11/21/25 CRFUMC Email Blast

Matt Franks
4 days ago
7 min read

Updated: 19 minutes ago

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

https://www.fumccr.org/connectionpoint

Here you can access our bulletins, prayer requests, and several other resources to connect with us.

Upcoming Events

November 23rd at 11:10 a.m.

Decorating Church for Advent

November 30th

Hanging of the Greens Service with Special Music by John Redmon

December 6 from 10 a.m.-2p.m.

Women’s Christmas Gathering

December 7th

UWF Cookies Sale and Carol Sing Gathering

December 11: 10 am and 6 pm,

Little Blessings Christmas program

December 13at 7 p.m.

Colorado Brass Concert

December 14th

Christmas Shirt or Sweater Sunday

December 17at 6:30 p.m.

Blue Christmas Worship Service

December 21at 3 p.m.

Castle Rock Orchestra Concert

Christmas Eve Worship December 24th

4 p.m. Modern Service

6 p.m. Traditional Service

11 p.m. Midnight Candle Light

December 28at 9 a.m. The First Sunday After Christmas

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 underneath the TV in the Welcome Area. https://www.fumccr.org/newsletter

What is Community Faith Time? While some may think of Sunday School as formal classes, we see this as something more—an intentional space for connection and spiritual growth. Our faith grows best when we journey together, and our three unique settings create room for everyone:

Nursery (ages newborn–4): A caring space where our youngest members are loved and nurtured, giving parents and older siblings the opportunity to participate in other groups.
Living In Faith Together (LIFT Group, ages 5+): In the Fellowship Hall, all ages gather to learn, play, and share wisdom together, strengthening the bonds of our church family.
Soul Café (Adults): A relaxed, conversational space to reflect on the day’s sermon and dive deeper into what it means to live out our faith in daily life.
Common Grounds (For anyone at the tables in the coffee area): Grab a snack and coffee or tea and just fellowship.

If you’d like to join a group or volunteer, especially in the Nursery, please email Pastor Matt.

DO GOOD FALL FOOD DRIVE:

Last Sunday in worship you were given a bag to help collect for food drive to help support our ministry partner Help and Hope. Please return the bags by Nov. 23rd.

Looking for Giving Tree Angels

The Giving Tree will be ready to be de-tagged on Sunday, November 23 when everyone can choose a child and/or make a nursing home donation.

Last year, South Ridge Elementary School had 71 children (30 families) who needed our help to fulfill the children’s wish lists for a very Merry Christmas. We expect a similar number of requests this year. The school requests that each child receive 2 gifts and the total of the two gifts does not exceed $60. Also, the families receive grocery store gift cards which are provided through monetary donations. Sunday, Dec 7 is the deadline for returning the wrapped and tagged gifts to the church.

For Christmas 2024, Silver Heights nursing home recipients received Christmas stockings filled with their requested items. The Memory Care Unit at Brookside, asked and received dementia products including memory games, activity boards, puzzles and cognitive crafts. These items were acquired through monetary donations.

Donations gladly accepted! Indicate donation to “Giving Tree”.

Questions?

Marcia Schmid at schmid3@comcast.net

Bonnie Thompson at bjthompson1965@msn.com

Help and Hope Collection at King Soopers

Congratulations to our team. We won first place today for helping to receive 2,526 pounds of donated food and $328 in cash donations from patrons of the King Soopers store at Promenade. Tanks to all your work with this project.

Celebrate Women’s Christmas – Saturday, December 6, from 10 am – 2 pm. All women are invited to celebrate Women’s Christmas. This is a time for women to take a few hours near the beginning of the holiday season to refocus, relax, and renew. Feel free to invite a friend. Lunch will be provided. The day will be led by Ashley Franks

and Rev. Brenda Lear. Sign up at the Welcome Center or by emailing Rev. Brenda at

b.clear.72@gmail.com. Please note this a change of date from a previous post.

Leah Circle, United Women in Faith

The December 11 gathering for Leah Circle will be a Potluck Luncheon. In addition to a covered dish, please remember to bring any one or all of the following for Help and Hope: 1) an unwrapped children’s toy, 2) a birthday bag containing cake mix, frosting, and candles, and/or 3) Christmas wrapping paper or gift bags. We gather at 11:45 for lunch, devotions, and a program. All women of the church are welcome.

Christmas Photos

Immediately following worship on November 30, December 7, and December 14, have your photo taken in front of the Christmas tree in the Sanctuary. Singles, couples, and families will receive their digita

Tuesday Morning Advent Bible Study

Tuesday Morning Bible Study will begin their Advent study on November 25th in the church library at 9:30 am. Materials for “Messages of Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace throughout the Bible” will be provided. Per usual, we will use our own various Bible translations in seeking understanding. Bring your Bible and join in our discussion.

Contemporary Advent Bible Study

Rev. Sarah’s Bible Study will be discussing What Do You Want for Christmas? by James W. Moore: Monday nights, December 1-22 in person and on Friday evenings, November 28 - December 19, 6:30-8:00 pm on Zoom.

Cookie Walk and Carol Sing

Cookie bakers and buyers are needed for the UWF on December 7th to be a success. Bring your cookies to the kitchen on or before 8:00 am, then stop by to purchase a tasty supply of cookies and a carol sing-along at 10 am following worship. See Phyllis Tumey or Laryce Nitsch for more information.

Love Gifts

As Christmas and the end of the year draw near, we will once again offer the opportunity for our church members to make a donation to our Celebrations Fund, which provides love gifts for our three staff members – Rev. Matt, Rev. Sarah, and Theresa. All donations will be divided equally among the three. Please.make your donation by December 15 and tag it “celebrations.” You also have the option of offering your own, more personal gift to these individuals.

Blue Christmas Service

Join us for the Blue Christmas Service on Wednesday, December 17th, at 6:30 p.m. This intimate service offers comfort and healing for those facing challenges or grief during the holiday season, providing a space for reflection and renewal.

Christmas Eve Service Times December 24th

4 p.m. Modern Service

6 p.m. Traditional Service

11 p.m. Midnight Candle Light

Coffee Doughnut Assistance Needed Two volunteers are need for the third Sunday of the month to set out doughnuts and prepare the coffee and hot water at 8:30 am. These volunteers also clean up after people have gone into their spaces or after they have finished with class. Please contact Lisa Andrews lisajean1954@gmail.com if you can help.

Volunteer church secretary to support daily operations and outreach. Responsibilities include welcoming visitors, managing communications, answering phones, maintaining the church calendar, and preparing Sunday materials. The secretary will also inform staff about member needs. Interested individuals can sign up at the welcome desk, with training scheduled based on availability.

Advent 2025

Connect with all that we offer during Advent Here https://www.fumccr.org/advent2025

As we enter the sacred season of Advent, we invite you to journey with us through these weeks of hopeful waiting and spiritual preparation. This year’s theme, “From Generation to Generation,” reminds us that God’s love continues to unfold through every story—past, present, and future. We hope you will join us as we worship, learn, serve, and celebrate together.

Before Advent begins, we invite you to help us decorate the church on November 23rd, right after Community Faith Time. This is a fun, intergenerational opportunity to prepare our sacred space together—hanging greens, setting up trees, and transforming the sanctuary for the season ahead. All ages and abilities are welcome to join in the joy of getting ready.

We are also delighted to offer Holy Communion every Sunday during Advent in the Library before Soul Café. This is a simple, come-as-you-are time of prayer and connection—a quiet and meaningful way to begin each week as we prepare our hearts for Christ’s coming.

Putting Our Faith Into Practice

Looking for a Good Devotional Book? Check out https://store.upperroom.org/

Weekly Readings

Monday: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Tuesday: Psalm 46

Wednesday: Colossians 1:11-20

Thursday: Luke 23:33-43

You can find the Lectionary Readings at lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/

Quote For The Week: “The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.” Carlos Santana

Prayer for the Week: God, You’re the Maker of everything good. You know me far better than I ever could. Please settle me, fulfill me, and refresh me as I realize Your peace in my mind, body, and soul. I trust all this and all of me into Your good, strong, and wide-open arms. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Loving God we lift up to you

Our World

The United Methodist Church

Mountain Sky Annual Conference

Bishop Kristen Stoneking

Our Pastors and Staff

Little Blessings Families

Marlyn Deam Friend of Karen Oliver

Leona and Garrett Mathes, sister and brother-in-law to Chuck Bailey

Maxine Ferguson

Anne Shuman

Nick Roy, brother of Cheryl Smith