Attention! The office and Vienna Road parking lots will be resealed and repainted tomorrow, Saturday, September 20. These lots will be inaccessible throughout the day on Saturday. Please utilize the parking available on Vienna Road, at the Chamber of Commerce, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, or Faith Lutheran Church if you need to access FUMC on Saturday, September 20. Thank you for your cooperation! | | Celebrating First Recovery | | This Sunday, September 21, we will be celebrating Recovery Sunday all day! Matt Holder, Director of First Recovery, and other representatives of First Recovery will be helping to lead all three worship services on Sunday morning. Then, on Sunday evening, the first-ever Burgers and Bluegrass Fundraiser will be held at Fire and Salt. Over $85,000 has already been raised for a new First Recovery Endowment! Even if you can't attend the event, you can still support the First Recovery Endowment by bidding in the Burgers and Bluegrass online silent auction, which is now live and will close at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. You can also give online to "Fundraising Events: First Recovery Endowment." Thank you for your support. Join us as we celebrate the amazing impact of First Recovery on Sunday! | | Coffee and Difficult Conversations | | |
On Thursday, September 25, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room, the Social Concerns Committee invites you to join an important and timely discussion about Matthew D. Taylor’s book, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy. The book challenges us to ask: What does faithful, peace-centered Christianity look like in this moment?
Bruce Spangler will lead the discussion, which will focus on:
-What does Taylor reveal about the intersection of faith, violence, and political power?
-How do we recognize when faith is being distorted into an ideology of domination?
-What biblical and theological resources offer a counter-witness rooted in peace, justice, and love?
-What role can the church—and people of conscience—play in protecting democracy and human dignity?
Let's come together to reflect, ask questions, discuss, and consider faithful responses to the challenges Taylor describes. For more information, please reach out to Bruce Spangler (spangler.strategies@icloud.com).
| | 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
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On 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. You are invited to help us celebrate with your gifts and traditions!
There are several opportunities to participate in our celebration of World Communion Sunday:
-Prepare a bread from your ethnic heritage (please contact Debbie Clark by Oct. 2, if you plan to make bread for communion - dcc6357@gmail.com).
-Share liturgy in a language other than English (please contact Pastor Clair - csauer@fumcor.org to help lead liturgy).
-Wear clothing that represents your cultural heritage.
"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
| | Special Sunday School Program | | |
On 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).
| | 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. | | |
This week's Prayer Walk will step-off from Calhoun's at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 22. These hikes are tailored to the preferences of the group gathered that day. We can make it a short hike or a longer hike, depending on the desire of those present.
Feel free to bring your leashed, well-behaved, 4-legged friend if you like. We celebrate all of creation and want to share this time with all of God’s creatures! For more information, contact Pastor Denna (dhornby@fumcor.org).
| | Pickleball Friends and Fun! | | |
Are you interested in giving pickleball a try? Or are you looking for new opportunities to play? If this sounds fun, feel free to show up on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at the high school courts and give this new fellowship opportunity a try. You’ll want to wear athletic shoes and comfortable clothing, and consider bringing a water bottle and a towel. If you don’t have a pickleball paddle or pickleballs, don’t worry, we have extras to share.
Just a word of caution: the courts at the high school are not the best, so play at your own risk. If you need more information, you can contact Phyllis Spangler at pspangler@fumcor.org or call 865-483-6631.
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September Special Offering -
Youth Ministry
| | The Special Offering for the month of September will support FUMC’s Youth Ministries. This growing ministry engages youth in 7th-12th grades through Sunday School, weekly youth gatherings, and regular fellowship activities. Additionally, First Church provides a Student Lunch each Thursday during the school year. This is for ORHS juniors and seniors who have off-campus lunch. Over 85 students were fed at our second lunch this school year! Investing in today’s youth is necessary in growing the body of Christ. Teaching young people in the church and helping them grow in their relationship with God can prepare them to serve Christ in all they do. As a result, this nurtures the congregation and allows the church to flourish. To support the September Special Offering, follow the link below. | |
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Worship for September 21
Recovery Sunday
Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 3: 14-20
Psalm 23
Revelation 21: 1-5a
Matthew 25: 35-40
8:45 & 11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship - Sanctuary
11:00 a.m. Contemporary Worship - Multipurpose Room
Preaching: Matt Holder
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In the Hospital
Sandra Voina
Dismissed
Pat Ryan
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Offering 9-8-2025 through 9-14-2025: $49,657.30
2025 YTD Offering: $973,091
2024 YTD Offering: $912,934
August Special Offering (Youth): $1,150
Thank you to all of you who mailed in your financial gifts or continued to give online.
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