Convention, adult prayer groups and ministries, and children’s and youth programs.
The Diocese also plans camps, conferences, picnics, tutoring sessions, Sunday
schools, pageants, classes and parent-child retreats throughout the year.
METHODIST
At least 47 Colorado churches are members of the Rocky Mountain Conference of
the United Methodist Church, which
includes Colorado, Utah and southeastern
Wyoming. Considered a part of the western jurisdiction of the United Methodist
Church, the Western Jurisdiction
Conference holds meetings for members
every four years for fellowship, worship,
and taking care of official church business.
The Rocky Mountain Conference offers
youth, young adult, men and women’s ministries; camping, music and worship arts;
leadership training; the church and society
ministries; mission volunteers; global and
native ministries; and networking grants. In
addition, the Conference Council on
Retreats and Camps of the Rocky Mountain
Conference hosts camps and retreats for
church members. Community service ministries in Denver and other urban areas
include support for HIV/AIDS, among other
community needs.
MORMON
There are about 60,000 Mormons in the
Denver-Boulder- Greeley, Colorado
Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area
(CMSA). The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints operates the Denver
Colorado Temple, which serves members
from 29 stakes (territorial jurisdictions) in
Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota and
Kansas. Opened in 1986, the 29, 117
square-foot temple is located on 7. 5 acres
in Centennial, Colorado and offers four
ordinance rooms and six sealing rooms.
Family History Centers in the metro
Denver area, which are branches of the
Family History Library in Salt Lake City,
Utah, give church members access to
genealogy information. There are 52 fam-
ily history centers in Colorado, and 12
are located in the metro Denver area.
OTHER FAITHS AND
SPIRITUAL SUPPORT
The metro Denver area also offers options
for a number of other Christian and non-Christian faiths, including Greek Orthodox,
Lutheran, Pentecostal, Presbyterian,
Seventh-Day Adventist, and Unitarian
Universalist, as well as a number of non-denominational churches. All of these faiths
offer opportunities to worship, religious
education, community volunteerism and
support, and participation in specific faith-based events, such as conferences and
community gatherings.
The Colorado Council of Churches
includes 19 churches of varying faiths,
such as Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal,
Lutheran, Methodist, nondenominational,
Presbyterian and Unitarian Universalist. The
council organizes events, such as the annual Easter sunrise service, to unite the metro
Denver area’s different faiths in worship.
The council also seeks to provide affordable housing, respond to any hate-based
activity, support youth ministry, and work
toward a more peaceful and healing
approach to the criminal justice system by
bringing victims, community members and
offenders together. In addition, the council
serves as a way to help member churches
reach out to the Colorado legislature on
proposed bills that address affordable
housing, criminal/restorative justice, education, the environment, poverty, racism
and other forms of abuse.
NON-CHRISTIAN FAITHS
Metro Denver also offers a number of non-Christian faith and worship opportunities,
including Bahá’í, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish,
Muslim, Jain, Sikh, Tao, and Zoroastrian.
BAHÁ’Í
There are 18 Bahá’í congregations that
serve the Denver-Boulder-Greeley, Colorado
CMSA. The Bahá’í Center of Metro Denver
offers classes, concerts, prayer groups,
workshops, interfaith meetings, and other
gatherings. The Center also operates a
bookstore for those interested in learning
more about the Bahá’í faith.
BUDDHIST
The Denver Buddhist Cultural Society runs
the Fo Guang Shan Temple of Colorado
that is dedicated to the cultivation of spiritual development for Buddhists as well as the
propagation and promotion of Chinese culture and the fostering of cultural exchange
between Eastern and Western cultures.
The temple offers areas for meditation,
meetings and social functions, as well as
a library, dining hall and other facilities.
Study groups, lectures and classes are
offered at the temple. The Society also
formed a Colorado Youth Group in 2000
to promote positive activity and experiences among Buddhist youth.
Through the Buddha’s Light International
Association and other groups in Colorado,
many activities, classes and events are available throughout the region including dinners,
volunteer opportunities, classes for traditional
areas of study, vegetarian cooking classes,
Tai Chi, Shao-Lin Kung Fu and yoga. The
Buddha Dharma Education Association
( www.buddhanet.net) is a good resource on
Buddhism and for locations of Buddhist temples and groups.
HINDU
The Hindu Temple of Colorado provides a
forum for worship and celebrations and for
cultural, religious and spiritual development
activities based on Hindu, Vedic and
Sanatan-Dharma tradition. The International
Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON) is also located in Denver and
holds several annual events, including festivals presenting dramas, bharat natyam
dancing, bhajans, and other programs. The
Society also offers a free vegetarian feast
on Sunday evenings that is open to the general public. The Boulder Krishna House in
nearby Boulder also offers Saturday
