REV. DON HANSHEW, SENIOR PASTOR

REV. RACHEL COLLINS, PASTOR OF DISCIPLESHIP

As humans, we are wired to be meaning-making creatures. When we encounter something we don’t understand; a silence, a delay, an unanswered text, an ambiguous look… we instinctively fill in the gaps. Our minds rush to complete the story, to make sense of what’s missing. It’s a survival mechanism, meant to keep us safe. The problem is, most of the time, the story we create simply isn’t true.

We fill in the gaps with stories and assumptions that reflect our fears more than reality: “She must be angry.” “They don’t value me.” “I must have done something wrong.” These thoughts can spiral quickly, shaping our emotions, our relationships, and even our actions. Before long, we’re responding not to what is but to what we’ve imagined.

This is the danger: when we fill in the gaps with our own interpretations, we stop being curious and we close off possibilities. We stop asking questions. We stop listening. Instead of holding space for mystery, we demand closure. Instead of compassion, we choose certainty, no matter how inaccurate or unkind it might be.

I see this dynamic often. Someone feels hurt by a colleague’s silence, a friend’s absence, or a family member seeming distance. The silence feels unbearable, so they fill it with stories: “they’re disappointed in me.” “I must have failed.” The pain of these imagined conclusions becomes real, even when the assumptions aren’t.

Yet the truth is that silence, uncertainty, and ambiguity are part of every relationship. There will always be gaps between what we know and what we long to know, between what we expect and what actually unfolds. The invitation is to resist the temptation to fill those gaps with fear.

The work, then, is to pause before the story takes hold. We can practice curiosity. We can pause and ask, What else could be true? This pause, this space between assumption and truth, is where emotional intelligence grows. It’s where empathy lives. It’s where relationships have a chance to stay grounded in reality rather than reactiveness.

In this pause we can assume generosity, not judgment. We can remember that our perspective is partial, our understanding incomplete. This is not weakness...it’s wisdom.

The discipline of not filling in the gaps requires humility and patience. It means trusting that some things will reveal themselves in time, and others may never make full sense. It means learning to live with mystery. When we stop rushing to complete the story, we open ourselves to grace. We make room for truth to emerge, for relationships to deepen, and for healing to take place.

So, the next time you find yourself filling in the blanks of another’s silence or uncertainty, pause. Breathe. Ask what might happen if you didn’t finish the story just yet. You may find that in the unfilled space, something sacred is waiting to speak.

Pastor Rachel 

Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett will Preach this Sunday, November 16

As part of our year-long 200th anniversary celebration, we are honored to welcome Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, Resident Bishop of the Holston and West Virginia Conference, as our final keynote preacher on Sunday, November 16.

Bishop Wallace-Padgett is known for her thoughtful preaching, compassionate leadership, and deep commitment to helping the Church thrive in a changing world. Her message will draw us toward gratitude for our past and hope for the future as we continue to live into our calling to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

She will preach at all three of our Sunday services, allowing each congregation to experience her message in its own worship setting. We encourage everyone to attend, bring a friend, and share in this milestone moment in the life of Fountain City United Methodist Church.

Come ready to celebrate God’s faithfulness across generations and to be inspired for the next chapter of our shared story!

Wednesday, November 19 is the last Fountain City Fellowship night for this semester. The fellowship meal begins at 5:30 p.m. and classes follow at 6:30 p.m.

November 19 Menu: Pork loin, mashed red potatoes, peas, salad, and dessert. A light meal of baked chicken tenders with mixed steamed vegetables will also available. Register >

The November 19 Fountain City Fellowship Meal is free. We recognize that food insecurity has become a real concern for some in our community, and we want Wednesday nights to remain a place of connection, care, and grace, not financial worry. We encourage you to invite a friend or family member who may benefit from this shared time of food, friendship, and grace.

Please register those attending so we may be good stewards of the church's finances and reduce waste. You can register on the FCUMC website, in the notes section of a pew pad or by calling the church office at 865-689-5175. Registration closes at midnight on Tuesday.

SERVING OTHERS

Fast Track Church-wide Food Drive

Grocery Bags Due Today

Many of our neighbors are losing access to food assistance and struggling to make ends meet. Fountain City UMC is partnering with other churches to help meet these needs through a “Fast Track Church-wide Food Drive.”

The Missions Team and Community Outreach Team are challenging every Sunday School class, small group, and individual to fill one reusable cloth-style grocery bag with these items:

• 1 can each of green beans, corn, hearty soup, chili, and tuna
• 1 box each of cereal, ramen, mac and cheese, and saltine crackers
• 1 jar of peanut butter
• 1 loaf of bread
• 1 bar of soap
• 1 roll of toilet paper
• Granola bars

Please bring completed bags to the church TODAY during normal operating hours to the marked area outside of Wesley Hall. Double check your bag, because we won’t have time to sort items before distribution which takes place tomorrow from 11 a.m.–1 p.m in the lower parking lot. Invite friends and neighbors who may rely on SNAP or WIC benefits to participate in the distribution. Together, we can fill bags and hearts with hope this season. Questions? Contact Gail Clift at (865) 207-6791.

Pick up a Senior's Wish List this Sunday, November 16

The holidays can be a lonely time for residents in nursing homes, but we can make this Christmas a little merrier for seniors at Beverly Park Place (BPP). We will once again adopt BPP residents to assist with their Christmas wishes. We have fifty names of seniors whose wish lists can be picked up in the hallway outside of the church office on Sunday, November 16. If all are not taken, they will also be available on Wednesday, November 19 and Sunday, November 23 until all are taken. Return the gift bags on Sunday, December 14 before or after any worship service in the hallway outside the church office, or contact Sandy Morgan at 865-679-0760 to make other arrangements. There are specific wrapping instructions which will be given out with the senior’s information.

This is a church-wide project sponsored by the Missions Committee. We welcome and encourage individuals, families, and Sunday school classes to participate. Let’s help raise the spirits of Beverly Park Place residents this Christmas!

It’s Time To Deck The Halls | November 18 | 9 a.m.

Next Tuesday, we will deck our halls with Christmas trees! Our trees have been in storage all year and it’s time for them to be on display. We will also hang our outdoor Christmas lights. We need lots of help, so let’s pull together to get our church ready for Christmas. Thank you to all of our volunteers!

Congregational Care Holy Communion Visits

At this time of year many people make special efforts to spend time with family. For some in our church who are homebound, this is an especially difficult season. Our Congregational Care Team takes Holy Communion to our homebound members once a month (if not more frequently). If you would like to help ensure our elder Saints received Holy Communion, we would love for you to come be part of the effort. Arrive at the church office Conference Room at 12:30 p.m. for instructions, the consecration of the elements, and group prayer before we head out two-by-two. Contact Kurt Wiberly for more information. 

Winter Clothing Collection

We are requesting some items for our neighbors as we head into the colder months. Please bring new or gently used sweatshirts, hoodies and fleece jackets (M, L & XL) and place them in the designated bin in the missions collection area near the Gym.



Warming Center Training

Although FCUMC will not have a warming center this winter, volunteers are needed across the city. Several of our church members have stated that they want to volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering at one of the centers, you will need some training. Cokesbury UMC is offering training on Tuesday, November 18 at 6 p.m. in the Epworth Room in the campus across Kingston Pike from the church. No registration is required.

Thank you for your donations for Coats for the Cold!

If you know someone who could benefit from receiving a ticket for a free coat, please have them contact us at 865-689-5175 or have them pick up a voucher in the church office beginning November 17.

Tickets can be redeemed November 17-December 6 at any KARM Stores location.

Blessing Box Needs:

• Water
• Peanut butter crackers and cheese snack crackers
• Fruit juice
• Toothpaste
• Cottonelle wipes

The closet is nearly overflowing with your generous donations, keep up the good work!!

Be a blessing!!

NEWS AND NOTES



Come To Bethlehem

Registration is Open!

Come to FCUMC's annual event celebrating the night Jesus was born.

There will be new animals this year for our Bethlehem Christmas farm! This is a free event with dinner to kick off the evening as you begin your journey towards Christmas. Register > >

Coming soon! A New Holiday Handout to share around the town!!! Your challenge while we wait for them to arrive is to be ready to share this door hanger in five different places!!!! 

See a new QR code around the church? Take a minute to scan it and see what this helpful link can connect you to today! 

Visioning and Missional Priorities Listening Sessions

Want to hear more about the progress the Visioning and Missional Priorities Team has made? Our last listening session is this Sunday at 12:15 p.m. in the Gym, We will have light snacks. The more voices, the better the outcome! We hope you will come! 

Charge Conference & Church Council Gathering | Tuesday, November 18 at 7 p.m.

Location: Choir Room

This gathering will serve as a working meeting of our Church Council, and we’re excited to have Rev. Ann Robbins presiding. Ann has asked that our time together be conversational and celebratory, focusing on the many ways Fountain City UMC and our community are experiencing the love of Jesus.

Leaders from various ministries will share a brief (2–5 minute) celebration of how God’s love is being lived out through their areas of service, and how the church and community are responding in meaningful ways. Together, we’ll celebrate all that God has done in this milestone year and look ahead to where Christ is leading us next.

Celebrating 43 Years of Faithful Service

For 43 years, since the year Knoxville hosted the World’s Fair, Charles and Celia Thompson have greeted worshippers at our 8:30 a.m. services with sincere kindness and warm smiles. Their faithful presence has been a quiet gift to generations of worshippers, helping each person feel at home, seen, and welcomed. As Charles and Celia step back from their longtime roles as head ushers, we celebrate their remarkable ministry of hospitality and thank them from the bottom of our hearts. We’re also grateful to Barry and Louanne Clabough, who will carry the mantle forward with the same grace and dedication they’ve shown for nearly thirty years. Faithful hearts like these make our church family who we are.

Poinsettia Dedications

The Advent season is drawing near and brings us the opportunity to continue our Fountain City UMC tradition of honoring loved ones with poinsettia dedications. You are invited to make a dedication in honor or memory of family and friends.

For $11 per dedication, your loved one will be honored or memorialized in our bulletin. For inclusion in the dedication list, please submit all requests by Monday, December 8, 2025. Thank you! Request a dedication >>

Hello Friends,

I cannot wait to experience walking in the footsteps of John Wesley with you in a Wesley Heritage Tour of England on November 4-12, 2026. This journey is such an incredible opportunity to reconnect with the history that makes our tradition so rich and meaningful.

Check out the details and register.

- Pastor Rachel

PRESCHOOL



Preschool Pajama Drive

FCUMC Preschool is collecting pajamas for children experiencing uncertainty. Join us this year as we collect new pajamas in sizes infant to adult, from November 10 to December 5. Our pajama drive will culminate in preschool-wide Pajama Days on Wednesday, December 3 and Thursday December 4. This year our pajamas will be donated to Fountain City Ministry Center.

FOUNTAIN KIDS & FOUNTAIN LITTLES



Calling all Fountain Kids families! Hang out on the Fountain Kids float for the Fountain City Christmas Parade. Step off is at 9 a.m. Children and parents can board the float at 8:30 a.m. at Gresham Middle School. The parade ends at Central High School.

Others can join us on the FCUMC front lawn to watch the parade. Bring your chair and your blanket and enjoy!

YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY

Join us in the Gym this Sunday as we share in the special time with our Youth!

Young Adults

Sunday nights just keep getting better! The Young Adult group meets from 6–8 p.m. in a rotation of homes around Fountain City. Come for the conversation, stay for the community (and maybe the themed snacks). Connect with Pastor Rachel or another young adult to join the group chat and get all the details.

Starting next week, we’re diving into our new Advent read, The First Advent in Palestine! It will carry us through the end of the year, a perfect way to prepare our hearts (and minds) for Christmas.

COFFEE & FELLOWSHIP ON SUNDAYS AT THE WELCOME CENTER

Stop by the Welcome Center before or after worship (8:00-10:45 a.m). and let us bless you! See you Sunday!

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

8:30 a.m. Traditional Service in the Sanctuary

9:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Discipleship

11 a.m.Traditional Service in the Sanctuary

11 a.m. The Journey Contemporary Service in the Gym

Childcare and children's ministry is provided from 8:30 a.m. through the conclusion of the 11 a.m. worship services.

FOUNTAIN KIDS SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Fountain Kids Sunday School • 9:45 a.m.

Fountain Littles Sunday School • 9:45 a.m. 

Fountain Kids Bible Experience • 11 a.m.

Fountain Littles Childcare • 11 a.m.

Bulletin for November 16, 2025

THE SPIRIT NEWSLETTER

Check out the November 2025 edition of The Spirit Newsletter.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday-Thursday: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 

Friday: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

NEXT UP AT FCUMC

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

November 15: Fast Track Food Drive Distribution | 11am-1pm in the lower parking lot

November 16: Confirmation Sunday | 2 p.m. | Sanctuary

November 16: Visioning and Missional Priorities Listening Session in WH |12:15-1:30 p.m. 

November 16: BPP Senior Wish List pick up | Before or after worship

November 18: Church Council Meeting (Charge Conference) | 7 p.m. | Choir Room

November 18: Finance Committee Meeting | 6:30 p.m. | Room 210

November 22: Community Meal | 5:30 p.m.

December 1: Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) | 6:30 p.m. | Room 137

December 7: Come To Bethlehem | 5:30-7:30 p.m.

December 11: Finance Committee Meeting | 6:30 p.m. | Room 137

December 12: Movie Night & Food Drive | 6:30 p.m. in the Gym

December 14: Come, Celebrate Christmas Concert | 3 p.m. in the Sanctuary

December 15: Come, Celebrate Christmas Concert | 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary

December 18: Church Council/Visioning Team | 6:30 p.m. | Choir Room

Pastor On Call

After Hours & Weekends

When you need urgent pastoral care while the church office is closed, text or call 865-689-7894 to reach the

pastor on call.

Pastor Don's email:

Pastor.Don@fountaincityumc.org

Pastor Rachel's email:

Pastor.Rachel@fountaincityumc.org

Live-Streamed Worship Services:

11:00 a.m. The Journey Contemporary worship and 

11 a.m. Traditional worship

 are live-streamed on our YouTube channel. Our Tuesday night Celebrate Recovery service is live-streamed on the CR North Facebook page and available on YouTube after its conclusion.

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