|
March Devotional |
|
|
No Rest for
the Weary
By the Rev. Wyn
Bryant, Stated Supply at Spring
Place
Eph. 6:12; Gen.
32:24
In both of these
passages, the authors, even though separated from each
other by over a thousand years, were describing the
sense in which the life of faith always seems to include
an ongoing element of struggle and conflict. Whether
we're describing life in the time of Abraham, or in the
time of Jesus, or in the time of Super WalMarts and
I-Pods, it appears that there is this sense in which the
life of faith is a constant, never-ending
battle! If our Master-if our Savior-is
called the Prince of Peace; if he said, "My peace I give
unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you," why
does it feel like we are always in a battle? Excuse me
Lord, but what peace?!
To read the
rest of the devotional, click here. |
| Did someone share our
e-newsletter with you? |
 |
| PET Calendar |
|
|
2008 Presbytery Meetings:
Saturday,
May 3 @ 10:00am - First,
Knoxville
(packet deadline: Apr.
15)
Tuesday,
August 19 @ 10:00am - Location
TBA
(packet deadline: July
31)
Saturday,
November 15 @ 10:00am - Location
TBA
(packet deadline: Oct.
28)
March Clergy
Gatherings:
West Area:
Mon. 3/3, 12pm, Farragut
Knoxville:
Tues., 3/4, 12pm @ PET Resource
Center
Middle Area:
Fri., 3/14, 6:00pm @ Epperson
March Mission
Team/Committee Meetings:
Outdoor Ministries Team - 3/8,
10:00am @ John Knox Center
Committee on Ministry - 3/11,
11:00am @ Mars Hill
Equip Mission Team - 3/13,
10:00am @ Mars Hill
Committee on Representation -
3/15, 11:00am @ Second, Chattanoooga
Committee on Preparation
for Ministry - 3/27, 12:00pm @ David
Bell's
home
Events
at John Knox Center:
Dates for Summer Camp 2008 online at
the JKC web site. Once there, click on
Summer Camp.
For the latest meeting and events
information, go to the presbytery web
site: www.presbyteryeasttn.org
and
click on the Calendar of Events link.
Church Info-Pak Deadlines
for 2008:
These Info-Paks include information
for pastors and sessions, notices of churchwide events,
resources for church educators, and the presbytery
calendar. Info-Paks are mailed to all churches,
affiliated colleges and agencies, at-large and retired
ministers, and current members of PET mission teams and
committees.
|
| 2008-09 Presbyterian Planning
Calendars |
|
|
Order by April 21 for
bulk discount
It is time to
order the Presbyterian Planning Calendar for
2008-09. The bulk price remains at $6.60
each. The order form and payment must be
received in the Presbytery Office by April 21 to be
included in the bulk order.
To print or download the order
form, click here.
|
| Board of Pensions
News |
|
BOP Newsletter
This month's Board of
Pensions (BOP) update from our Regional Representative,
Helen Locklear, includes the following topics:
*Complying with new
regulations for 403(b) Retirement Savings
Plans
*Letters being sent to
members approaching age 65
*2007 Investment review
available
*$100 Preventive Incentive
through December
To read the newsletter, click
here.
Financial
& Retirement Planning Seminars
Scheduled
The Support Mission
Team will host two Board of Pensions (BOP)
seminars September 9-10 and 11. The BOP will be
sending out more information and invitations during the
summer, but mark your calendars now if you are
interested.
The seminars themselves are free; there will be a
cost for meals and lodging as needed.
For additional information, click here. |
| Montreat Conference
Center |
|
Reclaiming
the Text Conference, May 26-30
Consider a
continuing education that does not cost a fortune.
Montreat's annual Reclaiming the Text Conference (aka
Preacher's Conference) will be May 26 to 30 in the
beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
This year's theme is
"New Life Emerging from
Ancient Texts: Breathing New Life Into the
Lectionary"and our keynote speaker is Dianna Butler Bass
along with many seminary professors, deans, and
chaplains who will lead the multiple workshops
offered. Details can be found at www.montreat.org.
Mark Lampley, associate
pastor at Sequoyah Hills, will
be glad to not only answer any questions, but also
carpool for the conference. Contact him at:
Attn: Church
Professionals
Montreat
is offering a special rate for church
professionals - $55 per night, June 1-6 and
July 13-19. For more information, click here. |
| We Want Your News! |
|
|
The purpose of this
newsletter is to provide you with the
information and support you need to keep in touch
and connected with your fellow Presbyterians in East
Tennessee. This monthly publication features news
and events from around the presbytery, resources to
assist you in your ministry, and devotionals authored by
our members.
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, preferably in electronic format. Her
e-mail address is Dana@presbyteryeasttn.org. |
| Spread the News! |
|
| Don't keep the good news of our presbytery to
yourself! You can easily forward this newsletter
to others (friends, family, church members, etc.) by
using the convenient "Forward email" link at the bottom
of this newsletter. To help them get on the list
to receive our newsletter directly every month, you
can tell them to go to our website -- www.presbyteryeasttn.org -- where we
have a sign up button right in the middle of our home
page. We appreciate your
help! | | |
| Connect Through
Music |
|
By Alan Payne, Moderator
of the Connect Mission
Team
By the time you read this we will
be a little more than half way through the season of
Lent. In many of our churches the choir is working hard
on a cantata to fill the sanctuary with special music
and bring the joy of Easter to those who worship there.
However there are congregations in our presbytery where
the choir loft will be empty this year. In these small
churches the talented have grown too old or moved away
leaving the worship service empty of the sound of a
choir praising God with music.
If you have a good music program
perhaps you can share with a church that does not.
Invite them to your cantata service or take the service
to them. Let this be an opportunity for your choir to
shine. After all they work very hard on preparing for
this special event.
O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a
joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us
cone into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a
joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
(Psalm
95:1-2) |
| Highlights of the PET meeting on
Feb. 5, 2008 |
|
The Presbytery of East Tennessee
held its Ninety-Fourth Stated Meeting at Sequoyah Hills
Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, February 5, 2008.
To read
highlights of the actions taken at this meeting, click
here.
Mark Your Calendar: The next
Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of East Tennessee will
be held on Saturday, May 3, 10:00am at First
Presbyterian Church,
Knoxville. |
| John Knox Center Offers Spring
Break Day Camp |
|
 March 24-28,
2008
John Knox Center's River
Ridge Environmental Education Program is offering a
Spring Break Day Camp for children ages 5 to 12.
For information on camp activities,
fees and how to register, click here. |
| Hunger Expo and Concert, March
30 |
|
 "Singing for THEIR Supper" is a concert
featuring singer/songwriter and Hunger Action Enabler
for Salem Presbytery (North Carolina), Bryan
McFarland. The concert will be held at the
Westminster Presbyerian Church in Knoxville
on Sunday, March 30, 2008 from
2:00 to 4:00pm. Bryan will sing
songs from his new CD entitled "All That Matters."
A portion of sale proceeds will go to the Presbyterian
Hunger Program.
To learn more about Bryan's music
and his passion for social justice issues, go to www.bryanfield.net then click on reviews.
For more information on
this event, click here.
To download or print an 11"x17" poster for the
event, click here. |
| Register Now for Loaves &
Fishes 2008 |
|
April 4 & 5 at
Rivermont, Chattanooga
Why
should you participate in "The Loaves & Fishes
Experience 2008" in Chattanooga, April 4-5? The
reasons are more numerous than the morsels left over
from Jesus' beach party -- seeing new ways to live out
your faith and to worship God, visualizing new
opportunities for Christian education, mission, ministry
among youth and older adults, conceiving new approaches
to outreach, stewardship and leadership
development. In short, shaping "a new vision for a
new day."
The place: Rivermont
Presbyterian Church
3319 Hixson Pike, Chattanooga
TN 37415.
The cost: $40 ($20 for youth,
children free)
for two days of speakers,
workshops, interactions
with your family of faith
from throughout
the Presbytery of East
Tennessee.
Information about workshops,
"scholarship" assistance, and hotels, plus registration
forms, are available in your church office or at www.loavesandfishes.weebly.com.
Register by
March 20,
2008. |
| New Vision Advertising Campaign
Update |
|
The New Vision and Equip Mission Team marketing
and advertising program continues with television advertising on Comcast
and Charter cable companies. Our marketing
and advertising consultant,
Donna Hoppestad, has
begun working with churches to expand on this regional
advertising. Part of her job
is to supply local congregations with ideas and
resources to use in their areas in order to enhance
their visibility. These services are
free to churches, and she is available to meet with your
Session or evangelism committees - just email
her (2008newvision@gmail.com) to set up a presentation
time!
For more information on this
program, click here.
To see the "Here and
Now" advertising campaign, go to the
PC(USA) website by clicking here. |
| Presbyterian Women of the
Presbytery |
|
 Annual Spring Gathering, April
25
Spring Forward at the Annual
Spring Gathering of Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery
of East Tennessee, April 25, 2008 at 10:00am,
Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church,
Knoxville. Details to
follow. |
| Older Adult Ministry
Events |
|
Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry
Network Conference April 22-25, 2008 - St. Louis
MO
The conference is entitled "Leaving a
Living Legacy." For more information, click here.
PresOAM
Annual Spring Event, May 14
 The Older Adult
Ministry Group is bringing noted children's
author Roxie Gibson to speak at their annual spring
event on May 14, 2008. The event will be held at
Mars Hill Presbyterian Church in Athens
from 9:30am to 1:30pm. The cost
will be $10 per person. Churches will receive
brochures and registration forms by the end of
March.
|
| "PET Rocks" Orientation, April
29 |
|
 Pastors and educators who are
new* to the presbytery will gather Tuesday,
April 29, for "PET Rocks", an orientation
session designed to help build a solid foundation of
presbytery support. (*Your
definition of "new" is up to you - if you still feel
"new" after several years, please
come!)
Sponsored by the
Support Mission Team, the event will be
at the presbytery office in Knoxville from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. including lunch. There is no
charge.
For more information,
click here.
|
| Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance |
|
Presbyteries respond to
questions about assistance
From Alan Cutter, General Presbyter,
Presbytery of South Louisiana:
The five presbyteries most
affected by the storms of 2005 are aware of the
discussion that has taken place and is taking place
within our denomination over the expenditure of gifts
raised and transmitted through Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance. The attached letter expresses the
response of those who recently met with representatives
of the General Assembly Council and Presbyterian
Disaster Assistance. Please distribute this letter
throughout your presbytery so that correct information
may be shared and all may note that those working along
the Florida coasts and along the Gulf Coast are doing
their best to be both good partners and good
stewards.
To read the letter, click here. |
| News and Events Around the
Presbytery |
|
Renaissance Reaches Out to Community Through
Girl Scouts
 Renaissance Presbyterian
Church, Chattanooga sponsors Daisy, Brownie,
Junior and Cadette-level Girl Scouts as a mission to
their community. Last November, the girls made an overnight
visit to Girl Scout Camp Adahi.
To see more pictures, click here.
Two Churches
Commission CLPs
On February 10, Mrs.
Diane Stocker was commissioned to serve
Rivermont Presbyterian Church,
Chattanooga as a Commissioned Lay Pastor
to serve in the office of Interim Associate
Pastor.
On February 17, Mrs. Pamela Kayon was
commissioned as a Commissioned Lay Pastor for
Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church,
Sevierville.
Shiloh Honors 100-Year-Old
Member
 Shiloh Presbyterian
Church, Knoxville honored Mrs.
Lois E. Kilgore Kelly on Sunday, February 24, 2008 at
the 11:00 am worship service. A Shiloh Church
member for 74 years, she has served as Sunday school
teacher, usher, choir member, deacon and
elder.
To read more about
Mrs. Kelly, click here.
Mission Festival at First,
Knoxville - April 6
 First Presbyterian Church,
Knoxville will host a Mission
Festival on Sunday, April 6, from
9:00am to 3:30pm. Featured guests will be
Hunter Farrell, Director of Presbyterian World
Mission, and Ruth Farrell, PC(USA) Mission
Co-worker in Peru.
For more information,
click here.
Officer Training Held
at West Emory
Church officers from congregations around the
Presbytery attended the Officer Training that was held
at West Emory Presbyterian Church on
Feb. 2. Additional officer training opportunities
will be available at the Loaves & Fishes
Experience, April 4-5 (see article above) and
on Saturday, August 2 at First Presbyterian
Church, Cleveland. For more information,
click here. |
| Quick Links |
|
Mission Team
Blogs:
The Tool Box - Equip
Resources for ministry, conference
announcements, grant application forms,
etc.
Care Cafe -
Support
Special events for
clergy and their families, area clergy lunches,
conference info, link to BOP, etc.
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