By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse Years ago, I received a t-shirt declaring I was from the Island of Misfit Toys. The people who gave it to me clearly saw something about me that suggested the shirt was a good fit in more ways than one. You know the reference, of course;...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse I was wrong. Last Friday, when Dana Lamb and I were setting up tables for the Thanksgiving meal after church, I said six tables should be fine. Both of us figured people probably had other plans and maybe half the Sunday worship crowd would...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse In this installment, I’d like to highlight some organizational markers for the year to date so you know more about what’s going on in that department.  We hired Ashton Hicks for the new Church Administrator position. The role covers a range...

By Darlene Miller, PNC Moderator The Pastor Nominating Committee is very thankful for the participation of the congregation in our recent survey.  We used this information, including quotes from some responses, to prepare our Ministry Discernment Profile. This profile...

By Joe and Linda Schnorr Beginning in 2014 Threads of Hope has worked with the ladies in several villages to develop sewing talents both to pay forward their gifts and also create products for sale.  As we continued expand the classes for sewing to several villages,...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse Last Sunday, I quoted from a sermon delivered after the 1960 Presidential election. Kennedy defeated Nixon that year, and in his inaugural address he gave the famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask what you can...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse You have heard it said, “Leave your bumper stickers in the parking lot”. In fact, I’ve heard many of you say it recently. Apparently it’s a favorite mantra here. Not all churches follow that advice. In fact, most churches have cars with...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse You are a gracious bunch. Every food event I’ve been to displayed epic cooking and quantities. Your responses to genuine needs like flood relief or Family Promise are swift and generous. You’re so willing to pray for each other…half of the...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse You have amazing caverns and waterfalls in East Tennessee. Denise and I enjoy hiking along streams where the sound of water provides ambient “white noise” to accompany the bird songs and rustling leaves. While the recent floods remind us of...

By The Rev. Dr. Carl Grosse Thank you for the 1-year anniversary moment (and flowers!) during the announcements October 13. Since we arrived for your centennial last year, Denise and I have experienced a steady flow of warmth and kindness from you all. We’re grateful...