Sunday, December 23Fourth Sunday of Advent

Sunday Morning Worship

8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. – NaveRev. Andy Ferguson

“Blessed” Luke 1:39–55

Monday, December 24Christmas Eve Services

All services are held in the Nave and include Candlelight & Communion

12 noon: Midday Service3:00 p.m. – Family Service5:00 p.m. – Great Service*10:30 p.m. – Great Service*

*Prelude music begins at time listed; service begins 30 minutes later.

Sunday, December 30First Sunday after Christmas

Combined Worship Service

11:00 a.m. – NaveRev. Sarah Varnell

Fifth Sunday Offering to benefit Holston Home for Children

!"#shi$O P P O R T U N I T I E S

Volume 74 No. 48 December 18, 2012

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essengerMThe Church Street

Sunday Morning Schedule for December 30We will have Sunday School at 9:40 a.m. and only one worship service at 11:00 a.m. All adult Sunday School classes and others are invited to Parish Hall to hear Dianne Hackworth, a noted and accomplished storyteller from Clinton, Tennessee, and a relative of Sarah Varnell. Dianne has received a MA degree in storytelling and has been artist-in- residence in schools in NC, SC, VA and TN since 1993. She is the founder of the High Country Yarnspinners in Boone, NC, and co-founder of the NC Storytelling Guild.There will be coffee, hot chocolate and time for fellowship beginning at 9:40 a.m. with Dianne beginning her storytelling at 10 a.m. This is a great time for holiday fellowship after Christmas and to hear a great storyteller. To learn more about Dianne, check out her website at: www.diannehackworth.com.

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from the Church Street UMC Staff

Council Members: Save these DatesSaturday, January 12:The Leadership Retreat for all Church Council and Program Council members will be held at House in the Woods on the Maryville College Campus on Saturday, January 12, 2013.Sunday, January 27Leadership Celebration at noon in Parish Hall.

Plan to attend these important events. Our keynote speaker is Ginny Weatherstone, director of the Volunteer Ministry Center.

Church Street UMC Calendar: December 23–January 5Sunday Worship

Dec. 23–Morning Worship

Sunday, 8:30 & 11 am, Nave

Dec. 30–Combined Worship

Sunday, 11 am, Nave

Rejoice! TV Broadcast

Sunday, 8:30 am (WVLT-TV)

Sunday, 10 am (WVLT2)

Sunday School – 9:40 AMMusic

Jan. 6–Youth Choir resumes

Sunday, 4 pm, rm 306

Jan. 6–Primary Choir resumes

Sunday, 5:45 pm, rm 308

Jan. 6–Chorister Choir resumes

Sunday, 5:45 pm, rm 306

Jan. 9–Adult Choir Rehearsal

Wednesday, 7 pm, rm 306

Jan. 13–Handbells resume

Sunday, 6:50 pm, rm 304

Leisure Activities & Fellowship

Jan. 2–Men’s Basketball

Wednesday, 6:30 pm, Gym

Personal & Spiritual Growth

Jan. 9–Pastor’s Study (Ferguson)

Wednesday, 7 pm, rm 201-A

SinglesDec. 28–Friday Games Night

Friday, 6:30 pm, Gym/CLC

Jan. 4–First Friday Fun Night

Friday, 7 pm, Gym/CLC

Meetings & MinistryDec. 27 & Jan. 3–Soup Kitchen

Thursday, 11 am, Parish Hall

Jan. 2–Properties Committee

Wed., 5:30 pm, rm 202

December 23Micah 5:2–5a

Luke 1:46b–55Hebrews 10:5–10

Luke 1:39–45

December 301 Samuel 2:18–20, 26

Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12–17

Luke 2:41–52

January 6Isaiah 60:1–6

Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14 Ephesians 3:1–12 Matthew 2:1–12

The LectionaryR E A D I N G S

Alaska Mission TripAs part of our outreach program, Church Street will be taking a mission team to Willow UMC in Alaska in late June 2013. Fran Lynch is the diaconal minister there and one of the sponsored missionaries through our Community and Global Outreach and Mission committee. Among the things we will be doing is helping local church folks replace some of the metal roofing on the church building, as well as cutting firewood for the upcoming winter for needy families. We will also spend one day working in their Food Pantry and one day with the Summer Reading and Lunch Program at Willow. !ere will also be time to see some of the beautiful surroundings of Willow, located 75 miles north of Anchorage and about 3 hours from Denali National Park. If you would like to learn more about joining the team, please plan to attend an interest meeting with Fran on Monday, January 14, at 7 p.m.

Has Christmas got you stressed

out over money issues? Plan to attend Financial Peace University (FPU) this coming year. Orientations for FPU will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays, January 20 and 27. Cost for the 13-week course on how to budget, reduce debt, invest and more is only $75 for Church Street members and $100 for non-members. Questions? Contact J.R. Hertwig at 384-7049 or by email at jrhertwig01@yahoo.com or visit the FPU website at: www.daveramsey.com/fpu.

Sunday Night Live features Hallerin Hilton HillOn Sunday night, January 6, at 6 p.m. in Parish Hall, Hallerin Hill will be our featured speaker to kickoff our winter/spring Sunday Night Live Series. Don't miss this opportunity to hear Hallerin Hill speak on the many persons he has met and interviewed in Knoxville. Supper begins at 5:15 pm and dinner reservations can be made by calling the church office, 524-3048, or emailing dlively@churchstreetumc.org and bflenniken@churchstreetumc.org no later than Thursday, January 3.

Christmas Eve ServicesMonday, December 24

12 noon–Midday Service

3:00 pm–Family Service

5:00 pm–Great Service

(Music begins at 5 pm)

10:30 pm–Great Service

(Music begins at 10:30 pm)

Holy Land trip group leaves in JanuarySue Isbell will be hosting a group of twelve Church Street members and friends leaving for the Holy Land in early January. !is group has been meeting and preparing for this trip for a year. !e group will depart on January 8th and return on the 17th. While they are in the Holy Land, they will walk in the footsteps of Jesus in Jerusalem, stand on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, gaze over the shepherds’ fields in Bethlehem and visit many other sites related to our Biblical heritage throughout Israel. !ey go not as tourists, “but as pilgrims” who will experience life-changing events. Please keep this group in your daily prayers as they travel, learn and fellowship together. !ose going are: Sue Isbell, Dale Pool, Je" & Cathy Go", John Dunlap & Beverly Smith, Elizabeth Peters, Tom & Ginger Hood, Ted Helms, Charles Goan, and Gloria Frankum.

MUSIC n e w sThe following choirs resume on Jan. 6:

Youth Choir at 4 p.m.Primary Choir at 5:45 p.m.Chorister Choir at 5:45 p.m.

Handbells will resume on Jan. 13.

The Community Worship Service and Meal will resume on Monday, January 7. January Hospitality Hosts are:

January 7: PathfindersJanuary 14: ExplorersJanuary 21: Holiday (no service)January 28: Murphy Builders and

Potters WheelThere are three evenings open where we need Hospitality Hosts to help greet, serve (a prepared meal) and clean up. It only takes four to six people (or more) to accomplish this. If your Sunday School class, small group, a couple of families or group of friends would like to volunteer, please contact Darryll Rasknake for details. Open dates are: March 11, June 24 and September 23.

COMMUNITY w o r s h i p

Remember

Sterchi Lodge!Our church has an incredible advantage to have Sterchi Lodge as a nearby retreat in the midst of the Smoky Mountains. Bookings are available for Sunday school classes, work groups, clubs, and family reunions. Contact the church o"ce for reservations and information. Also, please consider Sterchi Lodge as you plan your end of year contributions. Designations can be made to either the Sterchi Lodge Capital Account for immediate and current projects or the Sterchi Lodge Trust Fund for long-term, major investments. Your gifts will ensure that our lodge will have the resources needed to maintain the lodge to be enjoyed for many years to come.

New Line Dance Class for Beginners!e Dancing Friends will begin a new session of free line dance lessons for beginners on !ursday, January 10, in the gym. Doors will open at 7 p.m. for warmups and socializing. Lessons will be from 7:30–9 p.m. !ese lessons are for people who are struggling to learn the very basic line dances, people who have never tried line dancing, and especially for those who know for a fact that they can never, ever learn to dance. !is slow-paced, step-by-step class will teach the very basic moves and then combine them into easy, locally popular line dances. !e class is progressive, so new students should attend the first lessons. All lessons are free, and no registration is required. For more information, contact Linda at dancingfriendstn@yahoo.com.

CSUMC b l o gScan this code with your smartphone to be taken directly to the Church Street blog. You will find pictures, videos, notes from the pastors, and much more. It's an easy way to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings at Church Street.

Reflections–Rev. Andy FergusonWe come to the end of 2012 with a mix of joy and sober reflection. Joy, of course, at the gift and the season of Christmas. Seeing the children spill over the chancel steps onto the floor on Sunday morning is a great source of joy for us. Hearing the majesty of the music over the past two Sundays has been inspiring. Someone commented on their way out of church on Sunday: “!is is the kind of service this church was built to have.” Sober reflection is not far away this year. !e funerals for the 28 who died in Newtown, Connecticut, are still underway this week. In addition, the usual problems around the world continue to claim our attention. Reflecting on all of this, I believe that the world still needs a Savior—still needs the coming of God. !e power or the will to save ourselves is not in us. Only the coming of the Christ can heal us. So, knowing that Christmas marks the day when the Christ was born, we have reason to sing the carols, give our gifts, and practice our Fa-la-las. We will worship holding our candles, kneeling at the Lord’s Table, and exchanging our greetings of “Merry Christmas” all because God gets Christmas right. I wish for you and yours and the greater world around us a peaceful and joyous Christmas. As we begin the New Year, I pray for wisdom among all who lead us into the oncoming future.

Sprucing up for Dogwood SeasonPlease help us be a spectacular open garden for Dogwood Arts 2013. Having invited all to visit our church grounds during April, we are replanting, replacing and beautifying with dozens of trees and shrubs. We need donations to help us be company-ready by spring.

Lisa Stanley has given us great prices so your gift can make a big impact on our gardens. Volunteers are doing the planting, but we need your help financing the project. This is a chance to tap into the crowds and publicity of Dogwood Arts to draw more people to and publicize our church. Please designate your gift as: “Gardens.” Gifts in honor and memory of loved ones will be acknowledged in The Messenger. If you have questions, please call Mary Cartwright at 579-5617.

Contact UsChurch O"ce (865) 524-3048 Hours: Mon–Fri., 8 a.m–4:30 p.m.Fax number (865) 521-0261Pastor On-Call Number (865) 236-1518For emergencies, call the On-Call Number and the pastor on call will answer or you may leave a message and the pastor will return your call.

On the Web:www.churchstreetumc.org

Watch Rejoice! streamed on our web site.Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Sta! DirectoryDial 521-0 + extension

Senior Pastor Andy Ferguson–236-0951Associate Pastor Darryll Rasnake–279Associate Pastor Sarah Varnell–263Special Needs Pastor Cabel Trent–264Minister of Discipleship Rick Isbell–266Director of Music Ministries Tim Ward–276Music Associate/Organist Edie Johnson–277Children’s Director Sue Isbell–282Child Care Coordinator Jamie McKinney–290Youth Director Marc Gamble–287Preschool Director Beth Libby–524-3511Kay Center Director Judith Winters–293Kay Center Kay Center Sta#–289Church Administrator Kate Bledsoe–268Bookkeeper Francine Jenne–267Food Services Director Bobby Tolley–273Communications Director Caroline Lamar–299Administrative Assistant Kelly Woods–262Ministers’ Secretary Emerita Loretta Best–280Executive Secretary Doris Lively–271Part-time Secretary Julie Hill–278Receptionist Brenda Flenniken–270Sterchi Lodge Caretaker Essie BurginBuilding Superintendent Walt Sands–295Head Custodian Mike Plyler–274Custodians Brandon Amburn, Matt Newberry, Nita O’Dell, Leo !ibeault

CSUMC: “A Beacon—Living Christ, Teaching Christ, Offering Christ”

Return Service Requested

The MessengerChurch Street United Methodist Church

StewardshipWe will be loyal to the United Methodist Church and support it with our prayers, presence, gifts,

service and witness.Our Prayers

In the hospital:Ft. Sanders: Mazel AndrewsPark West: Henry RussellHome from the hospital: Daniel Armstrong, Betty Bell,Jean Kelly, Lou McNutt

Our PresenceSunday Worship 930Sunday School 384Weekly Worship Services 103Walk !rough Bethlehem 1,700

Our GiftsReceived toward budget $ 58,103.68Other $ 14,540.19

Domestic Violence Helpline(865) 521-6336

Altar Flowers for Sunday, December 23

!e Chancel Altar Flowers are given in memory of Dr. Lucian Trent

and in honor of Mrs. Anne Trent and Mr. and Mrs. Jon Harrison

by their families.

In Memory of: Given by:Stephen Carter Davis Dr. Lloyd & Evelyn DavisRuth and Wilton Lynch Jo, David and Jack LynchWilliam Jerry Parker Jo, David and Jack LynchCarl & Kathryn Motley Kathy & Keith ManisFred Black, Jr. His FamilyVirginia Martin Ray Martin

In Honor of: Given by:Jane Parker Jo, David and Jack Lynch Susie Patton Ritchie JordanJulie Hodges Ritchie JordanFran Wheeler Jo Lynch

A(iti)na* P+insetti, Memo-ia* .n/ Hono-a-ium Listings