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Aldersgate United Methodist Church
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A vibrant and inclusive Christian community
growing in faith, love, health and service
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Aldersgate UMC
14230 SE Newport Way
Bellevue, WA 98006
(425) 746-9800
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Associate Pastor
Church Office
Children, Youth, Family
Preschool Director
Core Leaders
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May 11
Memorial Service
May 13
Mother's Day
Pancake Breakfast
May 20
Pentecost
Memoriial Service
Dinner & Club 345
Dinner & Youth Group
May 21
June Calendar Deadline
May 25-27
Lazy F Mission Trip
Confirmation Retreat
May 27
On Worship Service
@ 10:00am
May 28
Memorial Day
Office Closed
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June 3
Graduation Sunday
Welcome
New Members
UMW Award
June 10
Confirmation Sunday
Dinner & Club 345
Dinner & Youth Group
June 17
Father's Day
June 18
July Calendar Deadline
June 21-24
Annual Conference
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Church Leadership
Click these links to read the minutes of the Core Leadership Team and the monthly minutes of the Ministry Teams.
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Letter to AUMC
I wanted to thank AUMC for the use of Friendship Hall on May 1. Working with the Red Cross, we were able to train 23 people from the Somerset community in CPR. The space was perfectly suited for the training and we had lots of room to practice our chest compressions and use of the AEDs. Thank you again for letting us use the space.
~~~ Linda Reichenbach
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Sermon:
"Voices of Women
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Scripture Lesson
: John 21:20-25
This Sunday
This week in worship will be the final week in our Rise Up! series for the Easter Season. We will have three speakers at each service from the congregation telling about the ways they see God working in their lives and in the life of the world. We will also have the 27th annual pancake breakfast in honor of Mother's Day. The children will sing at both services. The praise band will be at first service, and both the choir and bell choir are coming to second service. It will be a morning filled with joy and thanksgiving, fun and fellowship, community and calling. It's also the last week before Pastor Brad returns from sabbatical, and the week when we reach the end of the gospel of John. We'll go back and re-read some sections in coming weeks, but we've worked our way from beginning to end and we'll see how the gospel writer leaves the story in our hands. Come, be a part of the story this week.
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Pastor's Blog
Rev. Laura Baumgartner
This week will be the last week of Pastor Brad's sabbatical. As we begin to prepare for his return, I have written an open letter to him, from one of your pastors to another. I hope it will be a conversation starter about how you see these past six weeks preparing us as a congregation for the work that the Spirit has for us in the future.
Pastor Brad,
I hope your sabbatical time has been productive for you. We have prayed for you every week in worship and throughout the time you've been away. Our prayers for you have become not only that, but also prayers for our own future. We have prayed that your time away would be a time of renewal and spiritual growth for you, but also that your work while you are away will be work that in time can renew the congregation and lead us to spiritual growth as well.
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Letter From the Bishop 
How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
life forevermore.
- Psalm 133:1, 3b
Today, the Council of Bishops strongly recommend that United Methodists stay together as ONE CHURCH.
Together, the council agreed to recommend that the 2019 General Conference make room for individuals, local churches and annual conferences to exercise conscience as they choose whether or not to ordain gay and lesbian clergy, or to perform weddings for couples of the same gender, by removing prohibitive language from the Book of Discipline, and letting Annual Conferences set standards for ordination, and same gender weddings.
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Stewardship Pledge Card
Thank you to those that have submitted their pledge card. If you have not had a chance to turn in yours yet, please do so by this
Sunday, May 13th. We ask that you prayerfully consider submitting your pledge so the Finance Team can prepare a budget that supports our staff in their guidance of fulfilling our mission. We hope all those who call Aldersgate their church home will give so that we can fully fund all our ministries, grow in service to others and continue to be a place where love overflows.
Please
CLICK HERE
for the pledge card and either mail it or bring it to church at your earliest convenience.
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Ready to Join Us?
If you are not a member of Aldersgate Church and would like to join, we will welcome new members on
June 3
in both services. For more information, email Pastor Laura or see her on Sunday.
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Peace & Justice Sunday
May 20
Sunday
May 20
is Peace and Justice Sunday and we will take a special offering that supports ministries that teach and advocate for principles of peace and justice in our church conference and around the world. Through this observance we are witness to God's demand for a faithful, just, disarmed and secure world. Please give generously.
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Wear Red on Pentecost
May 20
On
May 20
in morning worship, we will celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit to the early church at Pentecost. The tradition is that the Holy Spirit gave the gift of being able to speak in new languages so the stories of Jesus could be shared. As part of our celebration this year, the sanctuary will be decorated in red. You can help by wearing red that day. To honor the multiple cultural heritage traditions that make up the Aldersgate family, we would love to hear a prayer or reading in your language sometime in the Pentecost season. If you are willing to help translate or read in a language you speak that is not English, see Pastor Laura.
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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. A number of you completed CPR/AED training and you might find it a good addition to that training to take a class in "Stop the Bleed." We are considering three possible dates in June for an evening class from 6:30PM - 8:30PM. If you are interested, sign up on Sunday's attendance form or contact
Dorothy Bennett indicating which one (or all) of these dates that work for you.
Tuesday, June 5 - OR -
Monday, June 11 - OR -
Tuesday, June 19
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Calling All Graduates!
We will
celebrate
Aldersgate's graduating seniors (high school and college) during worship on
June 3
. Please send us the graduate's picture along with a brief description of their accomplishments, future plans and the school graduating from as listed on the back of the attendance form.
Please get this information to
Jen Hoerber
by
May
23
so the
graduates
can each be highlighted in a special bulletin insert.
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Confirmation Corner
We have six youth participating in confirmation this year. Their prayer quilts are hanging in the narthex and will remain there until Confirmation Sunday on June 10th. Please say a prayer for these young people during this spiritual journey and tie a knot in their quilt. You are invited to follow along in this journey with them by reading this Confirmation Corner
Last Sunday in Confirmation, we talked about faith vs. trust vs belief. We tried to define each one without using the words. It's hard! We talked about how they relate to each other but are different. We talked about trusting things that we can't see and the confirmands came up with trust in science, trust in God, but they weren't sure they could really trust completely in love. We explored the scripture Joshua 1:1-18 and discussed how God responded to Joshua, how Joshua responded to God, and how Joshua was able to inspire his people. The confirmands were able to come up with several people at Aldersgate who reminded them of Joshua. As we continued talking about trust, it was stated that trusting does not mean that we can not doubt or question. If fact, doubting or questioning our faith and beliefs might just make us trust more.
Before we got into how we experience God, we ate strawberries and used our 5 senses to describe that experience. While we all ate the same type of fruit, how we described that experience was somewhat different. This helped us to review how the Wesleyan quadrilateral works (Theological reflection based on scripture, tradition, reason, and Christian experience.). Different people might experience God in one of the four ways more dominant than another, but using all of our spiritual 'senses' and sharing our understanding with each other will allow us to see the picture of God more clearly.
As we shared stories of our families and talked about how they help define us, we talked about the Bible and how it too is a collection of stories that reveal deep truths about the Israelites and the first Christians and how it is meant to shape who we are and what we believe. We also spent time talking about how as Methodists we believe the Bible is a guide through faith and life; but also understand that Scripture needs to be interpreted responsibly in order for us to understand its intent. Taking pieces out of context can definitely change the intended meaning.
This week we will not be having confirmation class since its Mothers' Day. Please keep Erin, Sofie, Justin, Harrison, Michelle and Hannah in your prayers.
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Summer Kid's Club
June 24 - August 26
Sign up to host a Kid's Club this summer! Kid's Club is a fellowship time for preschool and elementary age kids that takes place after Children's Time through the end of the Sunday worship service. You can play games, do a craft project, read a story or play outside on the playground! This is an important way that the church supports families and welcomes children at Aldersgate. Please see Jen to sign up for a
Sunday to host a Kid's Club this Summer.
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Looking for a Good Book?
Bob Olson is down-sizing his personal library and has many books to give away for FREE or, If you feel 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 Bob's 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.
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Club 345 (3rd~4th~5th Grade)
Kids in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades meet once a month on Sunday evening for food and a fun activity.
The next meeting will be May 20 from 5:00pm - 7:30pm.
Contact is Jen Hoerber.
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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:
*May 13 - Mother's Day - Come help serve at the Pancake Breakfast. No confirmation or
Youth Group.
*May 20 - Confirmation, 11:00am, Dinner and Youth Group, 5:00-7:30pm
*May 25-27 - Mission Trip to Camp Lazy F - REGISTER NOW! No Youth Group
*June 3 - Youth Group 6:00-8:00pm
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Pancake Breakfast
Sunday May 13
PANCAKES are coming!!!!!!!!! Come on Mother's Day,
May 13
, and enjoy pancakes, sausage, fruit and beverages prepared by the Men's Breakfast group and other volunteers. The youth will serve and all proceeds with go to the youth program fund. Cost is $4/adult, $3/child, or $12/family. Serving will start at
8:00am
and continue to
10:30am
. Give Mom a treat and enjoy our 27th annual pancake breakfast.
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Vacation Bible School
July 23-26, 2018
Aldersgate VBS 2018 will be held
July 23-26, Monday through Thursdya from 9:00am - Noon for kids age 3 through 5th grade.
Our theme is Rolling River Rampage where we will learn to find Adventure, Acceptance, Joy, Rest, and Peace on the river of life. Registration is open! Cost is $30/child or $75/family and scholarships are available. Please register online at http://aldersgate-church.org/vacation-bible-school/. All types of volunteers are needed and welcome! If you would like to volunteer, please sign up on Sunday's attendance form or talk to Jen Hoerber.
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UMW Gift to Mission 
Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, is the day we lift up, celebrate and express gratitude for the lives and memories of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and other women in our lives who "mothered" and nurtured us. It is a day we set aside to honor the women who helped us build a foundation and set us on a path of growth and spiritual development. This Mother's Day, honor that special someone by making a
Gift to Mission in her name* and help United Methodist Women continue to nurture and empower women, children and youth. (*Scroll down on the donate page and under "Direct my gift to: select a program" choose, "Mission Giving.")
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Vision House: No Homeless Kids Benefit Luncheon
Tuesday, May 15
Children shouldn't be homeless - yet the number is rising. They need your help more than ever. Come hear from a formerly homeless mom who worked hard to forge a new path for her family, and how you can support those following in her steps. Vision House's annual benefit luncheon is on Tuesday May 15th, 11:30 am - 1 pm at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. There is no cost to attend but guests will be invited to make a generous donation. Please contact
Melinda Lilley if you'd like to sit at the Aldersgate table or
click here to register. Please RSVP by May 8th.
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Mission Trip to Lazy F
Register by May 16
The Church Family Mission Trip to Lazy F Camp is coming very soon - Memorial Day Weekend! For the full experience come
Friday
evening and leave
Sunday
noon
, but it is an option to come for the day
on Saturday
. We need everyone's help to get Lazy F ready for the summer. There will be projects for all ages and abilities. Food and lodging is $15-35 per person. (scholarships are available).
Registrations are due on
Wed, May 16th
. Paper forms are available in the narthex, or you can register online at
AUMCLazyF.org. Please contact Melissa Pearce (
310-872-6140) or Peter Narmita or Dave Carver for more information. (Scholarships are available)
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Clothing Drive
As part of the mini mission trip to Lazy F, a crew will work at the Clothing Bank at the Ellensburg United Methodist Church. Please share with those in need by donating new and gently used, clean clothing. They have a particular need for summer clothes, women's capris and dresses, kid's shorts and tops, and any swimwear. Start cleaning out your closets now and look for the collection site in the narthex by the drinking fountain.
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Bellevue City Council Considers Homelessness on the Eastside
On April 20, the City of Bellevue released its first draft of the proposed amendments to the Land Use Code (LUC). There will be a series of Council meetings this spring and a public hearing is tentatively scheduled on June 11 during which faith community members will have the opportunity to testify about caring for God's children throughout the community. In preparation for that public hearing, please read the
attached amendments to the Land Use Code and prayerfully consider your own voice in the public dialogue about homeless Bellevue residents and the proposal to situate a homeless shelter in Bellevue.
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Green Team Update
Beyond Mission Sunday, Green Team wants you to have information about matters related to climate change that will affect you. First, there is an Initiative filed with the State of Washington that many faith communities and people of faith are supporting as a way to reduce carbon emissions and protect Creation. The initiative is in the process of gathering signatures to determine if it will appear on the November ballot.
Please find attached more information about why people of faith are working in alliance with others to bring this initiative to WA voters. In addition, there is an event coming up at UW on
May 15 from 7-9pm where Katherine Hayhoe, professor on climate science from Texas Tech University and a Christian will speak about the intersection of her faith, her science, and her advocacy. Hayhoe has been named one of TIME's 100 most influential people and one of Fortune 500's World's Greatest Leaders. FREE Tickets available at
https://events.uw.edu/c/express/fe1f8998-076a-433b-b0ee-b1cb4ff2cf24.
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Fairwood UMC celebrates 1 year as Reconciling
This June, Fairwood Community UMC is celebrating one year of being a member of Reconciling Ministries Network, a United Methodist organization that "works for full equality in membership, ordination, and marriage for God's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender children." On June 2nd FCUMC is celebrating by hosting a potluck for all. FCUMC would like to invite you and your church community to come help commemorate this anniversary, learn from each other, and share in fellowship. It is an opportunity to learn what difference it makes to a church to become reconciling. FCUMC has invited Rev. Dr. Izzy Alvaran, the Western Jurisdiction director for the Reconciling Ministries Network to provide an update on his work and the work of the Commission on a Way Forward, the 32 member commission formed by the United Methodist Council of Bishops to help forge a path forward on the subject of LGBTQ inclusion in the United Methodist Church. The potluck is being hosted at Fairwood Community UMC at 6 PM on June 2nd in Benedict Hall. The address is 15255 SE Fairwood Blvd, Renton, WA 98058.
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James Memorial Service May 11
The memorial service for Wendy James is on Friday,
May 11
at 2:00pm. Wendy attended Aldersgate as a child and youth and her parents David and Heidi James have been members at Aldersgate since December 1992.
Please remember the family in your prayers.
Allott Memorial Service May 20
The memorial service for church member Al Allott is on Sunday, May 20 at 2:00pm. Al and his wife Beverly became members of Aldersgate in 1964. Please remember the family in your prayers.
People with Health Concerns
*Mark Olleman's sister Ruth
*Dale Heidal
*Butch & Sue Black
Additional Prayers
*Missionary Katherine Parker,
Pastor Brad
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.
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