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The Open Door
VOL. 33 NO. 7 Marc Sherrod, Minister July, 2005 
E-Mail & On-Line Newsletter
In order for some very important information to reach the widest audience possible, I have included in this edition of the Open Door excerpts from the letter that Bethel members received this past week. If you are a friend of Bethel and would like to fill-out a survey, please call the church office (376-6340) and we will get you one. As the letter states, the session, at our stated meeting the night of the congregational meeting, unanimously affirmed our support of the building proposal. Although the session had to take a deep breath following the shock of the results of that congregational vote, my sense is that our resolve to move Bethel forward to fulfill the congregation’s vision has not diminished at all. In fact, there seems to be even greater clarity and conviction among session members to address immediately our building concerns and needs.
As you can see from the above letter and session’s determined and courageous response, we strongly feel that God has given us this moment in time to follow the Spirit’s leading into a new tomorrow. Our hope and prayer is that each and every person and family affiliated with Bethel will diligently commit to seeking the Lord’s guidance. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me or the elder who oversees your parish care group. In Christian Hope,
As I write this July article, I am preparing for my parish nurse conference in Omaha, Nebraska. I am really excited about this opportunity to learn and, hopefully, I will bring home many new ideas that we can use here. I am very thankful that Bethel supports my efforts to keep up on my continuing education in parish nursing. In addition, our Presbytery’s quarterly Disaster Response Team meeting will be held here at Bethel on July 6th at 10 A.M. in the Fellowship Hall. Linda Brown, Jack McNew and I will be representing Bethel. One more housekeeping item - I will be on vacation July 17- 27. This year my family and I will be flying into Dallas, Texas and exploring the Texas and Oklahoma territories. I plan to be back in the office on Thursday the 28th and I will be working on Friday the 29th. Please don’t forget the Healing and Wholeness Service on July 31st at 9 A.M. Now, AS FOR MY ARTICLE FOR THIS MONTH: The Dangers of Summer Storms. Only 5- 10% of those persons struck by lightening die, but most who survive, sustain a lasting disability. These disabilities include: anxiety, hyperirritability, sleep disturbances, posttraumatic stress disorder superficial burns and depression. Almost all lightning victims experience amnesia and confusion that last for hours to days. In addition, survivors may also have agitation, emotional labiality, inability to talk, headache or seizures. Pain, numbness or tingling of the arms or legs can occur from damage to the peripheral nervous system. The extremities can become cold, cyanotic, mottled and pulse less. This malady of the extremities usually resolves within minutes to days. Also, hearing is usually affected; more than half of all lightning victims have at least one ruptured eardrum. Eye injury is also common, with over half of all victims developing cataracts within one-two years of injury. So…..the idea is-protect yourself- don’t get struck by lightning. If you can hear thunder, the storm is close enough for you to get struck by lightning. If you are outside, go inside and stay off corded phones and avoid contact with plumbing. If there is no shelter, stay low - don’t be the tallest object in a field. Squat down with both feet together and cover your ears with your hands. Don’t stand near isolated trees. Stay several yards away from other people. If you are in water- get out. Finally, avoid metal objects. Stay clear of metal sheds, light poles, fences and bleachers. Golfers-let go of those lightning rods you call golf clubs and seek shelter. I love my parishioners and want to keep each and every one of you for a good, long time. To your health ............... Deb
... none reported this month ... SPONSORS NEEDED THIS MONTH for Kaci, Darrell, Elliott, Elizabeth, Winter, Alyssa, Caitlyn, Sydney, Sarah, Katie, Jacob, Dalton, Julia, Luke, and Logan. These fifteen children will begin Kindergarten August 9. They have been participating in the special Mid-East Head Start small-group program held weekly at Bethel. As part of Bethel Operation Kindergarten, you are encouraged to assist the families and children with an exciting yet intimidating time. Families could use our support as they, perhaps nervously, start this new adventure and go through this BIG, sometimes scary, transition. Go visit the School Angel Tree House in the sanctuary. Information for each child will soon be available in the “windows”. Sponsors are asked to make a $20 purchase of two shirts, socks, and underwear for a bright-eyed, bouncy five-year-old by July 19. Sponsors are also asked to meet the family at a festive carnival lunch on Friday, July 22, 10:30 to 12:30. Finally, sponsors are asked to make additional contact as feasible with the family within one month following the start of school. Sponsors have a unique opportunity to nurture and share God’s love. These children also need a $17 set of school supplies as outlined by Midway Elementary and Kingston Elementary plus the family is asked to pay a $23 classroom fee. If this is not the right time for you to be a sponsor, donations to the school supply fund Bethel hopes to make available would be GREATLY appreciated. We hope to give each child a “Goody Bag” with the clothes and school supplies on July 22. You could make a big difference in the life of a little child and the family. Please contact Linda Brown, Amy Coen, or Amber Jacks with any questions.
Congratulations! Hearty congratulations go out to Frances McPheeters, who was recently honored through the TN Health Care Associations’ Who’s Who in Tennessee Nursing Homes program. This program annually recognizes individuals who made significant contributions to society and helped shape history through their insight and actions. Frances discovered her artistic talents when she tried oil painting as a teenager. She says her talent was God given, as she never took any lessons. She married in 1936, and her husband, an employee of TVA, encouraged her to put her talents to work at TVA working as a mapmaker. During World War II, the Army used her maps of Southern Europe and various islands in the Pacific for top-secret military projects. Presbyterian Women Circle II will NOT meet in July but will resume meeting in August on Tuesday, August 2 at 1 p.m. at the church. We will begin our new study “For Everything, A Season – A Study of the Liturgical Calendar.” EVERY WOMAN is cordially invited to come! You’re Invited! There will be a 90th Birthday Party for Kay Michener on July 4th from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The party will be at Kingston Manor, located at 411 N. Third Street. There will be light refreshments. Please, no gifts. If you are planning to attend, please call 376-6269 to R.S.V.P. All are welcome. Fun on the 4th at Bethel The Christian Education Committee along with Mission Outreach will hold a “Fun on the 4th” event as a way of outreach to the larger community. Between the hours of 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., the grounds of Bethel will be transformed into a “carnival-like” atmosphere, complete with a duck pond, face painting, games, prizes, refreshments, and complimentary patriotic photos. There will be fun for children of all ages. If you would like to help with this event please contact Denise Martin at 376-6605. Please pray for this special outreach, and plan on stopping by on the 4th! This 'n That Grace School has started an activities journal on their web site. Rev. Wambugu and others from the Grace School staff are making weekly entries that are sure to be of interest to everyone who follows the work of Grace Ministries and Grace School. You can read their journal at The book discussion group meets at 1:30 PM in the room below the sanctuary. Upcoming dates, and books, are: SPIRITUAL GIFTS MINISTRY INITIATIVE Prayer Tree The gift of prayer, of intercession, enables a believer to pray with the certainty that prayer is heard and when requests are made, answers will come. In this spirit, Gifts Ministry and folks at the June fellowship dinner built a Bethel prayer tree. Names and situations were written on leaves, prayer notes were hidden in nests, and pictures of people and places were placed on the tree. We were asked to remember the tree and its contents in our prayers. The tree will be with us for several months to come. We invite you to visit the tree, add to the tree and remember all the prayers on the tree in your daily devotions. Paul wrote to the congregation in Thessalonica --- “Beloved, pray for us.” (1 Thess. 5:25). Bethel’s visual prayer tree reminds us that Christ calls us to be bound together by prayer for one another and that each of us is beloved. Thanks Special thanks to all the people who participated in the tree’s planning, who made visitation to our members who can’t get to church, and who have worked with the Gifts Ministry Initiative. These include: Ruth Ann Ludwig, Chelsea Richmond, Teresa Hettrick, Helen Stevenson, Wanda Carter, Aaneke Oonk, Karen Schall, Anita Richmond, and Jill McMasters. Gifts Inventory Questionnaire Do you need some help in identifying your unique gifts from God? Today’s Christian websites have a plethora of “Spiritual Gifts” tools to help you. Gifts Ministry recommends the gifts questionnaire developed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and found on the internet at http://www.elca.org/evangelism/assessments/spiritgifts.html . After you answer the questions, the site will create a bar graph ranking your responses among 20 gift areas. Gifts with the highest percentage are those you should explore developing. This ELCA website is being added as a link to our Bethel website (http://www.bethelpcusa.org/) for your future reference. If you do not have internet access, the questionnaire can be printed. Call Carol Brown, 376-7171, to obtain a printed copy. You can also find other inventory lists by typing in “spiritual gifts” (include the quotes) in your search engine. Or you can learn about the congregational resource guides purchased for Bethel’s Gifts Ministry Initiative by searching on the author’s name, Jean Trumbauer. Using your unique gifts will deepen your personal understanding of your call to Christian service; will turn your tasks into joyful ministries; and will make you feel more fulfilled and more deeply a part of the faith community. In addition, the good of the church will be magnified. Using tools to help you know your gifts is only a start. The final knowing comes through your ever present communion with God. Welcome New Members Welcome Frank and Linda Jones, who transferred their church membership from Smyrna Presbyterian in Conyers, Georgia to the Bethel congregation on June 12, 2005. Frank and Linda are not new to Bethel. They first came to Bethel when they lived in Conyers and visited Linda’s mother, Erma King, who grew up in Kingston. Linda’s grandparents, Lorene Johnston White and A. S. (Jake) White built a home on acreage held in the family for several generations. That home is currently where Frank and Linda reside. Frank’s family was from Thomasville, Alabama and Frank grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Frank and Linda met by chance at an Atlanta apartment when Linda was visiting a young girl that worked with Linda’s mother. They have been married 30 years and have two daughters, a son, and four grandchildren. Their son is completing his last year of seminary at Asbury in Nicholasville, Kentucky while the daughters and grandchildren live in Conyers. Frank worked as an industrial engineer for AT&T and Nordson. Linda was a teaching assistant for kindergarten and first grade. Both are actively retired now, working with as cooks for the John Knox Summer Camp program and with Bethel’s Alpha program. Linda’s favorite Bible verses are Psalms 139, the prayer for the believing heart, which begins “O Lord, you have searched me and know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.” Take a moment to read this Psalm and you will know the essence of the faith the Jones family brings to our community. Shara Lee Roe On Sunday, June 26th, we received Shara Lee Roe into our fellowship through baptism and affirmation of faith. In October 2004, Shara moved to Kingston from Wichita, Kansas, where she worked for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She is a 2001 graduate of Wichita State University who, after graduation, landed her dream job as the Development Coordinator of the MS Walk and the MS 150 Bike Tour. Her passion is fundraising for non-profit organizations but God’s plan for her sent her far from Kansas, to be embraced by the family of Nancy and Clay Landers and the Bethel congregation. Shara’s best friend growing up in Kansas is the niece of Nancy Landers. Many teenage memories include her friend, Julie, and Julie’s parents and grandparents. “When Grandpa died in 2004,” said Shara, “Nancy and her son, Donald [Cross] were at the funeral. I remember thinking he was interesting.” However, it wasn’t until her friend Julie’s wedding in May that Shara and Donald really noticed each other. They courted from May until August 7, 2004 when Donald proposed. Shara accepted the proposal and found work in Knoxville as a conference planner for the Amputee Coalition of America. Donald and Shara plan an October 15, 2005 wedding and a honeymoon trip to Disneyworld. Remember this young couple in your prayers as they begin their journey of life together. Another Note ....
For those of you who were at the Shenk’s anniversary party and were curious, here is the spur-of-the-moment recipe for the punch we had.
Mix all liquids together and carefully add sherbet (run a little warm water over the outside of the container to help it slide out) When the bowl starts running low, add a container of orange sherbet and more of whatever you have left over. This gives it a little different taste. People will think you have two different kinds of punch. Enjoy! Linda Brown
Parish Life Committee New Church Directory We are producing a new pictorial directory for our church. There is NO cost to you or the church to have your photographs taken, and you will receive a complimentary 8x10 portrait and directory for participation. You will be able to view your images electronically immediately after you are photographed and have the opportunity to purchase additional portraits to share with family and friends. We look forward to "seeing you in pictures." The actual picture taking will be on Tuesday, August 16 from 2:00 to 8:40 PM and Wednesday, August 17 from 2:00 to 8:40 PM. The sign-up process for photography and portrait viewing sessions will begin on Sunday, July 10 after our worship service. Subsequent sign-up dates: Sunday, July 17 and Sunday, July 24. Volunteers will be in front of the sanctuary to sign you up.--Tuesday sign-ups in the choir area and Wednesday sign-ups in the organ area. Early sign-ups will get the first choice of times! For questions, please contact Bettie Shenk or Marianne Shadden. Church Picnic Our Church Picnic will be at The Hettricks on Sunday, August 14. Games for young and old will start at 3 pm and then around 5 pm, we will have our picnic consisting of BBQ, buns, baked beans, potato chips, cole slaw and desserts. The only thing we ask YOU to bring is your favorite beverage(s), and a lawn chair. Cumberland County Playhouse We are planning another trip to the Cumberland County Playhouse on Sunday, October 9, 2:30 to see "Ain't Misbehavin." As always, we will carpool from Bethel to the Playhouse leaving Bethel's Parking Lot at 2:00 PM. Sign-up sheet is in the office. Group rates :$19(for 20 or more people); children $11. (Adventure Theater). Thomas "Fats" Waller was a giant of jazz. In his 30 years he created thousands of songs. Fats took the bluesy side of Tennessee uptown to Harlem hangouts where folks "Ain't Misbehavin'" but "The Joint is Jumpin'". Registration deadline is Sunday, September 11. Tubing Trip We had such a good time last year, we thought we would try it again. The tentative plan is to go on July 23. The company that rents the tubes requires that all participants be over 12 and that everyone completes a release (to be signed by parents of anyone under 18). These have to be completed prior to leaving the church on Saturday morning. We will leave the church fairly early, stop for breakfast on the way down, and take a picnic lunch to have when we finish the trip down the river. The cost will be between $15-$20 each. We will get you more details later but just wanted everyone to know the plan. If you would like to go, there will be a sign up sheet in the office. Mission Outreach Committee Michael and Irene Sivalee will be with us Sunday, February 26, 2006. Many of you will remember this couple from earlier years and through posted updates on their activities in Brazil. The MO committee is busy making plans for their visit. A reminder ... please keep bringing in supplies for the health kits as well as dry dog and cat food for the animal shelter. Early this year, the MO committee donated $300 to RCCM for the seeds program. These seeds are now beginning to bear fruit and can be put away for use later in the year. The MO committee already has several boxes of canning jars available for this purpose but need more. Any type of purchased canning jar (Ball, Mason) is acceptable as well as glass mayonnaise jars and some salsa and pasta sauce jars. We also need rims (reusable) and lids (not reusable) which can be purchased at the grocery stores or variety stores in the area. This is collected in the choir room. Christian Education The Christian Education Committee is looking for a few good men and women...to teach Sunday School. If you are interested in a year-long commitment, or willing to share your talents for one to two weeks, possibly two or three times a year we would like to hear from you. Please contact Amber Jacks or Denise Martin if you are interested in this special ministry. Pen Pals Across the World - Cathy McDowell asked that we share with you a special project that the elementary Sunday School children have been involved in. A few months ago we were studying Jonah, and his role as a "missionary with a message". One of our activities included writing letters and sharing photos of ourselves and our church with the students at Grace School in Kenya. Our Bethel youngsters were excited as they wrote about themselves, asked questions of the students at Grace School, and most importantly expressed that they were praying for them. Many Bethel youngsters asked for return letters. I received an e-mail stating that our letters had been received, and Samuel Wambugu told us that the students at Grace School were indeed writing back to us. Our students will be so excited to receive this correspondence, and we hope to continue the Pen Pal letters in Sunday School, and encourage students to also write from home. Please pray for our Pen Pals both near and far, and this special outreach in mission and ministry. Stewardship & Finance Committee Report
... none reported this month ... Director, We have received the correspondence Bethel Church children wrote to children of Grace School. The children were very excited to read the different messages and their response is on the way. Thank you for letting the children connect to each other and pray for one another. Samuel Dear Bethel Family, If I were to list the countless things to say thank you for, the list would be too long. Bethel has meant so much to me throughout my life. Specifically let me thank you for the amazing cd, the book, and the fantastic dinner! This is just another example of how you go out of the way for the ones you love! I will never be far away and I will visit often! I know God has blessed me because I can see the things Bethel has done for me! Love in Christ – Justin Murr To Our Bethel Church Family: We want to thank each of you for helping to make our SURPRISE 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration such an extra special occasion!!! You kept the surprise from us completely! Beside being at the party, we also want to thank you for all the lovely cards and notes, and telephone calls from those who couldn’t come. You missed out on the hugs as well as all the good food. The food is gone, but the hugs are always available. Blessings, peace, joy and love, Dear Bethel Family, Thank you so much for all your cards, calls, visits, and many prayers. They have truly been a blessing, and much appreciated. Recovery seems to be proceeding slowly but I know I’ll be back up to speed before too much longer. I look forward to seeing all of you soon and pray that all of you stay healthy! God bless you all. Much love, Dear Bethel Family, How can I thank you for all the blessings you have given me? You are a rare and amazing congregation. I will wear the beautiful stole with joy – as it will always remind me of you! I treasure the “Bethel plate” – and will hand it down to Gracean (someday) to remind her of God’s faithfulness from generation to generation ... a truth you have shown me! Thank you for giving me the “roots” I have always wanted – and a place to grow, be nurtured ... and sent out to minister in Christ’s name. Love in Christ – who brought us together, Pat Harvey
Bethel Family Prayer Calendar - July, 2005  The members and regularly attending friends of Bethel are assigned to elder care groups. Each month in the newsletter for your prayers, we publish the list of one or more elder care groups. The elder’s name and phone at the top of the list are listed as a reminder of their role in nurturing and supporting those who belong to Bethel. You should feel free to contact your elder or the pastor if you have a particular spiritual need or other matter that needs to be brought to our attention.
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Ellen Evans