King Avenue Digest 2/24/23

February 24, 2023

LENTEN ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • Download Lenten Devotions: Prepare your hearts this Lenten season with a devotion journey using John Wesley's Means of Grace. Download a Lenten Devotional that offers a reading and challenge for each special day such as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and for each Sunday of Lent. Thank you Pastor Linda for preparing this guide for us!

  • Wednesdays, March 1-29 from 7:00-8:30pm: Stories of Authenticity and Resilience Lenten Storytelling Series - Lent is a journey through the wilderness. As a people of faith, we are not alone, but we often feel alone. We are longing for connection and community, especially during hard times. You are invited to participate in a unique, intergenerational storytelling series this Lent. Each evening, King Avenue siblings will tell personal stories of authenticity and resilience. Then we will open it up for anyone to share a 3-5 minute story in response to the speakers. Each evening will begin with a Lenten scripture reading and end with a meditative reflection. Come. Walk with us. Questions? Contact Gwen.

  • Thursdays, February 23-March 30 from 6:30-7:30: John Wesley's Means of Grace Zoom Lenten Study - Pastor Linda Middelberg will host an online class that will follow themes for each week. The themes for the class will be related to John Wesley's Means of Grace, also the theme for the Lenten devotions. Each week's reading will be available on a Facebook Group on Wednesdays, and the Zoom discussion will take place on Thursdays at 6:30pm. Members are welcome to use the comments in this private Facebook Group to share ideas.  CLICK HERE TO REQUEST MEMBERSHIP IN THE FACEBOOK GROUP.  All are welcome to participate in the Thursday Zoom class even if you're not in the Facebook Group. 

  • Sundays, February 26-April 2 at 10am: Lenten Worship Series, Living Our Baptismal Calling - Lent is the season in which we prepare for Easter, the highest and holiest day of the year for us. We usually think of it as a season in which we give up something (eg. sweets, social media, etc.) Historically speaking, the season of Lent was a time of intense preparation in the early church for those who would be baptized on Easter Sunday. This year, we will be emulating that tradition by examining the vows we made or our parents made for us at our baptism. Each Sunday in Lent (starting February 26) we will examine a different baptismal vow - what it means and how we can live it out in our daily lives as a community of baptized, beloved followers of Jesus. CLICK TO LEARN MORE AND DOWNLOAD RESOURCES

  • Sundays, February 26-April 2: Looking Back/Moving Forward Adult Sunday School - The time of Lent can feel like we are treading on the edge of darkness as we wait for the joyous light of Easter Morning which means it can be a time for introspection. Please join us for a six week drop-in workshop, structured through a church context and designed to help us process what the Covid-19 pandemic took from us.  We will then move forward into our new understanding of what the world brings to us now. Not designed to be a rehashing of Covid grievances, but instead a time to genuinely connect while processing how Covid has changed our lives and our church. We will then transition to discussion about the good that has come out of this cataclysmic event, envision how the changes wrought by Covid in our church can be used for defining who we are as a congregation, and where we would like to see our church and ourselves in the future. While this may trigger deep feelings, we will support one another in understanding and love. This series will be at 10am on Sundays in the Fireside room, starting February 26.

  • Sunday, March 26 from 2:00-3:00pm: Easter Egg Hunt - Stay tuned for more details! All ages are welcome. 

HOLY WEEK WORSHIP

  • Sunday, April 2 at 9am & 11am - Palm Sunday Worship (chapel/sanctuary + livestream)

  • Thursday, April 6 at 7pm - Maundy Thursday Worship (sanctuary + livestream)

  • Friday, April 7 at 7pm - Good Friday Worship (sanctuary + livestream)

  • Sunday, April 9 at 9am & 11am - Easter Worship  (chapel/sanctuary + livestream)

 

IN OTHER NEWS...

  • Saturday, March 18 at 7:00pm: Young Adults CharCLUEterie - King Avenue Young Adults are getting together for a murder mystery party and a charcuterie potluck - we call it CharCLUEterie. If you're a young adult (post-college-35ish) we would LOVE for you to join us! Just bring a charcuterie board, items to put a board together, or just bring yourself, and be ready to solve a mystery! March 18, 7:00 pm, at the church building - see you then!

  • March 19 and 20: King Avenue Players Auditions for Spoon River Anthology - King Avenue Players is seeking actors of all experience levels, ethnicities and identities for this classic retelling of Edgar Lee Masters' masterpiece. Auditions are 3/19 and 3/20 from 6:30-9:00pm. Please prepare a resume and recent headshot for the director, and be prepared to list your conflicts. During auditions, you will be asked to read selections from the script. Please note that there is a mandatory set preparation meeting on 4/23 at 1:00pm and a mandatory set strike immediately following the Sunday matinee. Performances are: Thursday, Friday and Sat 5/4 - 5/6 at 7:30pm; Sunday matinee on 5/7 at 3:00pm.

  • Friday, March 24 at 7:00pm - Rainbow Sorbet & Gayme Night - Your favorite LGBTQ+ ministry is back! We have decided to change our name from Spectrum to Rainbow Connections to avoid confusion with the cable company. Our first event will be on March 24 from 7-9:30. We will be hosting a game night in the Parlor. Everyone is welcome to have a sorbet, meet a gay, and make that Rainbow Connection!  We will have games for all ages. 

  • Sunday, April 16: All Church Lunch - Due to the Fellowship Hall remodel, our February All-Church Lunch has been postponed to Sunday, April 16. The Kitchen Cabinet is "cookin' up" some good ideas to make our next meal special! Stay tuned for details.

  • UMCOR Disaster Relief to Earthquake Victims - By now, we have all seen the horrible news out of Syria and Turkey about the devastating earthquake they experienced earlier this week. At the time of this writing, the death toll has surpassed a shocking 23,000 people - children, parents, grandparents, spouses, aunts and uncles. Upon hearing of a natural disaster, one of our first feelings is a desire to help. However, with a natural disaster of this magnitude, our second feeling is often overwhelm. But as United Methodists, we do have an opportunity to contribute to the relief effort in meaningful ways. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is the disaster response agency sponsored by our denomination. 100% of donations will be spent on the ground with the people in need. If you have the ability and feel so led, you can easily donate by clicking ON THIS LINK.

  • February is Black History Month - Look at the slideshow on Black History Month Page to learn more about black leaders not only in our country's history, but also in the United Methodist Church. Each slide contains an image. Click on the image to go to a website and learn more. You can also view a list of these topics and links on our website, kingave.org. You can also check out the Religion and Race website. R-Squared — a resource hub by The General Commission on Religion & Race (GCORR) — challenges and equips leaders in the church and beyond to dismantle racism in all its forms. They do this by championing diversity, equity, and inclusion; developing interculturally competent leaders; and catalyzing authentic community.

  • Isaiah 35 Fellowship - Depression, anxiety, and many other mental health issues can challenge faith and hope and contribute to a feeling of isolation. Isaiah 35 is a confidential group providing fellowship, support, and prayer for adults with mental health struggles. We meet on every other Sunday (beginning 2/12/23) on Zoom from 7 to 8 pm. Due to the nature of this group, please contact Mary Bostian for the Zoom link and more details. (614) 371-0171 marybostian50@gmail.com

  • Item of the Month for NNEMAP - Each month, we are going to focus our donations on specific items our community partners. You can bring your donations with you on Sundays. There will be a place to leave them in the back of the worship space. Please donate canned toothbrushes and canned vegetables for NNEMAP during the month of February. 

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