Register Now!  

Be part of a national gathering of Presbyterians in Knoxville on the University of Tennessee campus, July 30 - August 1.  There are dozens of workshops on many different topics and opportunities to fellowship with hundreds of PC(USA) brothers and sisters during worship and at meals.  There is a special rate for commuters.

Big Tent registration and information 

Big Tent video

Volunteers still needed!

Have you been thinking about serving as a volunteer at Big Tent?  There are still many opportunities available!  Please contact one of our volunteer coordinators:  

Ann Naylor (anaylor11432@comcast.net / 865-927-1318)  

John Johnson (jjohnsonpc98@gmail.com  / 865-560-2800)    

Thank you!   

SAVE THE DATE!

SEPT. 25-27, 2015

MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH RETREAT

Mark your calendars now for the weekend of Sept. 25-27! The Middle School Youth Retreat will be held that weekend at John Knox Center. Watch for registration forms, which will be sent out in August. The Rev. Mark Curtis (pastor at Lake Forest Presbyterian) will be the keynote leader.

If you have middle school youth in your church, take advantage of this opportunity for them to learn about God and share time with other Presbyterian youth. For more information contact Keli Shipley (kship32@gmail.com) or Cheryl Child (cherylchild@gmail.com).

What is your church's future story?

Korean Presbyterian Church, Knoxville

The New Beginnings Assessment Service is administered by the PC(USA) Office of Evangelism and Church Growth. The Rev. Dr. Ann Philbrick, Associate for Church Growth and Transformation, facilitates the program for the denomination. 

What is the New Beginnings Assessment Service?

New Beginnings is a process that guides congregations that are "stuck" towards formulating a new direction or plan that will carry them into the future. Unlike some assessment services, New Beginnings does not tell a congregation what it should do. Instead, it paints a realistic and full picture of its present condition and offers ideas to prime the imagination of the congregation so that, in the end, the congregation can discern the commitment they feel called to embrace - a kind of 'macro' decision about what God is leading them to do. 

Elements of New Beginnings  

• Assessment 
• Training 
• House Meetings / Discernment 
• Decision Making

The four current New Beginnings pastors in our Presbytery are meeting for lunch on Tuesday, July 28, at 12:30 pm at Cracker Barrel at Lenoir City off I-75 at Exit 81. They are: Linda Springer (First, Spring City), IL Sun Moon (Korean Church, Knoxville), Billy Newton (Highland, Maryville) and Mark Scott (First, Soddy-Daisy).

All those interested in learning about the New Beginnings Program are invited to join us. Please call Mark Scott at 423-457-0745 so we will know to look for you there.

New Beginnings Workshop at the Big Tent

New Beginnings Workshop

Saturday, August 1 at 9:45am

Register at:  
http://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/big-tent/

Learn about the New Beginnings process, which is an assessment based discernment process offered by the Presbyterian Mission Agency's Church Transformation Office. It has been used by more than 400 churches in the past few years to bring structure and focus to the task of making a decision about their future. It is focused on helping a congregation produce a shared vision of its future, which increases its potential for effectively and successfully living into that future. Led by Ann Philbrick, Associate for Church Growth and Transformation, Presbyterian Mission Agency.  

Camp John Knox Summer Camp 2015! 

There's still time to register for summer camp! 

Hope House at UT-Chattanooga

We have been so blessed to have Shelby Holley --- a marketing major -- finish her degree by interning with us FOR FREE during this summer season at Hope. Shelby designed and created a fabulous new brochure for Hope, she updates our social media, and most recently Shelby and new board member Peter Savard created the new Hope Logo.  

Here are a couple of things I've learned: logos aren't easy, wait for the "a---ha" moment, keep it simple, and make Terry (our director of hospitality) be in charge of this---she's a natural .  

With that I'd love to share what they have created.  

We love the simple symbolism of the house and how the cross subtly forms the outlines of windows and the door. I love the choice of three colors ,which highlights the door and emphasizes the Trinity. I love that we're housed in Hope and the roof looks like an open Bible.  

Again, I'm so grateful for Shelby and Peter's hard work and can't wait for the big reveal of their next project, our new website.  

Finally, it's occurred to me that Hope would be a great reunion spot for current UTC students who were raised in your churches. Plus I would love to connect with each of your students, connect them to one another, and get their input for how we might build a stronger ministry program here. If you have current UTC students, please email their contact information to HopeUTC@gmail.com.  

Blessings, Rev. Tricia Dillon Thomas 

UKirk at UT - Knoxville

Preparations for the 2015-2016 academic year are underway and UKirk at UTK is in the midst several positive changes. Not only are we in the process of calling a new campus minister, we're also making improvements to the campus house and grounds, cultivating new ideas for community outreach, and developing new methods of fundraising. As a new leaf turns over at UKirk, support and encouragement from our Presbytery has never been more integral.

The first thing area churches can do to support UKirk at UTK is discern their most effective means of giving. While financial support is always appreciated (and necessary), giving of one's time and resources is also of great value. For example, UKirk board members and students will be hosting a Grounds Day on Sunday, July 26, starting at 1:00 p.m., to get our historic house ready for Big Tent attendees and the start of the school year. There are weeds to pull and bushes to trim, and the work would go more swiftly with extra hands and tools. Whether you can help for one hour or the whole afternoon, your donation of time and energy would be appreciated.

With the start of the school year comes football season (Go Vols!) and our biggest auction-style fundraiser of the year: FootVol Parking. The bidding for one reserved parking space for all home games starts at $250. In addition to the parking spot, the highest bidders are given room to tailgate as well as the use of basement living, restroom, and kitchen spaces, which are particularly nice for times of inclement weather. One hundred percent of the money raised from FootVol parking goes towards programming at UKirk and maintaining our facilities. Amounts over the $250 minimum bid are tax deductible. Bidding for spaces ends on July 30.

Finally, part of our growth plan is to be in better communication with area churches and help students find a home away from home in the college environment. Therefore, it would help us greatly to know if young people from your church are headed our way. We would love to be in touch with incoming students to welcome them properly and show them around.

As always, we are grateful for financial support in all capacities. While one-time giving is appreciated, please consider long-term investments in our campus ministry or sponsoring specific programs you feel are most important, such as the intern program, local and international mission work, or weekly worship support.

We seek to encourage students in their spiritual journey and provide a come-as-you-are environment. UKirk at UTK is a place of refuge, worship, and fellowship. Since your efforts increase our efforts, together we can bridge the gap from youth groups to adulthood by providing UTK students a home away from home where they can grow and explore their faith.

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. For more information about Grounds Day or FootVol Parking, or to inquire about other ways to help, please call (865) 394-9242 or send an email to pcutk@utk.edu.

Board of Directors

Family Systems Theory Series at Sequoyah Hills  

Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, will be hosting The Brown Bag Series, led by Rev. Colleen Maillie, on Thursdays in the month of August. Three sessions during the lunch hour will offer a "crash course" in Family Systems Theory with a congregational lens. Spaces are limited.  

Visit and register at: http://leadingwithsystems.com 

The Bowen Theory Education Center, Chattanooga

The Bowen Theory Education Center in Chattanooga welcomes Dr. Anne McKnight, Director of The Bowen Center for the Study of the Family at Georgetown, as the guest speaker for the 2015 Symposium in September. The topic is "Families with Addiction: A Systems Perspective." You can register here:

http://www.bowentheoryeducationcenter.org/symposium 

The Bowen Theory Education Center in Chattanooga also hosts an eight month training program that is similar to the postgraduate program at Georgetown. This program offers students the opportunity to study Family Systems Theory in depth, only one day per quarter for class sessions. Learn more here:

 http://www.bowentheoryeducationcenter.org/