Oak Ridge Today

Mother Goose, a program for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, returns to Oak Ridge

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After a short hiatus, the Mother Goose interactive program for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers has returned to Oak Ridge. Sessions are held on the first and third Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. with leader Father Goose Michael Raymond and his little sidekick, son Benjamin. The first session was held on Thursday, September 1. Due a previous scheduled event in September only, the second session will be held on the fourth Thursday, September 22. There is no cost.

Mother Goose of Oak Ridge meets in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, or ORUUC, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike, next to Summit Medical.

Mother Goose is a group experience that focuses on the pleasure and power of using rhymes, simple songs, rhythmic activities, musical circle games, parachute play, and more for parents and their babies and young children. [Read more…]

Bargains galore at Church Rummage Sale on Friday, Saturday

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Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will have its popular semi-annual rummage sale on Friday, September 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, September 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., a press release said. Bargain hunters have come to rely on the low prices for much-needed or desired items, the release said.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Proceeds raised will help to support various ministries of the church, the press release said.

Shop the sale and find very low prices for linens, kitchenware, small appliances, furniture, home décor items, DVDs, CDs, books, baby items, toys, tools, athletic equipment, garden equipment, low cost computers, TVs, and other electronic devices, the press release said.

For many shoppers, the sale is highly anticipated for renewing and refurbishing the wardrobe for the entire family, the release said. Clothing, shoes, and accessories will be available. [Read more…]

Public program on Friday to focus on communicating with people who have dementia

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A public program in Oak Ridge on Friday will focus on communicating with people who have dementia.

Amanda Spencer, LPN, of Blue Harbor Senior Living, will be the guest speaker. Her presentation will help caregivers, family members, and friends better interact with loved ones whose abilities are diminished, a press release said.

The program has been organized by Church Women United. It’s the start of their 2016 fall season.

The event begins with fellowship at 11:30 a.m. Friday, September 9, followed by a short business meeting and the program at noon. [Read more…]

First United Methodist announces two new staff members: Rev. Rachel Witt, Seth O’Kegley

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The Rev. Rachel Witt, new associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

The Rev. Rachel Witt, new associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge. (Submitted photo)

 

First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge has announced that two new staff members will be joining the church’s ministry team on July 1. The Rev. Rachel Witt will be assuming the position of associate pastor, and Seth O’Kegley will begin serving as music director. Their first Sunday in worship with the congregation will be July 3.

Originally from Kingsport, Witt has a bachelor’s degree in religion and a minor in music from Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia. She graduated in May with a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She has served as a clergy intern at Church Street United Methodist in Knoxville and at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Her experience also includes working as a counselor at Buffalo Mountain Camp outside Johnson City and as a summer youth ministry intern with the Holston Conference United Methodist Church based in Alcoa. Witt will be sharing in preaching and pastoral care responsibilities and will also provide leadership in outreach to young adults as well as various other ministries, a press release said.

A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, O’Kegley has a bachelor’s degree in music education from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City. He graduated in May with a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. [Read more…]

Palestinian Christian to speak at three area churches

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Amal Nassar at her family’s farm in the West Bank. (Submitted photo)

Amal Nassar at her family’s farm in the West Bank. (Submitted photo)

 

By Carolyn Krause

Amal Nassar, a Palestinian Christian who lives with her family on their 100-acre farm amid Israeli settlements in the West Bank, will speak in three area churches June 26 and June 28.

She will talk about her family’s dedication to making peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

On Sunday, June 26, she will speak in Oak Ridge at 9:45 a.m. in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Then, at 11:15 a.m., she will speak in the fellowship hall at First Presbyterian Church at 1051 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

On June 28, she will speak at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension at 800 South Northshore Drive in Knoxville. The public is invited to attend any of Nassar’s church presentations. [Read more…]

Summer menu starts at Unitarian Universalist Church free community meal on Friday

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The “it’s too hot for soup” summer-style menu will start at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church Stone Soup free community meal on Friday, June 24. The homemade meal will include ham sandwiches, smashed potato salad, brownies, and fresh fruit.

ORUUC is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. Dine-in or take-out will be available from 5 to 6 p.m. Friday. An assortment of nonperishable family friendly groceries will be available for free to anyone in need.

“For some, attending is as much about the friendly atmosphere as it is about the meal. Everyone is welcome,” coordinator Jinx Watson said. The Stone Soup free community meal is offered on the final Friday of each month. [Read more…]

Canceled: Central Baptist Church at Paradox Teen Center on Sunday

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Central Baptist at Paradox

Updated: Central Baptist Church has canceled the Vacation Bible School Preview at the Paradox on Sunday, June 5, due to the forecast for rain.

 

For more information, call (865) 483-7495 or send an email to darcomeaux@yahoo.com.

Vacation Bible School, Free Block Party at Central Baptist starting June 11

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FullSizeRender (1)

Central Baptist Church in Oak Ridge has its 2016 Vacation Bible School and a free block party starting Saturday, June 11.

“Please join us (for) Bible stories, crafts, music, and games,” a press release said.
The Submerged Block Party, which is free, is scheduled from 4-6 p.m.Saturday, June 11.

Vacation Bible School is Sunday through Thursday, June 12-16, from 6-8:45 p.m., with classes for all ages, nursery through adults. [Read more…]

St. Mary’s students selected for multiple honor choirs

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St. Mary’s School students Elizabeth Brands, Sophie Sherlock, and Gabriella Wilkerson were selected to participate in the 2016 Tennessee Treble Honor Choir. (Submitted photo)

St. Mary’s School students Elizabeth Brands, Sophie Sherlock, and Gabriella Wilkerson were selected to participate in the 2016 Tennessee Treble Honor Choir. (Submitted photo)

 

Students at St. Mary’s School in Oak Ridge were selected for multiple honor choirs in what has been a leading year for the school’s music program, a press release said

St. Mary’s School students Elizabeth Brands, Sophie Sherlock, and Gabriella Wilkerson were selected to participate in the 2016 Tennessee Treble Honor Choir, the press release said. The singers sang under the direction of Derrick Fox, assistant professor of choral music education and choral conducting in the Ithaca College School of Music. The Tennessee Music Educators Association commissioned a piece to be performed at the conference opening concert and ceremonies. The piece entitled “Honeybees” was composed by Andrea Ramsey. Ramsey attended the conference and rehearsed with the choir as well as attended the choir’s premier performance of her composition.

The Tennessee Treble Honor Choir is an auditioned choir made up of 130-150 of the best fifth- and sixth-grade students from schools throughout the state of Tennessee, the press release said. Each student submitted a solo audition recording of her or him singing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” in the keys of F and A Flat. A committee of music educators from across the state adjudicated the auditions listening for pitch accuracy, tone quality, diction, ability to use chest and head registers, and phrasing. The Treble Choir performed at the Tennessee Music Education Association Professional Development Conference held April 13-14 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. [Read more…]

St. Brendan’s Orthodox Celtic Festival is Saturday in Oak Ridge

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St. Brendan Celtic Festival

You can celebrate Celtic orthodoxy, Celtic heritage, and the Celtic roots of East Tennessee on Saturday, May 14, in Oak Ridge.

The Celtic heritage of East Tennessee and Appalachia runs deep, sharing so much in common—from food to language, music, and dance, and the sense of the sacred, a press release said. The peoples of the British Isles were Orthodox Christians for more than a thousand years, producing many of the world’s most-loved saints, and a spiritual heritage second to none.

The St. Brendan’s Orthodox Celtic Festival at St. Anne Orthodox Church in Oak Ridge on Saturday is a celebration of Celtic and Appalachian culture and folkways, of our common spiritual heritage of Orthodox Christianity, and of great music, food, and dance, the press release said.

Food

  • Irish fare from St. Andrews Square
  • Big O’s BBQ
  • Ice cream from Razzleberry’s

Music and Dance

  • 11-12—Oak Ridge Folk Dancers
  • 12-1—Myrrh-bearers Dancers
  • 1-2:30—Rowena Irish Dance School
  • 3-4:00—Red-Haired Mary
  • 4-5—Shamrock Road

[Read more…]

Grace Lutheran hosts candle lighting service on May 7

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in observance, Grace Lutheran Church will host a candle lighting service in support of those challenged by mental illness, substance use disorders, and other brain disorders. The service will be held on Saturday, May 7, at 5 p.m. in the church sanctuary, which is at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue in Oak Ridge.

This is a free community event, and everyone is invited to attend. A special invitation is extended to family members, caregivers, community support organizations, and the healing professions.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), more than 60 million American adults experience mental illness in a given year. About 13.6 million of those live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder. [Read more…]

CWU celebrates reconciliation, grace, friendship on May 6

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Church Women United of Oak Ridge invites the public to its May Friendship Day celebration on Friday, May 6.

The celebration will feature a worship program titled “Finding Grace at the Table.” The program focuses on the table as a place for reconciliation and the need to recognize God presence in every person.

CWU will present Key Woman Awards to Mary Stephens and Judy Cohan for their dedicated service at Oak Valley Baptist Church and United Church, Chapel on the Hill, respectively, in addition to their contributions within the wider Oak Ridge community and Church Women United. [Read more…]