From Pastor Ken
Lent
On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 PM, we gather for Lenten Worship with the peaceful Holden Evening Prayer services.
Our theme, after a year of COVID, is A Time of Healing. Each week we will focus on a different person that Jesus healed. We will learn more about our Lord’s compassion and his desire to make us whole.
A Time of Healing
February 24 – The Leper
March 3 – The Blind Man
March 10 – The Man in the Tombs
March 17 – The Sick Boy and his Father
March 24 – The Centurion
April 1 – The Healing in Forgiveness
New Staff
Welcome to Michelle Madison, our new Administrative Assistant. Michelle was born and raised in Washington, D.C., later moving to Seattle, Washington, where she attended college at Western Washington University in Bellingham. Michelle also resided in Atlanta and Dallas before moving to Denver in 1991. Michelle lives in Black Forest since 2016. In her free time, she enjoys horses and alpacas, swimming, making jewelry and writing contemporary fiction. Be sure to stop in or call the office and welcome the newest member of the staff!
…And don’t worry, Lisa is not leaving. She is now the Office Manager/Director of Ministries.
Call Process Update
At the time of the annual meeting, our call committee was preparing to schedule a visit with a very promising candidate for associate pastor. Since that time, this individual has decided to step away from the call process for personal development and family reasons. We are continuing to prayerfully consider other candidates as their profiles are submitted to us. The NALC saw a significant drop in call interest/activity in November and December. However, we would expect to see more activity once COVID-related concerns begin to subside.
DESIGNATED LENTEN OFFERINGS
Your Social Ministry Committee designated the offerings collected during our Wednesday night Lenten services to be sent to the NALC’s Disaster Response Fund. This fund addresses needs following flooding, tornadoes, fires, and labor strikes. More can be found at this address: https://thenalc.org/nalc-disasterresponse/
50th Anniversary Year for Black Forest Lutheran Church
January 10, 1971
A Little Bit of History
This is a big year in the life of Black Forest Lutheran Church – 50 years! Due to COVID, we will postpone an in-person celebration until next year. However, we can always celebrate this year in an alternative way by sharing the
history/stories of people who were part of that history. We will do this by means of our Scribe. Our story begins . . .
A Vision of the Faithful
It was a vision of a handful of people that a Lutheran Church be formed in Black Forest. Without any support from a national church body, 8-10 people committed themselves as one body in Christ, to call, to witness, to evangelize and to start a church in the Lutheran tradition. This vision was fulfilled on November 2, 1969, as the first worship service was held in the Black Forest Community Church with a borrowed pastor from Iliff Seminary in Denver. Forty-six people attended.
As the lay-managed mission continued to grow in numbers, and in spirit, the Lutheran Church in America came forward to provide continuing support to this struggling but committed mission. In July of 1970, a potluck was held in honor of Air Force Chaplain Waldermar Nelson for serving as Pastor the first few months of 1970. In April 1970, the Division of Mission of the LCA extended a call to the Reverend George Jacobson to become pastor of Black Forest Lutheran Church (naming of the new church was selected in July 1970). At the time, the average attendance of the mission was 55 to 60 people per Sunday.
In October 1970, a Declaration of Intent to Affiliate was signed committing BFLC to membership of the LCA. This Charter was signed on Reformation Sunday by 107 baptized members, and from our current membership included Mike Decker and Betty Thomas. A festive celebration was planned to rival the tacking of the 95 Thesis to the door of the Castle at Wittenberg by Martin Luther in 1517.
Service of Organization was January 10, 1971 – The President of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Lutheran Church in America, the Reverend Dr. Franklin Heglund, presided and the Reverend C. J. Thearie preached the sermon. The congregation organized with 130 baptized members. There were 11 baptisms (9 children and 2 adults) also performed at this service.
What was Council’s first order of business? To be continued . . .
For additional BFLC stories download the full Scribe below.