New time 2 PM for Father-Daughter Dance
Our annual Father-Daughter Dance is back, live and in-person! We hope you will save the date and we can't wait to dance the night away for the first time in two years. Please click the link below to RSVP so we can plan accordingly
|
|
Discipleship Class tomorrow at 6 PM in the chapel
Dr. Clay Stauffer & Rev. Jay Hutchens are leading a brand new version of our Discipleship Classes this Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 6:00 p.m. in the chapel. This new approach to the class is for both new & longtime members.
Jan. 19 - “Serving” - How do we use our spiritual gifts and abilities to serve and give back both inside and outside of the church? Opportunities abound. Faith must be put into action.
Looking for resources from the Jan. 12 class? Click the links below to download.
|
|
Woodmont Kids Superhero Sunday is Jan. 30
Please fly on by for Superhero Sunday on Sunday, Jan. 30! We will be enjoying breakfast together and you can come dressed as your favorite hero. This could be a superhero like Batman or Spiderman, it could a princess, it could be a firefighter, or a police officer! Whatever you think a hero is, please come dressed like them. Breakfast will be served from 8:45 AM to 9:30 AM.
|
|
Leading in a World Controlled by Fear
by Clay Stauffer
|
|
We are accepting leadership nominations at Woodmont for two more weeks. Here is the link to nominate. Woodmont has a great history of strong leadership, and we are grateful for that. I recently recommended a book titled “Tempered Resilience” by Tod Bolsinger to our leaders which talks about how leaders are shaped and formed during challenging times. We have certainly been living in challenging times.
Leading any organization in normal times is never easy. Leaders are criticized, second-guessed, doubted, projected upon, blamed, ridiculed, and much more. Leading over the past two years during a relentless pandemic has become nearly impossible. Why? It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do, somebody is going to be angry, outraged, or upset. As it relates to Covid, everybody has a different concept of what is “safe” and what is not. Leadership is not for the thin-skinned or faint of heart. Fear and anxiety abound in our culture. In his book Our Age of Anxiety, Scott Stossel says, “Being severely anxious is depressing. Anxiety can impede your relationships, impair your performance, constrict your life, and limit your possibilities.” Physicians will now tell you that treating anxiety in both children and adults has become the norm.
Theologian Paul Tillich once said that all of our fears can be placed into one of three buckets: fear of death, fear of meaninglessness, and fear of guilt or condemnation. Countless books have been published on how to lead in anxious times. In Failure of Nerve, Edwin Friedman talks about managing emotion and the importance of “self-differentiation.” Peter Steinke talks about being a non-anxious presence, steady and calm in the midst of uncertainty. Ron Heifeitz talks about the importance of “holding steady” and learning to take the heat, whatever it may be. But for any of this to happen, a leader must find his or her own sense of inner peace and joy that cannot be tied to the words and actions of others. Inner peace is a decision that we make. If we wait for the external conditions of our lives to become perfect, it will never happen. Joy must become a mindset as we live from day to day.
MIT professor Otto Scharmer identifies three different voices that we all battle in our minds. The first is the voice of judgment which is intellectual, sealing off the mind to protect the status quo. The second is cynicism, which is born out of mistrust, telling us that everybody is out to get us, hurt us, and stab us in the back. The third is the voice of fear that keeps us afraid of losing what we have earned and accomplished. Fear is the strongest, but each of these voices can keep us from experiencing joy.
On December 26th, the world received word that Archbishop Desmund Tutu passed away in Cape Town at the age of 90. Tutu was a phenomenal leader who had to endure incredible pain and hardship in his life as he battled apartheid and advocated for human rights. In The Book of Joy, Tutu and the Dalai Lama identify eight pillars of joy – perspective, humility, laughter, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. Each of these virtues is essential in leadership and spiritual growth. Tutu had three basic leadership principles: presence, personhood, and persistence. Presence involves being fully attentive to those with us. Personhood means that we must treat each other with dignity as children of God. Vilification is a major problem. And with persistence, Tutu believed we should never get up. These principles seem very timely for those leading today.
|
|
Vacation Bible School 2022
Save the date! Our annual VBS is June 28 - July 1.
|
|
"Simply Jesus" series continues this Sunday
Sunday, Jan. 23
Rev. Jay Hutchens
“Ask, Seek, Knock”
Matthew 7:7-12
The Bridge is back with masks strongly encouraged
This Sunday, Jan. 23, we are back to three services. Breakfast will be served in the gym from 8:45 AM to 9:30 AM.
In light of the rapid spread of the omicron variant, attendees of The Bridge service are strongly encouraged to wear masks for the time being.
9:30 AM – Informal service in the sanctuary with livestream
9:40 AM – The Bridge service in the chapel
11:00 AM – Traditional service in the sanctuary
|
|
Having Faith
by Farrell Mason
|
|
I often wonder what it truly means to have faith? Is it the great act of holding onto God and never letting go, fierce like a pit bull, despite what life throws at us? Is faith simply a statement, “I believe,” and that suffices? Or is it a lifetime of spiritual tête-à-tête’s between the soul and the great I Am? Maybe faith is the wrong word. And trust is better. Trust that all will be well. Or what if faith is a wild determination to participate and relish life to the very last breath?
Most would agree that Henri Matisse was an extraordinary painter. For over half a century, this French artist created a canon of inspired art. What most don’t know is that he spent the last ten years of his life an invalid, confined to a wheelchair, and housebound. Due to several near-fatal illnesses, Matisse could never paint again. He certainly could have quietly given in to his fate. But that just wasn’t his faith.
Matisse believed that to live and to create was a human being’s greatest honor. His body might have given out, but not his spirit. He traded in his paintbrush and easel for a pair of scissors and brightly colored paper. Matisse cut a new destiny for himself. The artist spent his days cutting colorful shapes and images from paper. By creatively pinning the cut-outs together, suddenly he had stars glowing, figures dancing, and flowers blooming. Critics championed his new art form. It became clear that the aging Matisse was living the ancient wisdom: to enter the Kingdom, one must become like a child. The art of his later life radiates a child-like wonder and joie de vivre that is contagious.
Matisse compared cutting shapes from paper to flying. He said, "An artist should never be a prisoner to himself, but free.” Inside his Paris apartment and home in the South of France, he recreated entire worlds on his walls: Eden, the Ocean, and even a swimming pool from nothing more than cut-out paper shapes and wondrous images. Matisse refused to allow his handicaps and imperfections to keep him from relishing life.
|
|
So often we allow things in life to shut us down. There are plenty of reasons to throw in the towel, raise the white flag of retreat, allow our heart to callus over, and retire the soul before its time. Divorce, addiction, great loss, illness, depression, financial stress - every one of these obstacles have the potential to silence the spirit. But as Matisse found, we are more than our fragile bodies, our circumstances, and our sins. We have transcendent spirits and if we have the courage to open our hearts, we can do really beautiful things with our lives.
One of Matisse’s final commissions was a chapel in the South of France. Lots of cut-up shapes, colors, and forms radiate in the stained-glass windows and upon the altar. It is truly glory incarnate. Matisse considered it his final masterpiece. One might see it as a tribute to the One who gave him life in the first place!
|
|
Sometimes faith is nothing more than an open-hearted commitment to relishing the life we have been blessed with! |
|
2022 Leadership Nominations
It is time for the congregation to begin nominating leaders for the next church year (beginning July 1, 2022). This year, we are accepting nominations for:
• 1 Chair-Elect of the Board – 2-year term
• 3 Board Members – 2-year term
• 7 Elders (must be members for 5 years) – 3-year term
• 30 Deacons (must be members for at least 1 year) – 3-year term
Pam Richardson will be the Chair of the Committee. Nominations will be accepted through January 31. Self-nominations are welcomed if you have a strong desire to serve. Please give thoughtful consideration to those who already exhibit leadership presence and are committed to Woodmont. Ask these questions:
• Are they present in the life of the church?
• Are they committed to ongoing discipleship and spiritual growth?
• Do they already exhibit servant leadership qualities?
• Will they work to keep the congregation healthy and vibrant?
|
|
GEMS kicks off the New Year, meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 25., at 12 noon in Room 105 with lunch by Barley to Rise.
January's program will be with "Book 'em", a nonprofit that brings free books and reading volunteers to kids in Nashville. Book'em has a read-aloud YouTube Channel called "Oh, the Books We'll Read" with over 150 read-aloud videos. They serve disadvantaged kids ages 0 to 18.
Call the church office, (615) 297-8563 or sign in to onrealm.org to make your reservation!
|
|
Watch Discipleship Class part 2, "Sharing"
|
|
Watch sermon "The Problem with Fear"
|
|
Church calendar
Click here for a full listing of all events on Woodmont's campus
Sunday, Jan. 23
8:45 AM Breakfast at church, Drowota Hall
9:30 AM Disciples Class, Room 105
9:30 AM Challenge Class, Room 200
10:45 AM Reflections Class, Room 200
11:00 AM Pathways Class, Boardroom
11:00 AM Points of View Class, Room 105
4:00 PM Jubilation Rehearsal, Choir Room
5:00 PM Youth Group, Youth Commons
7:00 PM Youth Basketball, D.H.
Monday, Jan. 24
3:00 PM "Geezers," Boardroom
6:30 PM Leadership Woodmont, C.W.
Tuesday, Jan. 25
9:30 AM Women's Prayer Group, Boardroom
12:00 PM GEMS, Room 105
6:30 PM Alateen (ages 12-19), South Hall
6:30 PM Parents AL-ANON Group, Room 105
8:00 PM AA Meeting, South Hall
Wednesday, Jan. 26
6:15 AM Men's Small Group, Room 107
7:00 AM Younger Men's Bible Study, Boardroom
8:00 AM "Original" Men's Bible Study, Room 105
12:00 PM Stuart Gordon Class, Room 100
5:30 PM Grace Notes Rehearsal, Kids' Commons
6:15 PM Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary
Thursday, Jan. 27
10:00 AM Sit & Stitch, Gathering Hall
1:00 PM Mahjong Group, Gathering Hall
5:30 PM Handbells Rehearsal, Choir Room
6:30 PM Naranaon, Room 105
8:00 PM AA Meeting, South Hall
Friday, Jan. 28
Room In The Inn, South Hall
Saturday, Jan. 29
Room In The Inn, South Hall
10:00 AM Al-Anon, Drowota Hall
|
|
Prayers for our church family
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
- Maryanne and Terrell McWhirter on the birth of their son, Paul Burton McWhirter, on Jan. 13.
NEW CONCERNS:
- Stephanie Rippee, daughter of Virginia & Doyle Rippee - transferring to Vanderbilt Hospital.
- Beth Sowell's sister, Barb Vial - recovering from knee surgery in Colorado
SYMPATHY TO:
- Amy Shaffer and family on the death of her father, Jim Yarbro, in Guntersville, AL, on Jan. 13.
- Chris Cox and his family on the loss of his grandfather, Bill Williams, in Spartanburg, SC, on Jan. 11.
- Beth & Bill Meador and family on the death of Bill’s sister, Carol Smith, in Lewisville, TX, on Jan. 7.
CONTINUING CONCERNS:
FAMILY/FRIENDS OF MEMBERS:
- William Helm, 17 yr old grandson of Lucy Milton - recovery from multiple injuries from sledding accident
- Olivia McGehee's sister, Anne Trusty, now in skilled nursing home in Tuscaloosa, AL
- Rita Baldwin's daughter, Debbie McPherson in Houston, TX - cancer
|
|
Our elders invite you to join them in prayer
1. The students, teachers, and all staff in schools as they continue to navigate the pandemic.
2. Our nominating committee as they do the work of selecting our church’s future leaders.
3. Our brothers and sisters in Christ who are rebuilding after recent tornados, flooding, and other natural disasters in our community and neighboring states.
|
|
Giving
Dec. 26: $158,222
Jan. 2: $261,403
Jan. 9: $39,275
Jan. 16: $55,439
|
|
Growing disciples of Christ by seeking God, sharing love, and serving others. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
