Announcements 10/15/2023
Today’s altar flowers are given by Betsy Campbell in celebration of her daughter Kristin's birthday on the 17th and her son Scott's birthday that was on the October 3rd and her 75th on the 13th.
Ministry Fair Today!
The Church Council is sponsoring a Ministry Fair today from 9:30 to 10:45 am in the Fellowship Hall. Each of the church committees and small groups has a table with information about their purpose and activities, and you can learn about the structure and the ministries of the church in a fun and informal setting, during Coffee Hour. Learn what your fellow congregants are up to! If you are thinking about plugging in for a single event or something a bit longer term and are not sure how or where, or just curious about what goes on here the rest of the week, this is a chance to learn more. There are lots of opportunities to choose from! If you have questions, please ask Pastor Bob or Peter Smyton, Church Council chairperson. See you at the Fair!
Request for All Saints Names
On Sunday, November 5th, we will celebrate All Saints Sunday. Our Worship will include the reading of names of those who have died in the past year, who have gone on to join the “Saints Triumphant”.
If you would like the name of a loved one read on that day, please fill out a form on the welcome desk or email the church office or call (978-256-9400) and leave a message on the office phone, by October 31st Please include as a subject “All Saints” on your email. And also include your name and the loved one’s name as well as spell it if by phone.
Change for Change
Your change helps others. The newest Change for Change candidate is the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Association was selected by our youth. So when you hear the clinking in the offering know it is helping this worthy cause.
Stewardship Campaign 2024 “Building Tomorrow, Together” Commitment Sunday is next week, October 22nd
Please watch your mailbox this week for a letter from Pastor Bob and Wendy Baker, Finance Chair, sharing thoughts around the 2024 Stewardship planning efforts. Our Pastor has expressed with a grateful heart the commitment he has witnessed from so many thoughtful and generous leaders. In Pastor Bob’s inspiring words, “I witness that the members of Aldersgate have never stopped imagining how to respond to the love of God more actively. . . .For decades, the people at Aldersgate gathered to worship, eat, pray, sing, learn, serve and grow together. There are joys, tears, memories, growth and love here.”
Today we will hear from Perry Villanueva on what Aldersgate means to him and his family. Perry and his wife Jocelyn, their children Jonathan and Justine, are long time members who have contributed much over the years. Perry is also one of our recording artists that insure our worship services can be available online. His message will inspire you!
Next Sunday is Commitment Sunday when we offer our pledges for the coming 2024 calendar year. We are offering the following options for you to deliver your pledge cards to the church:
- Hand deliver the card in the basket during our worship service on October 22nd; ushers will provide guidance.
- Drop off the card in the mail slot at the door to the ramp entrance of the church prior to Sunday, October 22
- Mail the card to the church by October 22nd, in the same way you have faithfully sent your 2023 offerings.
- Email Kelly Mongiovi, Financial Secretary (kmongiovi@aol.com), advising her of your pledge for 2024
We hope you will help us in “Building Tomorrow, Together” with your eyes on Jesus as you reflect upon God’s goodness in your lives and prayerfully consider what your pledge and commitment will be for the coming year.
Small Group Inclusivity Discussions October 29
The Aldersgate Church Council is offering an opportunity on Sunday, October 29 for dialog and sharing of stories and perspectives as we seek to discern how we as a church family can be more inclusive to all regardless of age, race, nationality, ethnic background, gender, sexuality, ability, and physical appearance. If you are interested, please meet in the Fellowship Hall, between the services or after the second service; we will divide up into several small groups and move into breakout rooms, each with a facilitator to help the discussions along, to talk about inclusion and sexuality. We expect the discussions to last about one hour.
Also, if you missed any of the info sessions held in September, the Zoom session held on Wednesday, Sept 20, was recorded and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/8NaiqBm7br4.
A Statement of Inclusivity, consistent with the beliefs of our denomination and its Book of Discipline, created by the Council and posted on the church web site in the Who We Are page, is below.
All Are Welcome at Aldersgate
As a United Methodist congregation, we affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God. We affirm that we are an open, welcoming, fully accepting congregation supportive of all, regardless of age, race, nationality, ethnic background, gender, sexuality, ability, and physical appearance. In agreement with our New England Conference Open Spirit Task Force, we are committed to safeguarding the sacred worth and dignity of all persons in our churches and communities, including those who identify as LGBTQI+ persons.
We are a church that supports every individual’s full participation in the life, ministry, sacraments, membership, and leadership of the church at any level. We celebrate the blessings of gender and cultural diversity in our pastors and leadership team.
October is National Clergy Month
A truly great pastor is hard to find, difficult to part with, and impossible to forget. Aldersgate is blessed with two of the best.
In infinite wisdom, the Lord surely knew that we would need a pastor as faithful as Pastor Bob and Rev Maylis, a love of God’s word, and a heart for their flock. Pastor Bob and Rev Maylis have given of themselves and they stand on the rock.
To show our appreciation for them, we need to invite their “friends” to post on Facebook or drop cards off for Pastor Bob and Rev Maylis to tell them why we appreciate them as our pastors. Our church has some awesome pastors.
Children and Youth Supper & Singing Time
This music opportunity is for children and youth ages 4 years old – 12th grade.
We will meet on the following dates this fall:
Tuesdays, October 17th from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m
Tuesdays, November 7th & 14th from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Mondays, December 11th & 18th from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
We will have supper from 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. and music singing time from 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Children and Youth Chime Time
This music opportunity is for children and youth in 3rd – 8th grade. They will learn how to play the chimes. We will meet on the following dates this fall:
Sundays, December 10th & 17th from noon – 1:00 p.m. We will have lunch from noon – 12:30 p.m. and practice chimes from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Mondays, December 11th & 18th from 4:30 – 5:00 p.m. Early Bird
Please email Cheryl at aumc-education@verizon.net if they plan on attending the supper so we have enough pizza for everyone.
Early Bird Bible Application
Early Bird continues to discuss the “Fundamentals of the Faith – The Church: Fellowship and Worship.” The early church established four priorities: teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. This week’s focus and discussion will be on fellowship. The common purpose, to glorify God and build up His church, bound them together by a true love for one another in Christ (1 Peter 1:22-23).
Plan to join the discussion as we continue to understand how today’s church is built on the fundamentals of the early church. Early Bird meets on Tuesday at ten o’clock via Zoom. See the email for the link.
Fall Adult Study Continues
Both the Sunday morning Adult Ed class and the Thursday morning Bible Study class will be using The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide to the Good News by Amy-Jill Levine for our fall programs. Walk through the Bible’s earliest source for the life of Jesus to examine John the Baptizer, the Little Apocalypse, the Transfiguration, and several of Jesus’s most notable stories and parables, as we see Jesus as divine and human, powerful and weak, approachable yet mysterious. The Sunday class meets today at 9:45 am; Thursday class at 10:00 am. Both the Sunday and Thursday classes will meet in the Concord Room and via Zoom. Zoom link is in the weekly worship email or you can obtain it through the church office (aldersgatechelmsford@verizon.net or 978-256-9400).
Join Us for Dinner and a Pop-up Adult Bible Study This Week (10/17): The Bible and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Love
This Tuesday, October 17, we’ll join the children and youth for supper in the Fellowship Hall at 5 p.m. and follow the meal with a Bible study at 5:30 p.m. This week we will be talking about the first video from Share the Dream (a Bible study based on the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) and Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
A Zoom option to join us is also available:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84058945879?pwd=VEFuWEVCdUxLOUF5VnBRUlE5SEg5UT09
Meeting ID: 840 5894 5879
Passcode: 835660
MLK on Love Video:
Letter from Birmingham Jail:
https://ibs.cru.org/files/7814/9063/9009/Letter_Birmingham_Jail.pdf
Please email Cheryl Ortolf (aumc-education@verizon.net) or Suzanne Hevelone (shevelone@gmail.com) if you’d like to come, so we need to know how many people to plan to feed. Everyone is welcome!
Join us for a FUN, family Halloween Party!
Sunday, October 29th – 3:00 pm -4:00 pm
Aldersgate UMC
Games, Crafts, Snacks
and Trick or Treating
Bring your friends and neighbors!
Lobby Window book display
The books in the lobby windows are available for you to borrow and return at your leisure. You will find books on prayer, books that discuss Christian LGBTQ+ folks and books on creating deeper community. We welcome you to spend some time this summer expanding your faith and understanding of God’s church.
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