The replay of today’s Church Council update meeting is available to watch below.
Slides from the meeting:
The replay of today’s Church Council update meeting is available to watch below.
Slides from the meeting:
Church Leadership
The replay of today’s Church Council update meeting is available to watch below.
Slides from the meeting:
Asbury’s Church Council has announced that Asbury’s fall worship schedule will begin on Sunday, September 12, with 2 services:
9:30 AM (contemporary style) in the Sanctuary
and
11:00 AM (traditional style) in the Sanctuary.
Services will be live streamed at live.asburylv.org.
Worship times will continue at 9 AM and 10:30 AM until that point.
Due to Lehigh County moving into the “substantial” transmission category, following the guidance of the CDC and the Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church, Asbury’s leadership announces the following updates to coronavirus-related policies at Asbury effective immediately:
• masks are REQUIRED for ALL indoor gatherings/activities, regardless of vaccination status
• singing in worship is still allowed, but with masks remaining on
Asbury’s leadership will continue to monitor the situation and update policies as needed. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we work to keep Asbury a safe place to gather and grow as we seek Jesus together.
Church Council will be hosting a meeting via Zoom on Sunday, August 8, at 12 PM to share updates on Asbury.
Registration is now closed.
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August 8, 2021 update:
LOOKING FOR THE MEETING RECAP? Find it here: https://asburylv.org/2021/08/08/church-council-update-replay-august-8-2021/
Asbury’s leadership announces the following updates/changes to coronavirus policies in worship at Asbury as well as updates to our worship offerings:
9 AM indoor worship is moving outdoors beginning Sunday, May 30. For this service:
10:30 AM worship is opening to have in-person attendance in addition to being streamed beginning Sunday, June 6. For this service:
Asbury’s leadership is currently reviewing policies and protocol in place for COVID-19 after the recent announcement from the CDC regarding easing mask usage among those who have been vaccinated. The following was shared by Pastor Eric during streaming worship this morning:
“Now, as I think all of you know, this past Thursday the CDC updated their recommendations on wearing masks… so the Trustees and the leadership here at Asbury are looking at these new recommendations and we’re going to be looking at our policies and procedures for worship and other things here at Asbury. [We appreciate your grace as you] give us some time to [discern] what it means for us, [particularly as we] balance [sensitive issues such as] kids hav[ing] not been vaccinated for the most part and… people [having varying levels of comfort when it comes to wearing a] mask. So we’re trying to balance all that, [we just ask that you] be patient and we will have an update on our new policy very shortly and will communicate that with the congregation.”
Update (May 16, 2021)
Thanks to all who helped make yesterday’s Work Day a success! Together, over 30 people completed a number of important projects.
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Original announcement (April 24, 2021)
Please help us spruce up the building and grounds at Asbury’s Work Day, scheduled for May 15 from 8 AM to 1 PM.
Work areas will be selected to allow groups or individuals to work together safely with all skill levels.
COVID safety protocols will be in place to ensure everyone’s safety (visit asburylv.org/coronavirus to learn more.)
Registration is required – sign up below. [note: registration is now closed]
The Trustees appreciate your service to maintain our building.
Questions? Contact Asbury’s Trustees.
Asbury’s leadership held a webinar on Sunday, March 7, to share information on the upcoming merger with Salem UMC (Allentown). The replay of this webinar can be viewed below; and a link to the slide presentation as a PDF follows.
Asbury’s leadership announces a merger with Salem UMC of Allentown, officially approved by Asbury’s Church Council on May 5, 2021. The merger is set to go into effect June 1, 2021.
“Salem UMC has done amazing things to be the hands and feet of Christ in Center City Allentown,” says Pastor Eric, and notes that some of their financial resources will be set aside for use for ministry in Center City Allentown.
Salem UMC previously met on Linden Street in Allentown. Their first service was held in 1817 but the Salem Church was officially established in 1838.
The replay of today’s Church Council update meeting is available to watch below.
Slides from the meeting:
Asbury’s Church Council has announced that in-person worship will resume on a weekly basis beginning on Sunday, February 21, 2021, with one service being held at 9 AM in the Sanctuary. Registration is required and space is limited to allow for proper social distancing. Learn more at asburylv.org/inpersonworship.
Volunteers are needed! Contact Laurie Wallace Theisen, Director of Lay Ministries, if you’re willing to help!
Streaming-only worship will continue to be offered at 10:30 AM.
Church Council will be hosting a meeting via Zoom on Sunday, February 7, following the 10:30 AM streaming worship service to share updates on Asbury.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Please visit
asburylv.org/ChurchCouncilUpdate
to register now. Following registration, you’ll receive an email with information on how to join the webinar.
Church Council is announcing an extension to the suspension of in-person worship services based upon the elevated level of cases of COVID-19 in Lehigh County. The decision included consultation with leadership at Lehigh Valley Health Network. Church Council will continue to evaluate this decision on a two-week basis.
A letter from Asbury’s Board of Trustees regarding the 2018-2020 Capital Campaign
To the Asbury Community,
The Asbury Board of Trustees would like to formally announce that the Capital Campaign projects have all been successfully completed. The last piece, the roof above the original part of the church, was completed just a few weeks ago. On behalf of all church leadership, Trustees would like to again thank everyone who faithfully contributed to this campaign. Not only did we, as a church, raise the necessary funds to take care of the roof, the Memorial Garden retaining wall, the Sanctuary wall, and several HVAC issues, but we are happy to say that these projects have also come in just under budget.
As we celebrate the completion of these projects, we’re also looking forward to celebrating the 100th birthday of Asbury Church this October! While the Church gathered in various places in Allentown for the first 55 years, we’ve called our current facility home for 45 years. With any facility the age and size of our Springhouse Road building, Asbury continues to have ongoing facility needs. To address these needs, a Capital Improvements Fund was established last year. This fund gives the Trustees some reserve funding to be able to tackle any emergency repairs without having to dig further into the annual church budget or into the church’s banking accounts. Accordingly, we respectfully ask that you consider contributing to this fund as you are able. This will help ensure the maintenance and upkeep of the church building for many more years to come.
Again, our sincere thanks for all that you do in support of Asbury and its ministries. We certainly cannot do what we do without you.
Asbury’s Board of Trustees
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!…
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
– Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)
The words of the ancient prophet echo to us in these challenging days, as the whole world waited in darkness for the birth of our Savior. Today, more than ever, we cling to the promise that God has, is, and will do a “new thing” as Jesus comes onto the scene. Though we may be feeling broken and weary of the pandemic, we continue to trust that God is at work bringing peace, light, and hope!
As we hang on to that amazing hope, we communicate the following difficult decisions, which were made after much deliberation at the December 2 Church Council meeting:
• All in-person worship services are suspended effective December 6 and continuing through January 31. This suspension includes in-person Christmas Eve worship.
• Asbury’s preschool will begin an early Christmas break on December 18.
• The building will still be available for streaming worship preparation and recording. The online-only service will continue to be streamed at 10:30 AM.
• The scheduled final Bazaar pickup on December 12 remains on as planned.
• Our commitment to provide a meeting spot for Alcoholics Anonymous remains, and they will continue to meet on-site with additional precautions.
These decisions were not made lightly and included consultation with a leader in a local healthcare system. Additionally, our Bishop, Rev. Peggy Johnson, has encouraged all churches in the Conference to hold online services rather than in-person services.
Please be encouraged that these are temporary measures, taken for everyone’s safety and physical well-being. During this suspension period, Church Council has committed to regularly review the COVID-19 infection trends and will reevaluate when to safely resume in-person worship.
We still have some great events coming up as we prepare to celebrate the coming of our Savior and King! Watch for more information to be announced about:
• A no-contact outdoor “Drive-thru Nativity” being planned for Saturday, December 19.
• A streaming Christmas Eve service, which will be announced this Sunday in worship and in communications to follow.
The Asbury leadership asks for your continued prayers for wisdom and for suggestions for how we can continue to stay connected and support one another through this difficult time. We are all looking forward with great hope to the time when we can gather in person again.
Dear Asbury Friends,
If you are gathering with family and friends OR traveling to visit family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday, church leadership is requesting that you please refrain from attending in-person worship services for two weeks (14 days). In light of the increased COVID-19 infection rates locally and around the country, the church leadership recently met to consider how to move forward. At this time, we would like to continue to offer in-person worship services, but we are depending on our members to cooperate strictly with instructions and protocols to prevent infection. To that end, in keeping with recent PA state recommendations, we are asking that anyone traveling or visiting with family or friends outside of their immediate household, would refrain from attending in-person worship for two weeks. Also, please listen carefully and comply with the ushers’ instructions while at the service. Your safety and well-being is our top priority, and together we hope to be able to continue with our in-person worship experience. If you have any concerns for your health and safety, please consider worshiping with us online from home. Leadership will continue to monitor the risks the in-person gatherings pose in our effort to keep all our members safe and well.
Asbury’s Leadership
As part of his journey to becoming an Eagle Scout, Asbury member Matt Barraco has completed a bridge between the parking lot and playground.
View the letter of thanks from Asbury’s Trustees to Matt.
Asbury’s Church Council held a webinar on Sunday, August 30, to share updates on Asbury, including information on an in-person worship service beginning on Sunday, September 13 (registration details TBA), preschool reopening, and direction for small groups going into the fall. The replay of this webinar can be viewed below; and a link to the slide presentation as a PDF follows.
A project is underway to replace the bridge connecting the parking lot to the playground. Matt Barraco, an Asbury member, will be completing the project as he works towards the rank of Eagle Scout. If you would like to learn more about the project, including how you can provide financial support, view Matt’s video at asburylv.org/footbridge. For specific project details, the project plan is available at asburylv.org/footbridgeplan.
Church Council will be hosting a meeting via Zoom on Sunday, August 30 following the 10 AM streaming worship service to share updates on Asbury.
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
Please visit
asburylv.org/ChurchCouncilUpdate
to register now. Following registration, you’ll receive an email with information on how to join the webinar.
