July 16, 2020 Greetings to the good folks of Asbury UMC, I hope you are all well and still striving for perfection in love for Christ. I know that is my goal, and despite my shortcomings, I know the Holy Spirit is still trying to push me in that direction. Let this be a week where you continue to strive together to be closer to Christ. Worship: We will be continuing with our parking lot worship services and our online worship for a little while longer. With the new orders from Governor Wolf and the State Secretary of Health we feel it is prudent to follow their lead in an abundance of caution as we move forward. Therefore we cannot move indoors for worship until the restriction on indoor gatherings of more than 25 people is lifted. We realize that for many of you this is a true disappointment, but we need to act with caution and do our best to care for one another during this pandemic. With that being said, worship will continue to be held at 10am on Sunday mornings. As you enter the parking lot please follow the directions of those helping folks find appropriate parking to participate in worship. You will continue to tune into the service on your car radio at 106.5 on your FM dial. We request that you stay within your vehicles unless you are playing a role in the worship service. If you need the restroom facilities we request you use the handicapped restroom in the social hall only. There will be an opportunity to share your gifts, tithes, and offerings at the end of the worship service as you are leaving the parking lot. Additionally those gifts may be mailed into the church office at 4703 W Ridge Rd, Erie PA 16506. (Checks only please if using the postal service for delivery.) Additionally if you have internet access and desire to see the worship service online, a link will be provided through the A-Blast or you may find the service posted on the Asbury United Methodist Church Facebook page or through YouTube at Asbury UMC Erie. Ken Davis has done a wonderful job in establishing a great online presence for you to worship with there. Tithes and Offerings: We continue to be blessed by the ways in which you have continued to support Asbury UMC and its ministries during this pandemic. While we thank you for that support we also ask that you continue to provide the gifts, tithes and offerings as we continue to experience ministry, personnel and building expenses through this period of time. Please consider mailing your gift to the church, bringing your gift to the time of worship in the parking lot, or dropping the offering by the church office during the week. Your continued support is a real show of support and encouragement as we continue to be the people of Christ. Building Usage: The church building continues to be open during weekdays for those who desire some time in personal prayer, or for small groups and committees. Even though we are in the “green phase” of our Covid time, we still are requiring the use of masks and social distancing in the building for your safety and protection. Office Protocols: We continue to require proper protocols in our church office due to the Corona Virus pandemic. Please do as much interaction as possible through the phone and emails. You are encouraged to pass items to Sandy through the window of the office where she can make copies, or she can access the committee mailboxes for you. We still require masks in the office, and desire no more than 2 persons in the office at one time, including Sandy. Thank you. Bible Study: Bible Study will continue on Wednesday July 22nd at 6pm. We will be meeting in person at the church, with the option of others joining in through Zoom as well. If you are interested in receiving a Zoom invitation please email Pastor Bill at We will be studying the book of 1 Kings, starting with chapters 4 & 5. On an additional note related to Bible Study and personal devotions. Asbury UMC offers a great opportunity for you to supplement, or develop your devotions during the midweek. This is especially important during this time when we have not been able to resume Sunday School and it seems so difficult to find some space for spiritual development. This resource I am writing about is the Right Now Media Account. Many of you may have remembered receiving an invitation to Right Now Media in the past, and that invitation can be resent, or maybe you just haven’t logged in for a while. Right now media provides a wide range of Bible Studies on a broad number of topics, as well as many books of the Bible. In addition to those studies there are also studies and programs specifically designated for children and youth. As a family you may find several of these studies meet your needs to keep you growing in your faith, and this is all a gift to you provided by Asbury United Methodist Church. This is also an opportunity if you have ever desired to have a small group meeting at your home for spiritual growth, but weren’t sure how to do it, this might be your answer. You may login to look around with Right Now Media at rightnowmedia.org. I have used many of these studies in the past and found the teachings to be solid and easy to follow. Please consider using this tool during this time to grow in your relationship with Christ. Peace and Grace,
