Saturday is the big day! 

We'll be at the Marion House Soup Kitchen providing a BBQ for the needy of Colorado Springs.  Over 200 people from church have signed up to help!  If you didn't have a chance to sign-up, just show up!  We'll put you to work.  If you can't be there, you can at least pray!  Folks have generously covered the costs of the meal as well. So thanks to all of you who are making this kick-off to our 40 Days of Mission such a grand event!  Let me say a special thank you to Gary and Karen Wiensch.  They came up with the idea and have been the driving force behind it!  It wouldn't have happened without them.

Camp Meetings Going Strong!
We are well into our camp meetings-casual worship and great music! Last weekend I started a three-part series on the Basics of Grace.  God is always active in our lives but God acts in different ways depending on where we are in our faith journey.  Knowing how God works helps us notice that divine action. 

If you missed last week, you can get the message at our church website (www.sunriseumc.com) or pick up a CD at the church "store" in the Atrium at Briargate.

This week, we'll talk about "Doubt and Assurance."  Is it OK to doubt?  Do you have to doubt?  How does that impact your faith?  How does God work in the midst of that? We'll cover some good questions!

See you this weekend in worship!  You won't want to miss it!

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose

The BBQ at the Marian House is doing great but we still could use a little more help.  If you're coming out on the 19th can you bring a cooler full of ice and if you can,  please call or email Gary Wiensch 337-8538  - garyw@sunriseumc.com because we don't want to get more than we have room for.  We are also looking for some free standing awnings to borrow.  Let Gary know if you have one we can use.

We were asked to please make sure that we keep all the garbage picked up at all times so as not to upset any of the neighbors if the wind comes up.  If you have small buckets, such as beach pails, gallon ice cream buckets or just small buckets we are planning to put some of the children to work policing the area and using them for garbage.

Pepsi has agreed to donate 1000 cans of soda but we are asking that each person only take one at first so we make sure we have enough for the guests.

Come on out and help and have some fun at the same time.  See you at the Marian House.   Info and a map will be in the bulletin this weekend.

 

Summer Camp Meetings!

What a great start to our camp meetings we had last week!  We'll continue to worship in that relaxed, informal, enthusiastic way throughout the month of July.  But every week will be special, so you don't want to miss any of them!

I'll be talking about "The Basics of Grace" for the next three weeks.  God's grace always meets us where we are.  Our Christian development has some major steps along the way.  This weekend we'll be talking about how God's grace begins its work in our lives.  The message title is "Just by Trust."  I'll explain that more this weekend! 

This will be the last week for the Slider family.  Many of you know Dale Slider as the Lay Leader of our congregation.  Susan Slider has been the moving force behind the Connection Café and the catering done at church.  So, in honor of their ministry, we are going to have a Farewell Dinner this Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. and we aren't even going to have Susan cook!  (Ron Cilek has been nice enough to volunteer for the cooking.)  So if you would like to celebrate the Slider's ministry with us and say "good-bye," come this Saturday evening to Woodmen at 7:00 p.m.

And I'll see you in worship this weekend!

Blessings,

Marv Vose 

The July Communicator is available on-line.  Just click on "Newsletter" below and get the latest information on what's happening at church. If you would like to get a paper copy of this, please call the church office at 598-7013 or rogerh@sunriseumc.com..

 

Camp meetings!

Our Camp Meeting worship services begin this weekend.  We have not done these summer favorites for some time, but I know you will enjoy them!  They will be relaxed, informal, powerful and filled with great music!  The services have their origin in the American frontier, so the style and order of service will be a little different.  But you are going to love it!

40 Days of Mission

40 Days of Mission is just around the corner.  We'll start on July 19^th by working with the Marion House Soup Kitchen to provide a picnic and a barbeque for the working poor and homeless in our community.

What a great kick-off for our 40 Days of Mission!  Jesus specifically invites us to feed the hungry and thirsty, clothe the needy, and visit those who are sick and in prison.  When we do that, we do it for Jesus!  Most of us never have an opportunity to personally provide for those who really struggle with the basics of life.  July 19^th is that opportunity!  We'll do it specifically for Jesus. 

Just one word of caution:  please do not expect to be thanked for your service.  Please do not expect any expressions of gratitude.  I know that is pretty ingrained in all of us, but that will probably not happen at this event.  There are too many issues of power and self-esteem involved for gratitude to be shared.  But God will definitely take note of this!

Thanks in advance for all of your help.  Please sign-up at worship this week-end or pick up one of the cards that tells how you can help.  There is a great variety of tasks required to make this a success.  And please join me in praying for this will be for God's glory.

See you in worship this weekend!

Blessings,


Marv Vose

 

It's been a Beach Party at church this week!

Vacation Bible School kids have been surfin' through the scriptures.  The theme of the week is taken from I John 3:18.  "Let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."  What a great passage of scripture!  And from the noise level and all of the smiles, they have really been living out this scripture!

Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard-teachers, helpers, musicians, storytellers, snack makers and on and on.  You have all done a terrific job!  Special thanks goes to Sharilyn Bartelt for organizing everything and making it run so smoothly.  Great job!

This weekend, we'll get to hear the VBS kids sing!  They will be at the Saturday evening service at 6:00 p.m. at Woodmen and at the 10:30 service at Briargate.  You won't want to miss this!

See you this weekend in worship!

Grace and peace,

Marv Vose

 

Summer Time!  And the worship is great!

What a great Father's Day weekend we had!  We got a chance to affirm our Dad's and have a grand time at worship as well. 

And the picnic was awesome!  Thanks to the United Methodist Men for cooking up delicious hamburgers and hotdogs!  Thanks to those who did all of the organizing and got the volleyball, softball, horseshoes and Frisbee going.  Great food!  Great fellowship and great fun!  Sounds like church. 

            This week is Annual Conference and Kirsten Barlow and I will be attending along with several members of the congregation.  If you are unfamiliar with the work of the Annual Conference, it is the connection of all the United Methodist churches in Colorado, Utah and half of Wyoming.  One of the items of business will be working on electing Bishops.  Our Annual Conference will probably get a new Bishop this year.

            We'll be in Denver for a couple of days for Annual Conference, but this weekend is still going to be exceptional.  My topic will be "How Should a Cowboy Treat a Vegetarian?"  Doesn't that make you curious?  At the 9 and 10:30 services, the music department is going all out!  Chris Walters will be here with his trumpet.  There will be lots of special music and the choir will be singing "Witness!"  It will be like a mini-concert.  You know our musicians always do an outstanding job in leading us in worship, but this week will be even better!

See you in worship this weekend!

Blessings,

Marv Vose

It's Father's Day this weekend and we are celebrating it at Church!

Dads, wear your favorite shirt or tie!  We want you to be comfortable on your day!

We'll recognize our Dads and we'll even have some special gifts for some very special Dads.

And just to make things even better, we are having our Annual Picnic at Fox Run Park.  The United Methodist Men will be cooking up delicious hotdogs and hamburgers.  Please bring a side dish to share.  After lunch, we'll have some games for those interested in playing.  For the rest, you can just enjoy the company of your friends, or make some new friends! 

It is going to be a great weekend, so I'll see you at church!

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose

 

Father's Day is coming! 

Father's Day will be here before you know it and we'll celebrate.  We'll recognize our Fathers on that special weekend and we'll even have some special gifts for some very special Fathers.  Dads-I'm inviting you to wear your favorite shirt or favorite tie that day.  Maybe your favorite has been a Father's Day present or maybe it is just your favorite, but wear it that day!  (I'm expecting lots of Hawaiian shorts that day!)  But it will be fun. 

That is also the day for our All-church Picnic at Fox Run Park!  What a special day that is!  The United Methodist Men get out the grills and cook up a storm.  Everyone else is invited to bring a dish to share.  What can be better than a good, old Methodist potluck picnic?!

If you haven't eaten too much, games are available following lunch.  Bring your equipment and we'll organize softball or volleyball or Frisbee or whatever.  If you would prefer, it's just a great time to visit and enjoy the company of your church friends.

Get that on your calendar now!  June 15 at Fox Run Park. 

And I'll see you this weekend in worship! 

Grace and peace,
Marv Vose



The June Communicator (Newsletter) is available.  Go to sunriseumc.com, News and Events, and click on Newsletter.  OR click on the link below.

 

5-22-08 E-Letter

Memorial Day Weekend

Come celebrate Memorial Day Weekend with us in worship!  We'll be exploring just what it means to live out our lives in the knowledge of the love and grace of God.  How do we do that you ask?  Of course, I don't want to spoil it by answering here, but join us in worship and I'll try to fill in the details.

The music is going to be great (isn't it always?)!  Your friends will be here!  The Holy Spirit will be present!  All we need is you! 

See you this weekend.

Blessings to you,

Kirsten Barlow

P.S.  We will be recognizing our high school graduates in our bulletin and during worship on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1.  If you have a graduating senior in your home, would you e-mail me their name that we might be able to include them?  You can e-mail me at kirstenb@sunriseumc.com.  Thanks so much and congratulations on this milestone! 

 

Another Special Weekend in May!

The members of our Confirmation Class will join this Sunday at the 10:30 service.  This will be the culmination of months of work on their part, but it is years of work for parents, family members and church members.  Most of the confirmands were baptized as infants and their parents promised to help them grow in faith until they could decide for themselves.  And now they are deciding for themselves!  What a celebration!  Now, as men and women in the eyes of God, they will profess their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior and become full members of the church!   In years to come, they will see this as one of the most significant moments of their spiritual lives.  And you have been instrumental in making it happen! 

This is also Armed Forces Weekend and at all of our services we'll recognize and express our appreciation to those who are currently serving and those who have served in the past.  For those who are serving or have served, this is a great weekend to wear your uniform or medals.  Thanks for your service!

On Saturday evening, we'll have our last FX (Family Experience with God) until the fall!  You won't want to miss this special service on Saturday night!

See you in worship this weekend!

Marv Vose