Organizations

Spiritual Growth and Discipleship

How are you growing spiritually? Would you like to join with others to share your joys and concerns? Would you like to have the opportunity to deepen your experience of Christian community and love?

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God . . . : Colossians 3:14-17.

In John Wesley’s early practice of Methodism, growth in discipleship was from two involvements: weekly worship and weekly covenant groups or class meetings in homes. The Evangelical and United Brethren in Christ churches in early America also encouraged spiritual growth through covenant groups. At Mountain View there are two different types of covenant groups through which this growth in discipleship is available: ChiRho and Disciple study groups.

ChiRho

ChiRho groups are where people find friendship, are mentored in the faith, understand and discuss the truth of the Word, identify and use their spiritual gifts, and provide care for one another. A ChiRho group meets weekly and is generally composed of from four to twelve persons, providing a setting in which persons feel safe to change, grow, or mature in five areas: Grace, Growth, Group, Gifts, and Generosity.

Chi and Rho are the first two letters used in spelling the name “Christ” in the Greek alphabet.

Disciple Study

Disciple is a year-long covenantal small group which seeks to enable the participants to become disciples through Bible study. Meeting weekly, participants join together in studying a book of the Bible or a major theme or the Bible. Through study and prayer and opportunity is given to apply the biblical message to daily life, of reflecting on what God’s intention is for you and your life.

Companions in Christ
This is a twenty-eight week spiritual formation journey that will provide opportunity for you to deepen your experience with God, explore the fullness of life in Christ through spiritual practices, and receive the grace and guidance of the Spirit in community. This scripture-based small group (about eight people) will draw you into daily times with God through guided individual reading and reflection and provide a weekly two-hour meeting with your group. There will be weekly morning and evening groups. Contact either Rev. Skip Strickland or Kathy Cackowsky.

United Methodist Women

Organizationally, United Methodist Women (UMW) is the successor to the home and foreign missionary societies, the ladies aids, parsonage societies, and guilds of the seven predecessor denominations now comprising the United Methodist Church. It is that group of women in each congregation organized for mission. Local units relate directly to district and conference organizations of the UMW and to the Women’s Division of the General Board of Global Ministries.

The purpose of the UMW is that it “shall be a community of women whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ, to develop a creative, supportive fellowship, and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church.”

Programs in unit meetings encompass mission education, spiritual growth, and social action, with continuing focus on the needs of women, children, and youth. Circles meet monthly and their scheduled programs for the meetings are printed in the monthly Messenger and the Sunday Mountain Views.

There are three circles at Mountain View:

• Mary Martha Circle meets at 9:30 a.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the Frasier Meadows Manor chapel. Isabelle Farnham is chairperson. Her phone is 303-554-7004.
• Rachel Circle meets at 1:00 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month in the small lounge at the church. Harriett Wheaton is Chairperson. Her phone is 303-494-6047.
• Wesley Annes Circle meets at 7:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month in the members’ homes. Joel Beaty is chairperson. Her phone is 303-443-1495.

General UMW meetings are open to all women of the congregation, and include the Mother’s Day Banquet, a Fall Fellowship Luncheon, a Christmas Tea, and the Call to Prayer and Self Denial.

The UMW sponsors a Spiritual Retreat on a weekend in September. Each spring it participates in a Friendship Breakfast with seven other area United Methodist churches.

The District UMW has periodic meetings. A meeting to train UMW officers is held at the beginning of the year. In the fall there is an annual meeting.

The conference offers a Spiritual Retreat on a weekend in April at the Estes Park Y-Camp. A school of Christian Mission is offered for a week in August at Iliff. There are three different study topics. In the fall there is an annual meeting.