The SpireWOODMONT CHRISTIAN CHURCH JUNE 5, 2018

Congregational Meeting & Election is Sunday, June 17 at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary

We will elect leadership nominees as well as approve the budget for 2018-2019. The 2018 Nominee Slate booklet is

available in the Narthex & Gathering Hall.

Installation of newly elected leaders is Sunday,June 24 at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary

AUGUST 21, 2018

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Homecoming SundaySunday, August 19

DEDICATION OF SOPHIE ANN SIMMONS, DAUGHTER OF KYLE AND ANGIE SIMMONS, SUNDAY, AUGUST 19

NASHVILLE PIPES AND DRUMS

CHILDREN’S MOMENT

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For the most up-to-date information, download Woodmont’s Realm church directory app.

Search for “Realm Connect” in iTunes & Google Play.

Woodmont Christian Church3601 Hillsboro Pike

Nashville, Tennessee 37215615.297.8563

www.woodmontchristian.org

Dr. Clay Stauffer, Senior Minister Dr. C. Roy Stauffer • Minister of Adult Education & Church LifeRev. Justin Gung • Minister of Children & Congregational Care

Rev. Chris Cox • Minister of Youth & Their FamiliesDr. Donovan McAbee • Minister of Spiritual Formation

Farrell Mason • Minister of Family Life & Pastoral Care Dr. Ben Curtis • Spiritual Director in Residence

M I N I S T E R I A L S TA F F

S U P P O R T S TA F FChris Beck • Business Administrator

Martha Duff • Preschool DirectorSam Marsh • Property & Facilities Manager

Jan Anderson • Administrative AssistantAmber Moss • Executive Assistant

Anne-Marie Farmer • Small Groups & Connections Director Matt Diffenderfer • Communications Director

Michael Graham • Music Ministry DirectorAbby McLean • Children’s Ministry Director

Katie Sheridan-Gossage • Assistant Youth Ministry DirectorAndra Moran • Creative Director, The Bridge

Stephen Daniel King • Worship Leader, The BridgeLauren Lucas Beuerlein • Young Professionals & Couples Director

Steve LaForge • Missions Field Coordinator

P R O G R A M S TA F F

MATTHEW BAKER LINDA COLLINS MADISON WHITE

Welcome new members

Blessing of the Backpacks

Thank you to all who donated supplies for our

partner school, Fall-Hamilton Elementary!

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Sabbatical update from Californiaby Clay Stauffer

So far, I have spent most of this sabbatical on the move. I have made a few trips to Sewanee, one to Virginia, one to Highlands, NC, and last night, Megan and I returned home from a trip to La Jolla, California.

Months ago, I was asked to officiate the wedding of John and Kathy Gibson’s daughter, Kathryn, who grew up at Woodmont, attended UNC Chapel Hill, and later earned an MBA at the University of Texas, Austin. She has been engaged to her long-time boyfriend Preet Gurusamy who went to Dartmouth, UTEP Medical School, and is currently an orthopedic resident at the University of California San Diego.

This wedding was unlike any other I have ever seen. Preet’s family is originally from India, so on Friday, there was a full Hindu/Indian Ceremony that took place. It included a parade, the groom on a white horse, lots of dancing, and a large Indian feast. Having this ceremony was important to the Gurusamy family because of their Indian heritage. I had never experienced one of these before, and it was quite an event. In India, weddings often last multiple days or even a week. It is a joyful celebration that goes on and on.

On Saturday, I officiated the Christian ceremony at the Lodge at Torrey Pines (and yes, got a round of golf in that morning). Towards the end of the Hindu ceremony, the couple takes seven steps together which reflect what will be their guiding principles as a couple.

These include: 1) To nourish each other 2) To remain life-long friends 3) To be together forever 4) To care for children 5) To share life’s joys and sorrows 6) To preserve and share wealth 7) To grow together in strength.

I made the conscious decision to revisit and incorporate these principles into the Christian ceremony the following day. It seemed fitting and appropriate. That evening, Preet and Kathryn stood there among their family and friends, with the sun setting over the Torrey Pines Golf Course and the Pacific Ocean, and made their vows once again – for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, til death do they part.

The entire weekend represented two families coming together, two cultures coming together, and two people committing themselves to love and care for each other for the rest of their lives. It was a powerful experience and one I will certainly never forget. In a world that always seems to focus on differences, it was nice to experience two wedding ceremonies with meaningful overlap.

I miss being at Woodmont and the energy of Homecoming Sunday! Fall is just around the corner. I am looking forward to being back in just a few weeks and beginning a new series on the Sermon on the Mount.

CHRISTIAN WEDDING CEREMONY OF PREET GURUSAMY & KATHRYN GIBSON, DAUGHTER OF JOHN AND KATHY GIBSON HINDU WEDDING CEREMONY OF PREET GURUSAMY & KATHRYN GIBSON

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Woodmont Christian Preschool adds three classroomsby Alex Jacobi

At Woodmont Christian Preschool, learning isn’t just cracking a book open and dispelling information. It goes much deeper.

With a holistic philosophy of serving kids intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, creatively, and spiritually, the preschool aims to create future innovators and problem solvers, those who have a true love for the process of learning.

“Our children are always encouraged to try new things, think out of the box, succeed, fail, regroup, and try again,” said Preschool Director Martha Brothers Duff, who is in her fifth year as director.

With this ambitious goal, along with a top rating from the Tennessee Star-Quality program and accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, it’s no wonder that the preschool is outgrowing its current building.

Last year, one classroom was added to the school. This year, three additional classrooms were added, bringing the total number of classrooms to 14 and enrollment to 198.

Duff said one reason that this year has an influx of students is because more returned from last year. Usually, as kids age, they move on to other schools.

MARTHA BROTHERS DUFF

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“The quality of our programs are so good that they’re not moving on anymore,” Duff said.

With more students staying at the preschool this year, there was only space for six new families, leaving many church families on the wait list. This prompted the school to create more space, utilizing three of the church’s Sunday children’s classrooms. These spaces have to be cleared out by teachers at the end of every week to prepare for Sunday classes.

Duff also attributes the school’s increased numbers to improvement in the teaching program, which has happened as a result of better teacher training. One major part of this training includes learning about brain development for preschool-aged children.

“Understanding developmentally what needs to be accomplished is imperative for teachers, because they need to make sure they’re stimulating the children age appropriately,” Duff said.

This understanding does not just aid in academic teachings, but also in emotional and social development, which Duff argues is just as important as academia.

“If you’re just working on academics, you’re not creating a learner. You’re creating a student,” Duff said.

“If you can teach a child to love learning, then that’s a kid who goes into a situation where they don’t know something and rather than shutting down and saying, ‘Gosh I’m dumb,’ they think, ‘This is so cool; I don’t know this; let’s find out what this is.’”

In addition to prioritizing emotional and social development for their kids, they also prioritize it within themselves, aiming to learn better ways to communicate and love one another. This, tied with a heavy reliance on God through prayer, ensures that the school maintains a healthy work environment, which is a large reason parents hugely support the school through fundraising and giving back to the teachers.

“We love and care for each other. And of course, we pray together constantly, which I think is the key to it all,” Duff said.

“If we think we’re driving this bus, it ’ll crash.”

Dorothy Lewis 8/16Bray Martin 8/17

Anson Moore 8/18Andrew Smith 8/18Brenton Lowe 8/20

Katherine Lewis 8/20

Meriwhether Beckman 8/21

Mary Thorne 8/23Luke Johnson 8/28

Lucinda Witherow 8/28Thomas Woodard 8/29

August 16th-31st Birthdays:

Get Connectedby Anne-Marie Farmer

The back to school season has something in common with New Years – a sense of new opportunities and new beginnings. And there are plenty of new beginnings to be found around church! Our Wednesday night dinners will start back up on September 12. Children have been promoted to new Sunday school classes. Older kids are off to college. A new season of SEC football is right around the corner. And if you’re not already part of a Life Group, it’s time to think about signing up for one!

What is a Life Group? It’s a group of folks at a similar stage of life who meet once or twice a month to enjoy friendship, discussion or study, sharing of prayer concerns, and maybe a meal or snacks. Some Life Groups meet in homes, some at Campbell West, and some at coffee shops. If you’re looking to meet more people at church, build some friendships, and find engaging and important spiritual discussion, give a Life Group a try! It’s not a big commitment – when you sign up, you are signing up for a 3-4 month period. (Having said that, many of our groups have enjoyed the experience so much they opted to continue on longer.)

How do you sign up? You can sign up online or on the bulletin insert on Sunday morning. Let me know if you have any questions, and I’m excited to help you connect with a group.

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Sunday, August 269:30 a.m. Informal Worship, Sanctuary

9:45 a.m. The Bridge Worship, Drowota Hall11:00 a.m. Bridge Brunch, Drowota Hall

11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship, Sanctuary12:15 p.m. Intro to Woodmont, Boardroom

5:30 p.m. Youth Parent Open House, Youth Wing

Monday, August 2710:00 a.m. The Baby Bunch, Nursery

3:00 p.m. Geezers, Boardroom

Tuesday, August 289:00 a.m. Women’s Prayer Group, Campbell-Stone

11:00 a.m. CWF Board Lunch, Bay Room6:00 p.m. Handbells Rehearsal

Wednesday, August 296:15 a.m. Men’s Small Group, Room 100

7:00 a.m. “Original” Men’s Bible Study, Room 1057:00 a.m. Younger Men’s Bible Study, Boardroom5:30 p.m. Grace Notes Rehearsal, Kids Commons

6:30 Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Choir Room6:30 p.m. Holy Yoga, Room 200

Calendar

Thank you from Heart for Africaby Mary Welsh Owen

Woodmont, you rock! Thank you so much for your continued support of Heart for Africa. Vacation Bible School once again named the Heart for Africa Diaper Drive for its Service Project. Over twenty packages of diapers were donated.

Many thanks to the individuals, Sunday School Classes and Life Groups that supported the purchase of the white rockers for Heart for Africa’s Project Canaan. This is

our fourth shipment of rockers. Through your generous support we donated seven adult rockers and four children’s rockers this time. In total, we have donated approximately fifty rockers, which are cherished by the caregivers and the children.

Life Groups are forming now! Sign up online or in the bulletin

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Prayers for ourchurch family:

SYMPATHY TO:Mary Allen and Jelle Danasten on the loss of their infant daughter,

in Belgium. Mary Allen is the daugher of Mary Hawkins, and

granddaughter of LeeAnn Hawkins.

NEW CONCERNS:Tandy Wilson (Steve Wilson’s father) - Heritage Rehab Center, Brentwood

CONGRATULATIONS TO:Kathryn Gibson and Preet

Gurusamy who were united in marriage on Sat Aug 18th in La Jolla, CA. Kathryn is the daughter of John and Kathy Gibson and the sister of

Ragan Graves.

CONTINUING CONCERNS:Pat Bell

Betty Brent - Belmont VillageGayle CherryHale Hooper

Malcolm LewisSheila Mathias - Richland Place

David McDowellJoAnn Patterson

Al RichardsonMeredith Scannella, a WCC choir

member Nikki Schmutz June Stewart

Barrett SuttonIsse Waddey

MILITARY:Dave Albritton, deployment,

nephew of Dave and Pat Malone

FAMILY OF MEMBERS - CONCERNS:

Grady Hardin, father of Paul HardinGavin Duke’s brother, Burton Duke

Martha Duff’s sister, Barbara Katie Vaughn - cousin of Phil

Schmutz

Woodmont’s elders invite you to join them in prayer: - Remembering that Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve.

(Matt. 20:28)

- That through love we might serve one another. (Gal. 5:13)

- That we serve the Lord with gladness. (Psalm 100:2)

JULY 29:AUGUST 5:

AUGUST 12:AUGUST 19:

SUNDAY SCHOOL:272276290468

ATTENDANCE:6506517551178

OPERATING:$14,868$34,926$45,387$70,915

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AT WOODMONT

New Peace That Passes women’s bible study Shawna Keller of Relay of Truth will be leading an 8-week women’s bible study called Peace That Passes on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Drowota Hall beginning Sept. 11. This study will focus on God as our heavenly father who loves us intensely and desires for us to know peace. Not just the

speculative, temporary, situational kind of peace, but a deep and enduring peace that the volatility of this world cannot touch. The class is $10, book

is $15, and registration is required at relayoftruth.com/registration.

Join the Brunch Bunch 50+ group!Are you single, widowed, or divorced and over 50? Would you like to join

other singles for lunch after worship or participate in other fun dining-out events? Email annemarie@woodmontcc.org as this new group gets started

this fall.

September CWF to feature artist Rita Maggart CWF meets at 11 AM on Tuesday, Sept. 4, with lunch following. The speaker will be Rita Maggart, an artist, photographer, and author/

illustrator. Rita’s background in oil painting and floral design allow her to be a photographer with a painter’s eye and she has won awards at the International Digital Arts Show and the Central South Art Exhibit. Please make lunch reservations with the church office or your circle by, Aug. 31.

The Baby Bunch now meets in the NurseryA small group specifically designed for moms with children ages 0-3 meets at 10 AM Monday mornings in the Nursery. Moms, bring your

kids! The children can play together while you connect with other moms, share stories and ideas. For more information, contact Katie Sheridan

Gossage at katie@woodmontcc.org or call (615) 294-1492.

Seekers class begins study on GalatiansWhat do you seek? If your answer is to know God on a deeper level and to grow in discipleship, join the Seekers class at 8:30 a.m. in Room 105

beginning Sept 9. Join the upcoming study of Galatians as we discuss it’s relevance in our daily lives. Come enjoy fellow “seekers” at a back-to-

Sunday-school picnic supper on Friday, September 7th, at 6pm. RSVP to

Nonprofit Org.US Postage Paid

Nashville, TNPermit No.1204

woodm

ont

youth

sunday m

orning 9:30

Worship in Sanctuary or

9:45 W

orship at The Bridge 11:00 Sunday School in Youth Lounge

sunday evening

5:00 Jubilation Rehearsal

5:45 Youth G

roup and Dinner

small groups m

eet at different times

during the week through the year

belonging U

nconditional Acceptance.

our values

woodmont youth 3601 Hillsboro Pike Nashville, TN 37215

spirituality

Deep Faith.

authenticity

Just Be You.

courage Beyond Fear.

mission

Outside O

urselves.

respect The G

olden Rule.

compassion

Love. Care. Forgive.positivity

G

o With the Flow

.

our schedule