Worship Night is Tuesday, Oct. 22

Our monthly Worship Night is on Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 6:00 PM in the chapel. This is a 30-minute, full-band, casual service meant to give you a midweek uplift and reset. Come for some encouragement, music, and fellowship! Questions? Contact moriah@woodmontcc.org

Fisk Singers at Woodmont Oct. 27

Our Racial Bridges Ministry and Lee Chapel AME are proud to present the Fisk University Jubilee Singers LIVE at Woodmont on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 6:00 PM in the sanctuary.

The concert is a fundraiser for the Lee Chapel After-school Tutorial Program and a cross-church initiative to serve our community. All proceeds from ticket sales and donations will directly support the tutorial program. Tickets are available at bit.ly/Jubilee-WCC

Trunk or Treat now at 3 PM on Oct. 27

Due to the Fisk Jubilee Singers coming on Sunday, Oct. 27, we are moving Trunk or Treat forward an hour to 3 PM instead of the 4 PM time originally on the calendar. Mark your calendar now for that change!

This Wednesday night, October 9, we will conclude our “Faith, Values, and the Public Square” series with a panel of ministers talking about “Being Christian in an Election Year.” This is a difficult yet very important topic. The civil and political landscape in America remains fractured and polarized, affecting every aspect of our culture including the unity of the church. Christians have a responsibility to model and be advocates for civil dialogue among people of different backgrounds and political ideologies. The anger and incivility of our culture has become a challenge that should be addressed by people of faith, not ignored. The separation of church and state is important in America but does not prohibit the church from engaging this crucial topic. Advocates of different political persuasions should be encouraged to have civil dialogue, listen to each other, and learn from one another. All Christians need to be reminded that, “What unites us (Jesus Christ) is far greater than what divides us (partisan politics). Jesus prayed for unity the night before his death.

Our culture seems much more concerned with hard stances on the “issues” and less concerned with the thought process, dialogue, and life experiences that lead to those positions. Social media has fueled polarization and created echo chambers of like minds. The research of NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt is helpful in this area. In his book The Happiness Hypothesis he says: “My research confirms the common perception that liberals are experts in thinking about issues of victimization, equality, autonomy, and the rights of individuals, particularly those of minorities and non-conformists. Conservatives on the other hand, are experts in thinking about loyalty to the group, respect for authority and tradition, and sacredness. When one side overwhelms the other, the results are likely to be ugly. A society without liberals would be harsh and oppressive to many individuals. A society without conservatives would lose many of the social structures and constraints that Durkeim showed are so valuable.”

Haidt defines “ideology” as being “A set of beliefs about the proper order of society and how it can be achieved,” with the most fundamental question being “whether to preserve the present order, or change it?” Make no mistake, without these varying ideals and worldviews, the world would be a very boring place. Yet with them, the world is a very stressful place, full of opinions, disagreements, and a never-ending cycles of contentious campaigns and hot issues. 

Kindness, civility, and active listening are absolutely necessary but often seem lacking. Morality is a complicated subject because good, honest people simply disagree on a multitude of topics. In a later book, The Righteous Mind, Haidt says this: “Morality binds and blinds. It binds us into ideological teams that fight each other as though the fate of the world depended on our side winning the battle. It blinds us to the fact that each team is composed of good people who have something important to say.” 

Christians can play an important role in helping return our culture to mutual respect and civil discord. Put differently, love your neighbor as you love yourself.     

This Sunday, Oct. 13

Rev. Farrell Mason

"Hope Full"

Exodus 3:1-5

Our schedule this Sunday is:

• 8:30 AM – Continental breakfast in the gym
• 9:30 AM – Informal service in the sanctuary
• 9:40 AM – The Bridge service in the chapel
• 10:00 AM – Middle School service in the youth lounge
• 11:00 AM – Traditional service in the sanctuary
• 4:00 PM – Youth group in the chapel

Welcome, new members!

 Wade & Tara Sims, joined Sept. 1

Mike Glenn & Rubel Shelly at Woodmont tomorrow

This Wednesday, Oct. 9, we are hosting a pastor's panel of Rev. Jay Hutchens, Dr. Clay Stauffer, Dr. Rubel Shelly, & Dr. Mike Glenn for “Being Christian in an Election Year” for the conclusion of our faith and values series.

House of Hope build this Saturday, Oct. 12

We will officially be building our next home on Oct. 12 in the South Hall parking lot at 8:00 AM!

For those of you who may not know about this outreach program, we build a house's walls, both interior and exterior, in our parking lot and move them by a semi-trailer to an area that has suffered a recent disaster.

This home will be going to Rolling Fork Mississippi. On March 24, 2023, a tornado with a wind speed of 195 mph struck the city. Over 1/3 of the homes were destroyed, as well as the water tower and many of the municipal buildings. Worst of all, 17 people died and over 165 people were injured. The community is still grappling with this disaster emotionally as well as physically.

Anytime a disaster occurs, it is a ray of sunshine when a new home is built. Everyone in the area typically chips in with help, food, etc.

There is no experience necessary to assist in this build. We will be accepting donations of food and drinks for the worker's lunch and breakfast.

Please contact Beth Sowell (615) 512-2242 or bethsowell@comcast.net for any additional information.

"Grace in Galatians" study begins this Sunday, Oct. 13

“Grace in Galatians” is a new 8-week Bible Study led by Pastor Jay Hutchens on Sunday mornings beginning this Sunday, Oct. 13, at 10:45 AM in Room 232 (across from the youth room). 

The apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians is considered his best statement on the experience of God’s grace and how we are empowered by God’s spirit to be Christ’s presence in the world!

Questions this class will ask include:

• How do we recognize the grace of God inside of our own personal stories?

• What’s the relationship between grace and faith?

• How does grace produce freedom?

• How can we live into the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?

Questions? Contact Pastor Hutchens at jayhutchens@woodmontcc.org

Imagine with me. 

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee?

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been lemonade in the cup, you would have spilled lemonade.

When life comes along and bumps us, which will happen, whatever is inside us is what will come out.

For many of us, it’s pretty easy to fake what we have in our metaphorical cups— until we get shaken. 

So, we have to proactively ask ourselves, “What’s in my cup?”

When life gets tough (and, the world is pretty tough these days), what spills out?

Do you spill over with gratitude and peace? Joy and gentleness? Generosity and patience and love? Or, when you get bumped, do you spill over with anger, bitterness, harsh words, and reactivity?

Let’s work towards filling our cups with kindness and graciousness, gentleness, and love so that when we are bumped, we are spilling out in alignment with Christ.

For me, keeping the Good Stuff in my cup comes from nurturing time with my family and friends, being in nature, spending time with music and art, taking care of my body with nutrition, rest and exercise, and stretching my spirit with spiritual practices and ideas from a wide variety of voices. I also tend to my cup ingredients by being in worship both on Sundays at The Bridge and in our Virtual Vespers group on Zoom on Thursday evenings at 6:30. I’d love to see you there this week!

Cheers from my cup to yours,

-Andra

PS: If you want the link for Virtual Vespers click here!

Leadership Woodmont 2024

The Leadership Woodmont class for 2024 has launched. Members Laura Alexander, Anne Cooper, Anne Trainer, Grace Dent, Jan Wall, Greg Cashion, Steve Kemmerling, Russ Phillippi, Michael Ribas, and Bob Faricy gathered at Evins Mill recently for their fall retreat.

This class will meet each week over the next eight months to support and encourage each other in many areas related to their spiritual formation including exploring their spiritual gifts and spiritual type, finding God in different places and circumstances, and seeking ways to hear and answer what they feel called to do.  

Leadership Woodmont began in 2001 with the guide written by our own Beth Pattillo. There have been twenty-six classes to date and we celebrate each new class and the continuing support of our church. Randy Smith and Fran Stewart are the facilitators for this class. 

We want to hear from you!

You might recall that we established a Visioning Task Force at the beginning of 2024 to look ahead to the next 3-5 years of our church. This group is looking at our overall campus, space limitations, parking challenges, children’s and youth space, and the areas where we have opportunities for growth. We also want to get your feedback on our current worship schedule and what we are offering. Which service do you typically attend and why? How often do you utilize the livestream option?  

Please take just a few minutes to fill out this very brief worship survey. This data from our members will continue to help us as we plan for the future. Our visioning process is strategic, intentional, and your ongoing input matters!

Hurricane relief fund

Hurricane Helene made landfall last week in Florida and has done significant damage in multiple parts of the country including here in our state. The disaster and relief arm of the Christian Church is called the "Week of Compassion." We have worked with them throughout the years to provide disaster relief and have set up a Hurricane Helene Relief Fund at Woodmont that will help provide relief to those affected by this storm. This is one way that we can help our neighbors in need. 

Click HERE if you would like to give towards it.

Woodmont staff retreat with Hunter Mobley

Wednesday, Oct. 2

A Day for Healing & Hope is Saturday, Nov. 9

No matter where you are on the political spectrum, it’s been a grueling election season. And we all need to heal. Give yourself a chance to slow down, breathe deeply, and begin to heal in community on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Campbell West.

This retreat offers a wide range of spiritual practices, to calm your body, your mind, and your soul. Come as you are, come when you can, and stay for as long as you can. Throughout the day, you can drop in and try a new spiritual practice, from creative play to quiet reflection. We will offer both silent and spoken prayer, as well as meditation practices. In addition, join us for any of the following:

• Healing Movement hosted by Alex Fisher from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM

• Walking Meditation with Sandy Smith at 11:30 AM

• Sound Baths led by Mary Clare Pyron at 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM

• Body Prayer led by Sandy Smith at 2:30 PM

• Prayers for the World led by Beth Pattillo and Sandy Smith at 3:00 PM

Drop by any time between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM. No reservations are required. In these days of constant change, realize that the schedule could change! This free event is hosted by the Center for Hope and Healing at Woodmont. 

Questions? Contact Sandy Smith at sandy@sska.com  

Another truckload for The Morgan-Scott project in east Tennessee.

Peace, Presence, & Grace: a Retreat for Reflection & Renewal

Give yourself the gift of a time away to reconnect with God, the source of peace, presence, and grace in our lives. Join Beth Pattillo and Sandy Smith from Feb. 28-March 2 at the beautiful St. Mary’s Retreat Center in Sewanee, TN for a weekend of reflection and renewal.

With Wendell Berry’s poem “The Peace of Wild Things” as our springboard, we will explore the themes of peace, presence, and grace in our lives through scripture, conversation, and spiritual practices.

All adults - both men and women - are welcome to participate in this event. The retreat will kick off with dinner on Friday, Feb. 28. St. Mary's Sewanee is about two hours away from Nashville. We will finish with closing worship on Sunday morning. Both single and double occupancy rooms are available. 

You can register here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/bethpattillocoachingllc/1366951

The total cost of the retreat includes lodging in the new Anna House, all meals (dinner on Friday, three meals on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday) along with facilitation and supplies. We are happy to accommodate roommate requests for double occupancy - just let us know!

Space is limited - and the spring 2024 retreat filled quickly. We recommend registering early.

Scholarships are available through the Center for Hope and Healing. Church membership is not a requirement. 

All questions are welcome! Please reach out to bethpattillocoaching@gmail.com or sandy@sska.com.

Church calendar

Sunday, Oct. 13

9:00 AM Grace Notes Rehearsal, Kids' Commons

9:30 AM 21st Century Class, Boardroom

9:30 AM Disciples Class, Room 105

10:45 AM The Life Class, Bay Room

10:45 AM Reflections Class, Room 200

10:45 AM Connection Class, Room 232

10:45 AM Points of View Class, Room 105

12:00 PM Young Professionals Titans Game

3:00 PM Pickleball, Drowota Hall

4:00 PM Youth Group, Youth Lounge

Monday, Oct. 14

3:00 PM "Geezers" Group, Boardroom

6:30 PM Leadership Woodmont, Campbell West

Tuesday, Oct. 15

10:30 AM Book Club, Room 100

6:30 PM Alateen (ages 12-19), South Hall

6:30 PM Parents Al-Anon Group, Room 105

8:00 PM AA Meeting, South Hall 

Wednesday, Oct. 16

6:00 AM Roy Stauffer’s Men’s Group, Room 105

7:00 AM Clay Stauffer’s Men’s Group, Boardroom

8:00 AM Men’s Bible Study, Room 105

6:00 PM GriefShare, Campbell West

6:00 PM DivorceCare, The Bary Room

6:15 PM Disciples Women's Bible Study, Room 200

6:30 PM Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary

Thursday, Oct. 17

10:00 AM Sit & Stitch, Gathering Hall

1:00 PM Mahjong Group, Gathering Hall

5:30 PM Handbells Rehearsal, Choir Room

6:30 PM Andra Moran Virtual Vespers, Zoom

6:30 PM Nar-Anon, Room 105

8:00 PM AA Meeting, South Hall 

Friday, Oct. 18

3:00 PM Pickleball, Drowota Hall

Saturday, Oct. 19

10:00 AM Al-Anon, Drowota Hall