In Depth: The Aldersgate logo was inspired by the Love Sculpture in Philadelphia, PA., to remind us that God is Love and that Love is the Greatest Commandment. Aldersgate In Action In Depth: Summer Playlist is the name of the current sermon series, which has been designed to acquaint us with power of our tradition s ancient hymnbook, the Psalms. Today s sermon, Track 1: Happy Song is the first sermon in the series. You will find the order of worship for today s service on Page 4. Welcome to Aldersgate United Methodist Church, where the mission is to raise up deeply devoted disciples of Jesus. You have a place here. Regardless of who you are, where you have been and where you are in faith s journey, you belong here. In Aldersgate In Action, you will find information about various ministries and opportunities. Please, feel no pressure. Just know that if you are looking to grow in your faith and in relationships with God and others, you are welcome and encouraged to do both here. Grace and Peace! Aldersgate United Methodist Church 1741 Sayles Blvd., Abilene, TX 79605 (325) 672-7893 www.aldersgateabilene.org
In Depth: Sunday School classes are offered at 10:05 a.m. for all ages. To learn more about Adult Sunday School classes, call Amy Wilson Feltz at 672-7893 or send her an e-mail to amywilsonfeltz@ aldersgateabilene.org. In the Works Regularly Scheduled Services and Opportunities to Grow and Serve: All are welcome! Please contact the Office (672-7893), if you d like to know more about becoming involved in the items on the schedule below. Sunday: Senior Recognition 9:00 a.m. Traditional Worship 10:05 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship 2:00 p.m. VBS Workday 3:oo p.m. Trustees Meering 4:30 p.m. Mission Task Force Mtg. Tuesday: 6:00 p.m. Jubilee Ringers Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. Chancel Choir Mystery Ramble until Friday Summer Blast -Water Night at Church Sunday: 4:30 p.m. Family Festival at Bethel Methodist Church 7:00 p.m. Revival The Redeemed at Bethel Methodist Church In Depth: Each week, these two pages will contain updates, news and other information about Aldersgate s music ministry, the children s, youth and college ministries, and opportunities to serve in the Mission Field. (The Mission Field has been identified as four areas of focus in which to share the love of God outside of the church locally: McMurry University (and other Abilene colleges and universities), Bowie Elementary, Our Neighborhoods and Aldersgate Academy.) Children s Ministry: Zoo Keepers are Needed for VBS Thank you all so much for signing up to help with VBS, for your prayers, and for your financial contributions. Things are coming along nicely, and I will be contacting you soon about working with VBS if you signed up. For now, we are having our first decorating day today at 2:00 p.m. We will meet in the Tree House Room, and then disperse from there. If you can cut, twist paper, paint, or trace, we need you! We will have several stations set up so we hopefully can get a lot done today. If you have scissors or a stapler that you can that would be great. You might just want to label it with your name. Also, there are several items we would love to borrow from congregation members, if possible. You can drop off your donations in the main office during normal business hours, and we will label it with your name to make sure it is returned to the right person. If you can donate or let us borrow any of these items, we would be grateful: Christmas trees (any size), clear indoor Christmas lights, clear 2 liter bottles, large pieces of cardboard, bubble wrap (with the small bubbles), large artificial plants (like ficus trees), cactus plants (real or fake), stuffed animals from the desert regions (lizards, eagles, snakes, ostrich, camels, vultures, etc), large seashells and fishnets. Alayna Brooks
#kindness13: A Simple Way of Saying, God Loves You! Last week, Aldersgate UMC launched our 13 Weeks of Kindness campaign, during which we have pledged to perform one intentional act of kindness in our city each week of this summer. With each act of kindness, we will give a connect card (see photos to the right) that communicate the church s information on one side and a message of God s love on the other. Sisters and Brothers, this is an effort that could influence our city in radical ways. If 400 of us do 13 acts of kindness in the name of Jesus during the next 13 weeks, that ll be 5,200 living-and-breathing expressions of God s grace in Abilene! The results of this kind of servant evangelism will be seen in the lives of those we serve and in our own lives as we grow in Christlikeness. If you have not yet picked up your 13 connect cards, please do so today! We will have envelopes waiting for you at the end of each worship service. If you are wondering what sorts of acts of kindness you might perform, ideas may be found in the book Conspiracy of Kindness by Steve Sjogren (see Page 8) and at www.servantevangelism.com. Also, check out this story from one of our members, Deborah Barner, about her drive home from church last week: I noticed the guy selling Sunday papers standing out in the rain, and I thought, "I could buy all of his papers and then he could go home!" So, I turned around and went back... I paid him for the papers and explained why and gave him a card. He seemed surprised, but thanked me... It occurred to me that the University Place assisted living center was just down the street from United. I pulled in and asked the lady at the front desk if they would like the papers and she said, "Absolutely!" That was kind of a twofer! To any of you who are wondering what you should do for this project, I just want to say: Keep your mind and heart open and God will show you what to do! Performing the act of kindness is just one part of servant evangelism. Sharing the story is the other, so that all may be encouraged by God s work in our community. Deb shared her story on our Facebook page (facebook. com/aldersgateunitedmethodistchurch). You also may share your stories on Twitter (@AldergateABI) and on Instagram (@aldersgateabi). If you do share your stories on these social media networks, please use the hashtag #kindness13. Stories also may be shared via email at stories@aldersgateabilene.org or by calling one of us (our phone numbers are on Page 7). The story must be told! Grace and Peace Pastor Steve and Pastor Amy
Songs and Music and Poetry and Art Summer Playlist: Track 1: Happy Song Psalm1 Raising Up Deeply Devoted Disciples of Jesus Our Condition Our Desires The Psalms at our Intersections - Time - Space - Creation Types of Psalms 1. Prayer 2. Praise 3. Festival 4. Thanksgiving 5. Royal 6. Zion 7. Didactic Let the songs/psalms begin HAPPY BLESSED VERY WELL OFF The Two-Step 1. Turn Away 2. Delight Part of the strange work of the Psalms is to draw the terror and shame of all the ages together to a point where it becomes intense and unbearable, turning itself into a great scream of pain, pain of Israel, the pain of Adam and Eve, the pain that shouts out, in the most paradoxical act of worship, to ask why God has abandoned it.
Inside News Senior Recognition: Emily Schultz and Sarah Wallis Emily, the daughter of Allen and Mimi Schultz, has been attending Aldersgate UMC since July of 2012. During that time, Emily has been active in several areas of the church community, including Youth Group, Vacation Bible School, Children s Ministry, Nursery, UMARMY, Aldersgate Alive, The Community Garden and Bowie Elementary School. She has also been a member of the Spirit Wind choir and will experience her fourth and final year this summer. Emily was a member of the 2013 Guatemala Mission Team and is looking forward to her trip to Panama with an Aldersgate mission team in August 2014. Emily will be attending Trinity University in the fall and plans to study Biology with a minor in Spanish. Sarah Wallis Emily Schultz Sarah Wallis is the daughter of David and Janna Wallis, and is a graduate of Wylie High School. While at Wylie she has been involved with Choir, Wylie Football Bulldogs and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Sarah was a founding member of the Senior Class Bible Study. She has been active at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, where she has served as a nursery worker, a worship leader, a VBS camp counselor, and a member of the youth group. She will be completing her fourth year as a member of Spirit Wind, the choir of the Northwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Sarah plans on pursuing nursing at Texas A&M/Blinn.
In Other News Trustees Report: Improvements are Afoot! The Trustees would like to share with you some things that will take place at Aldersgate. Work has begun on the new outdoor sign, and it should be installed by the middle of July. A new kitchen range has been ordered and should be installed by the middle of June. The second week of June, we will install carpet squares in the patio rooom to match the carpet in the fellowship hall. After VBS ends, we will paint the main entrance hallway as well as the North hallway in the education wing. The hallways will have new flooring installed soon after the painting is complete. As in all construction and remodeling projects, there will be some inconveniences. Our goal is to keep them to a minimum. We are excited about these projects as we look at keeping Aldersgate an attractive and inviting place to come and worship now and in the future. Wes Grigsby, Chair of Board of Trustees Youth Ministry: Summer s Heeeeeerrrreeeee!! Summer is almost here, and our first youth trip is just around the corner. Our first adventure every summer is the junior high Mystery Ramble, and this year we are going to... oh wait, I can t tell you that, cause it s a mystery. What I can tell you though is that this trip will be a blast, filled with activities to bond the group together. Since we are adding the incoming sixth graders, this trip has great potential. The focus of our devotional time together will be on the body of Christ and how we are called to work together for Him. I do not want to say too much so I won t give anything away, but make sure to check back shortly for the details of what happened on MR2014. Remember the Pool Party tonight, at The Dive Spot, 1701 Lytle Trail, from 5pm to 7pm. See y all tonight! Aaron Yelovich College Ministry: Sunday Nights in the Summer For the duration of the summer, our college ministry will gather in homes of different members of Aldersgate for a meal, fellowship, and a devotional. Whether you are in Abilene because you are on break visiting family, taking classes, working, or just hanging out, know that these Sunday night gatherings are formed just for you. All college students are welcome, so bring a friend or roommate! Tonight, Mark and Shannon Zachary are hosting us, so meet us at their house (7050 Lantana Ave.) at 6:00 pm or meet in the Aldersgate parking lot at 5:45 to catch a ride. Kyle Watson
In Depth: At Aldersgate, all are invited to practice faithfulness in our prayers, presence (attendance), gifts (offering of money), service (action in the community) and witness (sharing our faith). You will find information about service and witness throughout the pages of Aldersgate In Action. This page is dedicated to matters of prayer, presence, and gifts. Prayers Ron Bredemeyer Emma Gene Gore Clay Meadows Jean Shoultz Doris Ogden Dori Oiler Lou Adams Carolyn Strain Military and Families Launa Brand Mary Gregory Ann Arthur Delmon Wilson Ruby Yates Bob Kuykendall The e-mail prayer list is coordinated by Barbara Owens. Please send prayer requests and requests to join the e-mail list to prayer@aldersgateabilene.org. Presence (5.25.2014) 9:00 a.m. Worship Service= 144 11:00 a.m. Worship Service=161 Total Worship Service Attendance=305 Sunday school=186 The Oaks= did not meet Gifts Budget for 2014 = $754,631.00 Received This Week = $10,348.90 Received Month-to-Date = $60,062.56 Received Year-to-Date = $324,862.10 2014 Faith Promise Pledges = $70,859.00 2014 Faith Promise Contributions = $120,154.30 Lou Swindell Dan Gilbreath Clinton Gayle Addison English Lora and Al Langford Sara Queen Alice Shaw AUMC Facebook: www.facebook.com/aldersgateunited Methodist Church Twitter: twitter.com/ AldersgateABI Instagram: instantram.com/aldersgateabi If you use any of these tools, please like or follow, and feel free to post, create hashtags and get your friends to do the same. Aldersgate volunteers serve at the Methodist Food Pantry, located at 1102 N. Willis, on the second Tuesday of the month, from 3:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on the fourth Tuesday of the month, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Free childcare is available. For more information call Susan Steele at 605-381-6322. In Depth: Aldersgate offers two forms of electronic giving: Online Bill Pay and ACH Direct Draft. EFT Authorization Forms are available in the office and on our website at www.aldersgateabilene.org. If you have additional questions regarding Stewardship, contact K.B. Woods (672-7893, kbwoods@aldersgateabilene.org). Ministry Leaders Pastor: Steve Brooks (325) 660-4415 Associate Pastor: Amy Wilson Feltz (325) 660-5017 Finance: K. B. Woods Music: David Wallis Children: Alayna Brooks & Mackenzie Corbett Youth/Contemporary Worship: Daniel Mathis College/Young Adults: Kyle Watson Academy: Carol Rogers Reception: Susan Acosta Administration: Carolyn Estes Custodial Services: Ruben Sandoval Staying Connected: Address: 1741 Sayles, 79605 Phone Number: (325) 672-7893 Office Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 8-12, 1-5 Fri. 8-12 Web Site: www.aldersgateabilene.org Facebook: Aldersgate UMC Text Message Reminders: gracepeace to 313131 E-mail Reminders: news@aldersgateabilene.org
Looking to the Future Pastor Steve Luke writes in Acts 1:1, In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. This is a rather startling and even shocking statement in that Luke painstakingly talks about everything Jesus began to do on earth in his former book, The Gospel of Luke. What could Luke mean by began? Well, I think Luke went all Paul Harvey on us, meaning that what Jesus did while on earth was only the beginning. Now the apostles and all of us who would follow and trust in Jesus are the rest of the story! We finish what Jesus started. Astounding! This has massive implications as we learn to discern God s good, pleasing, and perfect will for our individual lives and our entire community of faith here at Aldersgate. Pastor Amy and I have been sharing with you during the past few weeks the types of questions we should learn to ask as we gather and assess information as various opportunities and decisions are before us. In her book Pursuing God s Will Together, Ruth Haley Barton invites us to gather and assess information in a way that considers how the possibility or decision is relative to the Life of Christ. Is this choice [possibility] consistent with what I know about the mind and heart of Christ and his loving, redemptive purposes in the world? If we are serious in following in the way of Jesus and being the rest of the story, then we will always take time to wrestle with this question as we are discerning next steps. Paul writes in Philippians 2:5, Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. The mind of Christ is full of love, concerned about relationships, tender, compassionate, humble, selfless, etc As you consider a certain decision that is before you, which option will magnify these things in your life, thus magnifying Christ in the world? Being the rest of the story is no fluffy platitude, but rather a deep reality. For us to be the rest of the story in a way that is transformational for the world and good for our souls, we must regularly and even habitually wrestle with this Life of Christ question. Grace and Peace! Book of the Month Each month, we will recommend a book to aid you in your spiritual growth.we are suggesting the book, "Conspiracy of Kindness" by author Steven Sjogren for the second month in a row because this book will continue to be a great resource during our 13 Weeks of Kindnesss campaign. (See Page 3.) Please consider reading the book, and continue to share your stories! #kindness13 Grace and Peace! Pastor Steve and Pastor Amy Daily Bible Readings The primary way that we grow in our love for God and others is to read and reflect on the Scriptures. That growth is accelerated when we read and reflect on the Bible in community. These passages have been selected to reinforce this week s message. Join the conversation on the Aldersgate United Methodist Church Facebook page where you can read and comment. Sunday: Psalm 1 Monday: Psalm 34 Tuesday: Psalm 37 Wednesday: Psalm 111 Thursday: Psalm 112 Friday: Psalm 119: 1-88 Saturday: Psalm 119: 89-176 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119: 103