King Avenue Digest 9/16/22

September 16, 2022

CENTENNIAL CONTEMPLATIONS (Read ALL of the questions and answers on our Centennial Contemplations page.)

  • Q28: When was the front of the sanctuary redesigned to accommodate a new organ and rethink the chancel area? What was the thinking behind the chancel design?

  • A28: This renovation was part of the 2006-2009 Notes and Nails Capital Campaign. The "why" can be summed up in one word... INCLUSIVE. The chancel area needed to be suitable for the new organ, true. However, equally important was to make the chancel area HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE! For example, it was felt that access to the chancel to sing in the choir or to deliver a sermon or a witness, should be available to ALL, not just to those whose mobility was not compromised. Naturally, the elevated design of the chancel area eventually was advantageous to performing groups or Children’s Moments, but that was not the initial plan or rationale. King Avenue's mission is to welcome ALL and that includes those who have physical challenges. ALL means ALL.

  • Q29: What United Methodist church did King Avenue UMC plant and help start?

UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • OSU Football Parkers Needed - King Avenue Football Parking Ministry is short 3 volunteers for the game on 9/24/22. In addition, they are still significantly short of volunteers for the Iowa game on 10/22/22 (game time TBD). Parking begins 4 hours prior to kickoff and lasts until the lot is full. All money collected for game day parking goes towards missions! Please contact Shawn Compton at comptonlaw@msn.com if you're able to help!

  • Theme for 2022-23 - Your church staff has chosen a theme for this 2022/23 year, and it is “Home." King Avenue is that for so many, a home that is accepting, loving and empowering. Our desire it to share that sense of home with all whom we encounter, whether they are currently part of congregation or not. You will hear us refer to home in a variety of ways this year as we kick off our fall events for our adults, our children, and youth. We welcome all of you home! We are looking forward to seeing you come back to King Avenue this fall. Welcome Home, dear friends. READ MORE

  • A Centennial Gift for your Home - To help celebrate the Centennial of our church building, the History and Records Committee has created a new King Avenue History Book. The Committee, with generous help from the Huggins Fund, is gifting one history book per household. Look for your copy in Fellowship Hall after Morning Blend Service and in the parlor area before and after the Traditional Service. You can pick up a copy at Sandy and Tom Trinter’s house during the week with advance notice by calling or texting: 614-329-7706. Additional copies of the book will available for sale in the near future.

  • Art Gallery Becomes a King Avenue Museum! Thanks to Kurt Reichert who has been working for weeks on a display to transform the King Avenue Art Gallery into a museum. As part of our Centennial Celebration, there will be 45 posters that will walk visitors through a timeline of our church and building(s). The gallery will officially open on Sunday, September 11 to be part of the Fall Kickoff.

  • A Call to Faithfulness Adult Sunday School Class - Corey Perry will be leading a six-week adult Sunday School Class beginning Sunday, September 11 during the Sunday School Hour (10-10:45) in Logos Lounge. The Social Principles are a grounding of our United Methodist home, intended to be "a prayerful and thoughtful effort on the part of the General Conference to speak to the human issues in the contemporary world." Come join Rev. Corey Perry on this six-week journey through the Social Principles as you understand their history, background, and statements. You will be challenged, excited, and - probably - frustrated, but you will also find an opportunity to grow and deepen your understanding of what it means to have a home in the United Methodist Church. Before and throughout the class, you can familiarize yourself with the UMC’s Social Principles. Please register for the class. REGISTER HERE.

  • Midweek Grief Recovery Course - Jennifer Tower will be leading an eight-week class for adults on grief beginning Wednesday, September 14. The Grief Recovery Method enables people struggling in their grief to find a way forward and a way home. It gives people the tools necessary to name their difficulties and find completion in their loss. As we all grieve differently, it is important to invest in ourselves to find a way that, for us, moves us from pain to a sense of peace so that we can find home again. The cost of this workshop is $13. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND PAY.

  • Announcing a Triple-Header of Ministers Coming Home! To celebrate the Centennial Celebration year of our beautiful church, we are hosting several former pastors. Following Linda Middelberg's message from the pulpit last month, we will be hosting three consecutive weeks of very special guest preachers to come home and preach. John Keeny is preaching September 18; Don Wallick is preaching September 25; and Grayson Atha will be preaching October 2. Let's fill the pews and enjoy these homecomings together!

  • Home Groups: King Avenue wants to help you grow in your life with Christ. This happens in powerful ways through consistent small groups that meet outside of Sunday morning church. So we want to start Home Groups. These will be groups of 7-12 people who live in the same general area as each other. They will gather weekly or semi-weekly in someone's home to pray together and grow together. We would love to get you connected with other King Avenue folks who live around your home so y'all can grow in Christ together. If you're interested in being a part of a Home Group, let Pastor Andy know (andy@kingave.org). Days and times will vary depending on each group's schedule preferences.

  • Sign up by September 19: Casa de Misericordia Mexico Mission Trip 2023 - We are thrilled to announce the dates for our annual trip to support the orphanage in Mexico. We will leave Columbus on Thursday, March 2nd, and return Monday, March 6th. You need a passport. The deadline to sign up is September 19th and the cost is $900, which includes airfare, lodging, and most meals. You are required to have a passport by September 30th. Please contact Gwen at gwendolyn.derosa@gmail.com. Gracias!

  • September 24: Spectrum Bonfire at Lynd's Fruit Farm - Is there anything that screams "FALL" more than a bonfire? So join the Spectrum community for a bonfire at Lynd’s Fruit Farm! We’ll gather around the fire on September 24 from 6:00-9:00pm for s’mores, hot dogs, friendship, and community. All ages are welcome! There is a Corn Maze at the same site that’s perfect for kids (and the young at heart). Entry is $11 and tickets can be purchased onsite. The address for the Corn Maze/Bonfire is 9851 Morse Rd SW, Pataskala, OH 43062. (The Corn Maze entrance is about a half mile from the Fruit Farm entrance.) Spectrum creates safe harbor for LGBTQIA+ Christians and their allies and witnesses to God’s love for everyone. What better place to create safe harbor than around a bonfire?

  • September 25: King Avenue Hosts Dr. Gastaldo - Stay after church on Sunday, Septembrer 25 for a Monkey Pox Conversation Q&A with Dr. Joe Gastaldo. This event will be in the sanctuary, and will also be livestreamed on our YouTube Channel.

  • September 25: Lit Club - Get in on the conversation by reading the month's book, and getting together on Sunday, September 25 at 7:00pm in the Logos Lounge with other King Avenue friends. This month's book is The Huntress by Kate Quinn. Looking ahead, the group will discuss The Radium Girls by Kate Moore on Sunday, October 30 and The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict on Sunday, November 27.

  • Register by September 27: Centennial Celebration Lunch at J Liu - To celebrate King Avenue's Centennial, we will be holding a luncheon at J Liu in Worthington (6880 High Street) on Sunday, October 9. The doors open at 1:00, and the buffet will begin at 1:30. The cost for this luncheon is $35. There will also be a cash bar at the event. The buffet includes: Garden Salad, Potato and Herb Crusted Tilapia, Sesame Chicken, Vegetarian Pasta Primavera, White Rice, Smashed Redskin Potatoes, Green Beans, Warm Rosemary Rolls, Coffee, and Iced Tea or Hot Tea, and Gourmet Miniature Desserts. Please register by September 27, 2022. Space is somewhat limited. CLICK TO PAY AND REGISTER.

  • September 30 - April 16: Confirmation Class of 2023 Begins! Confirmation is an important experience in the faith journey of young people in the church. When an infant is baptized in the United Methodist Church, the parents pledge to raise the child in the faith within their church family. Through Confirmation, youth (6th to 8th grades) will have the opportunity to publicly claim that faith and church family as their own, and transition into being a full member of King Avenue United Methodist Church.

  • October 8: Faith, Identity, Antiracism: Where Do We Belong? King Avenue UMC wants to intentionally address racism and dismantle the white supremacy that exists among us. We are hosting an all- morning retreat on Oct. 8 to create a safe space for storytelling and honest discussion around the topic of antiracism and its intersection with our faith and our identity. We will have the opportunity to engage with several panelists who are experts in the field and have experience living in this intersection. The event begins at 9 am and ends at 1 pm. Lunch is included. Cost is $10, but reach out if you need financial assistance. Contact Andy (andy@kingave.org) or Gwen (gwen@kingave.org) with any questions. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND PAY

  • October 9: Centennial Celebration Worship - Don't miss worship on Sunday, October 9. We will be celebrating 299 King Avenue's Centennial with a very special service (both 9am and 11am) to celebrate this magnificent building we call home.

Back