nursery fund upper room fund fountain city …we extend our sympathy to derek osborne & family...
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IN MEMORY & IN HONOR
GENERAL FUNDIn Memory of Rob Payne by Focus SS Class In Honor of LeRoy Hatcher by Pairs & Spares SS Class, Mary Emma Scott, Conrad & Wanda Majors, and Fred & Billie GravesIn Memory of Glenn Elbert Musgraves by Charlotte MusgravesIn Memory of Regina C. Musgraves by Charlotte MusgravesIn Honor of Charlotte Musgraves by Mary Emma Scott In Memory of Joe Black III by David & Johnnie Burkey, Fred & Billie Graves, Lili Holbert, and Conrad & Wanda MajorsIn Memory of Helen Temple by Bob & Jeanette Wyrick In Memory of Chloe Harrington by Discovery Bible ClassIn Memory of Bob Spahr by John & Karen Needy, and Greg & Susan Anderson
FOUNTAIN CITY MINISTRY CENTERIn Honor of Tim Brown by Tom HarringtonIn Memory of Joe Black III by Tom HarringtonIn Memory of Audrey Jennings by Tom Harrington
CHOIR FUND In Memory of Nancy Cloud by Mark Cloud In Honor of Joshua Bracken by Bill & Martha Routh
FAITH PROMISEIn Honor of Troy Lawson by Bill & Betty AddonizioIn Memory of Bob Spahr by Polly KellyIn Memory of J.B. Morgan by Polly KellyIn Memory of Virginia Simmons by Polly Kelly
CELEBRATE RECOVERY In Memory of Aaron Clift by Tony & Judy Clift
NURSERY FUNDIn Memory of Erin Sewell by Tom Cloud
UPPER ROOM FUNDIn Memory of Allen Chamberlain by Tom Cloud
UMCORIn Memory of Joe Black III by Troy & June Lawson
FOUNTAIN CITY UMC STAFF
Tom Ballard, Senior Pastor [email protected]
Kristen Burkhart, Associate Pastor of Discipleship [email protected]
John Patterson, Dir. of Church Operations [email protected]
Jeanie Tillman, Dir. of Adults 50+ Ministries [email protected]
Donna Lewis, Dir. of Children’s Ministries [email protected]
Daniel Doubleday, Dir. of Youth Ministries [email protected]
Leslie Hill, Dir. of Music Ministries [email protected]
Doug Shipman, Dir. of Food Services [email protected]
Mark Seals, Dir. of The Journey Worship [email protected]
Alycia Truett, Dir. of [email protected]
Kathleen Bloom, Dir. of [email protected]
Seth Charles, Celebrate Recovery Ministry [email protected]
Jenny Cook, Early Childhood [email protected]
Melissa Greene, Administrative [email protected]
Ashley Garren, Finance [email protected]
Maxine Engle, [email protected]
Ralph Paden, Facilities [email protected]
John Fine, Facilities StaffTodd Graves, Facilities StaffDavis Mitchell, Facilities Staff
THE SPIRITFOUNTAIN CITY UMCOCTOBER 2019 NEWSLETTER
For more detailsCheck out our website
WWW.FOUNTAINCITYUMC.ORG
UPCOMING OCTOBER DATESMONDAY, OCTOBER 7 - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11Knox County Schools Fall Break
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 810:00 am : UMW Ruth Circle (Room 135)1:00 pm : UMW Sarah Circle (Room 135)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 117:30 am : Adults 50+ Brushy Mountain Tour & Lunch
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11-129:00 am : Youth Operation Backyard (Off-site)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 171:00 pm : Adults 50+ Coloring (Room 137)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19Gametime : Youth UT vs Bama Watch Party (Wesley Hall)
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 256:00 pm : Father/Son Night (Main Event)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 265:45 pm : Open Door Community Meal (Wesley Hall)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27All Day : Faith Promise Sunday (Churchwide)
UPCOMING NOVEMBER DATESSUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3All Day : All Saints Sunday (Churchwide)4:00 pm : Sisters In The Spirit (Gym)
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10All Day : Stewardship Sunday (Churchwide)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20GriefShare Surviving the Holidays SeminarAdvent Study begins
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 235:45 pm : Open Door Community Meal (Wesley Hall)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27No Wednesday Night Programming
EMERGENCY ON CALL
Oct. 4-6: Kristen Burkhart (865) 357-6354
Oct. 11-13: Tom Ballard(423) 585-7054
Oct. 18-20: Kristen Burkhart (865) 357-6354
Oct. 25-27: Tom Ballard (423) 585-7054
STEPHEN MINISTRYGail Clift
(865) 922-9408
INTERCESSORY PRAYERTim Brown
(865) 599-3429
Mary Bolton(865) 250-3923
Tom Harrington(865) 687-9460
SUNDAYAUG 11
SUNDAYAUG 18
SUNDAYAUG 25
SUNDAYSEPT 1
SUNDAYSEPT 8
SUNDAYSEPT 15
Sunday School 329 346 358 284 290 267
8:30 am Traditional Worship 153 150 153 121 147 150
11 am Traditional Worship 197 206 254 199 213 210
11 am The Journey 113 138 166 103 111 144
Celebrate Recovery 150 153 135 143 138 137
Total Worship Services 613 647 708 566 609 641
Chancel Choir Concert 275
OUR GIFTS
WEEKLY OFFERING
Aug 19-25 $ 32,677.51Aug 26-Sept 1 $ 37,141.52Sept 2-8 $ 30,579.99Sept 9-15 $ 19,002.80
FAITH PROMISE
Faith Promise Sunday will be October 27. Please use the blue Mission envelopes provided in worship to make your commitment.
OUR SYMPATHIES
We extend our sympathy to Derek Osborne & family in the death of Hazel Osborne on August 14.
We extend our sympathy to Brooke Merritt & family in the death of Mike Drewry on August 18.
We extend our sympathy to Judy Shane & family in the death of Dick Shane on August 19.
We extend our sympathy to Margaret Gillenwater & family in the death of Linsey Elizabeth Gillenwater on September 4.
We extend our sympathy to Stephanie Wayland in the death of Rick Miller on September 13.
We extend our sympathy to Eddy Freeman in the death of Barbara Cunningham on September 14.
PRAYERS, PRESENCE, GIFTS,
SERVICE, and Witness
JOIN US FOR FOUNTAIN CITY FRIENDS
Are you new to Fountain City UMC? Are you new to the teachings of the Methodist Church? Or would you like a refresher course on United Methodism and Fountain City? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this class is for you!
We invite you to join us at Fountain City Friends during the Sunday School hour on October 27, November 3, November 10, and November 17 in Room 137 as we gather as friends to pray, study, and learn about our faith. There will be opportunities on Sunday November 17 during all three worship services to officially join the church. We hope you will consider this time of friendship gathering a part of your discipleship path at FCUMC.
This class will be directed by our new Minister of Discipleship, Rev. Dr. Kristen Burkhart. Please register so we know how many new faces to expect! To register, go to the Realm Connect App on your mobile device or to the church website at www.fountaincityumc.org and click on the Fountain City Friends photo. We look forward to seeing you there!
“Whoever is faithful in very little will be faithful also in much” (Jesus, Luke 16:10). I can still remember getting an allowance when I was very young. Some would say that it really was not an allowance as such but was more of an oral contract, because there were some expectations attached to the quarter I received every week. In other words, if I did not do my chores, I did not receive my so-called allowance.
Fast forward several years, and with some accumulated wealth (a relative term), Jonna and I needed to make some decisions about what might happen in case either or both of us “kicked the bucket” before the mortality tables told us we should. We decided to call an attorney to help us set up our wills and advance directives for health care decisions. I find it rather ironic that we refer to ourselves as mortal creatures, and yet we have difficulty discussing mortality.
This month, we will be launching our All In For Christ stewardship emphasis. It gives us an opportunity to consider what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ with our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. And when it comes to our financial gifts, we need to be thinking about all of the financial resources with which we have been entrusted. Yes, all of us will have an opportunity to make a commitment to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ as we give to the Fountain City UMC ministry budget for 2020.
At an even deeper level, we should be thinking about what is known as planned giving. A planned gift is any gift above and beyond a usual pledged amount that requires careful thought and planning ahead of time. Most planned gifts come in the form of a bequest through a person’s will. Over the years, members and friends of Fountain City United Methodist Church have made such plans. Planned giving allows persons the opportunity to direct their giving so that the causes of Christ can be extended beyond that person‘s death.
As we consider our stewardship emphasis, maybe you are at a point that you need to ask and discern what planned giving means for you. Remember, in this life we are stewards and trustees of particular resources, whether it is only a quarter or a massive estate. If you would like to have more conversation, I would love to begin a dialogue with you about how you can continue vital ministry in this place well into the future. Peace of Christ, Tom
PASTOR,
CORNERED
A NOTE
FROM TOM
INTERPRETING THE JOURNEY THROUGH
AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
The Journey is now reaching even more peoplethanks to the addition of Alexis Dietz, who is using American Sign Language (ASL) to interpret the service. Alexis began signing at The Journey on August 18 and has become a vital part of our worship team.
Alexis took sign language in high school due to a learning disability that made reading comprehension and retention a real struggle. She figured that ASL was the perfect solution since it didn’t
involve written language. It turns out that ASL was perfect for her in more ways than one. In addition to helping her with her studies, she fell in love with sign language and its culture. Alexis found that she loves serving others, and being the language facilitator to help deaf individuals maintain independence and carry on a “normal” life.
Pastor Kristen said, “we are excited that the word of God is being shown through signing and helping it come to life. It is an amazing experience to see the Holy Spirit literally move through the hands that interpret this worship service. We hope to invite more people in the ASL community to attend and we pray this is fulfilling a need in our community that opens another door to welcome God’s children into worship.”
“It’s what I love to do,” said Alexis. The Journey has become something she looks forward to every week. “This is a service that I didn’t know I needed in my life.”
Join us at The Journey and help us welcome Alexis to our FCUMC family!
Our extended church family continues to grow! We certainly have a lot to celebrate as a congregation. You are invited to rejoice in the following blessings with us!
Join us in celebrating our new church member, Jenna Crandall. She joined our church body by Profession of Faith during Celebrate Recovery on September 3. Welcome!
Join us in celebrating the birth of Nellie Frances Jones to Christina & Bradford Jones and big brothers, Ellison & Archie on September 12. Grandparents are Keith & Fran Burroughs.
Join us in celebrating our new church members, Carl & Ruth Rainwater and their son, Doug. They joined our church body by transfer from Sanlando UMC in Longwood, FL on September 15. Welcome!
We at FCUMC have a great many things to celebrate with our church family! If you have a celebration to include, please email [email protected]. Photos are always welcome!
OUR PRESENCE CELEBRATING WITH OUR FCUMC FAMILY
ADULTS 50+ UPDATE
Brushy Mountain Tour and LunchWe are taking a day trip to Brushy Mountain State Prison on Friday, October 11. Guided tours last approximately two hours and are led by former prison guards and inmates who provide color with their first-person accounts. There is a gift shop as well as a museum that includes photographs, an unusual collection of weapons, and a documentary covering the history of the prison.
Registration ended on October 4. We will leave FCUMC at 7:45 a.m. Don’t forget your $3 fee on the day of the trip for the bus. For questions, contact the church office at (865) 689-5175 or email [email protected].
Christmas Project / Toys for Judge Irwin’s CourtThis is one of our favorite service projects - collecting items for Judge Irwin’s Family Court. Each child coming through his court room (through no fault of their own) may select a stuffed animal or toy to keep. In addition to stuffed animals of all colors and sizes, we are collecting toys for boys 12 and up who prefer action figures, Match Box cars, Hot Wheels, trucks, and airplanes. All items must be brand new!
We are grateful to everyone who has contributed thus far, and we will continue to take donations through December 5. To donate, please bring items to any of our 50+ events or drop them off at the church. Questions? Contact the church office at (865) 689-5175 or email Carolyn Rogers at [email protected].
Adult Coloring FunJoin our host, Susan Schumpert, on Thursday, October 17 from 1-3 pm in Room 137 for coloring and fellowship. Coloring is relaxing and fun, and a great way to make new friends! If you have never been to our amazing adult coloring group, come give it a try. We will have plenty of supplies on hand. Of course, you are welcome to bring your own supplies. No reservations and no experience needed!
Smoky Mountain Opry & LunchJoin us for a trip to the Smoky Mountain Opry and lunch at Five Oaks Farm Kitchen on Thursday, December 5! Tickets to the Opry are $32 and we will meet at FCUMC at 10:45 a.m. to board the bus. The final deadline to pay for Opry tickets, sign up for lunch and reserve a spot on the bus is November 12. Don’t miss this fun event!
ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO:A beautiful fall day at Fountain City Lake. Photo by Nichols Photography. If you’d like to see one of your photos grace the cover of future The Spirit newsletters, please email [email protected].
OCTOBER USHERS
8:30 a.m. TRADITIONAL Charles Thompson- Head Usher Celia Thompson - Head Usher Scott Womack Twila Womack
11:00 a.m. TRADITIONAL John Meade- Head Usher Mike Hensley - Head Usher Walden Buttram Mike Rogers Jimmy Villerreal
THE JOURNEY TBA
All In For Christ Stewardship Campaign 2020 By David and Kelly Hardin
We are excited to announce the upcoming kickoff of our All In For Christ emphasis. This year our focus is on integrating the various parts of our church (including Traditional Worship, The Journey, and Celebrate Recovery) into a unified whole with a mission of making disciples of and changing lives for Jesus Christ. These different areas bring such a diversity of experience and talents, and together we can accomplish so much more than we can as individuals.
Beginning on October 20 and culminating in Commitment Sunday and Holy Communion on November 10, you will be hearing from your fellow church members as well as those outside our doors about the impact your prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness have made in their lives. They will also share how giving and serving has immeasurably blessed them.
To quote Adam Hamilton in his book Enough, “generosity is a fruit of spiritual growth. Our giving – both to God and others – is actually a measure of spiritual growth because giving requires that we trust God to supply our needs. Life is a gift and everything belongs to God.”Please come alongside us as we explore what it means to be All In For Christ.
As a member of the Intercessory Prayer Group at FCUMC, I would like to share with you what Intercessory Prayer is and what it means to our Church. When I was first approached about joining the Intercessory Prayer Group, to be honest, it was not something I felt called to do. I wasn’t keen on the idea of praying openly with a group of people I didn’t know very well. With a bit of apprehension, I decided to look a bit deeper into what intercessory prayer could look like in my walk with God.
“What is intercessory prayer?” Intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalfof others. As intercessors, we support and encourage a safe and open line of communication within our Church for prayer, we take intentional time each day to pray for those in need of prayer, and we gather every other Thursday evening to pray as a group. We also have a group member that knits prayer shawls that we lift up to God and present to those in need of comfort.
The role of a mediator in prayer is presented throughout the Bible. Jesus is the ultimate intercessor, and because of this, all Christian prayer becomes intercession since it is offered to God through and by Jesus Christ. Jesus closed the gap between us and God when He died on the cross,
and because of Jesus’ mediation, we can intercede in prayer on behalf of the lost and other Christians. We need only to humbly ask God to grant these requests according to His will. Christiansshould come to God on behalf of others in a heartbroken and repentant attitude, accepting our unworthiness with a sense of self-denial. True intercessory prayer seeks not only to know God’s will and see it fulfilled, but to see it fulfilled whether or not it benefits self and regardless of what it costs us. Intercessory prayer seeks God’s glory, not our own.
We are called to offer intercessory prayers: all in authority (1 Timothy 2:2); ministers (Philippians 1:19); Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6); friends (Job 42:8); fellow countrymen (Romans 10:1); the sick (James 5:14); enemies (Jeremiah 29:7); those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44); those who forsake us (2 Timothy 4:16); and all men (1 Timothy 2:1). It is often perceived in contemporary Christianity that those who offer up intercessory prayers are a special class of “super-Christians,” called by God to a specific ministry of intercession. The Bible is clear that all Christians have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, and just as Jesus intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:26-27), we are to intercede for one another. The Word of God shows us His desire that every believer be active in intercessory prayer. What a wonderful gift we have been given to come boldly to the foot of the cross, kneeling before God with our prayers and requests through His Loving Grace!
I found myself being called, still a little uncomfortable, but willing… and what a blessing it has been! We currently have 128 names of our brothers and sisters in Christ that we are praying for each day. These are people we love that have cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s, health concerns, and deep struggles. You might be surprised to know that we are praying for you or someone close to you. My prayer is that you will take these words into your heart, spend time with God and see what intercessory prayer might look like for you. My hope is that you are moved to join us in prayers of intercession for all of God’s children. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Just a Sunday morning sprinkle of God’s Love in Fountain Kids
October Life App: Courage - Being brave enough to do what you should do, even when you are afraid.
October Bottom Line: Do what you should, even when you don’t know what will happen next.
October Memory Verse: Be strong and brave. Do not be afraid. Do not lose hope - I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go. - Joshua 1:9
WEDNESDAY EVENING ACTIVITIESJoin us on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. Cross-Trainers (age 4-2nd grade) will enjoy music, Bible time, games, crafts and lots of fun! The Kids Club (3rd- 5th grades) will have large group and small group studying Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus this fall.
REGISTER ONLINE FOR THESE FALL EVENTS:
FATHER/ SON NIGHT - October 25 from 6-10 p.m.Father/son teams join us for a night of fun at Main Event. Enjoy unlimited bowling, laser tag, gravity ropes, billiards and shuffleboard.
SISTERS IN THE SPIRIT - November 3 from 4-6 p.m.You won’t want to miss this event! This year, we have the talented Carla Keck of Painting & Praise who will be directing us in creating a fabulous fall pumpkin picture while we engage in fellowship.
The Gift of
intercessory prayer
KRISTEN’S CORNERBy Rev. Dr. Kristen Burkhart, Associate Pastor of Discipleship
Fall is here! Have you seen the Facebook picture about fall? You know, the one that says, “The leaves are about to show us how lovely it is to let dead things go.” Enough already, I like it but it has been posted a lot lately. And let’s face it, it is hard to believe it is fall when it is still so hot. The quote reminds me of one of my favorite contemporary Christian songs, What If I Stumble by DC Talk. I am using the word contemporary loosely since the song is 24 years old. “What if I stumble, what if I fall? What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all? Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl? What if…”. The questions in this song may be something to consider as Christians this fall.
What if we follow the lead of nature this fall? What would it look like if we as a church body and Christian community let the dead things go? In 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, we are called by the Apostle Paul to remember that resilience and deliverance are rooted in the dying and rising of Jesus. “We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair, we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
Fall is not the typical time of the liturgical church year to celebrate and look at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, if we follow the lead of nature in which God is constantly creating, we may discover some things in our lives that need to die. Things that are sinful and standing in the way of our relationship with Jesus. We may be called to discover things within the church that need to be trimmed or removed so that new items can grow and flourish for the glory of God’s Kingdom. And we may be called to let things go in our families and community that are taking our focus off of our purpose to love God and love our neighbor. So, if the leaves are about to show us how lovely it is to let dead things go, how are we going to let dead things go so that the life of Jesus may be revealed?
God Bless, Kristen
FOUNTAIN KIDS
Miss Ashley rocking it in Children’s Worship
Did she really say put the entire Bible in chronological order?
All abord Miss Jenny’s transportation
By Tim Brown