October 7, 2021
A Note From Pastor Dave
We’ve been talking about the core. I’ve been asking what our gospel readings say about what is at the core of our faith. This Sunday, I want to talk about following, about discipleship. Because at the core of our faith is more than a concept of being good or doing good, but a sort of tutelage. We follow and learn and seek to shape our own lives in the pattern of Christ. Our passage this Sunday is about a young fervent man who thought himself quite good and moral. But the transition to following, to be shaped by Christ’s tutelage was a hard one for him. See you Sunday at 9:30am!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Dave
This Sunday:
Director of Music Search Update: We are pleased to announce that Providence has hired a new Director of Music! She will start next week and her first Sunday will be October 10th. The worship committee (John Kullman, Cassie Bennett, and Bill Bennett), along with Tara Strohm and Pastor Dave have conducted a review of the position and a search over the past few months that culminated this week with the offer and acceptance of the position by Kasia Holmes (pronounced Kasha). Kasia lives in Highlands Ranch. She brings formal training and experience as a director music. She has a love for church music, a willing spirit, a positive energy, and is excited to connect with the people of our church. The committee was unanimous in their decision, believing that Kasia is the right fit to fill this position. Click here to read her bio and learn more about our new music director!
Would You Like to Be a Member? If you are interested in joining Providence as a formal member, I invite you to join us on October 10th after worship for a membership class. Plan on an hour. We will talk about what’s important about being Presbyterian, and what may be important to life at Providence, and we will entertain your questions and concerns. The formal steps to join will be 1) membership class, 2) meet the Session, 3) being welcomed as a member in a service of worship. Let me know if you have any questions, or if you want to participate but October 10th won’t work for you.
Upcoming Sundays:
Collection for the Parker Task Force: Due to the Parker Task Force return to doing food collections at local grocery stores on Saturdays, Providence will now be doing collections once a month on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Our next collection for the Task Force is Sunday, October 17th. Donations can be brought in to the church during the week beforehand if you are participating in the service via Zoom. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Heald at 303-730-5759. Thank you for your continued support of the Parker Task Force!
Adult Education: Our next Adult Sunday School class will be Sunday October 17th, after church. The class will start approximately 15 minutes after the church service in the sanctuary. Our overall topic will be on Bible Prophecy but before we do that we must answer all our doubts about the Bible, which we will attempt to do as long as it takes. Bring your Bibles and questions with you. Please join us as we always have a great discussion and a lot of fun. This is your class.
Congregational Meeting: There will be a brief Congregational Meeting following worship on October 24th, 2021. The formal purposes of the meeting will be to elect the nominating committee, to ratify minor changes in the by-laws around virtual meetings, proxy votes, and the size of Session and Deacon boards, to approve retroactively all meetings held over Zoom and all proxy votes, and to give an informational update on Capital Fund management.
Upcoming Events & Announcements:
A/V Volunteers Wanted: Do you enjoy working with Audio/Video? Want to learn? It’s easier than you think. Signup to be a volunteer to help run the A/V system for Sunday Services. If interested, please contact Rob Krause @ 303-766-5887 or rob@thehouseofkrause.com.
The next Coffee and Conversation will be held on 10/12/21 at Providence Presbyterian Church at 9am. We enjoy fellowship, and we continue conversation around the sermon, related scriptures or a poem. It is a chance to get to know each other more, and to grow together. Are you free on Tuesday morning at 9am? Then, come join the fellowship and conversation!
Ruminations: Next Ruminations will be October 11th at 7pm. Ruminations is when we read upcoming scriptures, discuss, ruminate, read along with selected poems, and such. It’s a time for engagement and conversation, sharing, and questioning. These conversations seed themes and ideas for upcoming services. We will meet in person and on Zoom. Would love to have you participate!
Coins for Christ is a program that was started several years ago to help fund Providence’s capital campaign. It encourages members to collect loose change and bring it in once a month to donate. After discussion, Session has decided that moving forward it better fits the current financial needs of Providence to have the money from Coins for Christ go towards the operating fund to help cover shortfalls in the budget exacerbated by COVID-19. The Coins for Christ donation will occur on the last Sunday of each month. On that Sunday we encourage members to bring their loose change to donate towards Providence’s operating fund. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of Session or Pastor Dave.
PPC Choir: Come sing with the Providence Choir! Rehearsals are Wednesdays, from 6:30-8:00pm. We are still looking for new members. Feel free to come join us for fun, fellowship and music! Contact Tara Strohm if you have any questions at tlstrohm@strohms.com, 303-512-3272.
Clerk of Session
Lynn Hoy has served as our Clerk of Session, and we are extremely grateful for her diligence and proactive-ness. She has relocated, however, back to Florida. She is going to finish her term, continuing to the end of the year virtually. We will, in the meantime, need to identify a new Clerk of Session. If you are interested or willing, please let us know. You can contact Lynn, Pastor Dave, or a member of Session for more information.
Update on Office Hours
Alaina, our office admin, broke her right foot and is currently unable to drive. As a result, she will be working from home and her normal office hours will be suspended until further notice. If you need to reach her please email church@providencepcusa.org or call the office at 720-851-6881 and leave a message and she will return your call. You can also contact Pastor Dave at davepettit@providencepcusa.org or 914-466-0162. Pastor Dave will continue to be in the office on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We will update you along the way as we make adjustments. Thank you for your patience and flexibility during this time.
Prayers
This week at Providence please keep the following people in your prayers:
Jim and Judy Nash, Laurie Schmidt, Paul White, Betty Holum, Ken Stabler, Phyllis Christensen, Pat Schwartz, Renee Mastriona, Gary Scott, Joyce Kessler, Lea Marot, Evan & Janell Totten, Shari Reese-Wilson, Donna Hoyt, Jacqueline Murphy, Art Wise, Erin Lamm, Renee Greico, Robert McCown, Harold Reese and Family, Catherine Buzby, Betty Lutz, Vanessa Pierce, Sherry Flohr, Cindy Roth, Patsy and Renee. We would also ask you to keep those suffering from COVID-19 in your prayers. Thank you for your prayers.
Phone: 720-851-6881
MidWeek Update Deadline:
NOON on Tuesday
ppcmwu@providencepcusa.org
Hearing Loop is available in our Sanctuary
MidWeek Scripture Reflection
Hebrews 4:12-16
12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 14 Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Mark 10:17-31
17 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21 Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22 When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. 23 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
