King Avenue Digest 3/20/21

March 20, 2021

 

Upcoming Events, Announcements, and Imminent Needs

  • More People In-Person Worship = Reminders/Updates - King Avenue Church has experienced an increase in the number of persons attending in-person worship.  People are starting to return as State restrictions loosen and vaccinations become more available.  We anticipate a larger number of worshipers at both services on Easter.  At Morning Blend, we shall open the parlor and chapel for livestreaming of the service to overflow attendance.  At 11am, we shall open the balconies for in-person, and also make the Fellowship Hall and Fireside Room available for livestreaming of the service to the overflow attendance.  It is important for the ushers to guide you to your seat(s) so as to ensure social distancing and the safety of your fellow worshipers.  The building will be open 25 minutes before the beginning of each worship service. All of the below guidelines which were instituted at the beginning of the pandemic will continue to be in effect. CLICK HERE for all Safety Protocols.

  • Easter Parking - In preparation for large numbers on Easter, the Pennsylvania lot will be available for parking!

  • Women in Youth Ministry Podcast - Gwendolyn DeRosa was interviewed on a podcast to discuss LGBTQ+ inclusion in youth ministry. CLICK HERE to listen or subscribe!

  • March 21: Spectrum Hike - Join your Spectrum friends for a hike at Highbanks on Sunday, March 21 at 2pm. Meet at the Nature Center at Highbanks Park, 9466 US Rt. 23, Lewis Center. Don't forget your mask!

  • March 21: OSU Student Care Packages EXTRA PACKING DAY ADDED - Due to an increase in COVID cases on the OSU campus, the OSU Interfaith Council has asked donating churches to provide additional supplies, and we are responding to this call! We hope you will join us in packing OSU Student Care packages after the 11:00 service on Sunday, March 21.

  • March 23: Anti-Racism Education Series Panel Discussion: Active Social Justice from a Christian Perspective - Join this Zoom Meeting (Meeting ID 858 2344 7395 Passcode 379873) on March 23 beginning at 7:30 for our third Anti-Racism Education Series Panel Discussion, we will be discussing the intersection of faith and protest. How do we use our voices and bodies to dismantle systemic racism? How does the work of anti-racism relate to our spirituality and our role as Christians? READ MORE

  • Now Through March 25: Order Easter Dedications - Make your Easter dedications by Thursday, March 25. Dedications will be displayed in our bulletins and online on Easter, April 4. Your donations will be given the NNEMAP Food Pantry. Payment may be made on Realm, placed in the offering bucket, or mailed to the church office. CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FORM

  • Now Through March 27: King Avenue Co-Ed Summer Softball - King Avenue UMC sponsors a Monday night softball team to play in the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department Summer I 2021 season, which begins April 26 at Berliner Park and continues for 10 weeks of regular season games (plus tournament, if eligible). This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new people and play ball. We participate in the Mixed Social division, which is co-ed and open to non-sanctioned persons of all skill levels, including beginner. Coaches are Jodie Brown and Mike Carey. Contact brown.jodie@gmail.com if you have questions. REGISTRATION DEADLINE is March 27. Cost to participate is $10. Game times vary by week. Earliest game start time is 6:10 pm, games may be as late as 9:30 pm. CLICK HERE to Register on Realm.

  • April 1: Maundy Thursday Communion Service - The Sacrament of Holy Communion will be available in the KAUMC sanctuary on Maundy Thursday, April 1, 2021. Revs. Keeny and Ogle will offer the sacrament every twenty minutes between 4 - 8 pm. You must sign-up in advance for a time slot. We will receive two groups of people during each 20-minute time slot, one on the north end of the Communion rail, and one on the south end of the Communion rail. Up to five people who share a household or act as a pod together may receive Communion. If you are coming as a group, please enter the name and email address of your group leader, and just the names and others who will be coming at the same time as well. Of course, you may come as an individual to receive Communion. There will be ushers to assist you. CLICK TO SIGN UP

  • April 1: Maundy Thursday Online Worship - Through Jesus, we are connected to God and to our church family. Take some time to share our prayers in the Maundy Thursday Family Prayer service online which will be available beginning at 7:00pm on our ONLINE WORSHIP SITE. This service of worship contains special music, scripture, prayer of confession, and reflection.

  • April 1-2: Maundy Thursday Prayer Vigil - The Maundy Thursday prayer vigil will be in the format of online prayer stations. On the last night of Jesus’ life, he asked his disciples to stay awake and pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. As in the past, we will conduct a prayer vigil from Thursday, April 1 at 8 pm for the next 24 hours. Please consider signing up to pray for a half hour during this vigil. Those who sign up for the prayer vigil will be supplied with suggested resources. CLICK TO SIGN UP.

  • April 2: Good Friday Tenebrae Worship - Observe Good Friday with an at-home guided worship service. This service will contain video segments from The Gospel of John, reflections, and prayer from John 18 & 19. This Good Friday service of Tenebrae (darkness) will be available on our ONLINE WORSHIP SITE April 2 beginning at noon. READ MORE

  • April 4: Easter Worship - Join your King Avenue Faith Family at 9:00am or 11:00 for Easter worship, both in-person and livestreamed on our ONLINE WORSHIP SITE. For those attending in-person, overflow parking will be available in the Pennsylvania lot. Please visit our Safety Protocols Page to review all safety measures. Thank you!

  • Now through April 10: Support King Avenue AIDS Walk - The AIDS WALK is Saturday, April 10, 2021. King Avenue is represented by the Spectrum. You may donate to the team by visiting the SPECTRUM - KING AVE team page at https://www.classy.org/team/317234. You can register to walk/run virtually or in person by visiting aidswalkohio.com.

Continuing News

  • Rev. Becky Piatt - Due to the forthcoming retirement of our Pastor Keeny, Bishop Palmer has announced that Rev. Becky Piatt will be appointed to serve as our next Senior Pastor. She brings with her many years of service in the ministry, a loving spirit and authenticity that will serve us all well. CLICK TO READ MORE FROM PPR AND READ PASTOR BECKY'S BIO

  • Devotionals: The Upper Room devotionals for March and April are available at the south and west doors.

  • CAN WE HAVE A WITNESS?! We are seeking persons to give a witness on how their faith is helping them live creatively at this time. If you have a story of generosity, gratitude, support, and/or connection during this time, we would love to have you share in worship. A witness builds up the faith of others. Please contact John Keeny, jkeeny@kingave.org.

  • Realm Photo Project - As we all know, we are saying farewell to Rev. Keeny when he retires later this year and welcoming a new Senior Pastor to our King Avenue family. In the interest of making the transition as easy as possible for our new minister, we are encouraging you to make sure you have a photo of yourself associated with your Realm account. Being able to put a face with a name is an important way to help our new minister get to know everyone, especially if we are still practicing social distancing. We hope you will join us get Realm in order through the Realm Photo Project initiative. 1) Check your Realm profile photo. Ideally, the picture is your head and shoulders, and you are the only person in the picture. If your photo is not clearly of you, if you don’t have a profile picture, or if you have updated your look, please either add/replace your picture or email a new picture to beth@kingave.org to have it added for you. 2) Would you like to add a family picture? You can email one to beth@kingave.org to do this. Questions? Need assistance? Please feel free to reach out to Beth Aiello, beth@kingave.org. Thank you in advance for your help!

  • Administrative Council and Apportionments - On January 26, Ad Council voted to escrow 24 months of apportionment payments dating back to March of 2019, and begin paying apportionments in full on March, 2021. Based on communication with Bishop Palmer and evidence surrounding the status of King Avenue Church in our conference at this time, ACTS made its recommendation to Ad Council Tuesday night to hold in escrow 24 months of apportionments and then begin paying its apportionments in full. Please read the recommendation in its entirety. The reasons for the decision are well-stated. CLICK TO READ THE RECOMMENDATION.

  • Chancel Flowers - If you are interested in signing up to donate Chancel Flowers for worship in 2021, please use this form. You can specify that your flowers be listed in the bulletin in memory or honor of a person or notable event. The arrangement is yours to take home at the end of that Sunday's service.

Faith Formation, Fellowship, and Support

  • 10:00am Sundays: Inter-Generational Virtual Sunday School Class - This is for children and families. Before you login at 10 am on Sunday mornings, watch the Godly Play video (posted every Friday). We will talk about the story together during class. Click HERE to learn more about Children's Connections.

  • 10:00am Sundays: "Inside Out" Youth Sunday School - Youth will be will be connecting biblical stories of faith to five key characteristics of growth in our lives: developing a growth mindset, resilience, compassion, boundaries, and integrity. Stories of faith will include: The Queen of Sheba, David and Jonathon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Mary and Martha, and examples from the life of Jesus. This virtual Sunday School class is for all youth in 6th to 12th grades. We will meet on Zoom every Sunday morning at 10 am. Please contact Gwen with any questions: gwen@kingave.org 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Wednesdays at 7:00pm: Isaiah 35 Fellowship - In these challenging times, take advantage of King Avenue's Isaiah 35 Fellowship, a confidential fellowship group offering acceptance, encouragement, community, and support for adults whose faith and hope have been challenged by mental health struggles. We meet every Wednesday night at 7 on Zoom. For more information, contact Mary Bostian at (614) 371-0171 or marybostian50@gmail.com

  • 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.

  • 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.

Opportunities to Help

  • April 11: OSU Student Care Package Assembly - The OSU Interfaith Council is delivering a small care package to students on campus who are in quarantine. King Avenue Church has volunteered to assist with this ministry, so on Sunday, April 11, we will be assembling care packages in the church parlor at 10:00 a.m. If you are interested in helping, please sign up at http://bit.ly/OSUKits - you may also email Beth Aiello at beth@kingave.org to sign up or with any questions.

  • Help Needed - A King Avenue UMC parishioner recovering from the long-term effects of a brain injury could use weekly assistance with the process of purchasing groceries. The individual lives in the area around St. Rt. 161 and St. Rt. 33 on the northwest side of town. If you might be willing to help either weekly or less frequently, please notify colleen@kingave.org to learn more of the details.

  • NNEMAP needs drivers! We are delivering food to needy families! The staff delivers, but we need volunteer drivers to handle the almost 150 each month. Drivers would need to pick up late morning or early afternoon during the week or on Saturday mornings. For more information contact Roy Clark at director@nnemappantry.org.

  • NNEMAP Needs - Donate books for all ages, baby wipes, large-size diapers (size 5 and 6), grooming items (dental items, razors, and shampoo, and feminine hygiene items). We would especially appreciate Purell and wipes for COVID-19. Thank you for your generosity!

  • Ushers and Greeters Needed - We are always in need of 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 always 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.

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