Announcements 9/3/2023
Today’s altar flowers are given by Robin Dye. Wishing a Successful School Year to all our Educators and Students as the school year begins.
Today’s altar flowers are also given by Dave and Clewis Howe. Happy 9th Birthday to Benjamin on September 4th and Clewis' birthday on September 11th
Come Join Isabelle Cole today in Fellowship Hall
Today, September 3rd Isabelle Cole will share stories and pictures of her mission trip to Morocco and Greece in Fellowship Hall after church at 10:30am. Come hear about her teaching English in Morocco and meeting refugee women in Greece.
Sermon Series on Loneliness (Sep 10 - Oct 9)
Pastor Bob invites you to journey with him for five-week sermon series on loneliness. As loneliness is considered as a new epidemic, Pastor Bob, assisted by the sermon team, will address various topics associated with loneliness such as pandemic, illness, social media, death, and misfit.
Rally Day is September 10!
Rally Day is September 10! On that day we will return to two services at 8:30 and 10:45, with church school for children and youth at 9:30. You are invited to gather in the Concord Room that day at 9:30 to hear about the plans for the Sunday Adult Ed class this fall, or to enjoy Fellowship Hour in the Fellowship Hall.
Church School Registration for children and youth starts at 9:15 am in the welcome area downstairs. We will also present Bibles to all Kindergarten children and 3rd grade children during the 10:45 am worship service.
After second service, join us for the traditional Rally Day potluck luncheon, with burgers and hot dogs along with fellowship and four square! Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share.
Red Friendship Pad
On the center aisle of the pews are Red Friendship Pads. During the offering, please sign the pad and pass it down the row so all can sign it and pass it back to the center aisle. Please note who is in the pew with you. If you are visiting, we would like to welcome you and get to know you. Please fill in your contact information. For more information about our church, please talk to those around you or contact Betsy in the church office at 978-256-9400. The email address is aldersgatechelmsford@verizon.net.
Youth 2023 Sharing Time! Save the date!
The youth and adults who attended Youth 2023 will host a pasta dinner and share a special presentation with you about our experiences at Youth 2023 on Saturday, September 16th from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
We have many stories to share with you along with photos and videos. Come join us – all are welcome!
Clean Sweep: Help is Needed, Please Sign Up!
Time is running out this summer to help to spruce up the church before the busyness of fall. Please sign-up using the sheet in the lobby. The jobs can be done on your time! If you don’t have a key, ask Betsy in the office to make arrangements to borrow one or when to come. Thank you! Samples of the tasks this year include cleaning pew cushions, touch-up painting, and cleaning windows.
Comfort in the Pews for Everyone
An additional pew has been removed to make our existing seating more accessible and accommodating to people using wheelchairs, walkers, canes or crutches and those who may be accompanying them. If you need more space or find the pew difficult to sit in, please make yourself comfortable in the red chairs provided. Please let an usher or trustee know if you need something adjusted. This is a work in progress and an experiment. We want you to feel at home in our space.
Aldersgate Faire 2023 Preparations!
Mark your calendar for AUMC Faire December 1 and 2, 2023.
Wreaths and swags with our amazing bows and picks are already being created. We look forward to wonderful baked goods and hand-crafted items as well as gift baskets and silent auction items. If you would like to donate a gift basket or auction item, please contact Melinda Goodick or Bonnie Marden. Our talented church invites the community to visit us as we begin the Advent Season!
Music Notes
Welcome to our new Season of Music at Aldersgate!
If you have been thinking about joining one of our choirs or would like to offer your musical gifts to the glory of God and for the enrichment of our church family, we invite you to be a part of our wonderful music ministry. New members are always welcome!
Our choir will begin rehearsals this week, on Tuesday, September 5th, at 7:30pm in the sanctuary choir loft.
Our handbell choirs will begin in a few weeks. If you would like to try handbell ringing, we would love to have you join! Previous musical experience is always helpful, but not necessary. We’ll teach you to read music!
For questions and more information about any of our groups or opportunities to participate in our program, please contact Maylis at mdelafer@yahoo.com
We are looking forward to h
Junior Youth Pizza Party! Friday, September 22nd from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
All youth in grade 6 – 8 are welcome to join us!
We will eat pizza, play games and talk about the activities for the year – friends are always welcome!
Senior Youth Fun! Sunday, September 24th – noon - 2:00 p.m.
All youth in grades 9 – 12 are invited to join us!
We will eat pizza, talk about ideas for this year and play 9 square or scouter hockey!
Info Sessions in September on the United Methodist Church’s Stance on LGBTQI+ and Impact on AUMC
The Church Council has recently been discussing how to ensure we are an inclusive, welcoming church to all here at Aldersgate. 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 included below.
Some people have been confused about or are unfamiliar with the United Methodist Church’s (UMC’s) stance on the LGBTQI+ community, how our New England Conference is addressing this stance, and what that means for Aldersgate. We invite the congregation to learn about the current situation and options the UMC and Conference may consider through information sessions in September, led by Pastors Bob and Maylis, as our clergy, and Bonnie Marden, our delegate to the UMC General Conference, where these topics are discussed. The sessions will consist of an overview of the denomination’s stance and the impact on local churches, followed by a Q&A. Each of these four sessions will be similar. There will be two in-person sessions on Thursday, 9/14 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, 9/17 at 9:30 am (between the services) in the Fellowship Hall, and two sessions via Zoom on Wednesday, 9/20 at 8:00 pm and Monday, 9/25 at 7:00 pm.
The Council plans to offer other opportunities after these sessions for further dialog and sharing of stories and perspectives as we seek to discern how we as a church family can be inclusive to all regardless of age, race, nationality, ethnic background, gender, sexuality, ability, and physical appearance.
Paul wrote in Corinthians 1 12:12, “all the members of the body, though many, are one body . . .” The Council recognizes that there are many different opinions in our church family based on our individual understanding of the scriptures and Jesus’ teachings. We hope to use this time to share our views and learn from each other in constructive and respectful ways, that we can together grow in our faith. Whether you join us for these sessions or not, thank you for holding all of us in prayer and faithful trust in God’s leading us into the future.
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.
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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