Weekly Update // Pastor Will

Hi friends,

If you joined us for our Sunday service, you know that we started the morning with several announcements. I tried to get through them quickly, but we still had to cut a few short, especially since we got to celebrate a baptism in our 9:30 am Celebration Service! This reminds me that Asbury United Methodist is a very active church. Normally, we aim for three announcements per Sunday, but we had seven and had to cut some. We are grateful for the ministries and events that take place here and for the leaders who make them happen. I'd like to highlight a few that I didn't get to mention during the service.

The first is Hotdogs by the Lake. This initiative aims to welcome not only our congregation but also members of the local community. Previously held on Thursdays, the new day will be the third Wednesday of each month at the same time. So, mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 16th, from 12:00 pm to 1:15 pm at the Lakeside Chapel. This day is more convenient for our office staff, who work hard to organize this event. I've even heard rumors that Kelly's Ice Cream will be there for the first one. 

Another announcement we didn't get to make is a new Youth Ministry offering on Sunday mornings called Second Sunday. This will take place on the second Sunday of each month in the Youth Room at 11:00 am (although the first one will be at 10:45 am due to the combined service). We plan to have breakfast together (pancakes, waffles, etc.) and spend time together, including a small lesson and maybe some games. It's a chance for us to come together, especially when many of us are already on campus, or to give youth parents a chance to attend the 11 am service. Either way, food, friends, and faith will be involved, so it will be a good time! If you have any questions, email me at PastorWill@AsburyMaitland.org.

As I write this email on Monday afternoon, the plan is to close campus on Tuesday at 2 pm and reopen on Thursday. One of the big events is the rummage sale, which will still happen this weekend. The only adjustment is moving the Asbury Family Sale to Thursday evening instead of Wednesday evening. That means the sale will be open to Asbury folks from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Thursday, and open to the public the following morning at 8:00 am!

Other events this month include the Fall Festival on October 18th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm on the west side of our campus. If you can provide a trunk or candy, please contact the front office or Laura at Childrensministry@AsburyMaitland.Org. Then, we have Church Conference on Saturday, October 19th, at 10:00 am in the Sanctuary. This is both a review of the past year and a look ahead to 2025. Dr. Rev. Sharon Austin will preside over this, and all Asbury members are encouraged to join and cast their votes on various aspects of the church, including directors, compensation, and more. Finally, we have the Asbury Worship Choir benefit concert "How Can I Keep From Singing?" on Sunday, October 20th, at 3 pm in the Sanctuary. This is to help them raise funds for their various efforts, especially Disney's Candlelight. Please show up and bring a couple of bucks to support them!

Finally, this Sunday, we will continue our Revival sermon series as we look at the beginnings of Methodism, started by John and Charles Wesley. We will have only one service at 10:45 am in the Sanctuary to help our rummage sale team after a busy week. This service will be live-streamed on both YouTube and Facebook if you can't make it in person.

We pray you all stay safe in the upcoming days with the approaching storm and look forward to being with you all again this weekend at both the Rummage Sale and service on Sunday. Take care and God bless!

Thanks,

Pastor Will