Below are some links that may be useful for those who want to participate in the variety of opportunities being offered. Simply click on the link to join or view the event you’re interested in. West Elementary School Supply List December 3 Worship – Recording, log on to view November 26 Joint Worship – UMC […]

Lights twinkle in the shadows. Snow blankets the ground and muffles earth’s sounds. Secrets are shared in whispers. Gifts are hidden until wrapped and then placed under the tree to be picked up and held and shook and wondered at. The mystery of Christmas is told in legends and traditions and song and memory. It’s […]

December 3, 2023 9:30 A.M. Worship Service – Second Sunday of Advent, Holy Communion   Minister: Rev. Lynne Spencer-Smith Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11, Mark 1:1-18 Lay Reader: Brittany Light; Ushers: Dale & Nancy Dallmann, Steve Gettel; Advent Candle: The Light Family; Choir Director: Cindy Stevens; Organist: Tyler Menzales; Sunday School: (Elementary) Erin Borland, Janet Koostra; Nursery […]

“A map says to you, ‘Read me carefully, follow me closely, doubt me not… I am the earth in the palm of your hand.’” ― Beryl Markham (About this quote:  Beryl Markham (born October 26, 1902) was a noted horse trainer, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, and the author of the […]

All my life I’ve been correcting folks on the spelling of my name. Even when there’s a written document in front of folks with the correct spelling (Lynne), people still have a tendency to drop the “e” and go with what is the more common and often (although not always) the masculine version of my […]

Earlier this year, our Stewardship Board decided to adopt the theme put forth by the United Church of Christ on their stewardship materials for 2023. The Board loved it. The Council loved it. I loved it. I still do. And I’m so appreciative of how it’s been embraced from the printed material for letters and […]

I can’t do it. I’m not sure if any of you can do it. We know that there are somethings that will happen in the future. I know that the sun will rise (even if it’s hidden behind some clouds). I know that the snow will come in winter and mosquitoes will be part of […]

Every once in a while, when no one else is around, I’ll take a little walk around the church in the spirit of prayer and gratitude for what happens in and through the sacred space. The colors of the stained-glass windows in the sanctuary come alive with the sun and the shadows. I recall the […]

My heart is in the midst of the city these days. Gaza City and Ashkelon in the Middle East as rockets soar and explode. Washington DC and the important decisions that are made there that impact the real lives of real people. Lahaina, Hawaii as folks continue to dig out and begin the long process […]

When we think about the arrival of settlers across the plains and into the mountains of the west, we think of wagon trains and cattle drives, those seeking gold, silver and a new life. We think of adventure and expansion. We probably also think of the thousands of indigenous people who were displaced and murdered […]