King Avenue Digest 4/3/21

April 3, 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!

  • Now Through April 5: 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 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!

  • Beginning April 7: A Call to Faithfulness - The UMC Social Principles The United Methodist Church promotes ethical guidelines on an evolving set of social concerns. Our congregation is familiar with the debates around human sexuality, but may be surprised to discover the wide range of other challenging contemporary (and perennial) issues The Social Principles covers. Rev. Corey Perry, J.D. will lead a virtual lecture and discussion class that will explore the six major sections of The Social Principles. The class runs for six Wednesdays beginning on 4/7 from 7:00-8:30pm. In his position as System Vice President, Mission & Ministry of OhioHealth, Corey Perry has witnessed the power of many of our ethical principles. It will be a blessing to benefit from his experience. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

  • 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.

  • April 15: Spectrum Movie Discussion - Join your Spectrum friends for a discussion of "Pride" on Thursday, April 15, 6:30pm. It is the uplifting true story of a group of gays and lesbians who collect money for striking miners. While most unions refuse their gift, one union accepts. This wonderful story of acceptance stars Bill Nighy and can be found on Amazon Prime. Join Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84470727798?pwd=eWtlSTU0SUJ1alorU0dsME0vaEJDZz09 Meeting ID: 844 7072 7798 Passcode: 280174

  • April 18: Special Offering - Native American Ministries Sunday nurtures mission with Native Americans and provides scholarships for United Methodist Native American seminarians.

  • April 25: Lit Club on Zoom - Join in the discussion of Martha Hall Kelly’s Lost Roses on Sunday, April 25 7pm. Meeting ID: 843 1707 9488 Passcode: 534202

Continuing News

  • 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!

  • 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

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • NNEMAP needs drivers! NNEMAP needs delivery drivers! We began offering delivery during the spring when the pandemic began. It started slow, but now is an important part of what we do everyday. We need people who would be available around 11am during the week, or on Saturday around the same time. We give you one or two deliveries each time. If there are two deliveries, they will be near each other. We have a sign-up link so you can sign up when it is convenient. For information email 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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