King Avenue Digest 5/1/21

May 1, 2021

UPCOMING EVENTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND IMMINENT EVENTS

  • May 13 from 6-8pm: SPECTRUM BYOSD (Bring Your Own Sack Dinner) - Are you ready to get out?! Are you all shot up with no place to go? Have we got a great idea for you! Spectrum is going to host a BYOSD (Bring Your Own Sack Dinner) get-together on Thursday, May 13. We’ll meet up in the shelter house in Fancyburg Park in Upper Arlington at 6:00 p.m. Join us for a masked, safe, socially distanced get-together. Grab a brown bag dinner and a non-alcoholic drink and come join us! Interaction! Laughter! Togetherness! Can you believe it? How very "2019 of us!

  • UPPER ROOM - Upper Room devotionals are available at the south (ramp) door.

  • HEY KING AVENUE FAMILIES! Gwen and Erin miss your beautiful faces so much and cannot wait until it’s safe to be together again. They have been researching the best and safest ways to be together in person. If our community, and especially our state, continues to progress with the vaccine rollout, and the new cases of COVID spread decrease, they hope to relaunch the Sunday morning program for children and youth this fall. That said, there is much collective work to be done. Because we are a church, it takes all of us to work together in order to make anything happen successfully. The Sunday morning program will require about 30+ volunteers so we can create and maintain a safe, welcoming, healthy worship environment for our kids. Contact Gwen at gwendolyn.derosa@gmail.com if you want to participate in any of the following opportunities get involved:
    • Make a short video talking about the importance of the children and youth program for your family (2-3 minutes)
    • During this waiting and preparing period, we are still actively creating a community of learning about and loving God, ourselves, and others. Please stay tuned on our Facebook groups for more activities and opportunities during the summer.
    • Volunteer once a month for either Worship Connections (9 or 11 am) or Sunday School (10 am)
    • Invite King Avenue friends to volunteer in the children and youth program
    • Write a witness about what the children and youth program means to you (2-3 paragraphs)
    • Give a witness Sunday morning at church about the rewards of volunteering in the children and youth program (3 minutes)

CONTINUING NEWS

  • Stained Glass Window Repair! Your Comprehensive Campaign moneys are already being put to work! The stained glass window repair has begun. Check out the pictures of the King Avenue WWI windows at the bottom of this page.

  • 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.  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.  All of the safety guidelines which were instituted at the beginning of the pandemic will continue to be in effect. CLICK HERE for all Safety Protocols.

  • 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.

  • 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!

FAITH FORMATION, FELLOWSHIP, AND SUPPORT

  • Wednesdays at 7pm through May 12: 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. Each class is a stand-alone class! LEARN MORE AND REGISTER.

  • Wednesdays at 6pm: 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.

  • Sundays at 7pm: 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

  • Last Sundays at 7pm: Lit Club - The King Avenue Lit Club meets the last Sunday of the month at 7pm to discuss the month's book. All are welcome! April 25 will be Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly. Due to the rising COVID-19 cases, Lit Club will meet on Zoom this month. Join the Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84317079488?pwd=cHd6UXdXMkFTalJBRGl1VTY0SFJaQT09 Meeting ID: 843 1707 9488 Passcode: 534202. Looking ahead... Sunday, May 30 - Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson; Sunday, June 27 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.W. Schwab. The May and June meetings will hopefully be held in the Logos Lounge.

  • Sundays at 10am: 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.

  • Sundays at 10am: "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 at 4:30pm: 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.

  • 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

  • Ushers and Greeters Needed - Be the first friendly face someone sees at church! Our ushers and greeters keep folks safe and make them feel welcome. If you would like to help with this important ministry, please email beth@kingave.org.

  • 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.

  • 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 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!

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