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GOOD NEWS AND WORSHIP UPDATE
MORNING WORSHIP
Sunday, August 6, 2023 @ 11 am
Sermon - "The Unexpected Meeting"
Scripture reading - Genesis 32:22-31
Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor
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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 - Nancy Fennell
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SPECIAL NEWS AND INFORMATION | |
PARABLES
Has there ever been a time in your life where you felt as if you were wrestling with God? Maybe asking the hard questions after something has happened. You are not the only one. I think that many of us, especially after the last few years; have been wrestling with God on some issues. This week for our lectionary reading, we come to a story about a man named Jacob that is wrestling with God for the entire night. The son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham that is known to be a trickster is now the one that prevails. So join us this week as we explore what the wrestling means for the patriarch Jacob, and what it means for us as we walk through our daily life.
Yours in Christ
Brandon
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS
The Adult Sunday School class is currently reading and discussing Philip Yancey's book, "Vanishing Grace: what ever happened to the Good News?"
The class meets in the Poteat Library at 10 am. If you wish to join the class there is always room for one more. You are welcome to secure your personal copy and join them in class. Good used copies can be found on Amazon, as well as BetterWorldBooks.com.
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AUGUST WALK SCHEDULED
The following walk will be a return to Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton on Wednesday, August 16th at 10 am. Take highway 321 toward Elizabethton. The park is about 8 miles from the church. Turn left into the park from the highway and follow the road past the fort, on your left, to park by the tennis courts. The entrance to the park is just before you get to Sycamore Shoals Hospital. Lunch afterwards.
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MEET THE MOUNTAINS FESTIVAL IN AUGUST
The Meet The Mountains Festival will be held in Johnson City at Winged Deer Park on August 18-19. This festival serves as a showcase of Northeast Tennessee’s outdoor recreation assets. And this year, we are having our own Watauga Avenue Presbyterian Church booth at this festival. We want people in the community to become aware of our mission and values towards sustainability, creation care, and love for God’s earth. During this festival, we will be distributing native wildflower seed packets with information about our church and our Green Team. We look forward to a lot of fun!
There are several lists on the bulletin board in the side entrance. Please indicate if you can help with filling seed packets on Sunday, August 6, after worship. There are 8 volunteers on the list thus far; i'm sure others will be welcomed. Please bring a bag lunch.
We are still looking for volunteers to help fill some 3 hour timeslot to man our booth at the Festival on Friday, August 18 and/or Saturday, August 19. The list of who has volunteered thus far is listed below; other people are certainly welcome to join these members and provide valuable assistance or give them a break. Just add your name to the list. Thanks.
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FRIDAY, AUGUST 18TH
1 - 3 PM SET-UP
Nancy Fennell / Susan and Megan Turner
4 - 7 PM
Matthew & Karen Clark
7 - 10 PM
still needing volunteers
We hope that others will be able to drop in and help for shorter periods of time (maybe for an hour / hour & half) and give our volunteers a little break and assistance.
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 19TH
10 AM - 1 PM
Susan and Megan Turner
1 - 4 PM
Matthew & Karen Clark
4 - 7PM
Stephen & Sue Shanks
7 - 10 PM
John Golden / Mike & Janis Miyamoto
10 PM TAKE-DOWN
still needing volunteers
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T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE NEXT WEEK
The t-shirts that are being made by local artist, Wes Keplinger, for Meet in the Mountains will be available this next week in the church office. For those who ordered them, you can bring your $15 (check to WAPC or cash) to church this Sunday. We are excited to have them available so soon. We will send out a notice indicating when you can drop by to get yours.
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ETSU - UKIRK RETURNS
WAPC will be assisting with the dinners for ETSU-UKIRK meetings and programs this fall. Dates that have been scheduled for us are Monday, August 28 (Back to School); Monday, October 4; and December 4 (End of the Year). The dinners and programs are from 6:30 - 8 pm on those Monday evenings. If you would like to participate or attend one, you are most welcome.
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FOOD, FOOD AND MORE FOOD
The Lunch Bunch / Meal Schedule for JULY / AUGUST
August 6 @ Black Olive (202 E. Main St, dwtn JC)
August 13 @ Hachimi Japanese Cuisine (3101 W. Market, JC)
August 20 @ Cafe Lola (1805 No. Roan St, JC)
August 27 - Vegetarian Lover's Potluck Lunch
THERE IS A SUMMER 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.
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HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE COMING WEEK | |
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Saturday, August 5, 2023
10 am Holston Presbytery @ First Presbyterian Church, Morristown TN
Sunday, August 6, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship / Communion, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:15 pm Filling seed packets for Meet the Mountains booth (bring a bag lunch)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Black Olive (202 E. Main Street, dwtn JC)
Monday, August 7, 2023
6 pm Summer Bible Study (in Conference Room)
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
6 pm August Session meeting
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Sunday, August 13, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
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, August 14, 2023
6 pm Summer Bible Study (in Conference Room)
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
10 am Walk / stroll @ Sycamore Shoals State Park, Elizabethton (lunch following)
4 pm Meditation Circle (via Zoom)
6 pm Chancel Choir rehearsal
Friday, August 18, 2023
1 pm - 3 pm set-up WAPC booth @ Meet The Mountains Festival, Winged Deer Park
4 - 10 pm manning WAPC booth @ Meet the Mountains Festival, Winged Deer Park
Saturday, August 19, 2023
10 am - 10 pm manning WAPC booth @ Meet the Mountains Festival, Winged Deer Park
Sunday, August 20, 2023
10 am Adult Sunday School - reading "Vanishing Grace" by Philip Yancey
11 am Morning Worship, Rev. Brandon Davis, Pastor (in-person YouTube / Facebook)
12:30 pm Lunch Bunch @ Café Lola (1805 No. Roan Street, JC)
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LAST WEEK'S BABY SHOWER
There was a wonderful turnout for the shower last Sunday afternoon for Caitlin Smith with everyone participating in the fun games. Karen planned for us to identify songs using the word "baby"; remembering nursery rhymes; and blind sampling baby food with quite a diverse array of answers. The food was fabulous and delicious as we would expect from Linda, Michelle and others. The mother and father to be, Caitlin and Daniel, joined in and had their share of fun too. Best of all was the opening of gifts. I'm sure that the Smiths are quite happy with all they received, as well as, little Henry Hamilton Smith, once he arrives.
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GENERAL FUND: YEAR TO DATE: | |
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[2023 Annual Budget - $ 177,600
Budget through August 4, Week #31 ($ 105,877)
Receipts $ 105,378.49
Disbursements -$ 96,001.43
Balance $ 9,377.06
Please remember the 5 Cents per Meal Offering this week
and every first Sunday of the Month. The next special PC(USA) offering will
be in September for the Peace & Global Witness offering.
please note: Mike Miyamoto has written a mid-year WAPC Investments Update that will be made available to those requesting a copy. Please send an email request to: office@wataugapc.org and we will email you a copy. Thanks.
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AUGUST BIRTHDAYS
August 10 - Matthew Clark
August 20 - John Hancock
August 21 - Dick Lura
AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES
August 6 - David & Jennifer Wood - 40th
ALSO NOTE: THE 2023 FLOWER LIST IS AVAILABLE ON THE BULLETIN BOARD IN THE SIDE ENTRY FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE IN REQUESTING CHANCEL FLOWERS.
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For Friends and Family
the Hollingshead and Huneycut families; Theresa Lura; Sue Shanks' friend, Gladys Wiggins; Camilla Lyle's brother, Jeff McFee; Sue Sheffield's sister-in-law, Pauline Frye; Marty Shanks' sister, Judy Hall; Jonathan Sharp; Michelle Browning's brother, Patrick; Don Loughry; George, Jo & Nikki Rolling; Rev. Maggie Lauterer; Sarah Suptin; Kelly Hodges.; Heather Hughes; Edna Campbell.
Prayers for others
Continue to pray for the people in Ukraine as they continue their fight against the Russian Invasion. For the people Sudan as they are caught between an armed conflict between rival factions of the military government of Sudan and continues to be an ongoing humanitarian crisis, as well as the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Prayers of the victims of flooding in Vermont and northeast U.S., Pennsylvania; and South Korea; wildfires in California and Canada; public health crisis in Peru. Prayers are needed for the refugee crisis and European migration issues in Greece. 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
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Celebrating David and Jennifer Wood's 40th anniversary. Congratulations!!! | |
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When Apollo 8 astronauts snapped the famous "Earthrise" photo from space in 1968, the world began awakening to the importance of protecting our ocean planet. For the first time humanity saw the Earth as a swirly, ocean-blue marble, a tiny planet spinning in the vast universe, bringing a sense of humility to our fragile existence. Two years later, millions marched on the first Earth Day—demanding that politicians protect our planet from the pesticides, burning rivers, acid rain, and oil spills caused by unchecked industrial activity—and Congress began enacting our strongest conservation laws. One of them was the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which pass through Congress in 1972 with strong bipartisan support.
This forward-thinking law was the first law in the world to take an ecosystem-based approach to marine species management. It placed an immediate moratorium on unauthorized activities that intentionally or unintentionally harm, harass, or kill marine mammals. For example, the statute generally bans the unauthorized import, export, or sale of marine mammal parts such as ivory, bone, skins, and fur (although there are exceptions for products obtained as part of a cultural exchange with Indigenous peoples of the United States, Canada, Russia, and Greenland). The statute works to ensure that no marine mammal species drops below its optimum sustainable population, and it also regulates capture of marine mammals for entertainment. (GSN #159)
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VIRTUAL CREATION ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK | |
Filippa Rivetti ( April 2017 | 6:09 min.)
Uluru / Ayers Rock is recognised as "Australia's most natural icon" and has become a focal point for Australia and the world's acknowledgement of Australian indigenous culture. The sandstone monolith stands 348 metres (1,142 ft) high with most of its bulk below the ground. To Anangu, the local indigenous people, Uluru / Ayers Rock is a place name and this "Rock" has a number of different landmarks where many ancestral beings have interacted with the landscape and/or each other, some even believed to still reside here. Kata Tjuta / Mount Olga, meaning 'many heads' in his aboriginal name, is a sacred place relating to knowledge that is considered very powerful and dangerous, only suitable for initiated men. It is made up of a group of 36 conglomerate rock domes that date back 500 million years.
Anangu are the traditional Aboriginal owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. They believe that their culture was created at the beginning of time by ancestral beings. Uluru / Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta / Mount Olga provide physical evidence of feats performed during the creation period. They often lead walking tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories of the area.
This spectacular film is set to Beethoven's 7th Symphony - Second Movement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGIOmpb7ccA
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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.
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What’s So Amazing About Grace?
By Philip Yancey
(234/YAN)
In What’s So Amazing About Grace? award-winning author Philip Yancey explores grace at street level. If grace is God’s love for the undeserving, he asks, then what does it look like in action? And if Christians are its sole dispensers, then how are we doing at lavishing grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy?
Yancey sets grace in the midst of life’s stark images, tests its mettle against horrific "ungrace." Can grace survive in the midst of such atrocities as the Nazi holocaust? Can it triumph over the brutality of the Ku Klux Klan?
Grace does not excuse sin, says Yancey, but it treasures the sinner. True grace is shocking, scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today’s AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus’ day.
In his most personal and provocative book ever, Yancey offers compelling, true portraits of grace’s life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He asks, How can Christians contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear.
And he challenges us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, What’s So Amazing About Grace?
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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 September issue of the e-AVENUE, no later than Friday, August 18th. 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.
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WATAUGA AVENUE PC IS ON .. click and see for yourself. | | |
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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.) | | | | |
