King Avenue Digest 12/18/20

December 18, 2020

King Avenue Happenings

  • EFFECTIVE NOW: Resuming In-Person Worship - Since Franklin County has been downgraded in status from purple to red,  King Avenue will resume in-person worship services this coming Sunday, December 6 at 9am and 11am.  All our safety precautions of social distancing, masking, and sanitizing will be in effect.  Please arrive for worship no more than 15 minutes before the service. Live streaming of both services will continue as always.  Be safe and well.

  • By Dec 22: Contribute to the King Avenue Christmas Word Cloud - The year 2020 has been quite challenging to say the least. At times, we could use words like sadness, worry, loneliness, isolation, uncertainty, division, fear, and anxiety to describe the year. At Advent - even this year - we have an opportunity to anticipate God’s gift of a baby, the Light of Christ, to the world. May this Advent season bring peace, joy, and hope to you and yours. If you feel led, please fill out this form to contribute ONE WORD (not a phrase) that describes this gift of Christ. Your word will be added to everyone else’s to create a Word Cloud. If you can’t think of just one word to submit, you can re-submit the form with another single word! Encourage children to participate, too! CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE.

  • Comprehensive Campaign and 2021 Operating Budget Pledges Welcome! Please submit your pledges to the Comprehensive Campaign and the 2021 operating budget by December 4. Remember that your pledges may be done online through Realm. For assistance, please contact our stewardship secretary Charlene Dubin at charlene@kingave.org.  Thank you very much.

  • Automatic Payments in Realm - Do you give via automatic drafts in Realm? These drafts "stop" after December 31 each year. To continue your draft into 2021, please remember to set this up for 2021. If you have questions, please email Charlene Dubin at charlene@kingave.org. Thank you for your gifts. They are needed and appreciated.

Holiday Help Opportunities

  • Dec 29: Open Shelter Lunch Packing - Do you have some available time to help those in need? Join the King Avenue lunch packers on December 17, 6:00pm or December 29, 6:00pm. Please take all necessary precautions to ensure your safety and those of the fellow lunch packers.

  • NOW through Dec 26: NNEMAP Holiday Food Drive - The Holiday Food Drive sponsored by the Dennison Place Neighborhood Association and the Short North Block Watch will continue on Saturdays through the end of the year. A blue bin will be outside the southwest entrance to the church every Saturday from noon- 6 PM.

Advent Happenings at King Avenue

  • Sunday Worship Sermon Series - Light for the World, November 29 - December 20

  • Sounds of the Season Advent Music Series - Our Sounds of the Season Advent Music Series will occur Sundays at 4:00pm throughout Advent. The final music offering is on December 20, Advent Lessons & Carols (Recorded). Check the landing page (home) of this worship page on Sunday at 4:00 to find this event.

  • Dec 21: Blue Christmas Worship - Not everyone feels like celebrating the holidays with great cheer.  For those who have experienced the recent loss of a loved one or other serious grief, observance of Christmas may evoke as much melancholy as joy.  2020 has been a year of many challenges for the world, for our nation, and for the church.  It has given us, as Christians, much to think about, to pray for, and to do in service.  It is in light of this rather sobering year, that we add an additional worship service – Blue Christmas – and change, temporarily, one holiday tradition.  Rather than inviting you to purchase poinsettias in memory or honor of loved ones, we would like to put a star ornament on a Chancel or Fellowship Hall Christmas tree to express gratitude for all that those we remember, and honor mean to us.  We will place Moravian star ornaments on the trees during the Blue Christmas worship service, where they will remain for Christmas Eve worship. Blue Christmas worship is Monday, December 21 at 7 pm by livestream or you may attend in person as long as Franklin County is not stage purple.   Falling on the winter solstice, this contemplative, candlelit service will include opportunity for persons to remember loved ones, to pray for the world,  and to remember God’s love shared freely in Christ. CLICK HERE to learn more.

  • Dec 24: Zoom Family Service will be held via Zoom at 4:30pm. 

  • Dec 24: Prelude for Organ and Piano will be available on our online worship site beginning at 6:00pm on December 24.

  • Dec 24: Pre-recorded Christmas Eve Worship will be available on our online worship service beginning at 6:00pm on December 24.

  • Dec 24: Candlelight and Caroling  is an outside, in-person Christmas Eve service of scripture, candle lighting, luminaries,  and caroling in the south parking lot of our church,  7:30pm-8pm.  Parking will be in our west lot and the OSU lot on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Continuing News - Worship, Faith Formation, Fellowship, and Support

  • December NNEMAP Needs - Donate Books for all ages, especially kids! Baby wipes, Large Size Diapers (size 5 and 6), Grooming Kits-We would prefer to have hygiene drives provide specific items as opposed to a bag or kit. With our current distribution method, we need to have the specifics our families request. Hygiene items are always low! We always need dental items, razors, and shampoo, and feminine hygiene items. NOTE: SOAP AND PURELL REQUESTED FOR OUR CLIENTS WITH THE CONCERN FOR THE CORONA VIRUS!

  • Dec 27: Lit Club  - The Lit Club will get together on December 27 at 7pm  to discuss Such a Fun Age  by Kiley Reid,

  • The Harbor Post-High School Community - The Harbor is a post-high school community of faith and fellowship for young people (through age 24). This is a safe space for support, connection, and refreshment before heading back out into different directions. The Harbor is faith-based since many of us are connected to King Avenue UMC in Columbus, OH, but it is also a place where faith and life questions are encouraged and welcomed. We expect and celebrate the ways in which our beliefs evolve and change during life transitions. The Harbor affirms and works for the inclusion of all people, including all gender identities, LGBTQ folx, all races and ethnicities, all (dis)abilities, and all religious traditions. Keep up on events through our Facebook group.

  • LifeCare Alliance COVID-19 Utility Assistance Program: Relief is available for families facing pandemic-related hardship. Many central Ohio families have felt the effects of COVID-19 on their employment and ability to stay current on utility bills. Now, LifeCare Alliance is providing assistance to help avoid shutoffs as we navigate the pandemic. If you or your family has experienced furloughs, a reduction in work hours, layoffs, or similar situations related to the COVID-19 pandemic, you are invited to apply for this assistance. LifeCare Alliance can assist with utility bills - Electric, Gas, Water. Funds are limited, so please contact us today to get the process started. For more information, please contact:  John Gregory jgregory@lifecarealliance.org or 614-437-2803. CLICK HERE to download the flyer.

  • Children's Connections - Participate in Children's Connections Sunday School at 10 am every Sunday. This is a wonderful way for parents and children to grow in their faith together. Click HERE to learn more about Children's Connections.

  • Youth Connections - Youth virtual Sunday School class is offered each week for youth in 6th to 12th grades. We will meet on Zoom every Sunday morning at 10 am. Click HERE to learn more about Youth Connections.

  • First Sundays: Youth Group - Youth Group for 6-12 graders happens the first Sunday of each month at 4:30pm via Zoom. The Zoom link and more information is available on the Youth Connections page, on Facebook, and Realm.. Contact Erin or Gwen with questions! 

  • Pastor Colleen Open Office Hours - We live in challenging times. One of the blessings of Christian life is that we share our burdens with one another and with God.  If you are grieving, feeling dispirited, anxious, overwhelmed, or simply would like conversation and prayer, Pastor Colleen Ogle is available.  She will hold Monday evenings 7-9 pm and Tuesday afternoons 3-5 pm for conversations by phone, on-line through Zoom, or in-person.  Please email colleen@kingave.org to make arrangements.  In the email, please indicate when you are available, whether you want to talk by phone, zoom, or in-person and you will receive a prompt response with information about how to proceed.  You may also share if you need a different time to talk. 

  • Pastoral Visits to Hospital & Extended Care Facilities - At present the church building is only open for worship.  Although pastors are not yet permitted to visit persons in hospitals or extended care facilities, we do want to know when persons have health concerns. Please include these in the prayer concerns or contact a pastor directly  jkeeny@kingave.org or colleen@kingave.org.     

  • CORE Youth Center is a virtual place for youth! Are you looking for online faith resources for your youth (6th to 12th grades)? King Avenue UMC's Children and Youth Education Program created an inclusive and affirming website to fit this need. Think of this as a home base as you stretch, grow, and explore your faith and your identity as a Jesus follower. What you believe, think, and feel will change during your Middle and High School years. And your journey will not end when you graduate. Our faith journeys continue for our whole lives.  Check out the CORE Youth Center here: https://sites.google.com/view/coreyouthcenter/home and contact Gwendolyn DeRosa at gwen@kingave.org if you would like to help create new content. 

  • Small Group Welcomes Young Adults - The Next Chapter virtual small group led by Amy Oblinger, meets every Wednesday at 6 on Zoom.  This young adult group discusses participants’ thoughts about and reactions to that week’s sermon, whether it was seen in-person on Sunday or watched from the comfort of home.  The session sometimes includes discussing current events and studying the scriptures, and always includes time to pray for each other. The group welcomes new participants.  If you are interested, contact amylianne@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • USHERS AND GREETERS NEEDED - We need your help to make sure everyone at church feels welcome and stays safe! Volunteers are needed to greet and usher at both the 9:00 and 11:00 services. If you are interested, please email Beth Aiello, beth@kingave.org, your name and which service. Thank you for considering supporting this important ministry!

  • Audio-Visual Volunteers Needed - We are looking for some folks who would like to learn how to help with live streaming our 9:30 and 11:00 services. You don’t need a lot of experience; we will train you! Please email beth@kingave.org if you are interested.

  • Volunteers Needed at NNEMAP Food Pantry - NNEMAP added service on Thursdays from 3 until 7PM, and Saturdays from 10 until 1pm. The Saturday shifts will be the same as our shifts during the week, with full offerings of food. This will not be a produce-only day. The Thursday shift represents our first offering of afternoon and evening hours to provide services those who work during the weekdays. NNEMAP will begin accepting clients from all zip codes in Columbus and Franklin Co. NNEMAP will need more volunteers! NNEMAP is centrally located near the Ohio Expo Center at 677 E 11th Ave, Columbus, OH 43211. NNEMAP is also expanding into a home delivery service, providing several deliveries each week to those who need food assistance and lack transportation. Drivers are among the volunteers needed to make this work. Those interested should contact director@nnemappantry.org

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