College Avenue UMC will have an Intergenerational Volunteer Day at Ogden Friendship House of Hope on Thursday, July 21, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Those who want to carpool or ride the shuttle bus can meet at the church at 12:30 p.m. All ages are encouraged to join in this service project.

College Avenue UMC is now offering a recurring Zoom meeting place on our website. Feel free to jump on and meet 24 hours a day. Please contact the church office at 785-539-4191 or pastor John at 620-252-9622 with any questions, or if you have trouble accessing the site.

Link: https://bit.ly/3AOWXnf

A gentle reminder that the church office will be closed tomorrow (Friday July 8, 2022).

I’m trying to write an article for College Avenue United Methodist Church warning them about some of my quirks. Let me know what you think I ought to include.

I want to make a quick post to wrap up a loose end. I got to talk to Rick Saylor at the Great Plains Annual Conference meeting. He had a great time worshiping with you on June 5, 2022. I got a lot of feedback about how you all enjoyed having him back. And I’m so happy that he was willing to fill in for me. The bad news I need to deliver is this: Rick had a great time, but he told me that June 5 was his last time to do that. He’s going out on a high note, and I admire his judgment.

Today, May 18, 2022, at 6 p.m. we’ll be celebrating our final Wednesday Communion in room 200. 

Prior to that, beginning at 5:15, we’ll have our final Wednesday Bible Study on eternal life. You can attend in person in room 200 or you can join us via Zoom at wp.me/P3IZ7l-nZ. You don’t need to read anything ahead of time to participate. (Most people don’t.) We’ll begin with a short video introduction and then continue the discussion from there. If you want to watch the video or study the materials ahead of time you can go to bit.ly/3PuXznc. For the past nine years I’ve been trying to explain how salvation begins here and now and continues into forever in the life to come. If you want to hear an explanation of the same phenomena from a different perspective, this is the Bible Study for you. I hope to see you there.

A friendly reminder that Pam Simpson has the week off and office hours will be erratic this week. You’re encouraged to call before you make a trip. The church’s main phone number is 785-263-2623. Pastor John Collins’s cell phone is 620-252-9622.

We had baptisms and confirmations both this past Sunday. Jackson and Tyler Green were both baptized and confirmed. Others in this year’s confirmation class, who had been previously baptized, were Shane Bryant, Ethan Gonzales, Eyler Holt, and Luke Hunter. They were confirmed. Please congratulate all these youth and welcome them into the congregation when next you see them.

I’ve heard through the grapevine that a going away party is being planned for me. I’m not entirely sure who all is planning this, so I’m just going to share my preferences here. I would prefer not to have a stand alone party. I would prefer that Jenny be included because we were unable to have a farewell for her due in 2020 to Covid-19. 

We get the keys to the Manhattan townhouse on June 1. The moving truck departs with our stuff on June 15, my last Sunday will be June 19. Jenny and I are looking forward to sharing Holy Communion with you during that service. It would be great to have either our regular spread or some cake and punch-coffee-tea-whatever afterwards as we say goodbye to all of you. That’s really all we want or need.

Below is the preaching schedule for the remainder of May and June 2022:
May 8: Confirmation Sunday
May 15: John Collins
May 22: John Collins
May 29: Peggy Riley
June 5: Rick Saylor
June 12: Mark Queen
June 19: John Collins
June 26: Amanda Cormack

This past Sunday (April 24, 2022), we welcomed Jamie and Michael Linenberger into membership at the 8:15 service. Please be sure to take time personally welcome them the next time you see them.

Because of my COVID-19 exposure, we won’t be having Bible Study or Communion tonight. Apologies.