1/30/26 CRFUMC Email Blast
- Matt Franks
- 4 days ago
- 11 min read
Join us this Sunday Morning
9 a.m. Worship
10 a.m. Community Faith Time
Join us online in one place in our Connection Point
Here you can access our bulletins, prayer requests, and several other resources to connect with us.
Upcoming Events
January 31st
G.R.O.W Retreat 9 a.m-1 p.m.
Feb. 4th
6:30 p.m. Trustees
February 12th
12 p.m. Leah Circle
February 18th
6:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Ashes To GO
6 p.m. Knot Again
March 1st
Castle Rock Orchestra 3 p.m.
March 18th
Knot Again 6 p.m.
March 19th
6:30 p.m. Admin. Council
April 1st
Stations of the Cross in Sanctuary from 10 a.m.- 7 p.m.
April 2nd
A Holy Potluck 6 p.m.
April 3rd
Good Friday Service 6 p.m.
April 5th
Easter Services
6 a.m. Sunrise
9 a.m. Modern
11 a.m. Traditional
April 15th
Knot Again 6 p.m.
May 31st-June 7th
Red Bird Mission Trip
October 8-17th
Wesley Tour of England
Every Wednesday
4 p.m. Bell Choir Practice
5:30-7 p.m. Chancel Choir Practice
Marvelous Monday’s
10 a.m. @ Coff33 in Downtown Castle Rock
Sunday’s
9 a.m. Worship
10 a.m. Community Faith Time
Our Monthly Newsletter Can Be Found Online or Printed placed near the welcome desk https://www.fumccr.org/newsletter
Community Faith Time reimagines Sunday School as an intentional space for connection and spiritual growth where we journey together. We offer environments for every age and stage: a nurturing Nursery for little ones (newborn–4), the intergenerational LIFT Group (ages 5+) for shared learning, Soul Café for adult sermon reflection, and Common Grounds for casual coffee and fellowship. Whether you are looking to participate or volunteer—especially in the Nursery—please email Pastor Matt to get connected.
G.R.O.W. Retreat January 319 a.m.-1p.m. in Fellowship Hall
Learn about the Methodist Social Principles led by Pastor Matt. Still time to Sign up at the Welcome Center or show up on Saturday but if you plan on coming let Pastor Matt know so that meals can be planned accordingly. Cost is $20. Learn more: https://www.fumccr.org/post/g-r-o-w-retreat-social-principles
Tuesday Morning Bible Study is still gathering at 9:30 a.m. in the Library
Reach out to Julie Curran or Julie Bailey for Questions
Contemporary Studies is also still meeting in person on Monday’s at 6:30 p.m. and on Zoom on Friday’s at 6:30 p.m.
Talk with Rev. Sarah if you are interested in this Group
King Soopers/Safeway Gift Cards:
Did you know that 5% of your grocery purchases can be returned to our church if you have a Safeway gift card to load and reload OR have signed on with King Soopers and designated FUMCCR as your nonprofit organization? Did you know these funds help fund projects in and around the church? Would you like to help bring us back into the $2-3K column?
If you frequent Safeway, simply purchase a grocery card from Theresa Kepple and add money. That card becomes the card you use to purchase groceries. If you wish to use King Soopers, go to KingSoopers.com/CommunityRewards and follow Step #1 to create an account and Step #2 to register our organization (FUMCCR). You will need to add our NPO number which is NPO#QM168.
Knot Again
Thank you to all who have shown up to any of our monthly meetings in 2025. A special thank you to Kay Jones and Nancy Docksey for helping to sew together the “shells” for our sleeping bags. We surpassed our yearly goal by (I believe) 4 sleeping bags.
It’s the new year with Knot Again and we would love to meet our yearly goal of 12 sleeping bags OR even better surpass it again in 2026.We can do this with your help. How can you help -1. Time - if you can tie a knot and are available the 3rd Wednesdays of every month
PLEASE COME OUT and enjoy fun and fellowship in this easy mission project.2. We are reaching a point where we need donated blankets. Look around and see if you have any old unused clean blankets laying around. If you do not have any you might have friends outside of our church that you can ask. We take all clean blankets – even if they are holey or falling apart around the edges.
Next few meetings are Jan. 28th Feb 18th, March 18th and April 15th in fellowship hall at 6pm.
I try to send out an email reminder the week of our meetings. If you would like to be on the email list please reach out to Kari at kasorah@yahoo.com.
Wesley Trip to England – October 8-18, 2026
This exciting trip to England will visit many sites from the lives of John and Charles Wesley and bring the history of Methodism to life. It will also include some other fun sites, such as Stonehenge, a West End show, Windsor Castle and a dinner cruise on the Thames River. Brochures and sign-ups are located at the Welcome Desk
Help and Hope Super Bowl Canned Good Offering The next canned food drive for Help and Hope is Sunday, February 8, when we “vote” for who we think will win the Super Bowl with food donations. Place your items underneath the team you want to win in the sanctaury starting this Sunday.
Red Bird Intergenerational Mission Trip, May 31st - June 7th,2025
If you are interested in joining the intergenerational mission trip to Red Bird Mission in Beverly, Kentucky this summer, please make a deposit of $150 per person by the end of January to secure your spot. Once we have a final list of attendees, airline tickets and transportation will be confirmed along with a fun activity for our last day. This will likely be to Pigeon Forge or attractions in Knoxville, Tennessee depending on cost. If you have any questions, please reach out to Courtney Hay at haycourtney@gmail.com. Thank you!
VIPP - Very Important Point Person: Volunteers are needed to spearhead activities that take groups to museums, concerts, the mountains, educational events, etc. It is a one-time commitment. Previous events have included the Colorado History Museum, Indian Paint Mines in Calhan, viewing the fall colors, Flying W Ranch. Is anyone up for a trip to Breckinridge to visit the Father Dyer sites?
Weekly Reading
Monday: Micah 6:1-8
Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Wednesday: Psalm 15
Thursday: Matthew 5:1-12
For weekly Reading this week go to https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu
Weekly Quote:
"Life’s persistent and most urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" Martin Luther King Jr.
Weekly Prayer:
Lord, let my giving be a testament to the Christ-like love that knows no bounds, that sees beyond my own needs and desires, and reaches out in earnest empathy and compassion. Help me to remember that in giving, I am echoing Your ultimate sacrifice—Your unwavering love manifested on the cross. Teach me to love as You love, to give as You give, without expectation of return, with a heart full of joy and gratitude. Amen
We Pray for...
We invite you to pray for, just say their name, pause, and pray Lord in your mercy hear this prayer.
Our World
The United Methodist Church
Mountain Sky Annual Conference
Bishop Kristen Stoneking
Our Pastors and Staff
Little Blessings Families
MLeona and Garrett Mathes, sister and brother-in-law to Chuck Bailey
Barb Christensen
Keith Bramer
Julie Bailey
Chuck Bailey
Sue and Callie Hurst
Julie Hurst Huffine daughter of Sue Hurst
Dena Hartman, daughter of Diana and Keith Bramer
Randall Ward, Father of Sarah Shinn Molieri
Betty Smith, mother of Clayton Smith
Ron Butler, father of Beth Tamborski
Family of Bernadine Larkin
Family of Marjorie Noe
Prayer Request: If you have a prayer request you can fill out a green card and give it to one of our Pastors or fill out the form online through our connection point on the website.
Our Stephen Ministers: Whether you are navigating a difficult life transition or simply need a compassionate, listening ear, our Stephen Ministers are here to provide confidential, one-to-one Christian care to walk alongside you.
We invite you to reach out to the church office to request a Stephen Minister or to learn how you can be trained to share this gift of presence with others in our community.
Also don’t forget to like our Youtube Channel and Facebook to see all of our content we share.
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Blast and Link Submissions
If you have church photos, a related project or event to promote, or a card of thanks or invitation to share with our church, please email your copy no later than Tuesday morning to Julie Bailey at juliesings@gmail.com
As part of our connection to the United Methodist Church we will begin sharing info as part of our eblast.
Dear Laity and Clergy across the Mountain Sky Connection,
The Mountain Sky Conference is connected and missionally aligned with our values of supporting the local church and investing in teams who are engaging in their communities.
We invite you to read the 2025 MSC Impact Report, which focuses on the programming areas of Leadership Development, Church Vitality, and Community Engagement. In this report, you will see the ways your mission shares are at work in every district through grants, cohorts, and team leadership.
Your generosity in giving mission shares always makes a difference. We know that this giving is rooted in your total investment in our neighbors across the Mountain Sky, the U.S., and the Global UMC. This total investment includes your gifts of time, talent, and expertise to care for our communities as we journey together towards a more just society. Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Annie Arnoldy Superintendent of Leadership Development and Church Vitality
Rev. Stephanie Moffitt Director of Vital Leadership Journeys
A Pastoral Message from Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking
" Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with their neighbor, for we are members one of another. " –Ephesians 4:25
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are in the midst of a crisis of violence and deceitfulness across our nation. In these moments and in all moments, we are called to speak the truth in love and remember that we are one body.
Last week, the cabinet and I met with Colorado Front Range clergy to name the reality, grief, and what hope can arise out of despair in the current moment. We mourned the tragic loss of the life of Renee Nicole Goode, the militarization of our communities, neighbors afraid to leave their houses, the inhumanity of arrests, sweeps, detentions and deportations. We named the reality that ICE is also operating and detaining persons in our area, particularly the Denver metro.
We were reminded that fear of being detained or deported exists in our churches and outside of them. We shared information and plans for response, safety, and acknowledged much more is needed. Now less than a week later, Alex Pretti has been killed as a result of the wanton use of force by federal agents.
Over the weekend, all over our four+ states, our clergy and laity mourned the losses of lives precious to God and affirmed their baptismal vow to “resist evil and injustice in whatever form they present themselves.” I am grateful for every single courageous voice.
I recognize that not all in our Mountain Sky area are of one mind about these tactics and policies. A few may feel that somehow this violence is necessary to ensure the nation’s safety. But violence always begets more violence. When we trust in the love of God and the sanctity of each member of the body, we have a better path to ensuring safety. Safety is a spiritual issue. As the Psalmist says, "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.”
I entreat you to keep the words of scripture foremost: to speak the truth in love, and to remember that when one member of the body suffers physical injustice, it is as if Christ is being crucified once again. Violence is not our way and betrays once again the invitation to new life that Christ has offered us.
The early Methodist movement grew because of the witness of those who struggled to marry their private piety with their actions in public. They hoped to be one with Christ in their hearts and one with Christ in participating in bringing about the redeemed, loving, and just world that he showed us was possible. Showing up and speaking out on behalf of the well-being of others is in our DNA.
The church must speak the truth in love and act for justice always, but especially now. To speak the truth in love is to call each other into community and participation through invitation. Your voice and action are needed in each one of our communities and states to speak to those who represent you, share resources, support each other and stand in solidarity for the well-being of all. We do this in different ways, but we are all needed. Get in where you fit in and know that you are essential to the wholeness of the body.
You are members of one body, and in Mountain Sky, with a backbone the length of the Rockies, stretching through a continent. Be strong and protect one another, especially the least of these. And know that the God of grace and justice, and the Christ who is embodied with us, surround you and will sustain you.
In faith,
Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking
Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking Announces Changes to the Mountain Sky Cabinet Effective July 1, 2026
The Book of Discipline names the term for a district superintendent as six years unless there is a missional reason to extend. Rev. Jessica Rooks, Colorado Front Range district superintendent, and Rev. Mark Calhoun, Wyoming and Montana West district superintendent are both completing six years.
In the Colorado Front Range District, Bishop Kristin G. Stoneking intends to appoint Rev. Andrew Dunning, currently Senior Pastor at University Park United Methodist Church in Denver, as District Superintendent. Rev. Dunning has worked in churches since 1988. He was ordained as a United Methodist Deacon in 1994 and a United Methodist Elder in 1997, leading congregations in rural, suburban, and urban settings. He has also been a nonprofit Executive Director, Development Director, a hospice chaplain, a police chaplain, and a chaplain to domestic violence prevention agencies.
Rev. Dunning’s work has always included not only the typical pastoral responsibilities of preaching, teaching, and spiritual care, but also raising capital funds, creating endowments, developing building projects, and overseeing the physical plants of the churches he served.
In addition, he has taught courses as an adjunct faculty member at Colorado Mountain College, Southern Methodist University, and the Iliff School of Theology. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Iliff School of Theology and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies (with focus in Christian Ethics) from Southern Methodist University. Andy and his wife Gayla have four adult children and two grandchildren, and have lived in Denver, Colorado since 2012.
“I am delighted to welcome Rev. Dunning to the Mountain Sky Cabinet,” Bishop Stoneking said. “Andy brings the kind of broad background in parish ministry and nonprofit settings that is needed in the changing landscape of church today. His skills both as a pastor and as a missional strategist will be a blessing to the Colorado Front Range district. I am grateful for all he will bring to the district as well as to the work of the Cabinet as a whole.
"Rev. Jessica Rooks has served the district so well, beginning in the midst of COVID, then serving as dean of the Cabinet for three years through the difficulties of disaffiliation. The conference owes her a debt of gratitude, and we are better off because of her leadership. I am confident of a smooth transition between these two great leaders.”
Last year, Rev. Calhoun began sharing the superintendency of Montana West with Montana East District Superintendent Rev. Karen McRae with the roll out of the Montana Plan. Bishop Stoneking has determined that Rev. Calhoun will continue serving the Wyoming and
Montana West districts to support this new configuration in Montana and to maintain continuity there.
Additionally, Rev. Annie Arnoldy, who has served in the Cabinet for the last seven years as superintendent of Vitality and Leadership Development as well as Director of Connectional Ministries has requested a sabbatical year effective July 1. Rev. Stephanie Moffit will step into a supervisory role in Vitality and Leadership Development during this period.
“I give thanks for these servant leaders who are listening to God’s voice calling them into new areas of leadership as ordained ministers in the United Methodist Church. Let us be in prayer for them, their families, and for the districts and churches who are undergoing a season of new appointment,” said Bishop Stoneking.