Columbia Falls United Methodist Church

06/05/2026

On Trinity Sunday last weekend, we reflected on a God whose very nature is relational, a divine Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer who gives its love and power away to bring hope and salvation to others. We looked at the new Vision Statement form the UMC, an effort to renew our energy and contextualize our mission in a time of cynicism and change. Check out the statement in the graphic.

Our calling as United Methodists is not to consume resources or hide out in our own comfort zones. Instead, our connectional vision reminds us exactly how to live out the Great Commission empowered by a God who exists as a relationship: By choosing to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.

• Love boldly means we actively include people from every age, walk of life, and background, loving them simply because Jesus loves us. (Matthew 22)
• Serve joyfully calls us to journey directly alongside the most vulnerable, finding our strength in the joy of the Lord as we care for our neighbors. (Psalm 100, Nehemiah 8)
• Lead courageously invites us to step up, follow the example of Christ, and actively resist systems of injustice and oppression while caring deeply for both God's people and God's creation. (Joshua 1:9, Ephesians 6:10)

Obeying Jesus is not about trying to save an institution; it is about connecting our community to a life-giving, transforming love. Looking at the three principles of our shared vision—loving boldly, serving joyfully, and leading courageously—which one is the Holy Spirit nudging you to prioritize in your workplace, school, or neighborhood this week?

06/04/2026

Looking for a way to explore nature and your faith? Our Mountain Sky Conference is hosting treks this summer with different skill levels and locations!

2026 Summer Treks
Yellowstone National Park | June 24–28 | $1,500*
Maroon Bells Wilderness | July 6–11 | $1,500*
High Uinta Wilderness | July 27–August 2 | $1,750*

Over days of hiking, campfire conversations, solitude, and spiritual accompaniment, participants often discover:

Renewed clarity and direction
Greater resilience and confidence
Freedom from distraction and burnout
A deeper sense of purpose and calling

Visit https://msctrekking-msctrekking.brtsite.com/ to sign up and learn more. Generous scholarships are available!

06/03/2026

On the mountaintop in Galilee, the disciples found themselves in a strikingly familiar human position. As they stood before the resurrected Christ, those who filled the space with worship and those who carried deep doubts shared the exact same ground. Like standing on a sharp mountain ridge in our own backyard, it is easy to feel divided between hope and hesitation.

In our current culture, a heavy blanket of cynicism and 'doomerism' often makes hopelessness feel like the safest option. We can easily get caught up in worrying about saving our own church buildings, tithers, and budgets rather than focusing on the actual world around us. But the Great Commission is not a call to absolute perfection or total certainty before we act. When Jesus commissions his followers, he does not just give a command; he equips, empowers, and promises his enduring presence for the trek ahead. He meets us in our doubts and sends us out onto the trail anyway.

If you're feeling the pull of cynicism and doom, offer up this prayer to God this week:

Holy God, we thank you that you do not require us to check our questions or our doubts at the door. When we are paralyzed by a sense of hopelessness or tempted to turn inward to protect only ourselves, remind us of your mountaintop promise. Equip us for the work of your kingdom, shatter our cynicism with your grace, and help us trust that you are walking beside us through every ordinary day. Amen.

05/28/2026

We had a wonderful Pentecost worship service at Flathead Lake United Methodist Camp last Sunday. Nine of UMC's from the greater Flathead Valley joined together for worship, prayer, fellowship, and a freewill offering to support the capital campaign of the camp. And it was VERY windy, just like the first Pentecost long ago!

05/25/2026

Today we remember those who gave the ultimately sacrifice.

05/20/2026

With its snow and rain and sunshine, last Sunday reminded us that spring is a season of transition. We saw it clearly in our church family as young people received their new Bibles, beginning a major transition of learning and owning their faith for themselves.

Transitions can feel very uncomfortable and vulnerable. Last Sunday we remembered how the disciples found themselves in a difficult transition, standing right there in the room while eavesdropping on Jesus praying to God about his departure. It must have felt so heavy.
Yet, in this exact moment of anxiety, Jesus prays specifically for his followers. He does not ask that we be removed from the world or protected from its realities, but that we be sustained by the love of the Trinity while remaining right here in the thick of life.

As you navigate your own personal or seasonal transitions this spring, how does it change your perspective to know that Jesus is actively praying for you – for your protection, your well-being, and your peace? Lift up the prayer in the above graphic as you connect with God’s Spirit in the week ahead.

05/18/2026

Messy Church is a great way to meet families and explore faith together! Mark your calendars for Messy Church June 28 at 4:30pm

Messy Church in May was so much fun! Good food and good community! We explored how our words can "taste bitter or sweet." (Proverbs 16: 24). God wants us to use our words to lift up and encourage others!

05/08/2026

As United Methodists, we believe that faith isn't just a boarding pass to a destination called Heaven. Faith is a way of being in a relationship with God and our neighbors right now.

We are perfected in love over time as our lives start to look more like the inclusive table and the foot-washing service of Jesus. While we might not always know where the trail ends, we know exactly who we are following.

The Holy Spirit is ready to get dirty with us as we explore where to plant our lives and grow roots for the kingdom.

If you're feeling unsure during these chaotic days, offer this prayer to God:

Holy Spirit, help me dig into community with the same healing and inclusive love that Jesus showed us. Remind me that our journey is about how we move through the world today, not just where we end up tomorrow. Guide my works so that they may glorify God through everything I do. Amen.

05/05/2026

When we look at the topography of our lives, we often want a clear pin on the map.
We want to know the exact destination so we can avoid every conflict, hardship, or unknown danger. However, Jesus focuses on the directions of our days rather than just the final location. Jesus points the way for us to follow his lead. We don’t have to stay troubled because we have his life as our guide for the journey.

Here's a prayer for you to connect with God this week:

Loving god, thank you for being the way, the truth, and the life. When we are anxious for a tidy map of the future, help us to trust the direction you are pointing us in today. Give us the grace to follow your path of love and self-sacrifice, knowing you are with us on every trail. Amen.

05/01/2026

We often think of religion as a pen meant to keep us trapped or restricted, but Jesus uses the metaphor of a gate to describe a transition into freedom and abundant space. Think of the pure joy of a dog bursting out of a car at a trailhead or the relief of a cat finally finding freedom after being shut away for the night. Jesus does not exist to pen us in; he desires to give us a way to discover rest, care, and the freedom to be exactly who we were created to be: children of God. In a world that sells us a life of abundance based on material things, Jesus offers us an abundant life rooted in spiritual growth and nourishment.

I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. - John 10:9