“You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way. Such generosity produces thanksgiving to God through us.” ~2 Corinthians 9: 11 | | |
We are all grateful for the many blessings of God in our lives, and in this season of Thanksgiving, we offer our thanks to God in Christ Jesus first and foremost. In that spirit of gratitude to God, we at First Church enter our annual Stewardship Campaign.
Giving, as we commit to doing each year as part of the Stewardship Campaign, is about our grateful response to God’s wondrous works of grace in our lives. God has richly blessed us so we can be generous. To grow as Christ’s disciples, we need to give thanks in gratefulness to God.
We invite you to give in gratitude to God and be part of expanding God’s work in and through the ministries of First United Methodist Church as we celebrate Commitment Sunday on November 23. Learn more about Giving in Gratitude and make your online estimate of giving by following the link.
| | First Steps Spaghetti Dinner Tonight! | | The First Steps Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction is tonight at 6:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at First Church. Tickets are $20 each, $5 for children ages 3-10, with a family maximum of $50. Children under 3 are free. Call 865-483-6291 or stop by the church office to get your ticket. | | Reception for Linda Bowen | | |
First Church's Business and Finance Director, Linda Bowen, has let us know she will be leaving to take another position. Linda modernized our financial systems and has contributed to the church in many ways during her 12 years here. Her last day is today, November 7. For those who would like to wish her well, a reception will be held in the Fellowship Hall after the 11:00 a.m. services this Sunday, November 9.
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The Community Celtic Worship Service will be at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church this Sunday, November 9, at 5:00 p.m. This quiet, contemplative service includes scripture, beautiful music, and communion.
In December, Community Celtic Worship will be held at Chapel on the Hill at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 14. All are welcome.
| | Annual Church Charge Conference | | First Church's annual Church Charge Conference will be held on Sunday, November 16, at 4:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. For the first time in many years, we will hold an in-person, single-church Charge Conference, celebrating the wonderful missions and ministries of FUMC. All church members are voting members of the Charge Conference and are invited to participate in this celebration and help us prepare for our ongoing work in the coming year. | | November Senior Adult Luncheon | | The November Senior Adult Luncheon is scheduled for November 19. The turkey and dressing lunch will be followed by a program by Kris Light on the wonders of the Galapagos Islands. Be sure to call the church office (865-483-4357) by November 13 to reserve your spot! | | Beginning December 2 and continuing through the Advent season, join Gielda Reese and friends for Visio Divina. Visio divina is "divine seeing": the practice of praying with a work of art. By incorporating art into prayer, visio divina invites us to bring our sense of sight as well as our imagination into our relationship with God. Gielda will be guiding us every Tuesday morning from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in Room 204 as we create our own artwork and grow in Christ this Advent season! So that we have enough materials, please call the church office (865-483-4357) as soon as possible to register. | | First Recovery Annual Thanksgiving Dinner | | |
The First Recovery ministry will be holding its annual Thanksgiving Dinner on November 26. This is one of the biggest events of the year for the recovery ministry—a celebration of gratitude that, for many of the people we serve, may be the only Thanksgiving meal they experience.
This special evening is made possible through the support of our congregation and dedicated First Recovery volunteers. We are currently seeking donations of side dishes, as well as volunteers to help with preparation and serving.
If you feel led to help, please contact Matt Holder at mholder@fumcor.org or 865-603-7932.
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Any elves out there?
We need help to decorate the Chrismon tree in the FUMC sanctuary on Monday, November 24, at 5:00 p.m. It will take about 90 minutes.
The tree will be assembled; we’ll be adding the beautiful Chrismons. Invite new friends and join the fun. We need tall and not-so-tall helpers, ladder climbers, and people who stay grounded. All are welcome!
Contact: Vicki Hinkel (vhinkel@comcast.net).
| | Time To Plan Your Advent Study | | |
Have you chosen your Advent study yet? Please consider Bethlehem: An Advent Journey, written by the Rev. David Graybeal. Dave is a United Methodist Pastor and member of The Holston Annual Conference who has served churches in southwestern England and east Tennessee. He is also an adjunct professor of religion at Tennessee Wesleyan University. Dave will be here at First Church on December 14 at 4:00 p.m. to discuss his book. Look for more information about that event as the date draws closer. If you would like a copy of Bethlehem: An Advent Journey, books are available to pick up in the office for $12.
| | Support Christmas Shoppes | | |
The 2025 Christmas Shoppe is quickly approaching! As we prepare to enter the holiday season, the Shoppes Committee is accepting donations of the following items to assist with the families we will be serving:
-Wrapping Supplies: Paper, Gift Bags, Bows, Tissue Paper
-Stuffed Animals (in like-new condition)
-Books for all ages: infant - high school (in like-new condition)
You can drop these items at the front office, or if you bring them on Sunday morning, they can be taken to room 302.
The Sign Up Genius Form to select a child to sponsor for Christmas will be available very soon as well, so watch for that announcement in the next few weeks!
If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Craven at 423-620-4796 or email fumcorshoppes@gmail.com.
| | Stephen Ministry Training Rescheduled | | The Stephen Ministry training class, originally scheduled to start in September, has been postponed until January, so you still have time to sign up for this special opportunity. The class will run on Tuesday evenings for 17 consecutive weeks beginning January 6 and ending April 28. Classes will be held from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in joining the class, please contact Pastor Denna (dhornby@fumcor.org), Dan Ingersoll (dingersoll3@comcast.net), Anne Leitnaker (anne.leitnaker@gmail.com), or Peg Ashline (ashline27@bellsouth.net) no later than November 21. For more information, check us out at fumcor.org/stephen-ministry. | | Monday Fellowship Opportunities | |
November Special Offering -
Christmas Shoppe
| | The monthly Special Offering for November will go to support First Church's Christmas Shoppe. Shoppes season is in full swing, and your support is greatly appreciated! Monetary donations will help provide Christmas meals and staples for families, as well as Christmas gifts for our neighbors in need. To support Shoppes and give to the November Special Offering, follow the link below. | |
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Worship for November 9
First Stewardship Sunday - Giving in Gratitude
Scripture Readings:
Acts 2: 42-47
1 Corinthians 4: 1-2
Matthew 6: 25-33
8:45 & 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship - Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship - Multipurpose Room
Preaching: Rev. Ken Sauer, Rev. Clair Sauer
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In the Hospital
Dee Crumm
Dismissed
Betty Dreyer
Betty Pitts
Charlene Reynolds
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Offering 10-20-2025 through 10-26-2025: $26,737
2025 YTD Offering: $1,136,764
2024 YTD Offering: $1,094,795
October Special Offering (Trustees): $1,190
November Special Offering (Shoppes): $1,060
Thank you to all of you who mailed in your financial gifts or continued to give online.
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