Worship Update At its meeting on July 27, the Session voted to continue our current worship format (online and outdoor) through at least the month of August. Also due to the rising coronavirus case counts in Knox County, the church building will continue to be closed to indoor events and gatherings of any kind through August. Data indicates that indoor gatherings are one of the biggest spreaders of the virus. Therefore, to protect all of us, and to do our part to stop the spread, we will maintain this policy that has been in place now since March. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Children’s Enrichment Program (CEP) to Open Our preschool and Mother’s Day Out program, known as Children’s Enrichment Program (CEP) is planning to open on schedule for the new school year on August 31. Obviously, new precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of children and staff. If you’d like to volunteer to help check in children each day or clean the playground equipment between playtime for groups of children, please see director Beth Hallman. We are a diverse and welcoming community of believers, called by God, graced by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve God through worship in the Reformed tradition, compassionate service to all, and the nurturing of each other so as to grow in faith together. august 2020 Farragut Presbyterian Good news banner Praising God Serving Others Growing in Faith Pastor Reverend Matt Nieman [email protected]402-660-2451 (call or text) Administrative Staff Dawn Zilles Office Administrator [email protected]865-966-9547 Lori Corbett Bookkeeper [email protected]Mason Warren Director of Family Ministry [email protected]Children’s Enrichment Program Beth Hallman Director [email protected]865-671-4616 Music Ministry Dr. Angela Batey Director of Music [email protected]Tami Newsom Associate Director of Music [email protected]Bring a chair and join us for Outdoor Worship Sundays at 9:00 a.m. Watch your email for weather cancellation.
Transcript
Worship Update
At its meeting on July 27, the Session voted to continue our current worship format (online and outdoor) through at least the month of August. Also due to the rising coronavirus case counts in Knox County, the church building will continue to be closed to indoor events and gatherings of any kind through August. Data indicates that indoor gatherings are one of the biggest spreaders of the virus. Therefore, to protect all of us, and to do our part to stop the spread, we will maintain this policy that has been in place now since March. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Children’s Enrichment Program (CEP) to Open Our preschool and Mother’s Day Out program, known as Children’s Enrichment Program (CEP) is planning to open on schedule for the new school year on August 31. Obviously, new precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of children and staff. If you’d like to volunteer to help check in children each day or clean the playground equipment between playtime for groups of children, please see director Beth Hallman.
We are a diverse and welcoming community of believers, called by God, graced by Jesus Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to serve God through worship in the Reformed tradition, compassionate service to all, and the nurturing of each other so as to grow in faith together.
august 2020 Farragut Presbyterian
Good news banner Praising God Serving Others Growing in Faith Pastor Reverend Matt Nieman [email protected] 402-660-2451 (call or text) Administrative Staff Dawn Zilles Office Administrator [email protected] 865-966-9547 Lori Corbett Bookkeeper [email protected] Mason Warren Director of Family Ministry [email protected] Children’s Enrichment Program Beth Hallman Director [email protected] 865-671-4616 Music Ministry Dr. Angela Batey Director of Music [email protected] Tami Newsom Associate Director of Music [email protected]
Bring a chair and join us for Outdoor Worship Sundays at 9:00 a.m.
Watch your email for weather cancellation.
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A Word from our Pastor Reverend Matt Nieman
Reverend Matt Nieman
“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever…” What does it mean these days to serve an all-powerful God? It’s fair to say that we are living through a time of crisis—on numerous fronts. If ever there was a time for the power of a just and good God to have its effect on the world, it is now. The power of God to bring healing, justice, and reconciliation is exactly what we need. And yet, we wonder aloud where that power is: “Where are you, Lord? How long, O Lord, must we endure the cries of our brothers and sisters in need? Where, O Lord, is your power? Come, Lord, and make things right!” In this strange time when we beg that God’s might may be realized, maybe it’s a good time to revisit what God’s power is all about. Maybe God’s power is different than our earthly definition of it. Consider this thought from Debie Thomas, director of children’s and family ministries at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, California: “Our God is a God who entered humanity red-faced and crying, whose greatest displays of power included riding on a donkey, washing dirty feet, dying of asphyxiation, and frying fish on a beach for his agnostic friends. How exactly did we go from this God of kenosis—a God who surrenders all privilege, immunity, glory, and power for the sake of love—to God as Ironman?” (“What Kind of Power?” Christian Century, July 29, 2020) Indeed, we long for a God who fixes things or rescues us like Ironman would. But, our souls tell us that God’s power is mostly seen in God’s steadfast presence among humans’ sins and suffering. It takes great power for God to hang in when God sees the worst of human behavior. It takes great power for God to remain steadfast when God sees his children hurting. And this is what I believe God is doing—hanging in there for us. Again, Debie Thomas: “The longer I live in the world and the more I see of its suffering, the more in awe I am that the God we see in Christ has the power to remain present in the midst of so much brokenness. I certainly can’t do it; every time I read the news I am felled—numb, curled inward, and ready to run. What kind of omnipotence is this that enables our God to hold all of the world’s brutality, agony, and sorrow without folding into cynicism or despair? What kind of power fuels such amazing stamina, such risky hope, such healing, life-giving empathy? “I can’t pretend to know. All I know is that this is a power I can live with. It’s a power that accompanies, holds, sustains, and suffers. It’s an almighty power that makes possible the laying down of one’s life for love. All hail this power.” So, during this once-in-a-lifetime year (we hope), hang in there. Because a powerful God is hanging in there for us.
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Back to School at Sunset Gap
A great big Sunset Gap THANK YOU to
all who participated in the 2020 SC Back to
School. You didn't let the challenges of COVID
and online signup deter your spirit of giving.
As you can see from the picture they were
delivered in great number. Your donation is
deeply appreciated not only by this wonderful
organization but by the many children and families in need.
Family Promise of Knoxville continues to offer
shelter and food to families that are homeless
during the pandemic. Currently the Day
Center is the shelter until sometime in
September. A third family was brought in last
week, but at the same time another family found housing and signed the lease. Hooray!! At the
end of July a large spike in the number of families is anticipated due to the end of delayed
payment of rent and the end of the supplement added to the unemployment checks. Prayers for
the families and the programs that assist them. Thank you to all of you who support this
blessed ministry. If you would like to volunteer, contact Beth at [email protected].
“And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2
TWENTY-TWO YEARS!
And what wonderful years have those been! It is very hard to believe how much our
ministries and facilities have changed since my arrival on August 1, 1998. As I look back over
my forty+ years of ministry, I cannot help but feel excited about the future at Farragut
Presbyterian Church – even as we worship outside on Sunday mornings and record for online
worship in a silent sanctuary.
A silent sanctuary. Never have I known in my lifetime or you either, no doubt, that our
sanctuary would be silent. But – worship has not changed. We still praise God together; it just
looks a little different!
As the case counts climb with no end seemingly in sight, it is easy to let negative
thoughts and feelings creep in during the COVID-19 pandemic. That is a natural response.
Despite all of this, keeping a positive mindset can go a long way in managing through the
difficult time. Having an attitude that looks for the positive and tries to be optimistic can help
you to filter out some of the constant barrage of bad or discouraging news. Holding onto that
positive attitude can help you center on things that provide you with what you need to make it
through each day.
But, it is really hard to do it alone. Keeping positive isn’t simply a ‘do-it-yourself’
project. For many people, there is a community they can turn to, whether it is family or friends,
or of course, our church family here at Farragut Presbyterian. Trusting information from fact-
based sources can also help ease anxiety. Avoid anything that is not based on fact, or from
reliable sources.
Here are five practices that can help you maintain a positive outlook.
1. Gratitude Have a sense of gratitude. There are still things to be thankful for. For those who have a job, be
thankful for that. For those who do not, they have people around who care for them. There are
many other things to be thankful for. There is an awareness of the good things in the sense of
gratitude.
2. Faith The second thing has proven very important is basic faith practices. Prayer is one that is
mentioned very often, but with that, worship online or a Bible study. Thinking about key verses
that have been very important to you in your own faith journey. Gathering virtually with a
friend or two to talk about faith and meeting challenges these days can also help.
Dr. Angela Batey, Director of Music
Music at FPC
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3. Routine The third would be just trying to maintain a rhythm and routine for each day. Perhaps institute
a daily leisurely walk around your neighborhood early each morning or later in the evening.
This goes hand in hand with #4 and #5 below!
4. Helping Others Find a way to help others. A faith practice that is so critical is not simply an awareness of God’s
love for you, but trying to give that love away, to share with others. So, I think about what
practical things can I do to help people around me. I find helping others helps me feel better
about myself and my own life. This can be as simply as warmly greeting your neighbors on
that walk in #3!
5. Stop and smell the flowers The last thing I would say, in terms of filling your spiritual glass, is some sense of creation
around us. Whether it is looking out those glorious Smoky Mountains or if it is simply a pet you
have — a dog or a cat you love spending time with — that can really fill you up and give you a
hopeful sense about the day.
So, get up tomorrow morning with great joy and gratitude, hook up Fido’s leash, and go
out to enjoy God’s creation – you’ll be glad you did!
Congratulations Dr. Brian Davison on being named Corporate Fellow in
the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in
recognition of significant career accomplishments and continued
leadership in your scientific field. Brian, of ORNL's Biosciences
Division, has consistently served as an innovator in many facets of
biofuel sciences with the research goal of lowering the cost in every step
of fuel and bioproduct production. His contributions in the area include
breakthroughs in fermentation, bioproduct formation, bioprocessing,
catalysis and studies to minimize recalcitrance - the resistance of plant cell walls to breaking
down into sugars. Brian is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the
Society for Industrial Microbiology and Technology, and the American Institute for Medical
and Biological Engineering board of directors. From 2011 to 2017, he served as the scientific
coordinator for the BioEnergy Science Center based at ORNL. He has over 150 publications
and 14 patents and is recognized as an outstanding mentor to ORNL staff.
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Hello All,
As schools across the country begin to reopen for the new school year, I am reminded of
the promise congregations across the world make during the sacrament of Baptism. The
promise to “guide and nurture, by word and deed, with love and prayer…” I believe it is in
times like these, in the midst of a pandemic, that the promise we make is put to the test. If we
are to truly live into that promise we make at every Baptism, we must actively seek to guide,
nurture, love, and pray for our siblings in Christ, especially those faced with the difficult
decision of how best to return back to school. With that being said, I encourage you to continue
to pray and reach out to those you know facing these challenges, especially our families.
I am incredibly excited and grateful to say that the youth group of Farragut Presbyterian
Church has begun meeting in person again! We meet outside in the back parking lot of the
church at 6 pm on Sunday nights and are following all the same guidelines as outdoor worship
on Sunday mornings. We have been doing this since the start of June and are so grateful that we
can still meet together in fellowship during a Summer that has truly turned many plans upside
down!
As for our plans moving forward, the Family Ministry of FPC is looking forward to
pursuing the work of God in new, exciting, and innovative ways throughout the next few
months! While this pandemic caused us to deal with some rather difficult decisions, it also
allowed us to reconsider how we as a church are working to minister to our families! We look
forward to sharing some of these ideas and plans with you once they become more concrete!
Please feel free to reach out if you have any thoughts and ideas that you feel could benefit
the family ministry here at FPC. As always, I am truly grateful for the love and support this
church has for its Family Ministry and I look forward to the amazing things that we, as a
church, can accomplish!
Peace & Blessings,
Mason Warren
Director of Family Ministries
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Children's Enrichment Program
Beth Hallman, director
We are so excited to begin CEP on August 31.
New guidelines will be in place to help keep everyone safe. These are in compliance
with DHS, the Knox County Health Department, and the CDC. Despite all these new rules it
will be great to see our returning friends and make some new friends too. Since our last school
year ended so abruptly in March, we didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to those who will be
moving on to kindergarten. Although you will be missed, we wish you well.
Please keep CEP in your prayers as we navigate all these new guidelines. Remember to
like us on Facebook. Hopefully you will see many happy children soon.
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Beth Allen, Phill and Judith Bradbury, Pam Bradshaw,
Denise Damelio, Cathy Dorman, Billie Fain, Faye
Greenlaw, Ron Griffith, Ron and Sue Lester, Beth
Loyless, Caroline Neighbors, Deena Ramey, Dee
Robinson, Kathryn Robinson, Steve Tinder, George
White, Liza Wright Missionaries Mark Hare and Jenny Bent for their new work in Costa
Rica.
Carlton “Cobbie” and Dessa Palm for their outreach in
the Philippines.
From Sarah Wilbanks via Liz Preston: All at Farragut Church continue to be in my thoughts and prayers during this time of the pandemic.
Financial Report as of June 2020
Actual for June YTD June YTD June Budget
Operating Income $45,475
$346,484
$305,851 CEP Income $477
$43,068
$67,747
Total Income $45,952
$389,551
$373,598
Operating Expenses $53,731
$283,878
$306,457 CEP Expenses $0
$58,568
$59,014
Total Expenses $53,731
$342,446
$365,471
Total Income less Expenses ($7,779) $47,105 $8,127
Session
Administration
Jack Rightmeyer
Jimmy Loyless
Christian Education Jenny Trussell
Bev Lomax
Church Life Jane Bolus Gale Montgomery Carolyn Neighbors
Outreach Buck Jones
Wayne Walls
Property Rick Van Allen Scott McKinney
Worship and Music Brenda Luggie
Lynn Kszos Clerk of Session Janet Tinder
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Session
Administration
Jack Rightmeyer
Jimmy Loyless
Christian Education Jenny Trussell
Bev Lomax
Church Life Jane Bolus Gale Montgomery Carolyn Neighbors
Outreach Buck Jones
Wayne Walls
Property Rick Van Allen Scott McKinney
Worship and Music Brenda Luggie
Lynn Kszos Clerk of Session Janet Tinder
At its meeting on May 26, the Session:
• Decided not to reopen the church building for
worship and large gatherings at this time. It
will take up the issue again at its next meeting
on June 29.
• Voted to hold an outdoor worship service on
Sunday mornings from May 31-June 28 in a
shaded area on the Jamestown Blvd. side of the
building from 9-9:45 a.m.
• Agreed to proceed this summer with a planned
refurbishment to a large section of the church
parking lot at a cost of approximately $45,000.
This money has already been set aside in the
building maintenance reserve fund.
• Granted the Worship and Music Committee
authority to proceed with the purchase of video
equipment for the sanctuary to broadcast
Sunday services once the congregation gathers
again for worship in the sanctuary. The first
phase of the project will cost an estimated
$3,000 and will be paid for through reserve
funds.
All FPC Yoga classes are now online. If you are interested in Chair Yoga (10 am on Mon); Preschool Yoga (10 am on Wed); or Gentle Flow Yoga (7 pm on Fri) – please contact Jenny Trussell at [email protected].
HappyAnniversary 8/02 Wayne and Mary Anne Walls 8/03 Leonard and Emily Loveday 8/08 Jimmy and Beth Loyless 8/09 Paul and Karen Johnson 8/10 Norm and Deb Estep 8/12 Jack and Patricia Watson 8/12 Chuck and Norma Foriska 8/13 Jerry and Jan Seiler 8/20 Darrell and Chris Sparks 8/21 David and Debbie Long 8/23 Howard and Pat Hickman 8/24 Robert and Terry Olberding 8/26 Henry and Cheryl Cardwell 8/26 Mike and Janet Murphy 8/28 Wenjun Ge and Lixia Jin 8/29 David and Linda Stutzenberger
Happy Birthday
8/02 Ken Ladrach 8/03 Donna Phillips 8/05 Merle Andrew 8/05 LeAnna Boyd 8/06 Chris Henry 8/06 Karen Ellis 8/09 Krista Belding 8/12 Frank Guess 8/12 Phill Bradbury 8/13 Lixia Jin 8/15 Linda Wert 8/20 Brian Davison 8/21 Wenjun Ge 8/24 Nancy Signer 8/24 Jennifer Johnson 8/25 Henry Cardwell 8/27 Kris Van Allen 8/27 Leigh Ann Neely 8/28 Margaret Ann Christian 8/28 Scott McKinney 8/29 Turner Neely 8/30 Fred Peretz 8/30 Jim Meador
When donating used items to KARM tell the employee the name of the church. Quarterly, the church will receive gift cards to KARM Stores that can be given to someone in need.
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