Hello COG Family! I pray your week is going well.

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Joel and I attended a conference in Dallas for church staff and leaders. Joel and I were able to spend extra quality time together since our travel agent (Joel) booked our return flight that went from Dallas to Orlando and then to Denver. Though you might have thought the extended travel time was the highlight of the 3-day conference, we were actually blessed to have speaker after speaker emphasize the theme: follow . Discipleship starts with and is based on the act of following. As Christians, we follow Jesus.

One of the quotes from Matt Chandler, the Lead Pastor of Teaching at The Village Church that has stuck with me is, "You cannot do life for Jesus if you do not do life with Jesus." I challenge you to chew Matt's statement. What does it mean to you? If you have time, stop in and give me your take on that quote.

Please see below to keep-up-to date on COG activities. Reach out if you have questions or want more information.
I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Pastor Chris
Upcoming Events
Communion will be observed on Dec 15th at the end of service.
 
New Members' Class: Do you consider COG your home? If you have been attending COG for a while and want to learn more about what it means to be a member, your opportunity is on December 2nd at 6:30 pm in Pastor Joel's office. Child care will be provided if needed. Sign up at the Get Connected table in the back of the sanctuary.

Operation Christmas Child: Here is a friendly reminder that boxes are due back this Sunday, Nov 24th . COG is also going to help at the distribution center on Dec 6th. You can pick up boxes and sign up to help at the Get Connected table. If you have questions, contact Mitty Spidell .

Thanksgiving at the Olin: On Thanksgiving, Nov 28th, from 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, we will provide and serve meals to the Olin residents. There are plenty of food and serving opportunities for adults and youth. Sign up at the Get Connected table.

Men's Christmas Devotional Discussion: This 4-week study will be reading and discussing a Christmas devotion by John Piper. This devotion will challenge us in our relationship with God during one of the busiest times of the year. Members of the group will start reading the devotion on Nov 25th and the first group discussion will be Friday, Nov 29th. The group will meet Fridays, 6:00 am the Bridge Center . If you would like more information email Karl Been or call/text at 720.284.4750.

Christmas Caravan: Ladies, this annual Christmas event will be a time of fellowship, doing an act of kindness, and enjoying dinner together. The plan is to meet at church on December 15th at 4:00 PM to form carpools. The cost is $5, which will go toward the act of kindness. If you would like to contribute more, please bring extra cash. You can sign up at the Women's Ministry table or reach out to Judy Cale for more details.

More events and information can be found at the Get Connected table in the back of the sanctuary, in our weekly bulletin, and on our website .
Recurring Events
Men: Tuesday Bible Study at 6 am in Joel's office.
Women: Friday Bible Study at 9:30 am at Carino Coffee .
Student Ministry: Wednesdays at 6:30 pm in the South Building.
Olin Ministry: Saturday meal rotation. Contact Missy Noel @ 720.373.0216.
Prayer Ministry: Sundays at 8:30 am in the South Building.
Love COG?
Have you found a home at Community of Grace? Do you love who we are and what we do? If so, please show COG some of that love by taking a few minutes to give Community of Grace a rating and review on Facebook and Google.


COG Celebrations
Ladies Fellowship
The November ladies' fellowhip event had a great turnout. Sixteen people had dinner at Village Inn before going to the Movie Tavern to see Last Christmas . It was a great way to kick off the Christmas season and fellowship with some amazing friends new and old. The next ladies' fellowship event will be the Christmas Caravan on December 15th. Thank you, Joyce Baker for organizing the dinner and movie event.
Blanket Handout

On November 16th, a group from COG went down to the city capitol area to hand out blankets and scarves to those in need. They also took the opportunity to hand out Bibles to anyone who wanted one. The group gave 72 blankets, 100 scarves, and 40 Bibles. This activity is organized every year to go and bless those around us. Keep your eyes open for the next opportunity in 2020.
Spotlight
Annual Chili and Mac n Cheese Cook off!
The 2019 Chili and Mac n Cheese Cook Off was held on November 10th this year. We had over 120 people attend including many guests. We had roughly 20 different chilis and nine varieties of mac n cheese that were very delicious. We also had many desserts to enjoy.

The competition was close, but here are the 2019 winners chose by our panels of judges:

Chili
First Place: Jenn Goertz
Second Place: Susan Lyons
Third Place: Cris Veteto

Mac n Cheese
First Place: Abby Dole
Second Place: Tom Wager
Third Place: Kaye Grooms

Thank you to Lora Sinkey for organizing and to everyone who helped set up for the event and clean up afterward. Thank you to all the cooks who brought in delicious foods to enjoy. We look forward to the competition in 2020. Start perfecting your recipes now!
The Staff's Choice
The staff has started reading The Pursuit of God by A W Tozer. We have finished the first three sections of this book and have had great conversations. Here are a few questions we have discussed together:

  1. How hard are we pursuing God?
  2. Do our possessions sit on the throne in our heart?
  3. What keeps us from living our lives in God's presence 24/7?
  4. Is our relationship with God as close as our relationships with those around us?
  5. Do we realize and remember how close God is to us? As Tozer states, "He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts."