The GatePost - The Monthly Newsletter of Aldersgate UMC ...

The GatePost - The Monthly Newsletter of Aldersgate UMC July 1, 2014 # 544

We know, it's only July, but our 4th Annual Fall Fest will be here before you know it! Planning is already on its way to ensure that this years Fall Fest even exceeds the fun that you had at last year's. To achieve this goal, everyone's help is needed and always appreciated.

Coming July 13th ‐‐ Fall Fest Sign Ups

Look for TWO important FallFest displays on the patio between services:

1. Sponsorship Opportunities:

You can support our event by making a tax‐deductible donation towards things like games, activities, entertainment, and event operations. You can sponsor a specific item or make a donation of your choice. Check the FallFest Sponsorship display to see where you can help out.

2 . Silent Auction Items:

Do you have a special talent for creating really great things? Perhaps you provide a service that meets the need of someone. Or, maybe you would like to provide a special gift package, vacation or dining experience. The Silent Auction Team is now welcoming all donations from church members as well as community member and local businesses. So think about what you'd like to contribute. Donation forms will be available at the Fall Fest table on the patio between services beginning on July 13th. If you have a business connection that could benefit our Silent Auction, please contact Ron Alderson at [email protected] and someone will contact you back. Early submissions are greatly appreciated!

We ask for your prayers as we work together to build our community, support our missions and create another Fall Fest that is sure to be memorable for everyone.

If you have any questions about Fall Fest, please contact either one of the Fall Fest co‐chairs: Lynn Records at [email protected] or Dawn Marie Lemonds at [email protected]

IN THIS ISSUE: AUMC Contacts Church Metrics Pg 2

Karin’s Quotes Pg 3

UMYF Family Ministries Pg 4

Mission/Outreach Pg 5

Prayers / Prayer Shawl BeFrienders / GriefShare Pg 6

Parking Lot Sale Pg 7

Worship Opportunities Back page

Aldersgate’s 4th Annual Fall Fest! Save the Date: Saturday, October 18, 2014

The GatePost is published monthly by Aldersgate United Methodist Church

Gatepost Editor: Jennifer Kelly Production Team: Nancy Joslyn;

Bob Grissinger; Pat Lauderdale; Claudette Fry; Sara Piazza; Pollie Welch; Earl & Shirley Fleck

Materials for consideration for publication should be forwarded to

Aldersgate United Methodist Church Attn: GatePost

1201 Irvine Boulevard, Tustin, CA 92780 or Email: [email protected] Articles Due to the Editor:

Friday, July 25 Next Issue MAILED Thursday, July 31, 2014

Ministerial Staff:

Rev. Robb Fuesler—Senior Pastor [email protected]

Rev. Karin Ellis—Associate Pastor [email protected]

Ministry Support Staff: MultiMedia & Sound— Doug Bell ....................................................Sound@aumctustin.org Financial Secretary— Norm Henke...............................................Norm@aumctustin.org Coordinator of Creative Ministries— Allison Horner........................................ [email protected] Children’s Choir Director— Tessa Horner .............................................Tessa@aumctustin.org Accompanist— Anna Ferraro ..............................................Anna@aumctustin.org Chancel Choir Director— Lynn Chavdarov ...................................... [email protected] Church Administrator— Jennifer Kelly ........................................ [email protected] Treasurer— Heidi Perez ................................................. [email protected] Youth CoDirectors— Elisa Spencer Scott Wilmoth .......................................... [email protected] Children’s Education Director— Kimberly Wilmoth...................................... [email protected]

Aldersgate Children’s Center Jackie Kush — Children’s Center Director

Aldersgatecc @earthlink.net

Church Office Hours Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. ‐ 1:00 p.m.

...Our Presence…

Worship and Sunday School Attendance

Date Worship Sunday School Total

6/1 244 14 258 Youth Sunday

6/8 184/56 34 274

6/15 192/73 35 300 Father’s Day

6/22 142/48 27 217

6/29 140/49 22 211

Please remember that ALL GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS using the Aldersgate facility must contact the church office and schedule their meetings, rehearsals and events on the Master Calendar. Using the Master Calendar avoids confusion and

conflicts and also insures that your meeting or event is set up properly with the necessary equipment.

Our facility is in constant use both internally and by outside groups. What you see on the Sunday bulletin calendar is only a small portion of the events and activities that are occurring during the week.

In addition, it is VITAL to remember to close and lock all doors and windows when you adjourn. Thank you for your help in keeping our property secure!

I just returned from Annual Conference, which is the annual meeting of United Methodist Churches in Southern California, Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan. Every year in June, clergy and laity gather at the University of Redlands to do the business of the church, ordain new pastors, fellowship with one another, and worship together. One of my favorite parts of Annual Conference is the worship; there is something very special about singing with over 1,000 people! When the singing gets going, I am always moved by the Holy Spirit and feel grateful to be part of a great faith tradition. The early Methodists

always sang hymns when they gathered together, and we continue that tradition today. At the end of August I will be preaching for two weeks in a row. In my sermons I would like to share some

of the stories of our great hymns. Hymns can teach us so much about the faith, the scriptures, and our own responses to God. For example, do you know the story of John Newton? John lived in England at the same time as John and Charles Wesley. He worked on ships at sea, was captured for a while in Africa, became the captain of a slave ship, and eventually became a minister in the Church of England. He is also the author of one of the most famous hymns, Amazing Grace. Newton’s story is powerful and can teach us a lot about our own faith and relationship with God.

I’m hoping that we can explore more stories such as this in our worship together. But I need your help to do this. What are your favorite hymns? I invite you to email me ([email protected]) your favorite hymns, and I will choose 2 or 3 to explore each week. So this is your chance to have your favorite hymn highlighted in worship! I look forward to hearing from you, and I really look forward to sharing stories and singing with you. In the meantime, may we all continue to sing the songs of our faith so God’s love will be shared!

Blessings, Pastor Karin

Looking forward to T.G.I.W.'s!! All you people who enjoy cooking, think about joining the wonderful group who already cook for us on Wednesday nights! If you have a few friends who enjoy cooking, ask them to join you and make a new team! Even if they don't, ask them to join you anyway!! It's more fun, cooking with a friend! It's all about the Fellowship and being together as a Community of Faith. So contact Helen Waterson about this great opportunity!

Seussical the Musical premieres at AUMC on August 7th. Seussical is based on the works of Dr. Seuss and weaves together his most famous tales and characters from at least fifteen of his books. Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and other characters from the whimsical imagination of Dr. Seuss come together in this musical featuring a score by Tony winners, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The colorful characters transport us from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos. Like the works of Dr. Seuss, Seussical has widespread appeal. Each audience member will take away something different from the experience.

Seussical marks Aldersgate Theatre Arts 5th production! Tickets for our Gala Premiere and shows will be available for purchase through the link on our website and between church services on upcoming Sundays. www.aumcarts.com

‐‐Ticket Prices‐‐ *Gala Premiere* Thursday, August 7th (Dinner & Performance) $25‐35 per seat August8‐10th Performances ‐ all seats $10

‐‐Show Times‐‐ Thursday, August 7 Gala Premiere @ 6:30pm ‐ $25‐$35 per seat Friday, August 8 @ 7:30pm ‐ $10 per seat Saturday, August 9 @ 2:00pm ‐ $10 per seat Saturday, August 9 @ 7:30pm ‐ $10 per seat Sunday, August 10 @ 2:00pm ‐ $10 per seat

Youth News! by Elisa Spencer, Youth Co‐Director

Hello and Happy Summer! We kicked off our youth summer season with a fantastic Youth Sunday! Over 30 youth participated in making Youth Sunday happen. Thank you to those who helped in the planning, rehearsal, and service this year. The youth at Aldersgate are truly amazing and it was wonderful to see God work through them as they created a great service talking about how they are “Taking Shape.” They had a hand in every part of the service, delivering powerful sermons and children’s moment, leading hymns, writing and leading prayers and creeds, greeting, ushering, dancing, and much more behind the scenes. Thank you so much to Pastor Robb, Pastor Karin, and Rev. Greg for helping youth with their sermons, to Jennifer for her amazing work helping to get the service running smoothly, and to Doug for helping with sound. With your help, these youth were able to create a wonderful time of worship. After the service, we had a great time welcoming the incoming 6th graders into the youth group at our annual summer kick‐off pool party! Thank you to the Fosters for hosting another exciting time of fellowship. As we look ahead to the rest of the summer, we won’t be slowing down. We are sending a group of Sr. High to Los Angeles for Sierra Service Project in early July. Then, the camping season begins. We have many youth and volunteers on staff at Elementary, Jr. High, and Sr. High camps, and will be sending a large group from Aldersgate to each camp. It will be a busy summer, and we can’t wait! It is such a blessing to work with such wonderful youth and parents. Thank you Aldersgate for all of your love and support for these youth! Grace and Peace, Elisa Spencer

Family Ministries by Kim Wilmoth, Director of Children’s Education

Fall Sunday School Teachers We’re already in process of putting together Sunday school schedules for the 2014‐2015 school year. Aldersgate is such a wonderful place for children! It is the dedication and commitment of the Sunday school teachers that make it such a warm and welcoming place to be on Sunday. If you decide to be a part of the team, a lot of the work is done for you. A copy of the lesson is mailed to you the week before you teach to give you the opportunity to review it. Any supplies you might need are organized, and brought to your room on Sunday morning. You are always free to add in your own ideas, but anything called for in the curriculum will be ready for you. Most teachers commit to teaching once a month. Ideally it would be great to have the same teacher in the room every week, but with busy schedules and a desire to go to worship, this system works best. We are also blessed to have Donna Hess in the K‐1 room and Terri Brown in the preschool room. They have been here at AUMC for over 18 years and bring great stability to the program. Please prayerfully consider teaching and send an email to [email protected] if you are interested. Promotion Sunday is August 31st and the children will begin their new classes on that day.

Vacation Bible School As you read this, VBS is in full swing. At this goes to press, we have 115 children registered and over 85 volunteers!!! It truly takes a whole church to run a successful VBS. Please continue to pray for VBS….for the children that they experience the love of others and of Jesus; for the staff that they might have energy and patience; and for all the other volunteers who graciously give of their time and talents. Look in the next Gatepost for highlights and pictures!

First Annual Fun in the Sun All Church Picnic! Save the date: September 7th

On September 7th, we will be having one service at 9:30.

Following the service, all are invited to stay for a potluck picnic.

Enjoy time with friends as we share and celebrate our church together as one big family.

There will be a water slide for the young (and young at heart) plus other fun activities!

On the first Sunday of every month the Big Blue Tub is on the patio between services to place your donations into. Although the Big Blue Tub is only out once a month we accept donations at any time—just bring them to church on Sunday or directly to the church office during business hours. Make sure donations are labeled: “Families Helping Families”. Specifically requested are all sizes of diapers, training pants or pull ups as well as all types of child‐safety items.

Our Good Samaritan Box is looking for a few Good Samaritans!

The box is located in the narthex and is used to assist people who stop in the church office and request help. Food gift cards to places such as Subway, El Pollo Loco, or other eateries near the church are welcome, as are bus passes. If you would prefer to leave a monetary donation, our committee would be happy to purchase the necessary cards. Thank you!

Back to School Supplies & Clothing

Low-Income Students Need Your Help! Do you remember that end‐of‐summer feeling with "Back to School" signs on every store window? Having those new supplies in your hand on the first day made it fun to go back.

Mission Outreach invites you to give every student that same opportunity by participating in Families Forward’s Back to School Program. Grade‐appropriate school supplies and backpacks will be distributed to low‐income elementary, middle, and high school students, helping them start off on the same foot as their peers ‐ building their confidence for the coming school year. You may also donate gently used clothing for schoolaged children K12. Clothing must be clearly labeled according to size and gender.

Please deposit your donations in the receptacle on the patio between services on July 6, 13 & 20.

Most needed items:

For more information about Families Forward visit their website: www.families‐forward.org or talk with a Mission/Outreach team member.

❒ Backpacks ❒ Binders ❒ Scissors ❒ Highlighters ❒ Glue Sticks ❒ Scientific Calculators ❒ #2 Pencils

❒ College Ruled Paper ❒ Pencil boxes ❒ Erasers ❒ Pens ❒ Index Cards ❒ Crayons

❒ Zippered Pencil Cases ❒ Folders ❒ Colored Pencils ❒ Washable Markers ❒ Rulers ❒ Spiral Notebooks ❒ Red Pens

If you are in need of prayer for yourself, a family member or a friend, you are invited to contact:

Karen Pinney Prayer Chain Coordinator,

at (714) 5425936. All prayer requests are placed in the church prayer book and the staff and pastors pray for these people weekly. To respect the privacy of those in need, we publish only the names of those who give us permission to do so. Let us support you in prayer! If you are interested in becoming a member of the prayer chain, please contact the church office.

Remember these people in your prayers. We Rejoice with . . …in the knowledge that nothing can separate us from the love of God!

We grieve with. . . …the family and friends of Marion Anderson at her passing on June 16 ...Anna Marie Pihl and the family and friends of Lindsay Calderon, who passed away on June 30

We pray for . . . ...Peace, Our military personnel & their families, Ceil Kirby‐Morgan, Tom Ewald, Sherrill Barron, Abigail Fuesler, Pat Lauderdale, Dave and Charlene Horning, Carol Hallenbeck, Janet Prichard, Wayne Surbey, Jeanine Kitrell, Bill Powell, Jeanne Peterson

Our Homebound Aldersgate Family: Jenni Chatterton, Margaret Percival, Pat Ewald, Marilyn Surberg

Extended Family: Nancy Calhoun, Max Wilford, Robert Jenkins and family, Gail Hawes, Peggy McGonigle, Jim Smith, Kurt Dudley, Debby Shaiman, Sandy Kellner, Tracy Brown Austin, Bud Triantis, John Duggin Sr., Esther & Tommy Thomas, Chris and Nancy Allen, Charline Babb

Prayer Shawl Ministry... ...meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. From 3pm to 5pm in the Fireside Room. If you are interested in being part of this important and meaningful ministry, please feel free to attend a meeting—even if you have no experience, there are knitters and crocheters willing to help those that are just getting started. Please feel free to contact Phyllis Gavitt if you have any questions or need further information about the group.

BeFriender Ministers The BeFriender ministry of Aldersgate is a listening presence. This ministry is not a ministry of "doing", but of "being,"‐‐being present and listening quietly. Everyone is, at times, on a difficult journey and needs a caring companion who will listen, empathize, and be a reminder of a caring, faith community. All requests and meetings are confidential. This ministry comes under the umbrella of the Care and Nurture team. If you are interested, or know of someone who might be, do not hesitate to contact Rev. Robb or Elsie Hale. You can also fill out one of the cards in the pews and put it in the offering plate or make a notation in the red attendance book.

GriefShare meets on Sundays at 2:30 PM in the Church Library.

Call Elsie Hale at (714) 838‐4111 or Mary Lynn Norby at (714) 832‐4678 if you have questions.

Spread the word to anyone you know who would find this program beneficial.

Returning to AUMC UMM Summer Parking Lot Sale

Saturday, August 16th This is the opportunity you have been waiting for! It’s the chance to clean out the storage unit, the garage/attic space, those crowded closets and cabinets and to make a few dollars at the UMMen’s Summer Parking Lot Sale, Saturday, August 16th, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 pm.

Applications to reserve a space and table will be available on the patio between services beginning July 6 and at the church office during office hours. The deadline for turning in applications is Sunday, August 10.

There are two options for participation in the Summer Parking Lot Sale:

Option 1: Church members/affiliates can reserve a space in our back parking lot for a $25 donation. Spaces and tables are reserved on a first‐come first‐served basis. (Sellers are to provide shade and chairs). All proceeds from sales are yours to keep. However, we will gladly accept any offered contributions to support the UMMen’s ministry, Family Promise. The UMMen will advertise the parking lot sale in local newspapers, the Penny Saver, on appropriate web sites, and put up multiple directional signs at intersections with directional arrows to the church property. Previous year's parking lot sales drew over 400 buyers in the first 4 hours.

Option 2: If you don’t have time to personally sell your items, the United Methodist Men will have a designated area/space in order to display and sell your donated items. If you cannot bring the items to the Fellowship Hall during the week preceding the parking lot sale, UMMen will make arrangements with you to pick up your donated items. Call the church office between 9:00 and 1:00 to leave your name and contact phone number.

100% of the proceeds generated from donated items to the parking lot sale have been designated to support Family Promise.

Items that are Best sellers at previous year's parking lot sales:

Tools: clean garden tools, mechanic quality, socket sets, antique collections

Sporting Goods: trikes/bicycles in good repair, tennis rackets, skates, canoes, scooters

Furniture: ottomans, end tables, bar stools, lamps, vases Office equipment: 2 or 4 drawer filing cabinets, desks, chairs, must be in

good condition Household items: kitchen appliances, toaster ovens, dishes, flatware Clothing: Adult/children – on hangers, only gently worn and clean Toys & Games: all age levels, operable, no missing pieces Items for Infants/Newborns/Toddlers: swings, booster seats, strollers Books, Videos, CDs: hardback or soft cover books, e‐books Camera equipment, computer equipment, DVD/CD players, VCRs:

Must be operable

Items that are NOT accepted for sale:

TVs, Refrigerators, Washer/Dryers, Sofa Beds, Mattresses/Box Springs, Shoes, Car Seats, Weapons of any sort

Look for additional Parking Lot Sale information in the weekly church e‐Connections, on the church web page, and in future editions of the newsletter. For immediate answers to questions, call Ron Alderson, 949‐551‐6338.

Donated items will be accepted in the Fellowship Hall beginning Monday, August 11th – Thursday, August 14th from 9 a.m. to 5 pm and on Friday, August 15th from 9 a.m. to noon.

1201 Irvine Boulevard * Tustin CA 92780

Phone: 714.544.3653 Fax: 714.544.8894

E‐mail: [email protected]

www.aumctustin.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Sunday Worship Schedule 9 & 10:30 a.m.

Children’s Sunday School is provided

during the 9am service,

childcare provided

during the 10:30 service.

July 6, 2014—VBS Sunday Rev. Karin Ellis, preaching

Consecration of SSP Mission Trip Food Collection for Families Forward

July 13, 2014—5th Sunday after Pentecost Rev. Michael Winstead, preaching

Family Worship

July 20, 2014—6th Sunday after Pentecost Rev. Robb Fuesler, preaching

Sermon Series: “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss” Aldersgate Theatre Arts performs in worship

Food Collection for Sunday Suppers

July 27, 2014 Rev. Robb Fuesler, preaching

Sermon Series: “The Gospel According to Dr. Seuss”

July 2014

Worship Opportunities

The GatePost - The Monthly Newsletter of Aldersgate UMC ...

Documents

Transcript of The GatePost - The Monthly Newsletter of Aldersgate UMC ...