40 Lives

These past couple Sundays we've taken up a special offering for Imagine No Malaria.  Read more here.

I am proud to announce that as a church we have saved 40 lives.  40 human lives.  40 grandfathers, daughters, nieces, teachers.

40 lives.

That is amazing!  40 miracles!

Announcements for Week of June 9th

Rev. Nancy Out of Town

This week is Annual Conference, the gathering of Methodists from the Holston Conference.  Nancy will be at Lake Junaluska for Annual Conference and then she and Ben will stay in North Carolina, as Nancy will be marrying her friends on June 15th.  That Sunday we will have a guest preacher, Tim Ragle, our brother from Crossroads UMC, on June 16th.  

Summer Bible Study: District Academy!

This summer (June & July) we’ll be taking a break from our Bible Study to participate in a District Academy Bible Study.  It will be an eight week overview of the Bible.  It will be Wednesdays at 6:30 at Crossroads UMC.  It’ll be June 19^th-August 7^th.  We’ll start back our Bible Study on August 13^th.

Vacation Bible School

Mark your calendars: this year VBS will be Thursday-Saturday, June 27-29^th.  More details coming soon!  If you want to help PLEASE attend the meeting this Wednesday!  Let Nancy know if you’d like to help, but can’t make the meeting.

Fifth Sunday Singing is now called Fifth Sunday Praise

June 30th at 6:00pm at Grange Hall.

The word CHURCH

Today I was re-reading a chapter from the book The Andrew Paradigm.                                              

At least once a chapter the author, Bishop Michael J. Coyner, invites someone he considers to be a good example of a "Lead Follower" to respond to a question Jesus asks in Scripture.

During the Intro of Part I a young adult named Ben Boruff responses.

He writes, "A friend once asked me why I am a Christian.  I struggled to reply. My mind pictured church-related items such as pews and praise bands, but none of those things helped me explain why I am a Christian. There are many personal and theological reasons why I call myself a Christian, but at that moment I could only think of hymnals and acolyte sticks."

Boruff's response got me thinking:  What do you think when you hear the word CHURCH?  Do you think of pews and hymnals and acolyte sticks?  Do you think of the building where you worship?  Do you feel guilty? Happy? Angry? Peaceful? Hopeful? Joyful?

Do you think of the community of folks you worship with? Pray with? Eat with? Open up to and support?  Do you see the faces of the men and women who support you and keep you accountable? Who you support and keep accountable?

What do you think when you hear the word CHURCH?

Feel free to comment with your answer!