April 1, 2020

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214 Cedar Street, Sevierville, TN 37862

Phone: 865-453-5754 www.1stmethodist.com

CHURCH STAFF

Pastor: Rev. Jeff Lambert pastor@1stmethodist.com (423) 653-7982

Pastor: David Zavona care@1stmethodist.com

Director of Music/Organist: Amanda Barton music@1stmethodist.com

Pianist/Hymn Leader: Mandy Rogers songleader@1stmethodist.com

Crossroads Worship Leader: Ashley Reddick worship@1stmethodist.com

Children/Education Director: Jeff McPeeks children@1stmethodist.com

Youth/Young Adult Director: Kenny Tucker youth@1stmethodist.com

Administrative Assistant: Rhonda Stearley info@1stmethodist.com

Building and Grounds: Steven Ryan

Housekeeping: Mary Patterson and Jose Ponce

Sevierville First

United Methodist Church

214 Cedar Street

Sevierville, TN 37862

Return Service Requested

Non-Profit

U.S. Postage

PAID

Sevierville, TN

37862

Permit No. 58

Mailed: April 1, 2020

THE MESSENGER

Church Phone Number: (865) 453-5754

Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Child Care Ministries Thanks You

Thank you to all that attended and/or donated a cake or basket item to the CCM Recognition Program lunch.

Your generosity in the silent auction and live cake auction plus the lunch donations has provided funds to help make improvements to the church playground.

Cyber Worship

Scholarship Foundation Applications The Foundation Committee will be accepting applications for

Student Financial aid. To be eligible you must be a member

of our church who is pursuing a college degree.

Applications are now available in the church office and

must be returned by Monday, June 15th, 2020 by 4:00 p.m.

Current recipients of Financial aid must reapply each year.

Pictures from our online Worship Services, Children’s Church and Youth Studies. Worship with us online at Sevierville FUMC Facebook, and YouTube.

Over 650

Views of

Children’s

Church

Worship

on

Facebook.

Picture of

one of our

children

worship-

ping with

Jeff and

Paula for

Children’s

Church.

Over 3,600

views of our

Sermons,

Children’s

Church and

Youth Bible

Studies in the

last three

weeks.

APRIL SCRIPTURES & SERMONS FUMC Facebook page and U-Tube

April 5, 2020 Palm Sunday Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11; 15

Sermon: The King Is Coming Reverend Jeff Lambert

April 9, 20202 Maundy Thursday

Scripture: Exodus 12:1-5, 14, 25-27

Sermon: The Lord’s Table Reverend Jeff Lambert

April 12, 2020 Easter Scripture: Matthew 28:1-6

Sermon: You Decide Reverend Jeff Lambert

April 12, 2020 Easter Scripture: Genesis

Sermon: Encounter Pastor David Zavona

April 19, 2020 Scripture: Genesis

Sermon: Encounter Pastor David Zavona

April 26, 2020 Scripture: Ephesians 4:25-32

Sermon: Do What Is Right Revered Jeff Lambert

Online Banking If you are interested in online banking

please stop by the church office and pick up a form. If you

have any questions please contact Rhonda at the church

office 453-5754.

Online Giving Giving made easy go to

1stmethodist.com. All donations go to Sevierville First

United Methodist Church.

Prayer Concerns Martin McMahan Loris Ogle Joe Foisset Lisa Melton Barbara DiBenedetto Yvonne Broyles Brynlee Roy Jack Bishop Jan Lord Deya Reyna Imelda McVan Doug Layman Rodney Parsons Deanna Elrod Jeanne Rawlings Andrew Spadafora Evelyn Hass Angela Mann Mary Cayor Chad Huskey Sylvia McCluney Mary Alice Teague Ray Fernandez Marilyn Uhrick Ruth Robertson Jack Mulvey Jim Magliaton Linda Wolff Jerry Watson Donnie Floyd Kevin Flannery Gary Green Jackson Igou Bobby Huff Leslie Pedersen Chris Watson Kathy Gothard Allen Wendt Rev. Bill Akers Junior Garner Willie Cate Hailey Wells Richard Postlethwait Tanner Cureton Marina Cureton John Parker Tina Farrar Ron Free Shirley Hatcher Steve & Donna Coblentz James “Eddie” Napier Moe & Faye Greenwood All our Armed Forces Personnel Police, Fire Fighters, and Rescue Squad

MEMORIAL & HONOR GIFTS

March 1-29, 2020 Given to the CrossRoads in Memory of Ruby Zavona

By Joe & Wilma Zavona

Given to the Youth Department in Memory of

Ruby Zavona

By Joe & Wilma Zavona

Given to the Youth Fund in Memory of Ruby Zavona

By Mike & Mary Lee

Given to the Missions in Memory of Ruby Zavona

By Pat McCumber

Given to the Building Fund in Memory of Ruby Zavona

By Bill & Betty Ryan Iva Grace Eledge

Ed & Barbara O’Brien Gary & Sandra Wade

Julia Reynolds

Given to the Building Fund in Memory of

Donald Newman

By Bill & Betty Ryan

Given to the Building Fund in Memory of Jim Miner

By Marjorie & Freddie Barron

Given to the Budget in Memory of Ruby Zavona

By Albert & Lucy Atchley Al & Mary Nelle Blanton

Donald & Glenda Stepp Jim & Kati Blalock

Mr. & Mrs. John Parker Johnny & Mary Kate Guinn

Given to the Budget in Memory of Donna Huffaker

By Jim & Jane Sidwell

Given to the Budget in Memory of Jim Miner

By Jim & Jane Sidwell

Given to the Budget in Memory of Mary Bob Rowe

By Jim & Kati Blalock

Given to the Budget in Honor of Brooke Blair - Birthday

By Mike & Mike Lee

Given to Sunday School in Memory of Ruby Zavona

By Larry & Becky Brown

Given to the Bread of Heaven Community Dinner in

Memory of Donna Huffaker

By Jim & Kati Blalock Thomas & Patricia Mitcham

Given to the Bread of Heaven Community Dinner in

Memory of Jim Miner and Ruby Zavona

By Moe & Faye Greenwood

Given to the Appalachian Relief in Memory of

Ruby Zavona

By Don & Winnie Utterback Pamela Stelzman

Given to the Lenten Fundraiser in Memory of

Ruby Zavona

By Janet Taylor

Good Fellowship Sunday School Class

Given to the Lenten Fundraiser in Honor of

David Zavona Family

By Good Fellowship Sunday School Class

OUR STEWARDSHIP THROUGH GIVING

BUDGET 2020: $ 886,275.00

Balance January 1, 2020 90,104.75

Received 2020 177,748.13

Total 267,852.88

Expenses 2020 194,260.08

Balance 73,592.80

BUILDING FUND Balance Jan. 1, 2020: 40,820.65

Received 2020 16,556.20

Total Building Fund 57,376.85

Expenses 8,932.41

Balance 48,444.44

I will be loyal to the United Methodist Church by my prayers,

my presence, my gifts, my service and my witness.

ATTENDANCE FOR MARCH March 1, 2020 Worship: 269 Sunday School: 99

March 8, 2020 Worship: 255 Sunday School: 113

March 15, 22 and 29, 2020 No Church Service

From The Pastor’s Desk

Mark 4:35-41

I am sure you remember the story of Jesus in the boat with the

disciples on the Sea of Galilee when a powerful storm comes up.

The storm was so fierce these professional fishermen were afraid

for their lives. They wake Jesus up and say, “teacher don’t you

care…” What a question to ask Jesus. When the storms of life

come our way we sometimes feel this way and say in our hearts

and maybe even out loud, “Jesus don’t you care?” Jesus goes to

the deck, rebukes the storm and says, “peace be still.” The winds

quit blowing and the waves quit rocking the boat. Does Jesus

care? Yes a thousand times yes, “JESUS CARES!” Jesus cares

about every ache and pain and every sorrow and fear we may

have. God does not promise we will have no storms in life, but

does promise to be with us in the midst of the storm. Let us go to

Jesus in the midst of the storm. Let us cling to almighty God until

God whispers, “Peace Be Still” and calms the storm that is

threatening the whole world right now and calm our hearts and

minds. Peace be still. Jeff

If you need anything please call Pastor Jeff 423-653-7982

or Pastor David 865-566-1200

Maundy Thursday April 9, 2020

We will be having a Holy Communion Service

on Maundy Thursday. We have purchased

self-concealed communion wafers and juice. I

will be recording the service in the sanctuary

and it will be posted on Sevierville FUMC Facebook page and

YouTube on Thursday April 9. You can watch the video and

we can have communion together. I would like you to come by

the church on Monday-Thursday through April 9 from 8:00-

4:00 and pick up your communion packet. Please pick up

enough for your family and anyone else you are able to deliver

it to.

Dear Members and Friends,

I write to you this week as Sevier County, the State of

Tennessee, our Nation and the World continue to

deal with the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. This

is a challenging time, and you may be feeling concern

or even fear. That’s to be expected. This is not a

situation to take lightly. Until further notice, by

cancelling Worship, meetings and other activities in

our church, we have taken strong steps to protect our

members and friends, as well as our community and

will continue to do so.

This is an important time for us to center our

concerns on those who are most vulnerable in our

community. If you need support right now, or know

of another member who does, please contact Pastors

Jeff or David.

I am writing you today as the Chairman of the

Finance Committee. Most of us fulfill our financial

commitment to the Church by pledge payments and

other contributions on Sunday mornings. We are now

into our second week without worship, and our cash

reserves are down to a few weeks.

During this period of suspended Church worship, we

will need your support to be mailed in or donated

online (100% of your contribution will go to the

church). It would be particularly helpful to prepay as

much as we are able, in order to cover any delay in

giving that others may incur due to their own work

situations. Furthermore, be attentive to those in our

Church and community whose incomes will be

reduced or have become unemployed by the economic

impact of this pandemic.

In order to give by mail, send your contribution to the

address below and, on the bottom left of the envelope

write ATTN: Rhonda. You may also drop your check

off at the Church during normal business hours

(closed on Fridays for now).

To give online, go to 1stmethodist.com. On the home

page tap or click the menu in the upper right corner.

Then tap online giving. You will come to a page with

a bar that says “Holston Conference Local Church

Giving Form.” Click the bar. It will ask for your

personal information and then ask for District. We

are the Smoky Mountain District. Pick that and then

it will ask for the Church. We are “First UMC

Sevierville.” Then just enter your credit or debit

card information and done! A receipt will be sent

to your e-mail.

To close, I would like to share with you a verse I

keep going back to: “Do not be afraid; do not be

discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you

wherever you go” Joshua 1:9.

I pray in Jesus precious name, that this letter will

both comfort and encourage you...

Chairman of Finance Committee

Bill Klein, CPA

Our Deepest Sympathy We express our sincere Christian sympathy to:

Hutch Swafford and Family on the death of his mother

Sherry Therrell who died on Saturday, March 7, 2020.

May Shell and Family on the death of her husband

Stan Shell who died on Thursday, March 12, 2020.

Ron Grove and Family on the death of his wife

Janice “Jan” Grove who died on Thursday, March 26, 2020.

The Family of Bud Spence who died on

Sunday, March 29, 2020.