Congratulations to Patricia Ann Ragland and Paul Douglas Barger who were joined in marriage on Friday, March 19, 2010, at 4:00 PM in the Hermitage Church Sanctuary. I had the privilege to preside at the ceremony. Billie Ragland is Tricia’s mother and I asked Billie if I could write this in this letter. Tricia and Paul are both in their early forties and this is the first time either of them have been married. They waited for each other.
Paul and Glenda Bolling presented their son, Liam Finnten Bolling, in dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday, March 21, 2010, at 10:15 AM in The Center. Liam was joined at the altar by his brother, Caeden; grandparents, cousins, and friends. He made the barefoot journey to the blessing song and enjoyed the tugs on his toes. We bless the Lord who has blessed the Bollings with a child to care for and to love for him.
Congratulation to Rachel Thimell who was selected the Student of the Year at Donelson Middle School. She will be recognized at a luncheon on April 8, 2010, at the Springhouse Golf Clubhouse. Rachel is the daughter of Joel Thimell.
Congratulations to Coach Gary Van Atta and to K.C. Van Atta on the successful completion of their 2009-2010 basketball season with Trevecca Nazarene University’s Lady Trojans. Trevecca advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NAIA Division 1 National Championships in an upset win over third seed William Woods. The season ended, however, in the second round with a loss to Campbellsville.
Did you see The Tennessean’s article on Lucy Cline posted outside the nursery and outside The Center? The article chronicles Lucy’s life in retirement from nursing. She serves as a docent at the Frist Center; takes art classes at UT, Watkins College of Art, and Vol State; translates Mandarin Chinese between doctors and patients at Vandy and a hospital in LA; plays at weekly music sessions at the Mt. Juliet Senior Center and leads ballroom dance classes. What a life! There are great photos accompanying the article.
The Genesis Sunday School Class hosted Room-in-the-Inn at HCN on Saturday-Sunday, March 13-14, 2010. Ten men without a home were welcomed to a hot, home-cooked supper; warm, dry beds; opportunities to shower and wash and dry clothes; a hot breakfast and lunch to go. Cooks, chaperones, and helpers were Ricky and Dianne McNeese, Wayne and Pam McNeese, Kylee and Ken Koon, Shelly Flint, Lisa Anderson, Melva Strickland, Beth Seaman, Becky Evans, Dot Waffird, Erika Mannen, Carol Clem, Paul and Pam Stonecipher, Jon Alderman, Marvin Heath, Rob Mathias, Bryce Poole, Rhonda Ward, Beth Rice, Mark and Carolyn Washing. Thank you for representing Jesus and his church.
The Early Christian Sunday School Class prepared the beans, potatoes, and cornbread for the Poverty Dinner on Sunday. Cooks were Charles and Nancy Jewell, Herb and Miriam McMillan, Tommy and Mary Ann Boner, Bill Manley, Angela Draper, Paul and Patty West, Ruthanne Terrell, Dot Waffird, Shirley Maschinski, Marilyn Jordan, Art and Sandra Kurtz, Ken and Betty Willis, Jerry and Marilyn Keener, Ken and Gay Elkins, Glen and Pat Detwiler, Harry and Donna Wood, Bob and Wanda Bishop, Chuck and Lucy Cline, Bill and Dean Jackson, John and Melinda Knott. Contributions given at the meal totaled $1,098. Monies given last week and this week in the regular offering totaled $190. All monies are divided equally between feeding the needy in our middle Tennessee community and feeding the hungry in Kali Market, Kenya, through World Servants. Thanks to Donna Wood for asking me after Sunday School if I needed help setting up and to all the people who responded to the spontaneous appeal to help.
Palmer Maphet is a freshman at Tennessee Tech University who has attended HCN since his junior year at Mt. Juliet High School. When he moved to Cookeville, he immediately connected himself to Christian service groups and worship in a local church. Palmer was selected to be a member of a travel team this summer to northern Maine where he will work with other college students in evangelistic work. He needs to raise $600 of support to help pay for airline tickets and other expenses. If you are led to support Palmer, make checks payable to BCM Missions (memo: Palmer Maphet) and mail to his home address of 1711 Country Haven Ct., Mt. Juliet, TN 37122-5029. This is a focused, committed young man who is worthy of our support.
The Easter Egg Bins are looking puny and Children’s Pastor Carol Waller told me in pastoral staff meeting this morning that it was time to beg for eggs. She even suggested I talk about children crying from disappointment if I needed to do so. As always, we need your help. Would you purchase plastic eggs and fill them with non-chocolate candy and donate them to the church for this Sunday’s (March 28, 2010) Easter Egg Hunt at 5:00 PM? Leave the eggs in the metal containers in The Center Lobby on Wednesday night or on Sunday morning and they will be hidden on the west lawn of the church for finding.
It is a little thing with large appreciation.
Also, the Cooking Team plans to grill hamburgers and hotdogs for our consumption following the hunt. The church provides meat, paper products, and condiments. We bring the salads, drinks, and desserts. Bring your lawn chairs and outdoor games and plan to spend the evening together.
Have you taken the risk to invite someone for the “One Voice” presentation this Sunday, March 28, 2010, at 9:00 or 10:30 AM in The Center? Remember that Sunday School Classes do not meet on Sunday to help with transitions in services. There will be parking assistants in the parking lots to help find spaces.
As I close this letter, I am thinking of a young couple in the community whose two-year-old daughter died during the night. Their pain and grief make everything else seem small. Life is fragile. Pray for broken hearts.
In Christ Jesus,
Howard Plummer
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