Introducing Matt Hall

Transcription

1 Appointment Announcement District Superintendent, Jason Gattis, met with our Staff-Parish Relations Committee a few weeks ago to introduce us to our new associate minister, Matt Hall, projected to be appointed to 1st UMC beginning July 1, Matt is currently serving two churches in the New River District on the upper end of the Holston Conference. Matt also assists the Out of the Box Worship Center in Hillsville, VA with its Celebrate Recovery program. We look forward to welcoming Matt whose primary responsibility will be leading Celebrate Recovery. Our BBQ & Bluegrass Sunday is the perfect time to give Matt a wonderful Maryville welcome. That s happening on July 1st from 5:00 to 7:00 pm in Asbury Hall. We are thankful for the care that Bishop Taylor and the Cabinet took in choosing just the right person to continue our growing community ministry. Matt Hall, seen here speaking at a Celebrate Recovery Service back in January 2017, is projected to be the new Associate Minister at 1st UMC. Rev. Catherine Nance While hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2017 as the AT Chaplain for the Holston Conference, Matt Hall hiked with the trail name Trigger. Introducing Matt Hall Matt Hall may already be familiar to you. In 2017, Matt served as the fifth Appalachian Trail Chaplain for the Holston Conference. His trail name was Trigger a reference to both Willie Nelson s famous guitar and a term he learned while in recovery from Substance Abuse. In an interview with the Maryville Daily Times, Matt described his addiction as a vicious cycle that only people like (him) understand. It is a problem that started with alcohol, but moved to pain pills after Matt broke his neck. Before his journey on the AT started, Matt came to 1st UMC to speak at Celebrate Recovery. In addition to his role as AT Chaplain, Matt is also a graduate of the Leadership Holston Class and a participant in the Defining Moments program at Emory & Henry College. Last summer at Annual Conference Matt received his Local Pastor s License. You can learn more about his journey along the trail on the AT Chaplain Facebook page, facebook.com/appalachiantrailchaplain.

2 United Methodist Women Meeting on May 3rd at 9:45 am in room 152 Hostess will be Elaine Graves, Ann Hand and Bonnie VanPelt. Lisa Blackwood is presenting a program on Good Neighbors. Next Monday! We will be honoring the Class of 2018 on Sunday, May 13th and we need information about graduating students soon. That includes future plans and a picture for us to use in the bulletin and other places. Please send your graduate s information to chensley@1stchurch.org by May 2nd. Celebrating 50 years of the UMC! Shortly after First United Methodist Church started worshipping here on Montvale Station Road, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church came together to form the United Methodist Church. That Uniting Conference happened 50 years ago on April 23rd in Dallas, TX. Below is a picture of the order of worship from that historic event, one that can be found in the archives here at 1st UMC-Maryville. THE CHURCH BELL Page 2

3 Summer fun ahead! Nathan Irwin Director of 1st Youth May 6th 1st Sunday Funday: Bowling & Pizza 6:00 to 8:00 pm Cost is $5 May 30th through June 2nd Myrtle Beach Summer Kickoff June 14th - Tubing in Townsend June 25th through 29th Jr./Sr. High Assembly at Emory & Henry College July 8th through 13th Summer Impact Mission Trip, Cincinnati, OH July 17th - Main Event in Knoxville More details on these summer events and others can be found on the church website. Just look for 1st Youth under the Grow with 1st tab. If you would like to have a positive influence in the lives of the children and families of our community, then consider becoming a volunteer at this year s Vacation Bible School! This annual event is only a success because of volunteers like YOU and there are many ways you can help this summer. Serve as a guide to chaperone children to different groups Serve in the craft station Help with the storytelling station Help with food services Serve as the preschool leader Serve in the music station Or just be able to volunteer when and where you re needed. Some of my best childhood church memories stem from Vacation Bible School. I lovingly remember being served red Kool-Aid, homemade cookies, and ice cream at the church. I also remember feeling loved and having fun within the walls of the church. Growing up in the Midwest, my family attended church regularly. When I went away to college, I drifted away from the church. When I was newly married, my husband and I infrequently attended church in the first few years of marriage. My thoughts about the importance of church greatly changed when our first child was born. With the arrival of our daughter, Danielle, we quickly changed our THE CHURCH BELL Page 3 priorities and made attending church a priority. Maybe you have a similar story to mine? Danielle is now 26 years old and she too has good memories of attending VBS. Her memories center around 1st UMC and the wonderful volunteers who made VBS a priority. In fact, a couple of the volunteers who lovingly served Danielle as a volunteer 23 years ago continue to serve in 1st Kids Ministries today! How about you? Maybe you can t commit to serving for the next 23 years but I bet you can look at your schedule and make this year s VBS program a priority. I look forward to serving alongside you in this most important capacity! Living Loved, Denise Johns Director of 1st Kids Ministries djohns@1stchurch.org June 3rd through June 6th

4 In Memoriam Joined 1st Church February 1946 Entered the Church Triumphant April 11, 2018 Lee Hagan Joined 1st Church April 27, 1958 Entered the Church Triumphant April 18, 2018 Christian sympathy extend to: The family of who died on April 11th. Memorials & Honorariums Memorial Fund Rev. James Benson A friend Rev. James Benson Glenna McMahan Semmer Rev. James Benson Daniel & Karen Goudelock Rev. James Benson Joseph Sprigg Rev. James Benson Rev. James S. McCartt Rev. James Benson Jason Gattis Bert Rieger Calvin & Debra Perkins Lorena Carmen Cecil Carmen (in memory of what would have been her 95th birthday on April 29th) Mission Endowment Fund Julia Lundy Family Promise Rev. James Benson Music Fund Susan Thompson A friend Bob Haresnape In honor of: Jane Robinson Jonathan Daves Music Memorial Jerry & Frances Hodge Ernie & Pat Blankenship Ed Harmon Friends Friends Tim & Sandra Carpenter James & Julia Householder Jill Rollins Shields SS Class Fred & Judy White Sudan Missions Barbara Matzek Welcome Table A friend Penny Blake Hu & Kay Blake Glen & Jo Ann Doig Steven Phillips & Phillip Jones Lee & Sarah Ramey Bill Rollins Lena Leston Jerry & Lin Reichelt Family Blount Partnership Tom & Trudy Teague Gary & Sherry Hensley Jim Merritt

5 Coming this month to Each Wednesday Night 5:30 Light Meal 6:30 Worship 7:40 Share Groups This is a Do Not Miss event. Come hear Dr. Stephen Loyd tell his story of addiction and how he ended up as Tennessee s Director for Substance Abuse Services. May 23rd Rev. Parker Benson Join us as Parker brings you a lesson on morals and how they fit into the Recovery journey. It s time to figure out how to be proud of the changed people we are becoming. May 30th Redeemed Christina Lindberg May 16th Steve Shates with Broken Chains Get ready to ride as we hear from Steve about his changed life and the Broken Chains ministry, a group of people who found a way to take an activity they loved, but was not always good for them, into an avenue to praise and worship God. After years of trying to avoid rejection and attempting to control life only led to abuse and more hurt in Christina s life. Come hear how God has redeemed a life steeped in co-dependency and hurt into a life of freedom and hope. THE CHURCH BELL Page 5

6 Maryville First United Methodist Church 804 Montvale Station Road Maryville, Tennessee Phone: Change Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID MARYVILLE TN PERMIT NO. 113 THIS SUNDAY! Opioid Crisis in East TN Sunday, April 29th 5:00 pm in Asbury Hall Stephanie Armbrister Strutner Executive Director ASAP of Anderson County (Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention) ONLINE ALL THE TIME! The next edition of The Church Bell comes out on May 7th If you have something to submit, the deadline for submissions is May 4th.