Pastor’s Blog (Page 2)

Music Ministry: Elevating Our Worship Music has always been at the heart of worship at UMCG. It’s through song that we lift our praises, connect with the Holy Spirit, and draw closer to one another as a church family. Whether it’s the stirring notes of our Christmas Cantata or the beautiful harmonies of a Sunday choir, music elevates our worship experience and helps us encounter God in profound ways. In the video below, you’ll hear about how music has shaped our worship experiences and deepened our connections to the church. Of course, our music ministry isn’t just about singing songs—it’s about leading the congregation intoRead More →

Congregational Care: Strengthening Our Bonds At UMCG, we are committed to caring for one another as Christ cares for us. Whether it’s through a comforting prayer shawl, pastoral care, or support in times of grief, our congregational care ministries are central to the life of our church. These ministries remind us that we are a community—bound together in love, through both our joys and our sorrows. One of the most impactful ministries we offer is Stephen Ministry, where trained members of our congregation provide confidential, one-on-one Christian care to people who are hurting. As Stephen Ministries puts it, “God works through Stephen Ministers to plantRead More →

Discipleship: Deepening Our Roots At UMCG, we believe that discipleship is a lifelong journey—one that begins in childhood and continues through every stage of life. From our children’s Sunday school to adult small groups, we strive to provide opportunities for everyone to deepen their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Discipleship is about planting seeds of faith, nurturing them, and watching them flourish. In the video below, you’ll hear from members of our congregation about how discipleship has transformed their life starting at a young age. Whether it’s the spiritual growth seen in a small group or the joy on a child’s faceRead More →

Missions: Extending Our Reach At UMCG, our commitment to missions has always been about more than just meeting immediate needs—it’s about transforming lives, both within our congregation and beyond. Whether it’s through local outreach programs or global initiatives, our mission efforts reflect the heart of our church: loving our neighbors as ourselves and sharing God’s grace wherever we go. Our giving to apportionments makes up our first mile of giving that combines the dollars from United Methodists around the world to make an exponential impact. We then go a second mile in giving to help mission partners here, near and far away, proving not justRead More →

Over the past two weeks, we’ve explored four of the six core strategies from Growing Young: Six Essential Strategies to Help Young People Discover and Love Your Church that will help us reflect, transform, and grow younger as we celebrate 185 years as a church. We’ve looked at the importance of prioritizing young people, practicing empathy, fostering a warm community, and taking Jesus’ message seriously. Today, we’re diving into the final two strategies: engaging with families and empowering leaders of all generations. These last two strategies are deeply connected to the vibrancy and vitality of our church as we look forward to our next 185Read More →

Last week, I kicked off our journey of vibrancy and vitality as we celebrate 185 years as a church by exploring two of the six strategies from Growing Young: prioritizing young people everywhere and practicing empathy. These strategies remind us that young people are not just the future of the church but an integral part of our community right now. As we continue this series, I want to dive into the next two strategies: fostering a warm community and taking Jesus’ message seriously. These strategies, like the first two, challenge us to reflect on our current practices and culture at UMCG and ask how weRead More →

As we approach the milestone of our 185th anniversary as a church, we find ourselves at a crossroads. It’s a time to look back and celebrate the faithfulness of generations past, but it’s also a time to look forward—toward a future that calls us to reflect and transform. While we honor our rich history, we must also ask: how do we ensure that our legacy of faith continues? How do we remain vital and vibrant for the next 185 years? These are questions that have been stirring in me a while now and came to the fore in the mountains of Colorado as I mentionedRead More →

First, I want to express my deep gratitude to each of you for your prayers and support during my recent mountain retreat. The time away was both productive and renewing, and I returned Thursday feeling refreshed and eager to share what’s on the horizon for our church in 2025. I spent a lot of time praying and planning worship themes that will help us spend a year with Jesus, letting Jesus speak and transform us. But before I dive into those details, I’ll be vetting these ideas with our staff and leaders as we discern together how God is leading us. We’ll make any necessaryRead More →

As you read this, I’m just beginning my worship planning retreat. Having arrived Thursday night in the Wet Mountain Valley of Colorado, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, in an international dark sky community, I’m now immersed in an environment perfect for deep discernment. Being 15 minutes from reliable cell phone service and 25 minutes from the internet allows me to fully focus on God’s voice and the needs of our church. Last year, this retreat birthed some of the most impactful series we experienced together in 2024, including “Christianity and World Religions,” “Teach Us to Pray,” and the “Making a Methodist Series.” These momentsRead More →

I recently received a meme—a digital image with a funny or poignant caption. I don’t have the rights to share the original meme here, but I found the central image of the meme that I can publish. The meme revolved around a billboard just like this, except that the roadside billboard had a common campaign flag placed in such a way that it literally put the name of a political figure above that of Jesus. The image described serves as a poignant reminder of the phenomenon known as Christian Nationalism—where faith is used as a vehicle for political power, often distorting the gospel’s message. InRead More →