Asbury (New Castle) UMC

The Sunday School is organizing a blanket drive and collecting fleece fabric (larger than 1 and ½ yards please, patterned or solid) to make tie-quilts for the patients at A.I. DuPont Hospital. Cash donations will also be accepted to help us buy fleece.

Please give your fabric or cash donations to Kim Berkey or leave them on the back table marked “Sunday School”.

Donations will be accepted now but, the early, the better, so we can get started ‘prepping’ the blankets for tying!

In the fall, the Sunday School children will tie the blankets and attach a tag which will read “This blanket was lovingly made for you by the Sunday School class of Asbury United Methodist Church”.

Thanks in advance for helping us participate in such a practical demonstration of God’s love and care for these little ones.

Pen-Del Conference is having an all day workshop on May 19 from 8:30 am till 3 pm at Asbury UMC in Salisbury, MD. This is a mission opportunity to help connect our church with the wider community. There will be information about how mission trips are done, step by step ramp building training, assembling food for the hungry and sewing opportunities so bring your machine. More information and registration form can be found at www.pen-del.org/events/detail/3259. Contact Georgie Miller for carpooling info.

Our new UMW “Unit” meeting will be held on April 15 after the 10:00 am service.  All ladies are invited to join us.  We are meeting in fellowship hall.  We will have a business meeting first. Our program is called “ International Ministries”. We will be collecting the Health Kits for UMCOR.  The list for these are on the back table if you have not picked one up yet.  Refreshments and fellowship will follow. 

REVISED Statement of Core Values

Developed by Visioning Task Force on March 4, 2012 – Updated March 20, 2012

At our March 4 meeting, the Visioning Task Force came up with the following statement of Five Core Values (the values that drive every decision we make). We discovered these values by telling stories and listening to stories of people who call Asbury their spiritual home.

The Core Values that emerged in the stories we told and heard form the acronym GREAT: Gather, Realize, Energize, Awaken, Transform. We serve a GREAT and awesome God who has created, called, and gifted us for GREATness – abundant and eternal life God wills for everyone through Jesus the Messiah.

1. GATHER with all people as the one, true family of God. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)
2. REALIZE the transforming presence of Jesus the Messiah whenever we gather in his name.  Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (Matthew 18:20)
3. ENERGIZE our lives as we follow Jesus and grow as his disciples. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit … showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:5a and 8b)
4. AWAKEN to the heart of God in all of our relationships. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us – perfect love! (1 John 4:12 MSG)
5. TRANSFORM our neighbors, neighborhoods, and our world through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (John 20:21-22)

Please prayerfully consider these values and let us know what you think. Which of these values resonates with you most powerfully? Is something missing? Do you have a story to tell? Can we restate any of these values in a way that tells the story of what God is doing among us more faithfully?

The UMW will be meeting in the Friendship Lounge starting Saturday March 10 at 10 am. All of the current circles-Bykoda, Star, Faith-are coming together as one unit. We will be brainstorming and planning for missions in our church and in the community. All women of Asbury are invited to come join us for fellowship especially if you are interested in joining UMW. Contact Regina Meeker if you have any questions.

Asbury’s United Methodist Women, in recognition of Jane’s 40+ years of service,  presented Bud Lawrence with the “Mission Pin” and the “Special Mission Recognition Certificate” from the United Methodist’s General Board of Global Ministries. She was a circle leader for the Sunshine Circle which supported Asbury by hosting the bake table at the annual Christmas Bazaar. In addition to UMW service, Jane, along with Bud, delivered meals for over 20 years in the Meals on Wheels program at Asbury. We were very blessed to have Jane as our member and she will be dearly missed by all. ~ Regina Meeker, UMW President