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The Open Door
VOL. 34 NO. 1 Marc Sherrod, Minister January, 2006 
E-Mail & On-Line Newsletter
“Excellent!” “Very thorough!” “Well-done!” That’s a sampling of the comments I heard regarding our first Open Forum on December 18 that detailed particular features of our four building options. Our architect/consultant, Chris Malone, walked us through each of the options based on the following seven categories: Health, safety, and accessibility; worship; site layout and parking; finance; parish life, evangelism, and Christian education; historic preservation; administration. He helped us see the various ways that each option addresses our ministry needs. Many good, helpful questions were raised, and clarifications offered. Anyone who wishes to review the descriptive materials and sketches of the four options, plus site layouts and cost projections, should get a copy of those materials from the table in the narthex or stop by the church office. The next Open Forum to review these four options will be Sunday, January 15, following lunch in the fellowship hall. Please take time to voice any questions or concerns you have about any of the building options. You may share concerns at this forum or speak with Frank Harris (Option A), Laura Dailey (Option B), Mark Banker (Option C) or Jane Walsh (Option D). A final time to discuss these options has been set for Sunday, January 29, following lunch in the fellowship hall. The session is now designing a mechanism allowing you to indicate your preference for a building option. Note that this mechanism is not a “vote” per se, but simply one way for session to “get a feel” for the will of the congregation. Then, on Sunday, February 5, 2006, a session meeting has been called when the session will make the final decision about which building option Bethel will pursue. The session will prayerfully seek to be led by the spirit in making this decision, informed by the voice of the congregation while honoring our ordination vows as servant-leaders of Christ and the Bethel congregation. Later, after the session has made the final determination of the choice, a congregational meeting will be called to vote on borrowing money to help finance this building program. Members of session who will be making this decision are: Mark Banker, Frank Harris, Jane Walsh, Laura Dailey, Amber Jacks, Marianne Shadden, Denise Martin, Jim Condon, Alf Rybka, Chris Badger, Bob Jones, Carolyn McNew, Nelda Toon, and Marc Sherrod. Please pray for us to approach this momentous decision with humility, courage, openness, and a desire to seek God’s preferred future for the Bethel Presbyterian Church. If the recently concluded Advent/ Christmas season was any indication of the energy for new ministry and mission here at Bethel, then there can be no doubt that we are ready to undertake whatever building program God leads us to accept! From hanging of the greens to Christmas baskets, from caroling to Charlie Brown, from gifts for hurricane victims and skateboarders, from the hush of Christmas Eve to the gladness of Christmas morn – we are grateful to all who gave of their time, energy and gifts! I add a personal word of thanks for your many expressions of kindness in cards and food and for the gift I received from the congregation. May the Lord bless and keep us, this day and always!
Happy New Year! As I am writing this article, I am reminded of our dear parishioners and their families who are dealing with a parent, husband, or other loved one who has dementia. Whether the dementia is in the form of Alzheimer’s or post-stroke or other causes, it is important to remember for the effected person to remain in an atmosphere that they are familiar with. Most of the time, unfamiliar places increase anxiety levels. If you find your loved one is getting agitated; one trick is to help them say something that is familiar to them such as the Lord’s Prayer or have them sing a favorite song of theirs. I think rituals “touch” the emotions and re-direct their focus. Often that one comforting ritual act will calm them down. For the present generation of older adults with progressive dementia, the importance of rituals as a means of enhancing some degree of orientation to reality, calming emotions and decreasing agitated physical behaviors should not be underestimated. I also want to thank Bethel for their support of our mission trip to Gulfport/ Biloxi Mississippi. Please pray for our safety and that we can get as many roofs built/ fixed as possible. To your health and happiness in 2006. Cheers!
The Gift of Caring project allows individuals to purchase Girl Scout Cookies to send to the residents in Jamestowne Assisted Living or in Wellington Place. Members of Girls Scout Troop 435 will deliver your gift personally during March. Julie C. will be ready after January 20 to take Gift of Caring orders ($3.50 per box). NO Fellowships There will be NO Fellowships (Fellowship Supper, Fellowship Sunday, Fun Lunch) in January BUT we will have lunches at our congregational gatherings on Sunday, January 15 and Sunday, January 29. Closed for Remodeling Effective December 11, 2005, the photo section on our web site will be temporarily closed for new photographs. Photos received prior to December 11 will be posted and you can still view photos that are on the site. When our Webmaster, Dan McDowell, completes the “remodeling” job, all Bethel members will be able to place their Bethel-related photos directly on the web site for everyone to see, without having to send them to the webmaster or editor for posting. We will announce details of the new-and-improved Bethel Digital Photo Center when it is ready for your use.
Evangelism Committee The Evangelism Committee is beginning a series on January 7, 2006 at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall called “FIRST SATURDAY.” Phil Walsh, whose work has been related to Energy Technology for 40 years, will discuss “The SECURE Energy Policy.” SECURE stands for the following desired and ultimately critical components:
Each of these critical components of a sane energy policy will be discussed. Past and present recommendations which would have implemented such an energy policy will also be discussed.
Parish Life Committee Committee Members Marianne Shadden (Chair), Ruth Ann Ludwig, Edith Miles, Jane Pickel, Anita Richmond, Peggy Sheppard, Nelda Toon, Debbie Hyder (for Rev. Marc Sherrod) The Parish Life Committee coordinated a number of monthly activities including Fun Lunches, Fellowship Suppers and Fellowship Sundays.We also coordinated a trip to the Cumberland County Playhouse in Crossville on April 17th with 25 members and friends enjoying the musical The Spitfire Grill. 20 folks visited the Ink and Blood Exhibition in Knoxville on April 9th. Our annual Mother/Daughter Luncheon on May 7th was, as always, a success. We enjoyed good food, fun and fellowship with mothers, daughters, grandmothers, sisters, and friends at Ivan’s in Rockwood; we had about 65 participants. A special male guest was invited—our Bethel photographer Alf Rybka who took many pictures of all the ladies for our Bethel Web Site and our new Church Directory. Also in May, we paid tribute to our high school graduates: Hannah Sherrod, Justin Murr, Andy Holloway, and Ryan Bosnick. Our College graduate is Jesse Richmond who graduated from UTK with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering; Jesse continues his studies at Berkeley. A good time was had by a large number of members and friends at our annual church picnic on August 14th. Many thanks to Marge and Dick Hettrick for graciously hosting the picnic. In cooperation with our Worship Committee, we enjoyed our annual Hymn Sing and Ice-Cream Social on Sunday, August 28th. Mark Banker coordinated a Family Church Hike to the Smokies, “Little Brier Gap Trail” in September that was enjoyed by the young and young-at-heart. We also had a very good turnout for Christmas Caroling on December 18th. This year, all folks on the two caroling lists, received small poinsettias. A BIG THANK YOU goes to Marge and Dick Hettrick for hosting the after-caroling social (again) for all carolers. The annual Christmas Dinner and Party on December 21st had a very good turnout—an estimated 80 people attended. Our biggest project in 2005 was the “making” of our new Church directory, which we received in December. It turned out great. Many, many volunteers were needed to complete the project and I am grateful to all the folks who came to the Fellowship Hall to have their pictures taken (82 pictures). I want to thank the Directory Staff – Bettie Shenk, Dolores Sandmel, Dan McDowell, Alfred Rybka and Alicia Webb for their dedication and many hours of labor; also all the volunteers who signed up folks on the day of photography: Ruth Ann Ludwig, Jane Pickel, Nancy King, Peggy Sheppard, Jane and Phil Walsh, Cathy McDowell, Helene Ricker, Debbie Hyder, Nelda Toon Anita Richmond, Carolyn Tulley, Jill McMasters, Joan Davis, Linda Jones, Celia Simon and Dick Evans. I always can count on you and I appreciate you very much. Other activities, which were also coordinated by Parish Life, include new member write-ups; get-well cards for family and friends; transportation of Bethel members and friends via the Ailene Terry Transportation Fund; Visitation of shut-ins; Hosting of Wedding receptions. Wanda Carter has continued to coordinate food for bereaved families; and a scrapbook is maintained with pictures and news coverage pertaining to Bethel members and friends. I want to thank the committee members for all their hard work in 2005: Ruth Ann Ludwig, Edith Miles, Jane Pickel, Anita Richmond, Peggy Sheppard, Nelda Toon and Debbie Hyder. I also want to thank all the wonderful volunteers who work behind the scene: Transportation and Card Secretary Debbie Hyder; Kitchen Supply Coordinator Carolyn McNew; Crisis Food Coordinator Wanda Carter, Photographers Alfred Rybka, Anita Richmond; Scrapbook Secretary Sabrina Miller; Church Hike Coordinator Mark Banker; Publicity Secretary for Newspaper Bettie Shenk; Receptions Coordinator Edith Miles; New Member Write-ups Carol Brown; Visitation and Fun Lunch Coordinator Ruth Ann Ludwig; Fellowship Supper Coordinator Jane Pickel; Prayer-Tree Coordinator Carolyn Tulley. A SPECIAL THANK YOU goes to all of you, our Church family, for all your support and help with cooking, baking, hosting, cleaning up and all the special things you do. You are always there when we need you, and we appreciate you very much. Last but not least, I want to thank three more groups who always come through for us when I call on them for hosting and bringing snacks for our Fellowship Sundays: Mark Banker’s Sunday School Class, the Issues Class, and the Senior Highs Class. Thanks. I wish all of you a very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.
Mission Outreach Committee Christmas Baskets The Mission Outreach Committee would like to thank everyone involved in the purchasing of a Christmas Basket and/or gifts for the Angel Tree. Because of you, we were able to give baskets of food and other items to 38 families as well as gifts to 80 children. I want to give a special thanks to Frank and Linda Jones for many different jobs beginning in September, Carolyn McNew and Joan Davis for supplying the sausage biscuits and ham biscuits for Saturday morning. A special thanks goes to Peggy Sheppard for coordinating all the food. These very generous baskets averaged $47 per family. The many people who spent Friday afternoon sorting and bagging food and distributing baskets and gifts Saturday morning were: We really appreciated the fruit (pears, oranges and grapefruit) donated by Ann Payne, Marilyn Gaffin and Julie Bunch. There was enough for a generous portion for each family. The Phillips family deserves a very large “thank you” for the donation of many stuffed animals. Piggly Wiggly, Food City and Kroger worked with us on procuring the food and having it ready when we needed it as well as getting the best prices possible. We thank them. Also, Alicia Webb deserves a big thanks for relaying all the messages, running copies and everything else she does to help this committee run smoothly. ... none reported this month ... Memorials received in the month of December for:
 ... none reported this month ... Loaves & Fishes If you want to get inspired, connected, trained, and uplifted, Presbytery’s Loaves & Fishes event is Friday & Saturday March 17-18, 2006 at Maryville College. The keynote speaker is well-known author Tony Campolo. On Friday, there will be 3 training courses (for clerks, treasurers and folks interested in board of pension info) at 4 pm. Registration will be from 3-7 pm. The main event opens at 7 pm Friday with Tony's keynote address and a reception afterwards. The next day there is a dynamic worship service with Jim Logan this year as our preacher. Then there will be 1.5 hour workshops - Sat a.m., Lunch, another set of workshops and then a closing short worship, concluding at 4 p.m. There will be a nursery and a Kids Kamp at the nearby First Baptist church coordinated with folks from our presbytery. Cokesbury will have a bookstore and displays in the main Wilson Chapel area where we'll be meeting. The workshops will be led by experts in their fields dealing with all sorts of topics. Check with Karen Schall to get a copy of the brochure, or check out presbytery’s website (w) for a full listing of courses and leaders. And check with Karen Schall, Marc Sherrod, Carol Brown, Dave Nippert, or Chelsea Richmond to find out why YOU need to go! (We all went last year, and we were all very impressed!) Thank you to Bethel for the wonderful Christmas Party given to the 24 Head Start children and their families. They enjoyed the soap balls, gold wreaths, doorknob hangers, and candy cane reindeer crafts. The Polaroid pictures, twistable crayons, card games, and the books were great to take home as gifts. We appreciate the many who donated so many children’s books and cookies for the pizza lunch party. Playing “Jingle Bells” was loud and fun. Special thanks go to Julie Bunch, Linda Brown, Amy Coen, Marilyn Harris, Debbie Hyder, Karen Schall, Chelsea Richmond, and Dick Evans. Bethel does care about children.
Someone left a cookie sheet at my house following the December Fun Luncheon. Call me and I will bring it to church. Thanks.
As you begin to clean up after Christmas, please remember to bring in your discarded greeting cards for recycling. Place the cards (preferably only the fronts of the cards with no writing on the back) in the Narthex, and Dianne Griffith will collect them. All types of greeting cards (birthday, anniversary, etc.) are acceptable. Please take care to remove family photos (yes, in the past, these have been found in the cards collection). The cards are taken to the ORNL Volunteer Committee which delivers them to the Michael Dunn Center where they are recycled. The Michael Dunn Center provides services to approximately 200 adults and 160 children with developmental disabilities.
... none reported this month ...
Bethel Family Prayer Calendar - January, 2006 The members and regularly attending friends of Bethel are assigned to elder care groups. Each month in the newsletter for your prayers, we publish the list of one or more elder care groups. The elder’s name and phone at the top of the list are listed as a reminder of their role in nurturing and supporting those who belong to Bethel. You should feel free to contact your elder or the pastor if you have a particular spiritual need or other matter that needs to be brought to our attention.
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Thomas McGill