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The Open DoorPublished monthly by and for the members and friends of
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From the Minister |
From the Parish Nurse |
Session Committee Articles |
Session Meeting Highlights |
Notes of Appreciation |
Notes of Sympathy |
Prayer Calendar |
Remember to Pray for These |
Memorial Gifts |
Birthdays |
Youth News |
Special Needs |
Monthly News |
Thoughts to Ponder |
Calendar |
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Greetings to you in this goblin and candy corn month! I have been traveling this last month to Franklin, Tn. for the Tennessee Public Health Association Conference. This conference lasted three days and nights. The title was “Focusing on emerging infectious diseases”. As the nights grow cooler and natural food in the wild scarcer, you might see some “critters” coming up to your house looking for food. Skunks, opossums, and raccoons love pet food and will help themselves if the food is somewhere they can get to. One of the subjects we covered in this three-day conference was rabies. The source of most U.S. death from rabies is contributable to the bat. A minor bite/scratch may transmit rabies whether the wound is visible or not. If your dog or cat is bitten, confine them for 5-10 days to see if they exhibit symptoms. I have been asked how soon the rabies shots to those bitten must be given: the answer is…depends. It depends on the area of the bite. If one is bitten on the face or head, shots need to start within 48 hours. If bitten on the extremity or trunk, you can wait for 5-7 days. All cases need to be reported to our health department in Rockwood.
Skunks also are capable of infecting you with rabies. However, the new threat here in Tennessee is rabies carried by raccoons. A rabid raccoon is very aggressive and will bite anything in sight, no matter how big it is. The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta reported its’ first death of raccoon rabies in March of this year in Virginia. The CDC is going to be dropping “fish meal baits” in Tennessee in January of 2004. These baits will be eaten (we hope) by the raccoon population to inoculate them from rabies and thereby prevent its’ spread throughout Tennessee. If you see your dog or cat gnawing on the bait for the raccoon…don’t fear…. it will not hurt them. Do not pick up the bait with your bare hands.
Please use common sense with our forest creatures and never try to pick them up or pet them (this knowledge is for you kids out there).
To your health ......... Deb
Just a reminder...
Our Bethel medial equipment closet has some things you might find useful! Hopefully, you won’t have need of any of these items, however, accidents (and surgeries) do happen..... We have wheeled and stationery walkers, a wheelchair, toilet seat riser, bedside commode, a “reacher”, an immobililizer, quad canes and a single cane, as well as adult and child crutches. Just call Debbie Hyder if you need any of these at 376-6340
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[A reminder that session meetings are open for members to attend unless the session goes into executive session; the minutes of the session are are available, by appointment, for review in the church office] |
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| No Highlights reported for September |
HANDS OF MERCY FOOD LIST
Sugar, Flour, Rice, Cereal, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Saltines, Dry Beans, Canned Meat, Pasta & Sauce, Bread, Cornmeal Mix Boxes, Macaroni & Cheese, Corn, Green Beans, Green Peas, Soup, Tuna
A VISIONING UPDATE
by Bob Jones
Where there is no vision, the people perish…
Proverbs 29:18
I’m sure that many of our members are anxious to hear the outcome of our efforts to form a vision of Bethel’s future. Let’s review what’s happened over the past few months, then I’ll share with you my personal visioning experience as a member of Session.
As you know, the Visioning process began in 2002 with a lot of intense planning by the Visioning Task Force. The process was introduced to the Congregation in January of this year, and interested members of the Congregation were divided into seven small groups for a series of weekly discussions for eight straight weeks in January and February. Participation was remarkable, with an average weekly attendance of 84. The input received during these small group discussions was organized and compiled over the next few weeks by the small group facilitators and scribes, then Bill Shenk was asked to analyze the information and prepare a Visioning Report to present to Session. Bill worked with representatives from the small groups and presented his report to Session in July.
Since receiving the report, Session members have met numerous times to carefully review all information contained in the report, and we have spent many hours trying to formulate the vision that reflects God’s plan for Bethel. We eventually agreed on a final list of issues and ideas. Our final step in this process was to identify the major themes of the vision, and align each issue with the appropriate theme. We found that several of the identified issues and ideas could best be implemented by assigning them to a committee or to a member of the Church staff. We then made these assignments and removed them from the list. The remaining ministry initiatives are our proposed vision for the next five to seven years.
The vision draft is now ready for your consideration, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to present it to you on October 5th, as noted in Marc’s recent letter sent out to the Congregation.
As for my personal experiences during this process, it has been a rewarding experience from the very first night of small group meetings. I found the meetings so stimulating that I didn’t want them to end! In reflection on the subsequent Session meetings, I can assure the Congregation that Session members worked very hard to make Bethel’s vision a realistic as well as challenging plan. Many lengthy discussions have brought all of the individual ideas together into common goals. Some of us had to resolve inner conflict to complete the vision. For example, I acknowledge God’s call for us to bring more people into the Church, yet I want to maintain the close relationships we have between each and every family in the Congregation. I believe that God will help us find ways to make our experience at Bethel very inspirational and rewarding regardless of our size. Implementation of this vision will require lots of volunteers and some financial support, but I’m confident that our Congregation will be committed to make the vision a reality.
In closing, let me just say that we can be assured of success if we put our trust in the Lord. “Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8
PLAYHOUSE NEWS
Reservation to see "42nd Street" at the Cumberland Playhouse in Crossville on Nov. 2nd, 2:30 p.n. (Central Time). We will carpool from Bethel at 1:45.Call the office by Oct 3 to make your reservations.
Vocal Performances
Michael Rodgers, recent baritone soloist at Bethel, will sing the role of the Mandarin in Puccini’s Turandot presented by the Knoxville Opera Company. Performances will be at the Civic Auditorium on Friday, October 17 at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday, October 19th at 2:30 p.m. Dianne Griffith can be spotted with the “Popolo di Pekino” (people of Peking).
FRIENDSHIP SUNDAY
FRIENDSHIP SUNDAY will be October 12 with wprship services at 9:00 a.m. & 11 a.m. Please invite a friend to join you that Sunday and share in the joy that we have a t Bethel Church! Since this is also Fellowship Sunday, you might want to invite our guests to join us for coffee and cookies in the Fellowship Hall at 10:30, too.
EVENING CIRCLE
The Evening Circle meets in the church lounge on the 2nd and 4th Sunday at 6:00 P.M. All women of the church are invited.
The October Bible studies will be "A Woman's Healing" (Mark 5: 21-34) on 10/12 and "An Outsider's Challenge" (Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24-30) on 10/26. The circle members will attend the Greek Orthodox Church Festival on Saturday, October 18, in the afternoon.
CIRCLE II
CIRCLE II will meet at Helen Stephenson’s home on October 7 at 1:00 p.m. Meet at Bethel at 12:30 to carpool.
ANNUAL PEACEMAKING OFFERING
THE ANNUAL PEACEMAKING OFFERING will Be received on Oct 5. 25% of gifts received remain in our local community. We will divide this 25% equally between Pathways & the YWCA Women’s Shelter.
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
Sunset Gap visitation day is Thursday, October 23. Contact Delores Sandmel if you would like to visit Sunset Gap, one of the missions of Presbyterian Women.
The annual Women's Retreat will be held at John Knox Center November 14 - 16. Registration forms are in the vestibule of the church. Call Cathy Banker or Carol Brown if you have any questions.
Mission Outreach Committee Report
Our mission outreach committee met on September 4th in the Lounge area underneath the sanctuary. Our meetings are open and all who are interested in becoming a committee member are encouraged…. and welcomed…to come. We meet the 1st Thursday of every month at 6:30 P.M. Our next meeting will be October 2nd. At this next meeting, Doug Jackson of the Roane County Anti-drug coalition, will speak about this new program for our school children in which the anti-drug teaching will not be restricted to just 5th grade; it will continue throughout their schooling.
Mary Will reports that Hands of Mercy has been approved to receive food from Second Harvest Food Bank. We are looking into the possibility that Hands of Mercy could utilize so-called “out of date” produce from grocery stores that is still good. Carolyn McNew will present our Minute for Mission on October 12th on our community food pantry Hands of Mercy.
Our fall clothing drive for Sunset Gap was a success! Our lounge area is over half-filled with clothing and small appliances. Thanks to Dolores who spearheaded this drive. Thank you Dolores, Dave and Helen Stevenson and Carolyn Tulley, for taking the items to Sunset Gap on September 24th.
A fire on August 28th destroyed the home of Marge, Dick and Teresa Hettrick. We were pleased to vote to disperse monies from the Local Disaster Response Fund to them as needed.
In Christ’s Service, Deb Hyder
Prison Ministry:
An orientation session for new volunteers will be held on Saturday morning, October 4, here at Bethel. Dean Yancey, Chaplain at the regional prison in Morgan County, will conduct the session for our new volunteers, with folks from nearby churches invited as well. Dean will also be taking photos for new ID badges, so if you are a long-time volunteer but haven’t been photographed for the new badges, please stop by and take care of this. Chaplain Yancey tells us that the old badges will no longer be honored after Nov. 1.
A thank-you note: “On behalf of the Lifers’ Club I want to thank you and your fellow volunteers for your help in making our recent banquet a huge success. The desserts were delicious! We were glad you were able to attend and appreciate the time and effort involved in preparing such delicious treats.” (Note from Karen Schall: as coordinator of our prison ministry, I’d like to add my thanks to all who baked desserts for both the Lifers’ Club banquet and the Veterans’ Club banquet which was held the following Friday. I appreciate everyone’s willingness to pitch in, and be assured that the inmates enjoyed every bite!)
Christian Education Committee
Youth Corner:
Lots of good things happening this month! The newsletter deadline came a little early, so we don’t have everything finalized, but here’s what the month looks like so far:
CAR WASH* -- Some folks bought car washes at last year’s Time & Talent Auction, and we realized that we haven’t done the washing yet! So if you paid for a car wash, or have a car that needs washing, we’ll take care of it for you. Any donations you care to make will go towards next year’s mission trip.
CORN MAZE* -- Amber Jacks is coordinating an afternoon trip to one of the local corn mazes. This will be for the WHOLE Bethel family – not just youth groups. Amber will provide details as soon as they are worked out.
* When will these things happen, you ask? That’s the part we haven’t got finalized. We hope to do the car wash on either Oct. 5th after the church supper, or on the 12th after church. On the alternating weekend we’ll do the Corn Maze. We’ll try to get final details in the Sunday bulletins the week before each event.
RETREATS – Middle School Fall Retreat at Camp John Knox is October 17-19, and the High School Retreat is the following weekend, October 25-26. Deadline for registrations is: Middle School: immediately! -- High School: October 3rd. And yes, we still need chaperones; one male and one female adult for each weekend. If you can go, please let Marc Sherrod, Karen Schall, or Amber Jacks know.
Property and Personnel Committee
A reminder about our workday coming up on Saturday, October 18, from 8:30 to 12:30. This can be considered a "mini-work camp" in which we all can participate for the cuare and beautification of our buildings and grounds. A list of tasks will appear in the bulletins of October 5 and 12 prior to our big day. Any needed repair supplies will be provided by Property and Personnel, but you can bring work gloves and routine equipment (such as clippers and loppers) needed for your selected task. Perhaps your Sunday School class would like to tackle a project or two -- things go faster with more hands! Please come, even if only for part of the time. Thanks in advance.
We're continuing to have some problems with buildings being left open and lights left on in both buildings when not in use. If you are the last one out the door of a building or a room, please take time to turn off the lights and lock up. In order to assist in this, the P and P committee would like to restart the "Closing Sexton" program. This person would be responsible for making sure the sanctuary and educational building lights are off and all doors closed and locked after Sunday morning worship. This can be done monthly by individuals, groups, Sunday School classes. You can sign up by calling Nancy King at 376-9951 or signing up on the sign up sheet posted in the rear of the sanctuary. Thanks.
Stewardship & Finance Committee
Calculation of Fund BalanceChanges in Fund Balance
Comparison to Budget - General Fund
| Total Assets - all funds - per Balance Sheet | $373,289.23 | |
| Less Investments - Endowments (at Book Value) per Balance Sheet: | ||
| Banker Endowment Fund | 55,452.00 | |
| Parish Nurse Endowment Fund | 50,000.00 | |
| 105,452.00 | ||
| Less Designated Memorials per Balance Sheet | 18,563.66 | |
| Less Designated Fund Balances: | ||
| Banker Scholarship Fund | 4,276.78 | |
| Christmas Basket Fund | 436.54 | |
| Cookbook Fund | 247.00 | |
| Habitat for Humanity Fund | 80.00 | |
| H.O.M.E. Fund | 0.00 | |
| Local Mission Fund | 1,735.96 | |
| Mission Outreach Fund | 669.82 | |
| Miss Dot Hunger Fund | 10,371.31 | |
| Prison Rehab Fund | 643.00 | |
| Venezuela Fund | 500.00 | |
| Youth Fellowship Fund | 1,866.40 | |
| 20,826.81 | ||
| Total Special Fund Balances | 144,842.47 | |
| General Fund Balance, including Undesignated Memorials, Undesignated Bequests and General Fund Reserves | $228,446.76 |
| General Fund * |
Special Funds |
Total Funds |
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| Beginning Fund Balances, 1/1/03 | $228,447 | $144,842 | $373,289 |
| Income, Year to Date, 8/31/03 | 151,841 | 18,312 | 170,153 |
| Expenses, Year to Date, 8/31/03 | -160,087 | -25,239 | -185,326 |
| Ending Fund Balances, 8/31/03 | $220,201 | $137,915 | $358,116 |
| * General Fund includes undesignated bequests and memorials. |
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| Actual | Budget | Difference | |
| Income, excluding designated funds applied, Year to Date, 8/31/03 | 145,317 | 157,395 | -12,078 |
| Expenses, net of desigated funds applied, Year to Date, 8/31/03 | -153,563 | -152,195 | -1,368 |
| Net Increase (Decrease) in General Fund | -8,246 | 5,200 | -13,446 |
No items were reported for this month
Gifts received during the month of September in memory of:
Joyce Law from Vernon Law toward kitchen renovation
Harvalee Preston from Madge Benfield
Dot Pierce from from Gene Pierce to the “Miss Dot Hunger fund” to honor Donald Pierce for his birthday
Notes of Appreciation
ROANE COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Dear Friends,
This is to acknowledge receipt of your continued support to Roane County Habitat for Humanity as reflected by your generous gift of $80.00.
We recently completed our 29th home and will begin construction of our 30th house in the Hope Subdivision in Kingston very soon.
Thank you again for your support of our ministry.
Sincerely,
Jane DeVall, Treasurer
Let me say thank you to all my Bethel church family for the many telephone calls, cards, and well-wishes, for my speedy recovery after my automobile accident on the 4th of September. Each day I am seeing progress in my recovery.
Fern Stackpole
Dear Friends at Bethel,
Words fail to express our gratitude for your many acts of kindness and love extended to us over the last 30 days, since the fire that destroyed our home. While it is true, we have never experienced such a shock and profound sense of grief and loss, it is also true, that you who reached out God’s sustaining arms of love, from the first minutes and hours, to those who came to sit with us in our grief, you were truly “good news.” Your cards, notes, gifts, and mostly your prayers, have been for us a “Sweet Balm in Gilead.” We are renting Jennifer Griffith Langham’s historic Smith House at 221 Euclid Ave., close by the Old Bethel Cemetery. We plan to rebuild as soon as possible on our Walker Subdivision property. We Christians are a hope-filled people, looking ahead to what God has in store. Let us with Paul forget what lies behind us and press on toward the goal, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank you for your faithful witness to God’s Saving Love.
Sincerely,
Dick, Marge and Teresa Hettrick
Nothing to ponder this month!
5 - JACK STACKPOLE 376-6466
Ken & Maggie Dungan 12 - Lowell & Linda Malmquist |
19 - JANE WALSH376-5250
Tollie Banker 26 - Elaine & Robert Parker |
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