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Leadership Directory
Last updated 9/10/24
Church Council
The group of leaders who guide and further the vision of the congregation.
Chair: Al Watanabe
Vice Chair: Tanya Growe
Recording Secretary: Lisa Earnest
Lay Delegate to Annual Conference: Candy Spiker
Lay Leader: Lynn Dole
Treasurer: Ron Luther
Staff/Parish Rep: Gary Garitson
Finance Rep: Sue Paris
Trustees Rep: Edgar Katternhenry
Youth Representative: Hannah Growe
Ministry Teams Administrator: Jeff Blasdel
Young Adult Representative: Stacy Greathouse
Pastor: Nick Robinson
Staff
Paid employees of the church that enable the volunteers to execute the mission of the church.
Pastor: Nick Robinson
Organist: Ed Bruenjes
Children’s Ministry Director: Will Speaker
CMO Director: Kit Akins
Conservatory Director: Carol Tucker
Online Church Director: Dean O’Neal
Office Administrator: Jennifer O’Connell
Financial Bookkeeper: Shawn Wadell
Finance
Nurture the financial vitality of the congregation
Chair: Sue Paris
Pastor: Nick Robinson
Church Council Chair: Alan Wantanabe
Staff-Parish Rep: Gary Garitson
Trustees Rep: Dan Kirkling
Financial Secretary: Shawn Wadell
Treasurer: Ron Luther
Stewardship
Nurtures generous living in everyone connected with Asbury
Chair: Dennis Stone
2022-2024: Chuck VanNatta
2023-2025: Susan Reid, Dennis Stone
2024-2026: Mary Beth Wert
Staff-Parish Relations
Building strong relationships between the staff and the congregation and between the congregation and the district superintendent
Chair: Gary Garitson
2022-2024: Russ Growe, Thomas Hahn, Beth Smith
2023-2025: Beth Slaton, Alan Mize, Tracey Warren
2024-2026: Roselyn Johnston, Samantha Steele, Gary Garitson
Board of Trustees
Supervise and maintain all property belonging to the church so that the ministries of the congregation can be effective
2022-2024:
- Dana Stickans: Internet, Phone, Office, Security
- Penni Lashua: Grounds, Kitchen
- Edgar Katternhenry: Vice Chair, Church Council Rep, Electrical
2023-2025:
- Lee Dardis: HVAC
- Beale Delano: Secretary, Insurance & Contracts, Janitorial, Pest Control
- Doug Warren: Plumbing, Trash & Recycling
2024-2026:
- Dan Kirkling: Treasurer, Maintenance, Parsonage, Rep to Finance, CMO, Scouts
- Kevin Earnest: Chair, AVL, Rep to Mission Columbus
- Rayetta Mize: Facility Engineering, Supplies
Nominations & Leadership Development
Identify and develop individuals to serve in leadership positions in the church.
Pastor/Chair: Nick Robinson
2022-2024: Cheri Hart, Dan Kirkling, Tammy Maddox
2023-2025: Gary Spiker, Laura Crossman, Cheryl Brosey
2024-2026: Matt Harding, Samantha Steele
Team 0: Ministry Leadership
Provides vision, direction, and organization for the other seven leadership teams
Ministry Leader: Jeff Blasdel
Prayer Leader: T.J. Anderson
Recruiter: Samantha Steele
Encourager: Nick Robinson
Teacher: Laura Crossman
Team 1: Outreach
Reaching the lost and hurting by inviting them into God’s house, where they will feel the love and acceptance of Christ.
Ministry Leader: Stacey Greathouse
Prayer Leader: Lucy Hiatt
Recruiter: Steve Ferdon
Encourager: Julia Wilson
Teacher: Lynn Dole
Missions Subteam
Plans the missions outreach of Asbury
Chair: Mary Beth Wert
2020-22:
2020-22:
2020-22: Nancy Taylor
Conservatory Advisory Subteam
Oversees the music lesson program, Asbury Conservatory
Director: Carol Tucker
Mary Sue Stone
Don Robertson
Tammy Maddox
Charles VanNatta
Ed Bruenjes
Ex-Officio: Nick Robinson
Outreach Program Coordinators
Asbury Men: Chuck VanNatta
Mission Columbus: Steve Ferdon
Pit Stop: Dot Kirkling
Red Bird Mission: Mary Beth Wert
Ecumenical Assembly Representative: Susan Whipker
Team 2: WOW (First Impressions)
Making church like Heaven on Earth by creating an accepting and friendly atmosphere where the love of God is demonstrated.
Ministry Leader: Wayne Reid
Prayer Leader:
Recruiter:
Encourager:
Teacher: Beale Delano
Team 3: Atmosphere & Tech Arts
Producing the finest, high-tech, professional, and exciting worship service that makes the Word of God seen and heard with cutting edge applications.
Ministry Leader: Kevin Earnest
Prayer Leader:
Recruiter: Dana Stickans
Encourager: Dan Kirkling
Teacher: Dennis Stone
Production Consultant: O’Neal Production Services
Ambience Subteam
Banner Coordinator: Nancy Taylor
Credence Table Coordinator: Penni Lashua
Atmosphere and Tech Arts Program Coordinators
Webmaster: Kevin Earnest
Archivist: Dan Kirkling
Team 4: Worship
Create an atmosphere of worship that will literally change lives. While we seek to provide music with excellence, the ultimate goal is to draw one closer to Jesus Christ.
Ministry Leader: Candy Spiker
Prayer Leader:
Recruiter: Penni Lashua
Encourager:
Teacher:
Traditional Worship Planning Subteam
Plans and evaluates the traditional worship service
Candy Spiker
Laura Hahn
Janet Baldwin
Nick Robinson
Contemporary Worship Planners:
Tanya Growe
Kevin Earnest
Nick Robinson
Worship Program Coordinators
Bell Choir: Ed Bruenjes
Organist: Ed Bruenjes
Communion: Dave and Janice Fisher
Acolyte:
Team 5: Care & Follow-up
Provide the love, acceptance, friendliness, and compassion of Christ to the visitor and to all those who come through the church doors with the purpose of assimilating them into the life and ministry of the church.
Ministry Leader: Dot Kirkling
Prayer Leader:
Recruiter: Laura Hahn
Encourager: Michael Cartwright
Teacher:
Asbury Connection Team:
Prayer Ministry: Linda Garitson
Hospital Visitation: Lin Dietz
Nursing Home and Homebound Visitation:
Calling Committee: Dot Kirkling
Funeral Dinners:
Asbury Knitters:
Barnabas Ministry (College Students):
Wedding Coordinators:
Pew Stewards: Janice Fisher
The Well Coordinators: Penni Lashua
Library: Dot Kirkling
Team 6: Children & Youth
Win children and youth to Christ, minister to their needs, encourage them to serve, and help them grow into spiritual maturity.
Ministry Leader: Will Speaker
Prayer Leader: Carol Tucker
Recruiter: Lisa Earnest
Encourager: JoEllen Watanabe
Teacher: Elaina Robinson
Scouting Representative: Curtis Axsom
Youth Subteam
Oversees the Ministry to Teens at Asbury
Chair: Lisa Earnest
Tami Iorio
Tracey Warren
Workcamp Coordinators:
Lisa Earnest
Tracey Warren
Steve and Mary Ferdon
CMO Advisory Subteam
Oversees the pre-school program, Children’s Morning Out
Chair:
Director: Kit Akins
Pastor: Nick Robinson
Team 7: Life Groups
Provide the love, acceptance, friendliness, and compassion of Christ by connecting friends to the church through life groups.
Ministry Leader: Tom Brosey
Prayer Leader: Joe Mickel
Recruiter: Linda Garitson
Encourager:
Teacher: Mary Sue Stone
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Realm FAQ
Realm provides connection and interaction with the church and other members. Realm allows you to manage your personal information and who is allowed to see it, and allows you to keep in touch with the church groups that matter to you.
You cannot set up a Realm account without an invitation. This is for your safety and privacy. Want to receive an invitation? Need help setting up your account? Or have a question? Email our Realm administrator at: asbury@asburycolumbus.org
After you receive your invitation, you can Log in to your Realm account here
How does Realm work?
Realm is a private online environment for our church where we can share a directory and stay in touch with groups and events throughout the week. Asbury users can log in with an email address and password, but only after an email invitation from our system administrators.
In Realm, you can manage your personal and contact information, donate, see your giving history, and connect easily with others in the congregation from your phone, tablet, or computer.
- Profiles: Your profile is your starting point. It contains your contact information, household members, email preferences, giving history, groups you belong to, and more.
- Giving: You can pledge, contribute, and see your giving history through your profile.
- Groups: Realm’s “Groups” feature simplifies interacting with others in the church, including small groups, ministries, and volunteer teams. (When you activate your profile, you are automatically part of a group church called Asbury United Methodist Church.)
How do I get started in Realm?
If we already have your name and email address on file, you will fall into one of three categories:
- You have a profile waiting to be activated. Open an email invitation from “Asbury United Methodist Church” and follow the steps to create an account and set your password. You will then be sent a verification email with a link to verify your account. Your profile is activated!
- Your profile may have already been activated by staff because you’re a volunteer or because you registered for something recently. If that’s the case, you’ll get an email invitation to recover/reset your password instead. Humor us and follow the steps to set a “new” password then you’ll be IN!
- Perhaps you’ve already used Realm in the course of working with staff; no need to change your password – just keep logging in as you have
I didn't receive an email invite
Check your spam/junk folder to see if you received your email invitation and did not realize it. If the email invitation isn’t there, contact asbury@asburycolumbus.org and we will send you another invitation. We may be trying to use an old email address. If you did not receive an email invitation and we don’t have an email address on file for you, talk to Jennifer in the church office.
How do I access Realm?
- Smart phone or tablet: download the Realm Connect app by ACS Technologies
- Computer: click “Log In to Realm” button at bottom of our website, asburycolumbus.org
First Time Orientation
Congratulations! The administrator has sent you an invitation to set up an account in Realm, Asbury’s communication tool. Check your spam or junk folder if you do not see the Realm invitation show up in your inbox. The emails are automated and are identified as spam by some programs. Also, email invitations expire after 72 hours. If you need a new email invitation then please email asbury@asburycolumbus.org to ask for another to be sent to you. Compatible browsers are: Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Safari.
Follow these three steps to set up your account in Realm:
- First Time Set-Up
You will need to be on a computer or tablet the first time you log into Realm.
When you click on the “Create Realm Account” link in the email, you will be directed to a webpage to setup your account. In Realm the username is your email address. If you share an email address with someone, you will have to share a Realm account, or create a separate email address.
- Create a Password
You will need to create a password. It must be at least eight characters and have a mix of upper and lower-case letters and numbers or symbols. If your password is acceptable, you’ll see a small green check to the right of what you typed. If not, you’ll see a red marker. When you have set your password, click on the blue “Create Realm Account”. This will put you into Realm and you will be directed to the “News” page. See NEWS below to learn more about navigating in Realm.
- Next – Review Your Profile Information
After you set up your password and log into Realm, you will need to update your profile information. To do this:
- Click on your NAME in the blue area located in the upper right hand corner of your screen. Select MY RPOFILE in the drop down menu.
- Click on EDIT and update your contact information. Make changes as needed and be sure to click on SAVE at the top of your screen.
- While in the EDIT mode, click on PERSONAL INFORMATION and update as needed and SAVE.
- Next select MANAGE PRIVACY and select who you want to see your contact information. Change your setting to “Everyone in the Church” so you will appear in our member directory. Be sure to SAVE your changes.
To log in on your computer or tablet in the future, go to the web address https://onrealm.org. We suggest saving this link to your favorites. To log in to Realm on your mobile device, you will need to install the Realm Connect app.
More about NEWS and GROUPS in Realm
When logging into Realm, it will always default to the NEWS page. On the left side you will see a menu of selections:
“News” will display any recent news that has been posted by the church or any groups you are in.
“Communications” displays an inbox with messages that have been sent to you and you can send messages to people without having their email address. When a message is sent, the recipient will receive an email that they have a message and a notification in Realm.
“Events” section will show any calendar events posted for the congregation or for any of the groups you belong to. If you belong to multiple committees, having the Committee meetings as calendar events makes it easy to remember when they occur.
“Giving” shows your giving history, allows you to Give, make a pledge, and see or modify your scheduled giving (auto withdraw) in the future.
“Groups” will list Asbury’s committees and ministry teams you are a part of. Everyone should have “Asbury United Methodist Church” as a group; this is a church-wide group. After clicking on a group, you can do the following:
- Use the three circular icons to add a new post, add a photo or add an event (leaders only).
- News will provide posts and events with the most recent at the top. Select any of the posts or events to reply and add to the discussion. If you attach a file to your post then the file will show both within your post as well as the Files tab.
- Participants will show all the members of the group. If you are a Group Leader then you will have additional information for each participant as well as a “Manage participants” button to add or remove a participant.
- Files is one of the best features in Realm. It provides a central place to share files within your committee. This way, Committee information is always available for all current members. This an alternative to our Google Drive Workspace.
- Find Groups: this page lists the groups that are available for you to consider joining. Take time to look and see what the church members are doing.
“Serving” allows us to post serving opportunities.
“Directory” lists all active Asbury members. Clicking on a member’s name should pull up a page with contact and personal information that that person allows you to see.
If you need further assistance or have questions, feel free to contact the Church Office.
Update your Personal Info
iPhone:
- Touch “more” … three dots, lower right, then Profile
(iPad just choose Profile) - Touch edit “pencil” for each item
Android:
- Touch “hamburger” menu, upper left
- Choose Profile
- Touch edit “pencil” upper right for all items
Computer:
- Click your name, upper right
- Choose Profile or Privacy to edit
Really Important First-Time Checklist:
- Personal and contact info complete?
- Include your complete birthdate! Your age and birth year will never be displayed 😊but it will help us find you for specific purposes
- Upload profile photo!
- Manage privacy for email, phone, and address
We urge everyone over 18 to choose Anyone in the Church
For children, please keep privacy setting Staff and Leaders Only
All About Privacy
Realm is a private, password-protected system for members of our church community only.
To check your privacy settings, access your profile using one of the methods (Android/iPhone/Computer) described above under “Update Your Personal Info”
Over 18: We urge everyone over 18 to choose Anyone in the Church so other Realm users can see your email, address, phone number, birthday (month and day, not year), marital status, and the names of your household members. If you prefer to keep certain information private, you can choose one of the other options.
Children: Privacy settings for children and youth under 18 are set to Staff and Leaders Only. Parents, please do not change these settings for your children. Children are given the parents email address so that emails about children’s groups will go to a parent.
Should I Upload a Picture?
Yes, please! In a church as large as ours, it’s helpful to connect names and faces. Headshots are best! To upload a photo from your computer, click on the circle containing your initials. If you are having trouble, send a picture to us and we will add it for you.
Periodically, the church will host an event on Sunday mornings to “Update the Directory”. These are great times to get a nice family photo to take home that can then be used in Realm!
Can I give to the Church Online?
Yes. You can give your offering through Realm – one time or recurring on a regular schedule.
iPhone – your giving history appears first; touch Make a Gift to schedule a one-time or recurring offering
Android – giving a one-time or recurring offering appears first; swipe left to see your giving history
Computer – log in from the REALM LOGIN button at the bottom of our website, asburycolumbus.org.
Click Giving on the left menu panel to see your giving history
Click the +Give tab to schedule a one-time or recurring offering
You can also view future scheduled giving and previous year contribution statements on this page
Does Realm Replace the Website?
No. Realm is an online community for those who call Asbury their church home. asburycolumbus.org, will always be an at-your-fingertips resource with everything you’d want to know about Asbury. Most importantly, our website is the church’s public and welcoming online presence to people who are not yet connected or committed.
How will Groups and Serving Teams use Realm?
Groups and volunteer teams are encouraged to use Realm for their communication. Contact an administrator to create your group, then you can populate it from our directory.
Leaders and members within the group can post files and photos. Posting is as simple as clicking on the pen icon, writing a message, and clicking “Post.” You can also create a photo post by clicking on the camera.
Group leaders have these additional privileges:
- Creating events: Leaders can create a date-specific meeting, gathering, or event by clicking on the calendar. These are automatically added to the Realm church calendar. (They are not added to the Facility Calendar so you will still need to contact the church to reserve a room or space for your group).
- Adding and removing group members: Leaders keep their group rosters up to date. To add and remove group members, go to “Participants” and “Manage Roster.”
- Remember to add a photo of yourself and encourage others in your group to do so.
I’m a small group leader, and I communicate with my group via email. Why would I want to use Realm instead of email?
Realm offers several advantages for small group leaders:
- Realm has a dedicated space for your group, so all the messages, responses, and uploaded files are stored together. No more searching your email inbox for past communication!
- Every message and all replies go to everyone in the group. No more out-of-date email mailing lists or “Reply All” requirements.
Help! I’m not getting any email from the church and my groups!
You may need to change your email settings for Realm. Find your Settings (see UPDATE YOUR PERSONAL INFO section above) then select a specific setting for each of your groups.