“Open for business ….”
10A • East Tennessee’s Mountain Views, June, 2021
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Photos from the Navigating Loss Retreat which was the first group to use our newly renovated facilities.
hepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church at Chota Center in Tellico Village is officially “open for business”! Over the past few months, through the Covid lockdown, we have been reinventing ourselves for our congregation as well as for the community in which we reside. Previous news articles have chronicled the work that has been done – new office space for our pastor and office manager, an enlarged social hall and kitchen – all handicap accessible. Now, as activities and buildings in the village are beginning to open back up to pre-Covid levels so, too, is Shepherd of the Lake. Join us for Sunday services with Holy Communion at 9:00 am! As of this writing we are still requesting that reservations be made in advance either online through our newly redesigned website (shepherdofthelaketn.org) or by phoning the church office at 865-816-4756. By continuing to maintain social distancing we hope that everyone will feel comfortable in our space for worship. We all look forward to the day in the not-too-distant future when that will no longer be necessary. With our renovation work complete,
Shepherd of the Lake is also now open for outside groups who wish to meet in our newly designed space. We already have several women’s groups who have made Shepherd of the Lake their “home”. And we recently hosted certified grief specialist, Donna Marie Todd, for a day long women’s retreat on navigating loss. It is our hope that this is just the start of an active church sharing what they have with the Tellico Village community as a whole. Perhaps you belong to a community group who is looking for a place to meet on a regular basis. Social service agencies, educational groups, civic organizations, mutual ministries as well as special interest groups may find Shepherd of the Lake’s newly expanded social hall a convenient location for your regular gatherings. Feel free to stop by and see for yourself how Shepherd of the Lake can fill your needs. As a congregation we feel truly blessed to be able to further fulfill our mission statement of “Sharing God’s Love With The World”! Shepherd of the Lake 865-816-4756 www.shepherdofthelaketn.org
St. Joseph The Worker Catholic Church Celebrates A Special Year By Helping New Mothers In Monroe County
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hen Pope Francis declared that 2021 would be dedicated to St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Madisonville wanted to do something to celebrate. Parish members decided to have a giant baby shower to provide new-born items to The Good Shepherd Center which will make the items available to any mother in the community who needs help with clothing and caring for her new-born baby. “We put out a large, portable play pen and church members filled it with everything from blankets to booties to bottles,” said Margaret Cummings, President of Good Shepherd Center and a member of St. Joseph the Worker Church. “What better way to honor the earthly father of baby Jesus than to provide these items to other babies who are born into the neediest families in our county.” “Our church members are very generous,” said Fr. Julius Abuh, Pastor of St. Joseph the Worker. “They have
a special place in their hearts for babies and children. Since I came here, some members of our church do occasionally support our diocesan orphanage in my home country of Nigeria as well.” “Our parish is one of the core churches that gives regularly to maintain the Good Shepherd Center,” Abuh concluded. “We are called by Christ to feed the hungry and clothe the needy and our partnership with Good Shepherd fulfills that beautifully.” Good Shepherd Center provides free food and clothing to people, families and children in need in Monroe County, as well as providing a host of services such as help with heating bills, vouchers for doctor visits and food kits for children when they are not in school. Anyone interested in volunteering at Good Shepherd Center or contributing to its mission can call the office in Madisonville, Monday through Thursday at (423) 420-8888.
205 Chota Road • Loudon TN 37774 A Loving, Welcoming Family of Believers Charlie Barnard, Pastor
Loving God, Loving Others, and Reaching our World for Christ.