Our Lord's Dinner Sunday, July 15, at Sacred Heart Church. Help us prepare and serve food to our neighbors in need. We could also still use coordinators!
Belltower
Broadmoor Community Church, UCC
Table of Plenty TOP will host a cook day in Otto Hall following the 10:00 Sunday service, July 1, 11:00 am. Please join us. We will assemble and freeze four meals to use for our neighbors in need. This can be a fun family activity.
July 2018
"Establish my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me." Psalm 119:133
The Missions Team is excited to bring you SOMETHING NEW! We want to partner with you to make a bigger, better impact on the good works happening locally. With the help of a generous gift, we are proud to announce the BCC STEP Grant. We’ve been wanting to do this for some time, and now it’s finally possible! STEP is an acronym for Stepping out to Energize Partners. We will offer up to four grants of up to $2,000 each to support any project that you’d want to see grow. Tell us about the needs of a group you are involved with, or maybe tell us what difference you’d like to make if you only had a little financial help. We want to help you make it happen! You’ll find bright yellow applications on the Missions table—you can’t miss ‘em! It’s a simple one-page form asking for basic information. Let’s work together to make a significant difference in our world.
More Missions on Page 2
Your Minister’s Musings
Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time! Mark 4:26–29 (The Message) God can take little and turn it into much. In Sarah Symons book This Is No Ordinary Joy, she speaks about the “hollow eyes” of young girls who found themselves as sex slaves, hollow eyes that haunted her even after she returned home from India. She had no experience and no idea what to do. Then she had an idea—what if she could create jobs for the older girls, even though they had no education. From this idea came the program Made by Survivors, where freed girls and women make purses and scarves as well as jewelry which is then sold to raise money for them to have a new start. God can take little and turn it into much. Our Jewish ancestors believed God could take what was dead and bring it back to life—consider the annual celebration of Passover as they remembered their release from Egyptian slavery. Consider the story of Ezekiel, commissioned to offer God’s breath back into the people of Israel who found themselves in refugee camps in a foreign land. God can take little and turn it into much. They believed that with God all things are possible. This same understanding has been true for our UCC/Congregational ancestors, as well. I am proud to be a part of a church that … · Left its homeland for religious freedom (remember the Pilgrims) · Was among the first in America to take a stand against slavery · Was the meeting place for the first act of civil disobedience in the US (Boston Tea Party) · Was the first Protestant denomination to ordain an African American · Was the first to ordain a woman · Was approached by MLK to intervene as southern television stations imposed a news blackout on the civil rights movement. Won a federal court ruling that airwaves are public, not private · Was the first to ordain an openly gay minister · Suspended business at General Synod to stand with Cesar Chavez and striking farm workers against a campaign of violence and beatings by farm owners · Was the first to pass a resolution supporting same-gender marriage equality (2005) We have inherited this legacy, and as a local church, as BCC, we celebrate our heritage and continue to work to be relevant in every time and in every age. What does that mean for us today? What is God calling us to be and to do in THIS time and in THIS place? What we must remember, however, is that we can build. We can create programs. We can have a one-of-a-kind music program. But without God, we are no more than the empty shells that stood in the valley before Ezekiel. Without God’s breath within, we are no different than any other community organization—social and/or humanitarian. With God ALL things are possible! We want to be the church that welcomes ALL people, that cares for the member and sojourner alike, a church that helps everyone grow into faithful followers of Jesus, a church that strives to model God’s love in our lives and in our community by creating a safe place, where all can discover and live the love of God. We want to be "rooted in Christ and put 'community' back into Broadmoor Community!" God can take little and turn it into much. Will you pray for our church? Can you be specific? Will you remain open to God’s urgings? How can you plant seeds of hope? Will you open your hearts to recognize the shoots of hope that grow, regardless of what we have done or not done? I wonder … Grace & Peace, Pastor Anne
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Stepping Out: Sermon Series through August The Twelve Steps, well known by millions in AA, mirror the teachings of Jesus and are a path to knowing God. Not the path, and not a path that will work for everyone. But they are a path—one that might lead to freedom (even for people who do not think of themselves as addicted). Join us each Sunday at 8:30 in the glen or 10:00 in the sanctuary as we explore this path. July 1, Humble Pie: Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. July 8, Heart Transplant: Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings. July 15, Mending Fences: Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. July 22, Loving My Neighbors: Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. July 29, Mea Culpa: Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. August 12, Holy Connection: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of God’s will for us and the power to carry that out. August 19, Pass the Word: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
June Urban Peak Tour Recap: A group of 14 BCC members and friends toured the Urban Peak facility on Tuesday, June 12. It was a very informative visit. Urban Peak is doing good things in our community, helping our youth to transition out of homelessness, using education, life-skills learning, and providing shelter. Did you know that almost 50 percent of young people who age out of the foster family system become homeless within two years? For more information about Urban Peak, you can visit them at www.urbanpeak.org or ask any of these folks to tell you about their experience.
World Holiday Market November 3rd! Mark your calendar. We’ll need volunteers to help vendors and provide lunch for vendors and volunteers. We’ll also need baked goods to help fund this fun day! You’ll especially want to bring your Christmas gift list! Each vendor is a nonprofit, selling items as a way to fund their good works. Ask them questions, find out what they are doing at home and around the world.
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Summer "Prayground" in Full Swing! A PrayGround is created with the experiential needs of children in mind. The goal is for kids to be able to participate fully in worship alongside their congregational family, while expressing prayer in a uniquely childlike way. Simply, it’s a space for young children to be themselves and be part of the church at the same time. We are excited to offer this opportunity for families, because it speaks of hospitality to the youngest among us. At 8:30 am, we offer activities in the upper glen and encourage parents to sit nearby. At 10:00 am, you will find activities available in the narthex for kids to take with them to worship. At the front, left side of the sanctuary, there is space set aside with blankets and books that can serve as flexible seating for kids. We hope to make worship accessible for young children, and provide creative opportunities for them to learn what church community feels like. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Let the children come and take part with us at BCC.
Confirmation News The 2018 Confirmation Class has definitely begun its work. All 13 of the confirmands now have an adult mentor! Thank you to Laura Muir Mellini, Phyllis Hurley, Dean Quaranta, Matt Keyes, Lynn Hurst, Mary Frances Kerr, Ron Kinder, Gary Foote, Eric Leeper, Chris Lambert, Sharon Nanney, Tammie Clark, June Williams, and Libby Kinder for agreeing to journey with these amazing young people. The class has already met a few times and has worked at Our Lord's Dinner. A few of the confirmands went on the Urban Peak visit. All of them will be gathering in August for an overnight retreat … class, food, and FUN! Please take the time to get to know this class and thank the mentors. What an amazingly wonderful group!
Music & Arts Camp Canceled Our Music & Arts Camp scheduled for July 30 – Aug 3 has been canceled, due to small enrollment. Thank you to everyone who offered to help during the week. We have already planned to schedule it for the last week in June next summer, 2019.
Music Ministry
Faith Formation
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Summer Musicians July 1: Jay Norman, clarinet July 8: Jenny Yopp, cello July 15: Paul Heinecke & Neika Rosenberger July 22: Swallowtail Celtic Trio July 29: Joe & Katie Uveges Aug 5: Acme Bluegrass Aug 12: Beatidudes Aug 19: Karen Morsch, flute Aug 26: Greg & Nancy Brown, hammered dulcimer & oboe
Legacy Giving in the 21st Century The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. — Nelson Henderson Governmental rules are ever changing. So how do those of us who so love our Broadmoor Community Church, UCC … "plant trees" today? Because of a recent Federal Government Act called QUALIFIED CHARITABLE DISTRIBUTIONS (QCD), qualifying IRAs have become a permanent tax advantage. When a taxpayer makes a QCD as prescribed by the IRS, the distribution may be EXCLUDED from one's gross income AND counts toward the taxpayer's required withdrawal for that year. In addition, by NOT including a charitable donation from an IRA as ordinary income, an individual's adjusted gross income is NOT increased. While distributions from IRAs applying the QCD are exempt taxable distributions, be aware, one may push income over the $100,000 threshold amount, causing other investment income to be subject to a surcharge. To "plant trees" for BCC using QCDs, one must be at least 70.5 years of age. The maximum IRA charitable donation is limited to $100,000 per tax year. The provision applies for Traditional, Roth and inherited IRAs and does not typically apply to distributions from active SEP or SIMPLE IRAs. Speak to your tax advisor and make sure that the QCDs are sent directly from the IRA payable to Broadmoor Community Church, UCC. For more information, please contact Harry Gautsche, chair of the BCC Investment Committee.
The Body of Christ—Time & Talent In their Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, a Disciple’s Response, the U.S. Catholic bishops state: The Christian steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others, and returns them with increase to the Lord. Stewardship involves all of life (body, mind and spirit, our material possessions, friendships, etc.). All we are and have is a gift from our Creator for us to use wisely to build up God’s kin-dom here on earth. Time is a very precious gift. Most of us feel we don’t have enough time for all the things we want to do ... and yet each of us has 24 hours each day, 168 hours each week. The question is: How do we choose to use our time? Henry David Thoreau once said: “It is not enough to be busy, so are ants. The question is what are we busy about?” All of us have been blessed with various talents, whether or not we have developed them fully. It is usually not possible to develop all of our talents, but, ideally, we can and should grow some of them and use them wisely to bless the communities of which we are a part. Time and Talent surveys will be available through the summer in the pews or the church office. Please prayerfully consider how you might serve during this program year.
Thanks to Diane Coon for the table decor displayed in the Narthex! Your gifts of creativity and time are appreciated!
Second Annual Camping Trip, August 17 – 19, 2018 Ponderosa Group Campground in the Pike and San Isabel National Forests, about 1.5 hours from Colorado Springs. Spend time with friends and family, disconnect from the busy side of life, and enjoy Colorado’s great outdoors. All are welcome to come along! Recreation during our camping weekend may include hiking, biking on roads or mountain trails, fishing in the creek or Lake Isabel, boating (all non-motorized watercraft are allowed), and just relaxing in the outdoors. Full details of the weekend can be found at the following link: https://goo.gl/ymGdB1 (Link has no “www” and is case sensitive!) For more info, contact the coordinator, David Williams (dwilliams@broadmoorchurch.org).
Dead Sea Scrolls Mark your calendar for Saturday, July 14, for a group tour of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The tour includes a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of the scrolls, as well as over 600 religious and historical artifacts of that era and viewing of an IMAX film on Jerusalem. These ancient manuscripts include the oldest known biblical documents dating back over 2,000 years. Advance registration and prepurchase of tickets are required. Carpooling will be available. We have a discounted rate for entrance to the entire museum, viewing the Dead Seas Scrolls exhibit from Israel, and viewing the 44-minute Jerusalem IMAX film. Costs for the package are $23 for children (18 and under); $31 for adults; and $26 for seniors (62 and over). Registration forms must be submitted with prepayment by Sunday, July 8. Write checks to Broadmoor Community Church, and note "Scrolls" on the memo line. Contact Rick Anderson of the Community Life Board if questions arise. He can be reached at 635-0335 or barbrick975@yahoo.com.
Rocky Mountain Conference UCC The Annual Celebration was held June 7-9 and was attended by these illustrious and staid BCC members: Tom Hurley, Mary Frances Kerr, and Pastor Anne.
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As a part of Broadmoor Church’s electronic giving program, we offer a smart tool that allows you to make donations to BCC using your mobile phone. To learn more about electronic donations, from website to cell phones, contact our Business Manager, John Davis, 473-1807, or jdavis@broadmoorchurch.org.
Church Fellowship and News
Ladies Luncheon: Edelweiss Restaurant July 10th at 11:30 am. All women of the church and their friends are invited to attend the next Ladies Luncheon at Edelweiss Restaurant at 34 E. Ramona Ave. To carpool, meet at the church parking lot at 11:10 am. For reservations, call Joan Capesius (576-2621) by noon on Monday, July 9.
You can get the latest news on our website: broadmoorchurch.org. Don't forget to Like us on Facebook! Got questions? info@broadmoorchurch.org 719-473-1807 No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.
Mission Medical Center This medical center provides free health care to low-income, uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented people. If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, see our bulletin board for more info ********************
Pride Parade and Family Day Learn more: https://www.cospridefest.com/ America the Beautiful Park, Saturday, July 14, is Family Day with fun activities for kids of all ages. Sunday, July 15, the parade starts at 11 am at Cimarron and Tejon, marching north to Colorado Ave., then west to the park. ********************
Urban Peak "Off The Streets" Community Breakfast Fundraiser July 19, 7 am This fundraiser breakfast will be under the bridge near 218 West Colorado Ave, 7 am. Registration, 7:30 am–8:30 am: Breakfast Program. Contact Urban Peak to request a seat! urbanpeak.org, 719-630-3223 ********************
Community-Wide Experiences and Opportunities Check out the stairwell bulletin board for community-wide experiences.
