We are two days away from our Feed My Starving Children Packing Event. The Mission Team is grateful for your support. We have asked for your help and you have responded. Thank you!

We have a few spots open for packing meals. We need 4 volunteers for the 6:30 - 8:30 pm slot on Friday. For Saturday we need 2 volunteers for the 9 - 11 am slot and 4 volunteers for the 12 - 2 pm slot. Please sign up here.

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 group will meet at the church next Monday, October 5, at 12:30 pm in room 137. Please bring your own lunch. Ramona Council and Vicki Shaw will be our hosts and provide beverages and a small dessert.

Please RSVP to Barb Miles.

Come for good conversation and fellowship. We look forward to seeing you there!

Join our monthly dinner worship service, At The Table, on Wednesday, October 14th from 5:30-7pm.  At The Table, we share a meal, conversations about life and faith, and do a mission project together.  This is a great place to get connected! 

To sign up to provide food, click here. 

Please RSVP to Cody Anderson.

All are welcome At The Table!

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.  

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.

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

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.

Join Rev. June Webster for a 10 week class on Tuesday, October 13 - December 15, studying the book, The Lost Mary by Dr. James Tabor. So much about this dynamic woman never made it into the Bible.

The class will meet in room 124 from 6:30 - 8 pm and will also be offered over Zoom. Please sign up here.

Have you attended church worship and events? Are you interested in deepening your faith and strengthening your commitment? Or do you have some questions about the church?

Join us for the next New Member Class on Sunday, October 18, 11:45 am in the Commons Area.

Lunch will be provided, so please let us know you are planning attend. Please reach out to Pastor Laura to RSVP, let her know if you have any food restrictions, or just ask questions!

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.

Have you considered the PUMC Endowment Funds for end-of-year giving? Through gifts today and bequests and future gifts that are realized years from now, many churches, including Parker UMC, have built an endowment fund that assures a flow of funds that can support their church’s ministry for generations to come. 

The foresight of those who have given already is providing the basis for a lasting legacy – your gifts and provisions in your will today will make a difference for your children and their children as this church will continue to minister to the community and the world.

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/.

• Together Colorado, a nonpartisan, multi-racial and multi-faith community organization, is hosting an Election Integrity Community Forum at St. Andrew UMC, Highlands Ranch, on Tuesday, October 6 at 6 pm. Check out the event flyer and press release to learn more about the event.

Additionally, Together Colorado offers a Faith in Elections Playbook by Interfaith America.

Both of these are shared if you are interested.

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 October 4 Sunday worship:

This week's sermon: Both/And: Saint and Sinner

Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Guiding Questions:

1. Who are the people we tend to put into the category of “sinner” while conveniently putting ourselves in the category of “good person”? What is the difference between accountability and condemnation? How can we practice accountability while still believing in redemption?

2. “I remain committed to the truth that no one’s value can be calculated by just the sum total of their worst moments.” — Nadia Bolz-Weber. If someone only knew the worst thing you had ever done, what might they misunderstand about you? What is the danger of reducing a person to the worst thing they have ever done? Does refusing to define someone by their worst moment mean ignoring or excusing what they have done? Why or why not?

3. Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Paul is remarkably honest about his past. Why do you think he chooses not to hide or minimize it? Paul describes himself as a “sinner,” yet he also talks about being called, strengthened, and entrusted with ministry. What does that tension tell us about grace?

4. Paul says that he received mercy as an example for others. How can our own stories of failure, forgiveness, and growth become sources of hope for other people? How does Paul’s understanding of his past differ from simply being defined by his past?

5. Where in your own life do you need to hear the truth that your worst moment does not get the final word about your worth? Paul doesn't pretend his past didn't happen. Instead, he allows God's grace to become part of his story. What part of your story might God still be redeeming?

6. If you truly believed that God is not finished with you, what would you be willing to risk, change, or begin? What is one way you can offer someone else the kind of grace this week that you hope God offers you?

Please join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series Both/And. This Sunday's message is Saint and Sinner and our scripture readings are 1 Timothy 1:12-17.

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.