Newsletter July/August 2024  May/June 2026 Newsletter Dear Friends, As we enter into the spring and summer season, let us continue to be an Easter People, a people of the Resurrection. If we are in Christ, we shall live for eternity with the Lord. There are moments in life so terrible, so painful, and so difficult that God’s silence or perceived absence can lead one to question his very existence. People want to believe in God and his care for their loved ones. Mary must have been experiencing these feelings as she wept outside the empty tomb. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Mary was present for the miracles, watched Jesus offer hope to so many, and heard the Lord speak many times about a future beyond this world. Mary had been close by during the arrest, the scourging, and Jesus taking his last breath on the cross. And now her faith in God and the goodness of eternal love is shattered. Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). -John 20:11-16 Easter reminds us that death is not the final word. Jesus’ resurrection is a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. It is the hope of the ultimate victory we will walk in. We must enter into the Easter season reflecting on the words of Jesus, “Because I love (live), you shall live also”. Pastor Doug An outing is being planned for 1:00 PM Saturday, August 29th at the Ohio Star Theater for the musical performance of Elijah, Prophet of Fire. This is a first-class theater in Sugar Creek and previous shows have been very well done. Tickets will cost around $50 per seat, with a small discount if we can get 15 people or more. An adjoining restaurant offers an Amish luncheon buffet. There is an extra charge for that. The performance is based on the life of Elijah as described in 1 Kings chapters 17-19 and 2 Kings chapters 1-2. Our vision for this opportunity of Christian fellowship is to offer well-presented video lessons, a couple of weeks prior to the show. We would propose carpooling to the event possibly divided by those who would like to enjoy the buffet prior to the show and those who prefer the show only. For more information on the musical use the link https://dhgroup.com/events/elijah-prophet-of-fire/ More details will be provided in the late spring with the need for a commitment shortly thereafter. We hope that you will consider joining this inspiring opportunity for Christian fellowship. Non-Aldersgate friends welcome. For questions, please contact Bob Graham at 330-418-6605. PRAYER CONCERNS Jeanine Battershell, Fran Schandel, The Family of Bob Haines, The Family of Jeffery Klinginsmith, Chuck Harris, Heidi Millard Lewis, Carla Millard Fletcher, Mike Smelts and The Family of Taylor Zeedrich. Please pray for the homeless and for those battling depression, anxiety, stress, mental health and addictions. Pray for our Nation and our US Military Men and Women. Pray for Pastor Beggs & Family and for our Church Family. SPRING PRAYER VIGIL "Pray for our Children!" Saturday, May 9, 2026 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 12 hours of intercessory prayer in the Church Sanctuary. If you have a prayer request, please contact Cindy Battershell (330-472-1544). Thank You CHECK OUT ALL THESE ITEMS TO KEEP IN MIND! Please continue to bring in non-perishable food items for our Blessing Box at Aldersgate. Suggested items that are taken the most are individual packets/containers of Breakfast Cereal, Mac & Cheese and Ramen Noodles. As always thank you for your continued support. Clothed in Righteousness has an ongoing need for the following food items: Canned Meat and Soups with pull-top lids, Mac-N-Cheese, Ramen Noodle Bowls, Protein Bars, Apple Sauce (individual serving containers work the best). The Basket for these items is on the table downstairs close to the stairway. The MAY-JUNE issue of the Upper Room Devotionals, both large and small print, are now available on the table in the Narthex. When you are here at the church, please remember to take one for yourself and/or a copy to share with someone who would enjoy receiving it. Any new or changed addresses, phone numbers (cell or landline) or E-mail addresses that you would like to share with the church office are always welcomed, as it keeps the lines of communication open with our church family. Thank you. Also, be sure to check the Upcoming Events on the back page of the Newsletter and mark your calendars accordingly. 2025 Financial Audit of Aldersgate Family Methodist Church January 16, 2026 Without making any excuses, let me say at the outset, that in 2025, the church had three Treasurers and took on the transition of one accounting system, namely Church Windows, to another, QuickBooks. There have been challenges over the year, but the Account balances on the church books substantially match those provided by our bank, Consumer’s National and the holder of our four certificates of deposit, First Commonwealth Bank. Aldersgate has six accounts, a checking, savings and four CD’s that hold our excess funds in interest bearing instruments. Account balances effective December 31, 2025: •Checking$40,354.48* •Savings$15,800.93 •Three Cd’s$10,315.08 each, totaling$30,945.24 •One CD totaling$30,415.37 Account totals$117,518.02 *The church’s checking balance varies slightly from the bank statement by the dollar amount of checks that had not cleared by the end of the year. The Treasurer states that the checking account is balanced monthly and the savings account, quarterly. Savings interest earned is posted to the church books quarterly. In 2026 the Treasurer will print a reconciliation report when the checking statement arrives and likewise quarterly when the savings statement arrives. VISA charge slips are given to the treasurer, posted as they occur and balanced with the statement monthly. The VISA charges are paid in full monthly. The church bills are paid in full as they are presented for payment. We have had no payment issues that required resolution. The payroll has been kept current with all withholdings made and paid in accordance with law. There have been no reported payroll irregularities. The Treasurer and Secretary work well together. The Secretary counts and deposits all giving for the date in which it occurred. The Treasurer credits financial gifts to the giver and writes checks for all bills paid, by check or electronically. The secretary signs and mails all payments requiring a check. A sampling was performed for weekly deposits and it was found that the weekly giving totals equaled the amounts credited in the church accounts and the bank records. The Treasurer generates monthly reports that include balance sheets and transaction activity. Transactions include date, name of payee, reason for payment, and the amount paid. This activity includes both drafted checks and electronic transfer. These reports are forwarded to the Finance Chair, the church office and periodically to the Ad Council. In addition, a budget report is generated on a monthly basis where income and expense is compared to the approved budget amounts. All reports are available to the congregation by simple request. To the congregation’s credit, yearend General Fund revenue of $154,184.26 exceeded expenses of $150,493.05 by $3,691.10 Annual giving statements were circulated to all donors for whom the church had contact information. The donors were requested to look over their statements carefully for any discrepancy that might be found. To date only one incident has been reported and that issue was easily resolved. To the best of my knowledge and examination, I believe that the church accounting is a fair representation of the state of the church’s finances. Respectfully submitted, Robert P. Graham II Finance Chair SERVING IN THE MILITARY Stateside - Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Drago, Army Colonel Robert Greiner Bible study continues on Wednesdays,at 6:30p.m. We are studying the book, Bad Girls of the Bible: And What We Can Learn from Them. All are welcome, please consider attending. MISSION FOCUS We will he supporting the Alliance Pregnancy Center for the months of May and June. From Mother's Day to Father's Day, we will support their “Change For Life Campaign” by filling baby bottles with coins, cash or checks. In addition, we will be collecting baby items the center is in need of, such as: baby bottles, pacifiers, baby and toddler socks, onesies, diapers, receiving blankets, and toddler size 2 boy and girl outfits. We hope you'll join us in supporting this wonderful organization that assists so many in our community. Thank you, your Missions Team May/June 5/5 Leanne Battershell 5/22 Bob Schrock 5/30 Knox Battershell 5/11 Pastor Doug & Christy Beggs 5/28 Marty & Laura Joseph 5/28 David & Janet McAlister 6/7 Braylon Battershell 6/16 Aubrey McAlister 6/24 Pastor Doug Beggs 6/30 Ann Bossert 6/8 Jerry & Darlene Baum Please let the church office know when there are changes to this listing. We like to keep it as accurate as possible. Thank you. NEW SAFETY FEATURES On Sunday, March 1, Aldersgate began locking our parking lot door at 10:40 a.m. on Sunday mornings. This policy will help provide a Safe Sanctuary for all who attend our Family Church. If you arrive after the door is locked, please park in the front parking lot and enter through the front door. We ask that the Greeter lock the parking lot door at 10:40 a.m. There will be a key available for this purpose. If you are a Greeter and not able to lock the door for any reason, please let Janet or Pastor Doug know and someone will do it for you. Aldersgate Family Methodist Church 11394 Edison Street NE Alliance, OH 44601 Email: aldersgate1966@yahoo.com Mission-"To be a community of believers demonstrating Christ’s love to the world one person at a time." Vision-"Biblically anchored Christ-centered followers of Christ transforming lives by spreading the Good News."