January/February 2012

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Johnson City District

News Update

Greetings!  

Here is a quick update on what's going on in the Johnson City District.
 
Plzen VBS
Members of the Greene County Parish led Vacation Bible School in Plzen last June. This was one of 13 Volunteer in Mission teams from our district that traveled to Czech in 2011 
Join a Czech Mission Team!
 
Teams are currently being formed to travel to the Czech Republic in 2012 to lead Vacation Bible School, Sports Camps, and English Camps, to assist with construction projects, and more! If you are interested in being part of a team, plan to attend one of the following Czech Team Orientation meetings scheduled in March:

Sunday, March 18, 3:00 pm Cherokee UMC

Tuesday, March 27, 6:30 pm
Cherokee UMC


Whether you are already on a team, are looking for the right team to join, or are just interested in learning more about this year's projects, mark these dates on your calendar and plan to attend the session that works best for you.

 

Saturday, May 19
Buffalo Valley Golf Course

Unicoi, Tennessee

This year's tournament will feature two shotgun starts! If you are a morning golfer, registration begins at 7:00 am and the morning round starts at 8:00 am. If you prefer to sleep in and play in the afternoon, registration begins at 1:00 pm with the shotgun start at 2:00 pm.

All golfers are invited to enjoy a barbeque lunch at noon.

Entry fee is $50 per golfer. All proceeds go to support Czech mission teams and the new English Speaking United Methodist Church in Prague.

For more information, contact Kellie Bracken or the district office.

Download Flyer 
Download Sponsorship Info   

 

Thursday, March 22
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Boones Creek UMC 



Your Senior Adult Council is planning another great event for this spring. You are invited to Boones Creek UMC on Thursday, March 22 to hear Keynote Speaker Rev. Sandra Johnson, Special Musical Guest Doug Richesin, and Devotion Leader Rev. Ken Lytton.

Cost is $10 and includes lunch. Registration Deadline is March 15.

Download the flyer 
Buffalo Mountain Camp logo
Buffalo Mountain
District Work Day 

 
Saturday, March 24
9 am to 2 pm
Buffalo Mountain Camp and Retreat Center

There will be indoor and outdoor projects for both skilled workers and willing volunteers: Constructing wood sheds, creek and trail clean up, painting, and more! Lunch is provided.

Please register by March 21 so that the camp can organize projects and know how much to prepare for lunch. Call 753-6678 or email.

Download the flyer
Learn more about camp



Mt. Tabor UMC
Mt. Tabor UMC stands proud on a hillside overlooking the Camp Creek community in Greene County.
Mt. Tabor UMC Celebrating 200 Years

Sunday, May 20
10:00 am

Mt. Tabor UMC is home to a small congregation with a big heart and a long history of sharing Christ with the world. On Sunday, May 20, this congregation will gather at 10:00 am to celebrate its two hundred year anniversary with a special guest preacher, Bishop James Swanson.

Ten months ago, a tornado destroyed the Camp Creek community and heavily damaged the Mt. Tabor church building. The April 27 storm blew off the steeple, part of the roof, and the front porch. The interior was damaged by the accompanying rain. Miraculously, the new windows survived with no damage!

But most heartbreaking was the loss of three of the church's 35 members.
Administrative Council Chair Brenda Myers, her husband Marty Myers, and Church Treasurer Gene Harrison did not survive the storm. Harrison's wife, Susie, was critically injured and spent three months in the hospital and rehab. The homes of both families were destroyed, as well as many other homes in the community.

The church building has been restored thanks to the hard work of Mennonite volunteers who replaced the roof, rebuilt the front porch, replaced handrails, and repaired interior walls and floors that were damaged by water. Reconstruction also included erection of a new steeple with crosses on all four sides that shine during the night hours as a witness of God's love.

Despite recent tragedy in the church's history, the Bicentennial Celebration on May 20 will be a service of hope and thanksgiving. In addition to Bishop Swanson, the congregation will welcome District Superintendent Randy Frye, special music by Paula Waddell, David Brooks and The Foundations, and interpretive dance by Steps of Grace.

The worship service will be followed by lunch at 12:30. Strong Ties will provide special music during lunch and fellowship. 

The Mt. Tabor congregation and their pastor, Dr. Joe Miller, invite you to join them in celebrating this important milestone in the church's history.  

A Call to PrayerA Call to Prayer

  

Sunday, April 15

4:00 pm

Wesley Memorial UMC

 

Holston Conference has designated April 15, 2012  as a Day of Prayer for Vital Congregations. On this date each of Holston's twelve districts will hold simultaneous prayer services to "pray for our work on the Call to Action, for General Conference, and for our own Annual Conference," according to Dean of the Cabinet Rev. David Graves.  

 

Graves was quoted in an article in the February 15 issue of The Call as saying, "We believe that every church in Holston is a vital congregation, and we want to come together to pray. We've talked about how bad things are. Now we want to focus on the 'Bright Spots,'"  

 

The Johnson City District will gather at 4:00 pm at Wesley Memorial UMC.   

 

All Johnson City District churches are asked to mark this event on their calendars, and to encourage participation.   

 

 

Fairhaven UMC
Fairhaven UMC is 50       
Sunday, March 25
11:00 am

On Sunday, March 25 Fairhaven UMC will celebrate its 50th birthday. A special worship service commemorating this occasion is planned for 11:00 am.

The Fairhaven church was created in the early 1960s by the merger of two congregations: Tiner's Hill and McKinley Methodist Churches. The name of the new church was chosen from Acts 27:8. The ship on which Paul was sailing on his way to Rome was blown off course, and they found shelter in the tiny port of Fair Havens on the island of Crete. Since the new congregation was a merger of two churches, and their desire was to be a port for people to weather the storms of life, the two words of the port's name were joined to form the name Fairhaven.

Ground was broken for a new church building in October 1961 and on March 25, 1962 the first service was held in the new building. 

The birthday celebration will begin with a time of fellowship at 10:00 am. At 10:30 am the Chancel Choir will be joined by former choir members to practice the anthems. The 11:00 worship service will include recognition of charter members. The Rev. Mike Sluder, who served as pastor of Fairhaven 1996 - 2002, will preach.

The Rev. Dr. TaeHun Yoon and the congregation of Fairhaven invite you to join them for this great celebration.

  

Munsey To Offer Two Health Education Programs       

 

Munsey Memorial UMC is planning two health education programs in the upcoming months.  

 

The April program is titled "Advance Life Directives".  This is a 3 part program on Wednesdays from 6p - 7p at Munsey.

 

This program is set up as a panel discussion, so come ready to ask questions and get answers.

 

  • April 11th - Legal, Financial, and Living wills. - John Taylor  Attorney at Law is the discussion leader.
  • April 18th - Medical Care and Hospice Care; what is the difference and where do you start? Dr. Paul Brown, Erika Jewett NP, and a hospice representative from Caris, discussion leaders.
  • April 25th - Spiritual and Faith Issues Michael Lester, discussion leader.

The second program for spring is "Alzheimer's 101 for the Caregiver". This again is a 3 part series at Munsey in a panel format.

  • May 2nd - The ABC's of Alzheimer's- Lead by Tracey Kendall with Home Instead Senior Care. Normal vs. abnormal memory loss, and other symptoms of early onset dementia.
  • May 9th - Money Matters - Lead by James Holmes Attorney at Law with Holmes and Stice.
  • May 16th - Decisions, Decisions,  Decisions - Lead by Tracey Kendall; when do you stay in your home vs. Assisted Living. And other major decisions that will arise with this disease process.

You do not need to pre-register for these events.   

 

For more information, contact:

 

Lindy Kinser RN

Parish Nurse

Munsey Memorial UMC

423-461-8070 ext 205

Email 

 
No Pianist for Worship? No Problem!       

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Feb. 27, 2012 /GBOD/ - The many churches-rural and urban, large and small-which have no musicians to provide support for their congregational singing can now download hundreds of piano accompaniments of familiar hymns from The United Methodist Hymnal for free.   The growing resource is being made available as a joint project of the General Board of Discipleship (GBOD) and United Methodist Communications, said Dean McIntyre, GBOD's Director of Music Resources.  

 

Read article 

2012 Hands-On Mission Project    


After several years of putting together school kits for the conference sponsored Hands-On Mission Project, the Johnson City District has a new project in 2012 - Food Buckets. Filled with some basic kitchen staples, these 5 gallon buckets will be shipped to orphanages in Liberia.

The completed buckets will be collected at the District Office June 4-7, 2012.

Download the Packing List  

Resurrection Baskets        

 

Last year's Resurrection Basket Program was hugely successful, so Good Samaritan is making it an annual event. Approximately 600 children of inmates, ages 0 to 18, will receive a basket of treats with a positive message in early April.  

 

Please consider helping with this year's program either by collecting items to go into the baskets or by making a designated contribution toward their purchase. The cost per basket is $15.  

  

If you plan to put together a basket, please bring it to Good Samaritan by Monday, March 19 

 

 

Upcoming Events

  

 

UMM Day With The Bishop

Saturday, March 10

Concord UMC, Knoxville

Download Flyer 

  

Ministers' Wives Retreat

March 8 - 10

Oak Tree Lodge

Sevierville, TN

Download Brochure

 

District Clergy Meeting

Tuesday, March 13

10:00 am and 6:30 pm

Cherokee UMC

Czech Mission Team Orientation 

Sunday, March 18

3:00 pm

Cherokee UMC


Senior Adult Gathering

Thursday, March 22

10:00 am
Boones Creek UMC

Download Flyer


Czech Mission Team Orientation  
Tuesday, March 27
3:00 pm
Cherokee UMC 

Good Friday - District and Conference Offices Closed 

Friday, April 6

Call to Action Service of Prayer

Sunday, April 15

4:00 pm

Wesley Memorial UMC  

  

District Clergy Meeting

Tuesday, April 17

10:00 am and 6:30 pm

Cherokee UMC

 

District Clergy Meeting

Tuesday, May 15 

10:00 am and 6:30 pm

Cherokee UMC

 

Pre-Conference Briefing
Wednesday, May 23
7:00 pm
Location TBA 

 

 

Table of Contents
Czech Missions
Golf Tournament
Senior Adult Gathering
Buffalo Mountain Work Day
Mt. Tabor's 200th
A Call to Prayer
Fairhaven is 50
Health Education Programs
No Pianist for Worship?
2012 Hands-On Project
Resurrection Baskets
Upcoming Events
Eco-Tip

 

The U.S. has 5% of the world's population but uses 25% of its natural resources (Source: US EPA). How many earths would be needed if everyone on

the planet used the same amount of resources as you?  

 

Find out by taking an

ecological footprint quiz: www.myfootprint.org

 

Eco-tip provided by GreenFaith and Holston Conference Creation Care Team

 

Creation Care 

 

 
Save
40%
During Cokesbury's Celebrating the Living Word Event
March 19-25, 2012
 
Special Bonus Offer: Save 50% on Celebrate the Living Word Coloring & Activity Books - just 30 cents each!
Cokesbury ~ 2615 S Roan Street, Johnson City, TN ~ (423) 975-0800 ~ Visit us on Facebook!