| Quick Links |
|
PET Net (our new social networking site)
|
|
| Exhibition of the Kingdom to the World |
|
By Carl Schlich, Interim General Presbyter
At a recent gathering, I was standing in the lobby of a motel surrounded by people, some of whom were family and others I knew only slightly. A picture of President Obama flashed up on the TV screen. A man standing next to me said, "Now there's a man I wish someone would shoot right between the eyes."
To read the full article, click here. |
| Healthy Congregations Workshops |
|
October 23-24, 2009
 Healthy Congregations Workshops use Family Systems Theory to understand and strengthen the life of a congregation. The Support Mission Team is sponsoring this two-day training event for pastors and other church leaders to gain insight into ways to move a congregation toward a more healthy and faithful life together.
The workshop leader will be Elaine Barnett, a Certified Christian Educator in the PC(USA) and an ordained Elder. She has studied systems with Dr. Ed Friedman and Peter Steinke, and co-authored "A Facilitator's Manual for Healthy Congregations." Elaine's bio
The training will be held at Farragut Presbyterian Church on Friday, October 23 from 8:30am to 8:30pm and on Saturday, October 24 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Upon completion of this intensive training, participants will be qualified to work with congregations as a Healthy Congregations Facilitator. The cost to participants is $100 per person. The workshop is limited to a total of 24 participants, with no more than two individuals from a congregation. The registration deadline is September 15. Registration form / workshop schedule / video introduction to Healthy Congregations Workshops |
| Red Bucket Sunday |
|
Churches Called to Support Mission Entities Affected by Budget Reduction
 Red Bucket Sunday is an opportunity for a special offering this summer for the four entities affected by the $30,250 mission budget reduction this year: Morgan-Scott Project, Sunset Gap, Marcella Center, and Newton Child Development Center. The hope is that this offering will help keep these mission entities from being "in the red" in 2009, and that with thankfulness for God's grace at work, our hearts will continue to be open so that they will flow rivers of living water. Learn more |
| Hunger Action! |
FAO Announces 1.02 Billion People Hungry
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has recently reported that the number of hungry people in the world has topped 1 billion. Here is a link to the story on their website:
The Presbyterian Church (USA) Hunger Program suggests ways of responding to the world food crisis:
Deborah Phillips Presbytery of East Tennessee
Hunger Program
Deborah@presbyteryeasttn.org
"Feed my lambs." John 21:15 |
| New Vision News |
Second Sunday, Second Witness
Second Sunday, Second Witness is an easy way to involve your congregations in inviting, and then following up with, visitors to our churches.
The first step involves deliberately inviting visitors on each Second Sunday, and intentionally having congregation members looking for visitors on Second Sunday to involve in conversation.
Four steps in all, and in a month you'll have everyone in your congregation talking to one another, actively watching for visitors, and deliberately engaging them in conversation, witness and invitation to future events in the life of the church. Easy and fun - there are methods to divide a larger congregation up, and a method for small churches to use that will involve everyone at once!
We plan to start later this summer, so if your church would like to help test the program, please email Donna Hoppestad at 2009newvision@gmail.com to get more information.
|
| John Knox Center News |
|
Summer Camp Space Still Available
 Summer camp at Camp John Knox has been a favorite of kids all over the Southeast for more than 45 years. CJK provides a safe, fun environment for campers of all ages to grow in faith, develop a positive self-image, and create relationships that last forever. Camp John Knox is accredited by the American Camp Association whose intense standards ensure each camper's safety is of the highest priority. Give your child a lasting, meaningful summer at your camp and conference center. It isn't too late to register for the remaining sessions of summer camp at Camp John Knox. There are still spaces available. If you have any questions about their program or which camp is best for your child, call Chris Ford at (865) 376-2236. The JKC website is www.johnknoxcenter.org |
| Loaves & Fishes 2010 |
 SAVE THE DATE:
April 16 - 17, 2010
Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN
Featuring:
Keynote Speaker: Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, General Assembly Moderator
Event Preacher: Rev. Rashell Hunter, GAMC Director of Racial Ethnic & Women's Ministries/Presbyterian Women
Worship Leader: Rev. Chip Andrus, First Presbyterian Church, Harrison, AR
PLUS: Exciting and interesting workshops that you won't want to miss! Mark your calendars now and plan to attend! |
| Presbyterian World Mission |
World Mission needs help finding qualified candidates for mission service  Presbyterian World Mission leaders are asking Presbyterians across the country to help them find qualified candidates for international mission service. Nineteen mission positions are now available and more will be posted in coming days, according to Nancy Cavalcante, mission service recruitment coordinator for Presbyterian World Mission. Filling these positions is crucial if the church is to meet the General Assembly Mission Council's goal of increasing the number of mission co-workers for the first time in 50 years.
MissionCrossroads - Connecting People in Missions
The Equipping the Church for Mission Involvement (EMI) office seeks to bring Presbyterians together as branches of the same vine, connecting people with resources and tools for engaging with each other and with God's mission in the world. To this end, they have created a new networking site - check it out:
http://missioncrossroads.ning.com/ "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5 (NRSV) |
| APCE 2010 Event |
 If you are seeking Certification as an educator or if you would like to brush up on theological and interpretational issues, consider these two in-depth courses held within PET driving distance.
Reformed Theology with the instructor Martha Moore-Keish and/ or
Biblical Interpretation with the instructor Michael Hegeman.
Dates: January 26-29, 2010
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Course Provider: Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (good for pastors, too)
Event: APCE 2010 Annual Event
Contact: Association of Presbyterian Church Educators
For more information, please contact Mark Lampley ( MLampley@SequoyahChurch.org or 865-522-9804) or the presbytery office (865-688-5581). |
| News & Events Around the Presbytery |
|
Committee on Nominations Needs Your Assistance
News from UT-Knoxville Presbyterian Center
 A message to all PET churches from the Rev. Kally Elliott, campus minister at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville:
Being part of this "connectional church", I am hoping you can help me keep college students connected with the PC(USA). Please let me know if your church has students coming to UTK in the fall. I would love to contact new Presbyterian students and let them know that the Presbyterian Campus Ministry is here to welcome them and make their transition to college life a little easier. We are an active, worshiping, mission-oriented campus ministry and we want to reach out to new students! Please help me (and other Presbyterian campus ministers at other campuses) reach out to new students by letting us know if you have students coming our way! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you!!!
PET Young Adults Selected for Mission Service
Bonne Browne of First Presbyterian Church of Oak Ridge joins three other young adults from the Presbytery of East Tennessee in serving with the Young Adult and National Volunteer Program during the 2009-2010 YAV cycle.
Bonne is the second member of First, Oak Ridge to be announced as a Young Adult Volunteer this year. She will be serving in Nashville, TN. Sarah Terpstra, also of First, Oak Ridge, will serve in Peru; Jacob Geerlings of New Hope, Chattanooga, will serve in Kenya; and Emily Brewer of New Providence, Maryville, will serve in Guatemala.
The Young Adult and National Volunteer Program offers opportunities in Christian service and learning for young adults (19 to 30 years of age) in fifteen sites around the world, ten of which are in the United States. Read more
|
| Spread the News! |
We invite you to share your news with us. All articles and news items must be submitted by the 20th of the month prior to publication. Send your information to Dana Hendrix, dana@presbyteryeasttn.org. |
|
|
