Belleviews. Church Retreat At NaCoMe September B E L L E V U E P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H

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1 Belleviews S E P T E M B E R B E L L E V U E P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H N A S H V I L L E, T N O u r M i s s i o n : I n g r a t i t u d e f o r G o d s l o v e a n d g r a c e, w e s e e k t o b e a c a r i n g f a i t h c o m m u n i t y w h i c h g l o r i f i e s G o d, n u r t u r e s d i s c i p l e s, a n d s h a r e s t h e g o s p e l o f J e s u s C h r i s t i n W o r d a n d d e e d. Church Retreat At NaCoMe September This year our theme is based on the bible verse: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22:1-2. Friday Night we will gather around the campfire for Vespers & S'mores. Saturday afternoon we will host Gametime during free time. Our Saturday night activity "Tall Tales and Short Stories", we ask everyone to dress as their favorite/influential/inspiring character from history, literature, or movies. The Retreat committee will be in the Narthex after church every Sunday in August and early September to answer your questions and register you for camp and cabin assignments.

2 P A G E 2 The Pastor Ponders... The Lord said to Abram, Go from your country, your people and your father s household to the land I will show you... So, Abram went, as the Lord had told him... Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. I recently celebrated a birthday, and birthdays tend to make me introspective. I ponder the things I ve accomplished in life, and I also, sometimes, mourn the things in life that have seemed to elude me. Older age can bring with it many regrets. But, then I became reacquainted with Father Abraham. I imagine that he and Sarah often felt like life had passed them by. With no children to speak of and no land to call their own, they must have settled into their golden years with an acceptance of what could not be. And then the Lord came along... Our Lord is a God of call, and he does move in mysterious ways, as William Cowper put it in his famous hymn. When I allow myself to focus on my blessings, I see his hand and call all over my life. with them. I perused the genealogy pages of my grandmother s Bible and discovered that she would have been 90 years old this November. So, in doing the math, I saw that she was 46 when I was born and approaching 50 when I began living with her. My grandfather was two years her senior. As I stare down those numbers myself, I wonder if they were overwhelmed to hear a crying baby and chase after a toddler every day. Or were they filled with joy at the new life in their midst. I imagine it was a bit of both. But, it served as a reminder to me that you never know what s around the bend where our God is concerned. Life and discipleship is a great adventure. May we follow Abraham and Sarah s example as we live into faith! Peace, The age of Abraham and Sarah also prompted lots of thoughts about my grand-parents and just how old they were when my brother and I moved in B E L L E V I E W S

3 BPC News & Notes THE SHORT SESSION The Session of Bellevue Presbyterian Church holds its monthly stated meetings on the third Monday of each month. The Session did not meet in July. All meetings are open to the congregation. At the August 6, 2012 meeting, the Session: Heard a report from the Nominating Committee. Accepted a report from the Mission Team concerning the Habitat Build in September and the Red Cross Blood drive in September. Heard a report from Christian Education concerning the beginning of the church-wide study of The Story August 12, If you have questions or wish to receive an of the Session notes, please contact Tom Drake at thomas.drake@att.net or call (615) Session Minutes and Deacons' Meeting Minutes are available in the church office to anyone who may request a copy. STEWARDSHIP SEASON IS UPON US A lot of great things are going on at Bellevue Presbyterian Church and it is that time of year for each of us to prayerfully consider the time, talent and, yes, treasure we feel called to provide to support the Church s ministry. You will be hearing about the stewardship campaign over the next several months and it will culminate in a Mission and Ministry (M&M) Fair on pledge Sunday, November 4. Like the M&M fair we had last year, this event is designed to build excitement around the Church s involvement in mission and ministry. It is a great opportunity to get new ideas on how each of us can use our time, talent and treasures. We hope you will join us! Ben Harrison Stewardship Chair P A G E 3 THE STORY SCRIPTURES FOR WORSHIP SEPTEMBER 2012 September 2 Exodus 1-7; September 9 Exodus Exodus Exodus Exodus 40 September 16 Numbers Numbers Numbers 25 Deuteronomy 1 & 2 Deuteronomy 4 & 6 Deuteronomy 8 & 9 Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 34 September 23 Joshua 1 & 2 Joshua 6 & 8 Joshua 10 & 11 Joshua 23 & 24 September 30 Judges 2-4 Judges 6-8 Judges Super Summer Sunday School was a HUGE success! The kids had so much fun learning about the many ways water is used. We learned the importance of water in many Bible stories The Creation, The Parting of the Red Sea, The Healing of Namaan, The Woman at the Well, and The Baptism of Jesus. We also learned the importance of having clean water in our world today. All of this couldn t have been possible without your help! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped in so many ways! You did everything to make it wonderful! You transformed the Community Room to a Wonderful Water World, you were awesome storytellers, you sang songs, you made crafts, you played games, you baked cookies/muffins, you made lemonade, and most importantly you made a difference in the lives of OUR CHILDREN! We also want to thank everyone who helped support our Living Waters for the World mission by buying lemonade, baked goods, and water bottles. You ve helped quench the thirst of those who are thirsty!

4 P A G E 4 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Once upon a time... A guy walks into a bar... In the beginning...it was a dark and stormy night...call me Ishmael When you hear or read one of these phrases, something special happens--you know a story's coming, and you want to know more! That's how lots of folks at BPC are feeling at this stage of our church-wide engagement with The Story. The Story is an abridged, chronological version of the biblical story using the New International Version of the scripture. If you're not already involved with a small group in Sunday school, it's not too late! Come at 9:00 on Sunday morning, bring your eager and inquisitive mind, and join in on the exploration. Need a clue about which class might suit your needs best? I ll be happy to help you figure it out! Q. How many Presbyterians does it take to change a light bulb grow disciples? A. All of us! We have so many wonderful volunteers who are committed to leading and guiding our children as they grow in the faith, but we have need of even more! We need helpers, go-fers, shepherds, and substitutes. We need bulletin-board decorators, game players, snack-bringers, and baby-rockers. Christ reminds us that what we do for (or to) others is what we do for (or to) Him (see Matt 25: 35-45). Are you willing to help with this high calling? Please let me know, and I ll be happy to help you find the right spot for you to serve. Your partner in His service, NEW THEME FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHTS FOR THE CHILDREN MARINERS IN SEPTEMBER The Country Music Hall of Fame. The exhibit is the life and times of Patsy Cline. The self guided tour takes about 2 hours. Our plan is to meet at the church at 9:15 am on Saturday, September 8th and arrive at the hall by 10:00. Lunch afterward is optional. All are welcome. Thanks, Deb Thompson, hatndat@bellsouth.net

5 MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATION P A G E 5 Birthdays 1 Adam Tudor 2 Zach Lannan 2 Mike Tudor 4 Lettie Williams 8 Caroline Pinardi 10 Howard Thompson 15 Lou Farringer 16 Liza Harbin 16 Nick Leach 17 Wayne Ames 17 Ann Disch 18 Aidan DeBlock 18 Isaac Hotovec 19 Perry Leaming 19 Lainey Thomas 19 Maggie Thomas 19 David Tudor 19 Stan Whitlow 19 Justin Williams 20 Jackson Wills 21 Bob Bray 21 Beth Derrick 21 Bethany Harbin 22 Julia Bolsom 23 Stephen Nieves 24 Phyllis Rose 24 Judy Tygard 26 Beth Dawson 26 Laura Ferrell 26 Ken Johnson 27 Ray Scheetz 28 Barrett Scheetz 28 Jane Zubulake 29 Suzanne Little 29 Patti Rocha Sunday, August 5th Dear BPC family, I d hoped to come to church today but not quite yet, it seems. Anyway, I send my hello and hope you all are well. I love you so much, Yours, in Christ, Ruby & Don Dickinson 1053 Ridglea Drive Burns, TN Cathie Williams 818 Williamsburg W., Dr. Nashville, TN cathie1324@gmail.com Scott Shepherd US Highway 72 Stevenson, AL flossyourteeth7@gmail.com AVAILABLE DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER IN THE NARTHEX EVERY SUNDAY BPC Water Bottles Proceeds to benefit Living Waters for the World Minimum Donation $5 3 Doris & Bob Stuart 5 Brenda & Jeff Russell 7 Gabby & Scott Dannemiller 7 Kathy & Tracy Shaw 13 Jana & Thomas Keller 22 Deb Tyson & Patrick Eiring 24 Lynne & Bubba Yarbrough 25 Linda & Randy Cullers 25 Amy & Mario Long Fall Fellowship Dinners: This fall we are organizing a variety of one-time dinner groups for the purpose of fellowshipping with members and visitors of BPC. Would you like to host a dinner? It could be a picnic in the park for families with kids, a potluck for anyone, or an adult-only wine and cheese party. Be in contact with Deborah Tyson (debtyson@juno.com or ) to get your dinner party on the calendar. If you re not in the host mode, just wait a few weeks and you ll get information about the various options. All are welcomed and encouraged to come as a way of being known and getting to know a few other people at BPC. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (NIV) Acts 2: 42

6 Youth News Where disciples are strengthened to emerge and serve in God s world. Make plans to join us this year for fun, fellowship and spiritual growth. We hope to see you at the following programs: 7:12 Underground Café 9:00 Sunday Mornings Leaders: Judy Tygard and Glenn Mertes Curriculum: The Story Breakfast is served in the café each Sunday morning 7:12 Underground Twice a Month with time and dates to be announced Leaders: Glenn Mertes and Jane Zubulake BPC s Early Education Program P A G E 6 Early Ed has Fall Pictures on September 5th and 6th Nashville Public Library Puppet Truck will be here on September 10th and 11th to present Aesop s Fables Our Chapel story for this month is Creation EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO: Weekend, Sept NaCoMe Retreat Sunday, September 30 - Fellowship at Church 7:12 Renew Wednesday Nights Dinner, Devotion and hands-on preparation for mission and service projects Leaders: Jason and Angie Watkins We hope that all the youth will come play, laugh, grow and serve. KROGER CARES During the month of JULY, BPC members reloaded their Kroger cards and earned $ Cards, pre-loaded with $5, are available in the church office at a cost of $5. You may then take the card to Kroger and add additional funds as you wish. When you use the card for purchases at Kroger, they will donate 4% to BPC.

7 P A G E 7 Outreach The Society of St. Andrew Tennessee regional office is in Nashville. SoSA has delivered a total of 11.4 million pounds of saved potatoes and other produce to the needy in Tennessee through its Potato and Produce Project. This has resulted in more than 33 million servings of nutritious food going to Tennessee's hungry. The Society of St. Andrew has opened a regional office in Nashville TN, from which a state-wide gleaning network is being established. The Tennessee Gleaning Network, coordinates volunteers in many areas of the state who actually enter fields and groves after farmers have finished harvesting. This food is delivered to local food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and other agencies to feed hungry people across the state. Volunteers represent groups from church denominations, synagogues, youth groups, corporate and civic organizations, individuals, and inner city residents. If you re interested in volunteering or donating, please contact Society of St. Andrews at: or speak to Gabby Dannemiller on the BPC Mission Team ( or gabby@dannemiller.net). Dear Sandra and friends at Bellevue Presbyterian, Thank you so much for the warm welcome you gave me on August 5, for the great questions, and the enthusiastic responses to my presentation about the society of St. Andrew s work. Lots of folks signed up to volunteer with us, so I hope we re able to arrange a gleaning out that direction soon. Thank you also for holding the bake sale fund-raiser for the Society of St. Andrew, what a blessing to receive your congregation s check for $275. With that gift, we will be able to provide 11,458 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables - health, nutrition, and hope - to those who need them most. Again, many thanks! Blessings, Lynette Johnson, Regional Director Society of St. Andrew To all BPC families, friends, and youth, I have again registered as team captain for the upcoming Nashville Susan G Komen Race for The Cure. The event is a 5K walk/run on Saturday October 27th and is once again at Maryland Farms in Brentwood, TN. The team name is "Susan's Village", in memory of my wife Susan who died August 22, 2008 after a 4 ½ year battle with breast cancer. I sincerely appreciate those who supported the team last year, either as a participant or as a donor, and I look forward to even greater results this year as we work together put an end to breast cancer. Both my girls, Catherine and Rachel, are going "low impact" this year and are looking for folks to walk with. Runners or walkers, time to step up your training, come on out and join us! Adult participation is $35, children 12 and under are $20. You can also be participate as a Sleep for the Cure member for $40. (You get the shirt but you just stay home and sleep, you bum!). You may chose to simply donate to the team no amount is too small! Registration fees are not tax deductible but donations are 100% tax deductible. Here s a link to our team page: If you have trouble with the link, you can go to the Nashville Susan G Komen site and search under "teams" tab Breast Cancer is no stranger to us we all know victims, survivors, family members, and friends who have dealt with this disease firsthand. Please consider joining our team and walking/running in this race or making a donation. Thanks in advance for your consideration! Look for us on FaceBook too! Steve Tudor

8 OUTREACH COMMITTEE IS NOW THE MISSION TEAM P A G E 8 The Mission Team budget includes money sent to the following organizations: Presbytery of Middle Tennessee Benevolence Room in the Inn (RITI) Martha O'Bryan Monroe Harding Haiti Educational Foundation Habitat for Humanity Medical Benevolence Foundation Outreach Foundation Nations Ministry In addition we contribute time to many of these organizations, and gifts for Operation Christmas Child and Monroe Harding Angel's Tree, and we host the Red Cross Blood Drive, support the Mission to the Peten in Guatemala, and we support Living Waters for the World. How were these organizations picked? Usually a church member or Mission Team member has a personal experience, and requests that the Mission Team and the Church support the mission. INTERFAITH SERVICE TO CELEBRATE HABITAT UNITY BUILD PARTNERSHIP On the eve of launching the 20 th interfaith Habitat Unity Build, representatives from various religious faiths in Nashville will gather for a celebration Friday, September 7. The event will be part of the regular Shabbat Service at The Temple, 5015 Harding Pike, beginning at 6 p.m. Participating in the service, open to the public, will be individuals from Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and groups that have built Habitat houses together in the past. These celebrations in previous years have been a special blessing for all who attended, said Gladys Wolfe, Unity Build Steering Committee member. This 2012 service will provide an opportunity to rejoice in what we have in common and celebrate being in service to those in our community. Interwoven in the traditional Jewish Shabbat service will be a Hindu prayer, meditations by Presbyterian and Methodist ministers, songs of faith, prayer for peace, and a time of fellowship following the service. We encourage the community to join in this interfaith gathering. When we come together to work for good across religious, racial and cultural differences, our Creator blesses the results. The 20 th Unity Build house will be constructed in Edison Park in Antioch. Owners of the house will be Ibrar and Shahnaz Khan, natives of Pakistan. They have a 5 year old daughter, Yumna and 4 year old son, Abeer. Ibrar works at the Shalimar restaurant in Green Hills. About the build: Bellevue Presbyterian will be doing its part this year on Saturday September 22. The type of work we will be doing? Installing some trim, like baseboards, hanging some doors, but mostly painting painting the inside walls and ceilings and trim. Who is WE? WE is you. We now have six church members and one friend of a church member who have stepped up to the plate. We need three more volunteers. Come on!! You get breakfast and lunch and snacks and water and snacks and water and snacks and water. Nobody is going to finish the day with a strained this or that. There will be three other church volunteer groups working with us with a total work force of 30. The supervisors are great at providing good instructions on what to do as well as where and how to do it, and Habitat supplies all the materials and tools, no worries. So! MAN OR WOMAN UP, Bellevue Pres., and volunteer. We guarantee you won t be sorry you did. Not certain what all is involved? Joe Cowden has all the info you need. Call or text him at , him at jocow4250@gmail.com or run him down at church. Or run him down in the parking lot (hee hee).

9 Congregational Life P A G E 9 Menus Wednesday night dinner begins at 5:45 pm. Adults $5.00 and children (under w0) $3.00 with a $15 maximum for families. To make a reservation, complete the dinner reservation dorm in the pews and return in the offering plate. Or call/ the church office. Church-Wide Sunday Brunch September 9 11:45 am September 5: Subway night September 12: Potluck dinner, salad, veggies, casserole & dessert September 19: KFC night September 26: Pizza night Chef Tom Tomlettes The Presbyterian Women's Circles will start with the HOPE CIRCLE, led by Elizabeth Johnson, on the 2nd Sunday, Sept 9, immediately following the Sunday Brunch. The FAITH CIRCLE, led by Debbie Thompson will meet Sept 11, the 2nd Tues at 1:00, and the JOY CIRCLE led by Betsy Ames will meet Sept 19, after the Renew meal. We hope to see all Presbyterian Women at one of these circles! Our "women mentoring women" program remains open to any woman interested in participating in this new PW program. If you want to receive or give support to another woman, please contact coordinator Mary Berryhill km2@bellsouth.net

10 History of BPC s Early Education Programs Did you know that our Early Education Program is over 40 years old? The program began as a Mother s Day Out program for infants and preschoolers. It was started in 1971 by church member Dot Ralston (who later moved to Green Bay, WS) and her neighbor Regina Johnson. Later, when the new sanctuary was built, there was space below for classrooms. At that time the Preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds was added under the direction of long time director, Hilda Kohl. Soon the Mother s Day Out program became the Playschool program for infants to age 2, using the 3 class rooms on the 1 st level of the church building. Did you know that our EE Program contributes to BPC in many ways? Since 1980, the Early Education (EE) programs have contributed over $420, to our church s operating budget! In addition, the program continues to pay a fee each month for janitorial services, copying, utilities, insurance and staff services. The EE programs have paid for many additions to our church facilities that benefit the children in our church: furnishing and maintaining the church playground; new tile floors in all the upstairs classrooms (including paying for them to be cleaned and waxed each year); and the furniture, cabinets, and toys in the rooms we use upstairs. Also, the program provided all the furniture, cabinets, toys, and educational items used in the Preschool programs downstairs. Of course, they also keep their rooms clean and sanitized. Did you know that our EE Program has earned an outstanding reputation? For the past 11. years it has earned a 3 Star rating from the Tennessee Department of Human Services the highest rating they give! The current director of the EE program is Christy Sawyer, who has a Bachelor degree from Rhodes College. She oversees 18 staff members, directs the educational and enrichment programming offered by the staff, cares for the 75 children who are now in the program, interacts with their families. The programs are overseen by a Board consisting of 3 church members who have children or grandchildren in the program and 3 mothers who have children currently in the program. This Board reports directly to the Christian Education Team of BPC. Did you know BPC s EE Program has been an important part of our church and the Bellevue Community for many years? In fact, many residents of Bellevue say they first really learned about Bellevue Presbyterian Church through their children or grandchildren attending the Playschool and Preschool programs. Did you know that you can make a difference in our EE Program? The next time you are in the church building and see Christy or any of the teachers, give them a smile and tell them that you appreciate what they do to provide such a great program. All of us who are involved with the EE programs are so proud of what these programs have meant to our church over the years, so if you have any questions, please contact any of the church members listed below. Lou Tate, Chairman of the EE Board Church Members: Judy Hay and Becky Wahlfeld

11 Youth to Beech Bend October 2012 Newsletter Deadline is September 24 CHURCH OFFICE SCHEDULE Hours 9:00 am - 4:00 pm information@bellevuepres.org Jan Anderson jan@bellevuepres.org STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION Kristi Moore (Pastor) (c) kristi@bellevuepres.org Sandra Shepherd (Dir Christian Ed) (c) sandra@bellevuepres.org Christy Sawyer (Dir. Early Education) Christy@bellevuepres.org Brian Warford (Dir Music Ministry) (c) brianw@bellevuepres.org Beth Dawson (Treasurer) Wed & Fri 9:00 am - 12:00 am (c) eldawson@peoplepc.com PLEASE CHECK YOUR BPC MAILBOX OFTEN. Every member (family) has a mailbox. They are located in the hallway adjacent to the church office. Your name is on the TOP of the mailbox. Financial statements and other communications are placed in your mailbox.