King Avenue Digest 6/20/25

June 20, 2025

*NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS AND QUICKLY-APPROACHING EVENTS*

  • TONIGHT!!! FRIDAY, June 20: Second Chance Prom - Did you miss out on prom? Maybe your school thought boys shouldn't go with boys and girls shouldn't go with girls. Maybe you had to work. Maybe you couldn't wear what you wanted. Rainbow Connections is throwing a Second Chance Prom, for everyone - maybe you missed out on prom; maybe you just want to dance, have fun, and be in safe community. We'll have music, a dance floor, photo booth, snacks, the works. So put on your fancy duds and your dancing shoes and join us on June 20, 7-9pm at the church. A $10 donation is suggested but not required.

  • *NEW* 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. Scroll down for more information. CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION • CLICK HERE FOR FINANCIAL AID REQUEST

  • *NEW* Summer Choir Dates - While the Chancel Choir is on summer hiatus, we welcome folks to join us for our casual Summer Choir. The dates are June 29, July 27, and August 24. Summer Choir meets at 10:15 AM in the choir room to learn an anthem for that Sunday's service. Invite a friend to join us. We always enjoy welcoming new singers!

  • *NEW Friday, July 11: All Church WICKED Sing Along - Everyone is invited to join us as we watch Wicked and belt out our favorite songs together. Themed costumes are definitely welcome. Please arrive after dinner on Friday, July 11th, in the Fellowship Hall. Doors will open at 6:45 pm and the sing-along will start at 7:00 pm. All ages are welcome, so bring your friends! No food will be provided.

  • POSTPONED: Retirees Ministry to Gardens at Gantz Farm - DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNINGS NEXT WEEK, the Retirees Ministry will reschedule the 6/24 Gantz Farm event. The reschedule date will be set soon. Stay cool, and stay tuned for more information.

  • Next Friday, June 27 : Open Mic Night, Sponsored by King Avenue Players - Our wildly successful and endlessly joyful 2024 fundraiser is back again to help us close out Pride Month at KAUMC! This will be the first of two events of this kind for 2025. Admission is $10/person unless you are performing. All performers are admitted for FREE! Anything goes, so, dust off your dancing shoes, prepare your favorite monologue, get the band back together, polish up that miscast cabaret number you've been longing to do, and bring your alp horn (yes, really - it's awesome!) and your friends and family and enjoy a fun-filled, family-friendly evening of fabulous entertainment as we raise funds to support our ongoing mission to provide quality theatrical and musical productions for all for FREE! The event is Friday, June 27 at 7:30pm. Performing? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR SLOT!

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

  • Sunday, June 29: Casa de Misericordia Info Session - King Avenue has had a relationship with Casa de Misericordia in Piedras Negras, Mexico for 18 years. This relationship is still going strong and we want to tell you all about it. If you want to learn more, and find out about our next trip to the Casa, join us for an info session on Sunday, June 29 at 10am (in between worship services). We're sending our next team to Casa de Misericordia on February 12-16, 2026. All trip info (cost, Casa info, tentative schedule) can be found on the table in the back, as well as trip application and financial assistance application. We are limited in how many people we can send, so be sure to submit an application asap. If you have any questions, contact Gwen DeRosa or Pastor Andy.

  • Summary of UMC West Ohio Annual Conference - “Love is contagious! Joy is contagious,” declared Bishop Hee-Soo Jung as he presided over the 56th session of the West Ohio Annual Conference. And indeed, both love and joy deepened throughout the gathering. Held May 28–31, 2025, on the campus of Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, this year’s conference centered on the theme “Rise Up, Beloved,” inspired by Mark 5:35–43. READ MORE

  • Bishops' Statement from UMC West Ohio Annual Conference - The executive branch of our international denomination, the Council of Bishops, released a powerful statement in support of transgender people. CLICK HERE TO READ THE STATEMENT

  • 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

  • "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.

  • NNEMAP Item of the Month for June - This month NNEMAP will be collecting bar soap and canned vegetables. There are collection carts available in the back of the worship space, both at Morning Blend and Traditional 11:00 Worship.

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 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. The month's book is listed in the King Avenue Digest congregant blast and also on the slideshow on the monitors at church. 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 (beginning 2/12/23) 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.

  • Hubbard Tutoring in Underway! King Avenue has been a community partner with Hubbard Elementary School for several years. One of the ways we love and serve our neighbors there is by tutoring students during the school day. Our tutoring takes place during the school day, usually once/week for a couple of hours. If you have any questions, contact Pastor Andy at andy@kingave.org.

  • Letters to the Casa - Our relationship with Casa de Misericordia doesn't end with one trip per year, but continues throughout the year with our prayers, our donations, and now with letters. We want to send letters to the Casa to let them know that we love them and we're praying for them throughout the year, even when our teams aren't there. You can help us out by writing a letter! We have people to translate if you don't know Spanish. Just give them to Pastor Andy leave them in the box on the welcome desk, or email them to Andy at andy@kingave.org and we'll send them to the Casa.

  • 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.

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