Aldersgate United Methodist Church
A vibrant and inclusive Christian community 
growing in faith, love, health and service

www.Aldersgate-Church.org                                                             September 20, 2018
Aldersgate UMC
14230 SE Newport Way
Bellevue, WA  98006
(425) 746-9800
Email Links
Lead Pastor

Associate Pastor
Church Office

Children, Youth, Family

Preschool Director

Core Leaders
Calendar
Calendar
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September 21-22
Love Thy Neighbor Revival
September 23
Preschool 50th Anniversary Kickoff
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October 4 & 6
Habitat Build
October 6
Initiative 1631 Forum
October 7
World Communion Sunday
Bell Petting Zoo
Dinner & Club 345
Dinner & Youth Group
October 11 & 13
Habitat Build
Oct 12-13
Rummage Sale
October 20
Parenting Forum
October 22
November Calendar
Deadline
October 26
Fall Festival
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November 3
Time Change Tonight
November 4
All Saints Sunday
Charge Conference
November 6
Election Day
November 11
Harvest Dinner
Veteran's Day
Coffee
Church Leadership
Click these links to read the minutes of the Core Leadership Team and the monthly minutes of the Ministry Teams.
Core Leaders (August)
CLT Budget (July 28)
Green Team (Sept)
Outreach (August)
Preschool (August)
CRC Team (August)
Trustees (July)
Preschool (July)
Common Table (June)
Finance  (June)
Worship (Feb)


Sermon
"Belonging to Jesus' Extended Community"

Scripture
1 Corinthians 7:21-24 and  Mark 7:24-30

This Sunday
We return this coming week to a structure for worship that will be more recognizable. The conversations last Sunday for our Table Talks worship were inspired and true. Thank you for listening to each other, for sharing deeply about your experience and your love of God, church, family, and strangers. It won't be the last time we can listen to each other and the voice of the Holy in our stories, but we'll go back to a more customary worship setting for a while now and listen in a way that might be more comfortable for some.

That said, this Sunday will still be a special  Sunday. We'll be celebrating the beginning of the 50th year of Aldersgate Christian Preschool. Between services, join us for a reception in honor of ACP and the community ministry that it has become. 

You may have heard our church's mission statement spoken or seen it on a document.  "We are a vibrant and inclusive Christian community, growing in faith, love, health, and service." It's a good mission statement and it works for us, helping us prioritize our work in the community. This week we will take a closer look at the idea of being inclusive, what it feels like to be included, and if the Preschool children in our building have anything to teach us about including strangers. We'll wonder about what's different about the invitation to newcomers if we are focused on inclusion, rather than on welcome or belonging. Maybe that just sounds like semantics, and maybe it is. It's still worth asking because it gives us an opportunity to reflect on our belonging in Jesus' extended community and explore together what that community calls us to become. Read 1 Corinthinans 7:21-24 and Mark 7: 24-30 to prepare.

~ Pastor Laura
MINISTRY NEWS
Update on The Way Forward 
and General Conference 2019
Please find attached three documents that may be helpful as background to the conversations we will have throughout this fall about inclusion, welcoming, and belonging in the church. Please review these documents as we move toward General Conference in February, 2019. The committee designing a process for Aldersgate to Consider becoming a Reconciling Congregation (CRC) is planning an evening informational session to share more about what has brought United Methodists to the point of a special General Conference and what it may mean for the future on  Monday, October 22 at 7pm. Please mark your calendars and bring your questions.    
  • First, click here to read a summary of the three plans that General Conference will consider in February based on an article written for the United Methodist News Service this summer. 
  • Second, the Western Jurisdiction leaders and bishops announced this week that they endorse one of the three plans that will be before General Conference in February. Click here to read their press release.
  • Finally, to read a timeline of the history that brought our denomination to the point of needing the General Conference that has been called for February of next year click here.  
Consider Reconciling Committee (CRC) Meeting 
Sunday, September 23
The committee developing the process for Aldersgate to consider whether to become a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network will meet at  noon on  September 23. All are welcome at this committee meeting. 
S lide Help Needed
Moving in to the fall, Pastor Laura would like to work with a few other people on designing and organizing the slides for first service worship. The process usually only takes 1-2 hours a week and is a lot of fun for creative, technology-oriented people. Please contact Pastor Laura if you are interested, willing to learn the process, and can help as part of a team with this important work for the church. 
World Communion Sunday
Sunday, October 7
We will take a special offering on World Communion Sunday, October 7.  Your gift matters!  Gifts fund graduate racial-ethnic World Communion Scholarships, with at least one-half of the annual amount reserved for ministries beyond the United States.  Donations also provide for undergraduate U.S. Ethnic Scholarship and Ethnic In-Service Training programs.  The World Communion Sunday offering empowers a diverse mix of national and international ethnic students.  Thank you for your generous gift!
Membership Roll 
It is time to update the church membership rolls. Every year Betty Fredeen, our Membership Secretary, reviews the church membership and mails out letters to members who, according to our records, have not attended Aldersgate or contributed in the last two years. The purpose of the letter is not to push people away but to let them know we are interested in them, to see if they want to remain members, and to keep our membership records accurate. We need your help. The members listed below did not respond to our letter or the letter was returned by the U.S. Postal Service as undeliverable. If you know them, please encourage them to reply to the letter or contact the church office. If you have any information about them, (current contact information, did they moved away, are they attending another church, etc.), please notify Betty Fredeen (425-746-5113) or the church office.
 
These people were mailed two letters over the last two years. They will be removed from membership at the 2018 Charge Conference unless we hear from them.
 
Gloria (McKinney) Bacus          Marilee Gossard
 
These people were mailed one letter in 2018 and will be mailed another in 2019. They will be removed from membership in 2019 unless we hear from them.

Colleen Flower                          George & Sybil Thompson
Mary Gardner                            Sean & Catherine McLellan
Rod & Dorothy Newton             Michelle & Kristen Henningsgard
MaryAnn Morice                        Lynn, Judith & Karsten Logen
Ginger Ryder                            Brant, Lynn, & William Henshaw
Ben Lawry                                George, Joshua, & Jacob Muttart
Pastor's Study - Community According to Jesus
Wednesdays, Pastor Brad teaches a class that focuses on Jesus, and his views, teachings and actions centered on what it means to be community. We'll examine who is welcome, who belongs, and how Jesus identified each. Jesus changed the whole idea of community, but why and how? To begin we'll examine some of the specific pieces of the Old Testament and the Laws around what constitutes, defines, effects, kills and upholds community. From there we'll begin to examine Jesus as we spend some time in the four gospels. Then we'll take a look at Paul and examine the influence of Jesus on Paul; how Paul viewed and built community, take a look at 15 "One Another" verses, and what they might mean for us.   Click here for more information
Looking for a Good Book? 
Bob Olson is down-sizing his private library and has many books to give away for FREE or, if you are so inclined, you can make a small donation for the books which will go to the Pastor's Discretionary fund to help people in need of financial assistance. Look for his book table in the narthex and check it often as it will be updated regularly with more books. If you have favorite authors or topics of interest please tell Bob.
FUN EVENTS
Stop the Bleed!
Injuries often can be repaired if the victim does not bleed out. The number of deaths in large disasters or even in home accidents can be reduced if someone is trained to stop the bleeding. Evergreen Hospital has volunteer instructors who will teach a class at Aldersgate in how to stop bleeding properly. The class is about two hours long and covers all types of injuries and the correct procedure for all age groups from infants through the elderly.  We are considering picking one of two possible dates Monday October 29 or Monday November 5 from 6:30 - 8:30pm.    If you are interested, please sign up for the date(s) that work for you. The date with the most votes wins! Contact is Dorothy Bennett.
Young Adult Ministry-"At the Crossroads"
"At the Crossroads" is a young adult fellowship group. Join us at Crossroads mall for dinner and conversation, on the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm by the stage. Next dinner is Monday, October 1 . Events are posted to Facebook on a monthly basis. For more information, text/call Katie Olleman, 425-457-3324.
Youth Group (6th-12th Grade)
Youth Group meets on Sunday evenings from 6:00-8:00pm.  All youth in 6th-12th grade are welcome.  If you have questions about the youth program, contact  Jen Hoerber.  Here are some upcoming events:  
*Sept 23 - Youth Group, 6:00-8:00pm
*Sept 30 - Youth Group, 6:00-8:00pm
*Oct 7 - Dinner & Youth Group, 5:00-7:30pm
Club 345 (3rd~4th~5th Grade)
Begins October 7
Club 345 is open to all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders and meets once a month on Sunday evening for dinner and a fun activity. The next meeting is October 7 . Volunteers are needed to host Club 345 or provide dinner!   Contact is Jen Hoerber.
New Yoga Series
Starts September 22
Vince Fratello will restart his introductory series of yoga classes at Aldersgate. The classes will be taught at the most basic beginner level and will be organized to accommodate all body types and physical abilities. The series will tentatively be ten Saturdays starting on Sept. 22  from 9-10:15am in Friendship Hall.  Please note, first class, on Sept. 22, will meet in the Youth room . Students should bring a sticky yoga mat and Vince will supply the rest of the props. The cost will be $50 per student for the entire series -you can try out the first class with no financial commitment and scholarships are available.  If you have questions, please contact Vince.
Bell Petting Zoo
Sunday, October 7
Calling all kids and youth from 3rd grade to 12th grade (and adults too)! Have you ever wondered what bells were all about? Come to the Bell Petting Zoo on Sunday, October 7 from 4:45pm-5:15pm in the Sanctuary. You can learn how to ring and learn what all you can do with a bell and a chime. If you are interested in joining a kids bell choir or youth bell choir, please come and try out a bell and a chime or two.  You don't have to know how to read music or have any music experience.  Stop by and see what all the fun is about!  Questions?  Please contact Pam Johnson at pojo28@gmail.com or (206) 200-8254.
Church Rummage Sale
Friday & Saturday, October 12 & 13
SAVE the DATES!  This year's Rummage Sale is  Friday and Saturday, October 12-13.   As they say, one man's junk is another man's treasure, so n ow is the time to clean out your cupboards, closets, book shelves, garage and attic and donate your treasures to the church.   We will receive your donations  Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday,  October 9-11 .  We need volunteers to price items and cashier. Please sign up!  Your support of the  Rummage Sale, whether volunteering,  donating items or buying items, raises funds for mission trips!  Last year's Rummage Sale funds helped to  pay for our youth to go on their mission trip this summer.  Contact is Linda Detering.
Calling Crafters/Artists
As you exercise your creative side this fall, please consider making additional hand-crafted items or art work to donate to the United Methodist Women for their annual bake/craft sale, December 8-9 . All proceeds will be used for church and missions. Sign-up sheets will come out mid-November. For more info, please contact Clarine Goodleaf ( clarine@comcast.net or 425-643-9339). 
CHURCH & SOCIETY
Love Thy Neighbor UMW Revivals
September 21-22
This summer, the Innovation and Vitality Team within the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church is holding six revivals in six cities. The nearest to Aldersgate happens on September 21-22 , in Seattle and we will celebrate what God is already doing in our midst and plot towards what is possible. We will reignite our communal imagination towards God's work in our neighborhoods. There will also be a time to network and collaborate with other Christians who are ready to figure out where the Spirit is moving within and around the church of the Northwest. Learn more and register at http://ordinaryrevival.org/
Habitat for Humanity Build
Thursdays & Saturdays, October 4, 6,11,13
It's fall and time for the Habitat for Humanity Interfaith Build.  This is your chance to do something about housing the homeless.  Habitat is building homes on the Sammamish Plateau and has set aside a block of time for the Interfaith Community.  The dates are  October 4, 6, 11, and 13.  Habitat is hoping for up to 15 volunteers each  Thursday and  Saturday.  If you are interested please sign up  on Sunday's   
attendance form or at www.habitatskc.org/faith.  Contact Darrell Lowe for more information.
 
This is also the time to help Habitat financially.  The houses are sold at cost the those in need.  Our contributions allow Habitat to find new land and to start new homes.  Mark your contributions for Habitat and place them in the offering plate.
Parenting Forum
Saturday, October 20th
We are joining forces with Bellevue First UMC to host a day long Parenting Forum.  Faith leaders, experts in education, and organizations passionate about helping families will come together to offer perspectives on relevant topics for parents of children and youth of all ages. There will be two key note speakers;   Dr. Ivan Duran,  Superintendent Bellevue School District and  Jamal Rahman,  Muslim Sufi Interfaith Minister along with several break out sessions focusing on healthy habits, positive discipline, addiction, and anxiety plus several more.   The Parenting Forum will be held at Bellevue First UMC on Saturday, October 20 from 9:30am-3:30pm  Registration will be opening soon.  
Warm Socks Needed
School has started and rains have returned!  The need for warm socks touches everyone, especially the homeless.  Please leave new socks in the basket across from the office.  They will be delivered to Congregations for the Homeless, Griffin House, Mary's Place, Operation Nightwatch and Sophia Way.   Griffin House may be new to many in our congregation.  Located in Renton, Griffin House serves homeless boys.  Imagine what a pair of socks in Seahawks colors would mean to its new owner!


The Sophia Way Lunch
Thursday, October 11
It is time for the annual Sophia Way Lunch.  It will be held at the Meydenbauer Center on Thursday, October 11 at noon.  The event is free but there will be a request for a donation.  There will be a keynote speaker and an update from the director as well as stories from the clients. Jean Harris will have a table and you may call her at 425-747-0727 or e-mail at jean7439@comcast.net if you would like more information or if you would like her to register for you.  You may also register at the Sophia Way website:  SophiaWay.org.

PRAYER REQUESTS
Prayer Requests   
People Who Passed Away
*David Plowman's uncle Gerald

People with Health Concerns 
*Bev Allott
*Lynda Dreher
*Bonnie McAuliffe
 
Additional Concerns
*Missionary Katherine Parker, Bob Olson

To submit a prayer request to the Prayer Chain, email Dorothy Bennet t, the Prayer Chain Coordinator.  You can also fill out a pew prayer card on Sunday and put it in the offering plate, or you can contact the church office with your prayer request.   All prayer requests will appear in the church newsletters unless you request otherwise.