Kern United Methodist Church presents Christian rock band The Shine Effect in concert on Sunday.
The concert starts at 5 p.m. Sunday, September 20, during reViVe@5. It’s a free all-ages concert.
Organizers said child care will be provided for kids under age 4. Light snacks will be provided.
Find out more at kernchurch.org. [Read more…]
The First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge is pictured above. (Photo by First United Methodist Church)
Submitted
For some yoga and prayer go well together because they experience yoga as a way to pray with the body, uniting body, mind, and spirit. For others, yoga, with its careful use of breathing and postures, serves to quiet and focus the mind, thus beautifully preparing us for prayer. First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, will again be offering classes which combine yoga and Christian prayer. The classes will be led by professional yoga instructors and the Rev. Jenny Caughman.
In these classes, we will practice yoga with conscious awareness of God’s constant presence with us. Yoga can be used to open ourselves up to the spirit. In the words of Fr. Thomas Ryan, when practicing yoga “one creates an atmosphere of calm, peace, and silence without and within, establishing a harmony between body and spirit so that nothing hinders the working of grace, the Holy Spirit. The aim is to bring tranquility to one’s mind from anxieties and problems; and to render it available to the Spirit.” This class will seek to make us increasingly open to the Spirit by integrating Christian contemplative prayer with the practice of yoga. [Read more…]
The Crime Prevention Unit of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is presenting a Church Safety and Security Seminar on Saturday, September 19, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at LifeHouse Church at 535 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge. This free seminar is open for all churches and denominations.
The Church Safety and Security Seminar is being presented for area houses of worship to assist with emergency planning, a press release said.
“Prior preparation is essential for successful prevention and mitigation of potentially catastrophic events,” the release said. “This seminar will offer valuable information to help prepare.”
An effective plan for keeping congregations safe requires a complete team effort and coordination, the release said. It involves participation of the pastoral staff, ushers, greeters, parking lot attendants, deacons, elders, trustees, medically trained personnel, and many others. Every member of the church team should make plans to attend this seminar. [Read more…]
Natalie Landry
Three Community School evening seminars on the topic of waste disposal management will be held at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church beginning Tuesday, September 15.
The second and third seminars are scheduled for the following Tuesdays, September 22 and September 29. All seminars will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and free child care will be provided. The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.
The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge and Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning have partnered to offer these seminars, a press release said. The Community School is made possible by a $20,000 Community Involvement Fund grant awarded to the Oak Ridge League by the New Mexico Community Foundation, and funded through the U.S. Department of Energy. A portion of the grant helped to fund an environmental program focusing on children at the ORUUC Rainbow Camp in June. [Read more…]
Clinton Church of Christ has its 2015 Vacation Bible School “A Backyard Adventure” this week.
There will be classes for all children’s ages—newborns through high school, a press release said. Adult class sessions will feature a different speaker each night.
The VBS started Sunday evening. It continues Monday-Thursday from 7-9 p.m. The children will begin each night with singing, go to their classes for the Bible lesson, and then gather again for snacks and a trip to the Puppet Theater, the release said. The evening will end with a craft back in their classrooms, games, and then some more singing.
“Please join us if you are able!” the release said.
See this flyer for more information: VBS2015flyer.
Submitted
Divorce is a difficult time and often traumatizing. Feelings can be overwhelming, and it is easy to get stuck in denial, anger, fear, and loneliness. First United Methodist Church, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, is offering a Divorce Recovery Group on Wednesdays, August 12-September 16, from 6-7:30 p.m. for adults who have experienced a recent or not-so-recent divorce or the end of a relationship.
The group will provide adults a safe, supportive community in which to express and explore the many reactions that come in the aftermath of divorce. Adults can share their experiences, struggles, concerns, sorrows, fears, anger, joys, hopes, and dreams to the level of their own comfort. Meetings will be in a relaxed informal setting. There is no cost for participation except for a $5 fee for class materials, which include “Rebuilding When the Relationship Ends” by Bruce Fisher and will be available at the first session. Scholarships are available for the materials if needed. [Read more…]
New Life Church of the Nazarene will be hosting a Backyard Vacation Bible School free to the community on Friday, July 17, from 5-7 p.m. and then Saturday, July 18, from 9-11 a.m. at Cedar Hill Park.
“Come and join us for a bible story, snack, games, and crafts!” organizers said. “Then, on Sunday, July 19, at 12:30 p.m., we will be hosting a party in the parking lot for the community to come out and enjoy some bounce houses and slides, a hot dog lunch, and fun and fellowship for all!
“Come and join us this weekend at Cedar Hill Park and then at New Life Church of the Nazarene at 200 Lafayette Drive in Oak Ridge.”
If you have any questions, you can call the church at (865) 964-0665.
Oak Ridge resident Melanie Heiberg organized a celebration at Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church on Friday, June 26, after a 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court decision made gay marriage legal in all 50 states. “This is about equality,” Heiberg said.
Note: This story was updated at 11 a.m.
There was a range of reactions in Oak Ridge and across the state this week after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision on Friday, June 26, that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage. That decision made gay marriage legal in all 50 states.
Some said the decision made them proud to be Americans, while others worried about whether the country is straying from biblical values.
Melanie Heiberg and others celebrated the decision at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church last Friday. Heiberg said she was raised by two dads—her father and his partner—when she was in high school.
“This is about equality,” Helberg said. “Everyone is as important as the next person.” [Read more…]
The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church is inviting everyone to a free community meal on Friday, June 26.
The Stone Soup Ministry team will serve a summer menu that will include three bean salad, pimiento cheese sandwiches, ginger snaps, and fruit. Dine-in or take-out will be available in the ORUUC Social Hall from 5 to 6 p.m. The church is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike in Oak Ridge.
Some nonperishable family friendly groceries will be available for free to anyone in need, a press release said. [Read more…]
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, and Tennessee residents and state government officials are waiting to see how the Court’s decision will affect the state’s policy. In the midst of the wait, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church has begun making plans, a press release said.
“In keeping with our beliefs and to offer a sense of love and support to same-sex couples, ORUUC will offer free wedding services and a reception for same-sex couples as soon as the County Clerks’ offices are able to issue licenses,” ORUUC minister Reverend Jake Morrill said in the release. “Those who plan to marry should call the church office to request a time to speak with one of our ministers prior to the wedding day.”
“In the Book of Ruth, when Ruth tells Naomi, ‘Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people,’ people don’t get caught up with the gender,” said ORUUC Minister of Faith Formation Reverend Tandy Scheffler. “What they hear is love. What counts in this life is love. And at ORUUC, we are ready to bless public commitments of love between couples who’ve waited too long for the rights and honor denied to their families.” [Read more…]
Phil Axtell
Dr. Phil Axtell, a Knoxville psychologist specializing in Autism Spectrum Disorders, will discuss Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome diagnoses and interventions for both children and adults on Saturday, June 20, at Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge. The church is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue.
The presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the church fellowship hall. The event is free and open to the public, and child care will be provided.
Children are increasingly being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), including Asperger’s Syndrome according to recent research. In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network reported that 1 in 68 children were identified with ASD in their study covering 8-year-olds in 11 U.S communities over the years 2000-2010, a press release said. [Read more…]
Submitted
Continuing to build on traditions spanning nearly 50 years, High Places Community Church is making preparations for both their Children’s “Mountain Movers” Kid Camp and the annual “Off The Wall” Youth Camp at Big Ridge State Park.
Kid Camp will be held during the evenings of June 22-25, Monday through Thursday, from 5:30 until 8 p.m., in and around the location of their church home, Grove Theater, located at 123 Randolph Road in Oak Ridge.
Pursuing a theme entitled “SEE GOD,” children ages 4 through upcoming grade 5 and grouped by age, will spend their evenings exploring evidences of God’s presence in the earth, water, wind, and fire. In this case, “seeing will be believing” in the sense that God can and will help us to see when we open our minds to the everyday wonders which are always on display in our world. Monday, the group will take a hike from The Grove to A.K. Bissell Park for their fun-filled explorations. [Read more…]
