Lent begins today, Ash Wednesday, March 5.

Join us in one of 3 ways:

• Drive-thru ashes in the church parking lot, 7 - 8:30 a.m.

• Drive-thru ashes in the church parking lot, 4 - 5:30 p.m.

• Ash Wednesday service in the sanctuary, 7 pm.

And make sure to spread the word and invite your neighbors and friends! 

Just a reminder that Daylight Savings Time starts this coming Sunday, March 9.  Don't forget to set your clocks ahead!

Who is God? Why do bad things happen to good people? Having doubts is a normal part of human life, part of our human experience. Admit it -- you've had them too!

Join Pastor Laura on Monday evenings, March 10 - April 7, during Lent to discuss these and other questions that will be part of Lenten Sermon Series (March 5 - April 20).

Her class will meet in Room 138, 6 - 7:00 p.m. Please let her know if you are interested in attending any of these classes.

Let's ask Questions to God together.

Lent provides us a season to be intentional about slowing down and turning towards Jesus.  

Each Wednesday during Lent (March 12 - April 9) from 5:30-6:00 p.m., we will be offering a Taize service in the Fellowship Hall's first classroom.  

This will be a great time for some contemplation and prayer as we move through this season, as well as to join in community through these challenging days.

For more information or if you have questions, contact Pastor Cody. 

Men are invited to the United Methodist Men's Breakfast this Saturday, March 8, at 8:00 a.m. in room 137.

This month we will learn how the Men's group has been part of our church's history and how we can contribute to our church today.

Questions? Contact John Quest.

All men are invited!

Join us on Wednesday, March 12 from 5:00-7:30 p.m. for our monthly dinner worship service, At The Table.  At The Table, we share a meal, connect with one another, talk about life and faith, and do a mission project together.  

This month's mission is to pack manna bags for our unhoused neighbors.  

To sign up to bring a meal to share or water for our manna bags, click here.

To RSVP, email Cody.

All are welcome! We hope to see you there!

Attention graduating seniors: As you are starting to think about next year and applying for scholarships, don't forget about Parker UMC's scholarship!

To apply for a scholarship, click this link, make a copy of the document, name it with your name, edit and submit your application by April 15 by sharing it with Sarah at sarah@parkerumc.org. Hard copies will also be available in the church office.

If you have questions, email Pastor Cody

There are four separate funds that make up Parker UMC’s Endowment Fund:  

The Scholarship Fund started in the mid-80’s with a $10,000 donation, and additional contributions have increased the fund to about $36,000.

The General Fund started in the mid-90’s mostly with a bequest of $85,000, and additional contributions plus appreciation have increased the fund to about $150,000.

The Stroh Fund started with the sale of the parsonage in 2001 with $304,000.  The fund has a current value of approximately $465,000.

The Preschool Fund started with a gift of $100,000 in 2019.  Additional contributions and appreciation have increased the fund to approximately $135,000.

Want to know more? Contact the church office.

With spring fast approaching, it is time to start to organize our efforts to keep the grounds looking their best.  We would like to invite anyone interested to a PUMC Grounds Team planning meeting on Sunday, March 16 at 11:30 AM (following the 10:30 AM service) in Room 137.  We will have a working lunch of baked potatoes with toppings as our meeting will likely extend over the lunch hour.  It would help us immensely if you would RSVP so we can plan accordingly for food. RSVP to Mike directly at mikedroll16@gmail.com.  Hope to see you there! 

Mike Droll, PUMC Grounds Team Chair 

Mountain Sky Annual Conference is June 11-14 at St. Andrew UMC in Highlands Ranch, CO. Because there should be an equal number of lay and clergy delegates, the Colorado Front Range District is looking for Lay Equalization Delegates. We also need 2 delegates from our church. If you are interested in learning more, please speak with Pastor Laura. She can give you more information. We had a great group last year, and it is so close to home this year!

The Communications Team is adding interior directional signage to enhance our welcome. They have placed temporary signs around the building prior to making permanent signs.

Your input is welcomed. Send your recommendations to Doug McKinney or give them to the church office. 

All are welcome to join us for Adult Sunday School during the 10:30 hour from March 9 - April 13 as we join in the Lenten study Questions to God.  Questions?  Contact Susan Gustin.

Small groups regularly discuss topics related to faith, share personal experiences, and build relationships. By offering these smaller, more focused gatherings, newcomers can feel more comfortable and supported as they navigate their journey in the church community. 

Welcome someone to your small group!

By Julie Kronbach

Welcome to the season of Love. We sing “Love Came Down at Christmas” and celebrate Jesus’ birth. We celebrate the Feast of Saint Valentine each February 14. Our entire liturgical year is filled with Jesus’ love. But love with a capital L is manifested in Lent as Jesus fulfills his earthly ministry, with teaching, preaching, suffering, dying on a cross and resurrection.

What motivates us? Achievement? Recognition? Doing right things? Finishing our “to do” list? Obligations? Meeting expectations? Paul tells us our motivation should be love. That can be a tall order in our fast-paced society. Yes, it’s easy to treat our family, friends, and neighbors with love the vast majority of time. But…

Do I let a driver cut me off with love? Do I clean up someone else’s mess because it needs to be done or out of love? Do I counter an argument with love? Do I listen to an opposing political view with love or a counter argument in preparation?

The great theologian, Henri Nouwen, concludes that “What makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think but our ability to love.”

1 Corinthians 16 tells us “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.”

What a Lenten challenge! Let all that we do be done in love.

Prayer: Lord God, Author of love, renew us by your loving spirit, to live generously, to embrace the humanity of all, and to represent your love in the world. Amen

In preparation for Sunday worship, here are questions to consider ahead of time. You can use these in your own devotion time, in conversation with family and friends, or in a small group setting. We hope this will help you engage with the scriptural texts and sermon at a deeper faith level.

For March 9 worship:

• Sermon: Who is God?

• Scripture: 1 John 4:7-19

• Guiding Questions:

1. This series, Questions to God, gets at deep issues that we all have. The first question, Who is God? If someone asked you this question, what would you say? Or, would you be comfortable saying, I don't know?

2. In 1 John 4:7-9, we get into the meat of this letter or epistle. We love others because God loves us. And to love others is to know God. What does this say to you? What questions does it bring to mind? 

3. 1 John 4:12 states, No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us. With this definition, when have you seen God? When was God's presence made real to you through the actions of another?

4. 1 John 4:16 says we abide in God and God abides in us. In John's Gospel, 1:14, says that the Word became flesh and lived among us. The Greek word is the same for abides and became. Eugene Peterson's translation, The Message, says it this way: The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. What does it mean that God moves into our neighborhood? lives in us? How might that affect how you care for and love others?

Please join us this Sunday as we begin our new sermon series Questions to God. This Sunday's message is Who Is God? and the scripture reading for this Sunday is 1 John 4:7-16.

Regular Worship Services

• 9 a.m. Sunday: Blended service with traditional elements and a variety of music including hymns, handbells and choir.

• 10:30 a.m. Spark! Worship: This service includes contemporary praise music, and an informal style that offers a play area for children, opportunities for you to be involved in service, and the freedom to practice prayer and worship in exciting and personalized ways. 

• 5:30 p.m. 2nd Wednesday of each month: At The Table. We gather around a meal, share conversation and stories of faith, and complete a small mission project.