News!

Adult News

Mark Your Calendars! There will be a church wide BABY SHOWER for Wil and Rebecca Cantrell on Sunday, September 28 after the 11:00 worship services. More info will follow at a later date.

NEW CHURCH DIRECTORY COMING SOON! If you did not sign up for an appointment for our new pictorial directory, expect a call from Olan Mills to offer you a time.  If you want to set or change an appointment, call Olan Mills at 1-800-866-2263, Monday-Friday 9 am-9 pm Eastern Time.  Each participating household will receive a complimentary directory and 8x10 Custom Color Portrait.  Remember to receive a free church directory you have to be in it—please participate!

 Volunteers are needed as hosts and hostesses during the picture taking sessions September 10-13 and 16-17 for 2-3 hour shifts. If you can help, please call Evelyn Gilley at 690-1487 or email egilley@knology.net.

If you have any recent pictures of activities/ministries that might be included in the activity pages of our directory, please email them to egilley@knology.net or give them to Evelyn Gilley.  The pictures will be returned to you after the directory is printed.

Forgiving the Dead Man Walking. Please be in prayer for the Forgiving the Dead Man Walking event taking place here at Middlebrook Pike on Sunday September 7 at 6:30PM. The keynote speaker will be Debbie Morris, author a book titled Forgiving the Dead Man Walking. Debbie will be sharing her inspirational story of God’s ability to bring about triumph even in the face of tragedy. Don’t miss your chance to hear this powerful message first hand. And please invite your friends so they won’t miss it either! For more information, please review this brochure!

Forgiveness Class. Christians are often taught that we are to forgive others and ourselves, as to ask for forgiveness; however, often we wonder how we can accomplish these challenges. Anyone who has ever wondered how to become more forgiving may be interested in the five-week series beginning on Sept 17 at 7:00, in the adult library. The class will explore the book Forgiveness: An Invitation to Freedom. The book explores the questions: How do I seek forgiveness? How do I forgive myself? How do I forgive others? The discussion will be facilitated by one of the authors of the book, Ann O’Connor Slimp, Ph.D. Please call 605-1329 or email aoslimp@usit.net for any additional information.

Habitat for Humanity FUND RaiserS. Registrations and sponsorships for the Habitat for Humanity Golf Tournament are growing. The deadline for registration for the tournament has been extended to September 12. Forms are available in the church office and on online by clicking here! If golf isn’t your sport, you can help us meet our $15,000 goal through our “Raise the Roof” campaign. For more information on this campaign or this year's Habitat efforts in general, please visit our dedicated Habitat web page.

Back by Popular Demand – First Place 4 Health. Yes, the name is a bit different but the focus is the same. This is a new, streamlined version compared to the First Place we knew and participated in successfully 12 years ago. Why Choose First Place 4 Health? Struggling with losing 10 pounds or battling obesity? Perhaps you want to increase your knowledge about nutrition, to get help with implementing a consistent exercise plan or to learn how to develop a healthy lifestyle for your family. Whatever your reasons, you’ll soon discover that First Place 4 Health is a biblically based, medically trustworthy wellness program that addresses the whole woman—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Meetings will be weekly beginning Sunday, September 28, 2008 from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Estimated cost for materials $110-$120.00 This is a one-time outlay. Subsequent Bible studies are $20. Check it out at www.FirstPlace4Health.com. Mandatory orientation is Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 at 6 p.m. in Room 2 of the Old Bldg. For additional information contact Jan Mobley, 691-3057 or via e-mail at granjj@comcast.net.

Don’t Miss Out! Don’t forget to check out the Disciple Classes (Disciple I-IV) and Christian Believer class and Jesus and the Gospels that are being offered this Fall. Also, N.T. Wright’s, Simply Christian, is a 10-week study that is beginning soon. A “sign-up station” is located across from the Fish Pantry. Watch for our in-home small group ministry to begin very soon. These are wonderful opportunities to help you grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Mary Rayfield Circle Breakfast. Those United Methodist Women of the Mary Rayfield Circle are at it again with their BIG BIG BREAKFAST. Join them for biscuits, sausage, sausage gravy, bacon, eggs, jelly, and orange juice. All donations will go to the Fran Lynch ministry in Alaska.

KEENAGERS. Thursday, September 18: Fellowship and Dinner at 6:30pm. Program: GOLDEN CLOGGERS. Please call the church office for reservations by Sept. 15.

New Young Adult Sunday School Class. Starting September 7th, come join the young adults of MPUMC for a new Sunday School Class. The new class will begin September 7 @ 9:45am in the youth game room. Join us for breakfast and devotion. Couples and singles welcome. We will be having social activities and fellowship throughout the year! Please contact Leigh Stivers at 851-9784 or robnleigh@comcast.net for more information or if you would like to help.

New Members Class. A new members class will be held Sunday September 14 from 4-6pm in the Conference room located downstairs in the office complex. The class will be taught by Pastor Eric and Pastor Wil. We will be receiving new members in all our services on September 21. If you’d like to attend, contact one of our pastors or just show up for class on Sept 14.

Would you like to buy a window? It’s time to “raise the roof” on MPUMC’s annual Habitat House. In the month of September you will receive detailed information and a form to purchase building materials for our house — or you can see it now by clicking here to visit Habitat's dedicated web page. Through our annual golf tournament, selling of Knoxville Open tickets, and the “raising a roof” campaign we plan to raise, by October 5, the $15,000 that it takes to build our house. Contact Martha Scott marthascott@comcast.net or Barbara Cope at bcope@eteda.org.

Golfers – don’t forget to register for the September 22nd tournament. Deadline for registering is Friday, August 29th. You may download a registration form by clicking here.

God needs you! More team members are needed for the Mississippi Mission Team for October 2008. Our next meeting will be on Sunday Sept. 14 in room 30 at 4:00 PM. In order to complete our team for Oct. 19-25, we will need several more people. Please consider being a part of our mission. Contact Nancy Saylors at 980-2864 or e-mail at NDSaylors@msn.com for more information.

Witness Team Steps Out in all Directions! Next Witness Walk is scheduled at 7pm on Sunday, September 28th. But don’t wait until then. Take some Witness cards, STEP OUT and Invite folks to MPUMC!

New Interim Choir Director. Sonny Melton will be serving as our interim Choir Director. Sonny taught at Carter High School for many years; he also taught at Carson Newman College. Sonny directed the choirs at Fountain City United Methodist Church for many years, and he has worked as an interim with churches before. Sonny holds a doctorate in Choral Conducting from the University of Tennessee. Please give Sonny and his wife, Carol, a big, warm Middlebrook Pike welcome.

NEW Bible Detective Program. In the children's section of the church website is a new "Bible Detective" program (Click here to visit the new page). Encourage your child to look up the answer to the questions and have them report their answers back to us. The answers can be sent in via e-mail (see instructions on the web-site), or the children can give the info to Ms. Ann or Ms. Jennifer at any time. Questions will change periodically, and we will track the progress of our detectives on a bulletin board in The Mouse Pad (computer room). We hope this will provide incentive for your children to learn how to use their Bibles to find information.

Parking Changes. We Need Your Help! Shannondale is entering into a construction project that will last several months and part of the parking MPUMC currently uses on Sunday mornings is no longer available. As you enter Shannondale off of Vanosdale, the parking to the left is the parking area affected. The parking area to the right is still available for our use. Now that school is back in session and attendance is increasing, the loss of these 26 spaces will have an impact. If you are able please try to park “off campus” at the remaining Shannondale parking area, Ellenburg Nursery, Buckingham Clubhouse, and the shopping center on Middlebrook Pike. Thank you for your cooperation.

Get Ready for a “Unique Boutique.” The Believers’ Sunday School Class is planning for its annual “Unique Boutique” sale, which will occur on Saturday, November 1st. Please gather usable items around your house which you don’t need any longer and please hold onto them until the first week in October (we have a storage problem at present.) Beginning on October 5th, you may bring them to the Believers’ Class or place them on the table provided in the Fellowship Hall. Our shoppers look for things such as small furniture items, household goods and decorative accessories, toys or games in good condition, and Christmas decorations. NO CLOTHING please, except for nice Christmas sweaters. We will appreciate your donations of goods again this year and look forward to a fun time at the “Unique Boutique.” If you have any questions, please call Dale Murphy at 690-1846.

Stephen Ministry Web Page. We have added a new page to our web site dedicated to our new Stephen Ministry program. This web page provides background information on what Stephen Ministers do, how to become one, or how to ask for the help of one. Check it out by clicking here!

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