We will be getting our new phone system installed on Wednesday, September 8th. The company doesn’t expect a long disruption that day with the phone but I just wanted to let you be aware of the possibility.  I look forward to the upgrade!

An Open House is scheduled for September 12 during the 10:00 a.m. Sunday school hour. Worship services will switch back to 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. I am excited for the fall programs to begin! The Christian Education committee will be sending out information concerning this new style of “Rally Day” in the days ahead.

Ginny Baker, our soon-to-be Director of Christian Formation and Lay Ministry, will be arriving in Knoxville on Monday, September 13. She is going to let me know how many volunteers she will need; but I know we will need at least a hand full of people to help move her into the house they are renting.  If you are able to help, please call the church office. Also – please pray for safe travels. Wisconsin to Knoxville is a VERY long drive – especially in a U-haul! What an exciting time in the life of Westminster Presbyterian Church!

We will be begin the process of our new church directory in the coming weeks. After interviewing five different companies, we have decided to continue our relationship with Olan Mills. We will each get a printed directory as well as use of an online directory that will be hosted from our website. Each family who gets their portrait done will receive a free 8 x 10 picture. The pictures will arrive by Christmas – just in time for presents to loved ones! The dates Olan Mills will be here photographing are: November 1 and 2, November 22 and 23, and then December 2, 3, and 4. Online registration will take place from September 20 to October 7. Registrations on Sundays will be offered October 10-24. Smile!

I don’t know about you – but I have to be reminded daily what my calendar holds for the day. If you ever want to know what is happening at Westminster on any given day – you can log on to our website to look at the calendar . Please let me know if an event needs to be added to our calendar. It gets updated all the time!

Several people over the summer months have had the joy of setting up the new JoAnn Reafsnyder Memorial Library. There are books for all ages so please come check it out anytime! We are putting the finishing touches to it this week (computer being installed and Wi-Fi capabilities). Buran is planning a dedication of the Library on September 14. I appreciate all the MANY wonderful angels who have been working hard behind the scenes to make this Library what it is today!

Speaking of calendars – mark April 1,2, and 3 as Westminster’s next All Church Retreat!

OK Westminster – I have TONS of information to share with you. All of it is important so I hope you can take a few minutes to read it all…

1. Buran and I received emails from an agency called the Ugandan Orphans – Childcare Worldwide program. The children arrived in the United States in July and are touring the Eastern US over the next several months.  They would love to perform their choir concert to our congregation. The concert will be held on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. just before Ministry Team night.  A love offering will be collected to help support their traveling expenses.  If you want to know more about the agency, go to their website. www.childcareworldwide.org/choir.
2. Tubing in Townsend: Come One – Come All! We will meet at Westminster at 9 a.m. this Saturday morning to travel to Townsend. The cost is estimated at $9 each. Please let Tim Crais or Leslie Rotella know if you would like to join them. Sounds like a lot of fun!
3. Habitat Project: This Saturday we are looking for 10 volunteers to help with the ongoing Habitat for Humanity build at 1103 England Drive in South Knoxville (Vestal area).  Together with Central Baptist Bearden, we will be placing vinyl siding.  Work will begin at 7:30 AM and hopefully we complete in the early afternoon or sooner.  The roof is on and the interior walls are up, so progress is being made.  Please consider adding some of your time and talents to this outreach to the community.  For more information or to sign up send email to wpc.habitat@gmail.com
4. Nurturing: I just received a phone call from Carlene Robinson. Her brother, Ronald West, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday. She asks for prayers. She is making funeral arrangements to be held near his home in Roane County.

Hugs,

Renee Wiesehuegel

Similar to most of you, I have precious memories of reading books to my kids while they were little. We’d have this weekly tradition of visiting our church library after worship to check out a couple of books to read throughout the week. As you already know, the JoAnn Reafsnyder Memorial Library is getting a complete renovation. Every week we get closer and closer to having it come to life. It is a dream of ours to have it be a place where people will go on a regular basis to check out books, gather for meetings, and use it for a resource in their daily journey of faith. Sandra and I are building on all the hard work and investment that JoAnn Reafsnyder and Judy Moon have done over the years. The area that we want to add is a Children’s section. We will start out small to see if the area is visited and can build on it down the road. This is where you come into play. If you want to donate your favorite children’s bible story book (new or used) – we would love to include it in the Library! If you want to donate it in honor or memory of someone, we can place a notation in the book. We appreciate your support! I hear from Sue McSween that the chairs are being delivered this week, the conference table can be delivered any time, and the carpet will be installed within the next couple of weeks. Praise the Lord!  Hugs,  Renee Wiesehuegel

Happy Friday Westminster! It rolled around quickly this week. I have a couple of reminders for you:

1. Share the Bounty begins this Sunday. Bring your extra flowers and/or produce to Sunday’s table. All monies placed in the donation jar will be donated to local food charities. Cool, huh?
2. Montreat Service Project: While the youth are at Montreat June 13-19, they will be assembling health kits for two local agencies that support homeless veterans in Asheville. The items needed are: men’s athletic style cotton socks, regular size toothbrushes, and travel size shampoo, soap, lotion, and toothpaste. There will be a donation basket in the Schilling Gallery. Anything you can donate will be a significant help as we seek to be good neighbors. Thank you for your help with this project!
3. Sunday worship during the summer months is held at 10:00 a.m. Make plans to stay after worship for fellowship time and Lemonade time in the Schilling Gallery. ♫

This is the day that the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Hugs,

Renee Wiesehuegel

II Corinthians 9:6-15. I love this passage in the Bible. When I read it today – it so reminded me of the generosity of the Westminster family of faith. Whether there is work to be done at the FISH Pantry, or building a Habitat house, or painting in the Library, or weeding the gardens, or serving a hot meal at Volunteer Ministry Center – etc. etc. – I am continually amazed how easy our members step up to the plate to give of their time.  Seriously, over these past 11+ years that I’ve have the privilege to work in the office – never have I seen a community outreach event been canceled because of lack of volunteers. This is something you should be very proud of Westminster! All Sandra and I have to do is send out an email asking for volunteers – and poof – the work gets done! Praise the Lord!!! Not only your time – but you give so freely of your talents. Just in this year alone, Westminster has given through these special offerings:

$5,250 to Heifer International

-works toward the mission of ending world hunger and poverty and caring for the earth

$1,261 to Joy Gift Offering

-supports retired church workers through the Board of Pensions and support Racial ethnic education

$1,086 to Rice Bowl International

-provides food for the body and spirit of orphans in the name of Christ

$3,813 to One Great Hour of Sharing

-gifts are divided among the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Self-Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance through the General Assembly

$1,031 to Pentecost Offering

- supports children at risk and to nurture the faith of youth and young adults

 $200 to Volunteer Ministry Center

-This is the average monthly expense for one breakfast and one lunch and is funded 100% through our Two Cents a Meal offering which is collected on the first Sunday of each month

You are amazing Westminster!

Hugs and more hugs,

Renee Wiesehuegel

Good Morning Westminster,

Happy Wednesday! Can you believe it is already the 19th of May?

• I want to remind you that there is one worship service this coming Sunday at 11:00 a.m. There is special music and involvement of the kids during the opening hymn as we celebrate Pentecost Sunday. Sunday School will be held at 10:00 a.m.
• I want to congratulate all the graduates. We will miss your presence around here. I hope you have a safe and happy graduation experience.
• I want to wish the parents good luck with getting through this transitional period – Westminster is an awesome place to lean on when you go through this unique journey. Nothing like being in the presence of people who have traveled it ahead of you!
• I want to encourage you to sign up in the Schilling Gallery to volunteer hours at the FISH Pantry. June is our month to restock the pantry and WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Dates to volunteer are: May 27, May 30, June 7, June 13, June 20. I appreciate all the volunteers that help with this much needed ministry!
• Our Habitat project will begin on July 24th. Mark your calendars! We are joining up forces with Central Baptist Church of Bearden this year. Be on the lookout for details.
• A sign up sheet is also posted in the Schilling Gallery for volunteers to serve Lemonade throughout the summer months. I love this fellowship time with one another after the 10:00 Summer Worship Schedule (May 30 – September 5)
• I want to remind you that even during your travels this summer, you can check our church calendar on our website for all the events happening here at Westminster. You can also review editions of the Abbey and read the church bulletins.

Hugs,

Renee Wiesehuegel

It was a sunny and cool Mother’s Day for the annual all-church picnic honoring graduating senior high school students and new youth confirmands.

Please join us this coming Sunday, May 9th, as we celebrate our 2010 Confirmation Class as well as Senior Sunday. Immediately after the 11:00 a.m. worship service, we will all gather in the Schilling Gallery and the courtyard for our annual church picnic. The chicken, mashed potatoes, and all the fixins’ will be catered by Take OutThyme. RSVP’s will be accepted through Tuesday night. You can either email the church office (westminsterpres@comcast.net) or call the church office (584-3958). We hope that you will join us!

Good afternoon Westminster,

Happy Monday to you! Wasn’t Sunday’s worship service powerful? From Peter’s prelude all the way through John’s sermon – I just keep thinking about how blessed we all are to worship together and journey our faith with one another. It was the first time I’ve heard the story of Ananias and how he graciously did what the Lord called him to do.  I love the work of behind-the -scenes people like Ananias and the amazing work they do. Westminster is blessed with tons of people like Ananias.  On any given day you can catch people here working on projects like the Reafsnyder Memorial Library; or weeding the gardens; or participating in community relief efforts like FISH, VMC, and our upcoming Habitat build; or making flower arrangements from Sunday’s arrangement to take to shut ins; being a Mentor; being a Stephen Minister, teaching a class; or …. the list goes on and on. We are truly blessed. John’s sharing of how the Lord is working in people’s lives so that they can be an “Ananias” in our lives or how He works in our lives so that we can be that type of brother/sister to others truly speaks to me. What each of us do on a daily basis – whether we are 2 or a 102 – really does matter to the people around us and for this, I say “thank you”!  Just last night a beautiful two year old spoke to me… We had the wonderful opportunity of having Amy, Eric, and Nina Theiss for dinner and Nina wanted to say the blessing. I have chill bumps remembering how excited she was – jumping at the chance to thank God for our food. While I listened, I found myself hanging on to every word that she lifted up in prayer. It is amazing to think about how wonderful this world would be if we all became as willing to answer God’s call like Ananias or jump at the chance to lift up prayers like precious two year old Nina!!!

Hope you have a very beautiful week!

Hugs,

Renee

Week at a glance here:

Wednesday: Blessed Earth video in the McKinnon Room starts at 7:30 p.m. and last about one hour

Thursday: Men’s Thursday Fellowship at 7:00 a.m.

On Wednesday, April 21st, the eve of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Blessed Earth will host a live, one-night-only simulcast event entitled “Hope for Creation,” to highlight the issue of faith-based environmental stewardship. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. and lasts for one hour.

Thousands of churches and religious leaders of various denominations will participate in this electronic gathering which will include live musical performances and an exclu­sive preview of the forthcoming Blessed Earth video series “Hope for Creation,” which explores the biblical vision for care of the planet.

“This is not a political issue. It has nothing to do with national boundaries or church denominations. When we’re not using resources responsibly or being good stewards of the resources God has given us, we’re harming our neighbors and we’re not showing love and respect for God the Creator,” says Nancy Sleeth, Blessed Earth’s co-founder.

Churches all across the United States are participating, as well as congregations in South America, Africa, Europe and Asia.  In Tennessee, dozens of congregations (as well as a number of colleges and universities) have signed up to participate. Westminster is registered and will stream this event in the McKinnon Room this coming Wednesday at 7:30.  Please plan to attend this pivotal event with us!

Additional information can be found at www.blessedearth.org.