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| A Presbyter's Prayer | |
Holy God, Lord of creation and the universe, Lord of the Church, Lord of the heart and conscience, we are thankful for your saving act of grace in Jesus Christ, and for the formation of the Church - the body of Christ. We are thankful for your call to worship and service, and that as disciples we seek to follow your path of love, compassion, righteousness and truth. We are thankful for the Spirit that speaks to the heart and guides the Church in ministry and mission.
Gracious and loving God, hear our prayer for the world that you created and from the beginning declared good. We are thankful and rejoice in the knowledge that as we are created in your image we share that goodness; however, we are humbled by the responsibilities we have been given to be good stewards. We are humbled by our sinful nature that seems to always call us into chaos where violence, prejudice, bickering, and jealousy reign. We are humbled by the reality of the desire we have to seek our own way, and we are quick to declare that it is your way. Loving Spirit, help us to see more clearly the goodness of all creation, and that in Jesus Christ your image is still alive within all of us.
Holy God, we pray for your Church that spreads throughout the world, and we rejoice that we are the fruit of the labors of those who have been faithful to your great commission. Grant us the courage and faithfulness to be so bold, that your message of love and grace in Jesus Christ may always be present in our words and actions.
Loving Spirit, we pray for the Presbyterian Church (USA) which throughout the years has been a beacon of light in the proclamation of Jesus Christ to the world and continues to serve you through faithful congregations, ministers, and elders. We are thankful for your faithfulness to this expression of your Church, and we pray that you will always be a living presence among us. We ask a special measure of your presence and wisdom as our General Assembly gathers this summer. We confess and we are humbled by the reality that we are divided and that in that division we all claim to be on your side. We confess we know your will, and we claim to know your word. From sexual orientation to our attempt to be faithful in our response to the violence in the Middle East, we seek to hear your voice, and yet we keep yelling at one another. Forgive us, and grant us ears to hear, and the faithfulness to follow. We pray for the commissioners from the Presbytery of East Tennessee: Elder Corita Swanson, Elder Harvey White, the Rev. David Bell, and the Rev. Sharon Carter; our youth advisory delegate Megan Paris; and theological student advisory delegate Andrew Whaley, who will represent his seminary. We pray for all the commissioners from presbyteries throughout this country who will gather to discern your will and wisdom. Grant us the trust and faith we need to know that you will guide them in their deliberations, and that your will will be done. Grant us confidence in you, that you will speak through the actions of the Assembly. Grant us the courage and the faithfulness to be obedient to your voice even if it challenges our wants and desires, our will and our way.
Most loving God, help us to discover the joy of our faith, and to be a people and denomination that seeks to follow and serve the risen Christ. Help us to live together in such a way that hope, promise, grace and compassion are the mantles we carry into the world in which you send us. Receive this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Rev. Judd Shaw, General Presbyter
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| School of the Laity begins this Fall | |
Interested in learning more about your faith? Curious about Reformed Theology or our Presbyterian heritage? Thinking about the possibility of becoming a Commissioned Lay Pastor or accepting other leadership opportunities? Then we have an innovative program just for you.
Starting in the Fall of 2010 our presbytery will be offering a School of the Laity at Maryville College three times a year. Each class will be held on two Saturdays and will be taught by Maryville College faculty or area ministers. The cost for each class will be $65, which includes lunch at the college both days. Please note that although one needs to be an elder to be a Commissioned Lay Pastor, the School of the Laity is available to all lay persons.
The first class will be held on October 2 and 16 from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Applications for this program are due August 30, 2010.
Proposed Course Calendar
First Year
Fall: Overview of the Old Testament (October 2 and 16, 9am - 3pm)
Taught by professors Peggy Cowan and Phillip Sherman, this course will provide a solid overview of the literature in the Old Testament.
Spring: Overview of the New Testament (TBD)
Taught by Maryville professors, this course will provide a solid overview of the literature in the New Testament.
Summer: Bible Study for Interpretation and Application (TBD)
Taught by area ministers, this course will give tools and strategies for studying the Bible in order to apply and share its message.
Second and Third Years
Classes will cover topics including Reformed Theology, Church History and Thought, Christian Ethics, Church Polity, and Ministry and Leadership.
For those interested in becoming a Commissioned Lay Pastor
Additional classes will be offered on topics such as pastoral care, preaching, sacraments, and worship, and there will be an internship program. Participation in the School of the Laity is required for the CLP program, but participating in the School of the Laity does not obligate you to continue into the CLP program. |
| Hunger Action! |
 Cents-Ability Grants Sent in June
Sunset Gap Community Center, Cosby ($500 grant)
Since 1993, Sunset Gap's food pantry has helped to combat the increasing hunger problems in the surrounding area. www.sunsetgap.org/index1.html FISH Hospitality Pantries, Knoxville ($500 grant)
This grant supports the organizing work of building relationship throughout the community across denominational, economic, ethnic, and racial lines, and the training of leaders to work together to respond to the hungry and transform neighborhoods. www.fishpantry.org Claiborne Hunger Ministry, New Tazewell ($500 grant)
For almost twenty years, this feeding program has been helping more and more struggling families in rural Claiborne County. For a complete list of Cents-Ability grants disbursed in 2010, go to The Hunger Page of the Presbytery website and click on the Cents-Ability logo. Deborah Phillips Deborah@presbyteryeasttn.org |
| John Knox Center News |
50th Anniversary Weekend - September 17-19, 2010
 Join us for a weekend of worship and celebration as the John Knox Center turns 50! There are several options for your family, congregation, or individuals to take part in the festivities. Come for the weekend and enjoy all the special activities, memories, meals and fun or join us for the day. The details have just been released on accommodations, meals and a full schedule of activities. This is not just a picnic, everything from special worship services, activities, and high quality meals will make this experience one you won't forget. Details at the Anniversary Celebration page of the JKC website. Registration available on this site soon!
Fall Family Camps
John Knox Center has weekends this fall that are available for family camps. What a beautiful time of the year to come and enjoy God's Creation. See the improvements that have been completed and the ones that are currently in progress. The Dorm Rooms and C Cabins have new flooring and fresh paint on the walls. A & B Cabins are currently being painted inside.
Call Barbara in the office at 865/376-2236 and book an event for your group. We have added options for recreation and promise a good time for all!
Book your Trip to RIVER RIDGE Environmental Education Program TODAY!!!!
 Bring your elementary, middle or high school students, co-workers, youth group, men's or women's bible study group, Girl Scout or Boy Scout Troop or business for an overnight or day program at River Ridge Environmental Education Program located at the John Knox Center. We have fall dates available to any group that would like to utilize our amazing programs and facilities for day or overnight trips. We offer faith and non-faith based programming to suit the needs of all of our participants. River Ridge EEP has science based, outdoor recreation, cultural awareness and team building classes that follow closely with Tennessee State Standards to get students ready for TCAP testing. Let us fashion a program or retreat to suit the needs of your group! The following dates are available for the Fall 2010 season: September 6-8, September 13-15, September 20-22, September 27- October 1st, October 4-6, October 11, October 18-20, November 1-5, November 8-12 and November 15-19.
If your group books an overnight trip to River Ridge EEP in November, enjoy a 50% off discount due to our 50th year of being a Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center! Dates are filling up fast, so call 865-376-2236 and talk to Rachel or Barbara to reserve your group's spot today!
The JOHN KNOX CENTER and RIVER RIDGE EE PROGRAM Welcome PERCY the OPOSSUM!!
Percy and Bri Payne, Exec. Dir. of John Knox Center  |
By Erin Burnett, JKC and RREEP Program Naturalist "Percy" the Opossum was adopted into the Chadwick Lewis Nature Center family in April 2010 and loves his new home. He was rescued by the Walden's Puddle Rehabilitation Center near Nashville, TN after he was hit by a car. Upon further examination, it was discovered that Percy had a metabolic bone disease that causes him to be smaller than a normal Virginia Opossum. He is about a year old and is full-grown. Percy has a large sleeping area and loves to eat food of any kind. His favorites are vanilla wafers and yogurt bites. Read more about opossums
Due the continuing needs of the animals in the Chadwick Lewis Nature Center, donations are always welcome and accepted. Please make your check payable to John Knox Center and send it to: 591 W. Rockwood Ferry Rd., Ten Mile, TN 37880. In the memo line, please put: Nature Center Donation. Thanks!
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| Presbyterian Campus Ministries |
Please remember to let the Presbyterian campus ministries know if you have students attending UTK or UTC in the fall!!! Also, please talk with your students about getting involved with the Presbyterian campus ministry once they are on campus. Sometimes students need to hear about the value of campus ministry from someone they know and trust...(that'd be YOU!!!) Some of the activities going on at each of the campus ministries are worship services, communal meals, fellowship activities, Bible studies, book studies, counseling, mission trips, community outreach, and SO MUCH MORE!!!
You can contact the Presbyterian Center at UTK by emailing Kally at pcutk@utk.edu and you can contact the UTC campus ministry "Hope 808" by emailing Bob at Hope808UTC@gmail.com . |
| Maryville College News | |
College Renews Covenant with Synod
 Maryville College recently renewed its voluntary covenant with the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Synod of Living Waters. The Rev. Terry Newland, executive of the Synod of Living Waters, joined Maryville College President Dr. Gerald W. Gibson and Maryville College Board of Directors Chairman Dr. Dorsey D. "Dan" Ellis for a signing ceremony held during the Board's meeting in April. Read more
Sherrod selected for Summer Lilly Internship Program Jordan Sherrod, a member of Bethel Presbyterian Church in Kingston and daughter of Melanie Sherrod and the late Rev. Marc Sherrod, has been selected for the Summer Lilly Internship Program. She will intern at REACH of Macon County, a domestic violence and rape crisis center headquartered in Franklin, N.C. She will help manage the shelter and assist with court advocacy, grant writing and the intake of abused women.
Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and a component of the College's Initiative on Vocation, Summer Lilly Internships enable Maryville students to obtain first-hand experience in quality professional, nonprofit and corporate work settings. The program is now in its eighth year at the College. Read more
Shipley accepts Isaac Anderson Fellowship
 Keli Shipley, a member of Rivermont Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga and daughter of Tom and Laurie Shipley, has accepted Maryville College's Isaac Anderson Fellowship for Church Leadership and plans to enroll at Maryville this fall as a member of the Class of 2014. While in high school, Keli was the initial, two-term youth deacon at Rivermont. She also serves as the secretary for the East Tennessee Presbytery Youth Council and is currently the assistant program director at John Knox Center. Previously she served as a summer counselor at the camp and was asked to serve on the camp's 50th anniversary committee. Read more
Named for the College's founder, the Rev. Isaac Anderson, the fellowship recognizes entering freshmen who demonstrate academic promise as well as interest and potential in church-related professions. Valued at $19,000 for tuition, the scholarship is one of the largest financial awards given to a student and is renewable with at least a 3.25 grade point average and leadership program participation. Only two Isaac Anderson Fellowships are awarded each year. |
| 2011 Mission Yearbook | |
Last Chance for Bulk Discount
The Presbytery office is collecting orders for the 2011 Mission Yearbook. The price is $8.80 each. (The regular price from PDS is $10.50 plus shipping.) The order form and payment must be received by the Presbytery office by July 30 to be included in the bulk order.
Please Note: The books will be delivered to the Presbytery office in Knoxville and must be picked up there. |
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News and Events Around the Presbytery |
Rivermont Mission Trip to Honduras, June 5-12, 2010
By Diane Stocker, Interim Associate Pastor, Rivermont Presbyterian Church
The theme of the 2010 Rivermont Presbyterian Church Mission to Honduras was: "Christo me ama" - "Jesus Loves Me." With God's help we prayed that each person we encountered would know this for themselves and believe this in their hearts as the Holy Spirit guided our words and deeds. It was truly a time of giving and receiving the love of Christ with God's children in Honduras and in seeing the many ways that Christ has been at work in and through them.
Our team of 24 (plus one "Charlie the Church Mouse" stowaway) was both intergenerational and interdenominational. Mothers with sons and daughters; father and daughter; "newbies" and veteran mission workers; youth and "old timers" joined together to form a cohesive team. Many of our team members counted this summer as their third trip to the area!
The week long trip encompassed several mission initiatives, including medical clinics, Vacation Bible School, and the installation of a Living Waters for the World water purification system. Read more
PET Delegation Heading to Triennium, July 20-24, 2010
By Lina Hart, Associate Presbyter and Advisor
 Imagine what it's like when 4,000 youth from around the country and the world get together! The worship experiences are phenomenal! It's wild! Amazing! That's what you'll hear from anyone who has gone before to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. I've also heard about Triennium for years and have never had an opportunity or reason to attend. But this year, it's working out that I can attend as the female advisor and our daughter Sarah was interested and eligible as a rising 10th grader. So we are thrilled to be going with a stellar group of high schoolers from around the presbytery. There will be 14 in our Presbytery of East TN Delegation. Youth Participants are David McKay (Erin), Abby Begovich & Justin Lomax (Farragut), Mitra Mosadegh (Lake Hills), Scott Rust (Mars Hill), Shanna Alexander (Powell), Isa & Ishah Beard (Renaissance), Sarah Hart (Rivermont) and Jeremy Whitehead (West Emory). Also from West Emory, Matthew Whitehead will serve as a Work Crew member and Les Rust, pastor at Mars Hill PC, will be the adult male advisor. Read more
Many of the churches sending participants will be offering a service of Commissioning on July 18th or some Sunday before we head out. We value your prayers and appreciate all your support - which started by the Presbytery paying a third for each participant and the full registration and expenses for Les and me. Thanks!
Supplies needed for VBS at New Prospect
August 9-14, 2010
We need some supplies for VBS at New Prospect Presbyterian Church this year. We were hoping that if your church had a few things lying around that were collecting dust we could take them off your hands! This year's theme at New Prospect is Break Through, which will discuss people's "Break Through" relationships with Christ. If you have any of the materials listed below, please send them or drop them off to New Prospect Church (4920 Prospect Rd., Knoxville) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Sundays before August 9th. You can also contact Grace Hammer at 865-712-5691 or Rachel Norris at the John Knox Center at 865-376-2236 or 865-466-8626. Thanks so much ahead of time!  Here's a list of the materials needed:
Various colors of Acrylic or Tempera Paint, Paint brushes of various sizes, Fabric markers, Tarp, Paint Roller, Pans, Cardboard Pizza Rounds, Scrap materials (such as feathers, beads, colored paper), Construction Paper, Dowel Rods, Yarn, Plaster, Water color paints, Aluminum or Foam Trays, Plaster, Quick Set concrete, Glass beads or small tiles for mosaics, Buckets. |
| 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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