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| Serve Mission Team News |
Presbytery Votes to Pass the Red Bucket One Last Time
 Last year, there was a $30,250 budget shortfall to the Serve Team's budget, and 18 churches participated in what was dubbed Red Bucket - as in keeping our mission entities from being "in the red" in 2009. Total donations were just under $20,000, which was two-thirds of what was needed. This year, the shortfall to the Serve Team's budget is even greater: $48,367. It also affects more than Newton Child Development Center, the Morgan-Scott Project, the Marcella Center, and Sunset Gap; it also affects our two campus ministries. The Serve Team feels that if all 75 P.E.T. churches participate in the Red Bucket offering, then this very difficult financial transition will be eased as the entities seek other avenues of support going forward. Buckets can be covered with construction paper if red ones are difficult to find. Churches decide when they want to take up this offering. The Presbytery office will accept donations at any time, but the sooner the better! Please mark the memo section: Red Bucket. The money will go to the entities based on the percentage that they would have received in the budget. Serve Moderator Calls On Presbyterian Women to Aid Red Bucket Campaign
When your sessions decide to participate in the Red Bucket campaign, please be the spokesperson / cheerleader / contact person in your congregation. As you know, there was a huge shortfall in the mission budget because there was less money to distribute. I know "Red Bucket" Sunday, which was initiated last year, will be even more successful with your help. As a PW and former PWP member, I know great things happen when our women stand up for a program - remember the mosquito netting? I would like for each participating church to contact me for help and suggestions: Sonja DuBois - ronson@knology.net Sunset Gap, Newton Center, Morgan-Scott, Marcella Center and both campus ministries are counting on us. Thank you for your continued care for those who depend on our support.
Peacemaker to Visit Presbytery - October 1-3
 The Peacemaking Committee is pleased to bring Dr. Paul Beran for a three-day speaking tour of our Presbytery. Dr. Beran is the director of the Outreach Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. The center is a National Resource Center of the US Department of Education and serves the general public, educators and students on topics related to the Middle East region. Here is his schedule: Friday, Oct. 1 - Speaking and meeting with students at Maryville College
Saturday, Oct. 2 - At Westminster Presbyterian Church in the evening. There will be a potluck supper followed by a presentation and discussion.
Sunday, Oct. 3 - Dr. Beran will speak at New Providence Presbyterian Church, Maryville at 10 am and at the UT-Knoxville Presbyterian Center in the evening.
Morgan-Scott Project - Summer Newsletter
The Morgan-Scott Project is making a difference in people's lives in Morgan and Scott counties. Read about what's been happening there this summer in their latest newsletter. |
| John Knox Center News |
And the Award Goes To...
 We are at the end of another successful summer at Camp John Knox! The 50th summer of camp for the John Knox Center was marked by growth in numbers, enjoyment by campers from around the Presbytery and farther, and many special memories made by all who attended.
We are proud to announce the winners of our 1st Annual Golden Camper Awards.
Churches of more than 200 members
Most Campers: Lake Hills Presbyterian, Knoxville
Largest Increase (from 2009): Erin Presbyterian, Knoxville
Churches of less than 200 members
Most Campers: 1st Presbyterian, Sweetwater
Largest Increase (from 2009): Farner Presbyterian, Farner
Thank you to all of our churches for your support!
October Weekends Still Available
The John Knox Center has the second and fourth weekends available in October. This is a good time for your Session, PNC, etc. to meet in a relaxed atmosphere with home cooking and enjoy God's beauty. Our comfortable meeting space includes access to a copier, a/v equipment, dry erase board and more. Call the office for more information and to reserve one of the weekends. (865) 376-2236
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| Recommendations for Fall Curriculum |
By Laura Tappan, Resource Center Administrator
If your church has not yet decided on curriculum for your Sunday School classes this year, I would encourage you look into our denomination's curriculum. Congregational Ministries Publishing is our denominational publishing house that provides a full spectrum of curriculum for all ages.  We Believe offers a foundation of faith for toddlers and preschoolers by introducing and nurturing basic concepts about God, by sharing Bible Stories in kid-friendly ways, and by offering age appropriate activities. Most of the stories are repeated for two weeks to build on ideas from the previous session and to practice a biblical, faith-filled vocabulary. Preschool families can visit the "Believer Buddies" Blog on the PCUSA website for faith formation at home. Included in the packet are reproducible pages for classroom use and take-home sheets. We Believe elementary is produced for 3 age levels: younger elementary, older elementary, and multi-age. All can be easily adapted to fit your particular needs. Each session plan includes a Checklist with all materials for the lesson, a child-friendly statement of the main idea, and reproducible pages needed for the session. A Director's CD is filled with helpful resource sheets, for-the-home materials, MP3 files and more.  CMP offers two curricula for youth classes: Faithfully Asking Questions (FAQ) for younger youth, and Faith Questions, designed for older youth. FAQ is available online, where you download the PDF files after purchase. Faith Questions is a series of permanent topical studies for youth. Currently there are 11 titles, such as Church, Heaven and Hell, and Forgiveness. These studies are based on questions posed by our youth throughout our denomination. Each study is either 4 or 6 sessions, and encourages our young people to look to Scripture and to our faith-tradition in relevant ways. Excerpts from The Book of Order and The Book of Confessions are used in these sessions.  For adults, we have the new short term studies, Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding. Each of the five titles have 6 sessions that contain Scripture, a prayer, in-depth commentary and questions for reflection. Discussion encourages participants to know more about their faith, to find the connection between their faith and real life, and to find new ways to live more fully as Christian disciples. As Advent approaches, a daily devotion booklet, With Hearts and Hands Uplifted, is available. This contains 27 meditations based on familiar songs of the season, and offers time for individual or group reflection. Also available online are topical short term studies from The Thoughtful Christian and The Presbyterian Leader. To order We Believe and other curriculum materials, call the Presbyterian Distribution Service: 800-524-2612; or online: www.pcusa.org/webelieve. On this site you may click on links to Learn More About We Believe, Download Samples, Find We Believe Materials in the Church Store to order. You will need to register with the Church Store to purchase and will need your church pin number. If you have any questions about these materials, or any resources, please call or email Laura Tappan, 865-688-5581, 800-542-4246, laura@presbyteryeasttn.org. The Resource Center is open to all church members, M - F, 8 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. |
| Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Risk Management Seminars |
September 21 and September 22, 2010
The Presbytery is providing seminars on Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Risk Management for all clergy and educators. Clergy attendance is required.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 - 8:30am-12:00pm, Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, Knoxville.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 - 8:30am-12:00pm, Northminster Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga. These seminars will be led by presbytery representatives and by risk manager experts from our presbytery's insurance carrier. Cost: Free
Register online at http://tinyurl.com/presbyteryeasttn-misconduct Questions? Contact James McTyre, Stated Clerk at james@presbyteryeasttn.org or 865-268-9628. |
| LPTS Middle East Travel Seminar | |
January 8-25, 2011
 Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) is sponsoring a January 2011 Middle East Travel Seminar led by Dr. Patricia Tull and Dr. Brad Wigger. Brad has taught Christian Education since 1996. Trisha has taught Old Testament at Louisville Seminary since 1994 and has led 7 travel seminars to Israel and Palestine. The travel seminar is open not only to LPTS students but also pastors, laity, friends of the seminary...anyone who is interested and is in good physical condition for moving about the land and cities of Israel and Palestine. In the past we have had retired folk, couples, sisters, parish pastors, other professors, and even, last time, an 87-year-old who had a grand time! The purpose of the trip is to get to know the land and people of Israel and Palestine, attending not only to the history of the people and the roots of our faith in the land, but also the present religious, cultural, and political situation. We will spend time with Christians, Jews, and Muslims who are working for peace in the troubled land. Our aim is not to become armchair experts on what Israel and the Palestinians ought to do, but to come to appreciate their struggles, challenges, fears, and sorrows, and to learn from them what we as Americans can do to promote peace in the region.
For those living in and near Louisville, preparatory sessions are offered on the following dates. These will be accompanied by reading to orient us to the history of Israel and Palestine as well as to present circumstances:
Friday, Sept 17: 3:15-4:00 (Organizational meeting)
Friday, Oct 8: 3:30-5:30
Friday, Nov 5: 3:30-5:30
Friday, Dec 3: 1:30-3:30
Monday, Jan 3: 1:00-4:00
There will also be introductory field trips to a Greek Orthodox church, a synagogue, and an Islamic center in Louisville. Cost of the trip is around $4,600. Click the links below for more information, which can also be found at: http://www.lpts.edu/News-Events/MiddleEastStudyTour.asp To register or for more information, please contact Patricia Tull ( ptull@lpts.edu).
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| Evangelism Conference: Engage |
Sponsored by the Office of Evangelism, PC(USA)
November 11-13, 2010
You are invited to an evangelism gathering at the North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Join us from November 11-13, 2010 for a time of renewal, instruction, and sharing. Please refer to the brochure for information about housing, the conference schedule, and our speakers. During our time together, we will engage the biblical meaning of evangelism and experience practical ways to release the ministry of evangelism in our churches. Evangelism is good news about God's healing, saving love in Jesus Christ, and is a lifestyle in which followers of Jesus share their faith and serve others in need. However, for many mainline Christians, evangelism is not so much a ministry of good news, but a ministry we hesitantly pursue because we need more people and resources for our churches. What if evangelism was not about "getting more people" to "increase church budgets?" What if it was about helping people live into their real and lasting lives. The good news we have to share is that of the life of Jesus - the one unbroken person in all of creation. Evangelism is about living into and sharing the good news that, in a relationship with Christ, our brokenness is healed so that we can be agents of healing in God's creation. Participants in this gathering will also receive the new evangelism resource "Engage." This resource is designed to help churches engage the gospel, discipleship, community, and shifts in church life that will help move a church from a membership based model to a disciple-making model of ministry. |
| News and Events Around the Presbytery | |
VBS Plants a Prayer Garden At New Prospect
By Grace Hammer, VBS Director
 August saw a lot of changes to the cemetery at New Prospect Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. As you may recall, the church burned in the winter of 2004. It was decided this year to develop a Prayer Garden on top of the old church site as part of this year's Vacation Bible School. With the tireless efforts of Roe Lyle and Karen Fletcher the ground was prepped, shrubs were planted to create an outdoor room effect, and bricks from the old church were used to build a flower box.
An arch was built with a Celtic cross as a gateway between the Garden and the cemetery. Benches have been purchased in memory of or in honor of those who have been so important to the life of New Prospect.
 The credit for such a successful VBS at this small church goes to Barbara Woody who went door to door inviting children to Vacation Bible School. The good folks at John Knox Center were what made VBS fun. A primarily older congregation, New Prospect does not have the youth resources to lead games and other essentials for VBS. We contacted Rachel Norris, Director of Environmental Education at John Knox, to assist with VBS. It was Rachel's idea to build the Prayer Garden. God opened a door for Rachel to begin teaching school in Blount County and was unable to be at NPPC. Bri Payne, Executive Director of John Knox, stepped up to the plate like a real trooper. She worked with the children at the Prayer Garden getting the flowers planted, laying garden stones and doing rubbings of the tombstones. Jessie Murray was our games leader. She wore the kids out and they loved it. Erin Burnett led crafts: the first night the children made garden stones, one to take home and the second for the Prayer Garden. Two faced masks, African Mud Painting and photo frames were just some of the crafts that Erin taught.
New Prospect averages 25-30 in Worship services on Sunday and has a children's Sunday School Class with an average attendance of seven ranging from Kindergarten to 5th grade. New Prospect averaged 25 kids each night of Vacation Bible School. While other churches may have larger congregations and bigger attendance, New Prospect is still looking out at the community and saying, "The prospects are good." Rev. Gerry Anders and the congregation welcome all who wish to hear the Good News that Christ died for our sins, and has risen indeed. There is a sign as you enter the small town of Guntersville, AL that says, "Small enough to appreciate, big enough to accommodate". I think you will find this describes New Prospect Presbyterian Church.
Fountain City Invites You to Join Them in "Circles of Support"
 One of the most meaningful ways believers can live out their faith is by forming a Circles of Support mentoring team. Circles of Support is a faith-based mentoring program sponsored by the Knoxville-based Compassion Coalition that offers an opportunity for congregations to build relationships with formerly homeless people who have recently moved into permanent housing. These formerly homeless individuals are referred to as neighbors. To be successful, they need the guidance, support, friendship and constructive example that mentors offer. The Compassion Coalition provides training and consultation for the team, and the neighbor's social worker is available to assist the team. Fountain City Presbyterian Church has participated in the program since it began in 2008. Teams from the church have served 2 neighbors, and the church is excited that the program has attracted enough interest to form a new team that just began mentoring a formerly homeless couple (in August 2010). Fountain City Presbyterian encourages other congregations to get involved with this program. It is really important for neighbors who are working hard to transform their lives to have the support of a new circle of friends. This mentoring relationship helps them find a renewed sense of purpose in their lives and helps them be successful in maintaining their new lifestyle in permanent housing. In return, it gives believers a very rewarding opportunity to fulfill Christ's call to love our neighbors. Read more about forming a Circle of Support
Anyone interested in learning more should contact Jessica Bocangel at 865.251.1591 ext. 8.
All Invited to Monthly Communion Service at Fourth United
 Come and enjoy a monthly Communion Service at Fourth United Presbyterian Church. Communion service is held every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 12 noon until 12:30 pm to accommodate persons returning to work. Please join your friends at Fourth United - 1323 Broadway St., Knoxville, 37917.
Maryville College Events
 No matter what you're interested in studying, faculty and students at Maryville College invite you to Meet Maryville and experience how they live, work and play at MC. Meet Maryville and you'll discover where you could spend the best four years of your life. Invitation
Saturday, September 25th at Maryville College
Check-in begins @ 8:30 a.m.; program begins @
9 a.m. and concludes @ 2 p.m.
Can't join us on the 25th? Try one of these dates: November 13th, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. / January 29th, 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. maryvillecollege.edu
 Maryville College's Community Conversations Series presents:
Roxana Saberi: On the Streets of Tehran
Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 7:30pm
Clayton Center for the Arts - Ronald & Lynda Nutt Theatre
Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist who was falsely accused of espionage and imprisioned for 100 days in Iran, will talk about the six years she lived in Iran as a journalist and witnessed the developments leading up to the 2009 disputed Iranian election, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of Iranians calling for freedom and fighting for free and fair elections. Saberi will discuss the political, cultural and historical significance of those events as they continue to develop and explain what it means for human rights and democracy, the Middle East and the world. Event flyer |
| 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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