Pastor Rondy Smith coordinated the Newcomer’s Luncheon on Sunday, February 8, 2009, after second service. The luncheon provides a wonderful opportunity for the pastoral staff team to meet new people in the church. Jill Satterlee caters the delicious box lunches and the rest of us float through and eat. Word on the street says the church is friendly; experiences Spirit-filled worship; provides good fellowship/study groups for men; offers great children’s programs (especially Upwards), great music, decent preaching. Families who joined the staff for lunch included the Mahoneys, the Eisemans, the Spanns, the Clines, the Gardenours, the Rapps, the Cutrights, and the Walvoords.
Ken Stegall, Ole Blomberg, Gary Helm, and Bobby Smith sang the offertory in first service and the opening in second service on Sunday. Someone in the Newcomer’s Luncheon requested more soon.
Congratulations to Morgan Follis who participated in a Gymnastic League Champion-ship last Saturday, February 7, 2009, and won first place in the All-Around Competition. Exercises included balance beam, parallel bars, vault, and floor.
Congratulations to Will Miranne and the Donelson Christian Academy Drama Depart-ment on their successful competition at the National Performing Arts Festival at Disney World the last week in January, 2009. The DCA group won Best Overall Performance for a scene from their upcoming musical, “Hello, Dolly,” in which Will is one of the main characters. Will also received the Best Supporting Actor award for a musical role and a Superior Rating for a dramatic duet comical role.
Congratulations to Adrie Brown, freshman at Mt. Juliet High School, who was one of two students from MJHS to have their art displayed in the Superintendents Exhibit at the Frist Center through February 15, 2009. Adrie’s piece is an ink and watercolor of a bridge/landscape.
Congratulations to Collin Earnhardt, senior at Mt. Juliet High School. When National Signing Day came for college football scholarships last Wednesday, February 4, 2009, Collin was signed by the Carson-Newman Eagles of Jefferson City, Tennessee. Carson-Newman has twenty of the last thirty South Atlantic Conference Championships in the NCAA Division II football program. Collin’s speed also inked him a track scholarship.
Congratulations to the Children’s Quiz Team and their great success at the Zone Quiz at Nashville First Church on Saturday, February 7, 2009. Red level quizzers were Brielle Fox, Sara Waller, Briley Ruff, and Drew Silvernail. Brielle and Sara received Gold All-Star ribbons. Briley and Drew received Gold ribbons. Drew, Briley and Brielle recited all memory verses. Blue level quizzers were Bryson Fox, Bethany Ruff, Jonathan Silvernail, and Drew Silvernail. Bryson, Bethany, and Jonathan received Gold All-Star ribbons. Drew received a Gold ribbon. Each of the blue level quizzers completed all memory verses and earned third place overall in the quiz.
Congratulations to Ronnie Marsh who ran in the Phoenix, Arizona, P.F. Chang’s Marathon on Sunday, January 18, 2009, in the company of 47,000 plus other runners. Ronnie finished 11th in his age group and 1,013th in the whole marathon. The Phoenix event is the largest combined running event in the USA and a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
Hermitage Middle School and Senior High Students competed in the Tennessee District Extravaganza last weekend on the campus of Trevecca Nazarene University. All first place winners progress to the Southeastern Regional Top Nazarene Talent at TNU in April. The following young people participated in a variety of events: Daniel Jones, Brian Brinkman, Bryson Fox, Josh Cater, Jonathan Mowry, Lauren Lavery, Ben Mabry, Toby Haydel, Anna-Laura Green, Sophia Green, Cassie Hunt, and Cali Crosslin. The following students qualified to represent the Tennessee District in these events at TNT: Lauren Lavery (women’s basketball), Brian Brinkman (beach volleyball, men’s tennis, men’s table tennis), Ben Mabry (beach volleyball, ultimate frisbee), Toby Haydel (ultimate frisbee, art), Anna-Laura Green (women’s table tennis, art), Sophia Green (art), Cassie Hunt (art), and Cali Crosslin (art).
Middle School Ministries sponsors a Breakfast for Dinner in The Center this Sunday, February 15, 2009, in a 45 minute window just before the Evening Gatherings. The time is 5:00 to 5:45 PM. The cost is donations with all proceeds helping to reduce the cost of the 2009 Winter Charge to Maggie Valley, NC. All age-level programming must cover their own expenses due to the spending freeze at church so this is an important event. Alexandra Whitehead serves as French chef for the evening.
In thirty-two years of pastoral ministry, I have baptized all but three people I have ever baptized by immersion. Those waters have included church baptisteries, swimming pools, North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound, and Northern California’s Pacific Ocean. Both the coldest and the hottest water have been at HCN. Two of the three people were not physically able to be immersed. They were adults who were sick with an over-whelming desire to complete what they had postponed throughout their lives. Last Thursday, Ruthanne Terrell brought her friend, Bill Garrett, to the Hermitage Church sanctuary and together, we listened to scripture and affirmed the truths we believe about water baptism. Then gathering as much water as I could in one hand and placing it on Bill’s forehead, I baptized him in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Bill wept almost from beginning to end. I charged him with the responsibility to go and tell everyone he could about his baptism, including his 90 year old mother in an extended care facility. Ruthanne testifies that he has done just that. We rejoice.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Howard
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