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AnnouncementsOur Church's main communication comes through REMIND
Please join REMIND to stay connectional: text these digits @28kcbk to this “phone” number: 810810
Once you come to the join page, choose a "student" account.
We send out updates via REMIND that come to you in a timely, quick, brief format!
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Worship with us on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m.
In person or online on our YouTube Channel, @AlexUMC
Children's Sunday School programming - for ages 3-14, every Sunday, after Pr. Amy's children's message in the sanctuary, children reconvene in the Sunday School classroom. See more below about our programming!
Sunday Coffee Fellowship
After our 9 a.m. service every Sunday, join us for Coffee fellowship!
If you are interested in providing the treats for Sunday's Coffee Fellowship, please email us at office@alexumc.org. This year's schedule can be found by clicking here. We prepare an annual sign-up in November each year so now is the time to let us know you would like to be added as a regular or a sub. Thank you in advance for your food ministry to our church!
Committee Meeting Schedules
Meetings schedules are subject to change. Please consult the weekly calendar.
Administrative Council, 8:30am - Second Monday of every month Trustees Meeting, 5:30pm - Last Monday of every month Finance Committee meeting - next meeting, August 8 6:00 pm Mission and Social Concerns Meeting 2:30 pm August 13
Announcements/Calendar
Stuff the Bus has arrived! We will be collecting school supplies for the United Way Stuff the Bus. A box is in the Narthex for these supplies; last day of giving is Sunday, August 11. Thank You in advance for your generosity and support of this vital cause!
Pr. Amy at Preaching Workshop July 28-Aug 2. Please consult the weekly calendar for any updates to her schedule, visit: http://www.alexumc.org/weekly-calendar . Welcome Lay Speaker, Pam Cook, back with us on July 28!
Friends Gathering will be hosted by Pr. Amy on the patio at the parsonage on August 15, 9am. All are welcome, including newcomers!
Joy Circle: our next gathering is September 19 at 9:30 a.m. Come with a devotion to share!
Staff Parish Relations News At the July Administrative Council Meeting, the SPR committee recommended reducing Ginger's hours, based upon changes in her job description and the overall needs of the church. The motion was passed. Effective August 1st, Ginger will be working 23 hours/week, from the current 37. This change in hours will also mean that Ginger will be assisting on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. Each week, we encourage you to review the office hours posted in the Weekly Calendar, p. 4, & online at www.alexumc.org! Approved minutes of Administrative Council meetings and our Finance Reports are always posted on the bulletin board in the Narthex to the right of the Lounge. As always, contact an SPRC representative if you have questions! Ron Schutte and Heidi Ryan are Co-chairs, assisted by Chuck Holm, Scott Garvin, Sharon Slack, and Bruce Jordan.
Sermon Series beginning September 2024. Pr. Amy will begin a never-been-done at Alex UMC sermon series, “Enough”. With many opportunities for dialogue and beginning this September, we hope you will join us for this series that wraps up in early January. Together, we will endeavor to look at how we can manage our financial resources and truly experience simplicity, generosity, and joy! Pizza with a purpose!
Every Wednesday, June-August
Join us for Community Wood Fired Oven Pizza nights!
Each week, different local non-profits are featured - and each week, your dollar goes further to help support all the good that is going on in our community! Click here to see the schedule of non-profits.
Do no harm.
Do good.
Stay in love with God!
Hello Families!
August 10 - Day Trip to the State Capitol/Dianez Days/Quarry Park, Postponed
7am - leave from the parking lot at the church (breakfast on the way)
9:30am - arrive at the Minnesota State Capitol, first tour begins at 10am;
11:30am - we will head to Dianez D.A.Y.S. at Life UMC, Eden Prairie, where there will be a unique opportunity to meet youth from other churches, eat lunch at the food trucks, and learn about Minnesota's only Vietnamese United Methodist Church
2:00pm - we will depart Eden Prairie, en route to Quarry Park, just off of 94, near St. Cloud. We will hike through the quarry and have a picnic dinner before heading home.
7pm - arrive home
Please RSVP to pastor@alexumc.org by August 1.
Thinking theologically: My hope is that a field trip like this creates positive space; a positive way to help our youth process what happens in the media during highly divisive times.
Family Camp - August 20-25 - ALL AGES - 0-120, singles/couples/families with or without kiddos!!!
Family Camp - Registration allows for all kinds of ways to enter into time together - come one day or come two, come for the week - what works for you? It's an incredible way to share fun and faith together! Grandparents can come for a day trip with their grandchildren or stay overnight one night or the whole week!
Family Camp is offered through Immanuel Lutheran Church with Pr. Christa Forsythe and Janelle Eisenbacher. I have been involved in offering Family Camp alongside these two amazing faith leaders since 2020 and my family has absolutely loved their time on the shores of Lake Andrew. Please consider coming on this adventure with us! Family Camp is for everyone; you do not have to have children to attend. Singles and couples can come along & enjoy camp too. There is something for everyone and accommodations for many kinds of registration
Complete the registration form and submit it to our office with payment no later than July 2, 2024
If you are considering Family Camp but funds are not available, please talk with Pr. Amy; scholarships may be available. We want every family to have this amazing opportunity!
Alexandria UMC VBS 2024 First, a VERY special thank you to our Congregational Life Team as well as the Sunday School teachers on all the hard work and ministry provided this year. Thank you for your dedication and for sharing your love of God with us! We appreciate you! ╬ ♥ Youth Group
Click here to visit our YG page
Donate your old frames to Kissey Eye Clinic! The box in the Narthex to collect eyeglasses and cases for the Lowell and Ruth Eye Clinic/Hospital is back on the shelf. Dr. Deb Risvedt (Lowell Gess’s granddaughter) was very thankful for the ones delivered to Vance Thompson Vision before Christmas. She said they really need and can use them now in Sierra Leone. Alex UMC has been collecting used glasses and cases for this mission project for many years. Your support is appreciated. Thank you.
Food Shelf The need is ongoing, and the number of people being served by the Alexandria Outreach Food Shelf continues to increase. Food donations can be placed in the "Food Shelf" basket in the narthex. If you wish to make a monetary donation, make your check payable to Alexandria UMC and note the Food Shelf on the memo line of your check. Sock drive. socks/underwear for West Central Community Action and Milestones can also be placed in the Food Shelf basket as well. Community Gardens: Spring is here! Garden beds now available. If you are interested in reserving an 8 X 4 foot garden bed in our Fellowship Gardens - or know someone who might be interested - please contact Heidi Ryan at heidibrownryan@gmail.com About Children's Sunday School with Alexandria UMC
Pr. Amy leads an interactive children's message during worship every Sunday!
Sunday School, Ages 4 - Grade 5, September-May Christian Education with Alex UMC
Ecumenical Bible Study
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Windmill Pond Chapel (2nd floor)
 715 Victor St, Alexandria, MN 56308,All are welcome and encouraged to join us! We meet for 45 minutes or so and Pr. Amy and Sue Helgeson lead the group in sharing, prayer, Bible-based discussions and often a hymn or two! No homework - just come as you are!
UMC Social Creed & Social Principles Study - Please consult the weekly calendar for updates on the meeting schedule.
More at Alex UMC!
Pizza Ministry at the Alexandria Community Wood-fired Oven
Wednesday nights, June-August: 4:30-7pm See schedule here: https://alexandriacommunitywoodfired.com/index.php/entertainment/ Youth programming and Confirmation with Alex UMC
The Faithful Five:
Prayers - we visited various stations that led us in different ways to pray
Presence - we listened to a presentation on noticing how our attention to our faith life is vital for our formation as Christians Gifts - we took an 80 question assessment that revealed spiritual talents that we are using every day even if we aren’t consciously thinking about it Service - we created a skit about a service project we might do in our congregation. Our group did a skit about starting a ‘kindness campaign' Witness - we heard testimony from one of our group leaders about his own faith journey "I am excited and curious about all that we can do together, and most importantly, I am interested in endeavoring to grow in faith alongside the youth of Alexandria UMC." -Pr. Amy
About Youth Group, Grades 6-12
The tenants of my curriculum and theology around youth programming is first and foremost about relationships and building connection. My vision for healthy programming is to have opportunities for youth of all ages - it is the intersectionality of interesting, fun, and engaging programming that informs and supports the faith life of our youth. Five Units Unit 1: The Geography, life and times of ancient peoples Unit 2: Work, Money, and the Bible Unit 3: World Religions Unit 4: Our Methodist expression of the Christian faith Unit 5: United Methodist polity, doctrine, and social principles
When does the Youth Group meet? **Wednesday evenings, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m., September-May with one Congregational Life (CL) event a month in place of our regular Wednesday evening meetings, 6-7:30 p.m. **be sure to join REMIND for updates to our schedule Field Experiences Each field experience has a “thinking theologically” component and continues the conversation about it means to be a Christian in the 21st Century. Minnesota State Capital and Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church Thinking Theologically: As we explore our values as 21st Century Christians, we will also be unpacking the politics of ancient Israel during Jesus’ time. We will be asking questions like, “How might building the Kingdom of God be the same or different from Kingdom-building empire/government in ancient times and now-times?” Taking a grip to our own state capital endeavors to understand why laws are both important and complicated. Youth Event with the Conference (TBD) Thinking Theologically: The Conference Youth Ministry offers a once-a-year program that anchors the expression of our denomination - Methodism - in Christian faith. This is where our youth will further explore Methodist social principles, polity, and doctrine. A date has not yet been set for this event. Stay tuned! About Confirmation What Confirmation IS: Confirmation is a covenant. Confirmation, not being something you do, but something you live out - a lifestyle. Confirmation is fun! Confirmation is a time to explore, learn, grow, and discern God’s calling for you in your life Confirmation is learning about what it means to be an adult in the Methodist expression of the Christian faith. Confirmation is a time to think theologically about the values and Christian ethics that created the Methodist movement in the United States. A movement that began in the home of Susanna Wesley, the first founder of Methodism, and then brought more fully into form by her sons, John and Charles Wesley, two Anglican priests. What Confirmation is NOT:
Confirmation is not a program. Confirmation is not a youth group. Confirmation is not ‘graduation from church’. Confirmation is not the end to something you did. Confirmation is not a sacrament. Confirmation is not something we do because “my parents” said I had to. Confirmation is not a test. And, Confirmation does not always end in a service of Confirmation. Confirmation requirements for Confirmation in the Alexandria UMC Should you decide to make the covenant official by a service of Confirmation during a worship service with our church family, these are the expectations: 10 Sermon Notes (in-person or YouTube), written format Community Service, 75-hour requirement Completed Units: Methodism - history, polity, and doctrine Methodism - our social principles and social creed Methodism - the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism Final deliverables regarding the units
1) Sharing your call story/faith statement with Pr. Amy in the format of your choosing: orally, written, video, …I am very flexible on this. 2) In-person meeting with Pr. Amy, your parents, and a sponsor, to share what you would like to share about your faith journey and how you would like us to support you as you continue on your faith journey as a Methodist! If you have a youth interested in our weekly programming or in our Confirmation programming, please contact her at pastor@alexum.org. If you are an adult interested in learning more about Confirmation and/or helping with our youth programming, please contact Pr. Amy and schedule an appointment. Pastor's office hours are posted in the weekly bulletin or call Ginger at 320-763-4624. Looking Ahead - Stay tuned for timely updates regarding this pilgrimage. Praying for peace in Israel and Palestine.
Pr. Amy and Thomas are planning travel to the Holy Land with the tour, "The Holy Land - The Women in Jesus' Life"
Are you interested? This travel is currently postponed due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Our Contact information
Rev. Amy VanValkenburg, LLP Email: pastor@alexumc.org, Pastor's mobile: 320-309-5574/320-460-0776 Ginger Mayer, Admin. Assistant, Phone: 320-763-4624 Email: office@alexumc.org, Office Hours: 9am - 1pm, Church Address: 2210 Sixth Avenue E, Alexandria, MN 56308
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