Post on 11-Mar-2022
transcript
Mailing Address:
PO Box 3672
Littleton, CO 80161
Physical Address:
840 S. Powhaton Rd.
Aurora, CO 80018
Follow us on Facebook
and Instagram!
Find us at:
www.thelandaurora.org
Frank Garred Land Board President
Dave Stephens Land Board Treasurer
Rev. Dr. Andy Dunning Land Board Secretary
Becca Boone Land Board Vice President
Rev. Claire McNulty-Drewes Board Member
Blair Rollenhagen Board Member
Rebecca Dunagan Board Member
Patrick Kenney Board Member
Cheryl “CiCi” Muzaca Land Programming Team
Clyde Oakley Land Board Member
John Antonacci Land Communications Team
Bev Robertson Land Programming Team
Mary Jane Harmony Land Board Member
Greg Laudenslager Land Property Dev. Team
Rick and Dana Stephens Land Programming Team
Clea Edelblute Land Programming Team
2020 Land Leadership Team
5 Reasons to Invest in The Land in 2020
The Land celebrated an incredible year of spiritual vitality and organizational growth in 2019! As we enter into
2020, the landscape at The Land communicates a sustainable future for both our worshiping community and our
summer mission program.
Here are 5 reasons The Land is an investment worth making in 2020:
1. We don't have a building. What at first appears to be The Land's greatest weakness has actually become The
Land's greatest asset. Twice this week I have heard Conference leadership and local clergy passionately advocate
for a Church without a building as a means to liberate the institution from the burden that a building can some-
times become. The Land is a model of the future Church; a Church that promises your money will be an invest-
ment in a mission that matters.
2. We are reaching new people. I have lost track of the times people have pulled me aside to say, "this is the way
the Church should be!" While the logistical details referred to by any given person making this statement may
vary, the overall message is clear, "The Land is opening a door to spiritual community for those who would
otherwise have none."
3. We are redefining discipleship. Wherever you land on climate issues in the political landscape, the biblical
message is clear, "we are called to care for creation." At The Land, we are redefining discipleship in our every-
day behaviors, ensuring that what we do reflects our call to live as stewards of Creation. Learning to compost,
cultivating healthy soil, recycling, reducing and reusing our belongings are all reflections of our commitment to
follow Jesus as disciples in the 21st century.
4. We celebrate every penny given! At just 18 months of age, The Land relies on a single full -time staff person,
approximately twenty-two regular volunteers and an annual budget that magnifies the saying, "every gift
counts!" When you give to The Land, you make an immediate difference that only you alone could have made.
Not only are you ensuring that The Land can cultivate spiritual community and redefine discipleship, but your
act of giving infuses those invested in the day -to-day implementation of The Land's mission with hope, courage
and a commitment to continue the demanding work of creating something new.
5. We are growing! And, we know that growth is about so much more than an increase in numbers. It is an indi-
cation that The Land is meeting a need that otherwise would not be met. The Land's summer mission program
has already doubled its registration numbers from 2019 to 2020. The worshipping community has seen a steady
increase in regular participation that holds constant throughout the seasons. As we enter into 2020, the in-
crease in local residential development, the addition of our eight garden plots and the expansion of onsite pro-
gramming all suggest that growth is a trend that will continue to sustain us.
The Land is committed to caring for all of creation. In addition to The Land ’s weekly worship gatherings, we offer sum-
mer youth mission programs for groups across the country.
In 2019, The Land piloted a youth mission program that included a total of seven youth mission groups from across the
country. Two of these groups partnered with local churches who provided housing while they served at The Land for
multiple consecutive days. The remaining five groups participated in half -day mission experiences.
Each youth group was the recipient of a custom designed mission experience that broadened their understanding of
“Church” while integrating practices of environmental stewardship into their understandings of what it means to be a
Disciple of Christ.
This year our mission season begins early with a group from St. Andrews UMC coming on March 30th and a group from
Grace Presbyterian in Pittsburg, PA coming in late May. During the summer months we will welcome groups from Wash
Park UMC and Broomfield UMC in the beginning of June. And, we are excited to welcome back youth from McFarlin UMC
in Norman, Oklahoma July 20th—24th.
Three weeks still remain available for youth groups to schedule their unique mission experience at The Land. Local
groups are welcome to come for half a day or to camp overnight. Groups traveling further distances are welcome to work
with Pastor Stephanie to arrange housing with one of our local partner churches.
Host Home Needed for Land Summer College Intern
The Land is excited to welcome Addison Short as their 2020 Mission Site Coordinator Intern! Addison will be coming
from Norman, OK where she has been the college intern for the McFarlin UMC Youth Program. The Land is looking for a
host home for Addison during her internship this summer. Ideally, this would be a home that provided Addison with her
own bathroom and additional space for privacy. If you would like to talk more about the possibility of being Addison's
host home for the Summer, please contact Pastor Stephanie at stephanie@thelandumc.org or 720 -955-4799.
Come see the sunset at The Land this summer!
The Summer Worship Schedule at The Land shifts from Saturday mornings to Sunday
evenings beginning the first weekend in June. Moving The Land ’s worship gathering
to Sunday evenings for the summer months allows us to take advantage of the longer
days and cooler evenings.
Worship on The Land: Summer Schedule
Sundays at 6pm with Dinner to Follow
June, July and August 2020
CLASSIFIEDS
Music Leaders Needed for The Land
With the departure of Rev. Connor, The Land will be seeking a music leader for their weekly worship ser-
vices when Clyde Oakley is not scheduled to lead. Musicians should be comfortable leading groups and
should have an ability and willingness to play both secular and sacred music. A small stipend is available.
Please contact Pastor Stephanie at stephanie@thelandumc.org or 720 -955-4799 if you are interested.
Farewell Celebration for Rev. Connor DeFehr
Saturday, May 30. 2020 at 10am
Join us on Saturday, May 30th for a special worship gathering and brunch to thank Connor
for his year of faithfulness serving the people of The Land. Connor and his beautiful family
will be moving back to Rochester, New York this summer to be closer to family. We wish Con-
nor a wonderful new beginning as he seeks new opportunities to share his many gifts in pasto-
ral care and leadership.
Garden Kids Camp at The Land
June 22-25. 2020
9a m t o 1 1:3 0a m
T he La nd w ill be host ing i t s f ir st annua l gar de n k ids camp t h is sum -
mer ! K ids, age s 7 th rough 11 , are inv ite d to r eg ister f or a fun, out -
door e xpe r ie nce tha t w il l pr ov ide ea ch ch il d w ith op p or tunit ie s to
conne ct t he ir fa ith w ith th e food the y eat , t he gar de ns th e y g row a nd
t he soil th at make s i t a ll p ossib le . S im ila r t o a tra dit iona l VBS ,
cra fts, sna ck s and sing -a long ’s w il l a l l be a par t of th is k ids g ar de n
camp . Ch il dr en are req u ire d t o wea r b oot s t o a t te nd and shoul d b e
w il l ing t o u se a port -a -p ot t y, ju st in ca se ! T he cam p w il l be ru n b y
Pa st or S te pha nie and The La nd ’s summe r int er n, A ddison Sh or t . Reg -
ist ra t ion is op en and a va il abl e onl ine a t t he la ndaur ora .or g bu t spa ce
f or the cam p w il l be l im ite d t o the f ir st 20 ch il dre n. The cost of the
da y camp is $40 /pe r ch ild a nd w ill be nee de d t o r e serve you r ch il d ’s
sp ace in the 2020 ga rden cam p .
SUMMER at THE LAND
EASTER SUNDAY SUNRISE SERVICE
SUNDAY, APRIL 12th at 6am
Save the Date for the Easter Sunrise Service at The Land!
Witness the sun rising above the prairie this Easter at The Land! Service begins
at 6am with a light brunch to follow. Friendly dogs always welcome.
ASH WEDNESDAY at THE LAND
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26th at 12pm
Join us for a contemplative experience at The Land on Ash
Wednesday beginning at noon. Participants will be invited to
walk the labyrinth, walk the perimeter prayer path and gather
together for silence and song as we honor the limits of our
lives and the gifts waiting to welcome us beyond those limits.
Saturday, February 22nd
Pastor Stephanie preaching on 2 Peter 1: 1-10
Egg Special w/Home Fries
Saturday, February 29th
Rev. Connor DeFehr preaching
Potato Potluck
*Bring your favorite potato dish to share.
Saturday, March 7th
Pastor Stephanie preaching on John 3: 1-17
Pancakes
Saturday, March 14th
Pastor Stephanie Preaching on John 4: 5-42
Soup and Stew Potluck
Saturday, March 21st
Pastor Stephanie preaching on John 9: 1-41
Egg Special w/Home Fries
Saturday, March 28th
Rev. Connor DeFehr preaching
Meatless Potluck
Saturday, April 4th
Palm Sunday Gathering
Pancakes
Saturday, April 11th
Holy Saturday Gathering
Chili and Cornbread Potluck
Saturday, April 18th
Festival of Creation
Pastor Stephanie preaching on 1 Peter 1: 3-9
Egg Special w/Home Fries
Saturday, April 25th
Rev. Connor DeFehr preaching
Gluten-Free Potluck
Upcoming Events at The Land
Worship on The Land
Saturdays at 10am w/Brunch to Follow
Text - to -Give
Text the dol lar amount you would l ike to dona te to:
7 20 -33 6 -5891
and fol low the prompts !
Donate Onl ine
Set up a one -t ime or monthly dona-tion on our secure onl i ne giving plat-
form at:
ww w .t he landau rora .org
by cl icking on our “Donate” button.
Mai l You r Donation
Checks payable to The Land can be mailed to:
T he La nd P .O . B ox 36 72
Litt le ton, Color ado 80 161 -36 72
The Land’s 2019 Stewardship Campaign has been a phenomenal success! And, it’s not to late to make
your pledge commitment to The Land in 2020! So far, The Land has received 22 pledge commitments
for a total of $22,610. These pledging units, along with additional donations made throughout the
year, will go toward The Land ’s $137,751 2020 operational budget. The remaining amount of the
2020 operational budget will be paid by an operational grant awarded to The Land by the New
Church Development Committee of the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church. As
an official new church start of the Mountain Sky Area Conference, The Land is eligible to apply for
ongoing funding until 2023 when The Land reaches the fifth year of their organizational life.
9am Saturday Morning Education Hour at The Land
The 9am Saturday morning education hour will continue their study
on Richard Rohr’s “The Universal Christ,” through Saturday, March
7th. Beginning Saturday, March 14th the group will begin a 10 -week
study on William C. Guerrant Jr. ’s book, “Organic Wesley: A Christian
Perspective on Food, Farming, and Faith.”
Reports from The Land’s 2019 Stewardship Campaign
Expect to see new things growing out at The Land this summer! In December, ten 5 x 8 foot in -ground gar-
den beds were dug out with the bobcat (pictured below) to make room for a community garden. In 2020
these plots will be fenced off and filled with soil amendments in preparation for Spring plantings. Over the
next three years, The Land plans to expand to thirty garden beds with a goal of ensuring that each garden
plot is healthy and productive. Garden plots will be dedicated to growing annuals such as tomatoes, snap
peas, as well as to growing perennials such as strawberries/raspberries. One garden plot is scheduled to be
placed outside the gate with an invitation for people to stop by and help themselves.
In addition to our growing garden, here are some other property improvements you can expect to see in
2020:
NEW PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY: An additional mowed and mulched meandering pedestrian pathway from
the parking lot to the canopy sanctuary. Pathway has already been mowed and people are already utilizing
it on Saturday mornings. In 2020, mulch will need to be ordered and spread with accompanying signage to
indicate the presence of the pedestrian pathway.
SANCTUARY IMPROVEMENTS: Addition of six additional stained picnic tables for the second canopy and
30 wooden folding chairs to increase seating capacity. Additional items include an arbor to make an entry
way and additional natural, decorative improvements to create a more welcoming and defined sense of
space.
Increased Points of Hospitality around the Perimeter Path: In 2020 we plan to add meditative stations,
benches (possibly with arbors for shade) as well as seating around the little library.
Increased Physical Access to The Land: One of our core values is to conserve the prairie environment that
people moved out to this area to enjoy and commit to further increasing the usability of The Land by the
local community. Therefore, a top priority in 2020 is to install a foot gate so that people can access The
Land at any time while still leaving the gate locked as a security measure.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS at THE LAND