What’s Your Why?

We asked the Heart of Longmont congregation: Why do you choose to make Heart of Longmont United Methodist Church your church home? Is it the people? The programs we have? Our outreach to the community? The worship? What does Heart of Longmont meant to you? Here are some of the answers we received!

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The people, our outreach to the community, Rev. David Burt’s sermons, God’s House Band.
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I discovered the Heart of Longmont when we moved back here five years ago. This church drew me in immediately because of its open-mindedness, music program, outreach, and warmth.
I’ve been asked to share the “why” I’m a member of the Heart of Longmont.

I’d like to share pieces of the life of Pastor O. A. Gayley (known as Dad Gayley) with you. As he grew up in Hamilton, Illinois, he became frail and the doctor suggested a higher, drier climate. At 18, he climbed down from the train at Kit Carson, Colorado. He took up being a cowboy from Colorado to Wyoming, holding tight to his Christian faith that he learned from his mother to become a Pastor in the EUB Church at Leroy, Colorado, east of Sterling.

I grew up in the Evangelical United Brethren church in the northeastern corner of Colorado as a preacher’s kid. In 1968 when my dad, Reverend Raymond Scott, was Pastor of the church in Johnstown, it became the first United Methodist Church this side of the Mississippi joining the Methodists and EUB Church. After high school for the next 40 years, despite growing up a preacher’s son, knowing right from wrong, I chose my path and God allowed my education and learning of life without God first to leave a great impression on me. Fast forward to 2013. God led me back. God leads us back to where we need to be. Dad Gayley’s faith led him to be where he needed to be as a good and wonderful pastor. God has led me back to be a part of the Heart of Longmont to learn, grow, and to be a better disciple of Christ.

The first Sunday I attended here, I sat on the right side, 5th pew back, 3rd seat in. Little did I know at the time God’s humor and plan. That pew happened to have been used by the Hand, Noble, Ward, and Malchow Families for many years prior to my arrival. Today I remain firmly rooted in that family pew. And as many as will fit may join us there.

As I watched, joining in the church and its missions, I saw and remain amazed at the giving/supportive/heartfelt disciples that make up the Heart of Longmont. During my first years you fed the homeless, sheltering them at times, financially supported the church’s missions sending youth on trips to help disaster relief here and now abroad, helped build habitat houses and so much more.

I’m the one blessed to be here at the Heart of Longmont learning from you God’s Great Disciples and Pastor David Burt of course!!!

This is why Heart Of Longmont matters to me.

You the Parishioners and Guests of this church make the Heart of Longmont the giving, everyone is accepted and loved example of God’s Disciples at work. You are awesome, Good and Faithful Servants. Thank you.

Karl Scott

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The Heart of Longmont has forged a path of accepting all people regardless of color, gender, sexual orientation, race, or economic standing. We recognize everyone as a child of God. This is why I have made HoL my church.
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♥ of Longmont is my church home because being raised in the church made it feel like home. Now that I’m a mom, I need to center myself in heartfelt reflection and find that here on Sundays. I also hope my son can find the same sense of welcome and belonging.
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People!! Cousins!! Choir!! Pastor Burt!!

Community Service

Adherence to the teachings of love, compassion, tolerance, and forgiveness that Christ came to share.

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Not formal and pretentious.

I feel the Spirit here.

Approve of LGBTQ position – it’s important.

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Community: “friendly campfire”

Service: uplifting, parables for today

Climate: Wesleyan Quadrilateral

“What would John Wesley do” in the throes of the Industrial Revolution, or in the emerging Global Village McLuhan described, and what happens when people—at the grass-roots level—are no longer isolated but talking to each other with its ensuing disagreements and conflicts—internal and external—are no longer limited to TV news reports but impact our local communities. Leading us to ask the question in our church communities, “Would Jesus be a Christian today?” HoL is not afraid to address this question.

I am Emily Farrenkopf and I am the Youth Director here. The most obvious reason why I am a member here is that I am paid to be here.  But there is so much more than that.

I grew up in a traditional Roman Catholic Church. Mass was spoken in Latin and women and girls had to have long dresses and head coverings. My parents appreciated critical thinking, so though my religious upbringing was strict at church, at home I was allowed to ask questions.

After being homeschooled through third grade, I went to Longmont Christian School from fourth to tenth grade. At church, we spoke Latin, at school we spoke in tongues! I definitely was exposed to a wide range of religious expression!!

To make a long story shorter, HoL provides a space of worship somewhere in the middle.

I babysat for Dawn Desai since her now college-aged son was two! Over the years, she always invited me to her church and to apply to be the youth director. Five years ago, I was working nights as a waitress and days at Colorado State University. And I was tired. I kept praying for a new opportunity. One day, I had so much peace about turning in my notice at TR, even though I didn’t know how I’d make it. The same night I turned in my notice, Dawn emailed me the Youth Director position. I applied and here I am.

God prepared a place for me here and opened the door I prayed for. I stay because I believe in this church. I belong, I am welcomed, I am supported, and I love my youth more than anyone can ever know.

Emily Farrenkopf

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History and Family

Community

Vision for the Future

Part of the greater connectional church

Open and affirming (reconciling)

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The warmth extended to everyone.

The community and global missions outreach.

The Sunday School program.

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People – AND the acceptance of ALL!
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Message

Learning about Christ

Volunteer opportunities

Outreach

Of course the people

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All of the above. I also like the different music played – traditional and God’s House Band. Cynthia is incredible. We aren’t told what to think – “where faith and reason are compatible”. Rev. David’s messages are meaningful.
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When I came here ten years ago we had just moved to Longmont. This church was close to my home. I recognized someone from AARP driving class and he was so friendly. I thought this might be a welcoming church and it was. I was invited to a Circle and made to feel welcome and I liked the preaching and traditional service. It was not a church of cliques.
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The Youth Leaders, Emily and Brandt, have had such a positive impact on my children and as parents we are so lucky to have other adults love and encourage our children with open hearts! Also, we really love the passion and positive message Pastor David brings every week to his sermon and his life.
Good Morning!

My name is Jo Lloyd. A few weeks ago, Karl Scott asked me if I would be willing to share my “why”. As I began to think about why I choose to make the Heart of Longmont my church home, so many different things came to my mind.

My Christian story begins in a small Wisconsin town in a Roman Catholic home. I attended Catholic grade school and went to Mass six days a week. (Mass was part of the Catholic school curriculum.) I never really got much out of the service because it was in Latin and the priest’s back faced the congregation. As I reached the upper grades it became clear to me there were too many rules that didn’t make sense and it seemed you weren’t allowed to think for yourself. Needless to say, when I left home to attend college, that was the last time I went to Mass and I was un-churched for the next thirty-six years.

Our son, at the age of thirty, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (a parent’s worst nightmare), and was given a 15% chance of survival. I began to pray for his recovery and begged God to spare his life. It was a very scary and dark time in my life. I even made a pact with God, if he let my son live, I would strive to be a better person for the rest of my life.

It took this traumatic event for me to begin to realize I was missing something in my life. A friend (who sits in Pew 3) asked if she could put our son’s name on the prayer list at her church and she invited me to come to worship. This began my “why”.

My church family has helped me through some very tough times–my mother’s passing and the unexpected death of my beloved husband—and I’m forever grateful for that.

I choose to give my time, talents, as well as monetarily to my church because I believe in what we do inside these walls as well as in our community and around the world. Sunday worship is very important to me. I treasure the fellowship, the contemporary and traditional music, Reverend David’s inspirational messages, and weekly communion. It sustains me throughout the week.

This past June, our son celebrated the thirteen-year anniversary of his successful stem cell transplant. I will be forever grateful to God and my church family and I will do my best to keep my end of the bargain I made with God some fourteen years ago.

I think John Wesley’s famous quote really says it all:

“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

Jo Lloyd

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All are welcome and critical thinking is encouraged.

Pastor David’s powerful preaching and authenticity.

The focus on music of all kinds.

The powerful and strong youth who give me hope for a future.

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The Heart of Longmont means family to me. As a family, we nurture each other, but reach out to others in need in our community and throughout the world. Heart of Longmont is a loving, giving community of believers.
Hello, my name is Kaiden Bone. My parents started coming here a few months before I was born, but enough about me. What I am really up here to talk about is what this church means to me. This church means a lot to me because of what has happened here to make me feel welcome. This church means a lot to me because of the nice people who welcome me every week. Also, the Youth group program is just phenomenal. It has helped me see how fun church can be. I love how all of my friends that come here also like it too. I think the reason that they like it is because we get to learn about what the Bible is and what chapters are in the Bible. Learning about the Bible teaches me what happened in history. I like to learn about history because it’s fun and knowledge of history is important. Even though I have not been here for as long as others in this church, I have still had many memories here. Thank you for your time!!!!!
Kaiden Bone

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The people are primary. (I wish there were more.) I also appreciate the community outreach.
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Belief that all are children of God and are openly welcomed.

You show up in the community as God’s “hands and feet” as opposed to only giving money.

Youth group.

Good Morning, I’m Karl Scott. I spoke last month of Dad Gayley who arrived in Colorado at 18 to work – being a cowboy and then a Ford Model A mechanic. He still was unsettled until he said yes to God’s calling. He entered the ministry being recommended by the Evanston Evangelical Church which became the EUB church.

His first church was the Evangelical Church at Leroy, Colorado. His ministry, much like this church, involved helping God’s children in need. He participated in roundups, harvesting crops and being the church circuit minister serving rural northeastern Colorado churches. He had the invocation at my Aunt Ilas 8th grade graduation at Harding grade school as she put it “in the middle of nowhere near Leroy, Colorado.”

Fast forward about 20 years, his oldest son Richard Gayley and my dad attended seminary together in Naperville, Illinois, becoming best friends for the rest of their lives. Dad Gayley was like the grandfather that I didn’t have and set an example of following God’s direction for my life, that I eventually listened to.

God has a plan. Here we are doing God’s work just like Dad Gayley. The Heart of Longmont reaches out to the needy children of God’s kingdom. You, the disciples of this church, are accepting of everyone as a unique child of God. And by doing so, are living by example of God’s love.

All of this creates in me the desire to be the BEST I can, doing WHAT I can, right here WHERE I can, every chance I get to do God’s will. Because, you, Heart of Longmont, have led by example. You have shown me that it takes all of our different skills, talents, time, resources, and willingness of working together to achieve our church’s missions.

Next month we will be starting the giving commitments and there will be a capital improvement next year to continue the important work we do here at this church. Everyone’s support is needed for both of these efforts.

I have wandered on my own path and now with God’s grace I have found my church home, here, surrounded by a family of disciples giving, showing and living their faith here and now.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

Karl Scott

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I feel like I found my church family. Pastor David is great. Love his sermons. Great music, choir, and love the bells.
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This church program gives me joy!

Why am I here at the Heart of Longmont? I came here nearly 10 years ago looking for a church. I was new in town. I knew no one. Yes, I felt rather lost. I was welcomed into this church. People actually talked with me. I was accepted for who I was even though my opinions did not always agree with others. Most people appreciate the work that I have done for the church through Kids Hope and the Outreach Committee.

I have been nurtured in my spiritual journey by those in my Sunday class and by our pastor. I am deeply grateful for the love and acceptance that I have received from the Congregation.

Jan Timmons

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I have been a member of Heart of Longmont for many years. Each and every Sunday morning, when I leave from worship, I feel happiness and ready for the day ahead. Our church is full of smiles, love, and warmth. What a treasure our church is. And the sermons are awesome!

Get in Touch

350 11th Avenue

Longmont, CO 80501

(303) 776 - 3523

office@heartoflongmont.org

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Join us for worship

every Sunday at 10 am.

All are welcome!