Issue #406

The Weekly AVENUE

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE

MORNING WORSHIP

Sunday, November 12, 2023 @ 11 am

"Good News for All"

Scripture reading: Luke 4:14-30

Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor

both in-person and on Facebook or YouTube (click here)

Comments: We have set our YouTube channel to accept comments. If you are viewing, we ask that you say hello or to let us know you are there so we can count you as part of our attendance.

ELDER OF THE MONTH FOR NOVEMBER - Wilsie Bishop

SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION

SERMON NOTES

When Jesus receives his sacrament of baptism by John, scripture tells us that the heavens were torn apart, and the Spirit descends and lands on him like a dove. The Spirit then leads Jesus out into the wilderness. Into the deep, dark, mysterious wild. And it is there that he is tempted. But once Jesus emerges from the wild, he then begins his earthly ministry. The first place that he goes is a place where he was a frequent visitor. The synagogue. There he makes his mission and message clear. The Good News will be proclaimed and the Good News has been fulfilled. So join us this Sunday as we hear from Jesus what this Good News is and why we continue to proclaim it week after week.

Yours in Christ

Brandon

ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

The Adult Sunday School class has begin reading and discussing John Shelby Spong’s Born of a Woman which challenges the doctrine of the virgin birth, tracing its development in the early Christian church and revealing its legacy in our contemporary attitudes toward women and female sexuality. Please order a copy of the book soon; it is available online from various sources and bookstores.

The class meets in the Poteat Library at 10 am. If you wish to join the class there is always room for one more.

NEW WALK ANNOUNCED

Our next featured walk will be on the trails of Winged Deer, Park, Wednesday, November 15th at 11 am. Lunch following.

Additional walks are being planned: Wednesday, December 6th @ 11 am we will take a leisurely stroll through Founder's Park which will be decorated for the Christmas holidays. And then on Wednesday, January 17 @ 11 am the group will have another leisurely stroll through King's Commons. The group may share a lunch together afterward each walk.

MISSION COLLECTION REQUESTS

We have begun collecting can food items and other staples for our two families from Good Sam. While we do not know the names of our families yet, we do want to be prepared and have food on hand to take to them for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

We are also collecting warm clothing items for Jeff Douds of West Main Street Christian Church to have available for distributing them various homeless persons in need. Used jackets, coats, sweaters and other clothing items are appreciated.

Can goods and used winter clothing items can be placed in the Heritage Room. We will have bins or totes available for collected items.

We will once again be sponsoring our annual Mitten Tree for other winter items of gloves, mitten, scarves, hat and socks that can be distributed to West Main Street Christian Church or to Good Sam. Hopefully, we will have the tree in place soon.

URI GRATITUDE DINNER ANNOUNCED

First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton is hosting a Gratitude Dinner for the United Religions Initiative (URI) Northeast TN Cooperation Circle on Saturday evening, November 18th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm @ 119 West F Street, Elizabethton. This is a free event and all are welcome here. There will be program including prayers, stories, songs, meditations, mantras, and recitations about gratitude from friends of many faiths and belief traditions. A meal is provided that includes turkey and vegetarian options, rolls, drinks and cake. Everyone is requested to bring something to share ... including appetizer, salad, side dish, or dessert (especially dishes with an ethnic flair / flavor. If you have questions, please email - shellieford@gmail.com

FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD

The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

November 12 - Cafe Lola (1805 North Roan Street, JC)

November 19 - Hachimi Japanese Cuisine (3101 West Market, JC)

November 26 - Fellowship Thanksgiving "Lite" Potluck Lunch

Please note: There is a sign up sheet posted on the bulletin board in the side entry; the meats category has been substituted by finger sandwiches. Please specify, if possible, what kind of pasta, salad, or sandwich you are planning to bring.

THERE IS A FALL SCHEDULE OF ALL LUNCH BUNCH LOCATIONS POSTED ON THE BULLETIN BOARD.

IF ANYONE HAS SUGGESTIONS FOR OTHER DINING VENUES, PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE TO ADD THEM TO OUR LUNCH ROTATION. THANKS.

HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK

Sunday, November 12, 2023

10 am Adult Sunday School reading "Born of a Woman," by John Shelby Spong

11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:15 pm Personnel Committee in Conference Room

12:15 pm Nominating Committee in Poteat Library

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Cafe Lola (1805 No. Roan Street, JC)

Monday, November 13, 2023

NO Bible Study this evening

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

6 pm Session meeting in Fellowship Hall

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

11 am Nature Walk @ Winged Deer Park / lunch afterward

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Saturday, November 18, 2023

5:30 pm URI Gratitude Dinner @ 1st Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton. Everyone invited!!

Sunday, November 19, 2023

10 am Adult Sunday School reading "Born of a Woman," by John Shelby Spong

11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Hachimi Japanese Cuisine (3101 W. Market, JC)

Monday, November 20, 2023

6 pm Bible Study in the Conference Room

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

Thursday, November 23, 2023 - THANKSGIVING DAY

Sunday, November 26, 2023

10 am Adult Sunday School reading "Born of a Woman," by John Shelby Spong

11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)

12:15 pm Fellowship Potluck Light Lunch (see note above)

Monday, November 27, 2023

6 pm Bible Study in the Conference Room

Wednesday, November 29, 2023

4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)

6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal

FINANCIAL UPDATE

GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE:

[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600

Budget through NOVEMBER 10, Week #45 ($ 153,693)

Receipts $ 142,309.89

Disbursements -$ 140,948.98

Balance $ 1,360.91

Please note that our financial cushion is dwindling as we approach the end of the year.

Make sure that your tithes and pledges are up-to-date. Thanks.

Please remember the 5 Cents per Meal Offering every first Sunday of the Month. The next special PC(USA) offering will

be in December for the Christmas Joy offering

God has blessed the Church with incredible leadership in every time and place, but those leaders often need to be supported by their communities as well. This Offering addresses the support needed by some of our leaders, including supporting leadership development for communities of color, and providing support for Presbyterian church workers in their time of need.

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

November 16 - Debi Hughes

November 24 - Marsha Brandt

November 25 - Camilla Lyle

NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

November 28 - Lewis & Marcia Songer (66th)

The beauty of the

Darling arrangement

graced our Chancel

ALSO NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IN REQUESTING CHANCEL FLOWERS.

Request Chancel flowers

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS

For Friends and Family

Alynda Worrell-Welch’s mother-in-law, Shelly Welch; ; the Hughes family for son-in-law Bryce Bennett, and Debi's foster mother, Janet Vencel in Ohio; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Theresa Lura; Camilla Lyle's brother, Jeff McFee; Jonathan Sharp; Don Loughry; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; Sarah Suptin; Kelly Hodges.; Heather Hughes; Edna Campbell.

Bryce Bennett - Caring Bridge

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/brycebennett2?fbclid=IwAR0PnHlXHlkWZqwpE6j44LNwAGmT_8YZXEg9Rtj9JkGYVOzi7ucvLE6CfXg

Prayers for others

Continue to pray for the people in Ukraine as they continue their fight against the Russian Invasion. For the recent ongoing humanitarian emergency between Israel and the Palestinians of Gaza. New emergencies include an earthquake in western Nepal; flooding in the Horn of Africa (Kenya & Somalia); tropical storm Pilar in Central America; devastating Storm Ciaran across Europe with flooding in Northern Italy and moving eastward; wildfires in Riverside County, California, and in Eastern Australia (in Queensland and New South Wales)Prayers for U.S. troops and migrants seeking refuge along the southern U.S. border. 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/

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE - https://rescue.org

US FEMA - DECLARED DISASTERS - https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations

GLOBAL DISASTER ALERT & COORDINATION SYSTEM (GDACS) - https://gdacs.org

Prayer Requests

A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church pre-1970 building.

GREEN SPACE NEWS

Often isolated from larger waterways, seasonal wetlands such as prairie potholes are frequently drained for agriculture or development. However, according to a recent study in Environmental Research Letters, such wetlands are "Pollution-catching powerhouses" twice as effective at protecting downstream rivers and lakes from nitrogen, phosphorous, and other contaminants as wetlands connected to larger water bodies.

To reach this conclusion, environmental engineers at Canada's University of Waterloo combined computer modeling with 30 years of satellite imagery to calculate pollution retention. They then measured water levels at different times of year in 3,700 wetlands nationwide. "Being disconnected can be better because the wetlands are catching pollutants and retaining them as opposed to leaking them back into streams," says lead author Frederick Cheng, now at Colorado State University. Draining wetlands also destroys wildlife habitat and increases the risk of floods, drought, and other impacts of climate change.(GSN #173)

VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK

CAPE BRETON HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA

Brinton Photography (October 2017 | 5:11 min.)

Short feature Drone film showcasing some of the best scenery Cape Breton has to offer. Highlands National Park in Cape Breton Nova Scotia is one of Atlantic Canada's most visited places and for good reason, boasting the best views and most unique landscapes, its not a surprise people all over the world come to see its wonders!

From the famous view of Cap Rouge on Iconic Cabot Trail to the most visited hiker spot the Skyline Trail. This year we decided to showcase this beautiful place at the time of year its most known for, FALL! Cape Breton is full of color in the fall and many come in from around the world just to see this place in all its fall glory!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rkZyVnjIP4&t=5s

IN THE POTEAT LIBRARY

Please remember the library is open by appointment and 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.

Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Contradictions of the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them)

By Bart D. Ehrman

(220.6/EHR)

In this New York Times bestseller, leading Bible expert Bart Ehrman skillfully demonstrates that the New Testament is riddled with contradictory views about who Jesus was and the significance of his life. Ehrman reveals that many of the books were written in the names of the apostles by Christians living decades later, and that central Christian doctrines were the inventions of still later theologians. Although this has been the standard and widespread view of scholars for two centuries, most people have never learned of it.

Jesus, Interrupted is a clear and compelling account of the central challenges we have when attempting to reconstruct the life and meaning of Jesus.

REMINDERS

Congregational Concerns / Prayer Requests - Please contact the church office or Sherry Bailey with information.

Flower List - The 2023 Flower List has been posted on the bulletin board in the side entry. Please sign up to sponsor flowers for our weekly worship services in honor or in memory of loved ones.

Arrangements are $65 each.

e-Avenue deadline - Please submit information to church office (office@wataugapc.org or 926-7942) at any time and for the December issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, November 17th. This includes team and committee meetings, 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.

WATAUGA AVENUE PC IS ON .. click and see for yourself.

Visit our website

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.)