Knox Pride Parade Cancelled | | Sadly due to events beyond the control of Knox Pride and the City of Knoxville, the Knox Pride organization must cancel Pride Fest & Parade this weekend. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to obtain the required insurance for the event. The Social Concerns Committee thanks you for your understanding and support. | | Special Sunday School Program | | |
This Sunday, October 5, during the Sunday School hour, a special program "Welcoming Death: An Invitation to Deeper Aliveness. Who knew death could be so inviting?" will be offered in the Fellowship Hall. All are invited to hear this presentation by Rev. Dr. Billy Daniel.
In a world that whispers euphemisms—passing, departing, expiring—we’ve lost the courage to say the word “death,” let alone face it. What if turning toward our deaths could awaken in us a richer, more grounded life? "Welcoming Death" is a dialogue of honest souls ready to explore what too many avoid: the tender, terrifying, and transformative truth that we are dust, and to dust we shall return. This engagement is not about seeking one’s death; it is about facing one’s death head-on. In that stillness, we find room for breath, for presence, for becoming fully alive. Gather as we create together the sacred and much-needed space to ask the spiritual, practical, and all-too-often delayed questions—questions that, when left unspoken, leave loved ones lost in confusion and pain.
The Rev. Dr. William “Billy” Daniel is a spiritual director and palliative care chaplain with Covenant Health Care. He is the author of Inhabited by Grace, Christ the Liturgy, and a forthcoming book entitled The Path of Jesus Consciousness. A fellow pilgrim on the path, Billy draws from over 25 years of walking with the living and the dying, the grieving and the grateful, weaving together story, silence, and soulful inquiry to help participants face their fears, to experience the unexpected joy and beauty that awaits. It’s not simply a matter of dying well. It’s about living well, all the way to the End.
For more information, please reach out to Pastor Jenny (jcaughman@fumcor.org).
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This Sunday, October 5, we will celebrate World Communion Sunday in all three worship services. World Communion Sunday is a special time to recognize and celebrate the unity of the body of Christ around the world and across differing cultures and ethnicities. All are welcome as we celebrate the unity of the body of Christ around the Lord's Table.
"For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ." -1 Corinthians 12: 12
| | Retirement Reception for Jenny Caughman | | |
Following the 11:00 a.m. worship services on Sunday, October 12, there will be a reception for Rev. Jenny Caughman as she moves into retirement. This will be an opportunity to celebrate Jenny's loving and diligent care of this congregation over the last 14 years in her roles as visitation and spiritual care pastor. Mark your calendars and stop in to share your well-wishes, love, and gratitude with Jenny.
| | October Senior Adult Luncheon | | The October Senior Adult Luncheon on October 15 will feature a pulled pork BBQ. The program will be estate sale specialist, Elaine Graham, addressing "Downsizing Dilemmas." If you would like to attend the October Senior Adult Luncheon, please call the church office (865-483-4357) no later than October 9 to make your reservation. | | Join Social Concerns for Secret City Pride | | |
Oak Ridge's first-ever Pride event, "Secret City Pride," will be held on Sunday, October 12, from 12:00-4:00 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church. All are welcome! For more information, contact Greg Smith (smit92611@gmail.com).
| | UWF Sunday and Blanket Collection | | |
On Sunday, October 19, First Church will observe United Women in Faith (UWF) Sunday. Part of the day's celebration will include collecting blankets before and after all worship services. Please bring new or gently used blankets, which will be donated to the Ecumenical Storehouse. Alternatively, you can make a cash donation, which will be given to the local unit of Church Women United (CWU). The CWU movement has held a vision of Christian unity and prayerful action since 1941. UWF appreciates your support.
| | Support Ecumenical Storehouse | | |
During the month of October, First Church volunteers will help to oversee the Ecumenical Storehouse. We have volunteer opportunities in the office and the warehouse. No heavy lifting is required.
Volunteers are needed on Tuesday, Thursday, and/or Saturday mornings from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Even if you are only available for an hour, your help is still appreciated!
If you have questions or would like to sign up to volunteer, please contact Barbara Hudak-Scheirer at 731-780-5689 or bhs4639@gmail.com.
| | Willing Workers Set Work Day for October 25 | | |
Need a little help with your fall to-do list? The Willing Workers are ready to help you with an extra set of hands on Saturday, October 25. Light bush trimming and hauling, putting up water hoses for the winter, changing out batteries and light bulbs are just a few of the tasks that the “W W s” can do for you at your home. Please contact Mark Diemer at (865) 483-5410 to schedule your appointment and let him know of your specific needs. Blessings to all at this wonderful time of the year, and we will see you soon!
| | The weekly Prayer Walk meets every Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Calhoun's. All ages and abilities to enjoy God's creation in fellowship with others. Contact Pastor Denna for more information (dhornby@fumcor.org). | | Bethlehem: An Advent Journey | | |
Have you chosen your Advent study yet? Please consider Bethlehem: An Advent Journey, written by the Rev. David Graybeal. David 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.
| | Help Our Community Assistance Ministry | | Did you know that every donation you make to KARM can help our financial assistance ministry? When you set up an account at KARM and designate the church as your beneficiary, each time you make a donation, our church will be credited. Each quarter, based on the amount of donations made for our church, we receive a "return" in the form of gift cards, which we distribute through our community assistance ministry. To participate, just go to the donation center and set up an account. Each time you make a donation, they will ask for your phone number to credit your donation to our church. Register the church as your beneficiary to help friends in need in our community. | |
October Special Offering -
(Trustees) Building Contingency Fund
| | The Special Offering for the month of October will support our facilities and the work of FUMC’s Trustees by bolstering the Trustees Contingency Reserves Fund. The Office and Vienna Road parking lots were recently resealed and repainted. This is routine maintenance work required every 5-10 years to ensure the longevity of our parking lots. The Building Contingency Fund helps keep our facilities functioning through routine maintenance projects and when unexpected needs arise. To support the October Special Offering, follow the link below. | |
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Worship for October 5
World Communion Sunday
Scripture Reading:
Exodus 16: 2-4, 31, 35
Psalm 33: 1-9
1 Corinthians 11: 23-26 & 12: 12-18
John 17: 21-23
Luke 24: 13-35
8:45 & 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship - Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship - Multipurpose Room
Preaching: Rev. Clair Sauer, Rev. Ken Sauer
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In the Hospital
None that we are aware of at this time.
Dismissed
Sandy Elkins (to The Groves)
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Offering 9-22-2025 through 9-28-2025: $19,260.53
2025 YTD Offering: $1,014,264
2024 YTD Offering: $941,699
September Special Offering (Youth): $2,580
Thank you to all of you who mailed in your financial gifts or continued to give online.
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