People, Look East. By Eleanor Farjeon

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1 DECEMBER 2018 Rev. Brenda Carroll - District Superintendent brendacarroll@holston.org Mary Hawkins - Administrative Assistant maryhawkins@holston.org Lori Hopper - Administrative Assistant, Editor lorihopper@holston.org MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box Knoxville, TN PHYSICAL ADDRESS 5121 Camelia Road Knoxville, TN Phone : and People, Look East By Eleanor Farjeon 1. People, look east. The time is near Of the crowning of the year. Make your house fair as you are able, Trim the hearth and set the table. People, look east and sing today: Love, the guest, is on the way. 2. Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare, One more seed is planted there: Give up your strength the seed to nourish, That in course the flower may flourish. People, look east and sing today: Love, the rose, is on the way. 3. Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim One more light the bowl shall brim, Shining beyond the frosty weather, Bright as sun and moon together. People, look east and sing today: Love, the star, is on the way. 4. Angels, announce with shouts of mirth Christ who brings new life to earth. Set every peak and valley humming With the word, the Lord is coming. People, look east and sing today: Love, the Lord, is on the way. What a joy it is to share with you in this season of Advent preparation. We are thankful to proclaim with all of you Love, the Lord, is on the way. Peace be yours in this season and in the New Year!

2 News for Tennessee Valley District Clergy DISTRICT CLERGY MEETING THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, :00am (There will be no evening meeting) POWELL UMC 323 W. Emory Road, Powell Completed End-of-Year Report packets are due at this meeting. CEU NEWS For the latest continuing education news and from the Wesley Leadership Institute, please visit: id=76e2ccb75003bbc b07af544b Phone: Website: Wesley Leadership Institute CONVOCATION 2019 February 18-20, 2019 Music Road Resort, Pigeon Forge We are excited to present the details, brochure and registration information for Convocation This year's theme is "The Pain & Power of Community." The current period in history seems fraught with conflict and uncertainty on all fronts, whether spiritual, social or political. As a denominational community we are not immune. The pain of dealing with a challenging environment combined with the potential power and support we can receive from our relationship with Christ, our colleagues and our congregations are the focus of this year's event. Please read the following, as there are a few changes and additions for Hotel registration this year will be by phone only. There are apparently some issues at Music Road with group registration software, so please be sure to call well ahead of the event for the best room selection. Remind them that you are with Holston Conference to get our special group rate. Your room fee includes a full hot breakfast. Our plenary speakers this year are: Dr. James Howell - pastor of Myers Park UMC in Charlotte, NC, author and adjunct professor at Duke Divinity School Dr. Kimberly Pope-Seiberling - Teacher at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky, elder in West Ohio Conference, speaker and recipient of Asbury Theological Seminary s Beeson Scholarship Dr. Jerry Russell - retired Holston elder, former pastor of Fairview UMC in Maryville for 25 years and leader of multiple mission trips around the world Our music for worship this year includes: Jerry Butler & the Smoky Mountain String Band - You may have seen them performing at Dollywood this season. Check the links for info on these great musicians and hear them "live and in person" at Monday night worship. They will also provide a short concert after the service. Oros Worship - Led by Travis Wills, this group from Kodak UMC will provide music for Tuesday night's worship. Seth O'Kegley - Seth is the Music Director at First Oak Ridge UMC. He will be coordinating our Wednesday worship and directing our first-ever clergy choir. Our offering this year during Tuesday night worship will go to the Alabama-West Florida Conference where Panama City is located. They have experienced quite a few losses in churches. Bishop Graves has issued a special appeal asking for funds to help pay salaries and other benefits for those ministers whose churches were destroyed. Please give generously for your beleaguered colleagues on the coast. We think Convocation 2019 may be one of our best ever. Great speakers, inspirational worship, fine music, and, as always, the fellowship of friends and colleagues - not to mention a full 2.0 CEUs! Register today at: CONVOCATION.HOLSTON.ORG December 2018 Page 2

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5 Tennessee Valley District Lay Servant Ministries Information 2019 Lay Servant Training: Saturday, January 12, 2019 (The inclement weather day will be February 2, 2019) Central United Methodist Church of Lenoir City 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration Deadline: January 2, 2019 Basic Course: Rev. John Justice Advanced Courses United Methodist Polity: Rev. Dennie Humphreys Worship: Rev.Dr. Scott Layer Registration form is found on Page 4. Certified Lay Minister Training will be conducted in the Tennessee Valley District in Dates to be determined. To become a Certified Lay Minister, you need to complete the following requirements: 1. Be certified as a lay servant, lay missioner (or equivalent as defined by your central conference). 2. Obtain written recommendation from the pastor and the church council or charge conference of the local church in which you hold membership. 3. Complete a track of study for certified lay ministers relevant to your assignment as defined by Discipleship Ministries or the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry in collaboration with Discipleship Ministries and the conference committee on lay servant ministries or equivalent structure. 4. Receive a letter of recommendation from your district superintendent. 5. Have all requirements for certification, including appropriate screening and assessment, as defined by the annual conference, reviewed by the conference committee on lay servant ministries, or equivalent structure, for referral to the district committee on ordained ministry for examination of persons who have applied in writing to be certified lay ministers and to make recommendation for certification (see ). After the district committee on ordained ministry interviews you, the district committee on ordained ministry will make a recommendation to the conference committee on lay servant ministries for final certification by that committee. If you are interested in being a Certified Lay Minister, please contact Bobby Stair at bsstair@comcast.net or December 2018 Page 5

6 FESTIVAL OF GIFTS & TALENTS NEWS FOR YOUTH MINISTRIES CONGRATULATIONS TO NEW GENERATION from MIDDLEBROOK PIKE UMC for being chosen at the November 11 District Festival of Gifts & Talents held at Concord UMC to represent the Tennessee Valley District at Resurrection Special thanks to ALL the beautiful gifts of worship shared: Solid Rock Youth- Harriman UMC. Stick with God- Central UMC Saving Grace- Christ UMC Kailyn Shipley & Nathan Smith- Fountain City UMC New Generation- Middlebrook Pike RESURRECTION 2019 January 25-27, 2019 LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge THEME: VOICES UNITED SPEAKER: Jorge Acevedo WORSHIP: I Am They VERSE: Romans 15:6 So that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice. (CSB) Registration Information Regular registration for Resurrection 2019 is now open! The regular registration price is $40 per person. Register online today at: etouches.com/rez19 or download the registration form and register by mail. The regular registration price is good until December 31, After that date, you must register at the door for $55 per person. WINTER YOUTH RETREATS AT LAKE JUNALUSKA Come to a youth group retreat at Lake Junaluska this winter for adventure, spiritual growth and worship in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Energized worship with great bands is built into every program weekend, and groups can choose to ski, do a mission project or participate in other activities during the day. Dates: December 29 January 1 New Year s Weekend: Andy Lambert (Speaker) and Jimmy Atkins (Worship Band) January Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend: Lowell McNaney (Speaker), The Advice (Worship Band) February 8 10: Stephanie Hand (Speaker) and Zachariah Suggs (Worship Band) February 15 18: Presidents Day Weekend: Mark Oestreicher (Speaker) and Cameron Moore (Worship Band) Find more information at December 2018 Page 6

7 Looking for childcare over the Christmas holidays? How about Camp? Christmas Day Camp December 8 from 10am to 6pm $55 Winter Camp Full session December $299 Mini session December $149 Want some fun with your confirmation? How about coming to camp? March 1-2, 2019 Want to use your golf swing to help others? Come to our Golf Tournament April 29, 2019 For more information about these events visit On behalf of Camp Wesley Woods, we want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas, and we want to once again thank you for the support you have shown us as your Camping and Retreat Ministry. Because of your support, we have had the wonderful opportunity to create new relationships and change lives for the kingdom. We would be honored if you would download and view/show the video found at to your congregations during this Advent season. May the Hope, Peace, Joy and Love of Christ rest upon each of you during this wonderful time of the year. December 2018 Page 7

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9 ALL MEN IN THE TENNESSEE VALLEY DISTRICT MARK YOUR CALENDARS! HOLSTON ANNUAL CONFERENCE JUNE 9-12, 2019 The housing lottery for Lake Junaluska housing will be open February 4 March 1. You can enter the lottery by following the link provided at If you require a paper copy for the housing lottery you must contact Lake Junaluska at before March 1. Camp in the Community will be in charge of childcare during this year s Annual Conference. A link will be provided on to register children. If you need a paper copy, please contact the conference office to have one mailed to you. Members to Annual Conference, watch mail and in mid to late January for more important information and dates regarding Annual Conference All links will be live by February 4, JUBILATION 2019 Registration opens for Jubilation 2019 on January 8, More information can be found at: or by contacting the office of Connectional Ministries of the Holston Conference We will be blessed by the leadership of Bishop Kenneth L. Carder, son of Holston Conference and currently serving as caregiver for his wife, Linda, who is diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia and volunteer chaplain at Bethany Memory Care Center at the Heritage at Lowman. He will provide us a theological understanding of those living with dementia and ways we, as congregations, care for those persons and their families. December 2018 Page 9

10 MARK YOUR CALENDARS JANUARY NEW YEAR S DAY - DISTRICT OFFICE CLOSED 6 STAFF PARISH/FINANCE COMMITTEE TRAININGS, 3:00pm-4:30pm, Second UMC 10 END-OF-YEAR REPORTS DUE 10 DISTRICT CLERGY MEETING, 10:00am, Powell UMC 12 LAY SERVANT MINISTRIES TRAINING, 8:30am-5:00pm, Central UMC, Lenoir City 17 DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON ORDAINED MINISTRY, 2:30pm-7:00pm, District Office 20 STAFF PARISH/FINANCE COMMITTEE TRAININGS, 3:00pm-4:30pm, First UMC, Oak Ridge 21 MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY - DISTRICT OFFICE CLOSED RESURRECTION, VOICES UNITED, LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge FEBRUARY DIVINE RHYTHM, Mills Auditorium, Gatlinburg 15 MAN UP MEN S EVENT, 6:00pm-9:00pm, Concord UMC MINISTERS CONVOCATION, Music Road Resort, Pigeon Forge GENERAL CONFERENCE, SPECIAL SESSION, St. Louis, MO The Tennessee Valley District Office will be closed December 21, January 1, The office will reopen Wednesday, January 2, Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Healthy and Prosperous New Year! GENERAL CONFERENCE 2019 You are invited to pause and pray for your Holston Delegation to General Conference between 2:23-2:26 a.m. or p.m. each day between now and the Special Session of the General Conference February 23-26, 2019 St. Louis, Missouri. HELP US DISTRIBUTE THE DISTRICT NEWS! You can help share the news from the Tennessee Valley in these ways: Please forward, print, share and distribute this issue of the District News with members and friends of your congregations. If you know anyone who would like to be added to our newsletter distribution list, please contact Lori Hopper (lorihopper@holston.org) or Mary Hawkins (maryhawkins@holston.org) providing a name and address. If you would like to submit an article or have an event you would like published in the district newsletter, please submit to: lorihopper@holston.org December 2018 Page 10