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Anniversary Wesley: |
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 50th Kickoff Celebration Click This Photo For An Enlargement |
 Consecration of our Prayer & Meditation Garden Click This Photo for An Enlargement |
50th Memorial Walkway Dedication Click This Photo For An Enlargement |
 Wesley's Charter Membership 1954 Click This Photo For An Enlargement |
 2004 Bi-District UMM Rally Click This Photo For An Enlargement |
 Grayson Koogle, 50th Anniversary Guest Speaker Click This Photo For An Enlargement |
| This concludes our 50th Anniversary Celebration Activities. |  Celebration Sunday 12 September 2004 |
All are invited to attend the
2054 100th Anniversary Celebration. Details available in mid 2053! |
There was a Guest reception in the Wesley Church Parlor on 3 April 2004. The Reception was provided especially for those who could not attend on Sunday, as well as for those who wanted additional time to visit informally with our special guests.
4 April 2004
We Especially Welcomed Our Honored Guests:
The Reverend George & Mrs. Lucille Henley, our founding pastor, 1954
The Reverend Wrightson and Mrs. Betty Tongue, our pastor, 1971-1982
Mrs. Lois Bayne, our Music Director, 1968 -2002
Mrs. Marjorie Doeppner, our founding Preschool Director, 1967
Mrs. Gloria and Mr. Robert Thompson, Christial Educator, 1968-1974
Members for Fifty Years: Irene Bowman, Ehael Lam, & George TalbotWe Gave Thanks For Our Guest Worship Leaders
Guest Speaker, Mr. Grayson Koogle is a charter member and the son of our founders: George and Lucille Koogle. We welcomed Grayson and his wife, Valerie and their family.
Trumpeter, Mr. Scott Gearhart is a resident of our neighborhood and plays professionally. We welcomed Scott and his wife, Vicki.This was the apex of our 50th anniversary celebration. On Sunday, April 4th, we worshiped together at 10 a.m. The Reverend George Henley, who led the church’s first worship service, was here to welcome us and lead us in the opening prayer. Mr. Grayson Koogle, who is a child of Wesley and whose parents stored the portable altar in their basement, gave the message of faith: “Question: Would You Buy A Brick Today?” Pastor Teresa led the service and gave the children’s message: “Once Upon A Time.” The Reverend Wrightson Tongue and his wife, Betty, who pastored the church during the 1970’s was with us as our special guests.
Other special guests include our Alexandria District Superintendent, the Reverend Alan Reifsnyder and his wife, Libby.
The service included glorious music sung and rung by all of our choirs. Mrs. Lois Bayne returned to be the Guest Director of the Handbell Choir as they ring, “Glorious Things.” We were honored that Mrs. Bayne also directed the Chancel Choir and all present Choir alumni as they sang, “Look For Me Around the Throne.” Our Music Director, Jane Colgrove directed the Chancel Choir as they sang, “In the Shadow of the Palms” and she provided musical selections throughout the service. Mr. Scott Gearhart accompanied the hymns and the Handbell Choir anthem with trumpet. Rhonda Reeves lead our Children’s Choir as they sang.
A Commitment Tree was planted at the conclusion of the service. This gave everyone the opportunity to make a spiritual commitment and place it around the roots of the tree as a sign of our faith and our determination to go forward in the name of Christ in the years to come. A group photo was taken on the front steps of the church, following the blessing.
A beautiful and delicious catered lunch was served at noon in the Fellowship Hall. Richard Inlow provided a glimpse of the last 50 years via a power point presentation during the dinner. A display illustrated the history of this land throughout the 1700’s and on into Wesley’s founding in 1954.
A big thank you goes to all who made this celebration possible.
The next step in our Anniversary Celebration includes taking pictures in May 2004 for a new church directory and completing a time capsule to be buried in September 2004 which will conclude our Anniversary Celebration. Together we celebrate the many ways in which God has moved in our midst to minister to the world that all might know the light of Christ.
28 September 2003 (Complete) 50th Anniversary kick-off with the dedication of our 50th Anniversary Memorial Walkway
5 October 2003 (Complete) In conjunction with World wide Communion Sunday we will dedicate our Meditation & Prayer Garden (MAP) after worship services.
14 December 2003 (Complete) Lighting of our 50th Anniversary outdoor Christmas tree and singing carols will begin at 5:30 p.m. Afterwards we will celebrate Christmas with a feast of holiday refreshments and hot cider in the Fellowship Hall.
18 January 2004 (Complete) Wesley will conduct a special historical worship service. All the choirs will be singing and the handbells will be playing selections of your all time favorites followed by a potluck feast in the Fellowship Hall.
6 March 2004 (Complete) Hosting the Alexandria District UMM Rally at Wesley.
3 April 2004 (Complete)Guest reception in the Wesley Church Parlor. All are invited to the Saturday evening guest reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the parlor. Come visit and remininisce with past clergy and laity friends from years past.
4 April 2004 (Complete)This is the apex of our 50th anniversary celebration. Past ministers will be invited to attend and take part in the Worship celebration. After the worship service we will plant a “spiritual commitment tree”. Everyone is encouraged to write spiritual commitments on paper and just prior to planting the tree we will place our written commitments into the hole with the tree. We intend to use the same shovel which broke Wesley church ground 50 years ago to plant our commitments and with the tree. As the tree grows we each will have a present reminder that we also are growing in our faith quest. At noon there will be a catered dinner in the Fellowship Hall with innovative table decorations by Sally Jackson and a remembrance display assembled by Watson Pryor. Additionally there will be a continuous Powerpoint presentation of memorable graphics.
13 June 2004 (Complete)We celebrated 50 years of Wesley’s Youth fellowship and nearly 40 years of Wesley Pre-School as well as 50 years of Vacation Bible Schools.
07 August 2004 (Complete) Is the Fourth Annual Peach Festival with theme of 50 years of sharing Christ in our community.
12 September 2004 - Wesley Celebration Sunday (Complete).
