King Avenue Digest 11/26/2025

November 26, 2025

 

*NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS AND QUICKLY-APPROACHING EVENTS*

  • SUNDAY, November 30: Church Conference - All members are welcome to attend the King Avenue UMC's Church Conference on November 30 at 3:00 in Fellowship Hall.

  • WEDNESDAY, December 3: Retirees Christmas Potluck Lunch, White Elephant Gift Exchange and Caroling - Join us on Wednesday, December 3 at 11AM in the Fellowship Hall for food, fun and fellowship. The Retiree Ministry will provide a honey baked ham. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. A white elephant gift is a quirky, humorous or downright unusual wrapped gift. Value not to exceed $10. CLICK TO RSVP ON REALM

  • *NEW* November 30 - December 25: The Season of Advent - With the start of Advent, our church has been transformed! The decorations are centered around the 2025 theme: "The Symbols of Christmas." Look closely for Chrismons—sacred religious symbols—integrated throughout the holiday display. Be sure to visit both the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall to appreciate the full extent of the holiday transformation. Our deepest thanks go to Kurt Reichert for his consistently breathtaking designs and to all of his "elves" who help make his beautiful vision a reality every year.

  • *NEW* Monday, December 1: World AIDS Day - King Avenue recognizes World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day is a global movement to unite people in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Since 1988, communities have stood together on World AIDS Day to show strength and solidarity against HIV stigma and to remember lives lost. World AIDS Day exists to shine a light on the real experiences of people living with HIV today, while celebrating the strength, resilience and diversity of the communities most affected. It is a moment to inspire the leadership needed to create a future where HIV doesn’t stand in the way of anyone’s life.

  • *NEW* Tuesday, December 9: Build Our Courage Tour (offsite) - The Columbus Mennonite Church invites you to join them for the Mennonite Action’s national To Build Our Courage tour on December 9 from 5:45 – to 8:45pm. This evening designed to inspire and equip people of faith will focus on grassroots organizing and skills related to vital issues like standing up to authoritarianism, organizing against ICE, and working for peace and justice in Palestine. We will share a meal, dive into learning, and share in song and prayer. If you would like to be a part of this, please sign up at www.mennoniteaction.org/tour and scroll to "View Event in Columbus." CLICK TO SIGN UP

  • *NEW* Friday, December 12: College Student & Young Adult Nerf Wars - Kinship Campus Ministry is teaming up with King Avenue Young Adults for Nerf Wars (18 to 35ish) on Friday, December 12th, from 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Pizza will be provided. You can bring your own nerf equipment or borrow the King Avenue equipment. Please RSVP by December 10th at the latest with Gwen (gwendolyn.derosa@gmail.com).

  • *NEW* Saturday, December 13: Date Night Childcare - Your littles are important to King Avenue! If you have kiddos under 4 yrs old, our amazing childcare staff is offering childcare for a date night on Saturday, Dec. 13th, at the church nursery, from 6:00-8:00pm. Contact Jason Cooley to register jasoncooley6@gmail.com . Limit 8 kids total; first come, first served!

KEEP READING FOR THE REST OF OUR CURRENT HAPPENINGS AND NEWS...

  • Sign up Now! Preparations for Family Christmas Eve Service - Does your child (12th grade and under) want to read or speak during the family-centered Christmas Eve Service at 4:30pm? Contact Gwen as soon as possible for a speaking/reading role. All children of all ages are invited to participate in the singing. (There is no nursery available on Christmas Eve. Babies are welcome in the service.) Questions or Sign-up: gwendolyn.derosa@gmail.com

  • Friday, December 5: Christmas Cookies & Movie - Kick off the holiday season with your church family on Friday, December 5th at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Wear your favorite Christmas PJ’s or ugly Christmas sweater and feel free to bring friends! No dinner provided, so please come AFTER you eat! We are decorating cookies at 6:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall and watching a Christmas movie. All ages are welcome and no RSVP necessary, but please email Gwen at gwendolyn.derosa@gmail.com if you have any questions.

  • *Saturday, December 6: Young Adults Friendsgiving - Join King Avenue Young Adults for Friendsgiving! If you're 18-35 years old, you're invited to Pastor Andy's house on Dec. 6 at 6:30 for dinner and community. We'll provide the main dish and beverages; you bring a side dish to share. Check out the WhatsApp group for details and location, or contact Pastor Andy (andy@kingave.org) to be added to the group. RSVP by December 1.

  • Due Monday, December 8: Poinsettia Order - Poinsettias are displayed throughout our Sanctuary during the Advent season. The cost of one Poinsettia is $11. Your donations will be included in the 7pm and 9pm Christmas Eve bulletins on Wednesday, December 24. Poinsettias are available to take home after the services. Please submit payment and the following necessary information by Monday, December 8. Please complete a separate form for each dedication. You will be guided to payment in Realm. CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A POINSETTIA ORDER FORM

  • Due Monday, December 8: Sponsor a Backpack for Bethlehem on Broad - Bethlehem on Broad Street (BOBS) began 30 years ago in response to a single request for dinner on Christmas Day at the St. Lawrence Haven. This event has expanded and evolved with efforts from diverse faiths, denominations, and non-religious organizations throughout Central Ohio. BOBS will distribute essential supplies to our houseless neighbors with backpacks stuffed with SURVIVAL AND HYGIENE supplies. This year will also include a NON-PERISHABLE FOOD PACKAGE to address the food insecurity our neighbors are experiencing. King Avenue has been invited to participate in this important mission through sponsorship. The total suggested donation for sponsoring is $50. CLICK HERE TO GIVE.

  • Saturday, December 13: Volunteer with Bethlehem on Broad Street Event - Besides sponsoring backpacks, King Avenue UMC is also invited to assist with the BOBS Event on Saturday, December 13th at Broad Street UMC. In addition to distribution of backpacks, BOBS will host a hot lunch, offer photos with Santa, host a craft station, and give folks an opportunity to send cards and photos to loved ones. Volunteers will welcome guests, assist in carrying packages or help guide neighbors through the lunch line at the event on December 13. There will be two shifts: 10:00 a.m-1:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.4:00 p.m. For volunteer opportunities, please contact Saundra Buck at Broad St. UMC via email at saundra@broadstreetumc.net or by calling the office at 614-221-4571.

  • Diabetes Risk Quiz - We extend our gratitude to Michael Horvath for his powerful witness on the critical importance of organ donation. He shared his personal battle, including the organ damage caused by a late Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis. As November is American Diabetes Month, we urge everyone to take the 60-second risk quiz for themselves or a loved one. CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE RISK QUIZ

  • Little Free Pantry - Helping Our Neighbors - Knowing that many in our community are facing difficult times, King Avenue is excited to introduce our very own ""Little Free Pantry."" Our goal is simple: to offer immediate, on-the-fly assistance to both our church family and neighbors in need. You can find the pantry on the lower level in the Children’s Hallway (outside the large children’s classroom). We invite everyone to be a part of this vital community service! When you notice items have run out, please help restock the pantry. This is a hands-on project for all families and kids of all ages. Kindly stock the pantry directly—do not drop off donations with Gwen.

  • Item of the Month for NNEMAP - We will be collecting HOLIDAY SIDES for NNEMAP the month of November and December. That includes gravy, mashed potato flakes, stuffing mix, cream of mushroom soup, etc. Thanks in advance for your generosity to help our hungry neighbors as we're nearly upon the holiday season.

  • Underway... Vile-Tality, Reclaiming the Heart of Wesleyan Identity - The Wesleyan movement, the tradition that birthed the United Methodist Church, started as a scrappy movement determined to connect with the people society didn't want. As the movement grew, we left that behind to become a respectable denomination. Let's learn together what we lost on the way and how we can regain our "Vile-tality," using the book of that name. (View this book on Amazon.) We will be studying the book together over 5 weeks; class participants are responsible for obtaining a copy of the book. Two options: Tuesdays at noon on Zoom; Wednesdays at 7pm at the church. Register on Realm or contact Pastor Andy at andy@kingave.org.

  • November - mid January: "Happy Little Trees" in the Grand Hall Gallery - The King Avenue Art Gallery will be featuring the paintings of Adam Burke in November through mid-January.

  • 2026 Casa Trip Deadlines - We will be sending our next team to Casa de Misericordia on February 12-16, 2026. It costs $1,000/person. To be on the team, you must complete and submit a trip application, a copy of your passport, and payment by October 1, 2025. Financial assistance is available. Fill out and submit an application by August 18, 2025. An information session will be held Sunday, June 29 at 10am. For more information, attend the informational meeting Sunday, June 29 at 10:00 in the Chapel. CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION • CLICK HERE FOR FINANCIAL AID REQUEST

  • OPEN, Our Daily Devotional - Join your King Avenue family in reading through the Gospels and Acts in 2025! Starting in January, we will begin OPEN, a daily devotional that will deliver a bite-sized reading from the Gospels to your email inbox daily. The best part is many of the devotionals will be written by King Avenue members because we believe Jesus has something to say in the Gospels to each of us and through each of us. Our name "OPEN" reflects the King Avenue UMC theme song and positioning statement (Open minds, Open hearts, Open doors). In 2025, we want to OPEN the Gospels together day by day. If you want to join us in this journey, complete this form to sign up. CLICK TO SIGN UP FOR OPEN DAILY DEVOTIONALS

FAITH FORMATION, FELLOWSHIP, AND SUPPORT

  • Recurring on Mondays: Retirees Church at Home - Is your heart yearning for a spiritual connection with other Retirees? Consider joining the Retirees’ Church at Home, a weekly bible study that originated when the 2020 pandemic thrust many retirees into isolation. Today, the group remains committed and diligent in providing fellowship, meaningful discussions and connection with each other. The group meets Monday mornings from 11:00-12:00 on Zoom, where various members lead the study using the devotions from the Upper Room. If you are interested in participating with the Retirees’ Church at Home, contact Teresa Malloy at malloy29@aol.com or Dennis Chew at dennischew@me.com.

  • Recurring Weekly on Tuesday mornings & Wednesday evenings: Sermon Starters - Sermon Starters is a weekly small-group discussion of the upcoming Sunday's scripture lessons facilitated by Pastor Karen and Pastor Andy. Questions, insights, and stories help the pastors to think through their Sunday sermon ideas, as well as give participants a head start on their consideration of the week's lesson. Let Pastor Karen know (karen@kingave.org) if you'd like to be added to the Realm email group to receive the scriptures ahead of time. All are welcome in this "drop in" Bible Study Tuesdays at 7am in the Parlor, and Wednesdays at 6pm in the Chapel.

  • Recurring on Second Mondays of the Month: Rebels and Reconnection - This drop-in peer support group (for over 18 yrs old) is a safe, authentic environment where we process the trauma of purity culture, connect with our own amazing bodies, and formulate our own sexual ethics. We will dive into a variety of themes, including: faith and gender, purity culture history, and sex education. We’ll meet on the 2nd Monday of each month from 7 to 8:30 pm at King Avenue UMC. Contact Gwen with any questions: gwendolyn.derosa@gmail.com

  • Recurring on Second Wednesdays of the Month: Caregiver Support Group - King Avenue UMC Retirees Ministry and the Alzheimer's Association of Central Ohio are partnering to bring a Caregiver Support Group to our church monthly. No registration is necessary and there is no cost. This group is designed to support families of individuals affected by any type of dementia. This group will meet the second Wednesday of each month from 6:00-7:30.

  • Recurring on Thursdays: Young Adults Small Group - King Avenue Young Adults will gather weekly to be with each other, check in with each other and share how their walk with Jesus is going. Thursdays at 6:30pm here at the church. If you're 18-35 years old, you're welcome to join us.

  • Recurring on First Saturdays of the Month: King Avenue Men's Group - The King Avenue Men's Group is a monthly get-together with men of different ages and backgrounds meeting in fellowship to discuss diverse topics of living as Christians. We meet on the first Saturday of month at 10:30am. For more information, please contact Roger Blocher rblocher01@gmail.com.

  • Last Sundays of the Month: Lit Club - Join the Lit Club on the last Sunday of each month at 7pm in the Logos Lounge. All are welcome! Simply read the book of the month, and get together to talk about it. You can also contact Rick Gilson (rickgilson@yahoo.com) to find out what the month's book is or if you'd like to be added to the communication group in Realm.

  • Every Other Sunday: 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 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

OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP

  • Open Shelter Lunch Packing - King Avenue packs lunches for the Open Shelter on several Tuesdays and Thursdays... 24 times in 2025. All hands on deck for packing 200-400 lunches at a time! CLICK HERE for the 2025 schedule, and join when you're able. All days/dates are 6:00pm in the King Avenue kitchen. Many hands make light work!

  • Fourth and Fifth Saturdays: Gates Fourth UMC Community Breakfast - Calling all cooks, servers, and hostesses! Gates Fourth UMC serves a monthly community breakfast at 119 E. Gates St. King Avenue assists the Gates Fourth team with greeting guests, distributing clothing/personal care donations, serving meals, assisting in the kitchen, and cleaning up. For more information on getting involved, please contact Shawn Compton at comptonlaw@msn.com or (614)378-6758 or simply show up to Gates Fourth on the fourth and/or fifth Saturday of each month to enjoy a meal with your neighbors. The dress code for this food service environment is casual but please wear closed toes shoes for safety. The only skills needed for this three-hour commitment are to smile and bring hospitality to this diverse community. We hope to see you there! Gates Fourth United Methodist Church, 119 E. Gates St., Columbus, OH 43206 from 8:00-11:00am.

  • Ushers and Greeters - 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 Pastor Andy at andy@kingave.org.

  • Audio-Visual Volunteers - We are always looking for some folks who would like to learn how to help with live streaming our 9:00 and 11:00 services. You don’t need a lot of experience; we will train you! Please email Pastor Andy at andy@kingave.org if you are interested.

  • 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.

  • Item of the Month for Hubbard Elementary - Periodically we are asked for items to help students at our partner school, Hubbard Elementary. You can bring your donations with you on Sundays. There will be a place to leave them in the back of the worship space.

  • UMCOR Disaster Relief - UMCOR is the global humanitarian organization of the United Methodist Church that provides aid to people affected by crises and disasters around the world. You can contribute to UMCOR through Realm. CLICK HERE TO GIVE.

  • Use your Kroger Card to Give to King Avenue - Are you a Kroger Shopper? Do you have a Kroger Plus Card? If so, you can give to King Avenue every time you shop. If you have a Kroger Plus card, just log into your account, go to Community Rewards, and search for KING AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH to get this set up. LEARN MORE AND ENROLL

ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF NOTE

  • First Sundays of each Month: ASL Interpreter - King Avenue will be providing an ASL interpreter during worship. Elisabeth Clegg will be interpreting on the first Sunday of every month during both services. Thanks, Elisabeth!

  • Chancel Flowers for Worship - If you are interested in signing up to donate Chancel Flowers for worship in 2025, 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.

  • "Safe, Secure. Together." Radical hospitality at King Avenue includes ensuring that people within our walls are safe. The objectives of Safe. Secure. Together. are to establish, communicate, and practice emergency procedures related to active aggressor, severe weather, fire, bomb threat, and other critical incidents. If you would like to learn more about the specific initiatives included in this program, access resources, or find out how to get involved, visit our "Safe. Secure. Together." webpage at kingave.org.

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