The Mother Carrie Scholarship:  Annual scholarship award to student who is or will be enrolling in a community college, college or university in study leading to a degree in full time Christian service (preference to pastoral or diaconal ministry). Preference to members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Urbandale, IA. Financial need considered. The scholarship is worth $1,444 at the present time.  Applications for the 2014-1015 academic year must be received by March 15, 2014. GRADUATING SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS: the United Methodist foundation awards scholarships to members of the United Methodist Church. Each scholarship will have individual applications which are available from the website: www.iumf.org.  Applications may be sent to Methodist Foundation, 2301 Rittenhouse Street, Des Moines, IA 50321 and must be postmarked on or before March 15, 2013. LaMotte Scholarship: Aldersgate United Methodist Church will award $500 for the LaMotte Scholarship. Applicants must: 

• be an active member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church
• come from a single parent family; defined as a family for which a single parent provides substantial financial support for the applicant
• be either a senior in high school or a current college student
• be enrolled as a full-time student seeking an associate or bachelor degree in an accredited institution

Applications are due February 15. Contact Theresa Constable, Church Office Manager, for the application information.

Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday (holy day) that is not a biblical requirement.  But, has been honored by Christians for well over ten centuries, falling at the beginning of Lent, a 40 day (not including Sundays) preparation for Easter. In the earliest centuries, Christians who had been stuck in persistent sin had ashes sprinkled on their bodies as a sign of repentance, even as Job repented “in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Come and prepare for Easter: Soup Supper at 5:30 pm Worship Service at 6:15 pm Attention parents please join your children and youth as regular programming will not be held.

Aldersgate United Methodist Church will be packing meals for  Meals from the Heartland on Wednesday, March 19^th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in the Elwell Family Food Center. The process will be an assembly line which is great for all ages. Different people will be putting scoops of food in a bag. Then a group will seal the bag and box the bag. In an hour a person bags approximately one box which is 36 bags. Each bag contains 6 meals. You must sign up in order to attend. We currently have 20 spots to fill. Contact Lisa at lisa@aldersgatedsm.org or 515-278-0466 if you have any questions or if you would like to sign up to help! The goal is to pack 1,000,000 meals.

Calling all Men.  Aldersgate is once again participating in the Clive Men’s Church 12″ Softball League.  We play a total of 14 to 16 games on Monday evenings starting the week of April 14 and end in late June.  You must be 16 or older to participate.  The cost is $50 per player ($35 for high school/college student).  If you are interested in playing, even part time, call/email Bert Hitzel no later than March 10 at 276-9740 or hitz123@hotmail.com.