Mel Parkhurst died on Thursday evening, October 27, 2011, at St. Thomas Hospital. Mel was a member of HCN since 1998. There are lots of special stories about Mel. Bethel Church of the Nazarene was born from prayer meetings, one of which was held in Mel’s family home. Mel loved Bethel Church and her people. He married Linda when she was a young teenage girl and he was just discharged from the Navy. They were married 58 years. Mel was a clown and loved to do magic tricks. He loved to meet people. He had pictures of himself with David Copperfield, Reba McIntyre, and Al Gore. He loved to travel, to swim, to camp, to grow roses, to cook for other people. His brother and his sons said he never cussed, never used tobacco, never drank alcohol of any kind. Linda said his mother was an old prayer warrior who prayed for Mel continuously. He and Linda knelt at the corner of the front altar in first service during pastoral prayer on the last Sunday of his life. His memorial service was held at HCN on Monday, October 31, 2011, at 11:00 AM. His life began in the church and the church was the last place his body left before he was carried to the cemetery. We extend our arms and love and care to Linda, who survives Mel. The Early Christians and Faith Builders Sunday School Classes were asked to serve as honorary pallbearers for Mel. At the close of the service, they formed an honor guard of sorts that extended out of the sanctuary and through the foyer to the hearse. It was very moving.
Congratulations to Hunter Steinmetz, a senior at Mt. Juliet High School, selected for the DAR Citizenship Award. His counselor reports he received the most nominations from the faculty.
Congratulations to Daniel Smith, one of the senior representatives elected to the Trevecca Homecoming Court for King. Congratulations to Anna-Laura Green, the single representative for the freshman class to the Trevecca Homecoming Court for Queen. Congratulations to Toby Haydel, the single representative for the freshman class to the Trevecca Homecoming Court for King. All are members of HCN.
More than fifty men and young men ate breakfast together and listened to Dr. Steve Stride on Saturday, October 29, 2011, from 7:00 to 8:30 AM in The Center. Thanks to Brian Biggs for arriving early and running all the audio visuals. Steve talked to us about the profound effect of violence in the home in comparison to other types of abuse. Thanks, Steve. Thanks to Jill Satterlee for preparing the great breakfast.
The Fall Fish Fry held on the west end of the campus on Sunday, October 30, 2011, at 5:00 PM showed the refined planning of Wayne McNeese to begin frying all food items around 4:45 PM. Every item was hot and crisp and fresh. Although Wayne has lots of help, it is help that he recruits and he carries the load on his shoulders. Thanks to the following cooks: John Jordan, Ken Elkins, Glen Detwiler, Tim Garrett, Dan Scott, Ken Willis, Dean Beach, Paul Stonecipher, Tom Stephens, Rick Person, Ricky McNeese, Bobby Smith, Kenny McNeese, Ken Koon, Webb Trojan, Bill Jackson, Jonathan Beach, Marvin Heath, and Bill Groover. Thanks to the following prep and kitchen workers: Diane McNeese, Kylee Koon, Pam McNeese, Dot Waffird, Lisa Anderson, Rose Baker, Treila Garrett, and Julie Groover. Thanks to the Early Christians Sunday School Class for providing set-up and clean-up.
Hosting for Room-in-the-Inn begins at HCN on Saturday, November 26, 2011, with the New Life Sunday School Class. Each Adult and Teen Sunday School Class has an assigned evening to host through the winter months. Check with Paul Stonecipher for your assignment. If your heart has a special place for ministering to the homeless and you would be interested in assuming a learning role for directing the Room-in-the-Inn program at HCN, Paul is interested in training and passing the torch.
HCN participates in lots of venues for giving to mission projects. We support orphans; send volunteers to India, Peru, Kenya, Bulgaria, Romania; involve ourselves in right-to-life ministries and recovery ministries; serve and host the homeless; visit in nursing homes; and on and on. The very large investment in missions that we carry year after year is the support we share with Nazarene churches around the world for 750 plus career missionaries serving in 150 plus world areas. Our portion approaches $60,000 every year. There are hundreds of ways to look at this amount of money but one way is to consider that we fully fund and support our own missionary family, Spencer and April Baggott, who serve in Rwanda with their three children. I would think it takes $60,000 per year to house, feed, insure, and care for the Baggott family. Thanksgiving and Easter are great times for Nazarenes to sacrificially give to world missions. Our Radical adventure challenges us to sacrifice your money for a specific purpose. Involve your family. Talk about the contribution. Allow your children to sacrifice their money. Use this as a teaching moment. Please consider this opportunity. The more I learn about the world and the need for a faithful witness for Christ, the more I want to give to missions in ways that matter.
Daylight Savings Time ends on Sunday, November 6, 2011, at 2:00 AM. That means that you gain back the hour you gave up last Spring. So, before you retire to bed this Saturday evening, November 5, 2011, turn your clock BACK one hour and get extra sleep.
Thanks to Daniel Smith and Jake Resor, senior pastoral ministries students at TNU, who read the text and led in the Lord’s Prayer in last Sunday’s worship services. Thanks to Hunter Steinmetz, Grant McCoy, Reed McCoy, Ben Mabry, Kyle Peterman, Christi Fite, Sophie Green, and Anna-Laura Green, all high school and university students who served on the second service Praise Team last Sunday. You inspire me.
There are lots of large activities going on around the church this weekend. It is Trevecca’s Homecoming. It is the Senior High’s Barnes Farm Retreat. I hope you plan to include worship at HCN in your activities. I personally think it is a great place to be.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Howard
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