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| From Your Disaster Response Team |
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Haiti News Flash
Haiti is at the top of all our concern lists these days as we yearn to aid the people of that country in the tragic aftermath of an earthquake which has ironically devastated one of the poorest nations in the world. Our response has been immediate but not an easy one due to the amount of damage, death, and destruction.
 Taking note from the website of Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, PCUSA, our denomination has sent some $409,000 in aid at this juncture, shipments of 35,000 "Gift of the Heart" emergency kits, and has put in place Carlos Martinez, a PCUSA representative to help assess the situation and future needs to help us deliver what is most needed to the area. He is located in the city of Port-au-Prince. Your "Response Team" has also been on the phone with PDA, Louisville twice in the last week. Some churches have already has workshops on building the "Gift of the Heart" kits to replace those that have been sent in the shipments mentioned above. You can get information on how to build and where to send these kits by going to the PDA website - click HERE.
Still others in our Presbytery are eager to create Teams to go to Haiti to help and have inquired as to available PDA funding. At the moment there is no funding available for such trips through PDA - we need to keep watching the website for guidance and direction. Second Presbyterian Church of Knoxville is creating a Team to assist in making assessments, etc. and plans to go to Haiti in the next couple of weeks. They are working through their own connection and host in Haiti and are being resourced through their own church. We applaud them and look forward to hearing from them as they work and report to us on their return. We are also in relationship with Rivermont Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga and their association with a children's nutrition program. Powell Presbyterian Church also has ties with an orphanage but has no dire needs at the moment. Let's keep all these efforts in our prayers.
PLEASE help your own congregation stay attuned to the PDA website for further details (the updates go up on line almost daily). PDA tells us there will be a Link of interest to volunteers within the next week or so. Your Presbytery Disaster Response Team is trying to keep itself abreast and will seek to keep you updated often. Thanks for the tons of you who have helped with disasters in the past and we will be in touch in the future.
Thanks and with great respect,
Your Disaster Response Team
Fritz Schilling and Charles Montgomery
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| Attention: Clerks of Session |
The Session Minutes Reading has been RESCHEDULED from the upcoming Presbytery meeting (Feb 20) to JUNE 26, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church in Sweetwater. Time and space constraints have caused us to move this event to another date and location. Click HERE for a flyer.
The 2009 Year-End Church Statistical Reports are due to be completed online by Feb. 23. The online system is already getting slow because so many people are submitting their information and it will only get slower as the deadline approches. If you need assistance, contact Dana Hendrix in the Presbytery office: 865-688-5581; dana@presbyteryeasttn.org |
| Board of Pensions Benefits Plan Overview |
Mark Your Calendars!
March 18, 2010, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Second Presbyterian Church in Knoxville
Learn how to maximize on your benefits from the Board of Pensions.
Helen Locklear, our Regional Representative from the Board of Pensions, will conduct a Benefits Plan Overview on March 18. All active members in the Board of Pensions in the Knoxville area will be invited and are encouraged to attend. Lunch will be served and there will be time for questions. Watch for an invitation to come by mail. |
| From the Treasurer |
To Pastors, Clerks of Session and Treasurers:
Shared Mission Pledges to the Presbytery of East Tennessee were due January 22. If you have not returned your 2010 Shared Mission commitment, please do as soon as you can so we can prepare the 2010 budget.
Thank you,
Bill Keeler, Treasurer
To see a financial report for the year ending 12-31-2009, click HERE. |
| Hunger Action! |
 Cents-Ability
Thanks to the continuing faithfulness of a third of our congregations to the Presbytery's Cents-Ability Program, two grants were given in January:
The Roane County Cooperative Ministry received $1,000, which will help 40 low-income families in Roane County grow their own food.
Fountain City Ministry Center received $500, which will help provide food, children's clothing, diapers, and toiletries to families in need during the coming months.
 The Eco-Palm Project
The Eco-Palm Project, a part of the Presbyterian Hunger Program's Enough For Everyone, offers congregations the opportunity to practice social and environmental justice by purchasing responsibly-harvested eco-palms for Palm Sunday. For more information, please go to www.pcusa.org/palms.
Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God.
--Micah 6:8
Deborah Phillips
Hunger Action Enabler
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| John Knox Center News |
 Project UnfinishedFebruary 19-21, 2010
Cost: $110 (Friday - Sunday)
Register online at www.johnknoxcenter.org
Clean out your craft closet and come finish any projects with your friends at John Knox.
Enjoy a fun weekend sewing, knitting, scrap booking, painting, etc. Bring those "unfinished projects" that you never find the time to do. Don't have one? We will have projects for you here or bring a book and relax, or just enjoy the fellowship. Our relaxed schedule allows you to enjoy the get-away as you like. All activities and continental breakfasts take place in Abel Lodge with meals by the cozy fire in our Dining Hall.
The retreat "officially" begins with dinner at 6:00pm but feel free to arrive as early as 9:00 am for coffee and juice and an early start. Bring a sack lunch and we will provide drinks. For an event flyer, click HERE.
 Reflections from down by the lake...
Thoughts on camp life from Chris Ford, JKC's Program Director
As the Program Director at a summer camp and retreat center many people ask me what I do "the rest of the year." Well, other than catching up on life and sleep, the non-summer months out at John Knox are filled with many tasks and events that people may not realize actually happen. Hopefully, this article will help you see what's going on out at your camp! To read the full article, click HERE.
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| From the Associate Presbyter |
Confirmation Retreat - Feb. 26-27 at John Knox Center
The Confirmation Retreat is around the corner. This is a new project for the Small Church Ministry Group who was anticipating that many of our smaller churches have Confirmation Classes with very few people. What we are finding is that even our mid to larger size churches also have smaller numbers in their confirmation groups. It'll be interesting to see what the turn out will be. The John Knox Staff is planning an eventful experience for youth & adults, Carl Schlich and Miki Vanderbilt are the main teachers/ coordinators for this event, and with their combined skill sets, wisdom and passion for proclaiming the Gospel the weekend is surely going to be momentous. Click these links for a flyer and registration form.
Educational Opportunities through Video Conferencing
The Connect Mission Team along with David Webster are also exploring the possibilities of using our video conference equipment with Dubuque Seminary professors to bring educational opportunities closer to home for our pastors and church lay leaders. Connect will be determining what our church leaders may be interested in learning while also discerning what the interested Dubuque faculty can offer. It will be exciting to see what transpires for our growing in the faith via these conferences.
New Vision Group
The New Vision Group of the Equip Mission Team is being encouraged to keep up their work on serving as a think-tank of possibilities for how Equip can better serve/ resource/ equip our many and diverse congregations. The New Vision Group could use some more dreamers in this process (since some had to move on to serve on other committees). If you have a passion for visioning/ thinking creatively, contact either me or Larry Hitchens, the New Vision Moderator - graystonelarry@bellsouth.net.
Youth Triennium, July 20-24
 Youth Triennium at Purdue University, July 20 - 24, 2010, will be here before we know it. This is an excellent opportunity for a group of high school students from our presbytery to travel together and experience a shared worship/ faith journey with 1,000s of youth from around the country. More information is forthcoming. In the meantime check out the Youth Triennium website at www.presbyterianyouthtriennium.org
Lina R. Hart
Associate Presbyter
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| Loaves & Fishes 2010 |
 It is officially 2010! That means that it is almost time for the Loaves and Fishes event. What once seemed like a longs way off is now just around the corner. Mark your calendars now for April 16 and 17. Now that Loaves and Fishes is held every other year, it is even more important to take the opportunity to avail ourselves of the wonderful leadership and training opportunities that Loaves and Fishes provides.
Plan to join fellow Presbyterians at Sequoyah Hills on Friday evening, April 16, at 7:00, to hear the moderator of the PCUSA, the Rev. Bruce Reyes Chow. Come back on Saturday morning and enjoy worship with our guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. Rhashell Hunter and worship leader, the Rev. Chip Andrus. After Saturday morning's worship, plan to attend one of the leadership classes. After lunch there will be another opportunity to attend a class as well as closing worship.
For more information about Loaves and Fishes, check with your pastor or church office. You can now begin registering. The cost for the event is $40.00, but if you register by March 1, you can save $10.00 with early bird registration. For a full brochure with registration form, click HERE. |
| Campus Ministries News |
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From Kally Elliott, Presbyterian Center at UT-Knoxville:
Thank you so much for your support of the students at the Presbyterian Center. As a mission of the churches in the presbytery we are always asking for something...so...here's my current "ask". We are in need of churches, groups, and/or individuals to bring dinner for the students on Sunday evenings. We'd love for you to join us for worship at 6pm and to eat with us at 7pm, however, you can also just drop off dinner if that is easier for you. The Presbyterian Center provides the drinks and dinnerware so all you have to bring is a main dish, side dish, and dessert. We usually have about 35-40 students at dinner.
Serving dinner provides a great way for the Presbyterian Church to be visible to the students at UTK. The students notice when church members bring/serve dinner and enjoy a chance to interact with people from area churches. This is also a great project for youth groups - allowing them to see campus ministry in action and providing an opportunity for them to serve.
If you'd like more information, please feel free to call or email me back at the information below. You can also contact our office administrator, Sarah Cassell at sarahcassell@mindspring.com to arrange to bring a dinner. Thank you for your willingness to serve!
 Rev. Kally Elliott
Campus Minister
Presbyterian Center
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
1831 Melrose Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37916
(865)525-7475 kal311@yahoo.com |
| News & Events Around the Presbytery |
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Madisonville Breakfast Features John Knox Center - Feb. 6
The "Iron Chefs" of Madisonville Presbyterian Church will hold their monthly breakfast on Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 8:00 AM. The featured speaker will be Bri Payne, Executive Director of the John Knox Center. She will speak on the many aspects and resources of the center. Come out for some good food and fellowship. All are welcome. For more information, contact Shan Harris at 423-295-590 ,Gene Moudy at 423-442-5009 or Bill Garrett at 423-884-3894. An RSVP would be appreciated.
Parkway Hosts Field of Flags - Feb. 23 - Mar. 12
 The Field of Flags Memorial began in a church in Somers, CT in the fall of 2005. This memorial which began with just over 2,000 flags is a silent, patriotic and poignant reminder of the cost of war. Each flag represents not simply one casualty, but all the family members and friends who have been touched by that life now gone. They represent our respect for those who have served and are currently serving in the military and our hope for peace in the future, for a time when no one is called upon by our country to give the greatest sacrifice.
The Field of Flag Memorial Service will be at Parkway Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, TN on Saturday, February 13th beginning at 11 am and the flags will be on display through Friday, March 12th. The memorial now includes approximately 5,300 flags to honor those lost in the war.
Please continue to pray for the safety of all of our troops and for the families of the fallen heroes.
Parkway Presbyterian Church
940 Sanctuary Lane
Knoxville, TN 37932
www.parkwaypres.com
865.966.3372
Presbytery Meeting at First, Oak Ridge - Feb. 20
The 102nd Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of East Tennessee will be held on Saturday, February 20 at First Presbyterian Church, Oak Ridge. Registration will begin at 9:30am and the meeting will begin at 10:00am. The meeting packet will be available on the Presbytery website on Feb. 5.
February Meetings at Maryville College - Feb. 23
 The Samuel Tyndale Wilson Center for Campus Ministry presents Fragments of a Future Religion featuring Sam Keen, writer, psychologist and theologian, on Tuesday, Feb. 23 in the Clayton Center for the Arts Recital Hall.
1:00pm - Beyond Fundamentalism & Atheism
7:00pm - Dwelling in the Presence of the Sacred
Since 1877, February Meetings have brought outstanding speakers to the campus to offer the Maryville College and greater community the opportunity to reflect on Christian faith and action.
Click HERE for a flyer with additional information. Compassion Coalition of Knoxville
 The mission of Compassion Coalition is to inform, prepare, and unite churches to transform lives and communities through the love of Christ. They believe that transformation begins to occur when churches prayerfully go out to serve existing ministries of compassion and justice already in the community, while also initiating and sustaining non-existing ministries both within and outside their membership.
Is God stirring your heart to minister to the people of our community? Learn the basics of mercy ministry in the "Introduction to Compassion" class on Tuesday evenings, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm, from February 2nd to March 2nd. It is not too late to sign up! Learn how to shepherd, love, and treat hurting people with dignity. Also examine interesting demographics of our city and gain tools, resources, and ideas for practical hands-on service projects. Each class will be held at Central Baptist Church of Bearden (6300 Deane Hill Dr Knoxville, TN 37919). The training is $20, which covers the cost of materials. You may mail a check to Compassion Coalition (107 Westfield Dr. Knoxville, TN 37919) or pay at the first class session. Click HERE for a flyer with registration information. Call Becca at 865-251-1591 x 1 with any questions.
Compassion Coalition also sponsors workshops to train those who are on the "frontline" in responding to calls to churches or walk-in visits requesting benevolence. Click HERE to see the schedule of workshops. For more information or to register for a workshop, contact Gina at 865-251-1591 ext. 2. Once a quarter, Compassion Coalition hosts Salt & Light Community Luncheons to address various issues that affect the city of Knoxville by providing an informational and networking environment. The luncheons will be held at Fellowship Church, 8000 Middlebrook Pike in Knoxville, from 11:30 am to 1:00pm on Feb. 25, April 22, August 26, and October 28. To RSVP, call Gina at 865-251-1591 ext. 2.
Compassion Coalition 865-251-1591 info@compassioncoalition.org www.compassioncoalition.org
Morgan-Scott Project Annual Report
The Morgan-Scott Project in Dear Lodge, TN provides shelter, food, clothing, repair services and educational opportunities to needy people in and around Morgan and Scott counties. In 2009, the Morgan-Scott Project provided:
*Emergency aid to 409 families
*604 food boxes to 1,663 adults and children
*Back packs with school supplies to 217 children
...and much more. To read the Annual Report and learn more about their needs in 2010, click HERE. |
| 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. |
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