King Avenue Digest 5/8/26

May 8, 2026

 

*NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS AND QUICKLY-APPROACHING EVENTS*

  • *NEW* Sunday, May 17: CYFM Volunteer Recognition Sunday - Please join us in celebrating the amazing CYFM volunteers who give of their time, energy, experience, and love to our kids throughout the year. We will honor them during both worship services. Volunteers may pick up a small gift from the CYFM table in the children’s hallway.

  • *NEW* Saturday, May 23: Pride Signs and Pizza - Pump up for Pride! Columbus Pride is June 20 and we need your help to get ready for it! On Saturday May 23, 5-8pm, we'll be in the Fellowship Hall with pizza, sign-making supplies, and music. If you plan to march in Pride, come out and have pizza and make a sign(s) with us. If you won't be marching with us, come out and make a sign(s) for someone else who will be marching. All ages are welcome. And bring your creativity - we'll have a contest for the best sign. Register on Realm or just let us know if you're coming. Questions? Contact Pastor Andy at andy@kingave.org. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

  • *NEW* Sunday, May 24: Pentecost Sunday AND Aldersgate Day - It’s a special Sunday — doubled! Join us as we celebrate both Pentecost and Aldersgate Day. Pentecost marks the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is often called the “birthday of the Church,” celebrating the beginning of the disciples’ bold ministry and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. We invite everyone to WEAR RED for Pentecost, symbolizing the fire of the Holy Spirit that descended upon the disciples and continues to ignite the Church with faith, passion, and purpose today. Aldersgate Day commemorates the transformative faith experience of John Wesley on May 24, 1738, when he felt his “heart strangely warmed,” inspiring a movement grounded in God’s grace, personal faith, and Christian service. Together, these celebrations invite us to give thanks for the power of the Holy Spirit and renew our commitment to living out our faith with courage, compassion, and joy.

  • *NEW* Sunday, May 31: NNEMAP Produce Drive - NNEMAP Food Pantry has been our partner in ministry for several decades and is an important source of food for many of our neighbors. They need our help with produce and we're going to step up. On Sunday, May 31, just bring produce to church with you. NNEMAP will have their van in the parking lot; we drop our donations in and they'll take it back to NNEMAP.

  • *NEW* Sunday, May 31: Screening of "1946" with Perfect Arrangement Cast Panel - What if the word, 'homosexual' was never meant to be in the Bible? ""1946 - The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture"" is a documentary film that chronicles how the misuse of a single word changed the course of modern history. Journey with us to 1946 and learn the previously untold history. Join your King Avenue friends at church on Sunday, May 31 at 2:00pm to view this powerful film together. The cast from Perfect Arrangement will be there for a panel discussion afterwards. Learn more about this documentary at https://www.1946themovie.com.

  • *NEW* CYFM Sunday Programming Breaking for Summer - The last Sunday for morning CYFM prgramming is Sunday, May 31. Worship Connections (9 am and 11 am) and regular Sunday School classes (10 am) will be on summer break throughout June and July, but stay tuned for special summer activities and events. While you are enjoying the summer and traveling, please stay connected to your faith and your church family. Worship Connections and Sunday School classes will return on August 9. Questions? Contact Gwen at gwen@kingave.org.

  • REGISTER NOW for M.A.D. Camp 2026 - Let your creative side run wild as you explore music, art, drama, dance, and creative writing at M.A.D. Camp June 22-26, 2026 from 5:30-8:30 pm! This fantastic experience is the first offering of its kind from KAP (King Avenue Players) and CYFM (King Avenue Children, Youth & Family Ministry). If you have a child currently in Grades K-8, then you are eligible to sign up! The cost per child is $22.50 and it includes dinner each evening at 5:30 pm. There will also be a family dinner on Friday night before our final Showcase and Art Show to celebrate our campers and their talents. CLICK TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

  • MONDAY, May 11: Sex Ed Workshop for Adults - Purity Culture has caused so much damage in our society. Many of us have grown up without any practical sex education and some of us still carry a lot of guilt and shame regarding our bodies, sexuality, and romantic relationships. Rebels and Reconnection, the drop-in peer support group for folks who want to heal from purity culture, is hosting a sex ed workshop for anyone over the age of 18 yr old on Monday, May 11th, at 7 pm, in the Donnenwirth Lounge (2nd floor behind the balcony). There is no cost and no registration. Email Gwen with any questions at gwen@kingave.org.

  • FRIDAY, May 15: CORE Youth Group’s Nerf Wars Sendoff for Lauren and Pastor Andy - On Friday, May 15th, from 6 to 9 pm, the youth group (6th through 12th grades) will celebrate Lauren and Andy with a final evening of pizza and nerf wars in the Fellowship Hall. Please RSVP with Gwen at gwen@kingave.org by May 13th so we have enough pizza.

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

  • Thursday May 21: Retirees to the Ball Game - Join the Retirees as we root for the home team when the Columbus Clippers play the Louisville Bats on May 21 at 12:05 pm. We have reserved 20 tickets at $6 each with lunch included. Parking is available near the ballpark. Carpooling is encouraged to share parking expenses. See Jennifer Tower or Terry Hicks for ticket availability. Let us know if you require an accessible seat.

  • History Room Installation - We invite you to visit the Heber History Room to view our current installation: "Recognizing women's work – Celebrating over 100 years of Women's Contributions to King Avenue." This special collection is available for viewing on Sundays between services and immediately following the 11:00 AM 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.

  • Calling All Activists! The Starfish Project - Being the ""hands and feet of Christ"" in a complicated world can feel daunting. The Starfish Project is a space for those called to action but seeking direction. Together, we’ll explore how our small acts—like the boy on the beach with the starfish—can make a collective difference. Join the Starfish Project. When you join our Realm Group, you’re joining a community of support. There is no ""required"" level of activity—participate as much or as little as you feel led. As a member, you’ll have access to; Learning Opportunities: Workshops on protest safety, advocacy tools, and critical thinking in the digital age; Community Presence: Never go to a protest alone. We meet, carpool, and look out for one another; Tangible Work: Join us for ""low-stakes, high-impact"" sessions like poster making, postcard writing, or care package assembly; Civic Engagement: As midterms approach, we’ll share ways to support candidates who honor both the Gospel and the democratic process. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

  • Grocery Help for Immigrant Families - Our Helpers is a women-led nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of immigrant and refugee families in Central Ohio. They especially serve families who have already been impacted by losing a family member in immigration action. Many folks are afraid to leave their homes or register their names. Our Helpers is filling that gap. To support this valuable organization, we will be collecting grocery items for local immigrants. You can drop off any of these items at church on Sundays or anytime the church office is open. Look for the bin marked Our Helpers. Learn more at ourhelpers.org. For a downloadable grocery list, CLICK HERE.

FAITH FORMATION, FELLOWSHIP, AND SUPPORT

  • OPEN, Our Daily Devotional - Our OPEN Project, ongoing since January 2025, is a daily devotional that delivers a bite-sized reading from the Bible to your email inbox daily. The best part is many of the devotionals are written by King Avenue members because we believe Jesus has something to say 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). Our goal with this program is 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

  • 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 on Mondays: Young Adults Small Group - King Ave Young Adults will gather weekly to be with each other, check in with each other and share how their walk with Jesus is going. Mondays at 7:00pm here at the church. If you're 18-35 years old, you're welcome to join us.

  • 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: gwen@kingave.org.

  • 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 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.

OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP

  • NNEMAP Item of the Month - Each month, the NNEMAP Food Pantry requests churches to donated an "Item of the Month" to help our hungry neighbors. The designated item will be announced at church, found in our announcement sheet, and shared in the weekly King Avenue E-News Digest.

  • 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.

  • Open Shelter Lunch Packing - King Avenue packs lunches for the Open Shelter on several Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year. All hands on deck for packing 200-400 lunches at a time! Check the schedule, and join when you're able. All days/dates are 6:00pm in the King Avenue kitchen. Many hands make light work! For the 2026, CLICK HERE.

  • 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.

  • 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 2026, 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.

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