Covenant Member Update: December 2025
Dear Church Family,
Jesus is the Light of the World.
Not only does this truth imply that there is an inherent darkness to remedy, it also testifies to one of the most stunning qualities of Jesus’ presence—He illuminates everything else simply by showing up. C.S. Lewis once quipped, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” What a gift it is to receive Jesus, our Immanuel, God With Us. He came and “turned on the lights” in our souls, as well as in every square inch of the creation He came to restore.
How are you doing with the illuminating presence of Jesus? It’s easy to prefer the darkness to the light. When the light comes on, it exposes what’s there, in the unmitigated honesty of, “Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it.” Except—in the case of His light—it’s the all-knowing God who declares it. Let the discomfort ensue! But when we begin practicing surrender to the revealing presence of our Lord, our vulnerability becomes our avenue to peace because the Light of the World came to snuff out the darkness. In the end, the darkness cannot overcome the light (John 1:5), no matter how bleak the temporary battle may feel. So let us turn and turn again to the newborn King who showed us what power is for by leveraging His life for the salvation of many. He who is Light, the God of truth Himself, purposed His earthly life to be the very means of our reunion with the Father, right here in the depths of the darkness.
During Advent, I’ve been reading a collection of John Newton’s homilies, which were given in the late 18th century as a reflective tribute to Handel’s Messiah. I’d like to leave you with a snippet from one of those:
That so many persons who would tremble at the thought of being in a ship, driven by the wind and waves, without compass or pilot, should yet think it desirable, if it were possible, to be assured that in a world like this, so full of uncertainty, trouble, and change, all things were left at random, without the interference of a supreme governor. But this enmity, these dark apprehensions are removed, when the Gospel is received by faith. For it brings us the welcome news that there is forgiveness with Him; that God is reconciled in His Son to all who seek His mercy. In this sense, likewise, MESSIAH is Immanuel, God with us, on our side, no longer the avenger of sin but the author of salvation.”
What a beautiful place from which to round out our year and enter a new one. God is with us, not in some ethereal, disconnected sense, but in a gritty and grounded way that orients—if we allow it—our every moment. It’s from this place that I invite you to read the updates and invitations below. It is a joy to journey through life as part of the church family with you all.
INVITATION TO END-OF-YEAR GIVING
Last May, we embarked on our two-year vision, together pursuing our four strategic priorities. To stay on track with the financial component of that vision, we are asking our church family to help us reach a goal of $1.4M by the end of the calendar year. This will allow us to enter 2026 with financial strength, especially as we look to break ground on Phase One of our building project in mid-Spring.
Here’s where we are right now:
- EOY Goal: $1.4M
- Received: $516,311 (37% of total)
- Remaining: $883,689 (63% of total)
Will you prayerfully consider an additional end-of-year gift to Park Church to help move the needle toward our goal? As a reminder, here are the current ways you can give towards the mission of Park Church:
- Online: Log in to your Gyve account or set one up.
- In-Person: Deposit cash or a check in the “Giving” boxes near the back of the foyer and side gallery.
- By Gifting Stock: Please email john@parkchurch.org.
- Cryptocurrency: Please use our Engiven platform.
General information about giving to Park Church can be found at parkchurch.org/give.
UPCOMING GOODNESS:
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES
Wednesday, December 24 • 2:30, 4, & 5:30pm
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (From John 1:14 ESV)
On Christmas Eve, we gather to celebrate the breathtaking news that God is with us—right in the midst of our ordinary lives. Jesus came as the Light of the World, shining into our darkest places. Join us for a candlelight service as we sing, remember, and rejoice in the gift of Emmanuel.
Christmas Eve services will be family services, where children will worship together with their families (activity bags will be provided!). Additionally, as with all our services, the Downstairs Event Space will be open with a video feed of the service and space for kids to roam.
As we’re aware, people typically unaccustomed to church are more open to and even pursuing a Christmas Eve service to attend. Who are the handful of people you could extend an invitation to this week? These could be coworkers, neighbors, family, or friends. Let’s be praying as a church for those who do not yet know the God who is Immanuel, our ever-present Savior to redeem us.
Learn more about Advent 2025 happenings, artwork, and more at our Advent 2025 landing page.
JANUARY SERMON SERIES: FOLLOW HIS WAY OF LIFE—WORK
This January, we are engaging in a four-week series exploring the goodness of work as God designed it, the brokenness of work in a fallen world, the redemption Christ brings into the frustrations and idols of work, and the way our vocations participate in God’s mission of renewal in the world.
Work fills most of our waking lives. We work in offices, classrooms, kitchens, coffee shops, job sites, hospitals, studios, and homes. We work to provide, to build, to create, to serve, to care for others. For many, work is a source of purpose and joy. For others, it is a place of stress, exhaustion, frustration, or confusion. And nearly all of us struggle to understand how our daily work connects to our faith in Jesus.
This series aims to help people see their work — in all forms — as an essential part of Christian discipleship. Our work is not a distraction from spiritual life; it is one of the primary places where the Spirit forms us, where we love our neighbors, and where we join Jesus in His mission to renew all things.
LEADER EQUIP COURSE 2026
Seven Tuesdays: January 20, February 3, 10, & 24; March 10; April 7 & 21 • 6–9pm • Downstairs Event Space • $45/Adult (Covering Meals & Materials)
Leader Equip is a community-based, practice-oriented training designed to help us become more like Jesus and to guide others toward the same vision. Together, we’ll explore six overlapping aspects of how we understand people grow and are transformed over time in the way of Jesus.
Over seven weeks, we’ll gather to share a meal, engage Scripture and theology, discuss what we’re learning, and pursue tangible practices that help orient our lives toward a God-shaped life.
Learn more and register at parkchurch.org/equip.
WELCOME TO THE TEAM!
Tess Koskovich, Communication Coordinator
Tess Koskovich, Communication CoordinatorTess and her husband, Alec, have been part of the Park Church family for almost a decade. Originally from Sedalia, Colorado, Tess is grateful to be a Colorado local! She loves camping, practicing hospitality, and finding joy in thoughtful gift-giving. She earned her bachelor’s in Communication and Event Planning from Metropolitan State University and later completed her Master’s in Communication at the University of Denver—fueling her love for people, connection, and meaningful communication.
Before joining the team at Park, Tess worked for a non-profit dedicated to water stewardship, and she remains passionate about caring for God’s creation. She’s truly thankful for the opportunity to serve more closely within the community she’s been part of for so many years. Tess is especially grateful to come alongside fellow believers and use her communication gifts to help support and advance the mission of Park Church.
Tony Villatoro, Director of Community
Tony accepted the Director of Community position at Park Church just last week! He, his wife Ruthie, and their twin seven-year-olds are from Houston, Texas, where they grew up and have been faithfully serving the church. Tony has served in local church ministry from his teenage years and over the past 15 years has planted and led two churches. His most recent role was pastoring a local congregation of the Sojourn Houston Network in Spring Branch.
We are deeply grateful for Tony and the Villatoro family to be joining us in the new year. Tony brings a rich pastoral presence, a strategic mind, and a passion to see God’s glory spread through God’s people. Please be praying for them as they begin the relocation process and transition to life in Denver. Tony will begin with a hybrid role as they finish out their time in Houston. Look for him on an upcoming Sunday in the new year!
12 THINGS AT CHRISTMAS
Here are 12 quick hits that you may enjoy around the holidays or the start of the new year! Some of them are more “themed,” and others are just kinda cool and perhaps helpful. Idea sharing is idea caring.
- Devotional for the New Year: New Morning Mercies and Everyday Gospel
These are two great options from Paul David Tripp if you’re looking for a simple, pithy, Gospel-centered devotional to help engage with Jesus in the new year. As a counselor, theologian, and pastor, he has a knack for weaving deep truths into the particulars of our lives. - A “Worth Your Time” Book to Read: The Reason for the Church by Brad Edwards
This is less “ecclessiology” and more a winsome articulation of how God’s design for the church is an antidote to our disjointed and angsty cultural moment. It also won Christianity Today’s book of the year. I highly recommend it! - Tech-wise Gift for Active Kids: Kids Fitness Tracker
We searched high and low and a bit sideways to find a wearable activity tracker for our competitive boys that did NOT include games or access to the internet. We finally found one (through a friend). Worth a look if you’re in the market. (And shh, it’s a Christmas gift:) - Heartwarming Movie (with substance): Klaus
It’s been out for a handful of years, so maybe you’ve seen it. Our family keeps coming back to it because of how well the story is told. The storyline pulls in redemptive themes through a playful and “literary license” approach to “the guy in the red suit.” - Long-form Podcast on AI: The Last Invention
Wait, what? This is really good. And told in a compelling way. Andy Mills walks through the origins and current (and ever-evolving) realities of Artificial Intelligence, highlighting the three major camps when it comes to AI: Doomers, Scouts, and Accelerationists. - Practical Outreach Idea: Assemble cold weather “packages”
Here’s a tangible way to love our neighbors who find themselves on the streets that doesn’t involve handing out cash. Whether on your own or with friends/family, tie together a pair of warm socks, a hand warmer, and a soft snack to pass through your window. It gives you the opportunity to ask their name and offer to pray as well! - EOY Reflection: Where Are You?
It’s worth doing a “look back, look forward” around this time each year, whatever that may look like. Here’s one resource we used this past month with our elder and staff teams. Hope it’s helpful! - A Quarterly Magazine: Common Good
There is no shortage of options when it comes to magazines. Here’s one option that does high-level journalism that seeks to integrate the various domains of life in thoughtful and theologically-informed ways. - Advent + Christmas Questions: What? and Why?
If you’re looking for simple ways to drop in the “true meaning of Christmas” (and Advent) during these weeks, here are a few questions you can try out in a sort of call-and-response kind of way. “What are we waiting for during Advent?” “For Jesus to come!” and “Why do we give gifts at Christmas?” “Because Jesus is the greatest gift!” followed by “What makes Jesus the greatest gift?” “Because he brings us back to God!” - A New Playlist: Advent 2025 by She Reads Truth
We’ve enjoyed this one around our home this season. It pulls from a variety of different artists and genres, and even expands the horizon a bit for what may qualify for such a playlist. - Spiritual Practice: Curiosity over criticism
Here’s one for you, especially as we spend more time with family and the dynamics that can emerge in such contexts: Lean in with curiosity over criticism. Instead of framing your thought as an accusation, flip it into a question of wonder that draws out the other person. How might this open up new vistas of conversation and connection? - Christmas Market: Christkindlmarket
It just got ranked as the 9th best Christmas market in the United States! Whether you’ve been before or not, it’s worth checking it out. They are in a new location, so check the details.
BEFORE YOU GO
You can now RSVP for our next Family Meeting! If nothing else, please mark your calendars for Sunday, February 15, from 1–2:45pm. We will share a meal together and celebrate what God is doing by hearing stories from our church family. We will also dedicate part of our time to share specific updates about the building project, including the timeline and more specifics for Phase One. Please prioritize being there if you are able to.
In striped adult Christmas Pajamas,
Neil Long
Executive Pastor
Past Covenant Member Resources
This page is home to Covenant Member updates, Family Meeting recordings, and digital versions of reports, shown from most recent to least.
Covenant Member Update: September 2025
Thursday, September 25, 2025
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Friday, April 11, 2025
As we move through the aching hunger of Lent that flowers into the boisterous feasting of Easter and Eastertide, let us hold fast to both sides—and both lessons—of the tension.
See More ›Covenant Member Update: February 2025
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
We continue to be stunned by God’s kindness. Thanks to His provision and the generosity of this church family, our end-of-year giving came in at $295,000 over budget!
See More ›Covenant Member Update: November 2024
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Around this time of year, many of us brace ourselves for the onslaught of holiday happenings—some welcomed, some not so much. Here’s an invitation to pause.
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Sunday, August 25, 2024
What does it mean for a human person to flourish? What is required to experience the "life and life to the full" Jesus has designed for us?
See More ›Covenant Member Update: March 2024
Friday, March 22, 2024
We’re now a few Sundays into the season of Lent. As we’ll often say around Park, we seek to be instructed by church tradition, never ruled by it.
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Monday, October 23, 2023
Whenever the people of God (that is, the church) come together on a Sunday or in a Gospel Community, we can be understood as the "church gathered," people gathered to worship God and grow together.
See More ›Covenant Member Update: July 2023
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
In 2008 a couple dozen people gathered in a Highlands basement for a weekly Bible study with the hopes of joining God in a movement toward Gospel renewal in Denver.
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Sunday, May 21, 2023
Covenant Member Update: April 2023
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
A tension runs throughout my life that's arguably nowhere more pronounced than during this time of year. Maybe you can relate. I desire for my life to be oriented around and structured toward the voice and presence of Jesus. When asked what determines my priorities, my time, my thought life, I want my answer to be a perpetual, "the personal triune God, of course"...
See More ›Family Meeting: February 12, 2023
Sunday, February 12, 2023
A time for Covenant Members to celebrate what God is doing, pray over what He may do next, and share a meal together.
See More ›Covenant Member Update: December 2022
Sunday, December 18, 2022
Covenant Member Update: December 2025 Dear Church Family, Jesus is the Light of the World. Not only does this truth […]
See More ›Family Meeting: November 14, 2022
Monday, November 14, 2022
Family Meetings are a time for Covenant Members and members in-process to look back on God's kindness, get updates on where we are now, and look forward to what God will do in the months and years to come.
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Semester Update Booklet: Fall 2022
Monday, November 14, 2022
This report was handed out at our Family Meeting on November 14, 2022.
See More ›Covenant Member Update: October 2022
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Our elders and staff routinely sit back in awe at God's kindness at Park Church. The past year or so has introduced heartache we never wished for, some of which was self-wrought. We’re humbled and yet remain grateful. We’re humbled by what we now see but didn't before (and are still learning). We’re humbled and grateful at how God has preserved us with such remarkable grace to be where we are right now. And we’re incredibly grateful we have the privilege to pastor and minister within a church family that includes each of you. Thank you for your continued presence, care, and investment.
See More ›An Update on the Basement
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
If you've been downstairs at the Park Church building in the last year, you've noticed the plastic sheeting, the scaffolding, and the bare concrete...
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Christian Practices Survey Report: August 2022
Thursday, September 1, 2022
This survey was conducted mid-service on Sunday, August 21, 2022 at Park Church as a part of our annual Mission series. Responses were collected anonymously through an online form and paper response sheets. This report exists to make the results accessible to our congregation for discussion and growth.
See More ›Sunday Worship Gathering Updates
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Earlier this week the Denver County Health Department issued a Public Health order requiring masks at all indoor public gatherings. Starting this Sunday, November 28th, we will be requiring masks at all Park Church gatherings.
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Wednesday, November 3, 2021
Through the broken body and shed blood of Jesus, those who trust in Him are ushered into covenant relationship with the Triune God and with the spiritual family He has created...
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Annual Report: 2022–2021
Monday, October 25, 2021
This report was handed out at our Family Meeting on October 25, 2021.
See More ›Sunday Worship Gathering Updates
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
It has been a gift to gather in-person again after a long and often lonely season. We are so thankful for this, yet we also recognize that this pandemic is not over. We are all working through how to live in that difficult tension...
See More ›Sunday Worship Gathering Updates
Wednesday, May 19, 2021
We are encouraged by recent announcements from the CDC and the City of Denver that vaccinated people can go without wearing masks in most indoor and all outdoor environments.
See More ›Family Meeting, January 31 2021
Sunday, January 31, 2021
A panel of Park Church staff and members discussed Park Church Downtown and responded to questions.
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