This Saturday, January 21st from 8:30-noon there will be an Aldersgate Church Work Party.  It will be an opportunity to work on some of the deferred items of maintenance, all of them inside the building.  There are a variety of opportunities to clean things up, to update things, and to make sure our facility is in great shape.  Don’t miss this.  Dave Carver is supervising the event and will have plenty of places for people to work and do some winter sprucing up.

This Sunday, January 22nd at 3:00pm, the District is holding a film related forum around the film, “Blanket of Fear.”  It is co-starring our District Lay Leader and focuses on religious intolerance.  There will be a discussion following the film.  The film will be shown at Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church in the Columbia City neighborhood just south of I-90 in Seattle.  It will be an opportunity to hear and share our own leadings as Christians in a world that seems to be growing more intolerant by the day.  If at all possible, please plan on attending.

On the following Saturday, January 28th, from 8am – 4pm there will be the annual District Training Day.  The workshops are outstanding, particularly this year, and focus on a variety of areas that concern every church.  It’s a time to get to know others from the District, hear from some remarkable teachers, and to share wonderful worship together.  It will be held at Renton First United Methodist, just on the hill east of I-405.  Again, it will be a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow in faith and in relationships.

On Tuesday March 21st, down the road at our neighboring church (St. Margaret’s Episcopal) there will be movie co-sponsored by Aldersgate.  It will revisit the movie, “Bowling for Columbine” and have opportunities to discuss gun control and gun violence in America.  I want to invite you to be a part of that conversation, especially given our sponsorship of the movie, and the fact that the showing is taking place in the House of Worship of a neighbor makes it that much more an opportunity for us.  More details will be coming out shortly but I wanted to get it on our calendars sooner rather than later.

We are a part of a connectional church; one that seeks to support, encourage, uplift and move ahead the gospel of Jesus Christ within our United Methodist District.  We are a connectional church right here at Aldersgate, a church that seeks to support the ministries including taking care of this beautiful property and this often used facility.   We are a connectional church that seeks to build connections in and around this community.  Each of these events are most certainly a part of being a connectional church.  Let’s take these on.