Dear U Park Family,
It’s hard to believe that the holidays are behind us. But now we’re setting off on a new year, and I hope that you’ve had some time to think about 2024 and what’s coming in the next 12 months.
This week, I’ll send out a final letter to close out the 2025 pledge campaign for our operating budget. If you haven’t pledged your financial support to our ministry yet, I hope you’ll consider doing so. We haven’t yet reached our goal of $370,000 in pledges, but we’re at about $350,000 now and the total continues to climb. Your gift could put us over the finish line, and I’m grateful for your generosity and your commitment to this ministry we share.
This coming Sunday will be the second in the liturgical season of Christmas. Often, I’ve heard people say that they wish the good will of Christmas could last all year. But in worship, I’ll be looking at a part of the Christmas story that reminds us the good will of Christmas wasn’t even present when the events of the story actually happened – but somehow, the joy and light of the season have always managed to survive. I hope you’ll join us for worship at 9:00 in Wasser Chapel or 11:00 in our Sanctuary. If you can’t be with us in person, you can always watch live on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/UParkumcdenver/) or later in the day on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/UniversityParkUMCDenver).
On January 12th, Isaac Dunn will be our guest preacher. I’ll be out of town at the Society of Christian Ethics meeting, which is an academic conference I enjoy every year. On the 19th, I’ll offer a dialogue sermon with my friend Logan Robertson, who is the Pastor at After Hours, an innovative United Methodist ministry here in Denver. They serve unhoused people living in Denver, and I am looking forward to what Logan has to say about the spiritual influence that work has had on him and on the congregation he serves.
Finally, many thanks to all of you who gave so generously to our Christmas Eve offering supporting Metro Caring. We will send that organization more than $2000, and that doesn’t count the funds given by those who gave directly online. Between the financial support of Metro Caring and our abundant gifts of clothing and blankets for the LOVVE project, it feels like we’ve honored the Christ child this year. I’m very happy with what we’ve done, and can’t thank you enough.
I hope you’ve had a great New Year’s celebration, and I look forward to seeing you in church!
Grace and Peace,
Andy