Happy New Year! As we enter a brand new year, we may feel hopeful and expectant of new possibilities. Or, maybe we’re a little more on the fearful and uncertain side. Perhaps we feel all of these things simultaneously. Wherever we are, all of us at some point have or will experience life as strange, painful, lonely, or unwelcome. As we move forward into what 2025 has in store for us as individuals and a community, I invite us into a winter sermon series based on Eric Elnes’ book Gifts of the Dark Wood.

Elnes writes, “This book is about finding your place in this world at the very point where you feel furthest from it. It’s about recognizing the fierce beauty and astonishing blessing that exists within experiences that most of us fear but none of us can avoid. Ultimately this book is about seeing life through new eyes, recognizing that experiences of failure, emptiness, and uncertainty are as critical for finding our way through life as they are

unavoidable.”

Together, may we journey through these Dark Woods and discover the secrets and blessings found here. As soulful wanderers, may we be open to the gifts of this place.

Sunday services can be viewed live at 9:30am on Facebook AND YouTube, or afterwards with the links found on the website and weekly newsletter.

Click here to view our worship on YouTube.

 

JANUARY Worship

January 12th

Gifts of the Dark Wood: Where We Find Ourselves

Matthew 16: 13-19

January 19th

Gifts of the Dark Wood: The Gift of Uncertainty

John 5: 1-9

January 26th

Gifts of the Dark Wood: The Gift of Emptiness

Luke 17: 28-33

February 2nd – COMMUNION SUNDAY

Gifts of the Dark Wood: The Gift of Being Thunderstruck Isaiah 6: 1-9



On February 9th, an epic contest will determine the best of the best. The participants will bring all they have, and leave it all on the field of play.WeI hear there will also be a football game that day. 

That's right, February 9th is SOUPER BOWL Sunday! Everyone is encouraged to bring donations of canned goods to church throughout the week, with all donations going to the FISH Food Pantry here in Wash Park. To make it a little more fun, there will be two different donation boxes, one for each team playing in the Super Bowl. Drop your donations in the box for the team YOU want to win. We will put the boxes out before worship on Sunday, February 2nd and you can drop off donations at any point through February 9th. We will announce the winners at the end of worship

ONE BOARD – WPUMC’s LEADERSHIP

We want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to those who have served on WPUMC One Board over the last few years and are rolling off the Board as of the end of 2024:

Staff Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) – Gretchen Olson, Dana Carpenter, and Jeanne Anderson

Finance Committee – Steve Moats and Kristiana DeYoung

Trustees Committee – Graham Daugherty and Brad Baker

Our new One Board Leadership was approved at our Church Conference on 11/17/2024 and is below. New members are marked with an *

Deb Dowling                          Chairperson/Lay Leader                                          

Michelle Hoskins                    Treasurer

Carol Nelson                           Trustees

*Bill Cunningham                   Responsible for building and property issues

*Danny Travis

*Sarah Brittenham                 Finance

John Drum                              Responsible for finances and stewardship

*Stephanie Rupp                                            

Cheryl Buddington                 SPRC

*Denise Weed                        Responsible for human resources and helping staff

*Rev. Dr. David Trickett         connect with congregation

Rev. Sandi Dillon                    Pastors

Rev. Daniel Viehland

Kristiana DeYoung (Operations Manager)    Secretary

Thank you all for serving Washington Park United Methodist Church in leadership!

YOUTH GROUP NEWS

We will kick of 2025 with our first meeting to plan the spring on Sunday, January 12th after worship. If you are in 6th -12th grade and want to be connected with our youth group, please contact Rev. Sandi at pastor@washparkumc.org.

Thanks for Supporting the Habitat Fundraiser!

In October, we concluded our “Big Top, Big Hearts: Building Dreams Together” Habitat for Humanity fundraiser. After totaling the cash, liquidated stock, and some matching funds from a local business, we raised $7,370.00!! 

In 2024, we continued to build homes and support families moving into Habitat’s Mountain View community, which is a neighborhood just off South Havana Street and near Havana Heights Park. This development is in the Cherry Creek School District and close to green spaces, public transit, and local businesses. Here’s a recent picture of one of the duplexes in that community. YOU made a difference to a family and to a community.

 WPUMC, THANK YOU!! 

Altar Flowers 2025

If you’d like to sponsor Sunday morning altar flowers in honor of an occasion or in memory of someone, please sign up for a date below. The arrangements cost $45 ($35 for seniors) and you can take them home or give them away after service. We just ask that you return the vases to the Tea Kitchen so that we can reuse them. Make checks out to WPUMC and put altar flowers in the memo line or pay via Venmo @Michelle-Hoskins-17.

Please enter the occasion or person to be honored in the My Comment field after you click Sign Up.

Click HERE to sign up.