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Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
I’ve seen several Facebook posts this morning and it seems many of our churches celebrated Youth Sunday yesterday. These are exciting times in the life of a congregation whether there are a lot of youth or only a few, or if you have a youth and children’s Sunday combined. We are only in the second week of Eastertide but the race to the end of school and plans for summer activities are in full swing. If your congregation would like to have a VBS but aren’t sure you have enough children, reach out. We’ll try to connect you with a sister church. If you are planning to have summer faith formation activities but aren’t sure what curriculum to use, reach out. I’ll be more than happy to connect you to the folks in the presbytery who can help.
Several weeks ago, I shared a link to a PC(USA) news story on the changes to Global Mission. Here is a link to a new story published last week (https://pcusa.org/news-storytelling/news/2025/4/24/new-expressions-partnership-mission) as well as an interview with Stated Clerk, Rev. Jihyun Oh, published in the The Presbyterian Outlook last week (https://pres-outlook.org/2025/04/stated-clerk-jihyun-oh-on-leadership-cuts-and-accountability/). While neither article answers all the questions I have heard asked, together they do put a few more pieces together about what we may expect in the months to come.
Last week I had the great joy to be at Maryville College for Kathleen Farnham’s retirement party. Kathleen served as the Church relations director for 20 years. She has done much to connect our churches to the college and vice versa. Please join me in thanking Kathleen for her ministry and wishing her every happiness in retirement. We also had a great lunch and learn at New Providence where we learned more about advocacy resources from the PCUSA Office of Public Witness and talked about ways to support and encourage one another in advocacy ministry. You will find information about the monthly advocacy webinars further in the newsletter.
Next week I will be in Seattle, Washington for a Presbytery Leader Formation event. I will join colleagues in their first, second, or third year of ministry as a presbytery leader. I hope to bring back experiences and tools that may help us faithfully engage ministry and mission in East Tennessee. I will be checking email, though my response time may be slower than normal. If there is an urgent need, I will also be able to return phone calls – just remember the 3 hour time difference! Jaclyn will be in the office to help as always.
Grace and peace,
Wendy
https://calendly.com/wendyneff
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Small Church Big Win Grant
Provides Potential Lifesaving Equipment for First, Sweetwater
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Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anytime and anywhere—even at church. First Presbyterian, Sweetwater will be prepared if such an event does happen. The church recently purchased an Automated External Defibrillator or AED with the help of the Presbytery of East Tennessee. The Congregational Relations and Development Committee awarded the church a $1,000 grant last fall to help pay for an AED as part of the Small Church, Big Win grant.
An AED is a portable device that can be used to treat a person whose heart has suddenly stopped working. This condition is called sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 356,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. each year—an average of more than 1,000 each day. Nearly 90 percent are fatal without immediate intervention. But studies show survival rates up to 74 percent when an AED is used within three minutes of collapse.
“It’s simple. AED’s save lives,” said one congregation member who is a former EMT. “That’s all the impetus we needed to apply for the grant,” he said. “A matter of minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”
The initiative aligns with the church’s mission to serve and protect those around us, embodying God’s Spirit through compassionate action. First Presbyterian sponsors a preschool, Scouts, and other community groups throughout the week in addition to its regular church services and events. The equipment significantly enhances the church’s ability to respond to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on its campus.
The AED is designed to be used by lay people. It gives calming step-by-step voice instructions and tells users how to check for breathing and a pulse. It tells how and where to place the AED pads on the victims chest and measures the heartbeat. If the machine thinks a shock is needed, it tells the user to stand back and push a button to deliver the shock.
“While the AED is designed to be used without training, we feel people are more likely to jump in and put the AED to use if they are trained,” the former EMT said.
So, along with the AED, the church is coordinating with the Sweetwater Hospital Association for
hands-on AED training with the equipment along with a class in CPR.
“Having an AED nearby, people trained to use it and administer CPR is like an insurance policy: hopefully they’re something we will never need, but if we do, they are potentially life-saving tools to have.”
Signs of cardiac arrest include sudden collapse and loss of consciousness, being unresponsive to shouting or shaking, gasping for air or not breathing and lack of a pulse. If you believe someone is having a cardiac arrest, you should call 911 right away, look for an AED and give CPR until medical professionals arrive.
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Dear friends and neighbors,
UKirk UTK is a place where students grow in faith, find community, and become the leaders of the church today and tomorrow. Students describe it as a home away from home, and our ability to offer the UT community a space that's rooted in welcome, courage, and a bold, inclusive faith is only possible because of the connection and support we receive from individuals and churches. UKirk UTK is building a sustainable future for generations to come.
We invite you to be part of “Thrive in 2025”—a weeklong fundraiser supporting the vibrant network of UKirk campus ministries across the country that will take place from April 27th until May 4th, 2025
Your generous support helps us:
- Connect and equip student leaders,
- Cultivate spaces of belonging and bold faith for students,
- And ensure the future of this vital ministry together.
Join us in this work. Help us build a church that is curious, courageous, and beloved.
Let’s thrive—together.
You can give anytime this week by using the QR code below or by visiting our website at www.ukirkutk.org.
| | Events Around the Presbytery | | |
GA Amendments Info Session
TOMORROW
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General Assembly Amendments Information Session
Tuesday, April 29
2pm via Zoom
Join our Stated Clerk, General Presbyter, and 2024 GA Commissioners for an Information Session via Zoom about the proposed amendments to the Book of Order that the Presbytery of East TN will vote on at the May 13 Stated Meeting.
Please be sure to share this information with commissioners who will be at the May meeting.
You can read the full text of the proposed amendments here: https://pcusa.org/resource/proposed-amendments-constitution
| | Stated Meeting of the Presbytery | | |
The 162nd Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of East Tennessee will be held at Emmanuel United Presbyterian Church on May 13th at 10am.
This meeting will be co-hosted by
Emmanuel United, Fourth United, and Shiloh Presbyterian Churches
There are buttons below to register for the meeting as well as a button to request an excused absence.
Registration will close on Friday, May 9th.
If you are in need of childcare for the meeting please let us know when you register.
Please note, the option to request childcare will close on May 6th.
The packet will be emailed out and available on the website on Tuesday, April 29th.
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Rev. Dr. Mark Achtemeier
@ Westminster, Knoxville
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The Rev. Dr. Mark Achtemeier will be preaching at Westminster on May 18th at both the 9am and 11am services. Following the 11:00 service there will be a light meal and Dr. Achtemeier will talk about his book The Bible’s Yes to Same Sex Marriage, An Evangelical’s Change of Heart.
Mark is a Presbyterian pastor, writer and theologian. He taught at Dubuque Theological Seminary for 15 years. He and his wife live in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Westminster invites those interested to join them for this special Sunday.
| | Serve with Love in Bulgaria This Summer | | |
An Invitation from Rev. Robert Gamble, Lake Forest Presbyterian Missionary with This Child Here
Do you know a young adult (ages 18–40) who has a heart for children and is seeking a meaningful way to serve this summer? Rev. Robert Gamble, a Presbyterian missionary serving displaced Ukrainian families through This Child Here, is inviting compassionate volunteers to join him for summer camps in Varna, Bulgaria, July 11–31, 2025.
These camps offer a restorative environment for Ukrainian mothers and children displaced by war. Volunteers don’t need a special program or training—just a genuine love for kids and the ability to be fully present. As Robert describes, “I’m less interested in what you do with these young people than how you can be with them.”
Each weeklong camp hosts 50 participants at a seaside hotel with an Olympic-sized pool, engaging activities, and healing community. Volunteers may serve during one or more weeks between July 11–31, and choose flexible arrival/departure dates. Room, board, and in-country transportation are provided; volunteers are responsible for travel to Varna (estimated round trip airfare: $1,200).
To apply, prospective volunteers should send:
- A brief resume
- A paragraph explaining why they’d like to serve
- One reference for character
Application deadline: May 20, 2025
Contact: Rev. Robert Gamble at working@thischildhere.org
More information: www.thischildhere.org (Watch the 2-minute video, Third Camp, Varna Bulgaria)
As a reminder, all volunteers must undergo a background check, which PET can assist in facilitating.
This is more than a trip—it’s a transformational opportunity to walk alongside those healing from trauma and war, and to embody Christ’s love in tangible ways.
| | Presbyterian Advocacy Hour | | |
A Monthly Online Gathering –
Fourth Wednesday of Every Month at 12:00 Noon
Hosted by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness.
The Presbyterian Advocacy Hour brings together committed people of faith each month to fill your solar batteries with energy, insight, and action.
We explore the most pressing justice issues with:
- Spiritual grounding
- In-depth analysis
- Practical tools for advocacy
Each session ends with an optional 30-minute breakout for:
- Networking
- Movement-building
- Community connection
Upcoming Topics & Themes
- May 28th – Education
- June 25th – Israel / Palestine
- July 23rd – Organizing
| | Looking for Lectionary Resources? | | |
Need a worship service for next month to honor older adults in your congregation? Check out this year's service from the 2025 Older Adult Ministry Resource Guide. This is a free resource for anyone to use. The service includes a call to worship, prayers, scripture readings, benedictions, and hymn suggestions.
Use or adapt as needed with your sermon. https://poamn.org/oam25-worship/
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May Ordination Anniversaries
Rev. Susan Reisinger, May 16, 46 years
Rev. Jean Davidson, May 20, 35 years
Rev. Robert Williamson Jr., May 20, 52 years
Rev. Timothy Reynolds, May 27, 24 years
Rev. Dr. LindaJo McKim, May 28, 48 years
Rev. Rev. Sandra Winter, May 31, 44 years
| | Resources for Congregations | | All articles must be submitted by Wednesday of the week prior to publication. Repeat publication of articles is at the discretion of the editor. Send your submissions to office@presbyteryeasttn.org. | | | | |
