Category Archive

Two Christ Servant Ministry courses will be offered May 17 and May 18, 2019 at Asbury Church.

Judy Ehninger will teach “Introduction to Christ Servant Ministry” for persons who want to learn about how Christ Servant Ministry can help members grow in a life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ. The Rev. Harold Burkett will teach “Speaking 1.” This advanced course is open to members who feel called to witness by effectively telling others how God’s Holy Spirit is working in and through their lives.

A $35 registration fee for either class helps pay for class materials and light refreshments. Registration is required. For more information, please contact George Hollich or Judy Ehninger.

Click here for the “Introduction to Christ Servant Ministry” registration form.

Click here for the “Speaking 1” registration form.

Asbury Leadership has invited Thrivent Financial to present a two-part (stewardship) workshop: “Your Legacy: Family, Church and Charity” and “Give Now, Give Later, Give and Receive.” Please join us on Sunday, May 19, 2019 beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Room 217. Learn strategies around leaving an inheritance, church foundations, endowment funds, and how to make giving an act that benefits you as well as the people and causes that you care about. No products or services will be sold. Refreshments will be served.

To reserve your spot, please call the Asbury Church office at 610-398-2577 or email finance@asburylv.org by May 17, 2019.

On Sunday, April 7, 2019, Asbury will partner with Compassion International to find sponsors for children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International will have an information table set up at Asbury where you will be able to view information on children from various nations who live in poverty.

If you decide to sponsor a child, the cost will be $38 per month and it’s paid to Compassion International. Your sponsorship will help provide a child with:

• an opportunity to attend or stay in school,
• medical care, which often saves lives,
• nourishing food,
• mentoring and a safe environment through a local church,
• and most importantly, opportunities to hear the gospel.

Once you become a sponsor, you may write to the child you sponsor as often as you like. When you write, your sponsored child will benefit from knowing that someone in addition to his or her family really cares. Your child will write to you at least twice a year — and up to six times per year depending on the frequency of your letters. A teacher or staff person will help children who have yet to learn how to read and write.

There are many great organizations that have child sponsorship programs, but what makes Compassion stand out among the other organizations is that they work exclusively through local churches. Compassion wants sponsored children to view the benefits they receive as an expression of God’s love for them. Their goal is to take a child from the brink of survival to abundant life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. To learn more visit, www.compassion.com.

The Rev. Donna Jones, one of Asbury’s long-time friends and mission partners, will visit Asbury on Sunday, March 31, 2019. Rev. Donna was formerly pastor of Cookman United Methodist Church in North Philadelphia and now directs Emerging Ministries which provides alternative learning programs for city youth. You are invited to come hear Rev. Donna speak about her ministry at 9:30 AM in room 217. And, if you would like to join us for lunch with Rev. Donna following the 11:00 AM service, please contact Dick McCreight.

Bishop Peggy Johnson will hold a special town hall meeting Saturday, March 16, 2019 at West Lawn UMC in Reading, to report on the UMC’s Special Called General Conference, held in St. Louis in February. It will also be streamed live. Click here for more details.

Bishop Peggy Johnson will also hold special town hall meetings on the four districts later in March. Please save these dates:

• East District: Mon. March 25, 6:30 pm, at Doylestown UMC
• North District: Tue. March 26, 5 pm, at Tamaqua First UMC
• South District: Wed. March 27, 6:30 pm, Location TBA
• West District: Thu. March 28, 6:30 pm, Location TBA

For more information, Please visit www.epaumc.org.

Please contact Judy Ehninger, EPA Delegate, with any questions.

Volunteer Recognition Day
Sunday, March 24, 2019

We are blessed with so many volunteers at Asbury…in fact, odds are that you’re one of them! We’re so grateful for the passion, expertise, and resources that are dedicated to building the Kingdom of God by our congregation. On Sunday, March 24, 2019 we want to celebrate and honor all of you who sacrifice your time and talents in service to Asbury Church.

Are you an usher, greeter, musician, Sunday School teacher?
Do you help in the church office or outside during one of our work days?
Are you part of our Vacation Bible school week or one of the many who help prepare for Christmas Eve?
There are so many different ways our members volunteer here at Asbury Church and we want to say thank you!

Join us for a special recognition during worship at 8am, 9:30am, 11am, or 5pm. And for all of our faithful volunteers, we invite you to a celebration brunch in your honor in the Wesley Center any time between 9am until 12:30pm. For those who plan to attend the brunch, please click here to RSVP.

If you would like to help with this brunch, we could use some help the Saturday before the event with food prep, room setup, cooking, and final preparations; or Sunday morning during the event to help cook, serve, and then clean up after the event. Click here to sign up to help with the brunch.

Early Response Team training event open to all, at Asbury UMC in Allentown, North District
Saturday, March 30, 2019

The Eastern PA Conference Disaster Response Ministry Team will sponsor, in partnership with Asbury Church, an Early Response Team training event. The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, 2019, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, at Asbury Church.

Early Response Team (ERT), whose mission is to provide skilled support to disaster survivors as soon as communities allow response teams into disaster-impacted areas. Robert Simcox, the conference’s Disaster Response Coordinator, will lead the ERT training.

The training costs $45 per person, which also provides the book Mission Journey (UMVIM participants will also get the updated VIM Team Leader Resource Toolkit), a light breakfast, and lunch.

For more information, please email: drc@epaumc.org , call: 610-427-0470, or click here:https://www.epaumc.org/events/

To register go to https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/index.php?eventid=405973&

Early Response Teams are “background-checked, badged, trained, and motivated to be a caring, listening Christian presence,” said Simcox. “You will learn how early responders prevent further damage by tarping roofs, stabilizing structure, and clearing out debris and water-soaked materials. ERTs know how to prepare a structure for UMVIM recovery teams to do their work and how to provide hope to desperate survivors that God’s people do care about their lives and their homes.”

The  goal of the training is for participants to have a better understanding of the roles of team member and the “team” as a whole, the concepts of “prevent further damage” and “do no harm”, an  overall understanding of the disaster process and where ERT fits. We will cover the importance of safety and importance of listening.

Presently we have a shortage of trained ERT’s in EPAUMC. Last year we had two trainings and 16 people were trained.  We are looking to grow the ERT Ministry to be able to respond as quickly as possible in our own neighborhoods if disaster strikes.