OCTOBER 2024
937-426-3988 / www.aleyumc.org
| |
A Message from
Pastor Laurie Steele
| |
First, just a quick thank you for keeping Pastor Abby and I in prayer as we took time for spiritual renewal and planning away from the church. You might not have even missed us since we were still at church both the Sunday before and after our time away.
But trust me, we were gone. I took Pastor Abby to my favorite place, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. So between work sessions and devotion time we spent a little time on the beach and eating some Holy Cow Ice Cream… every night in fact, and holy cow was it good!
I’m sharing with you my favorite picture of the week. Shells washed on shore in Cape Hatteras. And when I look at this I see a lot of things because as a pastor you know we see sermons in everything. So here is your message from this picture…
Here are some of the things we might say when we see shells like this on the beach, “wow, look at all the different shells,” “so pretty,” “this is amazing,” “so cool.” You get the idea. Here’s the thing: how can we be so open to differences in a creation of God as simple as a shell and not see that same beauty in each other?
| |
|
We need to get to know each other and see each other through the lens of what Jesus intended and not what the world is saying to us in such a loud voice. As Christ-Followers who are part of His church, love the Lord and want to be with Him the loudest voice we should hear is the one speaking to our hearts. We are, as Paul said, “all one in Christ Jesus.” Just because you’ve sat next to someone for years in church, the office or at a sporting event, doesn’t mean you see them in all their uniqueness.
Galatians 3:36-28
26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Here’s a couple more…
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight".
Romans 15:5 "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus".
Ephesians 4:2-3 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace".
I think you get the idea about who we are and how we are to see others. But here’s the problem with reading scripture and then watching your favorite news channel or reading articles from your favorite source for gathering information. They are often one sided and biased to one view or another. I get it, as I am not immune to that. Be it political, sports or even religious viewpoints. Dr. Phil, (who I will preface with I’m not a fan of) has a saying, “would you rather be right or happy?” His point is trying to get his guest to see that being right or the want of it is keeping them from relationship and wholeness. That I agree with. And although I don’t believe happiness is the goal for everyone, or even the promise for us as Christ-Followers; I do however get the concept. Being right, or the want of being right - on the right side of something has become the mantra for us as Christians. And though I do believe wholeheartedly that Christ lived, died and was resurrected for me and for everyone not everything in scripture is so clearly spoken or understood. And yet we Christians believe we know exactly what God means in all of it. I also believe that I have a God so much bigger than me, so much greater than me that God will find a way to redeem those that view things differently than you or I and that we also have to be honest about how we see others through the lens of scripture we think we know so well. We are in a tough season both in the church and our society right now and the upcoming elections are only making divisions and differences more pronounced and emotions more raw. How we see each other in these times matter. How we treat each other matters.
So in this time of so much discourse and the belief in being right, I would like for each of us to see the uniqueness of the shells, and the amazing uniqueness that each of us created in the image of God we are, and not through the belief that we are right or need to be right.
Serving an Amazing God!
Pastor Laurie
| |
|
FALL FEST
Aley's Fall Fest is happening on October 12, 3pm – 5pm! There will be games, snacks and fun for the whole family. Invite your friends to come have some great fall fun. We will end with a Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot. Costumes are welcomed! Go to Aley's website under ' Get Involved ' to sign up to help with games or to host a trunk. Questions? Ask Susan Grinkemeyer – kids@aleyumc.org
| | |
With schools now back in session, Feed the Creek is again filling bags with food for kids to take home each Friday so that they'll have something to eat over the weekends. Currently, over 300 bags are being filled each week, with almost 1/4 of those bags going to Shaw Elementary. So please consider donating non-perishable food items like instant oatmeal, individual snack bags, Mac & Cheese cups, granola or energy bars, pudding cups, and fruit and vegetable cans with pop-top lids. Leave your donations in the Feed the Creek bin located in the Welcome Center. If you'd like to donate larger non-perishable items (boxes of cereal, jars of peanut butter, etc.), please do so and we'll put them out in our Little Pantry box at the southeast corner of the cemetery. If you have any questions, contact Bill Noble at nobledesoto@ameritech.net or 937-681-8601. | | |
St. Paul’s Breakfast
Greetings Aley Friends! It is time for Aley to provide food for St. Paul’s on the Second Saturday, October 12, 2024 for Breakfast at 7:30 am – REMEMBER WE BRING ALL THE FOOD! Please sign-up on the Sign-Up Genius located on Aley's website under ' GET INVOLVED '. If you have any questions please call Susan Lehneis at 937-901-4398.
| |
Stewardship in the church often gets a one dimensional definition… money. But it is so much more than just giving money. It’s about faithfulness to God and being generous with your prayers, your presence, your talents, your gifts and your service.
What I have witnessed in Aley stewardship is worthy of mention as we enter into this season of discovering all that stewardship can be. Our Party on Kemp worship and outreach event held at nearby Shaw Elementary in September gives the church an opportunity to take the church outside the four walls. Aley has an active disaster response team which has and continues to help those needing support in the aftermath of natural disasters, as well as, lending a hand around Beavercreek. That includes them removing branches and trees and providing garbage containers in hardest hit areas. Aley is active with Feed the Creek local food pantry, providing and serving meals at St. Paul UMC in Dayton and we have an onsite pantry that is accessible for the community to help ease food insecurity. Family Promise is a longtime ministry of Aley and we provide meals and other support as families work toward having a home of their own. Kairos Prison Ministry serves prisoners at both Chillicothe and Dayton Correctional Institutions. Taking the journey of God’s grace and love with them as they discover the gift of God's love for themselves. And in 2024 The Dream Center of Dayton and Habitat for Humanity are new areas of mission that have experienced the faithfulness of Aley in ministry.
I could go on and on but wished to provide real examples of the ways Aley UMC reaches out with its generosity to help others. I ask you to prayerfully consider how you might step up your generosity in the future.
Stewardship is truly at work here at Aley UMC,
Phil Bown and the Stewardship Team
| |
Support for Springfield
Our neighbors in Springfield have had increased attention lately and it has brought many challenges in their day to day living. Please continue to keep the Springfield UMC Churches (Grace, High Street, and Covenant), other faith communities, schools, medical facilities, government officials, and all those living in Springfield in prayer. One of the UMC churches in Springfield has shared an additional way that we all can offer support and encouragement as they strive to support and love their neighbors, especially the Haitian Immigrants. From Grace UMC: "We are trying to express that they are a welcome and valuable part of our city. We'd appreciate cards with words of support. We're planning to have a multi-church Prayer and Praise Celebration of Diversity with all the local UM churches and it would be wonderful to be able to pass around the well-wishes of the broader community. Cards can be addressed generally to "Haitian Members of our community" or more simply "Haitian Immigrants" Please bring your cards to Aley's church office by October 7 so we can pray over them and deliver them to Springfield.
| |
Kemp Rd Clean-up Team
We're restarting our Kemp Road Clean-up Team. This group of Aleyans pick up the trash along Kemp Rd between the church and I-675. We do this usually twice a year and we can use some more helpers - because many hands make little work. There are guidelines about what to pick up and what not to pick up, as well as how best to do this safely. We haven't yet picked a date for our next clean-up, but if you'd like to help us, please let me know. Anyone under 18 years old will have to have an adult/guardian with them. You can contact Bill Noble at nobledesoto@ameritech.net or 937-681-8601.
| |
All Saints Day
During worship on October 27 we will be remembering and celebrating the lives of those who have passed on this year. Please email our Administrative Assistant, Nicole, at aley@aleyumc.org with the names of any Aley family that have passed since November 1, 2023 to present. Please submit this information no later than October 23.
| | | |
Veterans Day
In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to honor those who have served in our Military, on November 10. Please email our Administrative Assistant, Nicole, at aley@aleyumc.org with the names of any Aley family that has served our country in the past, not currently active duty. Please submit this information no later than November 6. Include the persons name, rank, military branch and dates of service.
| |
All Church Mission Opportunity
We have an opportunity to help one of our neighbors in Trotwood have a secure, safe home for herself and her two sons! Aley will be participating in a Habitat for Humanity new home build on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 17-19, 8:30AM – 3:30PM. Adults (18 or older), experienced or new, are invited to come for as many of the days as you would like. We can definitely learn on the job! Check out our website under ' Get Involved ' for more information (you will sign up with Habitat on a different page). Please contact Beth Collins if you have any questions or trouble signing up, 937-602-2820 or bcollohioregn@yahoo.com.
| |
OCTOBER SERMONS
SERMON SERIES: "YOU BELONG HERE"
October 6 - "Love Starts with a Name: You" - Pastor Laurie
October 13 - "Love is more than a theory: Belong" Pastor Abby
October 20 - "Love Adores Extravagantly: Here" Pastor Laurie & Pastor Abby
SERMON SERIES: "DO UNTO OTHERS"
October 27 - "Kindness" - Pastor Laurie
| |
Care Ministry at Aley UMC is here to journey with you. If you need help, please call Karen Engel and she will contact our volunteers. 937 426-3988.
| | | |
Family Ministries at Aley | |
Youth At Aley (YAA)
Don’t forget that on Wednesday’s grades 6-12 are now meeting 6-7:30pm in our newly renovated youth space!! Enter door 2 and head up the stairs. We’ll spend some time together in a large group and some time together in breakout groups divided by grade. Wednesday’s are a great time to get to know other students and have some fun while exploring our faith journeys and engaging in faith-based discussion with others all in a safe space.
Sunday mornings we meet to take a little deeper dive and grow deeper with God and each other from 9:40-10:20am.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Abby (pastorabby@aleyumc.org)
| |
Kids Ministry
Aley's Fall Fest is happening on October 12, 3-5 pm! There will be games, snacks and fun for the whole family. Invite your friends to come have some great fall fun. We will end with a Trunk-or-Treat in the parking lot. Costumes are welcomed!
Every Sunday, kids are offered several different experiences to encourage their faith journey.
Please contact Susan Grinkemeyer (kids@aleyumc.org)
| | | |
YAA FALL OVERNIGHT
Join us as we head to Camp Kern for a Youth Fall Overnight with grades 6-12! Students are welcome to bring friends and cost is $40 per student, financial assistance available if needed. Our overnight will offer an opportunity to get away, connect with God and each other, be in nature, and have lots of fun! Camp Kern offers lots of outdoor space for exploring and playing and we'll have some indoor game space.
Our theme is “Irreplaceable”. Who is Jesus? For some of us, this feels like an easy question to answer. After all, we’re called to spend our lives following him and becoming more like him. But do we really know who we’re following? How can we be more like Christ if we don’t even know who Christ is? Knowing who Jesus is and believing in Him changes our lives. As we dive into Jesus’ “I Am” statements, we will discover that what Jesus offers is much better: himself. Jesus is irreplaceable! Register on the
‘ Get Involved ’ page by October 6.
| |
YAA HANG OUT
There's not much better in fall than a good bon fire and hanging out together outside! Come enjoy some yummy food, yard games, and maybe even a movie outside if the weather cooperates. If you have some games the group might enjoy, please bring them!
Please RSVP on the ‘ Get Involved ’ page! Students should be dropped off and picked up at the Neal's residence, if you need assistance with transportation, please contact Pastor Abby and she'll help you find carpool options.
| |
| |
YAA’S MISSION
At YAA, we desire for students to explore and embody sacred, authentic, and shared love, value, and belonging. It’s both about the environment created for students when they walk in the door at Aley UMC and the environment students create and carry with them throughout their days. Each component of the mission is connected to the others and helps students live into Aley UMC’s mission to “Love God. Love People. Make Disciples.”. At YAA we aim to create a community in which students experience and embody sacred love, sacred value, sacred belonging; authentic love, authentic value, authentic belonging; shared love, shared value, shared belonging.
| | | |
New Parent Opportunity!
Parents, come join other parents as we dive into the same themes our kids and students will be exploring on Sunday mornings 9:40-10:20am. Kids will meet in the kids wing, students will meet in the youth space, and parents will meet in the hospitality room behind the dividers. This is a great chance for your whole family to
intentionally grow as individuals and together as a unit, imagine the great conversations you can have on the way home, to lunch, or to the ball field after church. Join us weekly on Sunday’s 9:40-10:20 in the hospitality center.
| | | |
|
THANK YOU!
Thank you to all who helped setup for outdoor worship/Party on Kemp! and those who served at Party on Kemp! to provide a fun time and let the community know that Aley UMC loves them!
| |
|
We would like to celebrate all of those
whose birthdays are in
OCTOBER
You are special to us
& deeply loved by God...
Have a great You day!
| | | | | |