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Asbury Sunday Worship:
9:00 & 11:00 am:
Worship in the Sanctuary
10:00 am: Sunday School
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SAT MAR 18
Men's Breakfast. 8 am in the Library. Bring your own breakfast!
MON MAR 20
Bible Study with Pastor Jeff. 10 am in Room 208.
TUE MAR 21
Lenten Faith & Film Study. 11 am in the Library.
THU MAR 23
Lenten Musical Meditation. 12 pm in the Sanctuary.
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In the Gospel of John, Jesus is referred to by many titles, including The Word, Rabbi, Bread of Life, Lord, and Messiah, to name a few. He is also identified as the Lamb of God by John the Baptist. This designation is one I’ve always found particularly intriguing. After all, lambs are often viewed as innocent and docile, always in need of a guidance by someone stronger or more assertive. They are precious. In Israel’s history, a lamb ‘without blemish’ was sacrificed in remembrance of the Passover as told in Exodus. In John, when Jesus called the Lamb of God, there would’ve been an immediate connection by the earliest believers to a sacrificial lamb.
This title, then, does not serve as a reminder or an attribute of strength, but rather humility and sacrifice. When Jesus is called this in our scripture passage, two of John’s disciples become followers of Jesus. In a time when we look for strength and toughness and sometimes bravado in our leaders, this dropping of everything to follow one who is likened to a meek farm animal is astonishing. What does that say about our own faith journeys? How does Jesus’ messiahship subvert so many expectations?
Jesus is not coercive in his approach. He is not overpowering in his invitation. When asked where is staying by his new followers, Jesus simply responds, ‘Come and see.’ The disciples are ready to follow the Lamb of God, and so the invitation is also extended to us and we must ask ourselves, ‘are we?’ I’m looking forward to sharing this message on Sunday as the choir and worship team also sing the Angus Dei (Lamb of God) section from Rutter’s Requiem. Have a blessed weekend!
Peace,
Pastor Jeff
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UMCOR Sunday is THIS Sunday!
All around the world, the United Methodist Committee on Relief supports ministries of relief and recovery, providing hope and healing to communities devastated by disaster.
Watch this new UMCOR overview video, and please consider donating to UMCOR's ministries during this Sunday's special offering in worship.
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Ping Pong Meetup: Thursdays at 9:30 am
Like to play ping pong? We're starting a new meetup group on Thursday mornings at 9:30 am in Room 351 (top floor of the church). Just bring yourselves and we'll have fun playing some games! If you have any questions, contact Charley Bain at bainch@yahoo.com. |
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Soup and Soul: Sat. Mar. 18 |
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Apply for Asbury Scholarships! |
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Asbury's United Women in Faith would like to invite you to Soup and Soul, an informative and fun cooking demo and lunch of healthy and veggie soups, bread, and dessert!
This event will take place in Hager Hall on Sat. Mar. 18 from 11:30-1:00. No cost involved, but please bring either two cans of soup for the Asbury Food Pantry or a love offering for UWF.
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Asbury Endowment Trustees welcome all full-time students who will attend vocational/technical school, college, or graduate school during the 2023-2024 school year to apply for scholarships.
The funds for these scholarships have been provided by generous members of the Asbury community who believe in the importance of higher education. We hope all students will apply, and we look forward to reviewing your applications.
Applications are available online or by contacting our Director of Communications, Sharlynn Verner, if you prefer a hard copy. All applications must be returned to Asbury on or before Sunday, April 30, 2023.
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Easter Egg Hunt
Candy Collections
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Help us fill hundreds of Easter Eggs for our annual Easter Egg Hunt at Bennett Park on Saturday, April 8 at 10 am.
You can bring bags of individually wrapped candy, or you can make a monetary donation for us to purchase candy here. We recommend the "Egg Hunt" variety bags, because they fit perfectly in the eggs. Thank you! |
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Sign Up for Easter Lilies
(Orders Due Monday, April 2)
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Celebrate the Risen Christ and help decorate the sanctuary with beautiful Easter lilies!
Lilies may be taken home on Easter morning after the 11 am service, or you may opt to send them as a gift to a homebound member of our church.
Lilies 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 or on our website. All orders are due by Monday, April 2. If paying by check, please make checks payable to Asbury UMC, with “Lily” in the memo. |
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Lenten Faith & Film Study:
Tuesdays, 11 am-12 pm
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Join Pastor Jeff on Tuesdays in the Library during Lent, as we examine Director Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life. We’ll examine matters of how our faithfulness to God interacts with the complexity of the world and whether our true witness can make a difference. We’ll also look at scripture and other sources to better understand our own faith journey during these 40 days of Lent leading to Easter.
A light soup luncheon will follow and all are welcome! Sign up online or by calling 913.432.5573. |
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Lenten Musical Meditation:
Thursdays, 12-12:30 pm
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You are invited to a half-hour lunchtime meditation in the Sanctuary during Lent.
Each week will feature a reading of scripture, poetry, prose, or prayer, piano by Pastor Kim of several hymns beautifully arranged by various composers, and a time for meditation in silence.
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Do you have an event you would like to be listed on the calendar? Please call the church office or email Phyllis Williams at phyllisw@visitasbury.org. For inclusions in the Alive Newsletter, please contact Sharlynn Verner at sharlynnv@visitasbury.org.
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- Electronic Fund Transfer
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Online through Easy Tithe
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- Text the word 'Give' to 913-774-6060
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Ongoing Mission Opportunities |
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Volunteer Dates for Cross-Lines and Lazarus Ministries
Please join Asbury UMC members in supporting the work of Lazarus Ministries and Cross-Lines Community Outreach, to serve the unmet needs of Kansas City's urban core. There are three upcoming dates to volunteer at Cross-Lines to put on your calendar:
- Thursday, April 13 from 10am - 1pm
- Thursday, June 29 from 10am - 1pm
- Thursday, August 10 from 10am - 1pm
- Thursday, October 12 from 10am - 1pm
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The dates for Lazarus Ministries are:
- Saturday, May 13 from 10am - 1pm
- Saturday, July 22 from 10am - 1pm
- Saturday, September 23 from 10am - 1pm
Watch the e-Alive in the coming weeks for the links to sign up for one or more shifts. Thank you for helping!
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Asbury Food Pantry Introduces New Food of the Month!
The Asbury Food Pantry is rolling out a new "Food of the Month!" For the rest of March, we'll be concentrating on collecting what we're calling "The Pantry P" - Peanut butter and Pasta in the can!
Please place all your donations on the table in the Welcome Center. Thank you, Asbury friends, for your continued support of our essential community ministry!
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Mission Morning: Saturday, March 25 from 9 am-12 pm |
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Everyone is invited to join Family Ministries on Saturday, March 25 to serve local pet rescues with some hands-on service work. There will be a variety of projects to work on, suitable for all ages. We will send 10-12 older youth and adults to Melissa's Second Chances (11015 W. 75th St.) to help clean the shelter and possibly walk dogs. The rest of us will be working at the church on toys for the pets at the rescues.
You can meet us at Asbury at 9:00 am to make toys, and then around 9:45 we'll send off our volunteers in the Asbury bus to Melissa's Second Chances while the rest of us continue to work on toys at the church.
Coffee, juice and treats will be provided. Please register so we can have enough breakfast items and supplies to make toys. You're welcome to invite friends to join us for this service event! If you have any questions, please contact Heather Jackson or call the church office at 913.432.5573.
Can't make it on the 25th? You can donate items or money for the shelters.
Mission Morning was planned by one of our youth, Addison Jones, and is made possible in part by a grant from the Kansas Methodist Foundation.
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Won't You Be My Neighbor:
Sunday, April 30
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We had a great start last month to our 5th Sunday intergenerational gathering, "Won't You Be My Neighbor!" Based on Mr. Rogers, we created our own neighborhoods, ate some snacks, made new friends, and enjoyed being together.
We hope you'll say "yes" to being our neighbor, and that we'll see you on Sunday, April 30 at 10 am in Hager Hall!
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Last Day of School: Family Ministries Day at the K - Wednesday, May 24 |
We are planning a Family Ministries Day at the K to celebrate the last day of school! This is open to kids, youth, and their family and friends. It is a 6:40 pm game.
More details will be available as we get closer to baseball season!
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GodSquad: July 31 - August 4 |
All 4th - 6th graders are invited to join our local service week July 31 - August 7. We will experience a variety of different local service opportunities from a soup kitchen, to a community garden, and have some fun on Friday.
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Play-doh and Magic Model Drive |
We're partnering with the ACC to collect Play-doh and Model Magic for Children's Mercy Hospital during Lent (March 1 - April 5).
Items must be new and in their original packaging. They also need to be scent-free and non-toxic. There will be a box on top of the kids' bookshelf in the Asbury Cafe for donations. Thanks!
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We invite all kids (Pre K - 5th grade) to encounter, interact, and engage with Bible stories through different learning styles and activities at their own level. We spend multiple weeks focused on a single Bible story by exploring the story through multiple rotation options: art, music, games, cooking, drama, science, videos and more!! We are currently exploring the stories of Holy Week and Easter.
- Sunday, March 19 - Holy Week and Easter science rotation
- Sunday, March 26 - Holy Week and Easter music rotation
- Sunday, April 2 - Holy Week and Easter video rotation
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Our next Kids' Sing is coming!! Rehearsals have begun during the children's church time at the 11 am service. We will rehearse this Sunday, as well as Sunday, March 26.
You do not need to be at all rehearsals. Ms. Alicia Wolff, an elementary music teacher, will lead the rehearsals.
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Third Grade Bible Presentations: Sunday, March 26 |
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March 26 is a special Sunday for our 3rd grade students and for us, as we honor the growth of our young people.
Presenting 3rd grade students their Bible is a way we recognize that our young people are growing in their faith, and that we encourage them to take a step toward making their faith their own by: reading their Bible; highlighting verses that are meaningful to them; writing down questions they have about what they are reading; and learning more about how to love God and love others.
We ask if you have a 3rd grade student, that you provide our Director of Family Ministries, Heather Jackson, with:
- Their name as you want it to appear in their Bible
- Their name as you want it announced at the presentation
- The service you will be attending to receive their Bible (9 am or 11 am)
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Parade of Palms: Sunday, April 2 |
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All children are invited to help us celebrate Palm Sunday in the Parade of Palms. Children will receive palm branches and lead the congregation in the waving of our palm branches with their parade at either the 9 am or 11 am worship service. |
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Hero Hotline VBS: Sunday, June 11 - Thursday, June 15 |
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Hero Hotline VBS invites children of all ages to answer the call to serve God together. Join the Professor and Super Meer as young Heroes learn to strive for the things that bring peace and the things that build each other up.
The goal of this VBS is to help children learn to work together and share their gifts as they answer God's call on their lives as they strive to bring peace and build each other up in this world.
Registration opens on Palm Sunday (April 2)!
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Youth Coffee & Convos: Sundays at 10 am |
All 6th-12th grade youth are invited to meet in the Youth Lounge (3rd floor west) at 10 am for a time of connecting and diving deeper into some familiar Bible stories while they enjoy food and beverages. |
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Youth Group: Sundays at 6 pm |
All Youth 6th-12th grade are invited to join us in the planning of the Easter Sunrise Service. We'll be working on this service for the next several weeks. |
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Sunrise Service - In Awe of Grace:
Sunday, April 9 at 7 am in Hager Hall
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The youth are starting to plan our sunrise service, and we'd love for you to join us on Easter morning to celebrate that Jesus is Alive as the sun rises.
All are welcome and all youth are encouraged to participate. There will be a light breakfast after the service.
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Youth Mission Trip:
July 16-21 in Memphis, TN
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Stay up to date on all things youth on our Facebook page! You can also email
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