Fall is here. The leaves are changing, the wind has a bit of a bite to it, and our schedules are filled once again.

We had a great back-to-school these past several weeks. 

Many thanks to those who helped with our Fall Fun Fest. We had many visitors, especially those with younger kids.

We had another great time at the 3rd Annual Golf Tournament. Thanks to all who participated, donated or purchased items at the Silent Auction. These funds will help our church continue to bless our community.

How awesome was it to give Bibles to our younger kids? They now have their own gateway into reading God's word and learning about how God continues to walk with us.

What else was exciting for you? Maybe it was the United Women in Faith Pie Sale the supported missions. Maybe it was the new member class and welcoming new members.

We hope and pray that you will continue to find Parker UMC a place to grow, become, and make a difference. We are all on this journey together.

See you in church!

Pastor Laura 

Jesus calls us, ofen in radical ways, to be Countercultural. How are our values and identity shaped not by the ways of the world by by the love of God through Jesus? How might we then nurture our relationships with others and the world? Join us this month for this series. We will also join together at the end of the month to commit to supporting how God has called us to be in ministry in 2026 with our financial commitment. 

October 5

Who Are You? (Romans 12:1-2)

October 12:         

Shaping Your Values (Colossians 3:12-17)

October 19:      

Love in Action (1 John 3:16-18)

October 26:  Commitment Sunday

Authentic Loving, Authentic Giving 

(Matthew 22:15-22, 34-40, Genesis 1:26-27)

Our annual meeting will be on Saturday, November 15, 1 pm in the sanctuary. Our District Superintende Rev. Jessica Rooks will lead us in this time.

At our church conference, we will celebrate how God has blessed us this year. We will also vote on new leadership board members, compensation packages for both clergymembers, and other business.

Everyone is welcome to attend. Members of the church are eligible to vote.

If you lead a team, please send Pastor Laura your team's report by November 1.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Laura.

We look forward to celebrating and committing to serving God in our community through our church's ministries and groups.

See you then!

Our youth ministry is off to a fantastic start this school year, and it’s been such a joy to see so much growth and energy! With this excitement, we’ve been able to expand by offering separate Sunday school classes for middle and high school students, as well as dividing our Sunday afternoon youth group into two age-appropriate gatherings. 

After just one month, we are already averaging more than 21 youth each week at youth group. On top of that, Confirmation has begun with 23 sixth, seventh, and eighth graders diving into conversations about faith and what it means to follow Jesus. We are so grateful for the ways God is moving in the lives of our youth and can’t wait to see how this momentum continues throughout the year! 

Thank you to the Music Ministry Social Committee for providing a wonderful meal on September 24th! The dinner allowed for music ministry members to connect with one another outside of performance and in a more relaxed setting. Thank you to Lynette, Judy, Donna, Gene, Kurt, Kyle, Doug and Heidi for your support to make this event a success! Please stay tuned for our next Music Ministry Potluck happening in November, date to be determined! 

Now that rehearsals have begun for the Fall Choir Season, I'd like to invite you to consider joining us for Chorale Rehearsal on Wednesdays at 7 PM or Cambiata Rehearsal starting October 15th at 6 PM. Choir is such a wonderful opportunity to be enriched through beautiful melodious singing and worship! 

Just in case you love music but prefer to not sing, please consider joining handbell choir with rehearsal at 6: 45 PM each Thursday. 

The Clicking Needles Knitting Group recently knitted 70 hats. They will take them to SECOR Cares to be distributed to others within our community.

They blessed others with their gifts.

Thanks, Group members!

We are officially in Autumn with church and school activities in full swing. Parker FMSC (Feed My Starving Children) sends prayer and best wishes as we share joyful moments and face personal challenges, all while looking to God during times of change. We continue to pause FMSC fundraising, allowing the congregation to focus on numerous other church, family and life activities. 

The book of Genesis, 14:14, speaks of Abram, “When Abram heard that his nephew had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.”

When Abraham was called to rescue Lot, his nephew, commentary mentions two of Abraham’s characteristics that I find admirable. First is his courage, which was given to him from God. Second, he was prepared. Trusting in God is important but also being prepared is critical. Abraham was prepared to defend and care for those traveling with him. Abraham trusted God to guide him and Abraham never knew when he would be called upon to complete God’s tasks. How do we take time in our lives to follow God? How can we prepare? I believe like Abraham, we should seek and pray for God’s guidance and find ways to prepare to love our neighbors as ourselves. 

There is much need here and worldwide, with children and families needing food. Food security allows families to learn and start preparing for God’s path. Part of Parker FMSC mission is to find ways to provide food to children around the world and teach the gospel. I hope sharing some of the ways I am learning by reading the Bible, will help you to think about how God can guide you and how you can prepare yourself to be guided by God. We may not know the time of the calling or how we will be called, but we pray and trust in God. Parker FMSC team sends prayers for a safe and wonderful October. 

Tia Reinschmidt

St. Luke's UMC's Brave Spaces team invites you to join as they gather in community for the 5th in their series, "What Can I Do?", exploring the UMC Social Principles, this time focusing on the spiritual relationship between Native Americans and the land.

This event is Monday, October 6, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, at St. Luke's UMC (8817 S. Broadway, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129). Two speakers will sharei theiir unique stories and perspectives:

• Rick Waters,  of the Kiowa and Cherokee nations, the executive director of the Denver Indian Center.

• Rev. Dr. Janet Forbes, a retired UM minister, who has sought over the last 30 years to learn from and build connections with the indigenous peoples of the Rocky Mountain Region.

The evening will include a time for Q&A, discussion, and reflection. They will share resources and opportunities for further exploration. 

Thank you for your continued support for our church's ministries. Your gifts are what help us be the Christ-centered community where all belong, grow and make a difference.

Financial reports are available outside the sanctuary each month after the Finance Team reviews them. Available now is the report for end of August 2025.

The good news: Our giving is still ahead of budget. That is because of you! More good news: Our expenses are below budget. That is because of the good work of our staff and leaders.

We still anticipate a budget deficit at the end of 2025 but much smaller than previously anticipated. 

As we look toward next year, we are drafting our 2026 budget. Part of this important work is our 2026 Commitment Campaign, Counterculture. How are your living in a way that is countercultural to the rest of the world? How do your resources make an impact? We look forward to hearing one another's stories.

May God continue to bless us as we share God's great big love each and every day!

Every Wednesday we send out our weekly email, the Midweek Message. This includes updates and announcements of the different ways to get involved through classes, small groups, and volunteer activities. You also will learn what Sunday's worship theme is.

If you do not receive this weekly email, please contact Sarah in the church office. Additionally, most of the information is in the Sunday bulletin and in the worship slides.

If you have an announcement that you would like to have included, please send to Pastor Laura by Monday at 6 pm.

We hope we can keep up to date on what is happening in our church!