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April 2024
937-426-3988 / www.aleyumc.org
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A Message from Pastor Abby...
What’s love got to do, got to do with it? Everything. Or at least it should.
For some reason, we often tend to complicate things much more than necessary. We often (intentionally or unintentionally) put conditions on the love we offer others and the love we offer ourselves. What does it really mean to love? We could simply say that it means to live like Jesus lived, but there seems to be debate about what even that means. So let’s look at a more developed Scriptural outline of love.
While we often hear and use 1 Corinthians 13 at weddings, Paul was not writing about brotherly or romantic love. Paul was writing about agape love; a love characterized by devotion and selflessness; the love that God has for each and every one of us - and our enemies. In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul tells us what love is:
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Additionally, John 4:16 tells us that “God is love”. Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 again, but each time it refers to “love”, replace it with “God”…
God is patient and kind. God is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. God does not demand God’s own way. God is not irritable, and God keeps no record of being wronged. God does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. God never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
We have been created in God’s image. We are created to love, to bring heaven here on Earth, to love as God loves. So let’s try putting our name in…
[Your Name] is patient and kind. [Your Name] is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. [Your Name] does not demand [Your Name]’s own way. [Your Name] is not irritable, and [Your Name] keeps no record of being wronged.
[Your Name] does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. [Your Name] never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
How does that feel? Are there parts that feel more true than others when you put your name in there? Perhaps the parts that are little more difficult to read or might sting a little bit are the parts of your love that need a little more attention. By God’s grace we have the perfect example of love in Jesus, the perfect Giver of love in God, and the perfect helper in the Holy Spirit so that we may love more completely and perfectly.
I encourage you to take time at least once a week this month to read each version of that Scripture as a reminder of what love is and how you might better love others and yourself. Imagine if each one of us worked on making one of those sentences more true when our name is inserted. What if love had everything to do with everything? No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Let’s love better. Period.
Blessings,
Pastor Abby
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Great News! Our slate of Summer
Mini-Camps is almost ready to post on the
Aley UMC website (aleyumc.org)
Look for a Summer Mini-camps tab at
the top of the page
It all begins with VBS for kids June 3-7, and continues all summer with activities for kids, students and teens, adults and families.
There is truly something for everybody!
Music - check.
Puppets and balloon twisting - check.
Adulting 101 for teens - check.
Hiking - check.
The art of quilting - check.
Recycling and art - check.
Book Club for kids - check.
And so much more! The registrations will be available April 15. Be sure to take a look!
Please contact:
Pastor Abby (pastorabby@aleyumc.org) or Susan Grinkemeyer (kids@aleyumc.org)
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Sermon Series - "#BeUMC & All We Are"
April 7, 2024 - "The People of God who do no Harm" - Pastor Abby
April 14, 2024 - "The People of God who do Good" - Pastor Laurie
April 21, 2024 - "The People of God who attend to the Ordinance of God" - Pastor Abby
April 28, 2024 - "The People of God for who the World is Our Parish" - Pastor Laurie
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Dayton Dragons Family Outing
Join Aley UMC families for a fun outing at the Dayton Dragons
game on Saturday, May 4 @ 7pm
We’re playing the West Michigan Whitecaps.
Cost is $5 per ticket and includes a seat in section 115 (third base side, just past the Dragon’s dugout) and $5 in baseball bucks to be used at concessions or in the Dragon’s team store.
The Dragons are the High-A minor league team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds, games are always full of entertainment and fun! RSVP at: https://www.aleyumc.org/get-involved under the RSVP section near the bottom!
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It is time for Aley to provide food for St. Paul’s on the Second Saturday, April 13, 2024 for Breakfast at 7:30 am!
We need 10 potato casseroles (fully cooked), fruit: 4 bags of apples, 4 bags of oranges and 10-12 bunches of bananas, and 6 cases of bottled water. We are also asking for 5 egg sausage casseroles. Please have all items labeled “St Paul’s”.
You may also sign-up on Aley's Sign-Up Genius located on the church website at
http://aleyumc.org
go to GET INVOLVED then look
for St Paul's Breakfast
Please have all your food to Aley BEFORE Thursday, April 11, 1:45 pm; Friday, April 12 by 11:45 am; and put your casseroles in the refrigerator ALL MARKED for St Paul's, or Saturday morning,
April 13, at 7:30 am at Aley. Please have all items labeled “St Paul’s”. For cases of bottled water, you can either drop off by Susan and Kirk Lehneis' garage door (3058 Highlander Dr, Beavercreek) OR please put in Aley's Kitchen on the counter by the door to the Fellowship Hall and mark for St Paul's.
NOTE: Recipes are on the Aley UWF Bulletin Board DOWNSTAIRS by the Refrigerator; AND ALSO on Aley Website in Sign-Up Genius for St Paul's Breakfast under GET INVOLVED.
If you have any questions or issues, please call
Susan Lehneis at 937-901-4398 and leave a message.
Thank you for being the Hands and Feet of Christ!
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AUDIT IS COMPLETE - The Aley Finance Committee is happy to report that an audit has been conducted for Aley finances. Cynthia Shishoff, Aley member and a CPA, conducted the audit. The audit consisted of a comprehensive review of all income, expenditures, and assets. Cynthia followed the audit guidelines as presented in the United Methodist Local Church Audit Guide. This guide is used to determine that accounting processes are in place to assure that the Finance Committee is a good steward of the funds and assets of Aley. Cynthia’s report showed that the Finance Committee, the Aley Treasurer, and the Aley Bookkeeper are definitely good stewards of all funds and assets. On behalf of the entire Aley Church, we thank Cynthia for her time and effort that she put into the audit. | | | |
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Emergency Assistance #335 Fund
Aley members are encouraged to donate money to the #335 Emergency Fund to help our fellow Aleyans and to help others in our community. Last year we were able to help 39 people from Aley and the community with $8,444 from this fund.
The Caring Ministry Director assists Aley families with a financial need. Caring Ministries uses the #335 fund to pay AES bills, water bills, purchase grocery cards and gas cards for Aley members who have a financial need. Other financial needs are reviewed by the pastors before approval.
We also provide appropriate assistance to families outside our congregation one time per year. If additional assistance is needed, the pastors will decide whether or not to approve this request.
Caring Ministries 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.
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Family Ministries at Aley | |
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Wesley Christian Scholarship Application now available!
Graduating seniors or individuals pursuing higher religious education who are active in the mission and ministry of Aley Church are eligible to apply for the Wesley Christian scholarship which is offered through generous donations from Aley congregants. Applying for the scholarship is not guarantee of receiving funds, all applications will be reviewed by a committee; the number and amount of scholarships awarded varies each year. The application is available at www.aleyumc.org/ministries/youth and completed applications are due to Pastor Abby by April 15th.
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Summer Camp!
Save The Date:
July 15-20, 2024
Each summer youth are invited to attend Tar Hollow Church Camp. This Camp is open to all youth entering grades 7 through those who just graduated high school. College age students and adults are encouraged to volunteer as staff. Tar Hollow is a locally led camp that has been in place for over 60 years and is open to all denominations.. We spend a week together in fellowship, worship, learning, growing, sharing, and discovery. It is an excellent opportunity for youth to connect with God and each other. For more information click on the link below.
Camper Applications open April 1
Tar Hollow
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SUMMER MISSION PLANS COMING SOON!
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Kids’ Ministry is growing!
We have a new Aley Kid's space that is "Under Construction!" Please take a short trip down the hallway off of the Hospitality Room to see the newly inspired Kids Ministry areas. It is exciting to be able to expand and grow the kids Ministry program with dedicated rooms and programming space.
Every Sunday, kids are offered several different experiences to encourage their faith journey.
- Kids Church - during each of the worship services, kids are able to attend their own age- appropriate worship service. Kids engage in songs, games, and an interactive message that connects to the one the adults are hearing in the sanctuary.
- Sunday School- our dedicated team of kids Sunday School teachers offer a structured curriculum that focuses on stories from the Bible and their application to the kids' lives.
- Nursery - Babies and toddlers are welcome in the nursery every Sunday. We have adult and youth volunteers. If you are interested in being a part of the active and growing Kids Ministry at Aley UMC, please contact Susan Grinkemeyer (kids@aleyumc.org)
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Vacation Bible School!
It is time to start planning for Vacation Bible School. This summer VBS will be held Jun 3-7 (in the morning). The theme will be camping, when we travel to Camp Firelight and meet with Lumen the firefly and learn "Whenever I am afraid, I put my trust in you." (Psalm 56:3) We will need volunteers to help with crafts, games, snacks, storytelling, and leading the kids through our VBS camp experience. You can look forward to hikes, s'mores, and a great time learning how we can connect and put our trust in God when we are afraid.
Please contact Susan Grinkemeyer (kids@aleyumc.org) to become a part of this fun summer mission.
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Meal Packing
As a church we’ve had several initiatives focused on local food insecurity and the support for Feed the Creek has been tremendous. Globally, there are many countries with severe food insecurity as well and while we can’t all go there and serve meals, we can do something to help provide relief.
Sunday, May 19 from 3-5pm we will be gathering in the Hospitality Center to pack sustainable meals that will be sent to countries with large food insecurity concerns. A team from Lifeline Christian Mission will be coming with all the supplies for us to pack healthy and nutrition-rich
meals. This opportunity provides a tangible way to share Jesus' love. Individuals of all ages and abilities are invited to participate in this mission project! Please sign-up on the "get involved page."
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Safe Sanctuary Training
To help keep our children, vulnerable adults, and volunteers safe we have a Safe Sanctuary Policy. The intent is to prevent abuse, create a safe and welcoming environment, and protect volunteers and employees who minister to vulnerable populations. It's important for anyone who may serve with kids, youth, or vulnerable adults to have updated training and current background checks. Even if you don't currently serve in a ministry with kids, youth, or vulnerable adults please consider getting trained both to inform yourself and to be prepared for future opportunities.
There will be two training sessions offered, you only need to attend one:
Sunday, April 7 @ noon (lunch provided)
or
Wednesday, April 10 @ 6pm.
Please Sign up on the ‘Get Involved’ page so we can be prepared with enough materials
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Kids celebrate Holy Week
Beginning on Palm Sunday, kids had a Holy Week Celebration of their own.
Each Kid in our congregation got a set of "Easter Eggs" that came with a set of instructions. Every day of the week the kids followed the instructions, opened an egg and participated in an activity that helped to make Holy Week meaningful to them.
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Sensing God during Spring Break Mini-Camp
During the weeks of Spring Break, 40 kids from our community came to Aley for a 3-day mini-camps called
"Sensing God During
Spring Break."
We had a lot of fun seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting God's great creation. There was singing, painting, nature hikes,
science experiments and
lots of laughter!
ALEY KIDS MINISTRY CONNECTING TO OUR COMMUNITY!
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2024 Focus on Missions!
The recently formed Mission Team has been meeting to help with
mission organization, engagement and participation at Aley.
The first objective was to determine what is meant when we say “mission”.
Aley’s definition of “Mission”:
When we do missions, we reach outside of Aley UMC to embody and share Christ. Our missions meet a need and build relationships, in a way that is focused and purposeful in the name of Christ.
Current, active missions at Aley include; singing/playing/preaching at assisted living and nursing homes, Miami Valley Disaster Recovery Team (MIV DRT), Vacation Bible School (VBS),
Meal packing, hygiene kits, Kairos, Dream Center, and some mini-camps. There are many additional great ministries that Aley supports which meet a specific need and provide opportunity to love like Jesus, but don’t fit the definition of a “mission”.
A ministry or an outreach is not any better or worse than a mission, both are necessary and important! We’ve done our best in compiling our list of current, active missions but we may have mistakenly
forgotten something. If you lead an ongoing, active ministry that you believe fully fits our definition of a “Mission”, please reach out to one of the Mission Team members. Likewise, if you have ideas for a mission project, partnership, or event that you think might be a good opportunity for Aley, please see one of the Mission Team members.
Aley Mission Team:
Beth Collins, Tom Donaldson,
Gail Simpson, Nancy Williams, Pastor Abby Lightle
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Easter Offering
At the recommendation of the Mission Team and with the approval of Council, this years Easter Offering will be designated to the Meal Packing Event that will take place on May 19.
Aley hosted a meal packing event last year and the mission team felt it was a great success and good missional opportunity. We will again be working with Lifeline Christian Mission. This mission provides opportunities for all ages and many abilities to participate in providing shelf-stable meals for those in areas around the world experiencing food insecurity. The meals fulfill a real, tangible need and Lifeline has connections with many church pastors who use the meals to help build relationships and trust with their community while tangibly sharing Jesus.
Go to www.aleyumc.org/getinvolved for more information, or to sign up to serve.
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We would like to celebrate all of those whose birthdays are in APRIL this month. You are special to us & deeply loved by God... Have a great You day! | | | | | |
