Please join us for worship! 

Our Sunday morning schedule is:

9:00 - Sunday School for all ages

10:15 - Spirited Worship in the sanctuary

Nursery is available all morning for kids 5 and under.

Church E-Mail wumcsec@gmail.com

Teen Rites of Passage

• By Kay Palmer Marsh
• Posted on October 25th, 2011

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This article is featured in the Rites of Passage (Nov/Dec/Jan 2011-12) issue of Circuit Rider

An Interview with Kay Palmer Marsh, Senior Pastor of Westminster United Methodist Church in Westminster, Colo., a diverse congregation in an aging first-ring suburb of Denver. Not being Catholic or even primarily Hispanic, the church got some attention earlier this year when it hosted a quinceañera, a rite of passage for fifteen-year-old girls in Hispanic communities. We recently spoke to Rev. Marsh about the importance of teenage rites of passage and what is lost when we do not celebrate a significant milestone on the path from childhood to adulthood.

Quinceañeras aren’t something you do regularly. What prompted you to plan this one?

Our church is multiethnic, multiracial, and multilingual. So, although we do have some Hispanic families in our congregation, the quinceañera ceremony we conducted this year was more a matter of being church to the community. In this case, we were asked to be “church” to a young Hispanic woman (I’ll call her Maria; not her real name) from our local urban community. Our neighborhood is at least fifty percent Hispanic.

Maria’s mother came to me and said, “Pastor, would you do a quinceañera for my daughter?” I told her that I had never done one but I would like to! I told her that I don’t speak much Spanish, and she said, “That’s okay, we don’t speak Spanish.” The day of the ceremony I heard both English and Spanish spoken in the narthex, Spanish being spoken primarily by the older generation. I also told her I’m not Catholic. “Neither am I,” she replied. Many Hispanics in our community were baptized in the Roman Catholic Church but are not practicing Roman Catholics. However, many are steeped in the cultural aspects of the Roman Catholic Church.

I asked the family to review liturgy of the quinceañera ceremony from the United Methodist Spanish language Fiesta Cristiana. I added parts to the liturgy that were significant to them, as I do for any ceremony.

What is the significance of a teenage rite of passage like the quinceañera?

This sort of rite of passage has happened in various cultures for centuries. The quinceañera has its roots in Mexico. Young men were given a shield and sword at the age of fifteen and were then considered to be a full member of society. Young women at the age of fifteen were celebrated for their soon-to-be fulfilled commitments of wife, mother, and community member. Roman Catholic missionaries put these ceremonies into a Christian context and the young women then committed themselves to their church and community.

In our UM quinceañera ceremony, the fifteen year old young woman professes her faith in our Creator God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit; and expresses gratitude for how her parents and godparents have raised her. She promises to live a “life of holiness, purity, and honesty, keeping God’s holy word in (her) heart, and placing (her)self in God’s care.”

Maria clearly took these statements in the ceremony to mean that she was no longer a little girl, and was ready to take on bigger roles at home, in her Christian life, and in her community. She expressed to me her faith in Jesus Christ, her commitment to live a Christian life, and her commitment to purity. Purity was clearly a big part of it, and this young woman took it very seriously. Although at that time the family was not part of a congregation, she knew her faith. And WUMC was now her community church, with doors wide enough to offer her a place to witness for Christ.

The Hispanic community has the quinceañera; Jewish families have bar and bat mitzvahs. Do you think the rest of us are missing out on something by not marking the transition from childhood to adulthood with a significant ritual like that? What is lost when we don’t?

Yes, I believe that something is missing for those of us who do not celebrate a transition from childhood to adulthood, but what is missing is larger than simply a ceremony for our teenagers.

When I began in ministry nineteen years ago, 35 or 40 percent of people in the U.S. attended church on an average Sunday. Now, according to statistics from Barna, about 10 percent of Americans are in church on any given week. As a result, the average teenager simply does not know from a practical perspective what churches do.

A study by Notre Dame’s Institute of Latino Studies in 2006, however, found that 48 percent of all Hispanics in the United States are involved in a church.

Where do the non-churchgoing 90 percent of non-Hispanics find meaning and God? For non-Hispanic youth in the United States both in church and out of the church, what is lost is a formal celebration of whose they are, who they can be, their faith in God, and their acceptance of their role as an adult in the community.

Although this issue of celebrating a transition in young people’s lives is larger than just our denomination and larger than just young people, we could strengthen our existing confirmation process to celebrate our young people and encourage them to move forward in their faith in Jesus Christ and forward toward adult responsibility.

What can we do to help rites of passage like confirmation have the impact they should on young people’s lives?

Although most United Methodists understand confirmation to be an important confession of faith and milestone in a young person’s life, not every congregation, family, or teenager takes it seriously. For some, it is simply something to complete and include in a college application, rather than it being a real commitment to Christ.

It has been said that Christianity is one generation away from extinction. Encouraging our young people should be a priority. We need to be certain that we really celebrate the teenagers who come forward to profess their faith at the time of confirmation. It begins with preparing them out loud for many years for their confirmation in Sunday school, in youth groups, in worship, and in their own families. It begins with offering youth relevant worship experiences in the styles and in the music they prefer.

On the day of the celebration, the church ought to fully celebrate the continuation of the Word of God growing in their young people. Perhaps the celebration could be a special fiesta-type Sunday for the young people and the congregation, designed by the confirmands; a formal event with foods and Christian music in a style that the teenagers prefer. Then, the church should allow and expect them to participate in some significant way in the life of the church from that moment onward.

If we strengthen our culture around confirmation, we might change our church culture around this important transitional time in a young person’s life. We might find that the next generations ahead look forward to celebrating their confirmations in the church, look forward to the reception, wonder who to invite, think about what they will wear, and will understand that this is a commitment to their future as Christians and as adults.

I am not advocating an expensive, exclusive, cotillion-like event for young women and young men. Nor am I advocating for a ‘by invitation only’ confirmation event that includes an over-the-top reception with some nationally known Christian band. Confirmation is for all young people; not just for those who can afford to pay for something exclusive and “over-the-top.” I think every church can handle a ceremony and reception. We can use the quinceañera model to enhance confirmation class celebrations in our own sanctuaries and fellowship halls.

Some people might say that teenagers today aren’t mature enough to take these rites of passage seriously. What do you think?

I’ve seen many teenagers in my ministry. I started out in youth ministry, we have two daughters, and I have volunteered in high schools. I am aware that many teenagers are not as mature as Maria. In most of our churches, there is peer pressure to not take confirmation or church seriously. In Hispanic culture on the other hand, there is a great deal of pressure to take quinceañera seriously.

Society in the United States is more mobile than ever before, making it more difficult for churches to support families over time. Our churches are suffering from lack of younger attendees and members. We can whine and state even more reasons why we cannot fully celebrate transitions for teenagers. But the vision of our young people making a commitment to Christ and being celebrated by their local congregations in a larger way than we already do is compelling for the future of the church. It also becomes much more compelling as we work in faith to create the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

Perhaps the question is whether we really want to invest in our children and youth in ways in which they can relate, or whether we will simply focus on our lovely historical structures and how great we were “back in the day.” I believe that when our churches really invest in youth, the youth will see that adults care, and that God must care about them also. 

www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/1927/teen-rites-of-passageCached 

In an important effort to open the message of Jesus Christ to anyone who wants to be a disciple, we are now an open and affirming congregation! We have always been welcoming of the GLBT community, but we wanted to make it official. So, please understand that everyone is welcome in our church!

It was an amazing afternoon at Westminster UMC -- we celebrated our first Quinceanera.  This is a 15th birthday and worship celebration for a young woman of Hispanic / Latino origin.  I used the wonderful United Methodist Church resource for this. Below is the service we used.  If you have questions, please call me at the church:  303- 429-1569. ~~Pastor Kay

 ======================================================================================

A FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

QUINCEANERA

In the

WESTMINSTER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

 INTRODUCTION

 The exact origin of the 15^thbirthday celebration/QUINCEANERA is unknown but it probably goes back more than 400 years and has its roots in the pre-Columbian rites of passage of some native tribes in Mexico, specifically the Maya, Aztec, and Toltec Tribes.

 When a young man reached his 15^thbirthday, he was given a shield and sword and he became a warrior. Consequently, he was considered a full member of the society. A young woman, as well, upon reaching her 15^thbirthday, was ready for adulthood and was presented to the community as a vital part of society. In her capacity for motherhood, she could provide the community with warriors. The ceremony for the young lady included thanksgiving for the future wife and mother, and her commitment to carry out her responsibilities in the community.

 The missionaries eventually put the rite for the young woman into a Christian context, at which time she could reaffirm and consecrate her life to the service of the church and the community. This rite for the young woman has remained in our Christian worship and increasingly continues to be celebrated in Hispanic congregations.

 Within the last few years there has been a growing trend to provide this type of rite for the young man as well, to give him the opportunity to reaffirm his faith before God, his family, and the community and to make a commitment to serve in the mission of the church and in his community. This service can serve for both a young woman or a young man. For youth who have been baptized, this may be an occasion of gratitude and remembrance of the covenant of water and the word declared at an earlier time.

 SYMBOLS

Traditionally, several symbols are used in this celebration. Some of these include the candle, the salt, and the Bible.

 The Candle – The lighted candle is a symbol of Christ’s presence, the Light of the world, and who invites us so to shine as to be light for others.

 The Salt – The salt is a symbol of Christian virtues that give life flavor, and help strengthen the Christian life. “You are the salt of the earth…” implies that the church must set the example and always be ready to serve.

 The Bible – The Bible represents the primary norm of Christian conduct for the believer. At the same time, it reminds us of the centrality of the Word of God for our lives.

 The service as a whole seeks to praise God with a genuine spirit of thanks giving for the special gift of life for the young woman or man.

 SERVICE NOTES

 *The sanctuary or place of worship may be decorated with white flowers.

*The first pew may be designated for the parents, godparents, and “madrinas.”

*Place a kneeling stool and a chair in front of the chancel for the honoree.

*Put a small table on one side of the kneeling stool for the candle, the salt, and the Bible.

*The salt may be carried in a small crystal glass or bowl.

*The number of “madrinas” (attendants) varies from place to place. Besides the baptismal godparents, there will be one madrina for the candle, one for the salt, and one for the Bible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Order of Worship

 PRELUDE

 ENTRANCE – Appropriate Music

 (Pastor will be at the front of the sanctuary while the honoree enters, followed by parents, godparents and madrinas (attendants). The congregation will stand while the greeting is offered.)

 GREETING – Pastor

 God calls us to celebrate life. We gather today as followers of Jesus Chris to celebrate fifteen years in the life of ________________.  As we offer thanks to God for___________, we join with her in this act of dedication to discipleship in Jesus Christ and service to his kingdom. Welcome! Let us celebrate and praise joyfully.

 CALL TO WORSHIP

 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us.

 Blessed be God’s name!

 God who makes all things new invites us to serve God in newness of life.

 Blessed be God’s name!

 Let us offer the gift of worship to the Giver and Redeemer of life.

 Blessed be God’s name!

 SONG OF PRAISE:

 Options: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee #90

 Great Is Thy Faithfulness #140

 Jubilosos, te adoramos #5

 Grade est u fidelidad  #30

 Cantad al Senor #20

 Con canticos, Senor #48

 Para la Gloria de Dios #340

 Quince anos Dios te concede #286 FC

 PRAYER:

 O Creator, God of the universe, we praise your holy name for the life of ___________. We rejoice that she has come to that time in her life when she assumes new and greater responsibilities.  We affirm ____________ at this time of joy and celebration. This is a time of thanksgiving for the past and visions and challenges for the future.  We acknowledge that this is a time of commitment, not only to the highest ideals of life but also to the saving grace and sovereignty of Christ in her life. Accept her life in true commitment and fill her heart with joy, and grant that your peace may come to abide in her heart for ever, through Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Savior.  Amen.

 LITANY OF EXHORTATION Proverbs 2

 If you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom; and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,

Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.  Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

Thus you will walk in the ways of the wise, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

 SPECIAL MUSIC _____________________

 SCRIPTURE READING: 

 Options:  Jeremiah 1:4-9; Psalm 23; Matthew 5:13-16; Romans 12:1-9; I Corinthians 12:4-13.

 SERMON

 (The sermon may include the remembrance of baptism and the renewed call to live out the

 vows of baptism in a life of Christian discipleship.)

 RENEWAL OF LOYALTY

(The Pastor will stand in front of the honoree who by now will have stepped up to the front.  The godparents and the madrinas will be on one side of the honoree; the parents will be on the other side.) 

 Pastor:  (addressing the honoree)

______________, this is a joyful day for you, your family and your church, for God has granted you these fifteen years. On the day of your baptism, your parents and godparents proclaimed the faith in your name, and promised to nurture and guide you in the Christian faith. Now you have the opportunity to profess before God and the community that – faith lives in your heart. Therefore, I now ask you:

 Pastor: Do you believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

 Honoree: Yes, I believe.

 Pastor: Will you strive to love God with all your heart, your soul, your understanding,

 and your neighbor as yourself?

 Honoree: Yes, I will, with God’s help.

 Pastor: Will you, through this act, give public witness of your gratitude to God because through God's

 mercy you enjoy the precious gift of life?

 Honoree: Yes, I will, with a thankful heart.

 Pastor: Will you also, through this act, give public witness of the love, gratitude, and

respect you owe your parents, for they, since your early infancy, have kept watch over your life,

your health, your education, and your well-being?

 Honoree: Yes, I will, with God’s help.

 Pastor: Will you promise to live a life of holiness, purity and honesty, keeping God’s holy word in your

 heart, and placing yourself in his care?

 Honoree: Yes, I will, with God, help.

 Pastor:  Remembering that God has joined you with Jesus Christ through your baptism, will you

 consecrate your life to Jesus Christ, that Christ might keep and guide it with the Holy Sprit,

 enrich it with the treasures of God's grace, and use you in the mission of God's church and in the

 community, according to God's will?

 Honoree: Yes, I will, with God’s help.

 Pastor: Then, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an

 example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.”  (I Timothy 4:12). 

 May God almighty confirm your pledge and help you keep it faithfully all the days of your life. 

 Amen.

 Honoree faces congregation.

 RESPONSE BY FAMILY AND CONGREGATION

 Pastor: (addressing the parents):  We give thanks to God that you have nurtured and

guided  _______________, and on this day you present her to God again with a new meaning. 

Do you promise to continue providing nurture and care for her as long as it may be necessary?

 Parents: We so promise, with God’s help.

 Pastor: (addressing the godparents):  Are you aware that ______________ has looked up to you for

 support, and that, in the future, she may come to you with her problems, desires, or

 decisions? 

 Godparents: Yes, we are, and we promise to give her all our support, as needed, with God’s help.

The Ring – The Pastor takes the ring from the person holding it, and gives it to the honoree, and says:

Receive a symbol of God’s perfect love for you. God loves you, and the love of your family, friends, and Godparents is a reflection of the love that God has for you.  “This is how God showed love among us: God sent is one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”  I John 4:9

The Candle – The Pastor takes the candle from the person holding it, lights it, gives it to the honoree, and says:

 Receive the light of Christ, since Christ said: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me

 will never  walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 1:8-12)

 The Salt – The Pastor takes the salt from the person holding it, gives it to the honoree and says:

 Receive the charge of living a life that will enrich the world through Christian virtues. Jesus said: “You are

 the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?” (Matthew 5:13).

 The Bible – The Pastor takes the Bible from the person holding it, opens it and offers it to the honoree, and says:

 Receive the Word of God, the primary norm of Christian conduct for the believer. The psalmist exclaimed:

 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105).

PRAYER OF GRATITUDE – The honoree will kneel at this time and offer this prayer:

I give you thanks, O God, for this special celebration. I offer you my youth so that you might use it. Guide my thoughts, my heart, my lips and my feet that, in the future, I may always do your will, and not my own.  In the powerful name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION – PASTOR (honoree remains in kneeling position.)

Gracious God, grant your guidance, strength and protection to ______________.  Confirm by your Holy Spirit, her desire to grow in faith, in hope, and in love. Let her life be an able instrument to serve her neighbor, that your name may be praised. Along with _______________, help us to love and serve you more faithfully each day until your kingdom comes and your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.  Through Jesus, your Son and  our Savior, we pray. Amen.

HOLY COMMUNION

It is appropriate to celebrate Holy Communion on this occasion.

HYMN Enviado soy de Dios #307 / Sent Out in Jesus’ Name #2184

 BENEDICTION

 RECESSIONAL – POSTLUDE/CLOSING MUSIC

 The pastor remains at the chancel area while the honoree exits first, then the godparents  madrinas/padrinos and parents, followed by the Pastor. The postlude may be offered or  some other appropriate music.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At 10:15 on Easter Sunday our Choir will present their Easter Cantata -- with Naoko Suga directing.

You and your family are welcome to come to our church's Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 6 at 1:00 pm. The Easter Bunny will make a hasty appearance.... Please come and have fun! We do this annually - so mark your calendars!

PASTOR'S LETTER

"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto. (KJV)  So do not worry about tomorrow, it will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." (NRSV) Matthew 6:33-34.

I believe these verses that I learned in Vacation Bible School - way back when - are about keeping our lives simple. However, in spite of knowing to focus on God's kingdom in times of anxiety, I still occasionally find myself re-hashing events and things that have been said.  When my spirit is in turmoil and thoughts race found and round - I sometimes try to reason myself out of my troubles; usually keeping myself awake in the middle of the night.  Actually, sometimes that works - reasoning, problem-solving. 

But very often, my attempt at reasoning simply produces more inner turmoil.  Remembering that all I need to do is "seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you..." calms my spirit and helps me sleep. Probably at 2:30 am there is little I can do to solve the problem that gnaws at my peace of mind. Giving it to God helps immensely!

Re-hashing, thinking about what might have been, if only I had done this thing - whatever it may be - can make us bitter and can actually make us physically ill.  Today's trouble is enough for today. Many things that trouble us are often too complex to be solved by our own reasoning. Keeping it simple --- seeking God's kingdom --- will help us be restored to good humor and sanity.

Maybe you need to be reminded to keep it simple. I know that I have to practice this constantly!

~~Pastor Kay

This year Westminster UMC will combine with Good Shepherd UMC in Thornton and offer joint services for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. 

 The Maundy Thursday service will be at Westminster UMC, at 7:00 pm on the first of April, 2010.  The choirs from both churches will be combined to offer the music on this holy evening. Communion will be offered, and Rev. Michael Chamness will participate in this service.  It will be a night to remember.

The Good Friday service will be held at Good Shepherd UMC, at 7:00 pm on the second of April, 2010. Pastor Kay will participate in the service. The address for Good Shepherd UMC is:

Good Shepherd UMC, 3960 E. 128th Ave, Thornton, Colorado  80241

303-457-9267, www.shepherdchurch.org

Hope to see you all at one or both of these services! 

On Easter Sunday we offer two worship services: 

8:30 am with the Choir singing the Cantata

10:30 am with our Praise Band.

There will be Breakfast offered by our new United Methodist Men's group! (UMM). Please plan on breakfast and worship on Easter morning at Westminster UMC!

Please join us!

Sara Breitzka has arranged for our congregation -- and our friends --- to receive a donation from Boston Market --- when we eat at Boston Maret on August 26 from 4:00 to closing. 15% of our bills will be returned to the church! This is an excellent fundraiser -- please bring your friends and family on this Friday. You might go out to dinner.... anyway.... on a Friday... right? So come to Boston Market, and fund a few of the ministries at our church!

1. Paul, the greatest missionary of the Christian era, once remarked that God doesn't always _______________________________________________________.
2. Rebekah was chosen to marry Isaac by _____________________________________.
3. Even with all our technology, we still must rely on_____________________________.
4. Rebekah had twin boys. Her first son was given the name, _____ which means _____. Her second son entered the world holding on to his twin brother's_____________. He was named ______, a play on the word for ______.
5. Esau, was an __________________, his father's ______. Jacob liked to __________________________.
6. In our story, Esau spent the day _________________________________________. Jacob spent the day ________________________________________. Esau was____________. Jacob offers a deal. If Esau will _____________________________, he can have a bowl of cabbage soup.
7. And so it came to pass that the birthright of the Hebrew people passed through Jacob and not his older brother, Esau. Because Esau was not able to discipline present wants, he sacrificed _________________________.
8. Never sell yourself ___________. You have enormous __________. You are__________________. That is your birthright. 
9. Learn to stay hungry in the pursuit of the __________________.
10. Learn to stay hungry, not only for ____________, but for _____. Unlike other institutions, we never graduate from ________________ because we never learn all we need to know.
11. Never let your beliefs harden to ____________. Be open to grow in your faith.
12. Develop a deep hungering for ____. Make the best of ______. Don't wallow in guilt over _______.
13. Because Esau couldn't wait for dinner, the history of Israel is traced to_________.
14. Esau settled down in the hill country and raised a large _________family.
15. Jacob was terrified that Esau would harm him. Instead, Esau threw open his arms and __________________his brother.
16. Jacob became the patriarch. But Esau was loved and lovable, acceptable and accepted child of______.
17. Your circumstances may not be ______. Like Esau, you may have grown up in a dysfunctional home; you may not be a particularly gifted person; others may take advantage of you; your mother may not like you; you may encounter one problem right after another.
18. But you are God's _____child. You are worthwhile. That is your __________. You can rise above ______________. Believe that and live as though you believe it.

Rev. Dr. Kay Palmer Marsh

A few years ago we had a car that had a very low blue book value -- in fact we were told that we would have to pay someone to tow it away.

Instead, I donated it to a church, and the company the church uses for this towed our old car away for free, sold it at auction, and the church receieved the auction money, minus a bit to tow it and an administrative fee. The church received $25.00 and we were able to deduct the auction amount to the church. It was a win-win-win for us and the church!

Now we have set up the same idea for our church. Anyone may donate their own unused automobile to Westminster United Methodist Church! We are using the company "Cars for Causes" to accomplish this. 

Check your driveway! Do you have an unused automobile that no one in your family wants? With very little trouble, you can get it towed out of there for free - give the money it sells for at auction to the church - and receive a possible tax deduction!

Questions? Please give Pastor Kay a call. 

<!-- Cars 4 Causes link --><table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" align="left"> <tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.cars4causes.net/" >Cars 4 Causes^®<br> <img src="http://www.cars4causes.net/sites/all/themes/c4cblue/images/logos/banner-circle-150x60.jpg" border="0" alt="Car Donation Logo"></a><br> <a href="http://www.cars4causes.net/" >Car Donation </a></td></tr></table><!-- Cars 4 Causes Link --><br> 

We will study Psalms, using the resource "Invitation to Psalms" by Michael Jinkins.

This is a Short-Term Disciple Bible Study.

Session 2:00 pm 7:00 pm

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1 Friday 3-11 Thursday 3:10

2 Wednesday 3-16 Thursday 3-17

3 Saturday 3-19 Saturday 3-19 

 Both Classes meet together for session 3 at 10:00 am

4 Tuesday 3-29 Tuesday 3-29

5 Tuesday 4-5 Tuesday 4-5

6 Thursday 4-14 Thursday 4-14

7 Wednesday 4-27 Wednesday 4-27

8 Thursday 5-5 Thursday 5-5

9 Thursday 5-12 Thursday 5-12

10 Wednesday 5-25 Wednesday 5-25

March 9, 2011 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Worship 

March 13, 2011 First Sunday of Lent "When Dreams Become Nightmares"

March 20, 2011 Second Sunday of Lent "Wisdom and Finance"

March 27, 2011 Third Sunday of Lent  "Cultivating Contentment'

April 3, 2011 Fourth Sunday of Lent "Defined by Generosity"

 Communion Sunday - Open Communion

April 10, 2011 Fifth Sunday of Lent "Overcoming Fear"

April 17, 2011 Palm Sunday "Are You Willing to Become a Donkey?"

April 21, 2011 Maundy Thursday "It's Hard to Eat While Lying"

 Communion - Open Communion

April 24, 2011 Easter Sunday --11:00 service  Cantata

 9:00 service  "From Real Life to Resurrection"

There are numerous stories around the country about people having a hard time making ends meet. We have been hearing about Wisconsin's woes -- but as usual, there is more.
 
A friend of mine in Ohio is a public school elementary school teacher. She has been teaching 30 years or so, has a Master's Degree, is divorced and owns her own home. She is decently paid, not well paid, by her School District. In Ohio, a state hard-hit by our depression, the legislature has voted to remove collective bargaining for public employees. It looks like the governor will approve this legislation. It looks like it will go to a voter's referendum in November. That may be too late for many public employees - I guess one of the practical aspects to this move is to cut public employee salaries by as much as half, including teacher's salaries.
 
On the day of the votes in the legislature, the mood in my friend's school was grim. One of the parents who came to pick up her children (a Chinese-American immigrant, actually) asked my friend why so many teachers were crying. My friend told her it was because of the vote in legislature.
 
The parent responded with "How could that possibly affect you?"  My friend told her that if salaries at the school were cut, many teachers would lose their homes.  The parent wondered how that could happen in the United States.The woman was suprised to find out that although she had voted to pass the last school levy in order to keep the school and teachers at the level she expects for her very bright daughter, she did not understand that the bill would cause trouble in the district through the changes possible without collective barganing.  This parent planned to call her Senator and the Superintendant to share her thoughts.
 
I am the daughter, niece, and granddaughter of Ohio school teachers. My mother is now living on my father's teacher's pension.  I can tell you that they never made much money, especially given their high level of education.  Education in our household was a high priority. Occasionally I hear that we should dump all the teachers and get some competent ones in the schools. I think that is just PC talk for dumping the long-experienced higher paid teachers and hiring cheaper teachers just out of college.
 
One of the things my attorney husband has been successful with in his life is suing businesses (and winning) for firing long-time white male employees in their late '50's and '60's - so the private companies can hire cheaper employees and not pay full pension benefits. Treating people fairly is one of the Judeo-Christian principles in our nation's laws. 
 
Whatever happened to the Judeo-Christian concept of treating people fairly?  We all know this is Biblical -- check out Malachi 3:5 and Jeremiah 22:13. What kind of world is being left for our children and grandchildren?
 
What is this world coming to?
 
Pastor Kay

On Saturday February 25, 2011 Westminster United Methodist Church joined with all of the churches in the Metro District at Wheatridge UMC for meeting and worship. 

Orin and Lynda Nobbe were designated as Metro District Quiet Disciples and our United Methdodist Men were recognized as a new chapter in the Metro District.  Bill Cherrington was recognized as the Scouting Chairperson. Jim Turner, Randy Hilton, and Rev. Marsh were recognized and gifted as Lifetime United Methodist Men. Randy Hilton coordinated the communications about this meeting, and brought the bread to eat with the communal soup!

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 Contemporary Worship, 9:00 a.m.; Sunday School, 10:00 a.m.; Traditional Worship, 11:00 a.m; Spanish language 2:00 pm. Children's Church at 9:00 am and 11:00 am.

Hmong Mennonite Church (Westminster, Colorado, USA)