Oak Ridge Today

Symphony Orchestra presents Baroque Bonanza on Saturday

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Meghan Mayes

Meghan Mayes

A Saturday evening concert with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra will feature the music of Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart.

It will also feature singer Meghan Mayes, winner of the Youth Aliyah Honors Concert in Oak Ridge. She will be in the spotlight for “Exsultate, Jubilate” by Mozart, a press release said.

The orchestra will be led by conductor Dan Allcott, and the concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church. The church is at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Tulane Avenue.

The Baroque Bonanza concert is part of an Oak Ridge Civic Music Association concert series. [Read more…]

A service of lessons, carols at First United Methodist Church

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Tis the Season! Tis the season when Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and what better way than through a traditional service of lessons and carols? Come to this festive service, comprised of the stories and songs of Christmas, on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Service of Lessons and Carols was first held on Christmas Eve 1918 at King’s College in Cambridge, England. Since then, it has been celebrated throughout the world, sometimes still on Christmas Eve, otherwise sometime during the season of Advent, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. While the backbone of the service, the lessons, has remained virtually unchanged, there is much beautiful and moving Christmas music to choose from when organizing such a service. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chorus has All Saints Day concert tonight

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New Oak Ridge Chorus Director Seth Maples is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Civic Music Association)

New Oak Ridge Chorus Director Seth Maples is pictured above. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Civic Music Association)

The Oak Ridge Chorus has an All Saints Day concert at 7:30 pm today (Saturday) at First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge.

It’s a special concert under the direction of new conductor Seth Maples. Musical selections include “Where Your Bare Foot Walks” by David Childs, “When I Hear Music” by Michael Martin, “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Peter Wilhousky, and “Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal,” arranged by Alice Parker.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for young adults and youth. [Read more…]

First United Methodist has marriage seminar Friday, Saturday

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Adventures in Marriage Logo

Do you want to make your marriage as strong as it can be? First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge is hosting “Adventures in Marriage: Fun, Faith, and Fellowship to Grow Your Marriage,” a seminar on Friday and Saturday at the church.

The seminar will be led by Julie and Jay Baumgardner. Julie is the president and chief executive officer of First Things First, an award-winning nonprofit in Chattanooga that supports marriage and family life. As a passionate advocate for healthy marriage and family, Baumgardner frequently speaks on these issues both locally and nationally. [Read more…]

Methodist church has Oct. 30 fundraising festival for Second Harvest

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Canned Food Labyrinth

Pictured above is a food labyrinth like the one that will be constructed at a Harvest Festival at First United Methodist Church on Oct. 30. (Submitted photo)

A fall festival at the end of this month will raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank.

The annual Harvest Festival is scheduled from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, on the front lawn of First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge.

Children are encouraged to wear a costume and celebrate with crafts, games, inflatables, and face painting, a press release said.

Second Harvest is East Tennessee’s local food bank. [Read more…]

Review, discuss ‘Praying for Strangers’ on Sept. 6

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Church Women United of Oak Ridge invites the public to a review and discussion of “Praying for Strangers” by River Jordan on Friday, Sept. 6, in the Fellowship Hall of First United Methodist Church at 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike (the hall is most easily accessed from the Vienna Road side). Fellowship begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by a short meeting and program at 10 a.m.

River Jordan’s book focuses on how an unusual New Year’s resolution led her to greater understanding of herself and others. CWU is a national ecumenical women’s movement that brings together women of diverse races, cultures, and traditions in closer Christian fellowship, prayer, advocacy, and action for peace with justice in the world.

Guest column: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts collect food pantry donations

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Scouts Sort Food at Grace Lutheran

Scouts, leaders, and family members from Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Cub Scouts troops sort food donations in Grace Lutheran’s Fellowship Hall. (Submitted photos)

Submitted by Scoutmaster Mike McEahern

The need is greater than ever.

As families continue to struggle across the country, local organizations like the Great Smoky Mountain Council of the Boy Scouts of America are striving to make a difference close to home.

On Feb. 9, Boy Scouts from Troop 224 from Grace Lutheran Church; Troop 328 from Kern United Methodist Church; and Cub Scouts from Pack 328 and Girl Scouts from Troop 20737, both from First United Methodist Church, teamed up to collect donations in the annual Scouting for Food drive. Donations were collected from neighborhoods throughout Oak Ridge and delivered to the Grace Lutheran Food Pantry. Additionally, Pack 328 led collection efforts at First United Methodist and Woodland Elementary—rewarding the leading classroom at Woodland with a pizza party.

[Read more…]

Faith and the Medical Community, Part 4: Medical Missions Programs

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First United Methodist Church of Oak Ridge has a very active adult mission trip program designed to encourage and involve members of the congregation, and non-members as well, in answering God’s call to serve the needs of His children wherever needed. Part of this ministry has involved sending medical mission teams to Honduras for the past 10 years.

The church’s teams are connected to an organization called United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, Southeastern Jurisdiction. An in-country coordinator helps plan the trips, and coordinate the activities with the United Methodist Churches in Honduras. The church has served in several communities, most recently in Talanga, a town northeast of the capital city of Tegucigalpa. In March, the group will return there for their seventh time.

[Read more…]

Pipe organ featured at Oak Ridge Symphony concert

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Malcolm Matthews

Malcolm Matthews

The pipe organ will be the featured instrument at the Feb. 2 Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra concert at First United Methodist Church.

Conducted by Maestro Dan Allcott, ORSO will perform “Incidental Music to L’Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) and “Elegy” by Elliott Cook Carter (1908-2010).

ORSO will join guest artist Malcolm Matthews, Knoxville native and 2012 American Guild of Organists National Young Artist finalist, in performing the “Concerto for Organ, Timpani and Strings in G Minor” by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963).

[Read more…]

Christmastide Choir Festival at First Presbyterian Sunday

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A Christmastide Festival, featuring four church choirs, will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, at First Presbyterian Church, Oak Ridge Turnpike at Lafayette Drive. The public is invited.

In addition to the First Presbyterian choir, the choirs from the Grace Covenant, First United Methodist, and Unitarian Universalist churches in Oak Ridge are also singing.

Christmastide is traditionally the period from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, which falls on Jan. 6. This Christian feast day, the last of the Twelve Days of Christmas, commemorates the visitation of the Three Magi (three wise kings) to the Baby Jesus.

It also celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ, said the Rev. Sharon Youngs, pastor at First Presbyterian Church.

Annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service at UU Church on Sunday

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The Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church will host an annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service on Sunday.

“Clergy and congregations from four area churches will participate in the service to share the simple, yet universal message of ‘giving thanks’ and to lift up the call anew to care for each other and our neighbors,” a press release said.

It said each church has prepared a special musical offering for the service. Participating churches include Spurgeon Chapel AME Zion Church, Grace Covenant Church, Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, and First United Methodist Church.

Everyone who can should bring a non-perishable food item to give to area food banks.

A dessert social will be held after the service in the church Social Hall. The church is at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike, and the service starts at 6 p.m.

For more information, call the ORUUC office at (865) 483-6761.