GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE | |
Sunday, January 1 @ 11 am
New Year's Day
Sermon - "Writing on the Ground" | Scripture - John 7:58 - 8:11
Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor
both in-person and on YouTube or Facebook
WAPC Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgI_BKUlZH70GzG90xIQ1xA
The Session approved at its April meeting that masks are now optional during worship.
We will continue to monitor the number of cases locally.
The installation of Elders will be on Sunday, January 8th during Morning Worship.
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SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION | |
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During the Season of Advent, we were invited to wait in hope, for peace, in joy, and in love. Watch and wait for the coming of the Christ child born in Bethlehem. On Christmas, we celebrated that our wait is over and that our salvation had come in the birth of Jesus. Now, as we enter into a new year, we get to continue to tell the story of this Messiah, the Miracles, and the Mission of God through the Gospel of John. In this Gospel, we see that when people come into contact with the divine, their lives are never the same. So as we enter into this new year, let us do so with the hope that our lives will continue to be transformed by the loving mercy of God.
Yours in Christ,
Brandon
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MITTEN TREE- LAST CHANCE
We will be taking the items found on our Mitten Tree to Good Samaritan this next week. If you would like to contribute to this project, please bring your items to church this Sunday (January 1st) so we can add them to our collection efforts. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to our fabulous tree!!!
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
UPCOMING READ
The next book scheduled to be read by the Adult Sunday School class beginning on Sunday, January 8th @ 10 am will be Adam Nicolson's book, "God's Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible."
If you wish to join the class in the coming year there is always room for one more and you should have time to purchase or obtain a copy of this book. There are hardback, paperback and Kindle versions available through a variety of sources online.
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PW 5th TUESDAY - PERSONAL HYGIENE BAGS
Just a friendly reminder and plenty of notice that there will be four PW 5th Tuesday Work Days coming up in 2023 (January 31, May 30, August 29, and October 31). It will be time to make more Hygiene bags during the coming year. So bring your (travel sized) items to fill those bags, including: shampoo, conditioner, combs (for men), hairbrushes (for women) small tissues, lotion, emery boards, toothpaste, toothbrush (and cover), Chapstick, face cloth, deodorant, soap and handwipes. Also remember to bring in those magazines, notepads, greeting cards, and calendars. The items you bring should be placed in the Mission Team room just off the Heritage Room.
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The Lunch Bunch Schedule for January
January 1 @ Cootie Brown's Campus
January 8 @ Carrabba's
January 15 @ Southern Craft BBQ
January 22 @ Rainbow Asian Cuisine
IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER DINING VENUES, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE TO ADD THEM TO OUR LUNCH ROTATION. THANKS.
January 29 @ Annual Congregational Business Meeting & Souper Lunch
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TUSCULUM THEOLOGIAN-IN-RESIDENCE 2023
For over 30 years Tusculum has sponsored the Theologian-in-Residence Series. The theme for this year's lecture series is "The Satan and the Forces of Evil" led by Dr. Ryan Stokes, director of graduate theological studies and associate professor of Biblical Studies at Carson-Newman University. They will be held in person and via Zoom.
The series will consist of four lectures on Fridays in February beginning at 10 am:
February 3 - "The Origin of Satan: the Satan in the Old Testament"
February 10 - "Fallen Angels, Evil Spirits and Demons"
February 17 - "The Satan in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Other Early Jewish Writings"
February 24 - "Satan in the New Testament'
It is necessary to register in advance so they have an accurate headcount for seating, and more importantly for each of the lunches. If you plan to join by Zoom, please be sure to provide your email address. Please contact Kim Kidwell, Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement at 423-636-0525 or 423-636-7303 x5788 (office) or 423-525-7745 (cell). Or you may send an email to kkidwell@tusculum.edu.
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ANNUAL REPORTS DUE
For Elders and others reporting for various teams, groups, and committees, please email a copy of your report to the church office NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 13TH. Your timeliness will be greatly appreciated.
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE MONTH (noted when online)
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Sunday, January 1, 2023 - New Year's Day
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Cootie Brown's Campus
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
4 pm Medication Circle (via Zoom)
NO Chancel Choir rehearsal
Thursday, January 5, 2023
10 am PW Circle meeting @ the home of Nancy Fennell
Sunday, January 8, 2023 - Epiphany Sunday
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
Installation of New Elders during Morning Worship.
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Carraba's
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
7 pm Session Meeting in Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
4 pm Medication Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Thursday, January 12, 2023
2 pm Green Team (via Zoom)
Friday, January 13, 2023
ALL ANNUAL REPORTS DUE TO CHURCH OFFICE
Sunday, January 15, 2023
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Southern Craft BBQ
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
4 pm Medication Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, January 22, 2023
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Rainbow Asian Cuisine
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
4 pm Medication Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, January 29, 2023
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:15 pm Congregational Business Meeting and Souper Lunch
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
10 am PW 5th Tuesday Work Day
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
4 pm Medication Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
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The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.. ~ Isaiah 9:2 | |
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January Elder of the Month - Marcia Songer
Next Session meeting - Tuesday, January 10 @ 7 pm
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2022 Annual Budget - $ 155,900 (revised)
Budget through December 28, Week #52 ($ 155,900)
Receipts $ 15,207.63
Disbursements - $ 150,421.50
Balance $ 786.13
PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT the final December balance.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support the church with your tithes and offerings during this extraordinary time. Please make sure your pledges and giving is up to date. You are encouraged to mail your pledge to us or to drop it by the church office during regular business hours. Thanks.
We are still receiving the 5 Cents per Meal offering that is usually taken on Communion Sundays. If you would like to make a contribution to this offering please do so and designate it on your checks.
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Holston Presbytery meetings 2022 / 2023
All meetings begin at 9 am.
Saturday, February 4, 2023 @ Tusculum University
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 @ Holston Presbytery Camp
Saturday, August 5, 2023 @ First Presbyterian, Morristown
Tuesday, November 7, 2023 @ TBD
Rev. Diana Moore, Transitional Stated Clerk
Rev. Karen Russell, Transitional Executive Presbyter
Stephanie Ratcliffe, Transitional Treasurer/ Financial Manager
info@holstonpresbytery.org
423-247-6178
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DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
December 29 - Karen Clark
December 30 - Pat Mooney
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
January 1 - Cathy Danks
January 4 - Rev. Wes Jamison
January 8 - Emma Turner
January 10 - Gaines Snodderly
January 17 - Bob Caponero
January 21 - Helen Saunders
January 25 - Hugh Broome
JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES
January 22 - Bob & Susanne Caponero
THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY
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THOUGHTS & PRAYERS
For Friends
Ginger Helm's brother, Larry Ray Davis (pancreatic cancer); Don Loughry; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; Stephen Patrick's cousin, Linda Strock, diagnosed with stage4 inoperable esophageal cancer (squamous cell); Sally Gerhardt's son, Fritz, scheduled to have a stem cell transplant on January 16th; Nathan Songer; Sue Sheffield's nephews, Jeremiah Collins and Tanner Frye; Sue Shank's friends, Judy Klein, Mary Murphy and Rev. Dodie Rossell; Sarah Suptin; church neighbor, Dorothy Harvey; Kelly Hodges..
Special Prayers for Clinical and Medical Health Care Workers
The continued COVID pandemic concerns with cases still on the rise with the delta, lambda and mu variant strains, along with the new omicron virus with the highest number of overall cases in the United States, India and Brazil; a new strain BA2.12.1 subtype COVID cases are now on the rise in numerous European countries. And persons now affected by the rise in new active cases of the infectious disease, monkeypox.
Prayers for Others
Special prayers for the people of the Ukraine in light of the military invasion by Russia and the ongoing humanitarian crisis there; for our military members who serve our country here and abroad, as well continued prayers for our fragile planet during this time of extreme weather conditions, and for those who have suffered loss throughout the midwest and eastern U.S. snow storms and frigid winter weather, especially in the Buffalo, New York area. Ongoing disasters include flooding in New South Wales, Australia; the prolonged water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi; the aftermath of various hurricanes across the Caribbean islands, Central America and Florida; the Horn of Africa hunger / food crisis; as well as new disasters now unfolding: Mauna Loa volcano is erupting again And especially prayers for our nation and for strength, endurance, faith and courage for all.
CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY - https://disasterphilanthropy.org/
UN OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (OCHA) - https://reliefweb.int/
US FEMA - DECLARED DISASTERS - https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations
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This memorable moment was from one of our earlier Chili Cookoff events
with Susan Turner and Jim Foote.
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NOTEWORTHY GREEN SPACE NEWS | |
Efforts to restore bison to the Tribal lands across the Northern Great Plains have emphasized the importance of reestablishing the cultural and spiritual connection lost to Indigenous peoples when European settlers nearly annihilated the animals during the 1800s. According to a new analysis published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, bison restoration also may offer additional critical benefits: helping to conserve the fragile prairie ecosystems they inhabit and mitigating some of the adverse impacts of climate change in a region that is becoming warmer and drier.
Today most bison are no longer free roaming, but they can still have an impact on the landscape. As the animals graze, bison wallow and trample, making the land more habitable for hundreds of prairie species. They also are tolerant of heat and respond to drought by changing their diet. "We know bringing them back will not only heal our people but also help us with the changes we see on our grasslands due to drought," says the president of the InterTribal Buffalo Council. (GSN#129)
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VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK | |
DISCOVER THE TATRA MOUNTAINS OF POLAND
Wonders of Nature (April 2021 | 7:49 min.)
Tatra Mountains, or the Tatras, are the highest range of the Carpathian Mountains and lies along Poland’s border with Slovakia.
The Tatra Mountains rise to the greatest elevation in the entire northern half of Europe, with the 2655-meters Gerlachovsky Stit in Slovakia and the 2499-meters Rysy peak in Poland. The range is 53 km long and takes up 785 square km.
Three distinct parts make up the Tatra Mountains – the High Tatras, the Western Tatras, and the Bielskie Tatras. The High Tatras, with their dramatic vistas, steep peaks, sharp rocks, deep glens, and crystal lakes are the most attractive. At the same time the Western Tatras lower slopes clad in pine forests offer wider horizons and diverse wildlife.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ualqK6Bfr8I
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LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT,
CHECK OUT THE POTEAT LIBRARY
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NOTE: Please remember that you are welcome to drop by the church library if you are looking for something new to read. We ask that you to sign out any books on the register sheet found on the file cabinet in the corner with the call #, book title, your name and date checked out. The white book cart inside the library has new titles. There is also an orange book cart in the Heritage Room that has books free for the taking. Come and browse.
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Forged: Writing in the Name of God—Why the Bible’s Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are
By Bart D. Ehrman
(220.1/EHR)
Bart D. Ehrman, the New York Times bestselling author of Jesus, Interrupted and God’s Problem reveals which books in the Bible’s New Testament were not passed down by Jesus’s disciples, but were instead forged by other hands—and why this centuries-hidden scandal is far more significant than many scholars are willing to admit. A controversial work of historical reporting in the tradition of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, and John Dominic Crossan, Ehrman’s Forged delivers a stunning explication of one of the most substantial—yet least discussed—problems confronting the world of biblical scholarship.
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Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey.
Flower List - Sign up to sponsor flowers for our weekly worship services in honor or in memory of loved ones. Arrangements are $65 each.
Liturgists - On Hiatus - We are always looking for new people to be liturgists. Please contact the church office, if you would like to volunteer.
e-Avenue deadline - Please submit information to church office ( office@wataugapc.org or 926-7942) for the February 2023 issue of the e-AVENUE no later than January15th. This includes team and committee reports, news, planned events and other newsworthy items.
Facebook - Please remember to friend and follow our Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/Watauga-Avenue-Presbyterian-Church-94712920937/ ]. All news and events will be reported there.
Photos needed - We welcome contributions to our Facebook page via your comments and photos of church events and activities. Please also submit your photos to the church office for archiving. It will be wonderful to have a visual record of all of the positive things that Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church does for our community.
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Established 27 September 1892, Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ. Reformed in theology and Presbyterian by way of organization, it is related to Holston Presbytery, the Synod of Living Waters, and to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
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