December 1, 2024

Asbury Sunday Worship:

9:00 & 11:00 am: Worship in the Sanctuary

10:00 am: Sunday School

11:00 am: Live-Streamed Worship

Thanksgiving Offering

This year, the Asbury Mission Team has decided to use our Thanksgiving offering to support Roots Church, a new church plant in the Roeland Park area which centers around the voices of LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and young people. Click here to learn more about them and their mission: https://www.rootschurchkc.org/.

You can help us support Roots Church this Thanksgiving by dropping off your monetary gift anytime at the church. Online giving is available as well through Easy Tithe. We appreciate the ongoing generosity from all of our Asbury members and friends!

Help Decorate the Sanctuary for Christmas on Saturday, November 30

On Saturday, November 30 at 10 am, come and help decorate the Sanctuary and church for Advent and Christmas. We invite all ages to come and be part of this - kids can help, too! 

After we finish decorating, we will turn on the lights and play some Christmas songs. What a wonderful way to get Advent and Christmas off to a great start! Of course there will be apple cider and cookies for us to eat, so come and join the fun!

Kansas City Musical Club Concert: Monday, December 2 at 12 pm

The Kansas City Musical Club's December concert will feature the music of Chopin performed by one of our favorite artists, 17 year old pianist, Matthew Liu. 

This FREE concert will be held at noon on Monday, December 2 in the Asbury sanctuary. Please join us! All are welcome to attend.

For more information about this and other upcoming concerts, please visit www.KCMusicalClub.org.

UWF Breakfast Gathering: Tuesday, December 3 at 9:30 am

United Women in Faith would like to invite all ladies to their breakfast gathering on Tue. Dec. 3 from 9:30-11:30 in the Parlor. Special guest will be Halley Vincent, a 15-year-old Shawnee Mission North student who is the co-owner of Seven Stories in Shawnee. Halley (who also happens to be the youngest bookseller in America!) will speak to us about her work and her store, which holds a carefully curated combination of books and art that changes weekly, with diverse options for adults, teens, and kids.

For this event, we will also be collecting children and youth books for prison ministry. Books should be no larger than 7 in. x 8 in. (about the size of a Little Golden Book).

Please RSVP by Friday, Nov. 29 by calling the church at 913-432-5573 or emailing Phyllis Williams at phyllisw@visitasbury.org. See you there!

Fourth Quarter Asbury Ministry Grants

The Asbury Endowment Committee will be accepting Asbury Ministry Grant applications through December 1. Asbury endowed funds are underwriting grants of up to $1000. Individuals, committees, and small groups are encouraged to use these grants to create, enhance, or sustain mission and ministries within the Asbury faith community.

Application deadline for the fourth quarter is December 1. Application and instructions can be found by clicking here. If you have questions, please contact Dan Clevenger at 913-432-5573 or at DanC@visitasbury.org. 

Hager Lighting Project: Now through December 3

Let there be light …….!! Did you know Hager Hall is the largest room in the church that has yet to be converted to LED lighting? This room might be the busiest in our church, with an estimated weekly average of 50 hours. Converting to LED lighting could save up to $1000 in annual electric costs!

Funding is coming from a variety of sources, including an Evergy incentive and a generous gift from the Hager family. We need help from our Asbury family to help fund the remainder. We will be promoting the Hager Lighting Project through the month of November concluding with Giving Tuesday, December 3. Cash and checks are always accepted. Don’t forget the online option (click here for link)! Please note your gift is for the "Hager Lighting Project."

Thank you so much for helping us brighten up Hager Hall!

Three Week Advent Soup and Study Gathering with Pastor Jeff: Wednesdays at 11:30 am in the Parlor (Dec. 4, 11, and 18)

Join Pastor Jeff on Wednesday Dec. 4, 11, and 18 for Soup and Study in the Parlor starting at 11:30 am! We’ll be reading through God Is In the Manger, a Christmas devotional focusing on the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. 

As a Lutheran Pastor in Germany during the time of Hitler, Bonhoeffer was part of the Confessing Church, a movement devoted to resisting Nazi ideology and power during World War II. How do his words speak to our current setting? How does the story of Christ’s birth resonate today? Join us for a time of soup and conversation. Books are available at the desk for $7. Call the church or e-mail phyllisw@visitasbury.org to sign up!

Advent Study: The Redemption of Scrooge (Begins Saturday, December 7)

Pastor Kim will be leading a three-week Advent study on the book "The Redemption of Scrooge" by Matt Rawle.

We'll meet on Saturdays from Dec. 7 through Dec. 21 at 10:30 am for 90 minutes in the Parlor. The schedule on Dec. 21 will be a bit different. We'll have a session from 10:30 to 11:00 am, and then watch the animated movie "A Christmas Carol" (2009 / PG) from 11:00 am to 12:40 pm. Popcorn and soda will be served. All are welcome!

To register, please contact the church or email Phyllis Williams (phyllisw@visitasbury.org) by Tuesday, Dec. 3. You can register for only the Dec. 21 session and the movie if you are not available for the first two sessions. Suggested donation for a copy of the book is $12.

Christmas Cantata: Sunday, December 8

The Asbury Chancel Choir and Worship Team would like to invite everyone to attend its annual Christmas Cantata program during worship on December 8 at both services.

The cantata will be a mixture of familiar carols and a few more challenging anthems.  Want to sing with the choir? Join us for our last rehearsal on Wednesday, December 4 from 6:30-9:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Contact Music Director Lindsey Lang (lindseyl@visitasbury.org) with any questions!

Family Ministries Christmas Pageant: Sunday, December 15

All are invited to Asbury's Family Ministries' presentation of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson, which will take place on Sunday, December 15 at 10 am in Hager Hall.

The youth and kids are working hard with Joe and Skylar Bellinger to bring this fun and heartwarming story to life. The performance is free to all and we hope you are able to come and enjoy this unique telling of the Christmas story.

"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.(www.concordtheatricals.com)

Lakeview Village Christmas Concert: Tuesday, December 17

You are invited to join Rev. Daekyung Kim (piano) and Jason Taylor (drums) on Dec. 17 at 7 pm in the Heritage Activities Center at Lakeview Village, for a free concert of Christmas songs! All are welcome to attend.

Trip to Spain Update

Several Asbury members and Pastor Daekyung set off on the “Trip to Spain,” which was the last trip of the Asbury Travel More Project, on November 8 by eating tapas and paella at La Bodega in Kansas City.

In the following week, Margie Pryor and Kim Peck gave a wonderful presentation about their trips to Spain. Margie showed lots of her trip photos, and participants were especially fascinated by the fact that the Seville Light Fountain in the Country Club Plaza district is an exact replica of a fountain-lamppost in Seville, Spain. Kim shared about her experiences as a pilgrim on the Camino de Santiago. It was a great opportunity to not only learn about the trails but also hear about her spiritual journey.

In the third week, they wrapped up the trip by watching the movie titled “John of the Cross,” which is about the life and theology of a 16th-century Spanish mystic, poet, and Carmelite friar. Check out some of the photos from the Trip to Spain below!

The Seville Light Fountain in Seville, Spain.

Asbury Travel More Project - 2025 Plan

The Asbury Travel More Project 2024 is now completed. Click here if you’d like to take a glance at the past two year’s trips. Here are the trips the Asbury Travel More Project Coordinating Team has planned for next year:

Trips: We will take a Trip to Greece, Trip to the Native American Heritage and Culture, and Trip to Alaska. As we have done before, our itinerary will include eating at a restaurant, visiting a site like a place of worship, listening to a presentation, and watching a movie. And the Trip to Alaska will be the first church-wide mission trip opportunity in a long time! We are really going to Anchorage, AK, next summer. The maximum number of participants could be limited to 15 for the mission trip. Stay tuned for further information!

Joint Book Clubs: We will host multi-week joint book clubs throughout next year. The three books about immigration and interfaith we will be reading together with folks from other churches or religious groups include: Fear of the Other by William H. Willimon, When God Became White by Grace Ji-sun Kim, and The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, et al. Pastor Kim is currently inviting people from a synagogue, mosque, Korean UMC, and an African congregation in the KC area. Each book club will have 5-7 sessions. We hope about 5-7 people from each group can attend this book club, and the maximum number of participants might be no more than 25. We might meet at each worship place in rotation.

Visiting Worship Places: We will visit the six worship places which we have visited for the past two years, again every other month next year. These include The Temple, Congregation B'nai Jehudah, Islamic Society of Kansas City, Hindu Temple & Cultural Center of Kansas City, Kansas Zen Center in Lawrence or Temple Buddhist Center in Kansas City, MO, Ushindi United Methodist Fellowship, and Bonfire UMC, which is a newly planted Korean UMC in Olathe.

Please plan to participate in this project - and invite your friends to participate as well! - because this is how we can appreciate the presence and gifts of our neighbors with various cultures and faiths. A registration link will be shared as soon as the schedule is fixed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Daekyung at daekyungk@visitasbury.org.

College Care Packages Due This Sunday, December 1

Just a reminder for those of you who took envelopes from the Welcome Center for our college care package project, to please return your item(s) or monetary donation to the church by Sunday, December 1.

Questions? Contact our Director of Family Ministries at HeatherJ@visitasbury.org.

Have You Turned in Your 2025 Pledge Card?

Slowly but surely, the pledges for Asbury’s 2025 budget are being turned in.  If you still need to turn in yours but lost your form, forms can be found in the Welcome Center info rack. You can also submit your pledge online by clicking here. 

If you have any questions, please contact Dan Clevenger, Director of Generosity and Stewardship, at DanC@visitasbury.org.

Year-End Tax Giving Strategies

A catch-up contribution is a type of retirement savings contribution that allows people age 50 or older to make additional contributions to their retirement accounts including 401(k), IRA and other qualified plans. When a catch-up contribution is made, it is in addition to the standard contribution limit the IRS has defined for retirement accounts. This could help make up for years of inadequate savings or maximize your tax-advantaged retirement funds.

Thanks to the SECURE 2.0 act passed in 2022, beginning in 2025, individuals ages 60 to 63 will be eligible for increased catch-up contributions in their retirement plans. This applies to 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457(b) plans that currently offer catch-up contributions. It’s also important to note that this change is optional for employers. So, each plan sponsor will decide whether to implement this feature in their retirement plans.

Tax laws are numerous and often complicated. You are strongly encouraged to seek the advice of a professional tax or wealth management advisor.  

Food Pantry "Food of the Month" for December

The Food Pantry's "Food of the Month" for December are items for Christmas celebrations!

Anything that is traditionally part of a Christmas meal or special treats counts, including:

• cookie mixes
• sprinkles
• nuts

• chocolate chips
• marshmallow creme

• tortillas
• canned tamales
• canned refried beans

Donations may be dropped off on the Food Pantry table in the Welcome Center or on the cart by the main entrance. If you have questions, please contact Roseann Sanders, Director of the Food Pantry, at roseann.sanders@gmail.com. Thank you!

Donate Your "Good as New" Holiday Items to the Food Pantry

As a special holiday collection, the Food Pantry will be collecting "good as new" holiday decorations, ornaments and toys. Please put new batteries in any toys, if needed. You can place donations on the Food Pantry table in the Welcome Center. Questions? Contact Roseann Sanders, Director of the Food Pantry, at roseann.sanders@gmail.com. Thank you!

HUGS Collection: Now through December 8

There is a snowman in the narthex, and he's very COLD and he wants HUGS.

Will you help him stay warm by bringing him some Hats, Underwear, Gloves, and Socks? Mostly adult sizes are needed. You can hang them on him (like ornaments)! Please note that we are looking for heavy duty men's and women's gloves, not the thin knit ones.

Our snowman will hang out with us through Sunday, December 8. Whatever he gets he will share with our friends at Lazarus Ministries and Cross-Lines, to help others who are in need. If you would rather make a monetary donation, please make a check out to Asbury United Women in Faith and put HUGS on the memo line. Thank you, everyone, for your help in this important ministry!

Santa Fe Trail Holiday Adoption: Now through December 20

Asbury will be adopting 6 Santa Fe Trail Elementary School families that have been identified by staff as needing help with Christmas gifts. Each family was given a wish list to complete, and each item requested will be hung on an ornament in the Welcome Center, including the child's size and the family's phone number, so items can be bundled for pickup on December 20.

On the list for each student is a shirt, a pair of pants, and 3 wish list items (books, toys, etc). Please take as many tags as you would like! Donations can be brought to Asbury anytime between now and December 20 for inclusion.

Questions? Contact Reid Samuel, Mission Team Chair, at reidsamuelgt@gmail.com. Thank you!

Sunday Nursery Hours: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm

9 am: The nursery is open for children who need it, up to 3rd grade.

11 am: The Nursery is open on Sundays for children aged infant through 5-years-old (if they haven’t started Kindergarten yet). Children who have started Kindergarten are encouraged to join the Kids Sing rehearsal.

Christmas Pageant Rehearsal: Sunday at 10 am in Hager Hall

We'll be rehearsing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at 10 am in Hager Hall.

Kids Sing Rehearsal: Sunday During the 11 am Service

Join us for Kids Sing! Alicia Wolff, an elementary education teacher, leads this group. You may email her at alicat7475@gmail.com for more information.

Christmas Pageant Rehearsal: Sunday at 10 am in Hager Hall

We'll be rehearsing The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at 10 am in Hager Hall.

Youth Group: Sunday at 6 pm in the Youth Lounge

Youth in grades 6-12 are welcome to join us for dinner and discussion.

Save the Date

Youth Christmas Party and White Elephant Gift Exchange: Sunday, December 8

All youth 6th - 12th grade are invited to join the fun with a Taco Bar, games, and a White Elephant gift exchange. Please keep white elephant gift under $10. Please RSVP to our Director of Family Ministries (heatherj@visitasbury.org) by Thursday, December 5.

Leadership Lab

We are forming our next Leadership Lab cohort. In Leadership Lab, high school students engage in a web of relationships, resourcing, and experiences that culminate in eligibility for a triennial pilgrimage with other students, their mentors, and key conference leaders. Eligibility is determined by completing the Leadership Lab curriculum.

This discipleship and leadership program empowers young people to use their gifts both in the church and the world. Youth must be members of Asbury to participate. To register or to discuss the program, contact our Director of Family Ministries.

High School Service Trip to Washington, D.C.: June 1-7, 2025

Registration for the High School service trip to Washington, D.C. from June 1-7, 2025 is open! We have 14 spots remaining. You can register your current 8th - 12th grade student by clicking here.

Contact our Director of Family Ministries with any questions or concerns you may have.