I hope this week has been a hopeful one for you. As we enter Advent, there are a lot of events happening and I wanted to highlight three upcoming ones. This Saturday December 2nd at 11 AM, we will be having our church conference in the Sanctuary to vote on the clergy compensation package and next year’s leadership.
On December 9th at 7:00 PM at Arvada United Methodist Church, the Arvada Chorale will be having their concert, Singing the World ‘Round: A Winter’s Journey. The concert will feature holiday pieces from around the world. Simpson’s Ken Namba is a member of the chorale. You can purchase tickets for the concert here.
On December 13th at 7 PM at Park Hill United Methodist Church, Minister Daryl J. Walker will be leading the 7th annual A Heart for the Holy-Days concert. This interfaith concert will feature choirs and singers from the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faiths. All concert proceeds will benefit World AIDS and Maui Relief. Minister Daryl is a dear friend and was an Iliff classmate. You can purchase tickets here.
This Sunday, we will continue our Advent sermon series, “How does a weary world rejoice?” Rev. Megan will be preaching about Elizabeth and Mary and how their story shows us how we offer hope through connection. Please join us in person or virtually as we acknowledge the ways weariness has hardened us and explore how we still can rejoice.
Thank you,
Rev. Brian
This Week’s Announcements
  • Sunday Worship on December 3rd –  Please join us in person or by Zoom for Sunday worship at 10 AM on December 3rd. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87520951862?pwd=VUZ1QkNMd2ZvSTZYVVd0eElIUVZkQT09.
  • Sock Tree – Simpson will be collecting new or gently used winter adult socks for Mission Arvada’s clothing bank. Socks are one of the most requested items at homeless shelters. Throughout Advent, please bring the socks and hang them on the tree in the Narthex.
  • Annual Mochi Fundraiser – Simpson will have our annual mochi fundraiser this year! The order form can be download it here. Orders are due by Saturday, December 9th. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Dennis at 303-550-4327.
  • Virtual Advent Book Study – Rev Brian is co-leading a 4-week virtual Advent book study with Rev. John Miyahara. They’ve invited all the Japanese American United Methodist Caucus congregations to join, and they hope you will, too. The book they will be reading is An Unlikely Advent by Rachel Billups. The next session of the study will be on  December 5th at 7 PM (MST). You can join the Zoom using this link. Rev. Brian has a few copies available and you may join the discussion even if you didn’t read the book.
  • Volunteers for Mochi Making – Volunteers are needed to help make mochi. If you can help, please come anytime on December 16th from 7 AM until finish.
  • Simpson Church Conference – Simpson will have its annual church conference on December 2nd at 11 AM in the Sanctuary. However, only professing members will have a vote and voice. If you are uncertain about your membership status, please get in touch with Rev. Brian.
  • Simpson Community Questions – A few weeks ago, Rev. Brian hosted a town hall to ask the Simpson community three questions. You can fill out this online form if you couldn’t attend and would like to respond to Rev. Brian’s questions.
  • November Newsletter is now available – The November newsletter can be downloaded here.  Like last month, I would like to include some of your stories of a person who embodied the best of Simpson for you. When you think of your time being a part of Simpson, who was the person you felt best represented the essence of Simpson? Tell me about how they impacted you and what they did at Simpson and in the wider community.
  • Pastoral Concerns and Visits – You can share pastoral concerns or request a visit from Rev. Brian by contacting him at 720-381-4129 or revbrian at simpsonumc.com.

Community Prayers

  • If you want to share prayers with the Simpson community, please contact Rev. Brian at revbrian at simpsonumc.com or request a prayer request.

Upcoming Events

  • Laity of Color Meeting – The Mountain Sky Conference will host a Laity of Color virtual meeting on November 30th from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. This gathering intends to simply connect. The hope is that this may lead to more intentional meetings in the future and the deepening of our relationships. You can register for the Zoom link HERE. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Rev. Bich Thy (Betty) Nguyen at bnguyen at mtnskyumc.org.
  • World AIDS Day Community Event at Park Hill UMC – On December 1st at 6 PM, there will be a World AIDS Day community event at Park Hill UMC (5209 Montview Blvd., Denver, CO). There will be a candlelight walk to remember those lost to HIV and an interfaith program of healing and hope. See the attached flyer for more information.
  • Free Adult Mental Health First Aid Training – The National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) invites you to participate in a free Adult Mental Health First Aid certificate virtual training on Saturday, December 2nd & Sunday, December 3rd, from 3 PM to 7 PM MST. This training will teach you how to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Individuals must be 18+ years old to participate. You can register for free here.
  • Christ Seminar’s Fall Colloquium: The Diasporic Body of Jesus – The Westar Institute will be hosting the Christ Seminar’s Fall colloquium, on December 4th from 5-7 PM MST. The Seminar is holding a roundtable discussion with Dr. Christine Pae on the last chapter of her soon-to-be-released new book, A Transpacific Imagination of Theology, Ethics, and Spiritual Activism. The chapter is entitled “The Diasporic Body of Jesus: A Feminist Ethic of Diasporas.” In her chapter, Pae “critically reinterrogates the global power structure buttressed by empire, militarized capitalism, and heteropatriarchal religious ideologies at the cost of raced, sexed, and classed bodies.” Click here to register and you will receive a free copy of the chapter.
  • Call for AANHPI Artists – The Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission
    (DAAPIC), in collaboration with other Colorado AAPI organizations, is proudly hosting a free, family-friendly Lunar New Year celebration. They are seeking Colorado-based Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) artists to submit work for a one-day art show, “Reclaiming and Celebrating AANHPI Identity,” as part of the community Lunar New Year celebrations at McNichols Center in Denver, Colorado. The submission deadline is Monday, January 1st, 2024. You can read the submission guidelines here and submit your application here. Please share this opportunity with AANHPI artists you know.
Other Items
  • Asian Camp – The dates for Asian Camp have been announced. For incoming 6th-9th graders, Junior High Camp will be at Camp Lodestar from June 23rd to June 28th, 2024. For incoming 10th-grade to sophomores in college, Asian Camp will be at Camp Gilmore from July 14th to July 19th, 2024. For more information about Asian Camp, please visit their website and check out their FAQ.
  • Loveland Museum Exhibits – The Loveland Museum has two exhibits of interest that will close on January 14th, 2024. The first one is Manzanar: The Wartime Photographs of Ansel Adams, a photographic exhibition showing Adams’s work that protested the treatment of Japanese Americans. The second one is Witness to Wartime: The Painted Diary of Takuichi Fujii, an art exhibit showing Fujii’s illustrated diary during his incarceration at Minidoka. Another exhibit of interest is Living at Amache, which will close on March 3rd, 2024. This exhibit will present historical information and objects related to the gardens grown at Amache and the silk screen shop that produced 250,000 posters.
  • Tri-State/Denver Buddhist Temples Mochi Sale – The TS/DBT Young Buddhist Association (YBA) is having their annual Mochitsuki event. You can place an order online until December 17th. On December 23rd starting at 9:00 AM, you can also help them make mochi.
  • Church Calendar – The calendar on Simpson’s website is now updated! Please visit it to see what’s going on at Simpson. Please email
    events at simpsonumc.com if you would like to add events and programs hosted at Simpson to the calendar for others to be a part of things.
  • Keypad Access – In December, the keypad system for the west entrance will be implemented. If you still need to receive a form requesting an entrance code from the Trustees, you can download it here. Please fill out the form and return it to the church office. If you have any questions, please send them to trustees at simpsonumc.com.
Posted on by Brian Lee