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The Open Door
VOL. 33 NO. 10 Marc Sherrod, Minister October, 2005 
E-Mail & On-Line Newsletter
For those unable to be present at the September 18, 2005 meeting of the Bethel Presbyterian Church when a recommendation from the Building Proposal Committee was considered by the congregation, I want to provide you with the results of that meeting. As a preliminary matter, the congregation adopted an 80% approval rate of those members of the Active Roll present and voting in order for the motion to be approved. Of our Active Roll membership of 213, 127 (59.6%) were present and voted. The number of “yes” votes was 94 (74%) and the number of “no” votes was 33 (26%), so the motion did not pass. A subsequent motion was approved by vote of the congregation to “continue the Building Fund and the Building Concept and to find a solution that works in a reasonable time.” In a called meeting of the session September 25, the elders and I responded by developing a process whereby the session and the congregation can continue consideration of Bethel’s building needs. The session reminded ourselves, and we hereby remind the congregation, that our point of departure for addressing building concerns remains our visioning process and the ministry initiatives previously adopted. For the purpose of moving forward to address building needs, we have created four separate Work Teams, each chaired by an elder (additional Work Teams may be added, if necessary, as this process unfolds). The primary purpose of each of these Work Teams is listed below. You may volunteer to serve on one of these teams by contacting the elder chairperson listed. Each Work Team will have no more than five members, including the chairperson. Option A Purpose: to keep the sanctuary in its current location and perform all necessary repairs to address all issues related to safety and accessibility. Chairperson: Frank Harris (539-4779) Option B Purpose: to relocate the sanctuary over a new basement foundation and connect it to the educational building. This is basically the same as the proposal recently brought to the congregation by the Building Proposal Committee. Chairperson: Laura Dailey (717-0900) Option C Purpose: to build a new sanctuary on Bethel’s property. Chairperson: Mark Banker (376-2118) Option D Purpose: to expand Bethel’s sanctuary at its current location. Chairperson: Jane Walsh (376-5250) Except for Option B, details on these options are intentionally vague at this time in order to allow the work teams freedom to explore as they feel led by God. Once each team has done some initial work and is ready to receive comments, opportunities will be given for you to ask questions and provide feedback on their particular proposal. Please bear in mind that folks on these work teams do not necessarily endorse that particular option, but rather offer their services as a way to seek resolution to Bethel’s building needs. As their work goes forward, each of these Work Teams will produce and distribute an information sheet that gives details about that particular option. Details will include: the extent to which it helps or hinders Bethel’s vision and ministry initiatives, a drawing of the proposal, the proposal’s pros and cons, and a solid ballpark estimate of cost. I anticipate that the results of the efforts of these work teams will be made available simultaneously, thereby reducing confusion on your part. At the end of this process of developing and communicating details regarding these various options, the session will call a congregational meeting, perhaps in January or February, 2006. This will be a meeting in the fellowship hall after worship and preceeded by a catered lunch. As a congregation, we will take whatever time is necessary to ask questions and receive comments. At the end of that meeting, each member on the Active Roll who is present will have an opportunity to declare their commitment to one of the options. This process will represent a referendum that the session will use to guide us as we go forward. The session anticipates that this will give us the best building option and enhance harmony in the congregation. If you have questions about this process as outlined above, please contact me directly. If you wish to submit your name to serve on one of the work teams, contact the elder chairperson directly. And for everyone, please continue to make Bethel’s building needs a matter of regular prayer as we demonstrate the unity of the body of Christ and move into God’s preferred future for our life together in worship and mission. Please join me in applauding the long hours and hard work rendered by the Building Proposal Committee. Their efforts went well beyond the call of duty, and each person in the church should let them know how much we appreciate what they have done. Members are Nancy King (chair), Gary Griffith, Ken Dungan, Laura Dailey, Dave Nippert, Jim Schall, Joe Coen, Jack McNew, Rebecca Dailey, Marc Sherrod. Our deep thanks also to the Third Century Campaign Cabinet and the phenomenal response made by Bethel’s members and friends who responded, in a relatively brief period of time, with pledges approaching $400,000. Please join me in thanking Frank Harris (chair), Danny Holloway, Steve Jacks, Carolyn McNew (recording secretary), Jim Hines, and myself. Grace & Peace,
Fall is upon us, and with it, more work to do! Currently, I am in the middle of forming and dispatching Bethel’s disaster work team to southern Alabama. As of this writing we will be staying in Mobile, Alabama about an hour from our work site. We will be housed by the Presbytery (probably in a local church). Right now we have between 8-10 volunteers for our work team. I am coordinating the work and work site through our presbytery’s work team manager, Bert Henson in Little Rock, Arkansas. We will be taking our own supplies and will have to fend for ourselves as far as food. We are looking at leaving on October 9th and coming back October 16th. Please be in prayer for our mission. As we have 3 R.N.’s, one medical technician and 2 physical therapists on our team, we hope to do some medical relief work by checking on parishioners and assessing problems they may be having. We are currently taking up monies for Hurricane Katrina evacuees that are relocating in Tennessee and for our disaster work team. If you would like to give to either of these causes, write your check to Bethel Presbyterian Church, and in the memo space on your check specify which fund you want to contribute to. Thank you for your compassion and, as always-to your health ............... Deb
... none reported this month ... Report of the Nominating Committee At the request of the congregation’s Nominating Committee, the Session has called a congregational meeting immediately after worship in the church sanctuary on October 30, 2005. The purpose of this meeting is twofold: First, for the congregation to hear and act on a recommendation from the Session to reduce the size of Session from 15 to 12 members. Second, to vote on a slate of nominees for the class of 2008 to serve on Session and one trustee for the same class on the Board of Trustees. Life Line Screening Available Our church will be hosting another Life Line Screening on October 17th for the community and our church. Life Line Screening, endorsed by Saint Thomas Vascular and several local hospitals, will perform four different health screenings using Doppler color flow ultrasound:
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States for men and the second leading cause of death for women. Every 53 seconds, someone has a stroke. It is also the number one reason people are admitted to the nursing home. What most people do not realize is that most strokes (up to 80%) can be prevented. Most people are not afraid of dying; their biggest fear is being confined to a nursing home. Stroke victims account for 50% of nursing home patients…… Outdoor Service at John Knox Center Please plan to attend a special outdoor Worship service at the John Knox Center on October 16th. There will be activities for the children starting at 9:30 A.M., followed by an 11:00 A.M. outdoor Worship service. Lunch will be served immediately after the service at approximately 12:30 P.M. You can register for this special service by completing a form to be distributed in the Sunday bulletins in early October. You’re Invited On October 16, Katherine Dungan, daughter of Ken and Margaret Dungan, will be presenting a harp recital. She will be graduating from the University of Michigan in December, and she will play for us her senior recital. A reception and refreshments will follow in the fellowship hall after the recital: Sunday, October 16, 2005 All Are Welcome Welcome Aboard, Donnie!
Hi, I'm Donnie Nelson, your new Youth Minister. I'm glad and excited to be here. At the present time I am finishing up my last semester at East Tennessee State University. My major is Economics and have a business minor. I live in East Knoxville with my mom on the weekends and through the week at ETSU. I also have a sister, brother and law, and nephew in Knoxville. What I hope to accomplish is to encourage and support the young men and women of Bethel in their pursuit of a deeper relationship with Jesus. I also hope by our fellowship they will go and witness to others in the community. My plan for the future is to attend seminary next fall. This is a great Let’s all take the opportunity to welcome Donnie as we meet him, and encourage him as he leads our youth. Coming in November Retired Episcopalian Bishop John Shelby Spong will speak at the United Church, Chapel on the Hill, in Oak Ridge on Saturday, November 5, 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Spong is a famous defender of the faith. He was the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement. Some of his best-selling books include "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, A New Christianity for a New World" and "Here I Stand," a memoir of his journey to the reasoned, loving Christianity he has preached for decades. He has appeared on "Good Morning, America", "Larry King Live," "Firing Line," etc. For more information, check the church's web site: Presbytery Peacemaking Events The Presbytery's Peacemaking Committee is sending a five-person delegation to AN EDUCATIONAL EVENT IN ISRAEL & PALESTINE, April 25-May 5, 2006. Although the trip is next spring, the deadline for applications is soon: October 10, 2005. To apply or receive more information about scholarships and travel costs, contact Bill Myers (Wfmyers@comcast.net or 865-584-7429). This PCUSA trip to the Middle East, sponsored by the Presbyterian INTERNATIONAL PEACEMAKER, Lei Garcia, will be visiting the Knoxville Area October 8-13, 2005. She is a talented artist, singer, songwriter, and human rights advocate from the Philippines. Opportunities to meet her are at:
Book Discussion Group The book discussion group meets on the last Thursday of each month at 1:30 in the lounge. The book to be discussed in October is 1776 by David McCullough Can You Help? The CE Committee is looking for help to update our audio-visual equipment. As you know, most “videos” now come in DVD format, and we don’t have a DVD player. If anyone has an extra one, and/or an extra TV set with the appropriate jacks for DVD hookup, we would surely appreciate the donation! Please let Denise Martin, Amber Jacks or Karen Schall know if you can help. Prison Ministry Bethel’s prison ministry volunteer team will be conducting worship at the Morgan County Site at Brush Mountain on Sunday, October 30. If you are a member of the ministry team and would like to attend, please let Karen Schall know before Oct. 23. Host/Hostess for October Fellowships Fellowship Sunday, October 9 - Issues Class Fun Lunch, Tuesday, October 11 - The Tulleys at The Tulleys. We will carpool from Bethel leaving Bethel at 11:45 AM. Bring your favorite dish. Fellowship Supper, Wednesday, October 18 - Henry and Carolyn Tulley Trip to the Cumberland County Playhouse We have cancelled our reservations to see "Ain't Misbehavin'" since only a few folks have signed up for it. Christmas Caroling This year, our Christmas Caroling will be on Sunday, December 18. As always, we will have 2 groups leaving Bethel at 4:30 PM. Parish Life will also purchase small poinsettias for everyone on the Caroling lists. Carolers are invited to the Hettrick's for refreshments after caroling! 200 Lake Street, Harriman (Swan Pond). Christmas Dinner and Party This year, our Christmas Dinner and Party after the Pageant will be on Wednesday, December 21st, starting at 6:30. Everyone is invited. Mission Outreach Committee The Mission Outreach Committee continues collections of dry dog and cat food for Meals for Muffins and clothing, small household items and toys for Sunset Gap. Several loads have already been taken to Sunset Gap this fall and another load is just about ready. Linda and Frank Jones and Phil and Jane Walsh will continue to get these items to Sunset Gap as long as necessary. Items can be left in the lounge, underneath the sanctuary. Also: canned goods and non-perishable food items for the Hands of Mercy Food Pantry can be left in the narthex each Sunday. There is also a collection jar for pennies for your 2¢ a meal contributions in the narthex each Sunday. Christian Education
Children’s Sunday School
As always, our Children’s Sunday School classes offer a variety of exciting learning experiences. Here’s a schedule of what’s happening in the next two months: October 2: Marilyn Harris wraps up a unit on the Parable of the Sower October 9: Amber Jacks will lead a session devoted to letter-reading and writing from our children to the children of Grace School in Kenya. October 16: All classes are invited to take part in the intergenerational activities at Camp John Knox October 23 through November 20: Teresa Hettrick, Chelsea Richmond and Karen Schall will teach a unit on Moses. We will use drama, storytelling, games, computers and video to learn about Moses’ life from the Plagues in Egypt to the receiving of the Ten Commandments. November 27 marks the first Sunday of Advent, and we will spend the remainder of the year on a special Advent study. If you have a child/grandchild/neighbor/friend who is not already attending Sunday School, please join us! Worship Committee Advent Volunteers Needed! The Worship Committee needs a lot of volunteers for the Advent season this year. First of all, we need four families to participate in the lighting of the Advent candles during worship services leading up to Christmas. Please contact the Church office at 376-6340 or Bob Jones at 376-4434 if you are willing to help out with this special ceremony. We also need a multitude of volunteers to contribute to a personalized Advent devotional booklet we plan to prepare for this Advent season. Suggested devotional scripture verses have been assigned for each day through the Advent season leading up to Christmas. We will ask each volunteer to select a day of their choice, then prepare a personal message, of approximately 300 words or less, to share with the congregation in the booklet. The message could be a reflection of the scripture suggested for the chosen day, but it can also be a special Advent memory or other thoughts that would contribute to the devotional purpose of the booklet. We would also like to illustrate this special Advent devotional booklet with drawings having an Advent theme, so we are asking the youth of the Church to share their artistic talents with the congregation by creating drawings that reflect their thoughts about Advent. Parents and Sunday school teachers, please encourage our youth to sign up and provide illustrations for this special booklet. The following list of scripture verses will be posted on the bulletin board at the rear of the sanctuary. Please look over the list and sign up in the sanctuary to provide a message for the day of your choice: Nov 27 – Psalms 24, Matthew 25:1-13 Thank you for helping to make this a very special Advent season Property & Personnel Hear Ye, Hear Ye The Property and personnel Committee has set October 22 as Fall Clean-up Fix-up Day with November 7 as the rain date. Work will commence around 9 AM and usually we are finished by noon or shortly thereafter-- many hands make quick work! Bring your favorite hand tools for outside work. Plastic bags will be provided. For inside work, the focus will be on the Education Building and specifically the needs that have been identified by the Christian Education Committee. These items are: 1. Mold on the front stairway into the sanctuary. 2. Replace or remove the "circles" with the room numbers on them in the educational building. The room numbers and grades are wrong, and some are illegible. 3. Clean the front area of the fellowship hall. This is the hall/stairway area closest to the lake. With this info perhaps you can plan ahead for what hand tools will be needed for inside work and perhaps team up with a "buddy" for a specific task. Mark the date and join us for a little exercise, some fellowship and the satisfaction of making our spot called Bethel just a little better! Thank you for your support. Stewardship & Finance Committee Report
Memorials received in the month of September for:
 ... none reported this month ... From the Wambugus: Dear friend, Please share with us any personal effects of this tragedy or any thing you deem significant that we can pray for. We love you.
From our brothers in prison: We wish to express our appreciation for your support of the Varsity Club at Brushy Mountain. We are gratified by the many services you and the other volunteers provide to the club from time to time. Without your aid some of our projects could not happen. It was good to see you at the banquet to support our organization once again. Thank the many volunteers who provided desserts for the banquet. Those desserts were delicious. Thank you again for all your support. Sincerely yours,
From Hendersonville, TN: “To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Tom Barber, your gift to the New Building Fund is gratefully accepted by First United Methodist Church, Hendersonville, Tennessee.” CARING FOR YOUR PASTOR
Caring for Your Pastor SIMPLE STEPS TOWARD A LONG AND HEALTHY PULPIT-PEW RELATIONSHIP By Carter Shelley and Stephen P. McCutchan Churches appear to be in a state of massive denial about the stress of the ministry and the human needs of pastors. Too often both ministers and their congregations assume that the pastor has the responsibility to care for others but is somehow immune to the necessity of being cared for. Understanding the pressures pastors face Conflicting expectations of the role of the pastor, along with less-than-ideal working conditions, make the ministry less appealing for young people and create disillusionment among those are currently serving. For example:
What congregations can do Here are some practical ways church members can reach out in Christian love to their pastor:
Congregations that are aware of their pastor’s needs will come up with additional ideas. And remember: some pastors may need to be reminded that they are important enough to deserve this kind of support. Lessons Learned in the Aftermath of Katrina
Brothers and Sisters in the Mission, I spent three days this week in areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The physical devastation is even worse than what you see on TV. The sights and sounds and smells are overwhelming. But what is really painful is the emotional and spiritual toll from the storm. More than a million people lost virtually everything in an instant. Their homes are destroyed. Their jobs are gone. All their possessions are lost. And at least some member of their family is missing or dead. Every single person I talked to had a family member who was missing. Those who had the least, lost the most. The majority of the people we met in the stricken areas were the poorest of the poor – people who had next to nothing before Katrina took that little bit away. Now they have nothing at all. Suffering does not discriminate. In a part of the nation where racial tensions still tend to run high, people are reaching out to each other regardless of color. Walls are being broken down by common need. As people work together to help the helpless, barriers are coming down. Everybody deserves to be treated with dignity. When disaster strikes, it hits everyone. No one who survives wants, needs, or deserves to be looked on as a charity case. The pastor of one church that took in 800 flood survivors announced: “This is now a city, and I’m the mayor. The law of the land is the law of love. That means to put others before yourself.” The result has been stunning, as people learn to love with the heart of Christ. It’s important to realize survivors are not necessarily helpless people; they just need to be shown how to help others and themselves. There is power in presence. That’s what my wife Kay calls it – presence. Jesus accomplished so much with just a word, a look, a touch. We need to be like Jesus. As we arrived in each place, the welcome we received was almost embarrassing – even before we’d done anything. It was all about the power of just being there. Every disaster presents an opportunity for new direction. Every problem has possibility. Every hurt is an opportunity for new ministry. In the greatest hurt is the greatest opportunity for ministry. When an unprecedented disaster occurs, you have an unprecedented opportunity to help people experience the love of God. The Church is the only network large enough to handle a disaster like this. Media attention has been focused on the thousands of people who have taken refuge in the Astrodome. But more than 150,000 other people are being cared for by churches. There is amazing organization at the local church level. The Purpose Driven network is working. It’s time for the church to shine. Disaster presents Christians with unprecedented opportunities to mobilize the Church and become the hands and feet of Christ. We need to become audio-visual Christians – not just talking about it, but doing it. I believe that in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina God has given us an opportunity for what could be the Church’s finest hour. God specializes in bringing good out of bad. He loves to take the broken things in our lives and turn them into something really meaningful. He loves to take our greatest hurt and turn it into our greatest opportunity for ministry. The wonderful truth of the Gospel is that, even in the bad things of the world, God is able to make something good. Hurricane Katrina was the greatest natural disaster in the history of America. More people have died because of this than died from any natural disaster in American history. Hundreds of thousands of people have lost literally everything they own. More than 1 million people are without a home. And the storm caused more than $100 billion in damage. How does God bring good out of that? In every crisis, there is an opportunity for God to show his love. He shows his love by working through his people. A few days ago, when I was at the Astrodome where 20,000 people were lying on cots because they don’t have anywhere else to go, I saw hundreds of volunteers. I saw God everywhere – working in the hands and hearts of people. Do you see what God is doing? Do you realize the opportunity God has given us? God is using the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to give the Church an opportunity to be the Church. He is bringing displaced people into our communities – people who are homeless and need help and love and care and concern. Their lives have been shaken and they are asking the most important questions of life: Who is my family? What is the meaning and purpose of life? What is church? People are more open to Christ when they are in a tough time than at any other point in their lives. Jesus told a parable about seed being sown on four kinds of soil. Those four kinds of soil represent four attitudes toward Christ. One of them was hard soil. What turns hard soil into soft soil? Rain. A storm! These people need something strong and lasting that will give them security and stability. The only way to have security and stability is to put your trust in something that can’t be taken away from you. Everything in this world can be taken away from you: jobs, money, loved ones, health, beauty. The only thing that cannot be taken away is your relationship to Jesus Christ. That is what we need to be sharing with the people who have been displaced by this storm. Because there are so many displaced people, we have to figure out a way to do something that has never been done before in America. By bringing people to our communities who are under stress and in transition who need to experience the love of God, he is giving us a unique opportunity to be what God intended the Church to be. It is especially critical that churches everywhere get involved in ministering to families affected by Hurricane Katrina. In about four weeks, most people are going to start forgetting about this crisis. Short-term charities and relief organizations will be gone. There’s only one thing that lasts forever and keeps standing in a community, and that’s the Church. Long after all these others are gone, the Church is still going to be there. We should become the distribution centers, not just caring for the spiritual part of people, but for the physical and emotional as well. This is a test for our churches. We have been given an incredible responsibility and blessing, and God wants to use us in ways we never thought. Will we respond? Will we do anything about it? We must be churches that don’t just talk about God’s love, but show it in action. We must treat people the way Jesus treated them, because Jesus said that on Judgment Day, one of the things we are going to be judged for is how we treated other people. He said: “I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick and in prison, and you visited me.” The one thing we are going to be judged on is how we cared about people on the margins of society. This is our command, our commitment, and our challenge – to figure out the ways that the church can be the church. I challenge you to think in a whole new way, to set an example, to develop whole new paradigms, to become the Church of the 21st century, for the global glory of God. Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath could be the Church’s finest hour. We have been given an opportunity to love people the way Jesus loved them. Will you join us in the amazing work of grace God is doing? Will you take advantage of the opportunity God has given your church to bring hope to desperate souls?
Bethel Family Prayer Calendar - October, 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. (*Non-member ^Shut-in +Inactive)
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youth speak
Eden Sherrod