Reflections and Ramblings--Assistant Minister Pastor Dan Wilkie  

          As many of you may now know, we attended the Rocky Mountain Conference Annual Meeting June twelfth through June fifteenth in Rock Springs, Wyoming. It was a wonderful time to meet old friends and make new ones. It was a time to share in wonderful worship, including an outstanding sermon on our responsibility to the environment delivered by the new minister from Fort Morgan. In this same spirit the Western Association of which our church is a part made a motion asking the Conference to explore other ways of having meetings and disseminating information through electronic media, as well as scheduling Conference committees and mission teams to meet at the same time to make it easier for folks to carpool. It was also another opportunity to listen to Paul Nickerson and Hal Youngblood as they spoke on the subject of church growth by recognizing the church’s mission field and then doing those things which Christ lived and taught.
          For the most part it was a memorable conference. However, as with all meetings of organizations, there are always those things which could have been done better. There are and will always be people who may or may not be on their best behavior. There will be things that will be forgotten and later remembered at the last moment. In each of these things lies the potential for joyous moments but in others hurt feelings.
          These same concepts are true in all relationships, whether at a conference, a new marriage or a long term one, a friendship, or in a family. Sometimes we will make mistakes, have lapses in judgment, or even purposefully do things that might not always be in the other’s best interests, because we are simply human.
As much as we are also Christians professing Christ this might be difficult to acknowledge because most of us see ourselves differently, yet the reality is that we are indeed human first and Christians second. This is why I think Christ taught us so much about love and forgiveness, He understood this often slippery slope that exists between our human self and our Christian Self and just how difficult this makes our life journeys and the journeys of others. This is so when it comes to relationships that mean so much to us, like families, friendships, marriages, churches, and those other organizations which we hold dear.     Blessings, Dan

THE CHOIR ROAD TRIP TO SILVERTON was a smashing success!!! I think it’s safe to say that we all had a ball! The hospitality of the Silverton UCC folks was outstanding, and the music and worship service were great. We hope to return the hospitality by inviting the Silverton folks to join us in Grand Junction - hopefully in October of this year. So, look for more on that in the months to come. Thanks to all of the choir folks and members of our congregation who made the trip a success. All in all, it was a much needed break in the routine for many of us, and we certainly came away with a mega dose of laughter and fellowship. Karen

LEADERSHIP RETREAT

          Yes, this announcement is for you! If you are continuing on a Board or standing committee, or if you are new to a Board, committee, or church office, please plan to attend this retreat. It will be held on Sunday, August 17, from 11:30-about 4:00. Lunch will be provided. We’ll be spending our time together doing a little worship, some hands-on skill development, and a lot of visioning and planning for our church’s coming year.
          Our past Leadership Retreats have been very successful, with most of our church leadership participating, and I hope everyone will make this a priority this year as well.
          Questions? Ask Pastor Sharyl.