SECOND EDITION OCTOBER 2026
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2NDPRES.ORG
ON SECOND
Thought...
For the past year, I have participated in UT’s Chancellor’s Associates program, which brings together local business and community leaders to learn about the university, advise the administration, and advocate for UT in the community. In a presentation last year, Chancellor Plowman introduced us to the Clifton Strengths assessment. This tool identifies natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behavior to help people recognize their talents and strengths. All UT students and faculty have been given the opportunity to take the assessment, and Clifton Strengths is now part of the first-year curriculum, helping students discover what they do best. The assessment was developed by Dr. Don Clifton, an educational psychologist at the University of Nebraska. He believed that weaknesses have limited room for growth, while strengths can be developed indefinitely. He advised people worldwide to build their lives and work around their strengths rather than trying to “fix” their weaknesses. Research supports this approach: building on what we do well can improve performance by 10–20%, while focusing on weaknesses may only bring us up to average. Developing our talents also gives us energy, sharpens our focus, and builds confidence. It turns out, investing in our strengths produces exponential results. What is true for individuals is also true for congregations. Healthy congregations identify what they do well and invest more energy and attention in those places. A strengths-based focus produces greater gains, more excitement, and deeper satisfaction in the congregation’s ministry. When a congregation focuses on strengths, it increases the potential for change or renewal in the future. Sadly, most congregations focus on the opposite. Our society trains us to focus on weaknesses, deficiencies, and struggles. Consider this report card: A in English, A in Social Studies, C in Biology, and F in Algebra. Which grade gets your attention? The F, right? You are not alone: 77% of parents said if their child came home with this report card, they would focus on the F in Algebra. Why? Because we assume we must close every gap to become stronger and more complete.
In reality, the opposite is true. Congregations – and individuals – that dwell on what they do poorly become more discouraged, powerless, hopeless, and insecure. They obsess over what’s deemed to be missing or lacking. They experience emotions like fear and anxiety, which decrease motivation and diminish creativity. These congregations often slip into finger-pointing, blame, shame, and complaint. This is not healthy. Second Presbyterian Church does many things well. Let’s stay focused on those strengths. How can we build on what is already working? How do we double down on what we’re doing well? When have you felt most alive, engaged, and encouraged in this congregation’s ministry? How can we share that experience with others? What is this congregation doing right now that shows the church being the church? How do we tell that story? Questions like these can help us become not only healthier, but stronger.
Grace and peace...
By the way, Chancellor Plowman encourages faculty to include their top five Clifton Strengths in their email signatures. Mine are: Ideation, Learner, Belief, Intellection, and Strategic. Want to discover yours? Visit www.cliftonstrengths.com
Table of Contents Worship Connect Grow Go Support
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Worship
Upcoming Sermon Texts and Topics
We are currently following the Revised Common Lectionary on Sunday mornings. The RCL is a three-year cycle of Bible readings used by various denominations in Christian worship. It provides a structured way to engage with Scripture throughout the liturgical year. We are currently in Year A which focuses on the Gospel of Matthew.
October 4th
Matthew 21:33-46
The Wicked Tenants
October 11th
Phillipians 4: 1-9
Rejoice in the Lord
October 18th
Matthew 22: 15-22
The Question About Paying Taxes
Matthew 22: 34:46
The Greatest Commandment
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October 25
Reformation Sunday On Sunday, October 25th, we will celebrate Reformation Sunday, the Sunday closest to Reformation Day (Oct. 31st). This is the date Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg, Germany, in 1517. This public expression of his “protestations” against the Catholic Church initiated the Protestant Reformation.
All Saints Sunday All Saints Sunday is November 1st. If you have a friend or loved one who has passed away in the last year and would like their name to be read in worship, please email Pastor Sarah (smorgan@2ndpres.org).
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Connect
The churchwide luncheon on September 20 was enjoyed by all ages; had plenty of help cleaning up afterwards, too!
Special buddies play while their grownups discuss business in last month’s Connect meeting!
Second Readers will meet at the Buckingham Clubhouse on Wednesday, October 21, at 11:30. Our book this month is Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Please feel free to join us for a discussion of this remarkably charming book. Bring your lunch and share some time with fellow readers (if you are not really a reader, this book is presented on Netflix in movie form!) For questions, call Margaret Sullivan at 865-363-3967.
Join us for Arts & Crafts!
The Arts and Crafts group of PW meets on the FOURTH WEDNESDAY at 10:00 a.m. in room 227 upstairs. Come and enjoy the fellowship!
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Join Us October 13! Join us on Tuesday, October 13, for the 2nd of 3 Bible Study lessons this fall on The Corinth that Paul Chose, led by Helen Grant. We will gather at 10:15 a.m. (location to be determined), and continue our monthly Hymn Sing along. All members and guests (women and men!) are welcome for this time of study and fellowship.
Saturday, October 24: PW Fall Spiritual Retreat The Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of East Tennessee will have its Fall Spiritual Retreat on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 am – 2 pm at the John Knox Center. Check-in and coffee/snacks begins at 9:30 a.m. Cost for lunch is $12. To register, CALL Charlotte Klieman directly by October 8, 865-922-8453 (please leave a message if she doesn’t answer). She will coordinate carpooling.
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A little more information about the retreat: The theme of this spiritual retreat is One Body with Many Members. The Rev. Cathy Meyer, pastor of Second Presbyterian Chattanooga and moderator of the Presbytery of East Tennessee, will present the program, Celebrating 200 Years of PW. Tracing the predecessor organizations of PW that began more than 200 years ago, Cathy will celebrate the seismic shift that the organization now known as Presbyterian Women has made in the church and world. Also speaking will be Aleathea Harris-Little of Nashville, Tennessee’s representative to the board of Mission Haven, which is this event’s mission partner. Located in Decatur, GA., the nonprofit Mission Haven provides affordable short-term housing and friendly hospitality to Christian missionaries. To find out more about Mission Haven, visit https://www.missionhaven.net/
Three s r e e h C
for T hirty Years! y r a s r e v i n n A y p p Ha
Second Presbyterian Preschool Let’s Celebrate! Monday, October 19 | 5:30 p.m. Gym & Atrium If you would like to help
out in preparation for Preschool is s e r P d n o c e h Your Se T ! y r rsa the Anniversary Celebration, year annive 0 3 s it g in l t il we are accepting donations of celebra elebration w c y r a s r e iv n n a s l’ 0 nut-free candy and small preschoo ber 19 at 5:3 o t c O , y a d n n Mo prizes. A donation box is will be e r take place o e h T . m y located outside the church trium and g ables, t la f p.m. in the a in , s h t o office. Thank you! ables and bo ! ll a interactive t r and prizes fo , ir a f k o o b We are blessed at a Seco nd to have such a strong preschool progra m that’s been impa cting children and fam ilies in Knoxville fo r 30 years, and we can’t wait to celebrate this m ilestone with them! We hope to see many current and former families in attend ance who made th eir early childhood memor ies here at Second !
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Get to know a Sue d n i L Byrd
rd dd By o T o a s , 20 92 t c 9 1 u L e d nc 6, a n g 2 ie d s i , r e r i a l s ookin e l ·M L s : i n d o an ildre t r ip t ravel y t · 2 ch r o a t rs loves nnive a r · She e 1 h e 19 9 rd to c a . n r i w a s r fo ye ildren next . h d c n h a t i t in g s t w Irel e d s e h work churc d n · Has a re ildca h c n i
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Your Holly Grim m
· Born and raised in Kn oxville, TN · 4 children: Ryan, 31, Kylie, 22, Brayden, 20, and Tinl y, 7, and 1 grandchild, Nina, 4! · Fall is her favorite se ason. She loves flannel, hoodies, and sitting around the fire pit with her family . · Has worked with ch ildren since 1995 in childcare and church settings, namely 2nd Presbyterian Ch urch.
See the next page for a fun interview with both Linda Sue and Holly regarding their time with SPC Preschool, its history, and other fun facts.
Preschool Directors Linda Sue Byrd, Director | Holly Grimm, Assistant Director · How long have you worked for the Preschool?
· How have you seen the Preschool change and grow over that time?
Linda Sue 25 years Holly - 28 years
-There were around 45 students in July 2001 and we got the word out about the program in a few different ways: word of mouth by our current families of the time, a sign down by Kingston Pike, and with flyers that we (Linda Sue & Holly) personally delivered to area neighborhood mailboxes. -We have grown from 45 student to 81 students enrolled. -Between 1999 and 2000, the center added Infant 1 and Infant 2 -Pre K class added around 2015 -Added an in house music program
· What are some fun experiences that you have had together over the years? -Driving through neighborhoods in Linda Sue’s great big green Lincoln Continental and placing flyers on mailbox flags to increase enrollment, only to get to the end of the street and see the wind blowing them every direction possible! -Our church basement exploits included resetting the boiler or the air compressor back in the day on a regular basis to keep the air flowing in the preschool! -Evacuating the church and preschool when the air compressor caught fire in the basement (not when we reset it!). This gave us a few days off while they figured out how to fix the issue. -Fun dress up days, with the 80’s theme being one of our favorites (as pictured here!)
What are some of your shared special memories?
Through working together all of these years, we have learned we make an amazing team. Where one is weak the other is strong. We challenge each other to be our best in work and our personal lives. We have learned what works well in keeping a staff together in a field where high turnover rates are the norm. We used to joke in our regular director’s trainings with everyone that one day we would be like the old directors that were in our meetings back then, and now here we are! We have been working together for over 25 years and in that time, we have been there through the birth of our children and the challenges of raising sons and daughters. We have held each other up through the loss of parents, family and even a spouse. We consider ourselves very blessed that not only do we have a great working relationship, but we are great friends as well.
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...that Linda Sue and Holly often laid the playground mulch themselves in years past?? Pictured here is truly how tall the pile has been in past years! Before Mulch Butler was around, Linda Sue and Holly were your preschool’s very own mulch butlers! They would order a tractor trailer full of mulch (yes, a tractor trailer full) and then spread it all with the use of wheelbarrows and pitch forks on both playgrounds!
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We are so thankful for Linda Sue and Holly for their leadership and faithfulness to Second Pres - their love for this church, the children, and their coworkers is present every single day, and if you see them around, thank them for all they do!
OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS 10/3 Tammy Akers 10/6 Glenn Lamping 10/4 John Butler 10/8 Cheryl Ragsdale 10/4 Sandra Butler 10/10 Theresa Stone 10/5 Ed Batts 10/11 Lily Reynolds 10/5 Mark Turner 10/14 Ethan Kite 10/5 Ruth Penmore 10/25 Arlys Milligan
See a name that we missed? Let us know in the church office so we can update our records accordingly!
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Grow
Flying into Fall!
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A great time was had by our kids and families at our Flying into Fall event on September 19th!
Making memories and lasting friendships in Children’s Ministry!
Matthew Lowe is such a fun and faithful helper on Sunday mornings, and we all enjoy his artwork containing riddles and phrases - our kids love to work together to figure out what each picture is going to say!
The Pastor’s Bible Study meets on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. We are discussing Walter Brueggemann’s book, Chosen? Reading the Bible Amid the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, and considering how to understand God’s promises to the biblical people called Israel in light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine today.
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GO
GO Team Report – Sept. 2026 The Go Team is responsible for extending the ministry of Second Presbyterian beyond the church both locally and globally through financial donations and volunteer activities. The team relies on the generosity of the congregation to fund their efforts and welcomes recommendations for donations and volunteer opportunities. If you would like to join the Go Team, contact Lauren Dodson at april392002@yahoo.com or Glenn Lamping at glamping0743@gmail.com. The next meeting is October 1, at 1:00 in the Barbour room.
Disbursements:
Presbytery of East TN: $1,300, monthly pledge. Volunteer Ministry Center: $2,500. West View breakfast for teachers and staff: $150. Community School Coordinator Appreciation for Savannah: $50
GO-ing and Serving in 2026: The Go Team will be serving lunch at KARM October 30 Please keep Love Kitchen in your prayers. They had a fire that destroyed several thousand dollars of food and equipment. The Go Team has served meals at Love Kitchen many times and knows how important their ministry is. They are struggling to keep serving to their needy patrons. If you would like to donate, go to www.lovekitchen.org.
200th Anniversary Scholarship
Join us at the Carry the Torch Luncheon November 10! The Go Team has reserved 2 tables of 8 for the Carry the Torch luncheon to benefit Volunteer Ministry Center, and we'd love to have you at our table! Jeannette Walls, author of The Glass Castle, will be the keynote speaker. Contact Lauren Dodson at april392002@yahoo.com by October 16th if you would like to attend. We have 16 seats to fill! Find out more information about this event: 14 www.vmcicc.org
In 2018, 2nd Presbyterian Church celebrated its 200th anniversary by establishing a scholarship through the East Tennessee Foundation for students who attend either Maryville College or The University of Tennessee. The recipients this year are Maleah Coulter, a business administration major, and Qaswa Gul, a pre-med major. Both are alumni of Maryville High School and both are attending the University of Tennessee. If you are interested in contributing to the 200th Anniversary Scholarship, just indicate on your check or funds transfer or online giving form that it is for the 200th Anniversary Scholarship.
KINsoap
The Go Team is seeking assistance from the congregation to donate items needed by both Family Promise and the Knoxville Internationals Network (KIN) ministries. See the lists below, and consider picking up an item or two on your next grocery run! Items may be brought to the church office until a drop-off location is established. Thank you in advance for supporting these two important organizations!
ry Liquid laund Dish soap onditioner C / o o p m a h S full sized) ( t n a r e d o e D Body lotion h bags Kitchen tras ls Paper Towe oothpaste T / s e h s u r b h Toot Sugar oodles Spaghetti n il Vegetable o
Family Promise
Soap Lotion, frag rance free p referred Shampoo/co nditioner Feminine hyg iene product s Ibuprofen Chap Stick Deodorant Dental Floss Hand Sanitiz er Facial Tissu e Toothbrushe s & Toothpa ste
A Little More about
FISH Our long running Fish program at Second Pres serves 20-25 families each month on the fourth Tuesday. Families receive a bag of personal items containing shampoo, detergent, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, dish soap and toilet paper, along with a supply of food to accommodate the size of the family. Adult and baby diapers, wipes, and pet food are also available. Our faithful volunteers come in on distribution day, pull the food items, and assemble the bags for delivery. New volunteers are always welcome! If you would like to volunteer in an upcoming month, contact Dick Dodson at rtdodson52@gmail. You may also donate monetarily at any time to the Fish pantry, which has 15 allowed us the maintain a healthy amount of supplies for folks in our community.
Notes of Gratitude
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Support September Session Highlights -Session agreed to extend the Vision Task Force’s mission to continue to review and explore options for the future of Second Presbyterian Church Review of the treasurer’s report and ministry team reports Pastors’ report on celebrations/concerns and update on activities and administrative issues Next Session meeting- Oct 20, 2026
Give Online
Visit us at www.2ndpres.org/give, text 2ndPresKnox to 73256 OR scan the QR code here.
AUGUST BUDGET REPORT
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Preliminary
AUGUST
YTD 2026
BUDGET 2026
TOTAL GIFTS
$79,973.61
$764,334.48
$893,040.00
TOTAL EXPENSES
$79,367.64
$591,998.30
$994,188.00
EXCESS (SHORTAGE)
$605.97
$172,336.18
($101,148.00)
October 2026
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THE SECOND EDITION
2ND PRES KNOX
WELCOMING + FAITHFUL + HOPEFUL
SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2829 KINGSTON PIKE KNOXVILLE, TN 37919
CLERGY STAFF Pastor Tim Reynolds Pastor/Head of Staff treynolds@2ndpres.org Pastor Sarah Morgan Transitional Associate Pastor for Congregational Life & Mission smorgan@2ndpres.org PROGRAM STAFF Matthew Mimbs Director of Music & Arts mmimbs@2ndpres.org Holly Grimm Children & Youth Ministry Coordinator hgrimm@2ndpres.org Sarah Warner Organist swarner@bellarmine.edu SUPPORT STAFF Kathryn Paden Church Administrator admin@2ndpres.org
Responding in gratitude to God's love and grace, we are a welcoming, faithful, and hopeful community, following Jesus and serving him in the world.
follow us on social media 2ndpres.org
2ndpresknox/
SecondPresbyterianChurchKnoxville/
MINISTRY TEAMS & MODERATORS
PRESCHOOL STAFF Linda Sue Byrd Director lsbyrd@2ndpres.org Holly Grimm Assistant Director hgrimm@2ndpres.org --------------------------------------------------CONTACT US: Second Presbyterian Church 2829 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37919 Ph. 865.523.2189 Fax 865.637.2617 www.2ndpres.org
ELDERS
CLASS OF 2027 Betsy Foster John Gill William Owen Cheryl Ragsdale CLASS OF 2028 Geoffrey Kennedy Kathy Duggan Lauren Dodson Cleston Jones CLASS OF 2029 Andrew Butler Becca Kite Glenn Lamping Janis Smith
WORSHIP Betsy Foster John Gill Andrew Butler CONNECT Geoffrey Kennedy Becca Kite Cheryl Ragsdale GROW Kathy Duggan GO Lauren Dodson Glenn Lamping SUPPORT William Owen Janis Smith PRESCHOOL Cleston Jones