Weekly Framework
When fear of failure really takes over, you begin to avoid taking risks - because every risk includes a possibility that you will fail, that you will lose face, that you will embarrass yourself or people will laugh at you. When this happens, you may miss out on some of the most amazing blessings in your life. What can we do with our fear of failure?
Thursday's Devotional
On his second missionary journey, the apostle Paul met a younger man named Timothy (cf. Acts 16:1-4). Timothy became one of his most trusted associates, one Paul trusted to lead some of the churches he planted, and to continue leading them after Paul was gone. Such a large responsibility must have frightened Timothy at times, especially in the light of his youth (1 Timothy 4:12). But Paul urged him to lead with confidence and trust in God.
For reflection:
* In God's sweeping story in the Bible, we see that God used people who might have been thought too old (e.g. Abraham, Moses) and others who might have been thought too young (e.g. Jeremiah, Timothy). If you are on the younger end of the age spectrum, do older people ever intimidate you, making you afraid to offer your gifts and insights? If you are on the older end of the spectrum, what helps you resist the urge to look down on younger Christians whose thinking or music may be different than you've been used to?
* What examples of either spiritual courage or timidity are parts of your family's spiritual legacy? In what ways have parents, grandparents and other important people given you confidence to fearlessly value and use your God-given strengths? What effect have they had on you? How can you mentor and encourage someone who is younger than you are?
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Lord Jesus,
as I live in this age-conscious culture, remind me that from your eternal view, age is one of the least of your concerns. Empower me to live without fear, now and in all the years of earthly life that are left for me.
Amen.
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Do you think that following Jesus means things will be easy?
Take a minute and share why or why not. It's tempting to think that when you decide to follow Jesus, everything will be easy. But if you've been following Jesus for very long or watch people who are, you know that's not true! Maybe you choose to sit at the lunch table with a boy other kids make fun of-and they start to make fun of you, too. Or you decide to run a 5K race to help raise money for people in your community who need homes-but you get totally worn out on practice runs before you even get to a mile. The reality is, when you're trying to live the way Jesus taught us, things will get hard! But the awesome thing is that you don't have to tough it out on your own. When you follow Jesus, God promises to give you the power of His Spirit to keep going. And since God is more powerful than anything, that means you can keep going to finish anything He's called you to do. Pray for each other, that God will give you the power of His Spirit this week to keep going, even when things get tough.
Print Resources for this week:
Videos for this week (new for 5/17):
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Our first Zoom meeting is TONIGHT!
Join Aaron, Rich, Erin, and Beth for these chances to share your joys, your challenges, and anything else that's on your mind during these crazy times.
Links to the meetings will be emailed to those who are registered.
HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
Friday, May 22
COLLEGE-AGED STUDENTS
Tuesday, May 26
8 PM - 9 PM
YOUTH-AGED STUDENTS
Friday, May 29
8 PM - 9 PM
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This week,
Pastor Barbara wraps up the "Unafraid" sermon series with the message
"Fear of Sickness, Aging, and Death." Many people fear growing old. We fear it in so many ways and for so many reasons. We fear becoming obsolete or irrelevant. We fear looking old. We are a society that seems to value youth, and we desperately want to postpone growing old, and looking old. Some of the fears we have about getting older, particularly when we are at midlife, are unfounded, but we believe them nonetheless. In this message, we will look at how to face our fear of growing old and death.
Worship will be streaming live at 10 AM at live.asburylv.org and will feature a variety of musical styles.
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Asbury will be assisting the Sixth Street Shelter by collecting needed supplies for the Shelter. Donations are being collected from
4:00 - 6:00 PM on Friday, 5/29 and from 10 am - noon on Saturday, 5/30 in the church's upper parking lot. For the safety of all,
social distancing with be practiced during this time.
Items currently most in need of are:
Paper towels
Laundry detergents (no perfume or dyes if possible)
Mops (prefer Libman Wonder twist mops, they last us a lot longer)
Brooms
Hand soap
Baby wipes (sensitive skin if possible)
all-purpose cleaners
dish washing liquid
Windex glass cleaners
Stove top cleaner for electric range
Oven cleaners
Diapers (sizes 2,4, 5 & 6)
Items listed may be out of stock. Substitutions are welcome and are gladly accepting donations shipped directly to the shelter location.
Any questions, please contact Debbie Holt at 610-392-4802 or Jenn Springer at 610-395-7812.
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Asbury's building is now closed indefinitely. When the time comes to re-open, rest assured we will send that communication as far in advance as possible (and very ready to celebrate gathering again!).
For the safety of all, and to keep Asbury's building virus-free, access to the building is now limited to office and custodial staff only. All other key cards have been deactivated. Should you need to gain access to the building, please contact Israel Olivieri, Business Manager, at
iolivieri@asburylv.org.
In the midst of a challenging time, we still have much to celebrate! Thanks to your amazing generosity, we have reached our goal for the Capital Campaign of $350,000 as of April 19, 2020! Praise God!! Thank you to all who supported this important initiative; and continue to watch for updates on project progress in the coming months.
Get information about and past updates on the Capital Campaign at asburylv.org/capitalcampaign.
For those wishing to support COVID-19 relief, we encourage you to consider giving to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) Advance. 100% of donations to the Advance go to COVID-19 relief, as UMCOR's administrative costs are paid through connectional giving.
Summer Camping registration is underway! Camps realize that the future is full of uncertainties and are considering alternative plans, including some offering full refunds if camps are cancelled. Visit the individual camp sites to learn more about their camps and their policies related to COVID-19:
All updates regarding Asbury's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will also be shared at that page; as well as via email blast and on our social media feeds (
Facebook and
Twitter).
Please know that during the time that the office is closed, all calls to Asbury are being received by our answering service, as there is no one available in the office to take your call. Any messages you leave with the answering service are forwarded to us and we will relay your message to the appropriate staff member to respond to you as soon as possible.
Asbury is
now a drop-off site for home-sewn masks for Lehigh Valley Health Network. The collection bin is located at the doors by the upper entrance to the building. If you're able to sew masks, but not able to deliver them,
email Pastor Barbara to get connected with a helper. We do not have supplies available to offer; but could help coordinate a pickup for an order you place at a local fabric or craft store that's offering curbside pickup.
Instructions:
St. Luke's is also collecting personal protective equipment (PPE). Learn more about the items they're accepting and their drop-off locations (their Care Now urgent care locations in Allentown, Whitehall, Bethlehem, and more)
on their website.
Cancelled/Postponed Events
Include, but not limited to:
AIM Yard Sale (cancelled)
Reschedule dates (if applicable) will be communicated when available.
No physical meetings are being held at Asbury or off-site; but please check with your group/Circle leader to see if there are plans for your group to connect online.
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f you are experiencing loneliness, or spiritual and emotional distress during these challenging days, or if there's someone you're concerned about, please reach out to Pastor Barbara at
blee@asburylv.org
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We know that these stressful times have and will cause hardships for some in our community. The following groups, recommended by Asbury in Mission (AIM), have resources available for assistance if you or someone you know has a need:
Kingdom Life Family Center Food Bank
4333 Lime Kiln Rd, Orefield, PA 18069
1401 Linden Street, Allentown, PA 18102
AIM also reminds us that while volunteer opportunities are few due to the current crisis, our mission partners can still be supported financially. Learn more about all of our AIM mission partners at
asburylv.org/aim.
If you are in a position to donate to the food banks, please be aware of the following information about donations:
Kingdom Life Family Center in Orefield wants people to make an appointment to drop off food on a Tuesday morning.
Call 610-398-0111
Salem United Methodist Church in Allentown, Food bank can take donations in the morning by appointment only.
Call Rev. Navin Satyarvata 610-432-2577
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