give proof. In much the same way, we are excited to share that this October we are joining with other churches around the nation in taking part in a campaign for kindness that originated with the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Kansas City: “Do Unto Others.”
Based on Daniel Wolpert’s book of the same name, during the month of September our worship series Looking Inward, Living Outward will draw from the wisdom of the sermon on the mount to inspire us to live after Jesus’ example. Each week we will consider practices of faith rooted in Jesus’ teaching, and how those practices lead us to live in such a way that the world around usmight be transformed for the better.
