Asbury United Methodist Church Methodist Memos January 2019
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Grace and peace to you all in the name of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I pray that your Christmas was one filled with family, fun and food but most of all, with the presence of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus as you celebrated his birth. I can hardly believe that we are about to begin the year 2019. As many of you know, when I started in ministry with Gail, she asked me to promise that I would retire at age 65. For if I didn t make that promise, she knew I would keep on in ministry till I was forced out. Although with her health needs as they are, I would have needed to retire anyway. I am not one to look back, but at the close of my last full year in the pulpit, I began to reminisce. In thirty years, I have performed close to 100 weddings and over 750 funerals, numerous baptisms and have taken in more members than I can remember. I have preached over 13,500 sermons. Attended about 3,200 Church council meetings, not to mention all the other committee meetings and seventeen mission trips. That s enough about the past. Life for me is not so much about what we have done as it is about what we are doing and what we are going to do. 2019 is just another year of opportunities for bringing glory to God. It can be a great year in the life of the church and community if we strive to follow the will of God. What are our plans and goals for the coming year? I look forward to our ecumenical Lenten Services this year, I
plan on doing another mission trip to KMBC and hope that many of you will come along. We plan to have the KMBC singing group up early this summer so that I can enjoy them once again. Also, I have a good friend that sings in a southern gospel group that we are going to get on the schedule in the early spring. We will have Bible Study each Wednesday as this is a great opportunity to grow in the knowledge and understanding of the Lord and his Word. No matter what you take part in over the next six months, I can promise you this; I will be praying for you all to grow in Christ s love, that you may be filled with his Spirit and bring glory to God through all that you do and say. Your brother in Christ, Pastor Gary
PRAYER CONCERNS Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. Psalm 33:12 PRAYER LIST FOR SERVICE PERSONNEL Keenan Bayus National Guard Cort Mukina Army (NC) Antonio Ewings Marines (VA) Gail Donaldson, Helen Shamp, and our shut-ins & friends Our deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Marian Breon, who passed from this life on December 15, 2018. Our deepest sympathy is extended to Floyd Orr and family on the passing of Floyd s sister, Edna Hawley, Edna passed from this life on December 20, 2018.
SUNDAY SCHOOL 8:45 a.m. WORSHIP 10:00 a.m. Children ages 5-10 may go to Children s Church in Room #202 after Children s Time during Worship Children under age 5 may go to the nursery NURSERY Jan 6 Carrie Shamp; Denise Kinzig Jan 13 Paula McKenzie; Stephanie McKinney Jan 20 Denise Kinzig; Carrie Shamp Jan 27 Stephanie McKinney; Paula McKenzie If you are interested in being a nursery volunteer, please contact Carrie Shamp (504-2013). ACOLYTES Jan 6 Allison Yard; Gabe Williams Jan 13 Carly Dahlkemper; Lillie Kehl Jan 20 Evelin Yard; Gabe Williams Jan 27 Lacey Dahlkemper; Lillie Kehl
GREETERS Jan 6 1-Bekka Stull 3-Annice Harris Jan 13 1-Terri Schneider 3-Brenda Williams Jan 20 1-Judy Cochran 3-Ron Eliason Jan 27 1-Jean Seaman 3-Ron Eliason 2-Paula Harris 2-Daryl Williams 2-Trudy Brown 2-Sue Eliason If you are interested in being a greeter, please contact Doreen Gray (860-1053). We will be Celebrating Communion on January 6, 2019
Attendance Sunday School Worship Receipts Expenses Paid Faith Promise 12/2 26 139 4,149.00 235.00 12/9 25 125 2,690.00 6,962.41 55.00 12/16 21 126 14,130.00 2,060.00 12/23 34 190 3,325.26 255.00 12/24 240 3,711.75 8,862.30 20.00 12/30 TOTAL TO DATE 28,006.01 15,824.71 2,625.00 2019 W. PA Conference Connectional Apportionments: $21,559.00 November Penny Collection: $156.00 Paid to date: 00.00 Balance: 21,559.00 FAITH PROMISE GIFTS: Use the red and white envelopes in the pew for your Faith Promise gifts or clearly mark a regular envelope Faith Promise, otherwise your gift may not go to its proper designation. We want to make sure your contribution is handled correctly.
DEVOTIONS SMALL GROUP SUNDAYS at 4:00 p.m. GOLDEN AGE Meeting 12 Noon January 9 th and January 23 rd Bible Study Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.
Want to know more about the Bible? Want to make new friends? Join us Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. for Sunday School! The Education Committee will be hosting breakfast at 8:00 a.m. the first Sunday of each month. January 6 th will be potatoes, sausage, scrambled eggs with toppings bar, coffee, tea, juice, milk Parents bring your kids, kids bring your parents, or come by yourself. All Are Welcome! Classes for all ages: preschool, grade school, pre-teens, teens, adult and ladies classes.
Join Us After Worship Sunday, January 6 th For a Great Time of Fellowship at Our GOOD LUCK LUNCHEON! The Nurture Committee will provide the meat. Please bring a dish to share! Everyone is Welcome! Brought to you by The Nurture Committee
THANK YOU Thank you to everyone who had a hand in helping out this Christmas season. Whether it was decorating the sanctuary for Advent, helping with the Colonial Christmas Bake Sale, packing shoeboxes, being involved with the Living Nativity, the gifts for the kids through the food pantry, the children s program, the chancel and bell choirs, the greeters, ushers, acolytes, and worship leaders. God Bless you all! WATERFORD FOOD PANTRY The Waterford Food Pantry is currently helping around 100 families and is in need of the following items: soup, crackers, peanut butter. Please consider bringing in one or more of the items or any non-perishable food items and placing them in the baskets marked Food Pantry. (Please make sure the items are not out of date.) ALTAR FLOWERS If you wish to have altar flowers on the altar on a Sunday morning, there is an altar flower chart on the bulletin board in the narthex. Please write if you want a vase, basket or single rose and what you would like printed in that Sunday s bulletin or you may call the church office at 796-6012. The price of altar flowers for 2019 is $25.00 for a vase or basket and $4.95 for a single rose bud. Clearly mark your offering envelope altar flowers.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD The world s largest Christmas project of its kind, Operation Christmas Child (OCC), uses gift-filled shoeboxes to share God s love in a tangible way for needy children around the world. For the month of January, we are in need of hats, gloves & scarves for OCC. There are boxes in the Narthex and Welcome Area for the items (or any other item you may wish to give). THANK YOU Thank you for all the cards, prayers and well wishes. Dewey & Kim Kinnear
Building a community of Hope, Strength and Love Church Office Hours 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday CHURCH STAFF Pastor: Rev. Gary K. Donaldson (Office) 796-6012 (Cell) 412-310-6897 Administrative Assistant: Stacey Myers 796-6012 Pianist/Organist: Shirley Ruth French Chancel Choir Director: Martha Schrimper 796-6236 Custodian: Dina Kehl Preschool: 796-2514