May 2015
ALDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Inside this issue: May Birthdays 2 WNL 2 Preschool Grads 3 Summer Camps 3 Music & Drama Week 3 VBS 4 Adult Ministry 5 Sunday Worship 6 Weekly Podcast 6 Special Sundays 6 Mission/Haiti 7-8 Stop Hunger Now 8 Drive Thru Prayer 9 Adopt A Highway 9 Music 10 Afternoon Arts 10 Yong Dancers 11 United Methodist Men 11 Did You Ever Wonder 12 Thanks 13 Nursery/Acolyte 14 Altar Guild/ 14 Trustee 14 Multiplying Our Gifts 15 May Lay Assistants 16
Experience “SAYING GOOD-BYE” By now many of you know that the church will be going through a transition this summer. Tara and I will be leaving to take appointments in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach. Rev. Homer Morris has been appointed to be your new senior pastor and our very own Rev. Jack Snyder will become the Minister of Visitation. Meanwhile, we have also hired Andrew Woods to be the new Youth Director to follow Rob Tucker, who is graduating in May and taking an appointment in Florida. That probably feels like a lot of change all at once. The truth is it is. But the people who are joining the Aldersgate staff this summer are excellent at what they do. They will be able to help the church grow while challenging, teaching, nurturing, leading, and comforting you and others along the way. Homer, Jack, and Andrew are deeply committed to Christ and are also deeply committed to ministering in His name. Altogether, they have served local churches professionally for more than 50 years combined. That’s a lot of experience they are bringing to Aldersgate. You are going to be blessed by their leadership. Still, in many ways I can’t believe this is all happening. It probably won’t feel real until several weeks after we’ve actually moved. After six years here I knew the possibility of a move was going to increase each year, but I was
still surprised to receive the call this spring. It was a difficult decision to make. But given the fact that none of the children had started high school yet and given the opportunity to move to the same hometown where Tara’s family still lives we said “yes.” We had truly thought we would be staying at Aldersgate longer; but we also knew this possibility was not going to come around again.
have given us all opportunities to be our best selves and even when we weren’t our best selves you continued to love us anyway. Let’s not hit the pause button over these next two months. We don’t have to stop being in relationship with one another. And, by all means, the church doesn’t have to suddenly stop moving forward either. Change, while sometimes hard, can often lead to extraordinary growth. Let’s all keep our eyes on Jesus. Aldersgate has remained a faithful church for nearly 60 years now. And I feel confident that Aldersgate will remain faithful for generations to come.
Nevertheless, I never would have left Aldersgate if I thought the church was in a bad place. We’re not. Oh sure, there’s plenty of work to be done. There always is. There always will be. But we’ve come so far in six years. We May the Peace of Christ have grown physically, be with you, numerically, emotionally, and most of all, spiritually. This is a great church. I hate to leave. Pastor Doug We have loved Aldersgate. And I think it has become easy to love Aldersgate because you have loved me and my family. Can you believe that Olivia was starting second grade when we arrived? Emily was starting Kindergarten, and Everett was only two. You have nurtured our children. You have taken in our family. I will never be able to repay you all for all the kindness you have shown to me, to my wife, and to my kids. You