What is Lifetree Café and who loves it?

Lifetree Café is a comfortable place and time for people to gather every week to explore life and faith.  It’s the kind of place where the atmosphere encourages conversation, questions, and personal stories.  And the conversations about life lead to seeing God’s presence and love.

The hour-long Lifetree Café experience features real stories of real people, guided conversation, biblical insights, time to build relationship with new and old friends and laugh!  Lifetree stories dig into the big and little things that shape our lives:  Family,  Friends,  Fears,  Balance,  Money,  Materialism,  Health,  Heaven,  Peace,   Purpose. 

Lifetree Café is designed for the large portion of the population that is spiritually curious and wants to talk and ask questions about life issues.  Lifetree Café attracts the un-churched, the de-churched, the churched who desire what Lifetree uniquely offers, and the churched who wish to share their faith stories with others, including pre-believers.

Who loves it?

Young Adults love it.  It’s great for exploring life’s purpose and connecting with new people.

Couples love it.  It’s like a date night, only free!  Couples learn something about each other because they talk about things out of the routine.

Students love it.  Teens enjoy the multigenerational conversations, where they’re listened to and respected.

Adults love it.  Whether busy, retired, working, or in transition, adults find the conversation invigorating and thought-provoking.

Spiritually curious people love it.  Those who have abandoned the church, never experienced God, or carry baggage from their past find Lifetree a safe place to explore life and faith.

Lifetree Café is national!  Check the website www.lifetreecafe.com for other locations.

Lifetree at Peace meets Tuesdays, 12:00 noon and 7:00 PM.   Come join the conversation!  Invite someone along!

                                                                     Polly Wegner, Director of Discipleship

                                                                     pwegner@peacelutheran.net

                                                                     303-424-4454

The Punches Hurt

I recently attended a Conference that didn’t hold back the punches.  We church workers were hit with realities of the coming years… and the punches hurt.   The statistics showed that 80% of next generations will not go to church.  Today on surveys nearly 20% of Americans are already selecting “no religion” as their affiliation preference.  These punches should knock us to our knees praying for God’s mercy and direction for His Church on earth.  How can we equip tomorrow’s believers to reach the 80%, that some may be saved?  How can we, who have been entrusted with the great commission to “go, baptize, teach” reach those today whose preference is no religion?  I would love to hear what your thoughts are on this. 

The reality of these statistics is what makes the LifeTree Café approach very exciting to me.  The safe environment offered at LifeTree Café allows you and me to invite those we know who have questions, those who struggle with spiritual stuff, those who have chosen “no religion”.  LifeTree Café weekly presents an experience packed with stories, fascinating video testimony on trending topics, and lively conversation that feeds the soul.  It is just one way we may reach the 80% who will not go to church.  It is an easy and safe way to listen to others and share God talk with them.  I pray as this opportunity becomes available at Peace, that you will take the challenge to reach out and invite a searching soul to come along with you for some God conversation.  “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”  John 20:31

Worshiping, Connecting and Serving with you  –

Polly Wegner, DCE

Director of Discipleship

Peace Lutheran Church

pwegner@peacelutheran.net

Go quickly and tell

“Go quickly and tell.” Matthew 28:7

On that first resurrection day the angel at the tomb delivered the most important message anyone can ever hear: “He is not here; for He is risen.” Death is a defeated foe! Christ has won the victory. Jesus is our resurrection and life. How hopeless our lives would be if these words were not true. Every cemetery and every grave site would be a mute witness to the futility and despair of human life. But His words are true! What a glorious hope we have because Jesus is alive. We must not keep this to ourselves. We are to do as the angel said, “Go quickly and tell” this fabulous, life-changing information to others.

At Peace and in many churches throughout the Denver area, the week following Easter we have a “neighboring” theme. Sunday worship, Saturday workshops, and even small group studies will focus on how to build great neighborhoods. The idea of loving your neighbor is SO simple, yet SO powerful, and how we can respond to the angel’s direction to “go quickly and tell”. Be watching for more information on these events and studies to take place after Easter. Even better, invite your neighbor to celebrate the resurrection with you at Peace Lutheran Church!

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia!

Polly Wegner, Dir of Discipleship

pwegner@peacelutheran.net

All Saints and Thanksgiving Day

Following is a poem about people sitting around the Thanksgiving dinner table. For many years I had it tacked to my bulletin board. Each time I read it I think of Thanksgiving dinners enjoyed as a child with my relatives. Coming from a large family, Thanksgiving dinner shared with others always meant several rooms full of card tables and chairs. As a child I felt great anticipation for Thanksgiving Days spent with cousins. Looking around the crowd, there was always a baby or two, several children younger than me and many people older than me.

Can you recall the heads bowed around Thanksgiving tables of years past? How I thank God for my sainted uncles, aunts, father, and grandparents who are now bowing before the throne of God. These are the adults in my life who modeled faith to me. Yes, there were dozens of Christian teachers, pastors and college professors, but these are the adults who had the greatest influence. To the young child watching, they could have modeled many different behaviors on Thanksgiving Day, but they chose to model a heart of prayer, kind conversation that told me of my roots, and an attitude of serving (for some reason they did all the work but the kids got to eat first!!).

This month, on All Saints Day (Nov. 6) and on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 24), I will quietly be remembering the saints in my life who served as powerful models of faith for me. They were the “Directors of Children’s Ministry” back then, and I praise and thank God that they had their priorities right, because I was watching. May God bless all your family celebrations in the coming weeks.

Thanksgiving Table

Heads are bowed in silent prayer
at words of grace for all to share.
Silken tresses, braids and bows,
salt and pepper, drifts of snow.
Heads so new the fuzz is there.
Heads grown old, thinning, bare.
Families gather in festive mood
to feast on love as well as food.

-Corinne Adria Bariteau

Polly Wegner,
Dir. of Discipleship