First Things October, 2017

FIRST THINGS OCTOBER, 2017

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH “Glorifying God—Offering Christ 501 Church Street, Sweetwater, TN 37874 423-337-7903 Making Disciples — Serving Others” Email: [email protected] Website: www.sweetwaterumc.org

Church Staff: Ron Fisher, Pastor Anne Wilson, Administrative Asst. Jacqueline Mason, Children’s Minister Melinda Hendricks, Custodian Crystal Ragan, Youth Minister Patricia Richesin, Organist Larry Orr, Senior Adult Minister Janet Standridge, First Kids Director Margareth Urias, Music Minister All Christians, Ministers

REFLECTIONS from PASTOR ron

My sermon series for the month of Sep- sus. Jesus saw him and called his name and tember has been, "They Will Know We Are told him to come down? Christians." The song was written by Peter Scholtes in the late 1960s. Rev. Scholtes was Zacchaeus came down from the tree, leading a youth choir at St. Brendan's on the and confessed his sins to Jesus. He didn’t hold South Side of Chicago in the 1960s. The priest anything back; he told it all. And then he made was leading a youth choir out of the church a promise to Jesus, "I’m going to give half of basement and was looking for an appropriate everything I own to the poor. And if I have song for a series of ecumenical, interracial cheated anyone, I will repay them four times events, When he couldn't find such a song, he the amount I cheated them." wrote an appropriate song in one day: The people in Jericho knew that Zac- "We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord chaeus had become a follower of Jesus not And we pray that our unity because he told people he was a new convert. will one day be restored Rather, it was because of his actions, the way And they'll know we are Christians he treated people, and by his commitment to by our love, by our love truth and justice. "They will know" we are Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.” Christians by our love."

I followed the story of Jesus & Zac- "We will work with each other, chaeus this past Sunday in the worship ser- we will work side by side vice. Zacchaeus, was a chief tax collector and We will work with each other, very rich. But in spite of his wealth, he had no we will work side by side friends. Everybody hated him, and he knew it. And we'll guard each man's dignity It probably hurt him very deeply when people and save each man's pride called him a thief for taking their hard-earned And they'll know we are Christians money in taxes and a traitor because he by our love, by our love worked for the Roman government. Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love."

It's easy to see why Zacchaeus was CHARGE CONFERENCE searching for Jesus. He was tired of his mean- Sunday, October 8 @ 3:00 pm ingless, empty life. Zaccheus was short in stat- ure and couldn’t see over the heads of the In the Sanctuary people, and he knew that the people were not Everyone is welcome to attend Charge about to let him get in front of them. Zacchae- Conference that includes a review of 2017 us did the only thing he could do. He climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view of Je- and plans for 2018.

TEA with THE LADIES Saturday, October 28 @ 2:00 pm Family life center

Join us for tea and desserts at 2:00 pm on Saturday, October 28, in the flc.

You will be treated to a concert by the Ladies Ensemble and the Women of Grace CHOIR, a silent auction, and a deli- cious assortment of desserts prepared by lea Watson including chocolate chess pie, raspberry swirled cheesecake, and a fall or- ange velvet cake. There will also be a gluten-free, low sugar op- tion, lemon-Honey semifreddo.

The cost is $15 per person until October 22, or $20 at the door. This is a fundraiser for the victims of the recent hurricanes and 100% of the proceeds will go to the Holston conference Response to the hurricanes.

LADIES BREAKFAST Saturday, October 14 9:00 am @ Dinner Bell

Ladies, bring some friends and join us for a yummy breakfast and fellowship. It’s a great place to get to know new people. Hope to see lots of folks out this month. WELCOME NEW MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER 2017 RUSS, CINDY AND ANGELA NEWTON

2 UMCOR MISSION TRIP JULY 29-AUGUST 3, 2018 SPECIAL PRESENTATION FOR VETERANS

We have already scheduled a Mission Trip to We are assembling a presentation to recog- Sager Brown in Baldwin, LA on July 29- nize all living Veterans who are part of our August 3, 2018. There are 10 spots availa- Church family. Please bring a photo (in uni- form if possible) of the Veteran to the Church ble and we would love to have you join us for Office where it will be copied. Your photo will this special mission. A deposit of $25 is due never leave the Office, and will be copied by upon sign-up. Make checks payable to camera to avoid any possible damage. FUMC. Contact Greer Heatherly if you have any questions @ 423-337-1092 Cutoff date is October 30th. Thank you.

I am super grateful to so many people in this church who are always willing to help whenever the need arises. To name just a couple: Colin Wilson, my husband and best friend, is on constant call fixing our com- puters, phones, copier, printers, folding machine, preparing TV’s and DVD’s and mi- crophones for WNC. Colin truly is our tech support expert and he is greatly appreciat- ed! David Toomey is always working behind the scenes. Guess who keeps our FLC kitchen up and running, purchases supplies for all our functions, constantly cleans out refrigerator and freezer, cleans the kitchen, makes sure everything is in working order, takes towels home to wash and so much more. Last week he kindly replaced some lights in a bathroom on short notice in preparation for an event.

We are all very appreciative of your service to the church.

3 KIDS KORNER

MAYFIELD CORN MAZE—On Sunday, October 1, families are invited to meet at the Corn Maze at 1:00 pm. Jacqueline will not be able to attend so she needs a parent to please step up as leader and she will give that person the tax exempt form.

WEB—For the next 4 weeks WEB kids will concentrate on John 3:15, “Everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”

TASK—We are loving the lessons at TASK. Have your child tell you about the character by God. I personally have been blessed. No TASK on Halloween, October 31.

FALL BREAK—No activities Oct. 9-13.

WNC MEAL—Children’s group will do supper on Oct 18. Need volunteers to prepare a dish. Con- tact Jacqueline and she will give you details. Kids will serve and clean up. Monies will help with snacks at TASK and Preschool Choir.

BISCUIT SALE—will take place on October 29 in the Contemporary Service.

TRICK OR TRUNK—Come join the fun at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, October 31. Happy Halloween. NO TASK ON HALLOWEEN, OCTOBER 31

4 YOUTH HAPPENINGS

Hello church, Not too much going on right now... Whoooo !!!! It's nice to slow down just a little, sometimes. Although we haven't taken any big trips, or mission trips far off.... we're still using our hands and feet for Christ !!! Mr Steve recently attended the Emmaus Walk in Cleveland. The Youth are always so sweet about writing cards and letters for those who attend. He also received so many cards and letters from you, his Church Family. THANK YOU for sharing with him on this precious weekend !!! Lastly, in October I will be serving, along with Karen Orr and Andrea Kirkland, the Female Inmates at Bledsoe County Prison. This is with the Kairos Prison Ministry. There is also a Men's Ministry that goes to the same prison. If you have a heart for such a Ministry, we would love to share more information with you. A ma- jor form of Agape the Inmates will receive, is We went to Sweetwater Pri- The Youth were responsible for freshly baked Chocolate Chip Cookies !!! The mary School and completed Snow Cones, Popcorn, Inflata- bles and clean up for Engage.... Youth made a HUGE contribution to this Minis- a Prayer Walk.... and they did a Great Job !! try by 1) Purchasing $100 worth of Meal Tick- ets to feed the Inmates for their Upcoming Weekend, and 2) Packaging 1,080 Chocolate Chip Cookies that Karen and I baked in the FLC Kitchen !!! (What a BLESSING to have such an AMAZING Facility) !!!!

That's all for now.... With much love in Christ, Crystal Ragan 865-567-2453

5 SENIOR HAPPENINGS SENIOR POTLUCK SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GREETINGS Sunday, October 1 @ noon TO OUR SENIORS BORN IN OCTOBER

Bring your favorite dish and join us for lunch Oct 3 Calvin Holt Oct 4 Larry Hutson on Sunday, October 1 @ noon. Oct 5 Rose Morgan Oct 6 Joe Pardue Our guest speaker will be Martha Dodge, Vol- Oct 7 Carl Camp unteer Coordinator at Amedisys Hospice. Oct 8 Teresa Hickey Her topic is “The Five Wishes,” which will in- Oct 8 Paul Eakin Oct 8 Betty Harvey clude talking with the family regarding end of Oct 10 Mary Seals life decisions so these decisions don’t have to Oct 21 Lige (Red) Deaton be made during crisis. Oct 22 Adeline Mason Oct 24 Carlesia Collier

September’s “Who Am I” was Lynette Johnson. Thanks to Bob Fugitt for our “Who Am I” articles. Articles will continue in November newsletter.

SENIOR TRIP REMAINING 2017 SENIOR TRIPS/EVENTS GATLINBURG CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR October 16 Gatlinburg Craftsman Fair MONDAY, OCTOBER 16 @ 9:30 AM

November Pizza and Paint Party w/Alicia Seniors, almost seniors, and the young at in FLC. Date TBD heart…come join us for a day trip to The Gat- December 16 Christmas Party in FLC linburg Craftsmen’s Fair, on Monday, October th 16 . Filling the 150,000 sq. ft. of downtown’s Gat- REMAINING 2017 SENIOR LUNCHEONS linburg Convention Center, the Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair hosts Artisans and Craftsmen October 1 Planning for The Future, from all over the nation. Two hundred booths with Speaker Martha Dodge unique and one-of-a-kind handmade products are November 5 Sweetwater UMC Mission Team beautifully displayed, as skilled craftspeople Speaker Tony Martini demonstrate their talents. With Christmas ap- December 3 Playing Ball with Aaron Small, proaching The Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair is the premier holiday shopping destination and your Youth Director, one-stop-shop for everyone on your list. Fairview Baptist Tabernacle Church Cost is $5.00, payable to Anne, and because it takes most the day to see, the bus will be leav- Add these events to your 2017 Calendar. ing at 9:30 am. A food court is available in the convention center. Be sure to sign up in your Sunday school class or in Larry Orr’s office And remember these events are for seniors, on and pay Anne onor before Friday, October almost seniors and the young at heart! 13. If you have questions contact Bob Fugitt 770 -312-6435.

6 Unsung Heroes of Our Church “The Boys in the Band” Getting to know the guys behind the wonderful music of our Praise Team

If you were to ask people what they But who are the “The Boys in the most enjoy about our church…many Band” who support the Praise Team at the would say the Chancel Choir (mostly Contemporary Service? Getting to know late service) and Praise Team (mostly them just a little bit better…and what early service) both directed by Mar- makes them tick…can only make their gareth. Hearing their powerful mu- musical contributions even more appreci- sic and angelic voices is a great lead- ated. Hopefully these short bios will shed in to the spiritual message Pastor some light on how they have become an Ron delivers and you simply can’t go integral part of our church service. home without feeling uplifted.

Alan King/Acoustical Guitar

Meet Alan King; father to two boys and a girl and a 17-year resident of Sweetwater. Alan recently retired after a 38-year career as a respiratory therapist. He has been playing acoustical guitar (self taught) since he was 15 years old and has been playing in our church since before the Family Life Center was built. His musical interests include rock, alternative, and Christian music, and his favorite all time music comes from The Beatles. His hobbies natu- rally include music, fishing and hiking, and riding his motorcycle. Alan is proud to be a part of our service…”music is an important part of every church service and I’m glad to be a part of the band.” And we are so happy that Alan found his way to our church family.

Michael Bates/Electric Guitar

Michael is a lifelong resident of Tennessee, who currently resides in Knoxville. He is single, but does have a girlfriend who owns a farm and he spends time with her. Michael currently works as a subcontractor doing all types of work from carpeting to carpentry. He is a self-taught guitarist but attributes much of his musical education to his father who sat him down at a very young age and started him playing guitar. His music taste co- vers the spectrum from funk, blues, reggae, and classical, to old country. When he has time Michel enjoys wood working but he stays pretty busy. When I asked about future goals he said (referring to playing electric guitar)…”I just want to keep doing it.” He further added “I'm 26 and have played at the church for a little over 2 years. And I still love it! And just in case you never noticed, Michael enjoys his time with the band and playing solos. To say he really gets into his guitar is an understatement. And lucky us…we get the benefit of all that talent. Thanks Michael!

7 Gary Davis/Bass Guitar

Born and raised in Arkansas, Gary Davis now resides in West Knoxville. He is married and father to a son and daugh- ter ages 24 and 17, and two step daughters who are in their late 20’s. Rounding out the family are 4 dogs and 2 cats! If you talk to Gary, it only takes a moment to understand how passionate and enthusiastic he is about music. Gary was first introduced to the guitar when he was 7 years old, is currently enrolled in college and is a mere 4 classes away from getting his second music degree. He is a full time musician booking about 200-250 dates a year and backs up all kinds of perfor- mances to include gospel, jazz, and country to name a few. When I asked him about his favorite type of music, favorite artist or songs, he mentioned Andre Crouch who sings some of the most beautiful gospel music you have ever heard. While Gary currently does some teaching on the side, he would like to pursue a long-term career in writing and teaching urban gospel. In his spare time Gary enjoys hiking, walking his dogs, being a loving dad to his kids, and of course music! We appreciate Gary sharing his love of music with our church.

Casey Green/Drummer

Casey Green, the youngster of the Praise Band (24), grew up in Crossville, TN, and now resides in the sleepy little town of Monterey, TN, just a stone’s throw from Cross- ville. He is married to his wife Meagan and while they have no children they have their German Sheppard “Juda” to keep them company. Another UT graduate (class of 2016) Casey’s studies focused on studio music and jazz but ironi- cally his favorite type of music is country. It only took a second to respond when I asked him what his favorite artist/song is: ”Makeup and Faded Blue Jeans by Merle Haggard.” Casey is committed to ‘playing a lot of drums.’ He started playing guitar initially, but switched to drums because there were too many guitarists. He immediately fell in love with drums and was basically self taught until he entered a jazz program at the age of 19. Playing drums is now his full time job and he books about 200-250 events a year. Like most of the band members supporting The Praise Team he came to Sweetwater UMC after being invited to “fill in” and has been playing about 4 years. In his spare time Casey plays around with an old jeep. He loves playing drums and you will often see him smiling and perhaps adding a drum roll after a hu- morous on stage event or gaffe. We are glad to have Casey share his talents with us every Sunday morning!

Special thanks to Bob Fugitt for interviewing the “Boys in the Band” and writing these informative articles highlighting our VERY SPECIAL PRAISE BAND!!

Thank you to Tony Martini for the great photos.