Mountain Sky Conference of The United Methodist Church

09/05/2026

Why do we say this is not a race?

Because the movement is prayer, not competition. The route carries memory from the Sand Creek massacre site toward Denver. Participants are not chasing a time or personal best. They are entering a descendant-led practice of remembrance, witness and relationship.

Running is one form of participation alongside learning, prayer, giving, food support and presence.

https://www.mtnskyumc.org/newsdetail/this-is-not-a-race-enter-the-2026-sand-creek-spiritual-healing-run-19952339

Photo: Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site
National Park Service

09/03/2026

✨ A new public lecture series is coming to downtown Denver.
Historic Trinity United Methodist Church is opening its sanctuary to the wider community for Trinity Presents, a new monthly series exploring art, civic life, environmental stewardship, history, music and faith.

The series begins Sept. 24 with Art in the Heart: The Stained Glass Windows of Trinity.

What stories are held in stained glass?

Jane and Phil Watkins of Watkins Stained Glass will offer a fascinating look at the artistry, history, symbolism and preservation of Trinity’s extraordinary stained glass windows. Their family’s stained-glass tradition dates to England in 1761, and five generations of the Watkins family have helped restore and preserve Trinity’s windows.

Come experience these historic works from a new perspective and discover the stories they continue to tell.

📅 Thursday, Sept. 24
🕖 7 p.m. | Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
📍 Trinity United Methodist Church
1820 Broadway, Denver
🎟️ Free — free-will donations accepted

Parking validation will be available for the parking structure on Lincoln Avenue between 18th and 19th streets.

All are welcome as Trinity begins this new opportunity for learning, conversation and community in the heart of Denver.

09/01/2026

🌟 Honor Courageous Leadership: Nominations Open for the 2026 Susan Plymell Memorial Award

Who in the Mountain Sky Conference reflects courageous leadership, deep faith and a commitment to serving others?
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Rev. Susan Plymell Memorial Award, honoring clergy and laity whose lives and ministries carry forward Rev. Susan Plymell’s legacy of bold leadership and selfless service.

The award recognizes leaders who demonstrate a resurrection witness, create space for the Holy Spirit to move people to action, serve with humility and help build God’s Kingdom with vision and hope.

The recipient will be honored across the Mountain Sky Conference and in their local church, which will receive a $2,500 gift in the recipient’s honor, made possible through the generosity of Rev. Dr. Dennis Shaw and Marilyn White.
Anyone may nominate another person. Nominees must be clergy or laity involved in a ministry or organization directly connected with a Mountain Sky United Methodist Church.

📅 Nominations are due Friday, September 11, 2026.

Take a moment to recognize someone whose faithful leadership deserves to be celebrated.

Learn more and submit a nomination: https://shorturl.at/NMx0I

08/31/2026

What might happen if, before asking what comes next for our churches, our communities, or The United Methodist Church, we made space to listen?

This October, people across the Mountain Sky Conference will take part in The Dynamite Prayer Experiment: Making Space for
What God Will Do Next — 28 days of prayer, listening, and openness to the Holy Spirit.

From October 4–31, individuals, small groups, and congregations can move through Dynamite Prayer: A 28 Day Experiment together, with weekly reflections, Wednesday evening online prayer gatherings, stories from across Mountain Sky, and resources for churches and worship leaders.

This is not another program churches have to squeeze into an already full calendar. It is an invitation to make space.
Participate on your own. Invite a friend. Gather a small group. Bring the practice into the life of your congregation. Do what is meaningful and sustainable in your context.

And then, on Sunday, November 1, we’ll mark a capstone Sunday together and ask:
What did we notice?
What has prayer opened in us?
What is our next faithful step?
Before we plan, let us pray.
Before we answer, let us listen.
Before we decide what is possible, let us make room for God.

Learn more, sign up, purchase the book, and explore the full 28-day journey: mtnskyumc.org/dynamite-prayer

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08/26/2026

Check out the latest from the Bearded Theologians

The Bearded Theologians sat down with David Worthington, Global Ambassador of Methodist Heritage Sites for The United Methodist Church, just before his visit to the Mountain Sky Conference. David h…

08/22/2026

What can early Methodism teach us about being the church today?

David Worthington, Global Ambassador of Methodist Heritage Sites, is bringing a week of conversations about the history that shaped Methodism—and how that history can inspire the church’s witness today.

Drawing on nearly two decades of leadership at John Wesley’s New Room in Bristol and more than 100 presentations across over 20 states, Worthington helps people discover how Methodist heritage can become a living resource for outreach, mission and renewal.

His Mountain Sky visit includes:

Sunday, Aug. 23 — St. Andrew UMC
“Wisdom from the Past, Hope for the Future”

Monday, Aug. 24 — Bearded Theologians Podcast
A special conversation with the Rev. Zach Bechtold of Bozeman UMC and the Rev. Matthew Franks of Arvada UMC.

Monday, Aug. 24, at noon — Highlands UMC
Lunch & Learn: “I Look Upon All the World as My Parish”
RSVP for lunch at [email protected].

Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. — Smoky Hill UMC
“Wisdom from the Past, Hope for the Future”

Thursday, Aug. 27, at 5:30 p.m. — Hilltop UMC in Sandy, Utah
“Wisdom from the Past, Hope for the Future”

Sunday, Aug. 30 — Park City UMC
Worthington concludes his Mountain Sky visit with the Park City congregation.

Methodism began as a movement willing to carry the gospel beyond familiar walls and into communities longing for hope, belonging and transformation. Choose an opportunity near you to hear the stories that shaped Methodism—and consider how they might shape our shared future.

08/21/2026

Three days. Powerful preaching. Big questions.

Join us September 15–17 for Iliff’s Preaching in an Age of Contempt Conference—three days of worship, lectures, workshops, and conversation exploring what it means to preach with conviction without contempt in an age of division and distrust.

Here’s a look at what’s on the schedule:

🎙️ Rev. Dr. Will Willimon — Contemptible Preaching
📖 Rev. Dr. Miguel de la Torre — Reading the Bible from the Margins
🌿 Rev. Dr. Kirk Byron Jones — Preaching Three Beats Deep
🤝 Rev. Dr. Justin West — Bridging Toward Trust
🎮 Rev. Dr. Tamisha Tyler — Prophetic Simulation
🔥 Rev. Dr. Joy J. Moore — Loving the Enemy From the Pulpit

Join us for workshop, sermons, and community building as we imagine what faithful preaching can look like in an age of contempt.

Check out the full schedule and register Now: https://www.iliffpreachingconference.com/course/preaching-in-an-age-of-contempt-2026

08/20/2026

Grant opportunity for Mountain Sky churches and ministries!
The General Board of Church and Society is accepting applications for its 2026 grants supporting United Methodist ministries putting faith into action through justice, advocacy and community engagement.
Funding is available through three grant programs: Peace with Justice, Ethnic Local Church and Human Relations Day, with awards ranging from $2,000 to $5,000.
If your congregation or ministry is doing work that addresses injustice, strengthens communities or helps build right relationships among God’s people, take a look at this opportunity.
🗓️ Applications are due Aug. 31, 2026, at 5 p.m. EDT.
Learn more about the grants, eligibility and application requirements in the post below. ⬇️

The application deadline is Aug. 31, 2026, at 5 p.m. EDT.

08/19/2026

The 2026 Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run will take place November 25-29, moving from Eads through Limon to Denver.

https://www.mtnskyumc.org/sand-creek-commitments

This is not a race. It is a sacred, descendant-led journey of remembrance, truth-telling and healing. You do not have to run to take part: pray and be present, give toward the $40,000 goal, provide food, prepare meals or register for one or more running days.

Begin by understanding the journey. Then choose how you will enter it.

https://www.mtnskyumc.org/sand-creek-spiritual-healing-run

08/18/2026

What might happen if, before asking what comes next for our churches, our communities, or The United Methodist Church, we made space to listen?

This October, people across the Mountain Sky Conference will take part in The Dynamite Prayer Experiment: Making Space for
What God Will Do Next — 28 days of prayer, listening, and openness to the Holy Spirit.

From October 4–31, individuals, small groups, and congregations can move through Dynamite Prayer: A 28 Day Experiment together, with weekly reflections, Wednesday evening online prayer gatherings, stories from across Mountain Sky, and resources for churches and worship leaders.

This is not another program churches have to squeeze into an already full calendar. It is an invitation to make space.

Participate on your own. Invite a friend. Gather a small group. Bring the practice into the life of your congregation. Do what is meaningful and sustainable in your context.
And then, on Sunday, November 1, we’ll mark a capstone Sunday together and ask:
What did we notice?
What has prayer opened in us?
What is our next faithful step?
Before we plan, let us pray.
Before we answer, let us listen.
Before we decide what is possible, let us make room for God.

Learn more, sign up, purchase the book, and explore the full 28-day journey: mtnskyumc.org/dynamite-prayer