Oak Ridge Today

Second annual writing contest under way; scholarships available

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Grace Writers of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge is featuring its second annual writing contest in memory of two members: Carol Oen and Cleva Marrow, both Oak Ridge writers.

Carol Oen wrote poetry, freelance articles for magazines, and a senior romance novel, “Songs That Remember,” about Alzheimer’s and caregivers. She taught memoir writing for the Oak Ridge Institute of Continued Learning. Cleva Marrow freelanced for The Oak Ridger and The Knoxville News Sentinel.

The contest will consist of three awards:

[Read more…]

Pet Fest and Blessing is Saturday

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Horse Haven of Tennessee will have their popular miniature horse Twinkles at the 18th Annual Pet Fest and Blessing, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2019. (Submitted photo)

Grace Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge will celebrate its 18th Annual Pet Fest and Blessing on Saturday, October 5.

“This year’s event will provide a chance to spend an enjoyable afternoon with your pet while you gather important information about the services and associations available to pets and their owners,” a press release said.

The Blessing of the Animals will be held in the pavilion behind the church at 4 p.m. The church will also hold a bake sale, rummage sale, and silent auction to raise funds for all the participating rescue groups. Boy Scouts and other volunteers will walk your pet while you shop, the press release said.

[Read more…]

Grace Lutheran has Advent Worship, Christmas Eve Services

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Grace Lutheran Church has mid-week Advent Worship Services and Christmas Eve Services this month.

The Advent Worship Services have been on Wednesdays, including on December 5 and 12. There is another service at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 19.

The church will also have Christmas Eve services. They will take place at 4 p.m. (Family) and 9 p.m. (Candlelight).

All services are free, a press release said.

The church presented the seasonal work of Heather Sorenson, “Little Lion, Little Lamb,” presented by Grace Lutheran Church’s Chancel Choir on Sunday, December 16, under the direction of Slade Trammell. Sorenson is a Dallas-based composer and highly accomplished pianist whose talents are heard in worship settings around the world, the press release said. [Read more…]

Nurse to discuss mental health issues among school-age children

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A registered nurse who works for Anderson County Schools will discuss mental health issues among school-age children in Oak Ridge on Saturday.

The talk is hosted by the Grace Lutheran Mental Health Ministry. It’s title “Mental Health: Back to School Basics,” a free community program scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, August 4, in the church’s fellowship hall.

Kim Guinn, a registered nurse and director of the Project AWARE Initiative for Anderson County Schools, will discuss the current prevalence and status of mental health issues among school-age children and the correlation between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health problems, a press release said. [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran Church celebrates ‘Rising of the Son’ Easter Sunday

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Grace-Lutheran-Church-Outdoor-Cross

The outdoor cross at Grace Lutheran is draped for Easter Sunrise Services. (Submitted photo)

 

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to join in celebration of the “Rising of the Son” on Easter Sunday, April 1.

Services will be held at 7 a.m. (sunrise outside), at 9 a.m. (contemporary service), and 11:15 a.m. (traditional service). The Men’s Group will provide breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church is a part of the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). It is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue in Oak Ridge.

“Grace Lutheran Church is a Christian church dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ in a diverse community by loving our neighbors as ourselves, developing vibrant ministries to meet current and emerging needs, and helping people know Jesus,” a press release said. For more information, call (865) 483-3787 or visit the church on the web at www.graceoakridge.org.

Little Free Library opens at Grace Lutheran Church

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge has installed a Little Free Library for the Oak Ridge community, located on the west side of the church. The Little Free Library has a shelf each for children, youth, and adults.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge has installed a Little Free Library for the Oak Ridge community, located on the west side of the church. The Little Free Library has a shelf each for children, youth, and adults.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge has installed a Little Free Library for the Oak Ridge community, located on the west side of the church. The Little Free Library has a shelf each for children, youth, and adults.

“Take a book and leave a book if you have one you can leave,” a press release said. “Help your children to take part in this special family activity. Check back often for new titles.”

Grace’s Little Free Library is one of 60,000 plus Little Libraries in more than 80 countries, with its “official” charter number (61941), and it is included on the World Map at LittleFreeLibrary.org.

According to the LFL website, “Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world. Through Little Free Libraries, millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds. Little Free Libraries play an essential role by providing 24/7 access to books (and encouraging a love of reading!)” [Read more…]

Grace Lutheran Church calls new pastor

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Larry Boudon

Larry Boudon

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge has called the Rev. Dr. H. Lawrence Boudon as its new pastor, effective January 1, 2018. Boudon is a graduate of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina with a Masters of Divinity. He was ordained May 29, 2010.

Boudon graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.A. in Political Science/Spanish. He has a PhD in International Studies from the University of Miami, and a Master’s degree in Government from the University of Virginia. Prior to entering the ministry, Boudon worked as a journalist, then as a college professor and as editor of the Handbook of Latin American Studies at the Library of Congress.

He was born in Olean, New York, and grew up in Port Allegany, Pennsylvania. He is the oldest of three children. Raised Roman Catholic, he became a Lutheran in 2003. He was drawn to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) by the “openness of dialogue at all levels of the denomination.” He is married to Laura, who holds dual U.S.-French citizenship and is presently Director of Study Abroad at Florida International University (FIU). Their son, Lucas, was adopted from Guatemala in 2007. Lucas is in the 6th grade and plays violin and soccer. [Read more…]

Cantata ‘Joy’ & special singer presented by Grace Lutheran Church

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Colette Boudreaux

Colette Boudreaux

 

Christmas 2017 brings in a wealth of musical experiences old and new at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge.

“Joy,” the cantata by Joel Raney, will be presented by the Chancel Choir on December 17 at the traditional service at 11:15 a.m.

Then on December 24, two Christmas Eve services will feature special music by the bell choir and youth choir, plus the late service will feature Colette Boudreaux, an operatic soprano from the New York area. The family service begins at 7 p.m. on December 24, and the Candlelight service begins at 9 p.m.

Boudreaux, who grew up in Knoxville, will sing “Rejoice Greatly” from Handel’s Messiah. Boudreaux keeps a busy performing schedule, and she also teaches voice and dance, is a professional choreographer, and to pay forward what she has learned, directs productions for high schools that have no formal theater programs. She recently started a professional theatre company in Easton, Pennsylvania, along with her husband, John Andreadis. Everyone is invited to attend. [Read more…]

16th Annual Pet Fest & Blessing is Saturday

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Sammie Harris blessing a small dog at the 2016 Pet Fest and Blessing. (Submitted photo)

Sammie Harris blessing a small dog at the 2016 Pet Fest and Blessing. (Submitted photo)

 

Grace Lutheran Church will celebrate its 16th Annual Pet Fest and Blessing on Saturday, October 7.

“This year’s event will provide a chance to spend a productive day with your pet while you gather important information about the services and associations available to pets and their owners,” a press release said.

The Blessing of the Animals is held in the pavilion behind the church at 4 p.m. The church will also hold a Bake Sale, Rummage Sale, and Silent Auction to raise funds for all the participating rescue groups. Boy Scouts and other volunteers will walk your pet while you shop.

Activities will take place from 1-5 p.m. and parking will be available for the mobility-impaired at the church or in the Woodland Elementary School parking lot behind the church.

“If you’ve been looking for a new pet, you will meet representatives from numerous pet adoption agencies, some of whom will bring animals that are available for fostering or adoption,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Mental health program on Saturday to focus on early childhood trauma, brain development

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Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

 

Michael Yates of Ridgeview Behavioral Services will discuss Building Strong Brains—Tennessee’s ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Initiative on Saturday, August 5, at 10:30 a.m. It’s part of the free community mental health program series at Grace Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge. Yates’ presentation will focus on the effects of early childhood trauma on brain development, a press release said.

“Science indicates the structure of a young child’s brain is shaped by the interaction between genes and experience, and this can have a positive or negative result,” the press release said.

Science makes it clear that adverse childhood experiences can negatively impact the architecture of the developing brain, while children alternatively thrive in a safe, stable, nurturing environment of supportive families, caregivers, neighborhoods and communities, Yates said in the press release. [Read more…]

Seminarian partners to visit Grace Lutheran Church on Sunday

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Ashton and Jennifer Roberts, seminarian partners to Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge, will visit the Oak Ridge congregation Sunday, July 30, to lead worship, talk about their ministry, and get acquainted with local supporters.

Ashton and Jennifer have completed their first year as students at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Columbia, South Carolina. They are both seeking a master of divinity degree under ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA), a press release said. Grace partners with an LTSS student each year, providing them financial and other assistance in reaching their goals. [Read more…]

Free suicide prevention training at Grace Lutheran on Saturday

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Danielle Roach

Danielle Roach

 

The Grace Lutheran Church of Oak Ridge’s Mental Health Ministry will host a free community program on suicide prevention training on Saturday, July 15, at 10:30 a.m. in the church’s fellowship hall. Childcare will be provided.

Community health practitioner Danielle Roach, through association with the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network (TSPN), will be the instructor, a press release said. Roach has worked at a community mental health center for the past 16 years. In addition to suicide prevention training, she as taught verbal and physical de-escalation techniques, CPR, and newborn care Safety/CPR classes for the last 12 years at a local hospital.

According to the TSPN website, this training, known as QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), is a program designed to teach lay people and professionals alike how to prevent suicide.

Grace Lutheran Church is located at 131 West Gettysburg Avenue in Oak Ridge. For more information about the program or the Mental Health Ministry, contact the church office at (865) 483-3787.