Perhaps top-of-list in joyous returns was just our ability to regather as a community, in the joy of Christian fellowship, without restriction. Here are some of the year's highlights.
PALM SUNDAY POTLUCK
Our Palm Sunday potluck was the first community gathering we were able to enjoy as a whole church. Not only did it set the tone for the Holy Week that followed, it marked the turning of a new chapter in our post-pandemic life together as a church. It was the perfect way to end Lent and enter into the joy of the Easter season.
PENTECOST BLOCK PARTY
So too our Pentecost block party, which was an occasion for us to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost with an actual Texas-style pulled-pork BBQ with mac-n-cheese feast, complete with face painting, a climbing wall, inflatable bouncy houses, games, music, laughter, sunshine, and some impressive and not-so-impressive karaoke that went well into the afternoon.
WEEKEND AWAY
Our annual Labor Day parish retreat, the Weekend Away at Trail West Young Life Camp (Buena Vista, CO), was another return to the staples of our parish life––with amazing worship, teaching from Andy Wood and others, campfires, smores, kids running feral, poolside chats, and more, all in the shadow of breathtakingly beautiful Mt. Princeton.
As always, Michele Pierson did a masterful job with registration, logistics, and all the rest, offering a seamlessly joyful experience for everyone. The work crew led by Schuyler Totman and others labored behind the scenes to facilitate our meals so we could just relax and enjoy ourselves. The tech crew, including Adam Pierson and Zack Ruybal, not only facilitated our in-person meetings without a hitch but also live streamed our worship and teachings for homebound and digital members who were not able to be physically present. Marie and Curtis Robbins again coordinated an unforgettable Talent Show, wherein Emma Bertrand arguably stole the show with a lecture on ‘defenestration’––this despite some, um, impressive (?) dad jokes from Kenton Epard, David Coats, and others (who should probably not quit their day jobs).
ANNUAL MEN'S RETREAT
The annual Men’s Retreat at the Hideaway in Colorado Springs, CO, was also back in full swing. This year, powerful testimonies by Michael James, Nate Farr, and Jim Helfrich helped set a tone of spiritual authenticity and vulnerability, flanked by always-moving worship led by Steve Petty.
Significantly, Karl Wesselhoeft––who for years helped organize and galvinize the gathering, working the phones interminably, like he was still in sales––officially retired from his role and passed the baton to John Bredehoeft. While Karl will still be in the mix, his energy and vision for this annual gathering will be missed (along with his transition-point jokes, which cannot be repeated in a church publication).