Worship
Asbury Masking Policy
Asbury will be following the guidance of the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) regarding indoor masking.

When the ACPHD strongly recommends masking for all, Asbury will require masks be worn at all indoor events.

When ACPHD relaxes indoor masking recommendations, Asbury will follow suit and require masks for those not fully vaccinated. Sunday School teachers and nursery staff will continue to wear masks when children less than 5 years old are present indoors.

Getting vaccinated and boosted is also another way we can love our neighbor and do no harm. People are always welcome to mask if that is their preference. Group leaders or groups may decide to implement a mask mandate in their group to protect their members in need of greater protection
What Would Jesus Say?
Pastor Kathy and Brad will be preaching a sermon series this fall entitled “I Wonder What Jesus Would Say About…?”

We want your input! Please share with us what topics or questions you would ask Jesus about by taking the survey below or by emailing Pastor Kathy by May 30. Make as many submissions as you would like and watch for our sermon series come fall!
Sunday Prayer Requests
Please pray for the requests that were made during prayer time on Sunday.

If you would like to be on the email prayer chain, please contact the church office.
Children's Ministry
Rainbow Choir is Back In-Person!
Rainbow Choir is for singers in 3rd - 5th grade, and has returned to in-person rehearsals in the sanctuary on Sundays from
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM.

There will still be a Zoom component for those uncomfortable with in-person meetings. Masks will not be required, but can certainly be worn.

Rainbow Choir uses percussion instruments, like chimes, xylophones, tambourines, drums and finger cymbals. Choir director, Jean Braun, is REALLY wanting her singers to experience all that joyful noise before another choir year is over! The hope is to have Rainbow Choir participate in Music Celebration Sunday, June 5, playing instruments.

Please come join in on the fun. We have two more rehearsals left: May 22 and May 29. Feel free to contact Jean with questions, comments, concerns &/or to let her know you are coming!
Zoom Sunday School is Now In-Person!
Starting THIS Sunday, May 22, kids' Sunday School is in person!
Kindness Matters Camp 2022 is coming!
Wed, July 20th - Fri, July 22nd
9am to 12pm
Children entering 1st-5th grades
Registration closes July 1st

All children and volunteers will need to show COVID-19 vaccination appropriate for their age group.

Sun, July 24th Community Picnic
Well have a giant waterslide and lunch for families to attend together following 10 a.m. Worship Service

If you are interested in planning and/or volunteering, contact Jackie.
Youth Ministry
Youth Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
THIS Sunday, May 22nd
9-9:45am or 11-11:45am
$8/person; $25/family

Help the youth group raise money for their SSP Trip to Smith River, CA this summer! Tickets are on sale now!
Young Adult Ministry
Young Adult Retreat at Lake Tahoe
Fri, May 27 - Mon, May 30
Lake Tahoe
$75 (includes most meals, group discussion book, transportation, and lodging)
Registration closes Sunday, May 22nd

Join us for a fun weekend focused on Christian Leadership Development where we will be reading John 13 and Simon Sinek's "Start with Why".

We will plan to go out and explore Tahoe so bring some extra money for activities and for one dinner/snacks/drinks. As of March 25, masks will be optional at the retreat center.
Serving Others With Love
Livermore School Backpack Project
We're beginning preparations for the annual Livermore schools backpack project!

Asbury has committed to 150 filled backpacks for middle and high schoolers. The approximate cost is $32 per backpack. If you would like to make a monetary donation to this project, make sure that you make a note with the gift that it is for the Livermore School Backpack Project.

We'll be returning to the pre-pandemic practice of each church doing the packing, which means we'll have a packing assembly line this summer as we did in 2019.
Upcoming Community Events
Grief Support Group
4th Wednesday of the Month
May 25th
4:30pm - 5:30pm
In-person: Asbury Conference Room
Zoom: Meeting ID 816 5232 4145; Password 041314

Sometimes it's hard to put our grief into words. Join a support group and you might hear someone else speak how you've been feeling!

Grief Groups are open to the public and all are welcome!
Witness our Welcome 2022
Sunday, June 5th
5:00pm
Danville Congregational Church
989 San Ramon Valley Blvd, Danville, CA

Join 680-Corridor Area faith communities for a special interfaith worship celebration! After two years of postponements, the annual Witness Our Welcome (WOW) Celebration is back, just in time to kick off Pride Month!

Through this interfaith service, WOW celebrates the diversity of God’s creation as seen in all their ‘rainbow-hued children’. It is sponsored by affirming faith communities and organizations located primarily along the 680 corridor.

Bishop Megan Roher — the first openly transgender pastor-bishop in a mainline Christian denomination -- will bring the message. The prestigious Spirit Award will be presented to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, helmed by superintendent Dr. John Malloy. This award honors those who advance the cause of inclusivity and justice for LGBTQ+ people.
Rodeo Parade & Grill Team are back!
The Rodeo Parade is back and so is the Asbury Grill Team! After charming the judges in last year’s virtual Rodeo Parade, we are ready to do it again, live!

The Rodeo Parade takes place Saturday June 11, 2022 at 10 am. We need 10+ Asburyites (men, women, and youth) to march in the parade with portable grills to be our Grill Team!

The Grill Team will rehearse on Saturdays from 10-11am leading up to the event. We will meet in the courtyard, then move to the parking lot for marching practice. Grills are provided, but we ask you to provide a BBQ apron and utensils (we can help with this if needed). Wear comfortable walking shoes, and be prepared for fun!

If you can’t come to rehearsals but want to be in the parade, we need banner carriers and people on the float. We’re also looking for creative folks to help decorate, too!

To sign up, or for questions, contact Martie Muldoon.
Upcoming Asbury Events
Virtual Conference with Pema Chodron
May 27-29
  • Friday, May 27: 4:00pm-6:30pm
  • Saturday, May 28: 6:00am-9:00am; 11:30am-2:00pm
  • Sunday, May 29: 6:00am-9:00am; 10am Asbury Worship Service; 1pm group lunch by RSVP (in person or virtual)
$99 (includes access to recordings for 60 days after event concludes)

Join Asbury’s Prayerful Meditation Circle for a virtual weekend conference featuring the first American woman to be ordained as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition, Pema Chodron. The focus of the retreat is "Awakening Through Difficult Circumstances: The Ancient Practice of Love and Compassion" and will explore what it means to engage the world in an open and deeply connected way.

You do not have to be an existing part of the Prayerful Meditation Circle to join in on the weekend! Simply register here and let Jackie know you're attending.

If you would be interested in a group lunch at the conclusion of the retreat and Asbury worship on Sunday, May 29th, please let Jackie know by Sunday, May 22nd so proper accommodations can be made. Indicate whether you would be open to an in person lunch gathering or if you would prefer virtual.
Celebrations of Life & Memorial Services
Tim Evans
Saturday, May 21st at 11am
Asbury UMC (or watch online)
Reception to follow


Jim Culpepper
Saturday, June 4th at 2pm
Asbury UMC
Reception to follow
Habitat for Humanity service project
Saturday, June 25th
8:30am - 4:00pm

Asbury is joining with San Ramon Valley UMC and Walnut Creek UMC to work on a Habitat for Humanity project at Esperanza place, an affordable housing complex in Walnut Creek.

Register online to volunteer!
Asbury Community
Calling all graduates!
Are you or a family member graduating from high school, college, university, technical school, or graduate school?

We will be recognizing all graduates on Sunday, June 5th and are putting together a video to honor them! Here's what we need:
  • Graduate's name
  • School they are graduating from (high school, college, university, and/or technical school)
  • Degree they are receiving
  • Their future plans
  • A graduation photo and a baby photo

Send everything above to Brad Biggerstaff by Wednesday, June 1st!
Need: Embroidery Machine & Tablet
If you have a used embroidery sewing machine or a tablet that can connect to the internet, please contact Lorraine Magee.

These will be sent to Uganda with a missionary leaving on May 27 to be used by a young woman and her nephew who live there.
Antiracism Ministry: Update
At our April meeting, Asbury’s Antiracism group discussed the book Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot, written by Mikki Kendall.

We covered just a few of the chapters, but there were still lots of ideas to discuss and think about. The author contends that mainstream feminism in the US does not focus on improving the lives of women of color. Instead, it concentrates on advancing the opportunities for white women. Food insecurity, a living wage, and access to health care and education are issues of importance in “hood feminism.” These issues, if addressed, could help all women and men but most especially the disadvantaged people in our society who need the most help.

Because the book is a collection of essays, you can read one or two chapters or even jump around in the book as your interest leads you. Copies are available to borrow if you contact the church office. We guarantee the book will challenge you, give you new perspectives, and leave you with lots to think about.

Save the date for our next Zoom meeting on May 23rd at 7pm!
We want YOU to be a greeter!
We need more of your smiling faces to be greeters for Sunday mornings!

Think back to when you enter a building the first few times and how helpful and inviting it feels to have someone there to greet you with a smile and guidance on where to go. Or even when the place is no longer new, think about how warm it feels to see that familiar smile when you walk through the doors.

Sign up to be a Sunday morning greeter and help make Asbury the warm, inviting, welcoming place that is it!
Events at a Glance
  • Sat, May 21; 11am: Tim Evans' Memorial Service
  • Sun, May 22: In-person children's Sunday School resumes
  • Sun, May 22: Youth Pancake Breakfast fundraiser
  • Mon, May 23; 7pm: Antiracism Ministry Zoom
  • Wed, May 25; 4:30-5:30pm: Grief Support Group
  • Fri, May 27 - Sun, May 29: Virtual Conference with Pema Chodron
  • Fri, May 27 - Mon, May 30: Young Adult retreat at Lake Tahoe
  • Sat, June 4; 2pm: Jim Culpepper's Celebration of Life
  • Sun, Jun 5; 10am: Graduate Sunday
  • Sun, June 5; 5pm: Witness our Welcome 2022
  • Sat, June 11; 10am: Livermore Rodeo Parade
  • Wed, July 20 - Fri, July 22; 9am-12pm: Kindness Matters Camp
  • Sat, July 25; 8:30am-4:00pm: Habitat for Humanity workday
  • Mon, Aug 1 - Fri, Aug 5: Children's Music Camp
Have questions?
Reply to this email or call the office at 925-447-1950.

Have an article, announcement, or event to submit?
Send them to the Alaina Harrison, our Communications Specialist
by 3pm on Tuesdays.

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Check out the newsletter archive!