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May 10, 2026
Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 / 1 Corinthians 12:12–27
We Are a Connectional Church
As we move toward the upcoming Holston Annual Conference, our congregation will spend the next four weeks reflecting on what it means to be part of the United Methodist Church. This new sermon series, "Connected in Christ", invites us to rediscover a central truth of our faith: we are not meant to follow Christ alone.
Too often, it is easy to think of the church as only what happens within our own walls. Yet from the beginning, Methodism has been connectional — linking congregations together for shared worship, mission, and discernment. Annual Conference is one of the clearest expressions of that connection, as churches from across our region gather to seek God’s leading together.
This series will also introduce the renewed vision of the United Methodist Church: to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. Each week will help us see how that vision is lived out not only in our congregation, but through our connection with others.
As we prepare for Annual Conference, there is an opportunity for all of us to participate — through prayer, learning, and a renewed sense of belonging to something larger than ourselves. This is a season to remember that we are part of one body in Christ, called and sent together in God’s mission.
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You can find a rewrite of Sunday sermons @ Pieces of the Puzzle
You can also view recorded worship services or
Wondering Time videos on our YouTube channel:
Green Meadow United Methodist Church - YouTube
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*For corrections, additions, or updates to the calendar,
email GreenMeadowPastor@gmail.com
Adult Sunday School 9:30
Children's Sunday School 9:30
Sunday Morning Worship 10:30
Sunday Evening Worship (Sudanese) 5:30
Thursday Supper Group - May 14, 6:00 Pizza Hut, Alcoa Hwy
Worship at Springbrook Park – May 17 *
Council Meeting - May 18, 6:30, Library
You can read last month's minutes here.
United Women in Faith - May 26, 12:00, Fellowship Hall
Book Club - May 27, 6:30 Fellowship Hall
Annual Conference – May 31 – June 3, Lake Junaluska
Guest Speaker – June 14, Rev. Tricia Chaput
Music in the Meadow – June 28, 7:00
Camp in the Community – June 29 – July 3 **Registration now open**
Register for Camp in the Community
District Day with the Bishop – September 2
*For more information on these activities and events, see below...
Groups:
- Sunday School 9:30 am - children through adult
- Sunday Lunch at Panera - following worship
- Finance Committee - Every First Monday at 6:30
- Council Meeting - Every third Monday at 6:30
The last meeting notes can be seen here.
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United Women in Faith 12:00 - Every fourth Tuesday of the month For the full 2026 Unit schedule, click here.
- Tuesday Bible Study 2:00 Library
- Tuesday Evening Choir 6:00 pm Sanctuary
- Tuesday Cub Scouts Pack 285 6:30 pm Education Building
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Wednesday Book Club 6:30 pm – Last Wednesday of the month
- Thursday Lunch Bunch at Southland Cafe - 11:30 am
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Thursday Supper Group 6:00 pm - Second Thursday of the month: Pizza Hut on Alcoa Hwy (Hwy 129)
- Thursday NA (Narcotics Anonymous) 6:00-7:30 pm
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Earth Club Earth Club events for everyone happen periodically.
To book an appointment with the Pastor, click here
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Go to Apple store for Apple devices or Play store for Android devices and download the Instant Church Directory app today!
Although this directory is best viewed from a phone, you can go to members.instantchurchdirectory.com and create an account to view this directory. If we have your email address, you can access this directory. Or you can click on this Excel form Click Here
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Mailing a check to the church?
You can send it to: Green Meadow UMC
P.O. Box 485 Alcoa, TN 37701
| | Or send a payment through Venmo @GreenMeadowUnitedMethodistChurch | | |
On Sunday morning, the congregation blessed 54 health kits, along with virtual kits. The health kits will be sent to Liberia, and the virtual kits — financial gifts — will be used to purchase needed supplies in Zimbabwe.
After the service, the kits were sorted and prepared for delivery to Cokesbury United Methodist Church. There, they will be combined with other donations from churches across the Smoky Mountain District.
Thank you to everyone who contributed items, gave financially, helped organize this effort, or delivered them. These simple acts make a meaningful difference.
| Bonnie West is one of the performers in this production. | | |
This will be our third "Worship in the Park" Sunday where we gather at Springbrook Park Pavilion for our Sunday Morning Worship with a potluck lunch to follow. We will provide meat and drinks. Please bring a side or a dessert to share. You will want to bring a chair for worship.
The Springbrook Park pavilion is at 1537 Dalton St, Alcoa, TN 37701.
This area is Handicap accessible and covered. If you need help carrying your items, there will be people ready to assist you when you arrive.
If it is easier for you to bring lemonade or tea instead of a dish, please reach out to me, and we can coordinate! There is always enough food, so please don't feel that you need to bring anything to join us.
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Join us for our May discussion of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line. We will discuss chapters 7-12. Even if you didn't make April's meet-up, you are still welcome to join us!
In The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, Major General Mari K. Eder unearths the remarkable true stories of 15 unsung heroines whose courage, brilliance, and defiance altered the course of World War II. These women didn't serve for recognition; they served because it was right.
This powerful work of narrative nonfiction transports you into the lives of resistance fighters, medics, spies, scientists, and ordinary women who accomplished the extraordinary. With meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Eder restores these women to their rightful place in history―making the invisible unforgettable.
We will take 3 months to read this book, meeting to discuss 6 chapters at a time the last Wednesday of the month at 6:30. Bring a finger food to share.
To get reading summaries and discussion questions, email greenmeadowpastor@gmail.com. Or you can download a copy here.
Chapters 1-6 April 29
Chapters 7-12 May 27
Chapters 18-18 June 24
The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Unsung WWII Heroines Who Risked Everything for Freedom: Eder, Maj. Gen. Mari K.: 9781728242729: Amazon.com: Books
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Each week, the bulletin includes Continuing the Conversation: Living the Word Together, a few short questions connected to the sermon that invite reflection on how God’s Word shapes daily life.
These questions can be used over lunch after worship, around the dinner table, in a small group, or in conversation with a friend. The hope is simple: that the sermon continues beyond the benediction through thoughtful conversation and lived discipleship.
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We invite all women to join in our purpose "to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. We are turning “faith, hope and love into action on behalf of women, children and youth around the world.”
Contact: Glenda Eastridge 865-984-8682 eastridge_gs@bellsouth.net
| | Mission U, July 17-19, 2025 at State Street UMC | | UWF 2026 Program Schedule | | |
Meetings are held monthly on the 4th Tuesday at noon
for shared lunch, program, and action.
For the full 2026 Unit schedule, click here.
| | On the last Sunday of each month, we pass the Blessing Bucket and share a blessing and an offering. These connectional ministries help our understanding that congregations can do more together to transform the world for the sake of Jesus Christ. To see 2026's full list click here. | | |
Our 2026 Mission Offering centers on two initiatives that emphasize leadership development- which is at the heart of Holston's vision and mission. Ripples of Faith: Kenya Mission Project led by Rev. Robert Kariuki equips leaders to serve people in their communities and church. The 2026 Miracle Offering will make it possible for more clergy and lay leaders in Africa, Europe and the Philippines to develop as leaders through theological education. Both of these mission opportunities support leadership development now and into the future. Click on the links below to learn more about the impact of these initiatives.
Ripples of Faith
Miracle Offering Video Testimonies
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Our United Methodist Social Principles remind us,
"We affirm that all creation belongs to God... Human beings,
nonhuman animals, plants, and other sentient and nonsentient beings participate in the community of creation, and their flourishing depends upon the care of all God's creation."
May 2026
Immerse yourself in nature. Try forest bathing (using all your senses to connect to your environment), hiking, enjoying a park, hunting for waterfalls and wildflowers, going to a botanical garden or arboretum, getting out on the water in a sailboat, kayak, or canoe. Renew your commitment to care for the nature that renews you.
Lead the next generation to love nature. Create a scavenger hunt or play I Spy that is age-appropriate for your children, grandchildren, or neighborhood children. Invite them to observe and wonder. Add a sketch pad and colored pencils or allow them to use phone cameras to document their treasures from the day. Talk about God’s call to us to take care of creation.
Pick up litter. Take a walk in a park. With a bag and gloves, where you see litter, pick it up and dump it in available trash cans. Other people may see your actions and be prompted to care for their own rubbish or perhaps join your efforts.
Leave no trace. Have a picnic and then be sure to clean up all leftovers or debris. Pack it in/pack it out. Take your trash home with you. Before you leave, challenge children to see if they can find any indication that someone was there. Teach by example.
Walk on established pathways—concrete, asphalt, wood chip trails. Staying on the path keeps green areas green. Remind children that the green spaces are home to critters who are God’s creation too and deserve our respect.
Protect wildlife. Microplastics from degraded discards like plastic bottles and bags are ingested by birds and other animals, which endangers them. Prioritize removal of plastics from parks and other public areas.
Adopt a park. Visit it frequently. Attend special events at the park, such as fairs, concerts, and play performances, and stay to help clean up after. Report any damage to nature, tripping hazards, or other dangerous conditions to the park office.
Join a “Friends of [...]” group in support of your favorite park or trail. Work together to clean up or shore up the conditions, including trail building or repair, pulling invasive plants, removing trash. Or volunteer as a Sunday school class or congregation for a workday on behalf of God’s creation.
Take advantage of nature on the church’s property. Create a space for outdoor worship or for exploring the environment close at hand. One church used their trail through the woods on their property as a special learning and prayer place.
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April Giving - $11,776
Estimated Monthly Expenses - $12,500
May 3, 2026
Sunday School - 16
Worship - 45
March - April
Peanut Butter 97 lbs
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Mary Lynn Roy: Martha Woodrum.
Dianne Scent: Brother Steve, prostate cancer.
Mary Lynn Roy: Tim Sanderson.
Cindy Wells: sister Joyce Hooper, recovering from heart attack.
Lynae Wyngate: Carmen recovering from fall.
Carol Gregory: 14-year-old Samantha Nuchols bone cancer.
Christine Hosack: Friends and family of Ruthie Lynn.
Tracy Gormley: Recovering from surgery
Brenda Clark: Friend Kim healing from broken shoulder
Susan Baese: Margaret Flanagan recovering from shoulder surgery.
Dianne Scent: Karen, breast cancer.
Amy Wolz Recovering from open-heart surgery.
Cindy Wells: Dennis Walker
Tracy Gormley and Beverly Jordan: mother, Pat.
Our Nation and the political unrest
Seedbed Initiative – praying for next steps in ministry
Julie Hamlin: Nephew, Tim Kopf.
Dan Moore: Margaret with ongoing health issue
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