Ash Wednesday Service
2024-02-14 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Denver) | CO
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent, 40 days, six weeks of intentional prayer, introspection, ritual, and forms of fasting or abstaining from certain practices, that ends with the sweet celebration of Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday is when we look squarely at our morality and say “From dust we have come, and to dust we will return”. We are marked and anointed with ashes (from last year’s palm branches), a physical reminder of where we have come, and where we will return. While seemingly somber, this is a chance for us to be honest with God and ourselves, we are here on this earth for just a short time and ponder how we will live.
Join us for our Ash Wednesday service on February 14 in person or online. You are also invited to come by the church from 11:00 am-1:00 pm on Wednesday, February 14 to receive the imposition of ashes from one of the pastors. Or, you can come by those same times and pick up a to-go container of ashes, so that you can do the imposition of ashes with your household at home.

Cartas De Paz Service Project
2024-03-10 12:00 - 13:00
Cartas de Paz (Letters of Peace) program is an essential part of Casa’s mission to offer peace in the midst of chaos to people in detention. Detention is an isolating experience; our letters will offer hope to people who often feel alone and forgotten. Greg Mortimer, Volunteer Coordinator of Cartas de Paz, will lead a 30-minute training session for people who want to write cartas to people in Detention, followed by 30 minutes or so of writing letters as a group. Writing supplies and lunch snacks will be provided for participants. If people would like to continue writing to someone in Detention, they will have the option to do so. Greg can get them started as well.

If you would like to attend this event, please register HERE, or on the physical sign-up sheet in the Narthex on the Welcome Center.
About Casa de Paz: Casa de Paz welcomes guests who are released from the immigration detention center in Aurora, CO. They provide them with a safe temporary space to go to so they can connect with their loved ones and make it to their final destination.

Easter Sunday Services
2024-03-18 08:00 - 17:00
March 31, 2024 – 6:15 am and 10:15 am

Easter is the high point of the Christian year as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning so long ago. We have two worship services, a 6:15 am Sunrise Service in the Courtyard and a 10:15 am in the Sanctuary. Join us for singing, prayers, and great preaching as we shout our Alleluia’s – Christ is Risen!

Palm Sunday at Lakewood UCC
2024-03-24 10:00 - 13:00
Join us on Sunday, March 24 for Palm Sunday! We are offering a Palm Parade, an Egg Hunt, and a Potluck Brunch. See more information about these fun events below.

Palm Sunday Service and Egg Hunt
Sunday, March 24, 10:15 am
Join us for worship where we’ll mark Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem with the waving of Palms for the Palm Parade. Stay for the Fellowship potluck and Egg Hunt, hosted by Faith Formation and our youth! Bring your own basket or bag, extras will be available.

Palm Sunday Brunch
Sunday, March 24,11:30 am
It’s time again to celebrate Palm Sunday with our annual Potluck Brunch! This is always one of the most joyful events we have to start Holy Week. It is always a delight to see and taste all the creative brunch dishes. For this potluck, here are the categories based on your last name;
Last Names A-G: Side dish
Last Names H-N: Dessert
Last Names O-Z: Main dish
If your last name begins with D: you are the wild cards and you can bring whatever you want.
Please make a list of the ingredients of your dish to display so that we can avoid any allergic reactions. As always, Lakewood UCC is a nut-free zone. Just a reminder, we will have the oven in the kitchen on low to keep dishes warm, but it is not possible to actually cook your dish in the oven at the church. Please plan accordingly.

Maundy Thursday Simple Supper and Service
2024-03-28 18:30 - 20:30
March 28, 6:30 pm dinner, 7:30 pm Worship Service

Maundy Thursday is the day we remember the harrowing events of Jesus’ final days, as we receive his new commandment “that we may love one another”. At 6:30 pm, we’ll share a simple supper, as Jesus did with his disciples. At 7:30 pm, we’ll move to our Tenebrae service (from a Latin word meaning “shadows”), walking through the shadows of Jesus’ last days again, listening to lessons, and watching as lights are extinguished one by one. Feel free to come to just the supper, just service, or both.

Spring Cleaning and Xeriscaping Day
2024-05-18 09:00 - 12:00
Come help us complete the water-wise landscaping project on the east side of the church, prepare the church grounds for summer, and tidy up our interior! The landscaping work will include cleaning up landscape beds, hauling rock and dirt, and planting lots of new plants. All ages and abilities are welcome and appreciated! Please bring any shovels (both hand shovels and larger shovels), gardening gloves, and wheelbarrows that you may have. Some extra tools will be available if you don’t have any of your own.

Annual Bird Walk
2024-05-25 10:00 - 12:00
Birding anyone? Paul Michalec and Len Ewald will be conducting our second annual bird walk on Saturday, May 25th, starting at 10:00 am at Belmar Park in Lakewood.
We will meet at the south end of the Belmar Library parking lot, and proceed into the park from there. We encourage you to bring a pair of binoculars which will greatly assist you in identifying the many species of birds we hope to see. Best to wear a good pair of hiking shoes since there may be some muddy areas on the path we will be taking. The walk around the lake is relatively short and easy, and shouldn’t take too long to complete. We had fun last year and hope to see many of you there this year! Please also feel free to encourage friends and relatives to join in. Registration is not required, but there will be a signup sheet on the welcome center so we generally know who will be attending. Let’s hope for no rain!

Hotdog Fellowship
2024-05-26 11:30 - 12:30
Please join us for a hotdog lunch after worship on Sunday, May 26 in memory of Steve and Phil Goebel. Rob and Tiffany Beastrom continue to honor this long-time tradition started by Steve and Phil by serving hotdogs, brown beans, potato salad, chips, and dessert. It is free and all are welcome. Come hungry!

Annual Meeting
2024-06-02 12:00 - 13:00
Save the date for our Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 2, following worship. The primary purpose of the annual meeting is to vote on the slate of officers for the next 12 months and proposed bylaw changes. Additionally, we will discuss the Capital Improvements endeavor. Please plan to attend to ensure we meet our quorum numbers.

Following Jesus, Walking with PRIDE
2024-06-23 09:00 - 13:30
Join Lakewood UCC and other Metro UCC churches as we walk in the Pride Parade on June 23, 2024! More details to come soon, so keep an eye out for upcoming announcements! This is a wonderful way to extend hospitality, proclaim God’s extravagant love for ALL, and live out our identity as an Open and Affirming Congregation. And it’s a super fun time!
Our group is in BLUE #35 – we will be meeting and starting the march from the EAST side of Cheeseman Park – just look for the Blue signs and then our YOU ARE LOVED decorations. If you would like to carpool with us, we are meeting at Lakewood UCC at 8 am. If you would like to head down on your own (or coordinate with others to carpool not *quite* so early) meet at 9:30 am at the Park. We are wearing either RED or RAINBOW colors, and there are “official” tee shirts at the Welcome Center if you want one. It’s gonna be a scorcher, remember water bottles and sunscreen! Reach out to Brenda at 720-255-8300 or David at 720-234-4106 for any questions. We will have a vehicle for those unable to walk the route.

If you are interested in joining in the fun, please sign up HERE or on the signup sheet on the Welcome Center.

Lutheran Family Services Refugee and Asylee Cultural Mentoring and Exchange Program Information Session
2024-06-30 11:30 - 13:00
Chad Corman (he/him/his) | Volunteer & Community Engagement Coordinator for Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains will discuss how to become a member of the Lakewood UCC Cultural Mentoring and Exchange Team. We are looking for 6 volunteers! This is a six-month commitment in which the Lakewood UCC team will work continuously with a family that has recently arrived in the U.S. During this time the team will focus on four key points: Financial Literacy, Employment, Practical Life Skills, and Learning English. The team will work on these skills to varying degrees depending on the interests and needs of the family. There will be training.

While it is important that the volunteer team help the designated refugee family with the skills listed above, the team’s main job is to provide friendship to these new community members!

Annual Taize Style Worship with Communion
2024-07-02 08:00 - 17:00
Sunday, July 7 will be our Taize-style worship service. What is Taize-style worship? The Taize community is an ecumenical monastic order in southern France founded in 1940. Taize worship is known for its simplicity of style. It uses short phrases, sung repeatedly, and periods of silence to draw us into the experience of finding God’s presence where we are. One Taize monk said, “It is a time to rest in God, to let the words listened to and sung penetrate one’s being.”

Annual School Supply Drive
2024-07-07 - 2024-07-21
As we approach the first full week of summer (according to the calendar) and with temperatures continuing to register in the high nineties, it may feel like it’s too early to start talking about ‘Back to School’ plans. But in the life of Lakewood UCC, it is time to start preparation for our annual Rose Stein International Elementary School supply drive to benefit the students at this nearby school in our service area.
For the past few years, The Faith in Action board has been a partner of Rose Stein Elementary where approximately 77% of the students enrolled are economically disadvantaged. Homelessness can be an issue for several of the students and their families. Needless to say, school supplies are difficult to secure when housing and food are questionable. Each of us will have the opportunity to provide support to these students as they head back to school in August.
Anticipating this year’s drive, members of the FIA board met with the school liaison to determine how we could effectively engage in more intentional giving. Each teacher from Kindergarten through Grade Six was asked what they had the most need for. As a result, this collection effort will look a little different than that of previous years. This year we will ask our congregation for support by either choosing to sponsor two students per grade level by filling a backpack with supplies or donating general items for classroom use. Among the items we will be collecting are composition books, folders, glue sticks, markers, crayons, scissors, disinfectant wipes, and Kleenex. The complete list will be posted in the Narthex.

Our school supply drive will kick off on Sunday, July 7, and run through July 21. We appreciate all your support as we put our collective faith in action.

Men's Breakfast
2024-07-13 09:00 - 10:30
We will gather at the Valley Inn Restaurant (1997 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80227) at 9:00 am on Saturday, July 13. This is a time of casual conversation with no particular agenda. Any and all are welcome! Questions? Contact Daryl Foelske or Curt Preston.

Special Service: Metro UCC Combined Worship
2024-08-04 10:00 - 11:30
Over a dozen UCC churches from the Metro-Denver area will join together for worship on August 4, 2024, at First Plymouth UCC. Our guest preacher is Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson, the General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ. There are three ways to participate in this service:

Go to First Plymouth and participate there
Watch from home on YouTube by clicking HERE
Come to Lakewood UCC and watch the livestream with your community. Communion will be offered as part of worship.

Please note that this service begins promptly at 10:00 am and not our usual 10:15 am time slot. Additionally, if you’d like to be part of the choir at First Plymouth that morning, please contact Nick Newman for details.

Save the Date: Lakewood UCC Cultural Mentoring and Exchange Program Training
2024-08-11 11:30 - 13:00
There will be a 3-hour training on Sunday, August 11, beginning at 11:30 am, with Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountain Refugee and Asylee Program for all Lakewood UCC members who wish to be part of the Cultural Mentoring and Exchange program team. Lunch will be provided. Interested in joining? Please RSVP by clicking HERE and let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.
The team will work with a refugee family that is assigned to them for six months this fall/winter. Volunteering with this refugee program provides you with an opportunity to learn about the current refugee situation and different cultures, and participate in refugee advocacy.
For any questions, please contact Nancy Jorgenson at chousecat81@gmail.com.

Worship In the Park
2024-08-25 10:15 - 11:30
Please join us for our very special Worship in the Park service on Sunday, August 25, at 10:15 am! On this Sunday, there will NOT be any services at Lakewood UCC. We will meet at the pavilion at Anderson Park (44th and Field St. in Wheat Ridge). Our special guest musician this year will be the former Director of Music Ministries, Allyson Koplen. Please feel free to bring a picnic lunch and a camping chair if you’d like. We hope to see you there!

Kick Off Sunday
2024-09-08 10:30 - 13:00
Kick-Off Sunday is almost here! Join us on Sunday, September 8, where we will welcome back our music programs, faith formation, Youth at Church (YAC) program, and more! There will be music, fun, and good food!

We will celebrate Kickoff Sunday with our annual potluck lunch following the service. Please bring your dish in by 10:00 am with a list of ingredients. That lets us get set up while you enjoy community time before service! We will have the oven on WARM if your dish needs to stay warm, but not high enough to actually cook your dish. As always, Lakewood UCC is a nut-free facility.
If your last name starts with the following letters, please bring one of these dishes:
A-G: Main Dish
H-N: Side Dish
O-Z: Dessert

Blessing of the Garden
2024-09-15 11:30 - 12:00
Please join Care for Creation on Sunday, September 15, right after worship, for a Blessing of the Garden. We will gather at our new xeriscape plantings and hear a brief talk about the plants and then Rev Mollie will offer a blessing for the garden. This will be a brief celebration of our completion of Phase I of our Lakewood UCC xeriscaping.

We will also have irises available for folks to take home and plant, divided from the irises in the front pollinator garden!

New Member Inquirers' Luncheon 2024
2024-09-22 11:30 - 12:30
Are you new to Lakewood UCC? Have you been around a while but want to find out more about getting more involved? Do you have questions about what being a member of Lakewood UCC means? Please join us for a New Member Inquirers’ Luncheon in September! We will gather following worship, in person, from 11:30 am-1:00 pm on Sunday, September 22. Lunch will be provided. Childcare is available. Our purpose is to answer questions, share our faith journeys, and learn about Lakewood UCC and about the United Church of Christ. If you would like to attend, please sign up by clicking HERE or on the Welcome Center!

Blessing of the Animals
2024-09-28 10:00 - 11:00
Lakewood UCC is continuing our tradition of holding a Blessing of the Animals on a Saturday close to St Francis Day. St Francis of Assisi is known for his patronage of animals and the environment. This year our Blessing of the Animals is Saturday, September 28 at 10:00 am in the courtyard. Bring your special animal or a photo of them and Rev. Mollie will bless them.

Lakewood UCC Photo Day
2024-10-13 10:00 - 11:30
Thanks to Breeze, our online database, we can easily have access to a photo directory as well. We just need photos! Two ways you can make this happen. Upload your own (directions below) or have a new, up-to-date photo taken on October 13 before or after worship.
Just take these simple steps to activate and upload a photo of your choice:

If you need assistance with any of these steps, please be in touch with Allison Booth, at
office@lakewooducc.com

Trick-Or-Treat Street
2024-10-27 11:30 - 12:30
Humans in Costumes and Stations/Tables are still needed for Trick or Treat Street on October 27!!Faith Formation is hosting a Halloween intergenerational event on Sunday, October 27 following worship. Trick or Treat Street will be the main event. Trick or treat street will be throughout the Narthex, Fellowship Hall, and Courtyard, folks like you will decorate tables and hand out goodies as kids “trick or treat” from table/station to table/station. We invite you to dress up, decorate your station, and pass out goodies to the kids! You can dress up and decorate your station/table as much as you want! Please, no scary or violent decorations or dress. Sign up using the ticket link to register your group in this festive event.

**More details:**Great for groups or individuals to make a station. We’ll be throughout the Narthex, Fellowship Hall, and Courtyard. You can use a table from the church or bring your own supplies (like a tent or something similar). You can have a game or something interactive, or just come and be present. You can pass out trinkets, especially non-plastic, consumable ones (temp tattoos, erasers, pencils), or candy! You can start setting up at 9 am on Oct. 27

Interested? Please click HERE to sign up!

Our Plans, God's Purpose: Stewardship 2025
2024-11-03 08:00 - 17:00
Sunday, November 3, 10, & 17

How often do our plans take a left turn off the path we have envisioned and we find ourselves completely turned around?
Our Plans, God’s Purpose is the theme for the 2025 Stewardship drive. We draw our inspiration for this years Stewardship drive from Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a persons heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

The Stewardship campaign will take place on three Sundays, November 3,10, 17. Our pledge cards will be dedicated on November 17 and a potluck lunch in celebration will follow the service. We will be sending out more information about our 2025 Goal Budget and how the generosity of the congregation turns into life-transforming ministries.

Please join us as we seek Gods Purpose and plans for our congregation. The kindness of this congregation is such a blessing and we thank all of you for your continued support both financially to help us make our budget goals and as cherished members of our church community.

How will God’s purpose guide our plans for 2025?

Contemplative Service For Election Day
2024-11-04 19:00 - 20:00
Whether we are feeling fearful, hopeful, a little bit of both, or something else entirely, there is so much to process as we prepare for election day. We are excited to provide space and time in community to help stay grounded this season with a special service. The Board of Congregational Care will be offering a contemplative service (similar to Taize style) the evening before the election, Monday, November 4. We hope you’ll join us for any or all of these opportunities to keep our faith front and center in the midst of so much going on around us. The service will also be live-streamed on our YouTube Channel.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 7:00 pm

Spiritual Practices and conversations to ground us this election season. We will gather for a post-election conversation on November 12 at 7 pm, as we discuss “Where do we go from here?”

Courage Through Community
2024-11-12 19:00 - 20:00
Spiritual Practices and Conversations to ground us this election season.

Spiritual Practices and conversations to ground us this election season. We will gather for a post-election conversation on November 12 at 7 pm, as we discuss “Where do we go from here?”

Advent Intergenerational Event
2024-12-01 11:30 - 12:30
Join us as we start upon the Road Less Traveled, and begin our journey to the manger. There will be storytelling, singing, cookies, a craft along the way as we engage with the start of Advent! We’ll hand out Advent Bingo cards, this year’s fun way to prepare for the birth of Christ. There will be something for all ages, we hope you stay!

Starry Night: A Frosty FUNdraiser
2024-12-07 18:00 - 20:00
SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, December 7, Lakewood UCC will be hosting Starry Night, a Frosty FUNdraiser at the church to support the 2024 budget line item for fundraising.
Join us for a night of fun, food, and prizes, just in time for the holiday season. More information and tickets will be available soon!

We are still accepting applications from donors who would like to contribute a service or item to be auctioned on in support of this effort! This can be anything from crafts and baked goods, to sports tickets or a weekend getaway, or window washing or a manicure voucher!
If you are interested in donating an item or service, please fill out the form below. We are grateful for any and all submissions. We do, however, have limited space for this event and may not take all submissions for the event. We will inform all applicants of decisions via email by November 15. Thank you so much for your interest in participating in this event!

Click HERE for the Donor Interest Form!

Blue Christmas Service
2024-12-10 19:00 - 20:00
The holidays and Christmas in particular can be a difficult time of year to find the space to feel emotions other than joy & cheer. Grief and pain know no season. Join us for the Blue Christmas Service on Tuesday, December 10 at 7:00 pm. We will gather in person and via live stream on our YouTube, to hold space for grief, uncertainty, and the fullness of what we may be carrying this season. Childcare will be available during this service.

Instant Pageant Service
2024-12-24 16:00 - 17:00
Join us for this all age-service on Christmas Eve. Together with song and scripture, costumes and collaboration, we will tell the story of Christ’s birth through our Insta Pageant. No rehearsals, costumes and story provided (and other costumes are welcome). Participation is by choice, as we share the joy of the story of God-with-us. Childcare will be available during this service.
