The Midweek Wednesday, February 22, 2017 From the desk of our Pastors... It was very exciting for me to see the successful launch of the Space X Falcon over the past weekend from the same complex at Kennedy Space Center that was the site for the Apollo 11 liftoff. What was most interesting to me however was not the fact that the flight went so well but that the rocket reentered the atmosphere and landed back in perfect position. The engineering, science and technology that it took to make that happen boggles my mind. Humanity is capable of so much. We put people and machines into space. Our work to improve medical technology and pharmaceuticals is keeping people safer and helping them live longer. I could spend hours documenting our advances in all types of industries and areas and still not come close to making a comprehensive list. But as much as we have done we can t hold a candle to all that the Lord has done and can do. We may visit the stars but He created the stars. We study medicine to learn how to heal people and yet God is the great physician, capable of healing anything if it be His will. We educate ourselves and spend years learning but will never have even the smallest amount of wisdom that the Creator has. How very wonderful is it that God is the Great I Am and the source of all power, wisdom and strength and yet He also loves us with such tenderness and
mercy that He sent His only Son? We are a blessed people. In Exodus 3 the Lord appears to Moses at the burning bush and Moses is called to deliver Israel from bondage and the Lord identifies Himself for all generations. In Exodus 3:14 it reads, And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM, and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. Let s give glory to God that He is the Great I AM in our lives. On Sunday, February 26th the Dixieland Band will be playing at the 11:00 a.m. service. 2
From the desk of our Conference Director Vicki.. Listen to your Heartbeat Many years ago, my son, Eli, took dance lessons. He had seen his sister dance and wanted to dance, too. He participated in the classes for about seven or eight years, beginning when he was four. One day after school, he did not want to go to dance class. He was not sick and since we paid for the class, I wanted him to go. But, I knew making him go would not help. He might then go to class, but not participate. So, I told him that sometimes eating dark chocolate helped me face a difficult task. I had Doves dark chocolate, which comes in individually wrapped pieces, making it easier to control portions. (To this day, I eat three small Dove pieces a day, usually in the afternoon.) The wrappers of these pieces have a saying printed on the inside. I gave him a Dove chocolate, which distracted him and calmed him down. He looked at the wrapper and laughed! The inside read: Listen to your heartbeat and dance! He ate his chocolate and went to dance class. We still laugh at this story and at God s sense of humor, allowing Eli to open that particular piece of candy. I remember that story around Valentine s Day, when the culture celebrates love with the symbols of hearts. St. Valentine served as a priest in Rome in the middle of the third century and would perform marriages for couples. After the ceremony, he would help them escape Rome because of the persecution under Emperor Claudius II. Initially, Claudius like Valentine and let him live. But, Valentine loved the Emperor enough to tell him the ultimate love story of God s love for us in Jesus Christ. For Claudius, this attempt at conversion crossed a line. So, he had Valentine beaten with clubs and finally beheaded on February 14, 269. Valentine, as a martyr, became the patron saint of love and we celebrate his death on February 14 every year with hearts. However, his story reminds us of the sacrificial nature of love, a willingness to give up even one s life for another, the way Jesus laid down his life out of love for us. Jesus invites us into that deeper place of love for each other, where we willingly lay down our own claims in order to give and receive life in its fullest. In his farewell address to the disciples in John 15, Jesus commands us: This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one s life for one s friends. (Verses 12 and 13.) That kind of love cannot be accomplished through human effort alone, which is why, throughout the address, Jesus reminds us that the Holy Spirit will live in us and with us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we can strive to live that same kind of sacrificial love. Knowing that Jesus loves us thoroughly and unconditionally also helps us live that love. The Celts 3
have an interesting spirituality built around experiencing that love by listening for the heartbeat of God. Phillip Newell, in his book, Listening for the Heartbeat of God: a Celtic Spirituality, describes a tradition of understanding John as hearing the heartbeat of God when he leaned back onto Jesus. (See John 13:23-25.) I love that image of leaning against the chest of Jesus to hear God s heartbeat. In many ways, that image defines one of the most profound aspects of prayer: listening to God s voice instead of merely telling God what to do to answer our prayers. When we listen to God s heartbeat in prayer, we continue to hear Jesus invitation to love others as he loves us. God will often give us very concrete means to love in that way. We will hear that we need to apologize to someone, or that we need to extend another person grace, or that we need to be an answer to someone else s prayer by taking specific action. Maybe that is why we find it so hard to listen in prayer: we may not want to hear what God is asking us to do. Often God helps us to hear best through other people. The gift of community allows us a safe place to listen to what God might be calling us to do and community strengthens us with the courage to answer that call. We have several opportunities to practice that community coming up in our Conference, listed in the announcements throughout this email. We have a Young Adult Summit, offered by our Conference Council on Young Adult Ministries in partnership with Strengthening the Black Church. The theme Loving Out Loud (#LOL) will link prayer and social action (the inner and outer holiness John Wesley described) and the event will provide an opportunity to listen to the heartbeat of God. We also have the Bishop s Lenten Day Apart for clergy, where we will learn about how connecting with our communities can revitalize our churches, and so help others hear the heartbeat of God. We also have an Evangelism Event coming up in April, featuring Heather Leer, from the General Board of Discipleship, who will teach us some strategies for sharing God s love in the current cultural environment. And we have the Confirmation Rally, where youth can explore the process of salvation and discover how they can nurture their spirits to hear God s heartbeat. I also invite you to renew and continue your commitment to prayer. If you are not sure how to listen in prayer, ask your pastor or call the Conference Resource Center. As we listen together, may we also hear the heartbeats of one another and learn how to love each other sacrificially. What would it mean for conservative and liberal and progressive Christians (and everything in between) to love the other (our enemy?) sacrificially? What does God invite us to let go of, to give up, to sacrifice, in order to love one another? How can that loving across walls that divide us be a witness to our divided world? What is God calling YOU and your church to do? When we learn to live this way, loving across boundaries, we will truly be Connected Christians offering the hope of Jesus Christ to today s world, which is our conference vision. But, only as we listen to God s heartbeat in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, can we ever hope to hold hands and dance with each other, even our enemies. And once we begin to live in that dance, we can invite others to join us. Blessings on the journey, Vicki Rev. Dr. Vicki Gordy-Stith Director of Connectional Ministries 4
Baker Missionary Newsletter Greetings from your Global Ministries Missionaries! We've created a video with many more visuals so please feel free to watch the video version of this newsletter available at: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouvdlevby-e Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLV) Have you ever made plans thinking you were going in t he direction God wanted you to go and then, suddenly, challenges surfaced everywhere and you wondered if you were really doing what God wanted? This has happened to us so many times with the Cataract Surgery Mission we ve had planned now for several years. It seems like our plan was quite different from God s plan! For example, OUR plan was for the mission to take place in July 2016 only to discover that the political situation in Congo prohibited getting Visas for the medical team coming from the US. We truly struggled with needing to postpone that mission because already people had traveled hundreds of kilometers, many of them blind, for the mission and we had to postpone! The medications took many months to arrive by boat arriving AFTER the proposed date for the 2016 mission! Both of us being a bit detail-conscious, we have struggled with these changes. There have been so many moments when we have had to quote Psalm 59:16 But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. And God responds, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33, NIV). So, we planned the Cataract Mission for July 2017 believing this was now God s plan. Last week a troubling email arrived this week from the US team signed up to conduct the Cataract Mission in July 2017. Many factors had led them to decide they could not travel to Congo this summer! Okay, Lord! Now what? Their hearts and our hearts are broken! What can we do? After the immediate panic passed, we kept hearing God say move forward. We knew that the Congolese people possess the skills and professionalism to conduct the mission without clinicians 5
from another country. But would we have sufficient staffing? Could we financially afford to provide the staff and all the travel and logistical challenges? Well, God is good! A quick phone call to the Ophthalmology Director at St. Joseph s University Hospital which specializes in ophthalmology in Kinshasa, resulted in an appointment for the following day! It s typically very difficult to secure an appointment that quickly! Not only did we meet a surgeon who specializes in pediatric ophthalmology who is eager to join the mission team, but the Director also agreed to provide an additional surgeon, an anesthetist and whatever medical equipment and medications are needed! We believe this is God s way of helping the Partnership turn over this mission and the future of providing eye care in Congo to the Congolese people! That has been our goal and now God is opening new doors to help this happen!! God s message was very clear: We kept repeating the mantra used in some of the Congolese local churches here when the worship leader shouts, God is good! and the people respond, all the time. And the pastor says, All the time and the people shout, God is good. That is God s nature! Wow!!! So, what s next? Pray! Please pray for all the challenges yet to be faced. So many of you have already generously given to this mission but now we need your support as the budget has now increased due to these changes. You may wonder that without paying for international travel how could the costs multiply? When Americans, and people from other countries travel to developing countries to participate as volunteers in mission, they pay their own expenses and donate their time which is often paid vacation or leave time. However, in Congo, when anyone leaves their current position to take part in a mission, their salary (which is much lower than in the US) stops during that time. Because the Partnership does not desire to jeopardize the lives of anyone financially, the Partnership provides a stipend for each clinician, as well as accommodations and transportation. So, we need to raise approximately $5,000 to cover all these expenses. The medical team from the US already gave a generous donation to help with these additional expenses because they believe so deeply in our mission and want to be with us in Congo so badly. Thank you, Dr. Kris, Dr. Louie, and Pastor Charles! God is still using them. Even with the additional expense, the cost for someone who is blind to have their sight restored through cataract surgery is $100!!! Compare that to the same procedure in the US! We encourage you to visit the Partnership website at www.congo-mission.org for information on how to submit donations. 6
Together, we are the Body of Christ! The next time you face a challenge, we hope our story will remind you that, through Christ, our difficulties are transformed into blessings! 7
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February 22, 2017 Dinner at 6:00pm and Study at 7:00pm at the home of Poncho and Lisa Johnson Led by Donny Hopkins Explaining Christianity in the Secular World Thinking our way through the Gospel of Mark Sunday, February 26 th 3 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall Led by Dan Nelson 9
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ANNOUNCEMENTS HOSPITAL VISITS: Please help the pastors by calling the church office at (302) 422-8111 when someone from the church is hospitalized. ELECTRONIC GIVING is being offered at Avenue Church. An Information Sheet with Authorization Agreement is available on the table in Fellowship Foyer. Simply fill out the authorization agreement and return it to the church office. END OF THE YEAR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS are available on the Foyer table. ALTAR FLOWERS: If you want to reserve a Sunday please call the church office then call Country Flowers. Flowers are placed in the altar vases up by the cross. PRAYER CONCERNS PAST WEEK: Peggy Hughes, Cathy Luff in the passing of her father, Dr. Ricker, Michael Heine, Diana and Karlyn Schuler, Irene Hazard, The family of Harry Carey who passed away this week, Karen Moore, Kirby Schuler, the missions organizer that we support, Colleen Dunham, April McIntyre and Code Purple ministry and all of our guests. Recently hospitalized: Neil Burke, Karen Moore, Peggy Hughes, Jean Murphy, Betty Ziesel and Gary Seal. Rejoice with: Two girls (Bethany and Emma) attended the Chrysalis weekend and Cliff and Erin McCall on the birth of Evelyn Rose. PRAYER CONCERNS CURRENT WEEK: All who battle addictions and their families, Linda Marvel and her family, all families dealing with loved ones who are ill, April McIntyre, Colleen Dunham, Karen Moore, Mrs. K's housing situation, family and friends of Karen Lynch, Al Townsend, Ashley Bonnoni, Arthur Mosher, Christopher, Charles Sandifer, Lloyd and Nancy Webb, Dave Abt, Dave and Sharon Dawson, Kirsten Pierce, Jean Murphy, Kathy Sullivan, Karen Moore, Irene Hazzard, our nation and its leaders, all involved with Code Purple, the family and friends of Bob Reph, all involved with the Chrysalis weekend, for peace, hope and love in the world. Recently hospitalized: Betty Ziesel, Gary Seal, Betty Lyons, Leslie Armour and Ralph Spain. Rejoice with: The Pusey family. WEEKLY MUSIC REHEARSALS: Handbells Mondays at 6:30 p.m., Sanctuary MomentUM Praise Team Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m., Sanctuary Mispillion Children s Chorus Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m., Music Room Praise Team 12
Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m., Sanctuary Sanctuary Choir Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m., Music Room AveNotes Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., Sanctuary Do you like to sing? Do you play an instrument? If you are interested in using your musical gifts here at Avenue Church please contact Kevin Chamberlain, kbchamberlain@avenueumc.com or (302) 236-1276. UPCOMING Avenue will be hosting the DOVER DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TRAINING classes on February 25 th from 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. If you would like to learn more about the following committees or ministries please contact the church office. Staff /Parish Relations Lay Leaders Trustees Finance Nominations and Leadership Development Evangelism MissionInsite Worship Prison Outreach Race Reconciliation Youth Ministry Prayer and Healing Ministries Safe Sanctuaries Connectional Giving for Mission COMMUNITY LENTEN SERVICES are held each Wednesday at noon followed by a soup luncheon at various churches. The schedule is: March 1 st, Houston UM Church March 8 th, Calvary UM Church March 15 th, First Presbyterian Church March 22 nd, Church of the Nazarene March 29 th, Mt. Enon Baptist Church April 5 th, Avenue UM Church LENTEN ORGAN RECITALS ~ 12:05 12:35 P.M. All recitals are held at Avenue Church each Thursday during Lent. A soup luncheon held in the Fellowship Hall immediately following all recitals. All are welcome. The Schedule is: March 2 nd, Taylor Harvey March 9 th, T.J. Thomas March 16 th, TBA March 23 rd, Melanie Leinbach 13
March 30 th, Jon Rania April 6 th, Kevin B. Chamberlain LENT: Until Easter the Church is in a season of self-denial and self-examination called Lent. During Lent we recommend these special services. The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, March 1 st. ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE will be held at Avenue at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary with the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion. Child care will be provided. NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION: Everyone interested in becoming a member of Avenue Church is encouraged to attend the next New Member Orientation on Sunday, March 26 th from 12:00-1:00 p.m. We will meet in the Grier Room where we will get to know the Pastors better and receive an orientation on the heritage, values, mission, and vision of both The United Methodist Church and Avenue. If you would like to attend, please email the church office at churchoffice@avenueumc.com PANCAKE BREAKFAST: The next AUMM pancake breakfast will be on March 12 th after 8:00 9:30 a.m. worship services. We are hoping that the folks that worship the 11:00 a.m. service will come earlier. ALASKA MISSION TRIP 2017 is scheduled for June 10 th -17 th. The team is now forming! Several people have expressed interest and we always have room for more. If you would like to be a part of this amazing experience, talk with Pastor Tom or Mike Williams. We will keep you posted on our next meeting and hope to see you there. SMALL GROUP OPPORTUNITIES/MINISTRIES A NEW CLASS ON CHRISTIANITY: Thinking our way through the Gospel of Mark led by Dan Nelson. Class will continue on February 26th, 3:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. TUESDAY MORNING SISTERS BIBLE STUDY: We will finish up our study John on February 28 th. A new study will begin on March 7 th, Women of Easter by Liz Curtis Higgs. Please call Ginny Van Tine (302) 422-4282, Brenda Powers (302) 422-8821 or leave a message in the church office if you would like to join us. We meet at 10:00 a.m. in the Grier Room. WIDOW/WIDOWERS/LOST AND FOUND GROUP will meet March 1 st at 2:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room. Come join us. Contact Janice Abbott at (302) 422-1863. H.O.P.E.: H.O.P.E. stands for Hold On, Pain Ends. H.O.P.E. is a safe place to talk and express your feelings. H.O.P.E. is designed to incorporate inspiration and hope into your life when you are struggling with sadness, feeling discouraged, living with pain, or handling things that feel hopeless. Through H.O.P.E., we can all become better, happier, and healthier in our lives. H.O.P.E. begins March 8, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. in Holzmueller Room and will be every Wednesday night. If you are interested, please contact Brittany Gunderson at 14
blg2011motherof2@yahoo.com for details and questions. Hold on because Pain does End. ALZHEIMER S SUPPORT GROUP: The Alzheimer s Caregiver s Support Group will meet the 2 nd Monday of each month. The next meeting will be March 13 th at 4:00 p.m. in the Grier Room. EXPLORING FAITH BOOK CLUB meets on the third Sunday of the Month at 12:15 in the Holzmueller Room. Our next study is March 26 2017. The Book is The Will of God by Leslie Weatherhead. When bad things happen to good people, is this the will of God? If it is not, what is the will of God? If these questions have sparked an interest in you, then plan to come and explore your faith as these questions and others pertaining to God s Will are discussed. OUTREACH AVENUE PRESCHOOL: Registration for the 2017-18 school year. Registration is now taking place for current and former Avenue Preschool families for the 2017-18 school year. Please contact the school as noted below if you are a former family interested in enrolling your child. On March 1 st from 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. Avenue Preschool will hold on-site open registration for the upcoming school year. Registrations must be done in person on that day. Space is very limited. To be eligible, a child must be at least 36-months old on or before August 31 st. You can contact the preschool office at (302) 422-8775 for information or send an email to: office@avenuepreschool.org. Be sure to visit our Facebook page and website at: www.avenuepreschool.org. HELPING HANDS: If you like to bake items such as cookies, brownies or other bars, and would be willing to make an occasional batch for a funeral reception, we would love to hear from you. You can contact Harriet Davies at 422-7194 or by email at Harrietda@aol.com. We could use 2-3 additional people who like to bake. We could also use a couple more people who would like to part of our kitchen crew for funeral receptions. THE MILFORD COMMUNITY PANTRY: As the new year begins we want to express our gratitude to all of you for the support you give The Milford Community Pantry. We had a busy year in 2016 and expect that need to continue this year. If you want to bring food to the Pantry we suggest peanut butter or jelly. If you would like to volunteer call Tita Lewis (302) 664-1321. LIFE LINE SCREENING: Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, is please to offer a preventive health event at Avenue United Methodist Church on March 24, 2017. Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Register for a Wellness Package which includes 4 vascular tests and osteoporosis screening from $149 ($139 with our member discount). All 15
five screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. In order to register for this event and to receive a $10 discount off any package priced above $129, please call 1-888-653-6441 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/advantagemembers. MATTHEW PROJECT is in need of any size curtains and rods for families of the Matthew Project. Please call Joanne (302) 422-6152 or bring it the church/labeled and put in the coat closet. Thank you. COMMUNITY CUB SCOUT PACK 186 is having a fundraiser on Thursday, March 2 nd at Grotto Pizza in Milford between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The restaurant will donate 20% of each check (dine in or carryout) to Pack 186. Vouchers must be presented and are available in the Fellowship Foyer or from any Cub Scout. ALASKA MISSION TRIP is having a fundraiser on Thursday, March 9 th at Grotto Pizza in Milford between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. The restaurant will donate 20% of each check (dine in or carryout) to the Alaska Mission Trip. Vouchers must be presented and are available in the Fellowship Foyer. LAST WEEK AT AVENUE Attendance: 2016 2017 8:00 78 62 9:30 256 152 Sunday School 96 48 11:00 70 81 Thursday Service 0 8 FUSION 0 25 Total 500 376 16
CALENDAR SUNDAY 2/26 8:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 9:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:45 a.m. Confirmation Class, Grier Room 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 3:00 p.m. Explaining Christianity in the Secular World, Fellowship Hall 6:00 p.m. FUSION, Wesley Room & Fellowship Hall MONDAY 2/27 11:00 a.m. AA, Wesley Room 5:00 p.m. Girl Scout Troop 140, Heritage Room 6:30 p.m. Handbell Choir, Sanctuary 7:00 p.m. First State Harmonizers, Music Room 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts, Fellowship Hall & Wesley Room 7:00 p.m. Sunday School Meeting, Grier Room 8:00 p.m. AA, Room 206 TUESDAY 2/28 10:00 a.m. Sisters Bible Study, Grier Room 6:00 p.m. Brownie Troop, Nursery Room 6:00 p.m. MomentUM Praise Team Rehearsal, Wesley Room 6:00 p.m. Covenant Discipleship Group, Wendy s Office 6:15 p.m. Mispillion Children s Choir, Music Room 7:00 p.m. Nominations Meeting, Grier Room 7:00 p.m. Central Delaware Chess Club, Room 206 7:00 p.m. Praise Team Rehearsal, Sanctuary WEDNESDAY 3/1 ~ Ash Wednesday 10:30 a.m. Writing Group, Grier Room 1:30 p.m. Knitting Group, Grier Room 2:00 p.m. Widow/Widowers Group, Heritage Room 3:00 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, Sanctuary and Music Room 5:00 p.m. Instrumental Rehearsal, Sanctuary 5:00 p.m. Women s Emmaus Reunion, Room 202 6:00 p.m. AveNotes, Music Room 6:30 p.m. Cub Scouts-Webelos 1, Wesley Room 6:45 p.m. Pride of Delmarva, Fellowship Hall 7:00 p.m. Ash Wednesday Service, Sanctuary THURSDAY 3/2 11:00 a.m. AA, Wesley Room 12:05 p.m. Lenten Organ Recital, Sanctuary 12:30 p.m. Lenten Luncheon, Fellowship Hall 2:30 p.m. Women s Emmaus Reunion, Room 202 6:30 p.m. Boy Scouts Wolves, Wesley Room 6:30 p.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall FRIDAY 3/3 11:00 a.m. Pantry Luncheon, Fellowship Hall 11:00 a.m. Wrap Around DE, Holzmueller Room 8:00 p.m. AA, Wesley Room SATURDAY 3/4 8:00 a.m. Troop Merit Badge Ceremony, Wesley Room 7:00 p.m. AA, Wesley Room SUNDAY 3/5 8:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 9:30 a.m. Contemporary Worship 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 10:45 a.m. Confirmation Class, Grier Room 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 3:00 p.m. Explaining Christianity in the Secular World, Fellowship Hall 3:00 p.m. Girl Scout Troop 272, Heritage Roo 6:00 p.m. FUSION, Wesley Room & Fellowship Hall A Dynamic Faith Community Growing in Hope, Love and Service 17