Monday, September 28, 2 pm in the Sanctuary

Celebrate the lives of Betty and Jim Olson this Monday. A short reception will follow in the Commons Area immediately following the service.

Share Your Story this Advent Season 

This Advent season, as we prepare for gift exchanges with friends and family, our church sermon series will reflect on the gifts given to us by our God. The sermons will focus on times when God gives us gifts of hope, peace, joy, love and purpose. 

The Adult Education Team believes everyone has a story of experiencing God’s gifts. We invite you to share your story. Whether expressed through a personal story, a poem, or a piece of original art, we would love to share your reflection in our upcoming Advent Devotions booklet. 

Please follow this link to a website with complete submission details, and the opportunity to sign up. For any questions, please reach out directly to our team members Andrea Perrino (email link) or Kelly Evans (email link) – they would love to connect with you.  

The Feed My Starving Children Packing Event on October 2-3 is just around the corner! Please sign up here to volunteer for a shift (or two). We need especially volunteers for 2 shifts: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Friday night and 12 - 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

We still need to raise a little over $7,000 in order to pay for this event. This past Sunday, we launched a new fundraising opportunity -- 100 Envelope Challenge. The envelopes are displayed in the church Commons Area. Take an envelope with a number on it and donate that amount. If all 100 envelopes are taken, this will raise over $5,000. Thank you to those who took an envelope this week and agreed to make the donation on the church website, write a check, donate cash, or use the QR code.

Want to know more? Please reach out to Tammy Knowles. Thank you for the ways you are already supporting this great packing event!

Are you creative -- whether you work in pottery, photography, painting, drawing, quilting, knitting, crochet, metal sculpture, jewelry making, floral design, graphic art, crafts, woodworking, basket making, or any other art? We want to showcare your work!

A small team is planning a special afternoon open to the public with fun, food, fellowship and maybe a few ideas for Christmas presents.

Please let us know you are interested so we can move forward in our plans. Please contact either Lisa Jarratt or Jason Anderson, letting us know what type of art you would like to showcase and approximately how many pieces you would wish to display.

We'd love to see the creativity within our Parker UMC community!

The Missions Team needs your help. In order to prioritize missions and other opportunities, please let them know what are important to you.

Please complete this Mission Survey. You can use this link for the online survey or fill out the paper copy that can be found at the Welcome Center.

Want to share your thoughts with the team directly? All are welcome to attend their upcoming meeting (via Zoom) on Tuesday, September 29, at 7 p.m. Please reach out to Tia for the Zoom link.

Thank you for your continued generosity and compassionate care for others and for one another.

Get ready for an afternoon of Halloween fun for the whole community! Join us on Sunday, October 25, from 2:00–3:00 PM for our annual Community Trunk or Treat. We’re expecting hundreds of children and families, and we can’t wait to fill the parking lot with decorated trunks, candy, and lots of smiles!

Want to help make it happen? We need candy donations and volunteers to decorate trunks and hand out treats. Trunk set-up is from 1:15–1:45 PM, and the parking lot will close at 1:45 PM to keep the area safe for our little trick-or-treaters. Sign up here

🍬 Want to donate candy? A donation box will be available by the Children’s Check-In Station on Sundays, or you can drop off candy in the church office Monday–Friday, 9:30 AM–3:00 PM.

Bring your family, invite your neighbors, and come be part of the fun!

For more information email Noelle

The Preteen Group begins on October 4 at 2:00 p.m. Kids in 4th and 5th grade gather for games, snacks, and activities with a sprinkle of Jesus (6th graders are encouraged to join the youth group but can swing down to preteens). We meet on the 1st Sunday of each month from 2-3 p.m.

For more information email Noelle

This past Sunday, the Parker Chorale blessed us during the church service with "How Great Thou Art" as special music.

Now we invite you to attend their performance of John Rutter's Requiem by Candlelight this Saturday, September 26, at 6:00 p.m. in our church sanctuary.

You can order tickets online ahead of time or purchase your ticket at the door. General Admission is $22.

Attend this one-night-only performance! Want to know more about the Parker Chorale? Check out their website.

Save the Date! Our Church Conference meeting will be on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary.

This is our annual church meeting where we review the year so far and plan for 2027. There are items of business that will be presented for approval, but mostly this is a chance to celebrate how God has guided us and our ministries.

Members of Parker UMC are eligible to vote, but anyone can attend. If you have questions about your membership, please reach out to Pastor Laura.

There will also be a New Member class on Sunday, October 18, at 11:45 a.m. Let Pastor Laura know if you are interested in attending.

Each year we review our membership list to note whom we have not seen for a while. We reach out to them to learn if they have moved, are attending a different church, would like to withdraw their membership, or want to speak with a pastor.

Last year, we published a list of church members that we had not had any contact with. They were presented last year as our First Year List.

This year, we still have not heard from many on that list. They will be on our Second Year List to be presented at our church conference meeting on November 7.

Please review this list. Paper copies are also at the Welcome Desk. If you have contact information for someone, please reach out to Susan Gustin, our membership secretary, or Pastor Laura.

We appreciate your help in finding these church members.

Our altar flowers each week are given in honor or memory of someone. We usually have one arrangement each Sunday. The church office orders from our vendor, Little Shop of Flowers. You do not need to contact our vendor directly; we handle it.

If you are interested in ordering flowers, please fill out the Sign Up Genius for 2026 here. You can also email or speak with Candi in the church office. Cost is $50 per arrangement.

Please speak with Candi Robinson if you have any questions.

Thanks for beautifying our altar table!

Here are upcoming events in the community:

• Douglas County Dougnad* Volunteer Event. Are you an older adult needing yard work? Call 303-660-7407. Want to help in our community on Saturday, October 24, starting at 8 a.m.? Visit this website for more information and to sign up --

https://www.douglasco.gov/volunteer-opportunities/dougnad/.

• "Douglas County’s Dougnad volunteer program is modeled after the Scandinavian tradition of dugnad where citizens meet up with family, friends, and neighbors for coffee and pastries then disperse into the community to do volunteer work such as planting trees or cleaning parks."

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. All are welcome to join one discussion group every Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Room 216 in the church. 

We hope this practice will help you engage with the scriptural texts and sermon at a deeper faith level. 

For September 27 Sunday worship:

This week's sermon: Both/And: Us & Them

Scripture: Galatians 3:28-29, Hebrews 13:1-2

Guiding Questions:

1. What are some of the most common “us” vs “them” categories in our communities, culture, and churches? How have you witnessed the labels of "us" vs "them" helpful?  How have you witnessed them being harmful?

2. Read Galatians 3:28-29. Think of the groups listed in Galatians 3:28. What were some of the differences between how people in those groups lived and were treated at the time it was written? What would be some real-life implications of saying “in Christ there is no longer...”? In what ways can we embody the truth that “all of you are one in Jesus Christ”?

3. What does it mean for all those listed in Galatians 3:28 to be “Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise”? How does this challenge “us” vs “them” thinking?

4. Read Hebrews 13:1-2. Who do you think the writer is referring to when they say “strangers”? What might hospitality towards strangers entail?

5. The Hebrews passage is a reference to Genesis 18:1-15. Read (or have someone summarize) that story and consider: What can happen when we “entertain angels” unknowingly?

6. Are there ways in which you find safety and comfort in belonging to a group? Being part of an “us”? (This is not necessarily a bad thing!) Does your group define itself against others, against “them”? What could a more positive definition look like?

7. Think about the kind of hospitality you offer loved ones by comparison with strangers? How can you, as an individual and we, as a church become more hospitable to all?

Please join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series Both/And. This Sunday's message is Us & Them and our scripture readings are Galatians 3:28-29, Hebrews 13:1-2.

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.