Plan Your Visit
visit Littleton United Methodist ChurchSundays at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
Join us for More Than Coffee: Fellowship every Sunday at 9:45 a.m.
Our Mission & Vision
Our vision and mission is to help connect people to faith
Welcome! Established in 1890, LUMC has been a foundational force within Littleton. We are an inclusive community of faith, accepting people as they are, growing toward fullness of life with God’s creation through living the teachings of Jesus Christ: Love, Justice, Acceptance and Hope.
Join us in person in the Sanctuary at 8:30 or 11:00 A.M., or online for worship at 11:00 A.M. on Sundays, with replays available later in the week. Replays include the whole service, or you may watch just the anthem or message.
Together we rise
Life becomes an unbearable burden whenever we lose touch with the presence of a loving Savior and see only hunger to be alleviated, injustice to be addressed, violence to be overcome, wars to be stopped, and loneliness to be removed. All these are critical issues, and Christians must try to solve them; however, when our concern no longer flows from our personal encounter with the living Christ, we feel oppressive weight.
Many of us try to get out from underneath by saying “I have enough problems in keeping my own family and work going. Please do not burden me with the problems of the world. They only make me feel guilty and remind me of my powerlessness.” We no longer participate in the full human reality, choosing instead to isolate ourselves in that corner of the world where we feel relatively safe. We may still say our fearful prayers, but we have forgotten that true prayer embraces the whole world, not just the small part where we live.”
In the midst of the overwhelming nature of the world right now, may we be first attentive to our relationship with Christ. There, we find that we can share the many burdens of the world and be reminded that, as heavy as they are, we do not carry them alone. And we are reminded that our lives – as people of faith – are part of a tapestry which both encompasses and responds to the pain and need of the world.
– excerpts from the collection The Only Necessary Thing, edited by Wendy Wilson Greer
Who We Are
Our Team & Leadership
Littleton United Methodist’s leadership and worship team is a group of seasoned, experienced, and educated professionals devoted to serving their community. Our leadership staff hold a variety of post-graduate degrees, our clergy leaders hold doctorates, and our children’s director holds licensed education degrees. Our staff are focused on investing their time, energy, and resources not only into our congregation and faith community, but also into our greater neighborhood and community at large.
Our Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. Tezenlo Thong
Senior Pastor
Reverend Dr. Tezenlo Thong (pronounced Dee-Zeng-Low Tong) was born and grew up in Nagaland and came to the US with his family a month before 9/11. He and his family spent two years in Kansas City, KS, where Tezenlo received a master’s degree. They later moved to Denver, where Tezenlo attended the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology and received a Ph.D. degree (focusing on Indigenous Cultures and Religious Traditions).
In addition to serving churches in his homeland, he has also served churches in mainland India, South Korea and here in the US. Tezenlo and his wife, Eunjung Han (who grew up in Seoul, South Korea), have three adult children and they are excited and eagerly looking forward to becoming a part of the faith community here at Littleton UMC!
Rev. Dr. Tezenlo Thong
Senior Pastor
Rev. Mary MacDonald
Associate Pastor
Dr. David Kates
Director of Music Ministries
Lisa Perkins
Director of Children's Ministries
Michelle Lowe
Director of Great Escape ELC
More Information Soon
Director of Youth Ministries
Kristyn Johnson
Director of Office Administration
Ben Corwyn
Organist/Pianist
Our Beliefs & Values
As United Methodists, we believe in a triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who has mercy and love for all people. We use four guides to understand and explain our faith: scripture, tradition, reason and experience.
We believe we are part of the church universal and that we, along with other Christian denominations, are authentic witnesses of God through Jesus Christ. We live this out in Baptism as we accept the validity of Baptism of other Christian denominations. We also live this out in our practice of the Open Table at Holy Communion where all persons are welcome as they seek to follow Christ and live in peace with their neighbor.
Faith is necessary for the Christian Life and is received through God’s grace and is seen and experienced through acts of piety and mercy. Faith without works does not exist.
We welcome you wherever you are on your faith journey, and we invite you to grow spiritually toward full humanity through the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We encourage you to become an active part of our faith community through your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.
the united methodist tradition
The United Methodist Church is descended from the band of believers who followed the lead of John and Charles Wesley in their early ministry, and has evolved to became one of the largest Protestant churches in the world with 12.4 million global members today.
scripture
The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) and twenty-seven in the New Testament. These books were written over a one-thousand-year period in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke), and Greek.
We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible were thoughtfully used by faithful people, tested by faith, proven by experience, and that these books have become sacred; they’ve become our rule for faith and practice.
We say that God speaks to us through the Bible and that it contains all things necessary for salvation. This authority derives from three sources:
- We hold that the writers of the Bible were inspired by God, that they were filled with God’s Spirit as they wrote the truth to the best of their knowledge.
- We hold that God was at work in the process of canonization, during which only the most faithful and useful books were adopted as Scripture.
- We hold that the Holy Spirit works today in our thoughtful study of the Scriptures, especially as we study them together, seeking to relate the old words to life’s present realities.
The Bible’s authority is, therefore, nothing magical. For example, we do not open the text at random to discover God’s will. Rather, we read and study Scripture within its original context (as much as possible) to seek an understanding of its timeless message. The authority of Scripture derives from the movement of God’s Spirit in times past and in our reading of it today.
tradition & sacraments
The early church created the Christian Year so the whole message of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ would be heard throughout the year.
The United Methodist Church recognizes two sacraments, baptism and communion. These two acts have a special place in the church because Jesus commanded them and participated in them. Baptism marks the beginning of our lifelong journey as disciples of Jesus Christ. Communion nourishes and sustains us on the journey.
salvation
Second Corinthians 5:17 provides a beautiful reminder of God’s saving action through Christ. In faith we are made new. The old has gone. The new has come. The following verses teach that in faith we become Christ’s ambassadors, offering others the ministry of reconciliation.
Wesley carried this idea forward, noting that we are not just saved from our sins, but that we are saved for the holy work of offering God’s grace to others. Our salvation is not solely about a future condition, but is also about current reality. We are saved for the purpose of revealing God’s grace.
grace
The Bible teaches us that everything we have from God is given because of God’s great love for us. “You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith,” Ephesians 2 reads. “This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of” (Ephesians 2:8-9 CEB).
United Methodists recognize God’s grace at work throughout our spiritual journeys. John Wesley, the historic founder of the Methodist movement, wrote and preached about the role of God’s grace to prepare us, redeem us, and continually shape us into the people we were created to be.
Learn more about God’s amazing grace at work in our lives.
– Sr Pastor Tom Barlow
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you open for in-person gatherings and worship?
Yes! We have always followed the guidance and discretion of both the Tri-Country Health directives and the Mountain Sky Conference of the United Methodist Church in determining what is the safest approach in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. As of now, our facilities are open for gatherings and worship. We will keep you informed if that should change in the future developments of the pandemic.
Can I watch a sermon after the original worship time?
Absolutely! Our worship content, including sermons, anthems, Children's Messages, and devoltionals are all available in chronological order at lumc.tv.
What is the Church's position on LGBTQ inclusion?
The Church affirms that all people are of sacred worth and are equally valuable in the sight of God. It is committed to be in ministry with all people. The Church “implores families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends.”
Underlying this is the constitutional principle of inclusiveness of the church. Everyone is welcome to worship and actively participate in the life of our churches. Laypersons may become members and live out their faith through their local church without respect to sexual orientation or practice.
Is childcare provided during worship?
Yes! Our Children's Ministries and Children's/Youth church provide Nursery childcare for ages 0-3, Sunday School for ages 3-12, and Youth Group for ages 13-18. All are welcome!
How do I reach out for prayer requests or for clergY services?
Need the support of prayer? Submit a prayer request online, give us a call, or reach out to Rev. Amos Kariuki, our Associate Pastor, for support. We look forward to supporting you and holding you up in prayer.
How do United Methodists observe the christian calendar?
With other Christians, The United Methodist Church celebrates the special days of the Christmas season (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany) and the Easter season (Lent, Easter, Pentecost).
Other special Christian days fall during Ordinary Time, including Trinity Sunday, All Saints' Day and Christ the King Sunday.
Find out more about these special times of the year.
Do you accept donations for families in need?
While we appreciate your generosity, we are unable to accept donations of shoes, clothing, furniture, or medicine bottles. Please contact Love INC, a Littleton-based non-profit who repurposes these items for familes in need.
Does LUMC participate in a giftcard program?
LUMC no longer hands out gift cards to anyone, for any reason. The gift card program was disbanded many years ago. For Littleton area resources for shelters, food or other help, please click here. You can also check out our sister organization, Break Bread, for a free delivery or to-go hot meal every Wednesday and Saturday from 4-5.