| | |
Asbury Sunday Worship:
9 & 11 am: Worship in the Sanctuary
10 am: Sunday School
11 am: Live-Streamed Worship
| Follow us on social media! | | | | Sympathy is expressed to Steve and Ginni Duggan upon the passing of Steve’s brother, Craig, who passed away on December 10, 2025. A Celebration of Life will be held in late January 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. | | Christmas Cantata: Sunday, December 14 | |
All are invited to attend our annual Christmas Cantata on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 9 and 11 am in the Sanctuary.
This year's cantata, “Carols of Comfort and Joy,” will be all traditional, well-known carols with the congregation invited to join in for some songs! Bring a friend and enjoy the music from our Asbury Chancel Choir and Worship Team.
| | |
Christmas Poinsettia Orders:
Due this Sunday, December 14
| |
Celebrate the birth of Christ and help decorate Asbury with beautiful poinsettias. Poinsettias are available for $15 and can be designated in honor, memory, or celebration of a loved one.
Order forms are available in the Welcome Center and are due by Sunday, Dec. 14. Completed forms may be placed in the basket on the table.
Please make checks payable to Asbury UMC with "Poinsettia" in the memo line, or pay online through Easy Tithe with "Poinsettia" in the notes.
Poinsettias may be taken home on Christmas Eve (following the 7 pm service), or you may opt to send them as a gift to a homebound member of our church. If you have any questions, please contact Phyllis Williams (PhyllisW@visitasbury.org).
| | Christmas Concert with Pastor Kim: Tuesday, December 16 | |
Pastor Daekyung Kim will be performing one more Christmas concert on piano this Tuesday, December 16 at 7 pm. All are welcome to come out to the Heritage Activities Center at Lakeview Village (9100 Park St, Lenexa, KS 66215) for a FREE evening of beautiful music! Featuring special guests Dawn and Hannah Schnake.
Contact Pastor Daekyung if you have any questions. See you there!
| | District Zoom Conference: Tuesday, December 16 | |
Our Northeast Kansas District Zoom Conference will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 6 pm. We will be voting on the 2026 NE KS Budget.
Contact Pastor Jeff for a Zoom link.
| | Carol Singing and Reading with Pastor Daekyung: Saturdays in December | |
When: Every Saturday from 11:00 am to noon, Dec. 6-20
Where: Chapel
Are you a big fan of Christmas caroling? Then join Pastor Daekyung on Saturday mornings in the Chapel during Advent this year. It’s going to be a wonderful time to check out stories related to some Christmas carols, look at those songs through various lenses, and, of course, sing them together!
Contact Pastor Daekyung with any questions.
| | The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: Sunday, December 21 | |
All are invited to Asbury's Family Ministries' presentation of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" by Barbara Robinson, which will be held at 9 and 11 am on Sunday, Dec. 21 in the Sanctuary. The performances are 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
| | Blue Christmas Service: Sunday, December 21 | | |
Loss can make the Christmas Season feel different - whether it be the loss of a loved one, friend, a job, even an expectation.
If this is you, please consider attending the Blue Christmas Service of Healing and Hope on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 5 pm in the Chapel.
| | Paper Bag Pageant: Wednesday, December 24 | We hope you will join the fun at our annual, family friendly, and interactive Christmas Eve Service. We will tell the Christmas story through readings, singing, and masks! All the nativity characters will be played by you as you are invited to the manger during this special Asbury Christmas Eve service created especially for families. | | Save the Date! Trivia Night & Soup Cook-off Fundraiser: Sunday, Feb. 1 | |
Save the date, invite your friends, and click here to register today to secure your spot at the Youth Trivia Night & Soup Cook-off Fundraiser on Sunday, February 1. Doors open at 5 pm; trivia begins at 6 pm. The cost is $40 per person, which includes a soup dinner. All proceeds go towards the youth service trips and Leadership Lab Pilgrimages.
If you have any questions, please contact our Director of Family Ministries, Heather Jackson, at heatherj@visitasbury.org.
| | Click here to learn more stories behind some of the Chrismon symbols on the tree! | | Christmas Offering for the Health Partnership Clinic | | |
Our custom at Asbury is for half of our Christmas offering to support the vital ministries of Asbury, and the other half given to a mission that serves beyond the local church ministries that are reflective of Christ’s True Light.
This year, you are invited to consider giving to the Health Partnership Clinic, which offers a range of medical, dental and behavioral health services to people who would otherwise not be able to access health care through five clinics – Olathe, Paola, Shawnee Mission, Ottawa, Overland Park – as well as sites throughout the community.
We will collect the Christmas offering during our Christmas Eve services, but you can donate anytime by marking “Christmas offering” on the memo of your check or online at Easy Tithe. Thank you, and we hope that you have a wonderful Christmas!
| | Another fun way to support the Health Partnership Clinic: Anyone is welcome to join the Peck family at Olathe Community Center’s Stagecoach Park Loop on January 31, 2026 at 8:00 am for a one mile walk called the "Snowflake Streak." This walk is being held to benefit the clinic, and the Peck family will be walking as "The Cold Sweaters." Click here if you would like to join the Pecks' walking team! | | Food of the Month for December | |
The Food Pantry's "Food of the Month" for December are items for Christmas celebrations!
A full list of items we are collecting is listed below. We are including items from different cultures, to help build the joy of the season for all of our food pantry visitors, who come from a multitude of backgrounds.
Cookie mixes - Sprinkles - Nuts - Chocolate Chips - Marshmallow Creme - Tortillas - Canned Tamales - Canned Refried Beans
Your food 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 Mike Preston, Director of the Food Pantry. Thank you!
| | Blankets Needed for Lazarus Ministries KC | |
Blankets needed. Lazarus Ministries of KC is so thankful to the members of Asbury United Methodist Church for your ongoing support in the form of volunteering in either Pearl's Cafe (where food is served) or the Boutique, where people in need have access to free clothing, toiletries and household items. They also thank you for your wonderful donations of supplies for the Boutique.
The Boutique is currently in particular need of donations of new or gently used blankets and would greatly appreciate whatever you can offer. We have a box in the Welcome Center where you can donate items. Thank you!!
| | Year-End Tax Giving Strategies | | |
The IRS Standard Deductions for tax year 2025 for each filing status are:
1) Single - $15,750
2) Married Filing Jointly - $31,500
3) Married Filing Separately - $15,750
4) Head of Household - $23,625
There is an extra standard deduction for each taxpayer 65 and older, or those who are blind, of $1600 ($2,000 if unmarried and not a surviving spouse). Additionally, those age 65 and older—and their spouses if filing jointly—can claim a $6,000 deduction per qualified individual, with adjusted gross income up to $75,000. If you’re age 65 and older but have an AGI exceeding $75,000 for individuals or $150,000 for married joint filers, that additional deduction is reduced by 6% for every dollar above those income limits. This additional deduction will expire in 2028.
If you are going to make a year-end gift to Asbury or another worthwhile charity, you may want to consider ways to give that are tax efficient. Here are some strategies based on current law.
Bunching charitable contributions. It may be wise to make 2 or more years' worth of charitable contributions this year and itemize the deduction, versus making smaller contributions over multiple years and taking the standard deduction each year. Consider creating a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) through your financial planner or the Kansas Methodist Foundation. https://kansasmethodistfoundation.org/
Gifts from your IRA. A qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is an individual retirement account (IRA) withdrawal that goes directly to charity and is excluded from the donor's taxable income. People 70½ and over can make qualified charitable distributions. QCDs can help people 73 and older comply with required minimum distribution rules. You can make QCDs up to $108,000 per person in 2025.
Donating appreciated assets. If you are itemizing deductions, and you donate appreciated assets (e.g. stocks, bonds, real estate) held for longer than one year to a qualified charity, you may be able to deduct the fair market value of the asset without paying capital gains on a sale, subject to a 30% adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation. The Kansas Methodist Foundation can assist with the transfer of marketable securities to your church or other non-profit. https://kansasmethodistfoundation.org/
Making cash contributions. If you are itemizing deductions, remember that up to 60% of your AGI can be deducted for cash contributions made to qualified charities in 2025.
The tax deadline to make donations for 2025 is Wednesday, December 31. If you're donating assets other than cash, it can get a bit more complex, and you'll want to initiate the process even sooner. The information provided is advisory only. Please consult your financial advisor and or tax consultant for more advice.
| |
- Electronic Fund Transfer
-
Online through Easy Tithe
| | - Text the word 'Give' to 913-774-6060
| | | Morning Meetup: Sundays at 10 am in the Asbury Cafe | This group is tailored to the needs of parents and will meet 10 am in the Asbury Cafe for discussions with one another and community building. The group is structured, so you can jump right in when you are able to attend. | | Save the Date: Family Ministries Book Club | |
Our next book club will meet on Tuesday, January 20 at 7 pm in the Prayer Room. We will be discussing The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall.
All are welcome to attend. If you have questions, please contact Heather Jackson at HeatherJ@visitasbury.org.
| | Does Your Child Want to Acolyte? | | |
If you have a child in 3rd grade or older who would like to acolyte and has not been trained, please contact our acolyte coordinator, Hilary Duderstadt, at hduderstadt@att.net or 913-544-8744.
If your child has been trained as an acolyte, and they'd like to acolyte for an upcoming worship service, please use our SignUpGenius link to reserve a slot: click here.
| | 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 for children aged infant through 5-years-old (if they haven’t started Kindergarten yet). Children who have started Kindergarten are encouraged to join Ms. Alicia Wolff after the Children's Time to sing Christmas carols.
| | Christmas Pageant Music Rehearsal: During the 11 am Service | |
Join Ms. Alicia Wolff following the Children's Time at the 11 am service to learn some Christmas carols that will also be sung in the Christmas Pageant. Kids will be dismissed from the 11 am service to rehearse with Ms. Wolff.
| | |
|
No YOUTH GROUP this Week!
Good Luck on Your Finals!!
| | | High School Youth Service Trip to Spirit Lake Ministries in North Dakota:
May 30 - June 6, 2026 | | |
Youth currently in 8th -12th grade are invited to spend the week of May 30 - June 6, 2026 working with Spirit Lake Ministries near Tokio, North Dakota. Spirit Lake Ministry Center (SLMC) is a year-round ministry site which works with, and in support of, the peoples of the Spirit Lake Nation. They provide ministry and fellowship opportunities throughout the year for adults, youth, children, and persons with disabilities.
We have 25 spots available. While we always welcome friends, first priority will be given to youth involved at Asbury. If you have a friend who is interested in attending our service trip, or if you have any questions, please contact our Director of Family Ministries, Heather Jackson, at heatherj@visitasbury.org.
Register today and pay the $75 registration fee: CLICK HERE
Learn more about Spirit Lake Ministries: CLICK HERE
| | | | |
