Ministry Team Descriptions .………………....…….. pages 8 and

Goals

To oversee the care and maintenance of the historical St John’s church, adjacent building and property.

To oversee safety and security operations and ensure effectiveness at SJLC site.

To determine use of SJLC resources to best serve those in need based on SJLC mission statement

To oversee SJLC ongoing and special stewardship activities

To provide worship in meaningful ways and explore worship opportunities SJLC members and friends and expanding online participation

To explore ways to develop diversity and inclusion at SJLC.

To build the evangelism team in order to serve both SJLC and the surrounding community.

To provide regular faith formation opportunities to the CHILDREN of SJLC

To provide regular faith formation opportunities to the YOUTH of SJLC

To provide regular faith formation opportunities to the ADULTS of SJLC

To oversee the SJLC budget and review process, following the church constitution and ELCA guidelines

To look for ways to provide support and connect with SJLC members and the community through food, phone calls, cards, visits and safe gatherings.

To develop and implement ongoing professional and employee-oriented practices which afford stability, retention, and support for all staff employees During the pastoral transition at St. John’s, one significant development was the recommitment to ministry teams, from worship to social justice, from faith formation to hospitality, from personnel to stewardship, and so on. However, recommitment is a long-term commitment, and we are in the process of determining which teams are moving forward, which teams need to be shored up, which teams need to be further developed, and which teams need to founded to meet the needs of God’s people, within and beyond the walls of St. John’s.

To that end, we are working to make sure each team has a Team Leader, a Church Council Liaison, team members, a clear mission, and needed resources.

Please take a look at the accompanying chart to determine how you can plug in! If your have specific questions, please reach out to a member of the St. John’s staff or Church Council.

Drawing from the Africanist perspective that upholds the gift of collaboration, we remember the proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together .” God has called us to go far, together! Will you join a St. John’s team?

EXTRAVAGANT GENEROUSITY

New Opportunity to Partner with the Southeastern Synod

In conjunction with Bishop Kevin and the Southeastern Synod, St. John’s will be participating in Stewardship for All Seasons through 2022. We will work with the Vision Team and our members to focus on gratitude and abundance as God helps us dream for the next five years of ministry.

We are looking to re-establish the Stewardship Team with this tried and true expression of giving of time, talent, and treasure. If you would like to participate, please contact Pastor Amy.

LUTHERAN LIFE

SYNOD MONTHLY PRAYER SESSIONS — NEXT SESSION is Monday, Aug 23, 9AM EDT / 8AM CDT

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything make your requests to God...by prayer, thanksgiving and placing your request to God, the peace of God will guard your heart and mind fully beyond understanding (Phil. 4: 6–7)

Bishop Kevin Strickland invites you to join him in prayer. Newcomers are always welcome!

This session happens once a month via ZOOM and all present participate in prayertime together — praying for the needs of ourselves, our neighbors locally and globally, the needs of the church and world, and for what else might be in need that day of prayer.

Use this link to sign up online: https://se-reg.brtapp.com/SynodPrayerTeam

TWENTY NINE ELEVEN — A Faith Experience THURSDAYS, 12noon (EASTERN)

Our own Chris Clay created an online ministry expression in October of 2020 (some are calling it a digital church). Every week he shares music and a brief message via Facebook Live. The ministry is called TWENTY NINE ELEVEN: A Faith Experience. 2911 is a reference to the scripture in Jeremiah 29:11.

Join him Thursdays at 12 noon (eastern) on the TWENTY NINE ELEVEN Facebook page & YouTube channels — AND also his personal Facebook page.

Use this link: Www.facebook.com/ TwentyNineElevenFaithExperience

LUTHERAN LIFE

Women and Wine meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm. The next meeting will be on August 10th at 6:30 in the courtyard of St. John’s for beautiful multi-aged female fellowship, sharing, and discussion. Lee Ley will lead the discussion on the topic of ‘Women in the Smokey Mountains.” All women are warmly invited. Bring your own beverage, and if you would like, a snack to share.

If you have questions about Women & Wine, please contact Kaye Bultemeier at kayebultemeier@gmail.com .

B.E.E.R. (Brothers Engaging in Enriching Relationships) is a men's group at St. John's Lutheran Church that meets once a month at a local brewery, both for fellowship and to informally discuss some topic. We usually meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month in the Schultz Brau courtyard ( 126 Bernard Ave, Knoxville, TN 37917), at 6PM. However, we occasionally meet at a different location once every three-month period, just to mix it up! Whether you drink beer or not, please feel free to join us for good conversations and excellent friendships!

You can join our contact list on the St. John's website (www.sjlcknox.org/beer) for updates about the topic of discussion as well as any changes to venue or timing. You are also welcome to email one of our co-leaders, Jordan Baker (jentolyn@gmail.com) or Garry Menendez (menendez@utk.edu), if you have any further questions. We hope to see you soon!

The St. John’s Lutheran Knoxville Facebook page and Youtube channel streams our worship services live and archives them -- so you can re-visit a worship

SOCIAL MEDIA

One of the ways we hope to keep the St. John’s family informed and inspired is through social media — specifically our Facebook page. We provide daily content that includes updates on the church schedule, worship times, ongoing events, important announcements — as well as inspiring messages and our Noonday prayer led by Pastor Amy every Wednesday at 12 noon (eastern). Also, you can find archived copies of our Sunday worship livestream to enjoy if you missed worship, or to go back and view again if you like.

Find us at this link: www.facebook.com/sjlcknox

LUTHERAN LIFE

Looking Forward with Great Anticipation … Concerts and Retreats!

by Pastor John

Be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts… (Ephesians 5:18b-19a).

[Jesus] said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while….” (Mark 6:31).

First the concerts:

This fall, dates to be announced, I plan to put on two concerts, one in person, one online. The first is with Sam Gay, a best old friend from my songwriter days in Nashville, as well as his wife, Templeton Thompson, and Sally Barris, both excellent singer-songwriters who have given concerts with me at St. John’s before. Recently, we’ve taken advantage of our new Zoom skills to write new songs! It’s only a couple hours every few weeks, but it has done this pastor’s heart good and reminded me, we need to get them over here (dates TBA) soon!

I’ve also been working with Lacey Brown, a musician whose band, Poor Clare (poorclaremusic.com), generates a lot of music used at Church of the Apostles in Seattle (apostleschurch.org), as well as at national gatherings of the Episcopal Church. One Friday in October (TBA), we plan to give a concert of hymns, online, with guest artists joining as well, like Fr. Zack Nyein, writer of one of our Communion liturgies, plus “Come to Me, All You Weary,” “You Have Done Everything Well,” and others. Our hope is to have a fun night of music, to learn more of each other’s songs, and to share this music as broadly as possible.

And the retreat:

Come spring, I would like to take a group on silent retreat to Gethsemani Abbey (monks.org) in Kentucky. Their rooms are simple but gracious, their food healthy and delicious, their gardens contemplative and beautiful, and they have 1200 acres of forest and farmland with hiking paths. There are spaces where talking is allowed, like the front welcome area, where the most talkative monk generally is placed, and one of the dining areas as well, but there is a gentle strength and spaciousness provided by silence, that gives rest I’ve found nowhere else. Also, their prayer hours — to which everyone is welcome but none required (except the monks) — are sung, so it’s a lot of silence, but also a lot of music. If you would be interested, please email me. Pastor John: john@sjlcknox.org.