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Asbury Sunday Worship:
9 & 11 am: Worship in the Sanctuary
10 am: Sunday School
11 am: Live-Streamed Worship
| Follow us on social media! | | Special thanks to Eddie Smith for his beautiful prelude at our worship services last Sunday! | | | |
Sierra Richardson Master's Recital:
Friday, May 8
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Music Intern and Bell Choir Director Sierra Richardson will be giving her UMKC Master’s recital in the Asbury Sanctuary on Friday, May 8 at 5 pm. This is a free event open to the public. Enjoy works by Britten/Purcell, Ricky Ian Gordon, Schoenberg, and Ravel. A small reception will follow.
| | Save the Date! Church Council Meeting on May 11 | |
Our next Church Council session will be held on Monday, May 11 at 6:30 pm in the Parlor.
As always, everyone is welcome to this open session. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Jeff!
| | Brown Bag Walking Prayer: Wednesday, May 13 | | |
When: Wednesday, May 13 at 12 pm
Where: I-Lan Park (12601 Nall Ave., Leawood, KS 66209)
The Brown Bag Prayer Team will pray for all those on the Asbury prayer list while walking in I-Lan Park in Leawood on Wed. May 13 at noon. During our Trip to Taiwan in April, we learned that this park honors Leawood’s sister city relationship with I-Lan, Taiwan, making it a meaningful spot for our next session.
Everyone is welcome to join us! Please bring your own lunch. We’ll pray through our list over a meal first for about twenty minutes, and then take a walk for about forty minutes. This will be a wonderful opportunity to pray, chat, and walk together. Please let Pastor Daekyung know if you would like to join (daekyungk@visitasbury.org).
| | "Here for the Heart" Blood Drive: Friday, May 15 | |
The Community Blood Center is the primary supplier of blood for local hospitals and has been serving MO and KS hospitals for more than 60 years. 580 pints of blood each day are needed to meet the needs of our local hospitals!
Please share your gift of life with local hospital patients who need it by donating at the next CBC blood drive at Asbury on Fri. May 15 from 1-5 pm. To make an appointment online, click on this link and use Group Code: 4B. Contact Libby Morris at libbymorriskc@gmail.com if you have any questions!
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If you have a graduate in your family this spring (high school, college, or post-graduate), please share her / his name and degree information and future plans so we can celebrate with you as a church family!
Email your graduate's info and a headshot by Monday, May 18 to both our Director of Family Ministries, Heather Jackson, at heatherj@visitasbury.org and our Director of Communications, Sharlynn Verner, at sharlynnv@visitasbury.org. We'll celebrate our grads in worship on Sunday, June 7!
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BIG Elections in Kansas This Summer!
YOU IN?!
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August 4 - Primary Election: There will be a constitutional amendment in addition to the candidates on this ballot. No party affiliation necessary for the constitutional amendment vote.
June 1, 12:00 pm - Deadline to declare or change party affiliation to vote for candidates in primary election. You can do this online at the Kansas Secretary of State website (CLICK HERE) or at your county election office. For Johnson County voters, this website is jocoelection.org.
Questions? Contact: Julia Cotter, Asbury Voter to Voter Ambassador Team Leader, at juliaacotter@gmail.com.
| | KC PrideFest Booth Volunteers | |
The Asbury Pride Support Team invites you to come help us share love and community at the KC PrideFest on June 5-7 at Theis Park. We need volunteers to help set up and staff our booth. Volunteers receive a free t-shirt and unlimited love!
* Booth setup: June 5 (2-4 pm)
* Booth hours: June 5 (5-9 pm), June 6 (12-8 pm), June 7 (1-5 pm)
Please click here to sign up if you are interested in volunteering. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Daekyung Kim at daekyungk@visitasbury.org.
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Spring Concerts
Pastor Daekyung performed piano concerts featuring the works of Ravel and Gershwin at Mission Square on April 22 and in the Asbury Sanctuary on May 4. We would like to thank everyone who attended these performances!
| | Rally & Vigil for Immigrant Kansans | |
We would like to express our gratitude to all participants. Please click below to access news reports on the rally/vigil on April 30 at Asbury.
Johnson County Post // Kansas Reflector
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Thank you to everyone who donated toward the College Care Packages. The packages are on their way to our college students. Please keep the students in your prayers as the semester comes to an end.
| | Youth Service Trips & Pilgrimages Fundraiser: 144 Envelopes | | |
There's a big board with 144 envelopes attached to it on the wall by the west entrance of the Sanctuary, representing monetary amounts from $1-$144 ($10,441 in all). If all the envelopes are selected, returned, and donations match the amount on each envelope, we will meet our fundraising goals for both the service trips, along with some money to put toward the 2027 Pilgrimages!
Here's how the fundraiser works:
• You decide the amount you would like to give to support the youth service trips and Leadership Lab Pilgrimages to Turkey to follow Paul's travels.
• Select the corresponding envelope(s). For example, if you want to give $50 select envelope #50, or if 50 is no longer available, select envelopes that equal $50.
• Fill out the little card inside the envelope.
• Return the card, your donation, and the envelope to the church. It can be given to Phyllis at the front desk or placed in the offering plate or drop box outside of the finance office.
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You will also find blank envelopes on the counter next to the big board where you can make a donation, if the envelopes left on the board do not reflect the amount you would like to give. Or you may give any amount via EasyTithe. If you give online, please select "Youth Missions Trips" from the drop-down menu.
Check out the youth's video promo for the Big Board Fundraiser this year!
| | | Supporting Our Scholars with a Higher Education | | |
Did you know? Asbury will award FOURTEEN $1000 higher education scholarships this year! Endowed funds cover 60% of the awards. Our goal to meet this important need is $6,000.
Show your love for Asbury youth by investing in our scholars! You may donate via check or online at https://www.visitasbury.org/give. Please write “2026 Scholarship Fund” in the notes or memo line. For more information, contact Dan Clevenger at the church office or email DanC@visitasbury.org.
Thank you so much!
-Your Asbury Endowment Trustees
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Scholar Spotlight
Addison Jones - Sophomore, Kansas State University
Early Admit Veterinary Scholar, Majoring in Animal Science
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Becoming a veterinarian has been my dream since the first time I stepped foot into a veterinary clinic. Now that I am just one year away from going to Kansas State’s veterinary school, I know my student debt is about to dramatically increase.
The Asbury scholarship continues to help me reach my dreams. I am incredibly grateful for my Asbury family and all the support I have received as a college student. Thank you!!
| | May "Food of the Month" for the Asbury Food Pantry: Cereal Bars & Nutrition Bars | | New & Gently Used Children's Clothing Collection | |
As we prepare to celebrate Mothers and Fathers Day in May & June, Asbury United Women in Faith is sponsoring a collection of NEW and GENTLY USED children's clothes (sizes Preemie - 4T) to help support our friends and neighbors served at The Hub Argentine. They would also appreciate donations of diapers of any size.
Donations are being collected from Mother's Day, May 10, through Father's Day, June 14, and can be dropped off in the blue barrel located in the Welcome Center. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Peck at kimleypeck@gmail.com. Thank you!
| | Help Serve Lunch at Cross-Lines: Thursday, May 14 | |
We need six servers to help serve lunch on Thursday, May 14 from 10 am to 1 pm at Cross-Lines (736 Shawnee Ave, Kansas City, KS 66105).
You may click here to sign up online. If you have questions, please contact the church at 913-432-5573. Thank you for your willingness to help!
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The Asbury Endowment Committee will be accepting 2026 Second Quarter grant applications beginning May 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 second quarter is June 1.
Application and instructions can be found here: CLICK HERE. For questions, please contact Dan Clevenger at DanC@visitasbury.org.
| | Asbury Serve Day at the Hub - Recap | |
We spent the morning volunteering at the Hub Argentine last Saturday! We gave a room a fresh coat of paint for one of the groups that meets at the Hub every week.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. Save the date: the next Asbury Serve Day at the Hub is on August 29!
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We wrapped up our Trip to Taiwan by watching Director Ang Lee’s film, Eat Drink Man Woman, together. From listening to insightful presentations about Taiwan and sharing a delicious dinner at a Taiwanese restaurant to experiencing the culture through film—all these moments over the past month provided a truly fun opportunity to recognize and celebrate the presence and gifts of our neighbors with Taiwanese backgrounds.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated! We would like to give a special shout-out to the Travel More Project Coordinating Team for their hard work, and to our church members, Daphny and Kally, who provided so much help to make this journey possible.
Our next adventure will be a Trip to Argentina this June! As we prepare to welcome the Argentina National Soccer Team to KC for the World Cup, we’ll be celebrating their culture with that same welcoming spirit. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to see photos from our recent trips and stay in the loop for future adventures!
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- Electronic Fund Transfer
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Online through Easy Tithe
| | - Text the word 'Give' to 913-774-6060
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Many of you have asked over the past few weeks, "Susan, what exactly is an endowment?" This is a great question, and did you know that Asbury has two endowments? More on that later.
Very simply put, an endowment is a legal structure where resources (gifts of cash, stocks, liquidated property) are held permanently in a managed investment pool. The principal remains intact while a portion of the investment pool's income is used annually to fund operations or designated purposes. Endowments provide long-term stability to the church and steady annual stream income. Most importantly, endowments allow church members to make a lasting impact to the future plans and vision for the church.
The steady, annual income is produced from a percentage of gain each year. Currently, our endowment's distribution rate is calculated at 4% of a three-year rolling average. A snapshot of our endowments' valuations is taken annually on December 31. The average of the last three years is multiplied by 4% to determine the amount available for distribution for the current year.
For example, an endowment with a three-year rolling average balance of $500,000 would produce $20,000 in income to the church. Following this restricted percentage allows the endowment's principal to continue growing by reinvesting any gains realized that exceed the 4% that is distributed.
In 1981, Prairie Village Asbury UMC created a memorial endowment fund with KMF. Within this fund, you will find a few dozen named legacy gifts with specific donor-directed wishes, such as scholarships or general operating or music.
In 2001, Prairie Village Asbury UMC created a general endowment fund for gifts and charitable gift planning from members and friends of Asbury, and to hold the Asbury Advocates gifts.
Each year, the annual proceeds from the two endowments provided much-needed resources for scholarships, mission outreach, and general operations. The wise and generous planning by members past and present give Asbury solid footing to continue building these funds in service to the progressive and inclusive Christianity practiced at Asbury.
-Susan Brinkman, Kansas Methodist Foundation Development Coach to Asbury
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| Family Ministries Days at the K: Tuesday, June 30 and Tuesday, August 4 | | |
We have about 10 tickets remaining for our June 30 Day at the K and around 20 tickets remaining for our August 4 Day at the K (also Dollar Dog Night). Both games start at 6:20 pm and tickets cost $29 each.
If you are wanting tickets to a game, please contact Heather Jackson, Director of Family Ministries, ASAP (HeatherJ@visitasbury.org), and let her know which game you would like to attend, so that we do not exceed our allotted tickets. Payment can be made through the church office or online via Easy Tithe (select "Other Fund" from the drop-down menu and type "Royals tickets" in the notes line). Tickets will be distributed electronically via the Ballpark app closer to game day.
We will carpool from the church and take both Asbury buses to both games. Depending on how the numbers come out, we might need a few extra drivers. The tickets are available to youth, kids (accompanied by an adult), their families and friends.
| Family Ministries Book Club | | Sunday Nursery Hours: 8:30 am-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 Children's Church.
| | Kids Hour: Sundays at 10 am in the Kids Wing (3rd Floor East) | |
Kids' Hour is our Sunday School and a great way for kids to make friends and build community while learning Bible stories.
Kids (Prek-5th grade) are invited to join the fun of exploring the Bible Stories through hands on activities!
| | Kids sing this Sunday, May 10 for Mother's Day! Kids will rehearse at 10:45 am in the Sanctuary, and offer their songs at the 11 am service. | | Children's Church: Sundays During the 11 am Service | |
Kids PreK - 3rd grade are welcome to join us for Children's Church after the Children's Moment at the 11 am service in the kids' wing (3rd floor east).
We might make a craft, play a game, watch a movie, or learn a new song and dance. No matter the activity, kids will have fun learning and growing together!
| | 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.
| | Vacation Bible School: Sunday, June 14 - Thursday, June 18 | |
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure with Snowball Mountain Challenge VBS from 6 - 7:30 pm on June 14-18. Kids (potty-trained 3-year-olds through 4th grade) become Challengers, gearing up for frosty games, snowy surprises, and hands-on lessons about resilience and faith. Your kids will be guided daily by our wonderful volunteers and the lovable Ollie the Arctic Seal puppet, who is reporting on the frosty games.
An optional light meal will be served at 5:30 pm. Click here to register today!
| | GodSquad: July 27-31 (4th-6th grade) | |
GodSquad is our annual service week for those in 4th - 6th grade. We will serve at a variety of local nonprofits throughout the week. Participants will meet at the church at 9 am each day and head to the service sites, and will return to the church between 1 pm and 2 pm daily.
Click here to register today!
| | Coffee and Convos: Sundays at 10 am in the Youth Lounge | |
At 10 am on Sundays, all 6th-12th grade youth are invited to meet in the Youth Lounge (3rd floor west) for a time of connecting and diving deeper into their faith while they enjoy food and beverages.
| | NO YOUTH GROUP THIS WEEK! | |
There is no youth group this week due to Mother's Day.
| | High School Youth Service Trip to Spirit Lake Ministries in North Dakota:
May 30 - June 6, 2026 | | Middle School Service Trip to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: July 12-16, 2026 | |
Only a few spots remain for the middle school youth (current 6th & 7th graders) service trip to Oklahoma City the week of July 12-16, 2026. We'll be working with Skyline and other agencies. In addition to our work, we will have free time to do something fun.
The cost of our service trip is $75. Register today and reserve your spot by filling out the registration form and paying the $25 deposit: CLICK HERE
While we always welcome friends, priority will be given to youth currently involved at Asbury. Questions? Email Heather Jackson.
| | GodSquad: July 27 - 31 (4th-6th grade) | |
GodSquad is our annual service week for those in 4th - 6th grade. We will serve at a variety of local nonprofits throughout the week. Participants will meet at the church at 9 am each day and head to the service sites, and will return to the church between 1 pm and 2 pm daily.
Click here to register today!
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