 WPUMC Family and Friends: For the coming weeks, we will continue to send out Monday and Thursday emails to keep you updated on the church and our responses to the COVID-19 situation. Keep updated with information on our Facebook page ("Washington Park UMC") and our website. UPDATE: Our Bishop has asked that we suspend in-person worship and activities until at least May 1st. See her full statement here.  Palm Sunday: April 5th Be a part of our Palm Parade! Watch Rev. Sandi's tutorial Palm Sunday DIY to make your own Palm Leaf at home! Then take a picture of you and your palm and email it to pastor@washparkumc.org by THIS Friday, April 3rd to be a part of our "Palm Parade" slide show. COMMUNION This Sunday is also our regular Communion Sunday. Our Bishop has given clergy in this time of social distancing the freedom to celebrate virtually this sacred meal. Please gather some bread and a drink and join worship at 9:30am via Facebook to celebrate this important sacrament together.  Easter Preparation You can help us with our Easter preparations! Our Living Cross has been an important symbol in our neighborhood at Eastertime. This year, since we will not be able to gather in person on Easter Sunday, we ask that you help prepare by making flowers at home! Below are a few links to tutorials on how to make paper flowers. On the Saturday before Easter (April 11th), we will have the cross outside on the lawn (if the weather is bad, the cross will be in the courtyard). Throughout the day, please come over to church and place your flower/s on the cross. Please make a point not to congregate with others and keep appropriate social distance while helping us prepare for our Easter celebration! Paper Flower DIY videos on YouTube:  Pastors' Coffee Hours Join your pastors for virtual coffee hours this Thursday! Sandi Dillon invites you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Pastors' Coffee Hours Time: Apr 2, 2020 12:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/264530317 Meeting ID: 264 530 317 Resources
CHILDREN: Miss Sheri (our children's director) has filmed a children's message for you! See Miss Sheri and her family have too much fun with lemons and other citrus fruits! WORSHIP: If you were unable to join us yesterday, follow this link to worship with WPUMC this week. Virtual worship will continue to happen on Sundays at 9:30 am - join us via Facebook Live or look for the link in our Monday communication. We will continue to offer our Sunday sermon and Wednesday Taize podcasts each week, so subscribe to Wash Park UMC Sermons. GIVING: Our church relies on your tithes and gifts to pay our bills and cover staff salary. Thank you for continuing to be generous in this time. You can give in many ways! For more information, see Giving Back. PRAYER: Connect to our online prayer card, or email the office or your pastors with any prayer requests or celebrations! If you indicate your request as a public prayer, we will share those via the Thursday email. Peace and love today, Rev. Sandi WPUMC Community:
We need to communicate with you that one of our Preschool teachers tested positive for COVID-19. This teacher last worked on Thursday, March 12th, with symptoms starting on March 13th. The teacher did not report to work on March 13th, but went to the doctor and was tested for the virus. The teacher did not come back to the church or enter the preschool after March 12th. The results were available and shared with Preschool administration on March 25th. At this point, the teacher is feeling much better, and has not been away from home since March 13th. The preschool classrooms and toys have been sanitized and the preschool has been closed since March 13th. Our church building is likewise being regularly cleaned and surfaces sanitized, and there is very limited access to the building. Please know we are taking all recommended and necessary precautions to keep our church environment safe. All of our staff and tenants are staying home and working remotely. Thank you for heeding the Governor's stay at home order. Breathe. Make sure to center yourself in God's care today. Peace, Rev. Sandi Dillon pastor@washparkumc.org WPUMC Family and Friends,
Happy Thursday! For the coming weeks, we will continue to send out Monday and Thursday emails to keep you updated on the church and our response to the COVID 19 situation. Keep updated with information on our Facebook page (“Washington Park UMC”) and here on the website. A Message from your Pastor Please click HERE for a video message from Rev. Sandi. Holy Week Services Due to the mayor’s and governor’s orders to stay at home until at least April 10, we are planning continued virtual worship for Holy Week as we anticipate the ban on groups over 10 will continue past that date. This means we will not have in-person worship for Easter. Help us make this a special time! Here are some ways you can participate:
Serving our Community With increased safety measures in place, WPUMC continues to serve the community. As they have since 1973, FISH of East Denver food bank’s volunteers screen folks in need of emergency food, bag up groceries, and deliver them (with many precautions in place for drivers and recipients). South High School's food bank recently moved its operations to WPUMC. They are contributing surplus food donations to FISH. WPUMC has supported FISH with food drives since February 2018. In a time when we are not able to bring our food donations to the church, we are asking instead for monetary donations. Please remember this food bank delivers food to those that are home bound. Donations to FISH can be made HERE. There's also a tremendous need for volunteers at Food Bank of the Rockies warehouses -- if you are healthy and able to consider a shift, learn more here. Praying for One Another Connect to our online prayer card HERE, or email the office or your pastors with any prayer requests or celebrations! If you indicate your request as a public prayer, we will share those via the Thursday email. Prayer Requests from our community:
Call us, email us, text us. Take care of yourself, and remember that your church staff is here for you! We love and care for you always, but offer special prayers for you during this time. Peace and love, Rev. Sandi WPUMC Family and Friends,
Happy Monday! For the coming weeks, we will continue to send out Monday and Thursday emails to keep you updated on the church and our response to the COVID 19 situation. Keep updated with information on our Facebook page (“Washington Park UMC”) and our website here. Now that we’ve done two weeks of virtual worship – we’re going to start honing our skills and hopefully increase the quality of what we’re offering. The main goal is to provide spiritual connection with each other and God – so thank you for your patience and grace as we live into this new reality. Worship If you were unable to join us yesterday, follow this link to worship with WPUMC. Virtual worship will continue to happen on Sundays at 9:30am – join us via Facebook Live or look for the link in our Monday communication. We will continue to offer our Sunday sermon and Wednesday Taize podcasts each week, so subscribe to “Wash Park UMC Sermons”! Resources for children Miss Sheri (our children’s director) has filmed a children’s message for you! Click on this link to see Miss Sheri and a “special guest”! Pastor's virtual coffee hours Join Rev. Jamielee and Rev. Sandi over "Zoom" to check in, pray or just chat. You are invited to a scheduled Zoom meeting this Thursday. Topic: WPUMC Pastors' Coffee Hours Time: Mar 26, 2020 12:00 PMTo join Zoom Meeting, click here: https://zoom.us/j/944314689 Meeting ID #: 944 314 689 To Dial in: (301)715-8592 US BUILDING HOURS Public access to the building will remain limited to the main entrance (double doors by church office) from 9am-5pm, Mon–Fri. This will accommodate mail and package deliveries, and we will continue to offer adjusted church office hours. Please email John (office@washparkumc.org) or call (303)777-3043 to check if the office is open. PRAY Connect to our online prayer card HERE, or email the office or your pastors with any prayer requests or celebrations! If you indicate your request as a public prayer, we will share those via the Thursday email. GIVE Our church relies on your tithes and gifts to pay our bills and cover staff salary. Thank you for continuing to be generous in this time. You can give in many ways!
Call us, email us, text us. Take care of yourself, and remember that your church staff is here for you! We love and care for you always, but offer special prayers for you during this time. Peace and love, Rev. Sandi Originally published March 16, 2020
WPUMC Family and Friends, Greetings on this Monday, as we start a week with new challenges and possibilities! Over the next few weeks, we will send an extra email or two to keep us connected as a church and faith community. Even if we can’t be face to face, we can connect heart to heart and live into being the church beyond the walls. Keep updated with information on our Facebook page (“Washington Park UMC”) and here on our website. Things are moving quickly these days, and your pastors and church leaders are doing all we can to keep up with the most current CDC guidelines. Your pastors will also be on a call on Thursday with the Governor and other faith leaders to keep updated on recommendations. Thank you for your grace and flexibility! WORSHIP If you were unable to join us live for virtual worship yesterday, you can find the service by clicking HERE. Our Mountain Sky Area Bishop, Karen Oliveto, has encouraged our conference churches to suspend in-person worship through at least 3/29/2020. Join us live on Sundays at 9:30am on our Facebook page. We will also have our worship podcasts uploaded on Sunday afternoons, to connect CLICK HERE.
LENTEN TAIZE SERVICES Our Wednesday Taize Services have been a cornerstone of our Lenten journey for many years. Steve, Rev. Sandi, and Rev. Jamielee are working on recordings that will be available via podcasts (connect HERE) on Wednesdays. “HANDS ON” SERVICE CALENDAR Even if the church building is closed, the CHURCH doesn’t close – our ministry continues! Keep following along with our Lenten Service Calendar (view HERE). Adjust any suggestions that feel uncomfortable for you. Collect food and other items – they are still needed! Keep those in the most need in your prayers. CHURCH DIRECTORY If you are not already connected with our online church directory, or have questions, please email John (office@washparkumc.org) for more information. This is a great time to update your profile and upload a picture of your family – especially since sometimes we know faces and not names! Rest assured that your information is safe – no one can log into this site without church admin permission, and the only information that others can see is your contact information. You can also download the Breeze app for your phone or tablet! CHURCH OFFICE With the Preschool closing until April 7, and many of our tenants cancelling classes, our church office will assess building needs each day and adjust office hours accordingly. During this uncertain time, we appreciate your patience and flexibility. Please email John (office@washparkumc.org) or call 303-777-3043 to make sure someone is here if you need to drop by. If staff are not in the office, we will be working remotely from home. Peace, Reverend Sandi Originally published on March 13, 2020
The preschool will follow the DPS closure schedule and we will reopen on Tuesday, April 7. Teachers will return on Monday, April 6. Current tuition payments will cover the cost of our preschool staff's salaries through the end of spring break. Please refer to the Parent Handbook for any questions regarding tuition. Information about future tuition charges will be shared once we have been informed of any possible extension of the closure. Enrichment money that has been prepaid for the time of closure will be refunded to parents. The teachers will put together some optional home learning activities that can be done in your home setting and we will email it to you next week. Also, some of our teachers will be available to watch kiddos in your home while we are closed if you are interested. I will gather all of the teachers information and email this out next week as well. https://www.dpsk12.org/dps-extended-spring-break/ Thanks for all of you understanding and support during this time, Jessica and Erin Originally published on March 13, 2020
Below is great information that I share from a United Methodist colleague. She also shares a prayer at the end. - Rev. Sandi Pay Attention to Your Body and Your Emotions It’s natural to experience stress and anxiety in the face of a threat we cannot control. Because every person reacts differently, notice what your body and emotions are telling you:
Embrace Best Health Practices Though there’s much about the COVID-19 outbreak over which you have no control, you can choose to embrace the kinds of practices that will keep you and your loved ones safe. The Center for Disease Control suggests:
Access Reliable Resources You can choose how you will receive and consume information about the outbreak. If you rely on panicked phone calls from your anxious loved ones, you’re likely to suffer more than if you choose to rely on credible sources. Two reliable sources for health news include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Also, if you become consumed by breaking news about the spread of COVID-19, you can also choose to step away from media reports for a time. Share Reliable Information Another way to care for yourself is to care for others by sharing the best information you’ve discovered. When you find a reputable resource that’s particularly helpful, share it with a loved one. When you learn about practices that keep people safe, let a relative who is vulnerable to illness know. In a culture where people are feeling anxious, you can be a gift to others. Practice Self-Care In the midst of a stressful season or situation, many self-care practices are the same ones that prove helpful in everyday living:
Support Each Other We aren’t created to go through extreme stress alone, so this is also a time as part of God’s family to care for each other. Here are two questions to keep asking yourself:
While it feels like there is a lot we can’t control amidst concerns over COVID-19, every one of us can make choices to stay emotionally healthy. Creator/God, be with our community, be with all people as we pray for the best outcome during this time. Let us remember to love our neighbor, and to reach out to connect with our neighbor in the best ways we can. Let us be a loving and peaceful presence in this time of adversity. Amen Originally published March 13, 2020
Friends and Family of Wash Park UMC: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the decision that we will not have in-person worship for the next two weeks (March 15 and 22). By March 23, we will make a determination about gathering for March 29. We will be offering worship via Facebook livestream (like and follow our Facebook page: Washington Park UMC) at 9:30 am on those Sundays, and will have our podcasts recorded and uploaded by Sunday afternoon. Because we will also be suspending our Wednesday Taize services, we will be offering contemplative podcast versions for you to engage with at home. All other church activities will be suspended as well for at least the next two weeks. This includes:
If you are involved in these activities, your leader has or will be in touch with more information on how to stay in touch in the coming weeks. During this time, our church Caretaker and other staff will be working diligently to clean and disinfect our building, and will be working on safe protocols for when we are able to gather again in physical community. It will be important in this time to stay connected with each other, offer support, and continue to think of ways that our community is impacted and how we can respond. You know that we rely on your financial giving to pay our bills, so thank you for being consistent with online giving or mailing in offerings. Additionally, if you want to offer to check in with another person or family during this time as an expression of care, please email Rev. Sandi at pastor@washparkumc.org. Because of the rapidly changing nature of current health concerns, we will keep you updated regularly on our process and protocols. Know that we care for you deeply and are keeping you all in our thoughts and actions. Please keep in touch, reach out with questions or concerns, and pray for each other during this unprecedented time. Peace and blessings, Reverend Sandi |