February 1st marked 7 years of service alongside the saints of 2nd Presbyterian Church. It has been and continues to be a joy to be a part of this family of faith.
In keeping with our own and the Presbytery of East Tennessee’s sabbatical policy, the session has graciously approved a sabbatical for me that will take place during June, July, and August. This approval happened several months ago, but Pastor Tim and I realized in casual conversation with folks in the congregation, that word of this sabbatical had not spread. That I was going to be away this summer was news to many of you, and many more of you are probably just finding out as you’re reading this! I assure you it was not being kept a secret. It was just news that for whatever reason did not get spread. But, now that you’re aware that I’ll be away this summer, I thought I’d fill you in on some of the things I’ll be doing while I’m gone.
The presbytery’s sabbatical policy describes sabbatical leave as “a time of rest, reflection, and recreation; a time for personal spiritual growth; an opportunity for renewed vision and commitment to ministry,” and I think I have come up with a plan that will be just that.
First, the rest and recreation piece: My family and I will have our regular family lake week with my family and some time at the beach with Andy’s mom; but in addition to these, the boys and I will spend some time at my sister’s house in Wilmington, NC, and some time at my parents’ house in Asheboro, NC –time that will include a family reunion with my mom’s extended family. We are excited for the opportunity to spend intentional time with family and to attend a family reunion that we don’t often get to attend because it’s on a Sunday each year. In addition to this quality family time, I have set aside time for a getaway with my three childhood best friends and my two best friends from college. We all have small children at home and will relish the opportunity to rest and catch up with one another. There will also be dedicated one-on-one time with each of my boys, big and small!
Now, to the spiritual growth and reflection piece: Most of you have figured out by now that I love food, and I love gathering around the table with folks to share food. I have always been fascinated by the intersection of food and faith and recently had the opportunity to hear a speaker, Kendall Vanderslice, who has dedicated her life, study, and vocation to this very thing. In hearing about her work and thinking more about the topic, I decided that this would be the perfect focus for sabbatical study that is meant for personal spiritual growth. And so, I contacted Kendall to see if there would be any opportunity for a conversation or workshop focused on her studies, with a particular focus on implementing her work into congregational life and programming.
The answer was ‘yes!’ She offers a mini retreat in her home, where participants bake bread together, talk about the theology of bread and of breaking bread together, and there is plenty of time for discussion of her studies while the dough rests, she says. So, I will be doing that in July, but in preparation for our time together, I have a list of books that have been on my shelf for years that I never have the time to read, which along with a couple of recent additions, will inform our time together. I plan to set aside time each day to dive into these books and make my way through the list. I hope to come back with some very practical and meaningful ways for us to gather around the table and grow spiritually as we do. (The book list will be included a little later in this 2 Edition in case you’re interested in reading along!) nd
Additionally, the Personnel Team has asked me to visit some other congregations in Knoxville and on my travels and to find out about how they are doing Christian Formation. You may remember from the Annual Congregational Meeting that the session voted to create a new job description in 2025 that will focus on Family Faith Formation. So, as they work to create this job description, they hope that I’ll be able to glean some information from other congregations about what is working well for them and what is not so that we might have a better idea about what will work for us.
I am grateful to the session for this opportunity, and I am very much looking forward to some rest, some very special time with family and friends, and even just worshipping with my family on a Sunday morning. And I am grateful for a congregation who supports me in this endeavor and to whom I will be so excited to come back in September.
If you’re looking for ways to pick up my slack while I’m away, there are always beautiful flower arrangements in the walk-in cooler in the kitchen (thanks to Nancy Montgomery!). If you’d like to come by and get one or two and make a visit to a member of the congregation, that would be a great way to help! And if you’re not sure who to visit, check with Jack. He’ll have a list of folks I know would love a visit, but really who doesn’t love a visit and beautiful flowers?! So, take your pick!
Gratefully,
Pastor Sarah
Upcoming Sermon Texts and Topics
During May we conclude our sermon series on the Narrative Arc of Scripture (and our sub-series on The Life of Jesus) with Jesus’ post-Resurrection appearances to his disciples.
The Church Office will be closed Monday, May 26 in observance of Memorial Day. th
2nd Wednesday Dinner and Program
Wednesday, May 14 will be the last Second Wednesday Dinner before the summer break - and it will be a fun one!
The activity will be bingo - with prizes! Even children can play!
We will have picnic food in the Fellowship Hall, with fried chicken and all the sides. We hope everyone will be there for this celebration of the end of the school year and the beginning of summer!
Pastor Sarah’s Sabbatical Book List
We Will Feast by Kendall Vanderslice, By Bread Alone by Kendall Vanderslice, The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker, A Bigger Table by John Pavlovitz, Come and Eat by Bri McKoy, Out of the House of Bread by Preston Yancey, Taste and See by Margaret Feinberg
MAY PROGRAM
Presbyterian Women of Second Presbyterian Church will complete the second half of their study year on May 13, 2025, with a program by Living Waters for the World, a ministry of the Synod of Living Waters, Presbyterian Church (USA). Living Waters trains volunteers to establish and lead water mission teams that partner with communities to implement and operate sustainable water purification systems and health education programs.
PW has chosen Living Waters to lead us because this ministry follows so well God’s command in Genesis 1 for humans to care for all His creation all living plants and creatures of God’s earth need clean, accessible water for survival. Attend this session and hear how Living Waters is performing this task with a small staff and many volunteer trainers and doers! Join us -church members and visitors- in the Fellowship Hall on Tuesday, May 13 from 10-11:15 to hear volunteer representatives explain their successful program.
HAPPY late BIRTHDAY!
Doug Matthews
Ally McLean
Michael Dingley
Jan Barber
Beth Robertson
Terry Weaver
Nolan Taylor 3/17 3/20 3/22 3/23 3/25 3/30
March’s birthdays were accidentally left out of the March 2 Edition. We sincerely apologize! A very happy late birthday to all of our 2 Pres March birthdays! nd nd 3/6 3/8 3/10 3/11 3/12 3/14 3/16
John Gill
Bo Wall
Nancy Montgomery
Sydney Jones
Charlotte Klieman
Mariann Thuesen
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
5/1 5/5 5/5 5/7 5/11 5/13 5/14 5/15
Paul Sexauer
Kathy Duggan
Marty McLean
Gregg Pruitt
Cleston Jones
Redmond Sweitzer
Frank McClelland
Joe Beals
Tuesday Reynolds
Xavier Perez
Matt Mimbs
Holly Grimm
Neal Henley
Becky Smith
Margaret Sullivan
Leslie Matthews
IF WE INADVERTENTLY MISSED SOMEONE... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
PLEASE HELP US UPDATE OUR RECORDS SO WE'LL HAVE YOUR SPECIAL DAY ON FILE.
Second Readers will meet May 21, in the Buckingham Clubhouse at 11:30. Our book is The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden, and Mariann Thuesen will lead our discussion. We hope to see you there and if there are questions, please call Margaret Sullivan at 865-363-3967. All are welcome to join us!
Pictures, please!
If you take pictures at a church event, please send them to Jack (jrosamond@2ndpres.org) for our newsletter and social media accounts, so people know about the awesome things going on at 2nd Pres!
This Lenten prayer station was called Fingerprint Art. Each color represents a different thing that the participant was to pray for: Yellow - gratitude to God, Red - someone who needs to be reminded of God's love for them, Blue - a person or situation in need of peace or comfort, Green - a person or situation in need of healing, Orange - a person or situation in need of courage or strength, Purple - lament or confession. Participants dipped a finger in each of these colors, lifting up a corresponding prayer as they placed that color on the canvas. The finished product is a visual representation of the community of the body of Christ lifting one another up in prayer.
GO Team Report – April 2025
The GO Team is responsible for extending the ministry of 2nd Presbyterian beyond the church both locally and globally through financial donations and volunteer activities. They rely on the generosity of the congregation to fund their efforts and welcome recommendations for donations and volunteer opportunities.
The team meets on the first Thursday of each month at 1pm in the Barbour Room. Next meeting May 1.
April Disbursements:
· Presbytery of East Tennessee - $1,150. This will be the monthly disbursement for the year for a total of $13,800.
· Compassion Coalition - $500 annual membership. Compassion Coalition is a member-based organization that exists to help the collective church respond to the needs that often go unmet in our city. https://compassioncoalition.org/
· The Outreach Foundation - $6,000 This donation is for support of the mission work of Dan and Elizabeth Turk in Madagascar. Second Pres has helped support the Turks for many years. PCUSA is reorganizing support for foreign missionaries and Madagascar has been dropped. The Outreach Foundation (Franklin, TN) is now helping to provide support so that the Turks can continue their mission. https://www.theoutreachfoundation.org/
· UKirk at UT - $6,000.
· Emerald Youth Foundation - $1,000. For 30+ years, Emerald Youth Foundation has been working to support Knoxville’s youth and prepare generations of Godly community leaders. The driving vision is to make Knoxville a city where EVERY CHILD IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD has the opportunity to lead a full life. https://www.emeraldyouth.org/
· $100 for popcorn and bags. Second Pres operates the popcorn concession each year at the West View Elementary Carnival This is the main fundraising event for the school
Volunteer activities for April:
· April 15 – Eight members of the GO Team visited the Knox Pride Center. The visit included learning more about the organization and how they support those in need. The center includes a food pantry, thrift store, vocational center, counseling center, and vegetable gardens. The food pantry distributes tens of thousands of pounds of food each year.
· April 16 – Eight volunteers served lunch to approximately 325 at KARM.
West View Supplies Collection Box – This box located in the atrium has a current list of supplies needed. As a result of generous donations, several deliveries to West View have already been made this year. Please check the current needs listed at the collection box as they will be updated from time to time
GOing and Serving in 2025 – Watch for upcoming volunteer opportunities at VMC, KARM, and Love Kitchen, West View, and others in upcoming weekly newsletters. Coming up in May and June – Love Kitchen, West View, and VMC.
April Session Highlights
Received the Treasurer’s Report.
Received reports from the Pre-School and Ministry Teams as information. Upheld the examination and approved Lauren Dodson, Geoffrey Kennedy, Cleston Jones and Kathy Duggan for the Elder Class of 2028.
Approved the Installation of Cleston Jones and the Ordination and Installation of Lauren Dodson, Geoffrey Kennedy, and Kathy Duggan on May 11, 2025.
Elected Leonard Bailey to represent Second Presbyterian Church at the Presbytery Meeting on May 13, 2025 at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Knoxville TN.
Approved Reverend Sarah Morgan’s Sabbatical Proposal and a $2,500 stipend for her sabbatical.
l l D a y : P r e s c h o o l M u s i c P r o g r a m ( S a n c t u a r y ) 6 : 3 0 p m S c o u t l e a d e r s 7 : 0 0 p m S c o u t s ( G y m , S c o u t R o o m ) 8 : 4 5 p m U k i r k B a s k
t b a l l 4:30 pm Connect Team (Barbour) 5:00 pm Facilities Team (Zoom) 6:30 pm: Scout Leaders 7:00 pm: Scouts 9:00 pm: UKirk Basketball 9:00 am: KSO Auditions (FH) 2:30 pm: Blayne Zeigunfuss Rehearsal (Sanctuary) 6:00 pm: Session Meeting (Barbour) 7:00 pm Scouts (Gym) 8:45 p.m. Ukirk Basketball (Gym) 9:00 a.m. FISH Pantry (Fellowship Hall) 7:00 pm Scouts (Gym) 8:45 p.m. Ukirk Basketball (Gym) 1 1 : 3 0 a m 2 n d R e a d e r s B o
10:00 a.m. Presbyterian Women (Fellowship Hall) 6:00 p.m. Worship Team (Barbour Room ) 6:30 pm Scouts Court of Honor (FH) 8:45 p.m. Ukirk Basketball (Gym)
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L a d i e s L i f e G r o u p ( Y o u t h )
9 : 0 0 a m : K S O A u d i t i o n s ( F H )
9 : 4 5 a . m . S t a f f M e e t i n g ( S m a l l C o n f e r e n c e R o o m )
5 : 0 0 p . m Y o u n g A d u l t
L a d i e s L i f e G r o u p ( Y o u t h )
5 : 3 0 p . m . P r e s c h o o l B o a r d M e e t i n g ( Z o o m ) C H U R C H C L O S E D F O R M E M O R I A L D A
