Greetings!

After four weeks, perhaps it’s time I tell you a little about myself. I am originally from Knoxville and have been serving churches in Holston Conference for 30 years. I am a graduate of Tennessee Wesleyan College and Asbury Theological Seminary. Additionally, I have a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.

Linda was raised in Cleveland, Ohio. We met and married in Knoxville. We are blessed with two beautiful daughters, Kristen and Melanie. Kristen is married to Krys Slusher and works at Children’s hospital in Knoxville as a medical dietician. Melanie is enrolled at East Tennessee State in Interior Design, but lives and takes classes in Knoxville.

Linda and I consider ourselves privileged to serve State Street UMC. You have a rich history, an outstanding staff, wonderful children and youth programs, and a myriad of other incredible ministries. We are delighted to be with you and look forward to working together in serving Jesus in our community.

See you Sunday at the Grace place,

Mike

The Final Countdown...

As I write this for the newsletter, it's a short 23 days until my due date of August 6. You all have been so supportive, caring, and encouraging during my pregnancy. I plan to deliver at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, and will keep the church office up-to-date when I have good news to share!

I will be on maternity leave for 12 weeks, and should return to work toward the end of October or first of November. Please feel free to email, call, or come to visit us after we're home from the hospital.

With love and appreciation,
Sharon, Greg, and Baby Girl Wright

Fun with Pets and Blessing of the Pets

Saturday, July 26 from 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon

Bring a pet toy or can of pet food as an entry fee. All pets must be leashed or in carriers.

Schedule of Events:
9:30 - Pet costume contest
10:30 - Pet trick contest
11:00 - Blessing of the Pets

*If your pet cannot be present, you may bring a photo for the blessing

Additional Activities:

Pet bandanas, Animal Rescue booths with information, Holly Help Reduced Spay and Neuter booth and information, K-9 Officer, Pet treats!

Join us for a day of fun with our furry friends!
Tell your friends and neighbors. Everyone welcome!

Get Your Copy of the Reed and Cathy Shell Video Now

The library will now have two copies of the video shown at the dinner honoring Reed and Cathy Shell available for check-out.

If you would like to purchase a copy of this DVD for your private library, a limited number of additional copies are available for purchase at a cost of $5.00 each. If you missed the dinner, this is a great way to remember the Shell’s ministry here at SSUMC.

All proceeds from the sale of the videos will go to the computer/video fund at the church. You may order by calling 276-669-2101 or stopping by the church office.

We are in desperate need for an adult to meet with acolytes every Sunday morning. If you can volunteer, please call Sally Crockett at (276) 466-3217.

There is a desperate need for items at the Food Pantry. We have been contacted to help our local Food Pantry by collecting canned meats and canned fruits. More and more people are needing assistance with food in our local area. There is not another major food drive until November. Please remember to help others as God has blessed us so generously.

Any items or monetary donations can be brought to the church or taken directly to the food bank. We would like to have these by August 4th. Your help is urgently needed!

What a wonderful Vacation Bible School! We want to thank all who helped in all areas.

The total attendance per night was:

• Monday - 159
• Tuesday - 156
• Wednesday - 146
• Thursday - 156

Total number of non-members were 80, with 42 members participating. Of our visitors, 50 rode the bus and 30 were non-bus. The total of children/youth participating one or more nights were 122.

We raised over $573 for Nothing But Nets for our VBS mission project. Nothing But Nets is a wonderful project that raises money to purchase bed nets for families plagued with malaria. A bed net costs $10 and can save millions of lives!

It’s not too late to help out. The children created seed paper flowers in one of their craft sessions. Each flower has a handmade paper center with embedded flower seeds. To grow the flowers, simply break apart the paper, place on soil and water.

These are for sale for $1.00 per stem and make colorful and fun gifts for friends or family! Please help us support this worthy mission by purchasing some flowers!

Need a rewarding job? Want to do more than give to the Fifth Sunday Offering? Holston Family Services is now recruiting individuals or couples, in the area to be foster parents. We provide three types of care; Therapeutic Foster Care, Medically Fragile Foster Care, and Respite Care.

One must met specific criteria, including being a resident of Virginia. As well you will provide numerous supporting documents, complete background checks, and participate in P.A.T.H. Training. On-going training, support services, crisis intervention and a daily pay rate of $47.00 per child, will be provided to you through Holston Family Services.

If you or someone you know is interested, please call Renee Leonard at 276 591-9876 or 276-591-5301. Our mission is simple: we are here to provide a much needed service to any child or family in need, while making a brighter future for the community.

If you have a prayer request or would like to be on the prayer chain, please call Emma Shipley at 276-466-2736; Nora Rockett at 423-764-2735, or the church at 276-669-2101.

by Patty Kilbreath

Avoiding Asthma Attacks

You can lower your chances of having an asthma attack if you learn how to identify and avoid the substances or situations that cause your symptoms.

Common triggers include allergies, air pollution, tobacco smoke, dust, cleaning agents, paint, and even exercise for some people. If you’re going somewhere you know you might be triggered, like visiting the home of someone who has pets, take your medication beforehand to help prevent an attack. Bring your own pillow with an allergen-proof cover when you sleep away from home. Washing your hands frequently can protect you from pollen and other allergy-causing substances that may trigger attacks.

Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America; American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology

Blood Pressure Screenings

Sunday, July 27 from 12:00 noon to 12:45 in the Parish Nurse office

Life Line Screening - Thursday, July 31

Call 1-800-324- 1851 to schedule.

Tests that can save your life: (1) Stroke Screening/Carotid Artery, (2) Atrial Fibrillation Screening, (3) Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening, and (4) Peripheral Arterial Disease Screening. Get all four for $139.00. The tests are non-invasive and completely painless.

New Tuesday Morning Early Bird Study

The Tuesday Morning Early Birds invite you to join us for a summer study of the book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. This is an easy read, but with many profound insights. Join us for lively discussion and lots of coffee! Meeting 6:30 a.m.

Begins July 1 at the home of Nancy M. Jones. Call the church if interested or email Jaymie. Cost is $12.00.

Calling All Men

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27: 17

“Gaining Your Edge” is a gathering to strengthen the hearts of men. Calling All Men will be held on August 15-16, at the Sevierville Events Center. Registration is only $29.00 per person.

The speakers for this event are Bishop James Swanson, Rev. Allen Black and Rev. Jason Roe. Entertainment by Jason Crabb and Christian comedian, Brad Stine.

For more information, a video and online registration can be found at CallingAllMen.net, or you can contact Mike Smith or Jim Ball.

Schedule

Our Fall session begins on Wednesday, August 6th with new hours of 7:45 am-4:00 pm. Limited spaces are still available in some age groups for children ages birth to 5 years. Please call the preschool @ 276-466-8505 for more information. Messages will be checked throughout the summer.

This summer we have some really fun activities planned for kids. Join us for the following events:

• July 29 – Decorate cardboard boxes to look like cars for our “drive-in movie” night, 10-12 noon, FREE! Sponsored by SSUMC Youth.
• August 1 – “Drive-in” Movies on the west lawn, 8:00-10:00 p.m. Cost $1.00. Sponsored by SSUMC Youth.

Pre-registration is required for all activities. Please call the church or email Jaymie to register your child for activities. Friends are welcome!

Please sign up for 1-2 Sundays as a shepherd this summer so we can give our regular shepherds a well-deserved break from service. Do you appreciate all they do? Show them by signing up to help this summer!

The schedule is upstairs at the sign-in desk.... Or simply email Jaymie with your available dates and she’ll plug you in. The success of the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure depends on MANY people working together. Shepherds are an essential part!

Youth Activities

We will be going to Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday, July 25th – July 27th. While we are there, we will go see the Cincinnati Reds play the Colorado Rockies, and spend Saturday at Kings Island Theme Park, among other activities. Please call Isaac or Sharon at the church. Scholarships are available for those in need of help to go on the trip. Please do not let money stop you from coming.

Other events are:

• 7/20 6:00-7:30 pm Youth
• 7/25-27 9:00am leave for Cincinnati, return 7/27 at 2:00 pm
• 7/29 10:00-12:00 Drive-In Car Craft
• 7/30 6:00-7:30 Bible Study with Isaac
• 8/1 8:00-10:00 pm Drive- In Movie

OAK

On Saturday, July 26th we will go to the Barter II to see “Don’t Cry for Me, Margaret Mitchell” and have dinner at the Tavern. We will leave the church at 1:00 p.m. We need to know who is driving and who is riding on vans. Sign-up at Welcome Center

In August we are traveling to Watauga Lake and will have dinner at the Captain’s Table Restaurant. Vans will leave the church at 3:00 p.m. Sign-up at the Welcome Center.

UMW News

SSUMC UMW Executive Committee will meet August 5 at 10:00 a.m. in the Disciple room. The next general meeting and luncheon will be on September 2.

Holston Conference UMW Legislative Event - Ending Domestic Violence: On Saturday, August 23rd from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Church Street UMC, 900 Henley Street, Knoxville, TN (865-524-3048). Registration fee is $10.00 and includes lunch and snack. Make checks out to Holston Conference UMW and mail to Kay Phillips, 1401 Blue Ridge Way, Sevierville, TN 37862. If you have questions or need additional information, call Lou McNutt at 865-453-6436. Speakers include Dr. David Kitts, Senator Tim Burchett, Deborah Yeomans, Jo Terry, Nancy Sentell, Kathy Hatfield and Rev. Patricia Clendenen.

Abingdon District UMW invites you to attend the 2008 Holston Conference School of Christian Mission to be held July 24-26 at First UMC in Oak Ridge, TN. There will be 3 studies: “I Believe in Jesus,” “Israel and Palestine,” and “Giving Our Hearts Away-Native American Survival.” Registration is $45.00 and $30 per child. Child care is provided only if your child is registered in advance.

O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. - Psalm 98: 1

I pray your summer is going well. This has been an unusually busy summer for me and for our music program at State Street and I’d like to share a little about it with you.

I was gone for three straight Sundays in May. Two weeks were spent leading the Emory & Henry Concert Choir through Austria and Germany; and the third Sunday was spent with over 200 Concert Choir alumni to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the choir at Emory. I went to Basel, Switzerland in mid-June on a research grant to study a fascinating Swiss composer, Frank Martin.

This past Thursday, I had a surgery on my voice which will make me hoarse for a while, but should provide significant improvement to my vocal health over the next year. If I only smiled and nodded to you at church, please know that it was because I was voiceless. Next week I head to Westminster Choir College for a week of hand-bell ringing and training. This busy summer has been, paradoxically, invigorating – I feel hungry to start the fall ‘semester.'

Meanwhile, back home, we’re preparing for a great 2008-2009 in our musical program. R.L. Light and others in the choir have led a committee that selected and purchased beautiful new robes for our choristers and ringers. Our hand bells are undergoing needed repairs, and they should shine and ring like new in September. I’m ordering sturdier, bigger folders for the singers, and Peanut is building shelving to store them.

Now, I’m a firm believer that excellence in musical worship has nothing to do with accoutrements – I think of Luke 12:34, “Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be, also” – but I do believe in responsible stewardship of our assets to keep our musical leadership going strong. We all know that SSUMC is a great place to worship, a great place for religious education, and a great place for music.

But I would like to suggest that we can do more in our musical worship formation for our children and youth. As a parent, I hope Peter and Eleanor will sing and experience musical worship continuously from their present ages into adulthood, and I hope you’ll join me in taking a focused look at how we can build a vibrant and sustainable music program for our children. The Children’s Music Committee is meeting Sunday, August 10 immediately after worship to start this planning process. If you’re a parent, have ideas, or want to know how you can help, please contact Jaymie to let her know you’ll be there for the meeting.

We might be getting close to running out of seats up in the choir area, but there are a few left, one of which has been saved for you! If you’ve been thinking about joining the Chancel Choir or ringing with one of our bell-choirs, let me encourage you and invite you to give it a try this fall. Drop me a line at ssieck@ehc.edu or call me at 276-944-6592 to let me know you’re interested.

Steve

Floral Arrangements

July 27 - The floral arrangements on the altar in the chapel and sanctuary are given by the family in loving memory of their parents, Mary Ann and Robert “Bob” Little.

August 3 - The floral arrangements on the altar in the chapel and sanctuary are given by George and Becky McCloud in loving memory of Becky’s parents, Helen and Jim Groseclose.

August 10 - The floral arrangements on the altar in the chapel and sanctuary are given by the Little family, Amy, Robert III and Michael and their families in loving memory of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Godsey, Sr. and Robert Godsey, Jr.

August 17 - The floral arrangements on the altar in the chapel and sanctuary are given by Robert and Joday Blevins in loving memory of their son, Gordon. The arrangement in the Narthex is from the garden of Farnham and Amelia Jarrad in loving memory of Amelia’s parents, Jimmie and Jane Martin Osborne, her aunt, Amelia Martin Bailey and her son, John Stone.

Electronic Giving

Pick up an authorization form at the Welcome Center, return it to the church business office, and attach a voided check to the completed form. There is no cost to the donor for the service. If you have questions, please call Wrenda at the church from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday.

All articles for the newsletter and corrections should go to Reneé LaMon, Administrative Assistant, at the church office. If emailing your article, please send it to Reneé at churchoffice@state-street.org. Submitting corrections for the online version may go directly to Paul Derden.