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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! | | October 10-12: Joerg Rieger Presents How to Love Your Neighbor - and Yourself: Deep Solidarity in Crisis Time | | |
Friday, October 10 - Keynote by Dr. Rieger - 7 pm in the Sanctuary
Saturday, October 11 - Workshops from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm - Click here to sign up
Sunday, October 12 - Dr. Rieger leads worship at 9 and 11 am
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Congregations today seem beset by crises. Many of us are increasingly at a loss about how to address the growing challenges of our times. Among the often-neglected tools that Christianity provides in times of crisis is a solidarity that reaches deep into our communities and fuses the concerns of neighbors, God, and ourselves. New energy is produced in these relationships, inspiring us to address the crises and challenges of our times at all levels: religious, political, and economic.
This October 10-12, Asbury is excited to welcome Dr. Joerg Rieger, Distinguished Professor of Theology at Vanderbilt University, to lead a weekend of conversation and learning of how to get engaged in deep solidarity, and discover new roles for congregations in building more just communities ready to transform both church and our world.
We invite you to hear Dr. Rieger offer a keynote on Friday evening, followed by a series of workshops Saturday morning and afternoon on relational organizing, leadership and faith formation, and the future of economic, political, and religious democracy. Dr. Rieger will also preach in worship that Sunday!
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Thank you to everyone who gave toward our World Communion Sunday special offering last week! We collected $734 to go toward scholarships and leadership training for under-represented U.S. and international students.
| | Second Sunday Singers: Sunday, October 12 | | |
Join the Second Sunday Singers on Sunday, October 12 at the 11 am service to sing Mark Hayes’ “Ubuntu,” a fun and easy anthem about unity and community.
We will rehearse the anthem at 10:30 am in the Sanctuary on October 12. If you have any questions, please contact Music Director Lindsey Lang at LindseyL@visitasbury.org.
| | Fall Grounds Cleanup: Saturday, October 18 | |
Come out and enjoy some crisp autumn air while helping us clean up the church grounds! Our Fall Clean Up is taking place on Sat. Oct. 18 beginning at 9 am.
Bring your rakes, clippers, gloves, and any other useful gardening tools - bags are helpful, as well. All are welcome to join us - even if you don't have a "green thumb," there's a job for you. We'll have a blast working together - this is a great opportunity for fun and fellowship! Coffee, juice, and bagels will be provided.
In case of bad weather, our backup date will be Sat. Oct. 25. If you have any questions, please contact Trustees Chair David Blood.
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Church Council:
Sunday, October 19
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Our next Church Council meeting will be held on Sunday, October 19 after the 11 am service in Hager Hall. Lunch will be provided, and all are welcome to attend!
If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Jeff at JeffP@visitasbury.org.
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UWF Nut Sale:
Now through October 26
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The weather is finally getting cooler, so it must be time to start gathering nuts for all of our holiday baking! If you happen to be a squirrel looking for nuts, look no further than our United Women in Faith (UWF). They'll get you hooked up with an order form for their annual nut sale!
Just visit the front desk in the office (look for the pink box) and grab a form, or click here to download a form online. In addition to baking, nuts are also great for snacking, gifting, and parties.
Pre-sales will go through Sunday, October 26. Pick up dates are Sunday, November 2 and 9. We'll have some nuts for sale then as well, but we recommend you complete the order form by October 26 for the best picks.
This is one of only two UWF fund raisers for the year, so don't miss out! All proceeds go to support UWF missions for women, youth and children.
| | Candy Needed for Trunk or Treat | |
Throughout October, we are collecting candy and monetary donations for candy and goodies for our annual Trunk or Treat. Your store-bought individually wrapped candy and goodies can be placed in the trunk on the decorated table in the Welcome Center.
If you would like to make a monetary donation for us to purchase candy/goodies, there are two ways to do so:
- Earmarking your check or offering envelope "Trunk or Treat Candy" and placing it in the offering plate, donation box, or turning it into the front desk.
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Donate via Easy Tithe (click here) by selecting "Other Fund" from the drop-down menu and typing "Trunk-or-Treat" in the note box that appears.
To make this event wonderful for all the kids, we have set a goal of 40 trunks this year!! If you would like to help us make Trunk or Treat a wonderful experience for all the kids by supplying a trunk, please click here to fill out our form. There are several options ranging from you decorate your trunk and provide candy to you just bring your trunk and we'll decorate it and provide candy.
| | Faith in Action Day Recap | | |
On Saturday, September 27, we gathered at different locations with our desire to be more like Christ by participating in an active faith through mission work within our church, neighborhood, and community. We helped construct a Habitat for Humanity house, sorted donated items at a Habitat ReStore, painted the Asbury Youth Lounge, and made sack lunches for Cross-Lines.
Together, we were excited to be part of God’s ministry in service to each other! Thank you to all who participated in our Faith in Action service day.
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About 40 Asbury members and Pastor Daekyung Kim enjoyed the Trip to Greece in September. On Friday, Sep. 5, we had a fun opportunity to taste Greek food and tour the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Kansas City at the KC Greek Fest. The Week 2 trip on Saturday, Sep. 13 featured a Greece trip presentation by Sara Coe and David Breneman and the movie “My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)” in the Asbury Parlor. The third week of the trip was an exploration of the Greek culture through food at Tasso's Greek Restaurant in Kansas City on Saturday, Sep. 20. It was a time full of joy and laughter! Finally, the last stop of the Trip to Greece was St. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Christian Church in Overland Park on Thursday, Sep. 25. It was a great opportunity to experience the central and important worship service in the Greek Orthodox Church and hear about its history, icons, theology, and more.
Now we’ve finished all the trips for this year: Trip to the Native American History and Cultures in April, Travel with Pride More in June, Trip to Alaska in July, and Trip to Greece in September. Thank you all for your interest and participation. We’ll continue on this journey toward diverse cultures of our neighbors next year. Stay tuned!!
| | October Food of the Month | |
The Asbury Food Pantry's "Food of the Month" for October is canned fruit. Any donations can be placed on the table in the Welcome Center or on the cart by the main entrance.
If you have any questions, or if you are interested in volunteering with the Asbury Food Pantry, please email Mike Preston at mikealanpreston@gmail.com. Thank you!
| | Annual Report on Philanthropy | | |
Giving USA, the most trusted and long-standing source of charitable giving data in the U.S., recently released its Annual Report on Philanthropy. Here’s a few takeaways.
Giving as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product) held steady at 2.0% in 2024, reflecting a strong alignment with national economic health. As income and wealth grow, giving is keeping pace. Generosity remains strong across the U.S.
Individual giving rose by 5.1% after adjusting for inflation. This underscores the continued power of personal conviction and connection in fueling generosity. Corporate giving saw a 6% increase, reflecting a small but growing role for business leaders in shaping the charitable landscape. Foundation giving dipped slightly by 0.5%, and bequests fell by 4.4%, signaling potential shifts in long-term planning and legacy giving.
The church's share of overall giving has dropped to a historic low, falling from 63% in 1983 to just 23% today.
Churches saw a 1.9% increase in giving in 2024, totaling $146.54 billion. That's encouraging news. But when you factor in inflation, that increase translates to a 1% decline in real purchasing power.
There are over 2 million charitable organizations in the U.S, an increase of 500,000 since 2013. Today's churchgoers increasingly view their church as one option among many worthy causes competing for their generosity.
Asbury embraces the call of our bishops to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in the formation of disciples of Jesus Christ. Prayerfully consider how your time, talents and resources can help God with the transformation of our community and world.
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- Electronic Fund Transfer
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Online through Easy Tithe
| | - Text the word 'Give' to 913-774-6060
| | | Morning Meetup: Sundays at 10 am in Hager Hall | | |
This group is tailored to the needs of parents, and will meet weekly in Hager Hall at 10 am for discussions with one another and community building. The group is structured, so you can jump right in when you are able to attend.
We will be discussing concepts from the book "Parenting Forward: How to Raise Children with Justice, Mercy, and Kindness" by Cindy Wang Brandt (click here for book link). If you have questions, feel free to contact Heather Jackson at HeatherJ@visitasbury.org.
| | Trunk or Treat: Sunday, Oct. 26 | |
Join us on Sun. Oct. 26 from 4-6 pm for food, fun, and a few games at our annual Trunk-or-Treat in the Asbury parking lot. Trunk-or-Treat is FREE and food will be available for purchase from the Tamale Kitchen's food truck (https://thetamalekitchen.org).
To make this event wonderful for all the kids, we have set a goal of 40 trunks this year!! If you would like to help us make Trunk or Treat a wonderful experience for all the kids by supplying a trunk, please click here to fill out our sign up form. There are several options ranging from you decorating your trunk and providing candy to you just bringing your trunk and we'll decorate it and provide candy.
| | The Christmas Pageant is Coming! | |
Do you have a 4-year-old through 12th grade student who would love to be part of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever? Let us know and help us plan by filling out this short contact information form!
Click Here for Form
| | Does Your Child Want to Acolyte? | | |
Acolyting, or lighting the candles in preparation of worship, is a great way for your child to participate in worship. 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 Children's Church.
| | Kids Hour: Sundays at 10 am | Kids' Hour is 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 Bible stories through weekly rotations such as art, music, games, cooking, drama, science, and videos. | | Children's Church: Sunday during the 11 am Worship 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!
| | Coffee and Convos: Sundays at 10 am in the Youth Lounge | All youth 6th-12th grade are invited to come enjoy goodies and conversation on Sundays at 10 am in the Youth Lounge. | | Youth Group: Sundays at 6 pm in the Youth Lounge and Middle School Room | All youth 6th-12th grade are invited to come for dinner, and then we will split into middle school and high school groups for our discussions. | | |
If you have a 7th -12th grade student who would like to explore their faith and make claim to their own faith, sign them up for Confirmation. We will spend a few months discussing the basics of God, Faith, Community, and Church.
We will kickoff Confirmation on Saturday, December 13. If you have any questions, or would like more information, please email our Director of Family Ministries at heatherj@visitasbury.org.
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