April Newsletter
Happy Birthday,
April babies!
Keep these people in your prayers on their special day! Email info@aldersgateum.org to have your birthday added to the list.
birthday_cake_candles.jpg
4/1         Ron Kimberlin, April Moody 4/2         David Becker, Phyllis Kincaid,
              Elijah Messinger, Lucas
              Messinger, Tyler Messinger,
              Janie Roberts, Amy Tank,
              Benjamin Welp
4/5         Mike Dahl
4/6         Aidan Gordon, Peggy Julian,
              Jaxson Kruckenberg
4/9         Pat Barner, Tommy Tate
4/11       Evelyn Johnston
4/12       Becki Miller
4/13       Jack Barner, Kim Clodfelter 4/14       Jeff Fisher
4/15       Cheryl Schauberger

4/17       Kurt Bottles
4/18       Andrea Gordon, Cameron Witte 4/19       Jane Glancy
4/20       Kim Milling, John Neireiter 4/21       Dennis Messinger
4/22       Austin Dingman, Carolyn Mills 4/23       Avery Pereboom
4/24       Stephanie Aldridge, Russ Becker 4/25       Robert Kincaid, Ruth Reid, Karen
              Thompson, Sherri Wisuri
4/27       Brian Millard, Dave Roberts 4/28       Pat Marienau
4/29       Richard Sexson
4/30       Sue Moore, Conor Sprick

Calendar Items
April Calendar
April 1                   Men’s Lenten Breakfast – Fairlawn UMC, 7:15 am
April 4                   Trustees Meeting, 6:30 pm
April 8                   Men’s Lenten Breakfast – Old North UMC , 7:15 am
April 9                   Palm/Passion Sunday, 8:30 and 11 am
April 10                 Stewardship Meeting, 6:30 pm
April 13                 Book Club Meets at Barnes & Noble, 2nd floor, 1:30 pm
April 13                 Holy Thursday – Service at 7 pm
April 14                 Good Friday – Service at 7 pm
April 15                 Men’s Breakfast – at the Carousel
April 16                 HAPPY EASTER – 2 services 8:30 & 11 am
April 24                 C. A. J. E. Ralley, Nazarene Baptist Church, 6:30 pm
April 25                 Centering Prayer, 9:30 am
April 28                 Kids’ Night Out, 5:30-8:30 pm

Looking Ahead
May 5                    WIKY Extortion Breakfast to promote the Vendor Fair, 7 am
May 6                    * 3rd annual Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Fair. 9am-2pm
May 14                  Graduate Recognition Sunday, both services
May 21                  Youth Sunday
June 3                   Habitat Jubilee (fundraiser for next United Methodist Habitat build)
June 11                 Retirement Celebration for Rev. Lynn Renne, 2-5 pm

June 19-23            Vacation Bible School Week, 9am-Noon
August 13              Music for Sight (fundraiser for cataract surgery equipment in Kenya)

*Register NOW for a booth at this link. Email Brooke at aldersgatecraftfair@gmail.com for more information.  Proceeds will help support the Children & Youth of Aldersgate to attend church camp and other activities throughout the summer. 
Church Announcements
New Members to be Received!
We will be receiving new members into the church on Sunday, April 16, 2017 at both 8:30 & 11 am services. If you are interested in joining or have any questions, please call Diane in the church office at 812-477-7816. You may also sign up on the weekly bulletin insert.
Spring Flowers for Easter
Spring flowers will decorate the altar Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017. Donate flowers in memory, honor, or celebration of a loved one. You may take your flowers home following the 11:00 am service or pick them up during the week. Contact the church at 812-477-7816 or info@aldersgateum.org to sponsor a plant. Deadline for ordering is Sunday, April 9, 2017.
Completed Lenten Coin Folders
Bring your completed Lenten Coin folder to church Sunday April 16th and place in the basket provided at the entrance to the Sanctuary or you  may drop it off in the church office weekdays 8am-4pm. 
Retirement Announcement
This year our Associate Pastor, Rev. Lynn Renne, reaches the age all ordained clergy are required to retire from full time service in the United Methodist Church. She will go through the retirement activities at Annual Conference in June. There will be a retirement celebration for Lynn at Aldersgate on Sunday, June 11, from 2-5 pm at Aldersgate. 

Note from Lynn: Time goes so fast!! I have been on Aldersgate's staff for 40 years (1977-2017.) This is a nice round number, kind of Biblical :-) , and plenty long enough! I'll continue to serve Aldersgate in a part time capacity. I have never grown tired of serving alongside the amazing people at Aldersgate through the years; it has truly been a privilege and blessing. 

Aldersgate Ministries
Youth (6th-12th Grades)
Children
We are doing a 4 week study: What is our Purpose in Life.
Join us in the Youth Center, invite your friends. 
Kids Night Out will be on the
following dates this semester:

Friday
, April 28
FridayMay 12
Contact Nancy in the office
to make a reservation
.
Elementary Camp goers 2016
SPONSOR-A-CHILD FOR CAMP

Help send our children and youth to camp this summer. For more information contact: Nancy Roberts at nbdroberts@gmail.com for children’s camp and Cory Gieselman at cgieselman@yahoo.com for youth camp.

Children’s Camp (currently in 2nd-4th grade)          June 9-14
Middle School Camp (currently in 5th-7th grade)    June 11-16, June 18-23, July 9-14
High School Camp (currently in 8th-11th grade)      July 2-7
Adult Faith Journeys

Room 102 | New Disciples Class:  Dr. Mike Herrell, teacher
Currently studying The History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament
Room 103
| New Horizons Class:  Michelle and John Bryant, teachers

Currently studying He Chose the Nails

Room 104
| Brooke Kruckenberg, teacher

Currently studying Break Through;  Unleashing God’s Power Into
Impossible Situations by Chip Ingram
*Room 105
| Christians Under Construction:  DeAndrea Ford, teacher

*Room 110
| Fellowship Class:  Lew Plane, teacher

Room 214 | Lenten Study: Dr. Jim Renne, teacher
Sunday, March 4- Sunday, April 9
Studying
"Creed, What Christians Believe and Why, Exploring the Apostle's Creed" by Adam Hamilton

* These classes are joining the Lenten Study from March 5-April 9 in Room 214.

Summer Speaker Series
On June 4th another Summer Speaker Series begins. The topic for this summer is “Our Community in 2017; What’s Happening in Evansville?”. Dr. Steve Becker, Dean of the Evansville branch of the IU Medical School will be our guest speaker on that date. Join us for this informational series and learn more about the exciting new projects planned for Evansville as well as hear speakers discuss some of the less positive aspects such as drugs and gangs that must be dealt with.
Great Celebrations of Our Faith!
Mark X Hatfield
Palm Sunday - The Chancel Choir will be offering a Brand New, Exciting Choral Anthem that is most appropriate for that special day. If you like the Theme Music from "Pirates of The Caribbean" movies, you will love how the composer uses some of those exact rhythmic accents is this wonderland New Anthem. HOSANNA!

Maundy Thursday - We will have two special guests helping with the music as we celebrate this loving remembrance of the Lord's Last Supper, and the institution of the most Universal Sacraments of the Church. Carrie Ann Aiken, Soprano, will be with us to sing the gorgeous and moving "Pie Jesu" from the Andrew Lloyd Webber, "REQUIEM". Tommie Tate, Choral Master who attends Aldersgate with his wife, Millie, will be the Guest Conductor for the Chancel Choir that evening. I've been to Maundy/Holy Thursday Services for 67 years,  and have never experienced a service as meaningful as the one we simply, and solemnly celebrate here at Aldersgate Church. Be sure to make the extra effort to be with us that evening. You will experience something you've never experienced before, especially if you've never come to one before, or even if you have! It's at 7 pm on Thursday, April 13th

Good Friday - Barbara, Barry, and Contempo! will lead in that meaningful service. This is the night to remember, and experience that day when Christ was Crucified, Died, and was Buried. The day when he opened the gates of redemption, by his acts of total, and dying love. It's a night to pause to reflect, mourn his great sacrifice, and pray.  This service begins at 7 pm on Friday, April 14th. Please come and refresh your memory, and thereby, your faith. 

Easter Sunday - We will have a tremendous celebration on Easter Sunday at both the 8:30 and 11 am services. Contempo! will have prepared exciting music for the 8:30 am service. The Handbell Choir with Pipe Organ accompaniment, Chancel Choir, Barry Schaar, Organist for the Special, Rhythmic  Choral Anthem, Barbara Russell, playing the Piano and helping to lead our singing, Lynn Renne, Directing the Wonderful Bell Choir, and playing the Organ, and Mark X., also Directing our Great Chancel Choir, playing our Magnificent Pipe Organ, as well as Conducting the Traditional Singing of the "Hallelujah!" from  MESSIAH!!! This is not to be missed! I promise your Easter will not be complete, and will not have the true meaning it should/must have, if you don't plan to attend. We need your presence and enthusiastic participation to make this Celebration truly Wonderful for ALL! Alleluia!

These are the Greatest Feasts of our Redemption and the Foundations of our Core Beliefs. Please join with everyone here at Aldersgate to Sing, Pray, Remember, and REJOICE! during this Precious and Meaningful time of Holy Week & Easter.  Of course, all services will be carefully planned and led by our Pastors Mitch and Lynn, who serve us well.
Words of Thanks

Thank you so much for the cards and prayers you sent me during my recuperation from knee replacement surgery.  They really helped, meant a lot, and I so appreciated them. Thank you!  Anita Ozete

Prayer Shawl Group,
Thank you so much for the lovely prayer shawl. It will be used often all the while keeping my mother and church family in mind.
With God's love and mine, DeAndrea Ford
Life Groups
Stay Fit at Aldersgate
Chair yoga class offers all the benefits of yoga on a mat but without having to get on and off the floor. We will primarily focus on improving flexibility of the spine followed by the rest of the joints and muscles. There will be gentle movements with an emphasis on breath and mindfulness/meditation, improving breathing and overall health, well-being, and ability to focus. This class is great for those with sedentary occupations, limited mobility, recovering from injuries or surgery, or who are just new to yoga and need a safe non-intimidating starting point. The Arthritis Foundation has approved chair yoga to ease the aches and pains of those suffering from arthritis as well as providing many other proven benefits to health and well-being.  

The class is led by Whitney Arvin who will be accredited in the Foundations of Yoga Therapy in June after completion of an extensive teacher training program.  She has been a certified yoga instructor since 2010 and is committed to sharing its benefits whenever possible. 

The class will begin April 18th at 10:30-11:15 in the media room and run for a trial of 4 weeks.  If there is interest the class will continue regularly on the schedule each week- Tuesdays at 10:30.  It is $8/ drop in or $25 for all 4 classes. 

E-mail info@aldersgateum.org if you are interested.

Instructor: Whitney F. Arvin; 812-296-6828; whitneyarvin@aol.com
Book Club
4/13: Hillbilly Elegy,  JD Vance
5/11: The Women in Cabin 10, Ruth Ware
6/8: News of the World, Paulette Jiles
7/13: The Secret Chord, Geraldine Brooks
8/10: The Bookshop on the Corner, Jenny Colgan
9/14: All the Light You Cannot See, Anthony Doerr
10/12 : Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain
11/8 : Members pick
12/14: Bring your favorite cookbook
Book Club meets the 2nd Thursday of each month at Barnes & Noble (2nd floor) at 1:30 pm. Join us for coffee & conversation. Invite your friends, everyone is welcome. Contact Evelyn Walker at 812-477-1618 with questions.
Quilters
Our "Grandmother's Flower Garden" quilt has been selected to be hung as part of the second "INSPIRATION THROUGH ART" exhibit to be located at the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center at Bellemeade and St. Mary's Drive. The exhibit will run Mondays through Fridays from January 9th to April 7th, 2017.

This quilt is still for sale for $300.00.  A percentage of the sale price will go to Easterseals to help fund a new art-based program for their young clients. 

Please take a few minutes to stop over and view this special exhibit featuring some talented local artists.

Kenya Mission Trip: February 2017
Reporting in! Our 12th mission trip to Kenya was a success, and we achieved the goals we set out for.

1. Our medical camp treated well over 600 people, with medical, dental, eyeglass, and lab service. Held in the Amani Reading Centre that was built with funds collected by students in Evansville, we hire Kenyan doctors, nurses, dentist, pharmacist, lab tech and translators.  The American members of the team check people in, fit reading glasses, test eyes for prescription glasses (we have an inventory of 2000 that we restock each time) and help in the pharmacy.

Teaching a Kenyan helper how to test eyes for prescription glasses= teamwork
Remember all the reading glasses we collect?
"Waiting Room" in the Reading Centre
2. Our dream of the past 4 years came true this trip: 8 people from Peter’s home village received sight from our first cataract surgeries. Dr. Michel Gelinas traveled with us, bringing updated equipment, and he worked with and taught the local eye doctor new techniques. The 2 have created a new, long term partnership to continue bringing cataract surgery to the village.
First cataract surgery patients! With surgeon on our team from Wisconsin
First 3 patients bravely waiting at Amani Reading Centre to be picked up in the van that would take them to hospital for their cataract surgery
Two eye surgeons- now partners!
3. Our Kenyan partners organized a dedication of the borehole well, electric pump, holding tank and distribution pipes with members of the community at the top of the hill behind the Reading Centre. This project is now complete and clean water is flowing! 
Water piped to road
4. Our Child Sponsorship program in Dago Village now has 30 children out of 77 sponsored. We were able to meet and interact with the children and take pictures for their sponsors.  Pictures of children still waiting for sponsorship may be found at our website (under construction) www.missionpartnerskenya.org. Sponsorship of $300 provides 2 hot meals a day, uniform and backpack, school supplies, help with teachers’ salaries.
Our eye surgeon & the little girl he is sponsoring
Giving sponsored child her brand new uniform
5. Mercy Preschool now has a new kitchen and we were able to see the 2 new cookers that were installed, thanks to Laura Reid (2013 trip) and her fundraising. They no longer have to cook for the children on a charcoal fire on the dirt floor.
Laura Reid/Merten spearheaded funding of  projects at Mercy Preschool- new roof, walls and sidewalk, and more recently the new ecological and vented cook stoves that take the place of cooking on charcoal fire in the dirt. We saw them in the new kitchen (also funded through AUMC donations) in February.
Our next trip is scheduled for February, 2018.Trips are limited to 10, so please see Lynn or email her at lynn.renne@aldersgateum.org if you are interested in receiving more information.
CCI Greenheart Exchange Students
Some people say that if you travel far enough, you will meet yourself. Well, what happens when you bring travel to your home? Have you ever thought about hosting a foreign exchange student and bringing a new culture into your home? At CCI Greenheart, our students arrive as strangers but they leave as members of your family. Becoming a host family for a Greenheart exchange student will change your life forever. Students come from a range of cultures and backgrounds and we have over sixty countries represented. Additionally, we encourage all of our students and host families to give back to the community in order to bring cultural awareness.

Some basics of our program:
Our students are here for either one semester (5 months) or a full school year (10 month). Students can be here on a variety of programs and they come with their own health insurance and spending money. We do require that the student has their own bed but may share a room (ask for details) with a same sex sibling. Currently, we are placing students for the upcoming school year and are looking for some loving families who are ready to open their homes and their hearts. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, take the moment and make it perfect. Our local coordinators are here to guide and advise you every step of the way and we encourage host families to lean upon them for guidance.
Exchange isn’t a year in your life, it’s a life in a year. Experience a new life because life begins at the end of your comfort zone We cannot wait to introduce you to the newest member of your family! Email or call me for more information today! 505-400-2493 or browley@greenheart.org
 

Mu Jou (female, 16, Taiwan) goes by Mira. She is polite and outgoing and always wears a smile. She loves cooking and baking and is always looking for ways to improve a recipe. She likes sports, such as basketball, swimming, and badminton, and love watching football with her dad. And as a way to relax, Mira likes to watch movies; she likes all genres and enjoys seeing the world from a different point of view. Mira wants to be an exchange student because she is eager to explore a different culture and learn a new way of life, and to be brave and independent. 

Yugyum (male, 15, South Korea) is an active boy with lots of curiosity. He loves to play soccer and he is interested in trying many new sports. He also enjoys music, listening to it and playing the clarinet in the orchestra. He wants to be an exchange student to improve his English, to become part of a new family, make him a stronger person, and to broaden his eyes to the world. Yugyum likes watching movies and his favorite is “Forrest Gump”. He knows that being an exchange student will be hard, but he remembers the line “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get” and he feels confident that it will all work out.

Brie Rowley
High School Programs Regional Manager: Indiana,
CCI Greenheart
Phone 505.400.2493 | Fax 330.313.3653

Aldersgate's Vision Statement
Rooted in our belief in God:
     We will grow together through our ministry with all people
     We will spread joy, promote peace, and reduce suffering
     We will restore hope through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Aldersgate's Mission Statement
We are a loving and inclusive family of believers who proclaim the good news of Christ through worship, prayer, fellowship, education and mission, leading to the transformation of lives.