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The Open Door
| Bethel Presbyterian Church ~ a community of faith, fellowship, study and service ... Seeking God's peace, justice and love ~ |
VOL. 35 NO. 9 – September, 2007
Marc Sherrod, Minister
Pat Harvey, Stated Supply Pastor
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E-Mail & On-Line Newsletter
A number of the members have responded regarding saving postage and mailing by reading the newsletter online. If you wish to add your name to that list, call (865-376-6340) or e-mail the church office.
We also maintain a master list of e-mail addresses. Please include yours if you wish.
ALINE TERRY TRANSPORTATION FUND
This service is free for friends and members of Bethel. If you have a transportation need, please call the church office at 376-6340. Please be ready to tell us the date and time of your appointment and what time you want to be picked up. Some of the places we transport to are: doctor’s office, hairdresser, library, post office, grocery store, and shopping. We drive as far as Knoxville. We are open to other suggestions, also.
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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church (USA) describes the office of Elder in the following way: Elders are chosen by the people. Together with ministers of the Word and Sacrament, they exercise leadership, government and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of a particular church as well as the church at large, including ecumenical relationships.
Elders should be persons of faith, dedication, and good judgment. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel, both within the church and in the world. It is the duty of elders, individually and jointly, to strengthen and nurture the faith and life of the congregation committed to their charge. Those duties that all Christians are bound to perform by the law of love are especially incumbent upon elders because of their calling to office and are to be fulfilled by them as official responsibilities.
At Bethel Presbyterian Church, Kingston, the elders meet together on the third Sunday each month, plus called meetings. There we discuss and make decisions about the oversight of our worship, Christian education, outreach to visitors and new members, community building within the congregation, and the church's finances. The meetings are opportunities for the Session to consider our relationship with and responsibility to the wider church. At this meeting, elders also hear reports and act on recommendations from the Trustees, Special Task Forces, Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly.
Here is a list of our current Elders. Please keep them in your prayers as they lead this congregation into the future God intends for us!
| Class of 2007 |
Class of 2008 |
Class of 2009 |
Amber Jacks
(Worship Chair) |
Julie Bunch |
Carol Brown
(Stewardship and Finance Chair) |
Laura Dailey
(Mission and Outreach Chair) |
Anita Richmond |
Joe Coen |
Alf Rybka
(Evangelism Chair) |
Danny Holloway |
Gary Griffith
(Property and Personnel Chair) |
| Carolyn McNew |
Karen Schall |
Dolores Sandmel |
Denise Martin
(Christian Education Chair) |
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In addition: the Nominating Committee seeks your input for nominations for the office of Elder (Class of 2010). Please give the members of our Nominating Committee the names of the people you believe will be good and faithful Elders. Those serving on the Nominating Committee are: Frank Harris (Chair), Julie Bunch, Denise Martin, Dick Evans and Phil Walsh.
Thank you for the privilege you have given me to serve Bethel Church and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
In Christ’s Love and Service,
Pastor Pat
Bethel Congregation:
Just a quick word to update you on my health situation, as of late August. As most of you know, I have recently had two PET scans that, gratefully, have not lighted up to indicate cancer cells! I have met with a speech therapist twice. Since the tumor destroyed the nerve serving all the left side of my internal voicing mechanism, the therapist is trying to teach me how to compensate and use the enervated right side to perform in a more efficient and effective fashion. I am scheduled to see an orthopedic surgeon in September to try and diagnose my joint, particularly knee, pain. It began concurrent with chemotherapy last fall, so my own sense is that the cartilage has been somehow damaged. As you may recall, I received fairly massive doses of radiation to my lower esophagus/upper chest area, actually exceeding the recommended dosage to that particular part of the anatomy by 25%. Some days I feel better than others. But usually once a day, extreme fatigue creeps up on me and completely wipes me out for a couple of hours. My oncologist suggests that the effects of large amounts of radiation can linger for over a year.
I continue to be very thankful for your prayers and support, as well as your patience, during this, now, almost two-year experience we have had together surrounding my illness. I know that various people, clergy and lay alike, have “stepped up” in diverse ministry roles to keep things moving forward, and I will be forever grateful to all who have made sacrifices to ensure the continuance of God’s ministry and mission through the Bethel Presbyterian Church.
Love and Peace,
Marc Sherrod
Bethel was represented well on August 11th and 12th at the Remote Area Medical Clinic. As I looked around I saw Marc, Tom, Jill, Bonnie and Jim lending a hand. I know Danny and I were proud of the efforts of our church in feeding so many volunteers on Saturday evening. The lasagna, salad, bread and dessert were devoured by a very hungry mass of more than 140 persons. On Sunday Danny and I took the leftovers of all the food to the Pathways shelter in Rockwood where the shelter manager was very excited to receive such a bounty.
Throughout both days I was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers that needed dental and eye care and would wait outside in temperatures exceeding 95 degrees in order to receive the needed care. On Saturday morning, I heard Ron Brewer (the head of the RAM operation) going out to count how many was in the line at 6:30 A.M. He stopped the line at about 400- turning about 100 people away. He offered those people numbers so if they wanted to come back the next morning they would be the first in line according to their number. Many didn’t (or couldn’t) come back. Some of the 400 in the line wanted to be seen for both dental and eye exams. We tried to accommodate them. On Sunday morning the line was shorter. Most of the volunteers were told they could go home as the numbers dwindled. The last patient left at 7:30 P.M. that night! Danny and I helped the RAM people get the last of the equipment on the large trucks outside. By 8 P.M. it was all over.
Ron Brewer gave me these figures before he left concerning the patients we had seen in two days:
EYES
273 exams with glasses
25 exams with no glasses
DENTAL
276 patients
604 extractions
83 fillings
32 fillings
TOTAL PATIENTS 528
SERVICES RENDERED 601
VOLUNTEERS 251
VALUE OF CARE (Based on Lowest End of Medicare Scale) $97,160.00
To your health ...
P.S. Thank you all for the DVD's you have donated. I just sent the second box overseas to the service men and women.
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[A reminder: session meetings are always open for members to attend unless the session votes to go into executive session per Robert’s Rules of Order; the minutes of the session are available, by appointment, for review in the church office]
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... not reported this month ...
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... none reported this month ...
As an alternative to our traditional fall hike, we will make a trip on Sunday September 9 to the Barthell Coal Camp just off Highway 27 and just north of the TN-KY border. Barthell has been reconstructed to preserve the history and culture of Appalachian coal mining from the handloading and deep mine era. On our tour: we will venture a short ways into an actual mine: stroll through the grounds of the old coal camp; and tour inside restored miners’ cabins, the old school and church house, company store, and machine shop which contains an array of tools, etc. related to deep mining. For more details, you can pick up a flyer in the church office or visit www.barthellcoalcamp.com on the worldwide web. Cost for touring the coal camp will be $10 per person.
This is a perfect opportunity for an inter-generational outing. The walk though Barthell has some ups and downs but is not overly strenuous and is almost all in the shade. Our hope is that this will introduce our children and youth to this region’s important contributions to America’s energy history; we hope that we might make several more field trips in the coming months that will offer additional perspectives on this important topic.
Plans for Sunday September 9
Leave from BPC shortly after worship
- We will picnic en route (at Frozen Head State Park). Bar BQ will be provided; participants will bring chips, soft drinks, etc. for group. Those who plan to participate in this outing should plan to stay briefly after worship on Sunday 9/2 so we can work out details for carpooling, who will bring what, etc.
- We will arrive at Barthell around 2:30 and tour coal camp until approx. 5 p.m.
The beautiful liturgical stole that has been circulating around Bethel Church is still moving! The book and stole have been passed to many different people during the first six months of this year, including children, youth and adults. If you receive this book and stole someone will have written what they observed in your life that reminded them that you are an important part of God’s plan here at this place we call Bethel! At the end of the year we will share with the congregation all of the stories that have been written in this book and share what God is doing in our midst! Remember: If you receive this stole and book - PLEASE call the Bethel Church office and let us know where the stole has traveled, so we can keep track of it’s journey!
Blessings to you all!
Pat
In May, the leadership Council of Kingston United Methodist Church approved their becoming a Stephen Ministry Congregation and the needed funding of $1,675 to enroll and $1,334 per person who is trained as a Stephen Minister (by the Stephen Ministry Staff). Due to financial constraints, this was put on hold – but they are applying for a grant through their annual Conference.
We have had some dialogue about beginning a Stephen Ministry Congregation as well! Please keep this movement of the Spirit in your prayers – wouldn’t it be great to share this ministry with our family across the street? I am a trained Stephen Minister and would love to see us consider this ministry! We do have funding available for a portion of the cost from the Alpha Grant that was not spent! Please keep this in your prayers – I do not think this is a coincidence!
A Note about Stephen Ministry
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We all know there are times when each of us needs the care of another person. Stephen Ministry is a program that equips lay persons to provide distinctively Christian “one-to-one” care to those who are experiencing all kinds of life needs and circumstances, both in our congregation, and in our community. Stephen Ministers are committed Christian people who:
- express God's care through their lives to others
- receive 50 hours of initial training in important caring ministry skills and concepts
- are commissioned as Stephen Ministers after completing their initial training
- visit another person regularly and dependably and offer Christian support and care
- participate in regular support and supervision under the guidance of trained Stephen leaders
- are committed to preserving the confidential nature of the caring relationship
- serve for at least two years
- receive continuing education and skill building throughout their years of service
Upon completion of the training program, our Stephen Ministers work together with our pastors to reach more people with Christian care than the pastors can reach by themselves. |
| Undesignated Income* |
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$126,301.93 |
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| Budget Expense |
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117,794.12 |
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| Year-to-Date Net |
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8,507.81 |
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*Undesignated Income includes undesignated giving, rental house,
Mid-East rental, and bank interest. |
The purpose of the Parish Life Committee is to plan, carry out and evaluate a broad range, year-round spectrum of programs designed to build up the Bethel Church Family through fellowship and member care.
COMMITTEE PERSONNEL:
- Chair: Nelda Toon
- Session Member: Anita Richmond
- Secretary: Marianne Shadden
- Coordinator for Fellowship Suppers: Dick Evans and Celia Simon
- Coordinator for Fellowship Sundays: Nelda Toon
- Coordinator for Fun Luncheons: Ruth Ann Ludwig
- Crisis Food Coordinators: Jane Pickel and Ruth Ann Ludwig
- Card Secretary: Marilyn Harris
- New Member Write-Ups: Carol Brown
- Publicity Secretary for Open Door: Marianne Shadden
- Publicity Secretary for Newspaper: Bettie Shenk
- Photographers: Alfred Rybka and Anita Richmond
- Receptions Coordinator: Edith Miles
- Prayer Tree Coordinator: Carolyn Tulley
- Kitchen Supply Coordinator: Edith Miles and Nelda Toon
- Church Hike Coordinator: Mark Banker
- Friendship Visitation Coordinator: Ruth Ann Ludwig
- Transportation Coordinator: Debbie Hyder
- Parish Nurse: Debbie Hyder
- Scrapbook Coordinators: Sabrina Miller
EVENTS:
- Fellowship Suppers: 3rd Wednesday each month
- Fellowship Sundays: 2nd Sunday each month
- Fun Luncheons: 2nd Tuesday each month.
- Cumberland County Playhouse Trips: twice a year—Spring and Fall
- Mother/Daughter Luncheon: One Day before Mother’s Day
- High School Seniors Tribute: May
- Church Family Hikes
- Church Picnic: August
- Christmas Dinner and Party after Pageant: December
- Christmas Caroling: Sunday before Christmas
- Seniorcize: MWF from 9 – 10 AM (open to community)
- Plan crisis food in the event of death or serious illness
- Fundraising Dinners
- Receptions
- Oversee the committee’s expenditures against budget and special funds expenditures
Host/Hostess - Fellowship Sunday, September 9, 10:30 AM
- Bill and Marianne Shadden
Host/Hostess - Fun Luncheon, September 11, noon
Host/Hostess - Fellowship Supper, September 19, 6:30 PM
- Teresa Hettrick and Dick Evans
A BIG Thank You to all the wonderful Bethel folks who cooked and baked for 120 volunteers on Saturday, August 11 who worked for Remote Area Medical (RAM). Debbie Hyder will provide details of this event in a separate article.
Also, a BIG THANK YOU to the Hettricks for another enjoyable picnic on Sunday, August 5 and to everyone who provided food and helped with activities and clean up. We had a great turnout in spite of the heat!
Tentative dates for our annual Hymn Sing and Ice Cream Social: Sunday, September 16 or Sunday, September 23. Watch for details in upcoming Sundays’ bulletins.
A Confirmation Class is in the planning stages for children in the 6th grade and above. If you would like to participate – please call Pat Harvey so we can make firm plans!
Memorial gifts were received in the months of August for:
Joyce Law
from Vernon Law
Edith Gilliam (Carolyn McNew's mother)
from Dan & Cathy McDowell, Christine Badger, Marc & Melanie Sherrod, Julia Bunch, Linda & Travis Brown, Richard Evans, James & Mary Gaffney, Ruth Ann Ludwig, Jill McMaster, Wm. & Bettie Shenk, Dianne Griffith, Oak Ridge National Lab.
... none reported this month ...
... nothing reported this month ...
A BIG, hearty thank you to all who helped in the planning, cooking and transporting of the lasagna dinner with all the fixin’s. Once again, the Bethel ladies have exceeded the mark!
--Deb Hyder
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
By now you should have received (and we hope read) the August electronic newsletter from PET. If you have not received the newsletter, perhaps your email address has changed since you signed up. If that is the case, or if you have not signed up yet, just go to the PET web site at:
http://www.presbyteryeasttn.org/
and register. The price is right (free)!
Now, we ask you to help us spread the word. Please forward the newsletter to members of your session and congregation. There is a link at the bottom of the newsletter to help you do this. If you haven't read the August edition, I encourage you to do so. It is getting better every month.
One final plea, we need your news. We want to hear what is happening in your church and your community.
In His service,
Alan Payne. Connect Mission Team
To my Bethel family,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your calls, cards, food, flowers and prayer. They are much appreciated.
I am walking, but not very well and the doctor tells me it will be a slow recovery. However, I am looking forward to seeing you all at worship as soon as possible.
God bless you.
Sincerely, Lucy Webb
by Jane B. Walsh
As Phil and I travel in Canada, we are always amazed at how clean everything is.
During this past trip, we noticed that all over the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, there were groups of three connected containers, one for trash, one for plastic bottles and one for newspapers placed in areas where you might expect to find trash bins only. This left no excuse for not recycling at least plastic and newspapers.
Another observation came at the various accommodations where we had a breakfast.
Instead of the plastic and Styrofoam usually used in the motels in the U. S., they used cups, plates, utensils, etc. When we commented on this, they seemed surprised that we were surprised. The comment always, was “it only takes a minutes to throw these things into the dishwasher” and “it saves on having so much garbage so it just makes sense”.
But, even in the States, as we are traveling. we can help by reusing our towels and washcloths in the various motels. Many motels are actually encouraging us to do so.
Many thanks to the Bethel “Green Team” for the cloth bags. The Walsh bag has already made several trips to the grocery store saving at least one plastic bag each trip.
Part of Bethel’s prison ministry involves administering a scholarship fund for inmates who wish to continue their education while incarcerated. Contributions to the fund come mostly from the inmates themselves, although anyone who wishes to give may do so. The following is a letter received from one of the inmates who recently received a $300 scholarship from the fund.
“I want to thank you and everyone involved in the scholarship program. It really means a lot to my family and I. I have been taking correspondence courses for a couple of years and I have a few years left before I get my two year degree. I send out money that I make in here and my family supplements the rest. I have been very blessed in getting this opportunity. Not saying that I would not have been blessed without the scholarship because God blesses me everyday even during times of tribulation. Again, I want to say thank you, and I am including a piece of the article I wrote for the prison paper.”
Sincerely, Charles Russell
Here is an excerpt from the article Mr. Russell wrote:
“ Education plays a pivotal role in recidivism rates. Therefore, as our level of education rises, our chance of coming back to prison falls...Having no plan for when we get out is like having a plan to come back.
I am currently taking correspondence courses from Ohio University towards an Associate in Science degree...I have a direction and I am working toward that. This is why I would like to thank Bethel Presbyterian Church in Kingston for helping me work towards my goal.
Bethel...recently granted me a scholarship towards my education. The scholarship...is one they give every year in the name of Meyer Pettyjohn. I did not know him personally but I have heard that he really dedicated his life to helping others. I hope I can do the same. I am grateful to Meyer Pettyjohn, the Varsity Club for helping support the scholarship fund, and to the church for setting this scholarship up to help inmates get an education...”
IN HEALTH CARE CENTERS
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| NAME |
FACILITY |
Ruby Hunter,
Christine Wood |
Harriman Health Care |
Muriel McKonley
(sister of Jean Young) |
Rae-Ann Nursing Home
(Geneva, Ohio) |
| Betty Baird Brown |
Alpharetta Healthcare Center |
Mac Robbins,
Anne Smith,
Louise Pickel |
Jamestowne |
| Evelyn Waldrup |
Baptist Healthcare (Lenoir City) |
Margaret True
Roberta Cash |
Rockwood Healthcare |
| Joan Pemberton |
Wellington Place – Kingston |
| Wanda Carter |
NHC in Oak Ridge |
Barbara Schilling
(wife of retired pastor Fritz Schilling) |
UT Hospital |
AT HOME
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Doris Barber, Madge Mounger, Al & Dot Davis, Tom & Helen Roostee, Marc Sherrod, Jordan Sherrod, Hugh Webb, Justin Trivette, Marci Smith, Madge Benfield, Marnie Shields, Reid Hutchison
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OUR SERVICEMEN
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Jason Brown
Geoff Winsbro
Robert Howard (son-in-law of Bill and Bobbie Martin)
Tommy Sandmel
T.R. Morgan
Kyle Foote (son-in-law of Alicia Webb)
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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)
GARY GRIFFITH (09)
376-7507
(Dianne)
Banker, Mark & Kathy
+Choate, Doug
Cuneo, Dave & Libby
+Everett, Glenda
*Pearman, Paul
^Pierce, Gene
*Skinner, Mike & Sharon
Thomas, Laura
^True, Margaret
^Vandever, Jennifer
Warlick, George & Ginny
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DANNY HOLLOWAY (08)
376-1440
(Tammy, Andy)
Anderson, Bonnie
Davis, *Sam & *Joan
Hettrick, Marge & *Dick
Hines, Jim & Mary B.
Hines, Matthew
^Hunter, Ruby
McDowell, Cathy & *Dan
Morris, Jerry & Jennie
Roostee, Tom & ^Helen
Schall, Karen & Jim
Shesler, Elmer & Erma
+Tipton, Linda Jo Templeton
Walsh, Phil & Jane
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Lily Lowery