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

Known By Love?

What’s the hardest thing about being a disciple of Jesus?   Love.   Jesus said, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35

We are to be known as Jesus’ disciples by how we love one another.  Just think about that.  There are so many other things Jesus could have said His disciples would be known by.  He could have said we are known by our faith.  Then we could carry a big Bible, wear a Christian T-shirt, memorize some church teachings and be known by our faith.  That may not be easy, but compared to being known by love, it would be a breeze.  Or Jesus could have said that we would be known by our morals.  Being known by morals would give us an achievable standard.  That may not be easy, but it would be easier than being known by our love.  Morals are good and we should teach them.  But they are not what we are to be known by.

Jesus said that what we are to be known by is love.  And then He gives us a standard:  “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  Wow.  That’s hard.  How do we begin?  By getting to know the God of love. 

Come get to know the God of love in a Bible class, in a small group, at LifeTree Café, in worship, in fellowship and service along side other brothers and sisters in Christ.  Together we seek to be known by love.

Polly Wegner,

Director of Discipleship

pwegner@peacelutheran.net

303-424-4454

"See I am doing a new thing."

“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland…
To give drink to My people, My chosen,
the people I formed for Myself
that they may proclaim My praise.”
Isaiah 43:18-21

This Bible verse caught my eye for a couple reasons:

1. Especially at New Year, I get excited for new beginnings and the thought of leaving the past in the past.
2. At Peace there always seem s to be a sense of change in the air, not change regarding our Unchangeable God, but new spins on presenting the eternal Word and engaging believers in living out our faith.

“New” often means challenging and risky. I am a traditional girl myself and change is hard and sometimes uncomfortable for me. But if a new change will reach those not being reached by the church today, if it means my children’s peers and my grandchildren’s friends will know Jesus, then I welcome change for their sakes. I already know my Savior… they don’t. Might a new change be God’s way of “making streams in the wasteland to give drink to His people”?

Whether we are a person who embraces new things as exciting opportunities, or a person who dreads even more change and what it will mean in our life, (I’m a little of both), we all can agree that God leads or allows new situations in life. “See I am doing a new thing.” Sometimes it brings fear and discomfort. Sometimes it brings hope and confidence. But each new path has been lovingly and carefully chosen for us to take by a God who knows our today and our tomorrow. Can we walk with trust the new path He bought us to? I hope so.

Polly Wegner
Dir. of Discipleship

Christmas blues?

Sometimes the Christmas season can be hard. "Merry Christmas" is memorized but not felt. Busyness and high expectations leave us feeling anxious. You see frowning, stressed people and realize you are looking in the mirror! Is it time to refocus?

Take a moment to consider yourself before the manger. You are meeting God! How can we not respond with awe, celebration, and tremendous gratitude at this Gift. God was thinking of you when He sent his only Son. Above anything else, or any feelings that come with Christmas, this good news trumps all. What can bring us more joy than knowing God loves us that much. "Today a Savior is born for you, He is Christ the Lord."

Can Martha have a Mary Christmas?

Can Martha have a Mary Christmas? I love the title of this book by Brenda Poinsett which is a take off on the Biblical Mary and Martha of Bethany who both served Jesus in different ways. This Christmas, we all have good intentions of being like Mary, resting at the feet of Christ. But during this busiest season of the year, the “Martha” role seems to inevitably creep in and replace Christmas awe with Christmas stress.

At Peace, we are striving to help you have a Mary Christmas. Offering many opportunities of advent devotion, worship and spiritual preparation for Christmas, we invite you to come along to the manger with us. Please put aside all unnecessary distractions and join us in worshiping, connecting and serving our newborn King.

See you in church,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship

Who is Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

When asked this question, we often will answer with the attributes of Jesus. He is the Light, the Way, the Truth, Savior, Son of God, Resurrection, and so many more. One time when Mother Theresa was asked this question, she answered in a much different way. She listed this:
Jesus is the hungry to be fed.
Jesus is the thirsty to be satisfied.
Jesus is the naked to be clothed.
Jesus is the homeless to be taken in.
Jesus is the sick to be healed.
Jesus is the lonely to be loved.

Her answer comes right out of Matthew chapter 25. At Thanksgiving time, we when are expressing our gratitude to God for His many blessings in our lives, our thoughts often also turn to the less fortunate. We recall Matthew 25 and are convicted that thanksgiving naturally translates to thanks-living. Not only in November but throughout the year we need to look for Jesus in everyone, and where there is a need respond. We do this as we bring our food donations and our offerings at Thanksgiving… but there are so many other ways we can be of help. If you are looking for meaningful ways to serve inside and outside the congregation, to be the hands and feet of Jesus, please speak with me. There are organizations and ministries that are doing wonderful jobs of connecting needs to service in the Name of Jesus.

Worship + Connect + Serve
See you in Church,
Polly Wegner
Director of Discipleship