Happy Holidays from John Knox Center!  

 

During this festive time of year we take a moment to be grateful for those who give to this ministry in a variety of ways. This November, a group of 6 women gathered for the John Knox Women's retreat. We were blessed to have Wendy Neff from Bethel Presbyterian Church as our retreat leader. It was a weekend full of good conversation, fun activities and personal reflection learning how to take Sabbath in the midst of our busy lives.    

 

Annual Advent Dinner - Dec. 7

As we look forward to the season of Advent we invite pastors and others connected to our churches to come and join us for A Country Christmas Advent Dinner on December 7th. We will gather together to eat delicious food and celebrate what God is doing here at John Knox. Kids are welcome, there will be pizza and Christmas movies! This year we will be honoring Brent Norvell for his work here at the camp. The cost is $15.00 for adults and $7.50 for kids. Make plans to come and join us. Register online at johnknoxcenter.org.

 

This year's 3-day event will run Monday-Wednesday. You have the option to stay through Thursday or Friday. At this retreat the main goal is to sew, sew, sew, and enjoy the fellowship and great meals. This event has been full in the past but with the renovations of B Lodge we can accommodate more participants and we want you! Bring your sewing group or come alone and make new friends. For information and registration go to our webpage or call the office at 865/376-2236. We hope to see you here!

 

*NEW THIS SUMMER - Elementary Adventure Camp: 4th - 6th grade campers will experience on site adventure activities like ropes course, sleeping in tents and meals away from the dining hall, preparing them to move into our older adventure sessions in the coming years. This camp will include at least one off site trip.

 

Stand in the GAP for those affected by Sandy

 

GIVE. Even after the clouds have lifted, long-term challenges brought by Sandy will face millions; we ask that you prayerfully consider giving online. You can give $10 now by texting PDA to 20222.

 

ACT. Assemble Gift of the Heart kits used most often following flooding in the United States. Contact the PDA Call Center at 866-732-6121 for details on how to volunteer your team's skills for efforts on the ground.

 

PRAY. Pray for individuals and communities affected by the storm. Pray that the hope of Christ will be evident in our response.

Since we began having our staff meetings at various churches - at first once a month, and now every Monday - we will, by the end of December, have visited 32 of our 71 churches:

Center (Tellico Plains)                          Graystone (Knoxville)
Concord (Concord)                             Highland (Maryville)
Eastminster (Knoxville - Dec. 17)        Kirk Hills (Knoxville)
Eusebia (Seymour)                              Lake Hills (Knoxville)
Fairmont (Knoxville - Dec. 3)               Madisonville (Madisonville)
Farragut (Farragut)                             Mars Hill (Athens)
First (Cleveland)                                  Mowbray (Soddy Daisy)
First (Etowah)                                     New Prospect (Knoxville)
First (Greenback)                                New Providence (Maryville)
First (Huntsville)                                  Northminster (Chattanooga)
First (Knoxville)                                   Powell (Powell)
First (Lenoir City)                                Rivermont (Chattanooga)
First (Oak Ridge)                                 Second (Knoxville)
First (Sevierville)                                 Sequoyah Hills (Knoxville)
First (Spring City - Dec. 10)                Washington (Corryton)
Gatlinburg (Gatlinburg)                       West Emory (Knoxville)

We look forward to visiting the other 39 churches in 2013!

MLK Community Conversation - January 18 

 

The 6th annual MLK Community Conversation will be Friday, January 18, 2013 at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, 1927 Dandridge Avenue, Knoxville, TN. Join members of the peace community for an evening to hear and share stories, enjoy music and sing, to come together to celebrate the power of education, formal and informal, to free our minds and souls. Based on the MLK theme for 2013 "Education: Intelligence Plus Character," the theme of this event is "Learning from Dr. King."

 

This event is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance, the PET Peacemaking Committee and many other organizations dedicated to peace, justice, and building nonviolent communities.

 

Come at 6:30 pm for light refreshments. The program will begin at 7:00 pm and conclude at 8:30 pm.

 

"We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of a true education" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

"As long as the mind is enslaved, the body can never be free." - Martin Luther King, Jr.   

Daily Prayer PC(USA) provides brief services for daily prayer based on the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship, including psalms for the day, readings from the daily lectionary, and prayers of thanksgiving and intercession.

 

At this time, the app provides liturgies for morning and evening prayer, automatically selecting the appropriate service and lectionary readings based on the time and date settings of your iPhone or iPad. Future versions will include midday prayer and prayer at the close of day.

 

Features include:

* a calendar tool, allowing you to find psalms, readings, and prayers for other dates;

* the clock icon, which enables you to select morning or evening prayer, overriding the current time of day;

* an "advanced features" menu that lets you toggle on/off various options and select between two versions of the Lord's Prayer; and

* a brief tutorial, providing information about the practice of daily prayer and instruction on using the app.

 

The price for the app is $2.99. Proceeds will be used for the development of additional electronic resources for prayer and study. You can find the app here or by searching the iTunes App Store for "PC(USA) daily prayer."

Here are some of the many Advent and Christmas events happening in our Presbytery:

Bethel Presbyterian Church, 203 S. Kentucky St., Kingston

Fellowship Dinner and Children's Christmas Pageant, Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m.

 

Center Presbyterian Church, 6265 Highway 360, Tellico Plains

Cantata "The First Noel", Friday, Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 16 at 10:00 a.m.

 

Farragut Presbyterian Church, 209 Jamestowne Blvd., Farragut

Christmas Festival, Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. The Chancel Choir will partner with the Chamber Singers of the University of Tennessee to present Handel's Messiah, accompanied by orchestra. Festival of Lessons and Carols, Sunday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Come to the church holiday dinner at 4:30 p.m. before the service. Christmas Eve Services, Monday, Dec. 24 - 6:30 and 11 p.m. (Childcare provided at the 6:30 p.m. service only)

 

First Presbyterian Church, 185 Woodland Place, Huntsville

Annual Christmas music program, Sunday, Dec. 9, at 11:00 a.m.  The program features narration, choir and small ensemble music, and vocalists and instrumental musicians from throughout East Tennessee, including several from the Knoxville Symphony.  There will be a reception in the Fellowship Hall following the service. 

 

First Presbyterian Church, 620 State Street, Knoxville

"An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols"  Sunday, December 2,  11:00 a.m. Voluntaries by A. Kniller, J. S. Bach; Anthems by Hugo Distler, Gustav Holst, Paul Manz, John Rutter, Elizabeth Poston, K. Lee Scott, T. L. Victoria, sung by our Chancel Choir and Musica Sacra.  We will include a Communion Service.

 

First Presbyterian Church, 110 West Ash Street, LaFollette

Christmas Eve Communion Service, Monday, Dec. 24 at 5:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to join in this special time of worship to "Come Let Us Adore Him" with family and friends.

 

First Presbyterian Church, 429 West Rockwood Street, Rockwood

Annual Christmas program with light snacks on Thursday, Dec. 20, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Christmas Eve candlelight service and communion on Monday, Dec. 24, at 7:00 p.m.

 

Gatlinburg Presbyterian Church, 237 Reagan Drive, Gatlinburg

Christmas play by the children in our Day Care Center on Friday, Dec. 7 at 6:00 p.m. Cantata by the Sevier County Choral Society, Sunday, Dec. 9 at 4:00 p.m.  Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service, Monday, Dec. 24 at 6:00 p.m.  

 

 

Graystone Presbyterian Church, 139 Woodlawn Pike, Knoxville

Wendel Werner Holiday Christmas Concert, Friday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. in the sanctuary. No admission fee but donations of canned goods will be accepted for the South Knoxville Fish Food Pantry.  Christmas Eve Communion Service, Monday, Dec. 24 at 5 p.m. 

 

Maryville College, 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville

"A Feaste of Song," a Christmas dinner and concert by the Maryville College Choirs, on Thursday, Dec. 6 at the Clayton Center for the Arts.  Dinner guests are invited to a reception that begins at 5:30 p.m.; a traditional Christmas dinner will be served at 6 p.m. in the William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer, with the concert featuring the Maryville College Concert Choir following at 7:30 p.m. in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theater. Tickets for the dinner and concert are $32, and tickets for the concert alone are $12. To purchase tickets, visit  www.claytonartscenter.com or call the box office at 865.981.8590. If you plan to attend the dinner, please purchase tickets by Mon., Dec. 3.

 

Mercy Junction, our new church development in Chattanooga

Banjos and Biscuits, a drive for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Dec. 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Mean Mug Coffee House, 114 W. Main St., Chattanooga. Bring canned food items - monetary donations also accepted. Music provided by Matt Downer. Biscuits from the Bluegrass Grill.  Event flyer 

 

Northminster Presbyterian Church

4791 Hal Drive, Chattanooga

Special Advent Prayer around the Cross services on Wednesdays, Dec. 5 and 12, 6:00 p.m. in the Frances Room. These are services of contemplative prayer, singing, and silence.  Christmas cantata, Heaven's Child, by the choir on Sunday, Dec. 9, 11:00 a.m. Cookies and Carols on Wed., Dec. 19, 6:00 p.m. We will enjoy Christmas cookies and have a Christmas hymn sing in the sanctuary. Casual Christmas Eve Service with Candlelight, Monday, Dec. 24, at 6:00 p.m. for all ages.

 

Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave., Chattanooga

Wednesday Evening Advent Events - Dinner at 5:15pm (Adults $6, children 12 and under $3) followed by special Christmas activities: Dec. 5 - Christmas Caroling, Dec. 12 - Christmas Stories, Dec. 19 - Christmas Play. Christmas Canata, Sunday, Dec. 16 at 11:00am. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, Monday, Dec. 24 at 5:30pm.

 

Wartburg Presbyterian Church, 205 Kingston Street, Wartburg

Christmas Concert, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. Hear Carnegie Hall performer and UT School of Music tenor Andrew Skoog, accompanied by pianist Judith Bible, perform a Christmas concert at Wartburg Church. In lieu of admission, please bring canned or boxed foods, and/or new toys for young children or gift cards for teenagers. Food, toys and gift cards will be given to the Morgan Scott Project for distribution to needy families. A reception will follow the concert in the Wartburg Fellowship Hall.

 

West Emory Presbyterian Church, 1035 Emory church Road, Knoxville

Centre College Choir Concert, Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 pm. The Centre Singers is a select group of 31 undergraduate singers at Centre College, a Presbyterian-related college in Danville, KY. They represent the choral program in concerts on campus and in the region, and have traveled across the eastern half of the nation and abroad. They have performed operas and madrigal feasts, premiered new compositions by student composers, been featured with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra and in performance for the American Handel Society.

 

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 Northshore Drive SW, Knoxville

Twilight Christmas Concert, Sunday, Dec. 9 at 4:00 pm, presented by the Westminster Chancel and Brass Choirs. Composers will include Gabriel Faur�, John Gardner, Reginald Jacques, Francis Poulenc, Leo Sowerby, and Philip Stopford.  The Brass Choir will be playing several carols arranged for the Canadian Brass, and will join the Chancel Choir with percussion on the Gardner. This Christmas Concert is being offered as a benefit to raise funds for our Sanctuary stained glass window project - a freewill offering will go toward the windows.  The concert will be followed by a reception in the Schilling Gallery. After the reception, stay for the Youth Christmas Drama. It's a hilarious play featuring the beloved children's book character, Junie B. Jones. The play reminds us how funny real life can be, and has a sweet message about being a "giver." Christmas Eve Services, Monday, Dec. 24 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. Communion and candlelight service will be held at both. A nursery is available at the 5 p.m. service.

 

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.