By Judd Shaw, General Presbyter

Wow!  What a great sermon!!!  Wow!  What a faithful and tremendous response! The November presbytery meeting began with worship and a challenge. The Rev. Anne McKee, Campus Minister at Maryville College, read from Deuteronomy 14:22 - 27 and preached on the importance and responsibility of being a member of a gathered community. She highlighted the reality of our Presbyterian Polity that Ministers of Word and Sacrament are not members of a congregation, but members of the presbytery. She stressed the significant relationship between all of the member congregations of the presbytery, and that as a gathered community we are partners in mission and ministry.

As the passage from Deuteronomy stressed tithing, the sermon drew a correlation between all of the organizations that are not bashful about asking the membership for financial signs and expressions of support and the gathered community of presbytery that traditionally never takes up an offering at a meeting. The sermon pointed out that Ministers of the Word and Sacrament are never asked for financial support of the gathered community of which we are members - the Presbytery. In the end, Anne challenged all in attendance by calling for an offering and making a pledge for 2011.

The response was faithful and generous. The loose offering totaled $1,410 and 32 commissioners pledged over $11,000 toward the 2011 budget.

Wow!  What a great sermon!!!  Wow!  What a faithful and tremendous response!!!

Saturday, February 5, at Mars Hill PC, Athens, 8:30am - 1:30pm

Pastors, Educators, Teachers, Elders, Visionaries, Disciples:

This Leaders Academy, sponsored by Equip's Small Church Ministry Group, will be held at Mars Hill Presbyterian Church in Athens. There will be refreshments awaiting you along with Les' good coffee when you arrive at 8:30 am. After mixing and mingling among fellow Presbyterians, a time of welcome (by Miki Vanderbilt, pastor at West Emory) and morning prayers (by Heidi Johnson, the new designated pastor at Northside, Cleveland), you'll have a opportunity to learn about such things as "Creating Healthy Congregations: Caring for, responding to and managing life together as the Body of Christ" with Miki Vanderbilt, hear more about "Youth Ministry Together" from smaller church pastors - Brad Palmer, David Webster and Jonathan Warren, or figure out more about "Making Disciples, Making Leaders" from our very own General Presbyter Judd Shaw. After a short break, if you missed it earlier, you can take Judd's class on "Making Disciples, Making Leaders" or do the "Christian Education Exchange" with Melanie Rasnake or find yourself (and your church's situation) in Chuck Traylor's "Toto, I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore!"

Good food, practical applications for your church and great camaraderie are yours for only $10 and a Saturday morning. 

Information and online registration

Alternative Christmas Gift Idea

If you would like to make a donation to the Pinto Bean Project in honor of family or friends this Christmas, I will send a Pinto Bean Project card (made at the Presbytery office) to the recipient!

What you will need to do:

Please send your donation to the Presbytery of East Tennessee, P.O. Box 5436, Knoxville, TN 37928-0436. (memo section: Pinto Bean Project) by December 15th.

On a separate piece of paper, please list:

1. the name and address of the recipient
2. the name and daytime phone number of the giver (in case I have a clarification question)

The cost of one 50 pound bag is $25.

As needs have been brought to my attention, bags have been given to Sunset Gap, Claiborne Hunger Ministry, Montgomery Village Ministry in Knoxville, Food/Life Services of Campbell County, Good Shepherd Center in Madisonville, Sevier County Pantry, Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County, Morgan Scott Project, and Chattanooga Community Kitchen.

Red Bucket Update

So far, seven churches have raised $5,400 during the Presbytery's Red Bucket Mission Offering for our UTC and UTK Campus Ministries, Morgan Scott Project, Newton Child Development Center, Sunset Gap, and Marcella Center.

For more information about the Red Bucket Mission Offering, click HERE.


Presbytery Garden's Broccoli Ready To Be Harvested For Food Pantries...


Deborah Phillips
Hunger Action Enabler
Deborah@presbyteryeasttn.org

A Demographics Service FREE for our Presbytery users...

especially Elders, Deacons, Pastors, Teachers, Parents, Youth, Older Adults, those interested in NCD, Transformation, Outreach Committee members, etc.

There are several upcoming Free 30-minute Webinars introducing you to using the new MissionInsite System. All you have to do is sign up with Michelle Saxon, Client Relations Manager - 877-230-3212, ext. 327 or email msaxon@missioninsite.com to reserve your place. You will need an internet connection on your computer and a phone to take advantage of this Webinar. In this user-friendly Webinar you will learn more about this new system built on Google Maps. Orientation includes basic navigational skills for getting around the MI opening pages.

Webinar Dates and Times (all Eastern Standard Time):

Thursday, December 2, 2010 - 3:00 PM EST

Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - 11:00 AM, EST

Wednesday, January, 12, 2011 - 10:00 AM EST

Take advantage of this new technology, new way of understanding your neighborhood and new way of learning.

For more information about using MissionInsite in your church, contact Lina R. Hart 865-388-2381 or 423-877-2422 or Lina@presbyteryeasttn.org .

http://www.missioninsite.com/

REMINDER - General Assembly Forums

The Presbytery of East Tennessee is hosting three forums this month to provide information about the General Assembly amendments that will be voted on by our Presbytery at the February 26 meeting at Rivermont Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga.

Tues. Dec. 7 at Mars Hill Presbyterian Church, 205 North Jackson St., Athens

Thurs. Dec. 9 at Rivermont Presbyterian Church, 3319 Hixson Pike, Chattanooga

Tues. Dec. 14 at Lake Hills Presbyterian Church, 3805 Maloney Rd. SW, Knoxville

Each forum will run from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Our commissioners to the General Assembly will serve as presenters: Rev. David Bell, Rev. Sharon Carter, Elder Corita Swanson, Elder Harvey White and Ms. Megan Paris (our Young Adult Advisory Delegate). Everyone is welcome to attend.

Information about the proposed amendments

Maryville College Financial Aid Night - Dec. 14

Maryville College is hosting its annual Financial Aid Night at 6:30 p.m., Tues., Dec. 14 in Fayerweather Hall's Lawson Auditorium.

The event is free and open to the public.

Although presented by Maryville College financial aid staff, this is a general information session to help prospective students and parents, regardless of the type of college they are considering.

Parents and students will learn what they need to do to apply for all types of financial aid, including completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is required to qualify for most student aid programs such as the Tennessee State Grant, Federal Pell Grant, institutional awards and low-cost federal student and parent loans. Terminologies, student eligibility, timelines and information on grants and loans will be explained. From institutional aid to state and federal aid programs, this financial aid primer will help decipher the terms, raise the issues, review best approaches and answer financial aid questions.

Participants will also be briefed on the Tennessee Educational Lottery Scholarship Program, as well as the importance of searching out free money awards like scholarships to help pay for education costs.

For more information, call 865.981.8100.

Preaching Effective Sermons - Presentation by Dr. Wm J. Carl III

SAVE THE DATE!
Friday, February 11, 2011, 8:30 - 1:30 P.M.
Second Presbyterian Church in Knoxville

Dr. Wm. J. Carl III, President of Pittsburgh Presbyterian Seminary, will address clergy on the topic Preaching Effective Sermons with special emphasis on "A Brain Technique for Communicating Without Notes."  Lunch will cost $5.00  per person. Following lunch there will be a worship experience with Dr. Carl preaching a sermon.  This event is being partially underwritten by the Support Mission Team.

Registration information will be sent to all clergy in the Presbytery.

Dr. Carl (wcarl@pts.edu) will come to our event on Friday morning following his lecturing for the Joe Gammon series on Thursday, February 10th - Thompson Cancer Survival Center, across from Ft. Sanders Regional Hospital. Topic: "Brains, Bodies, Beliefs and Behavior." Contact Chaplain Doug Hair to receive the publicity mailing. (dhair@covhlth.com)

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.