Dear College Friends:

I hope you have had a good week.

As an alumnus of UT — through having received a master’s in education degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga — I was invited to a student-led tour of the new Min Kao electric engineering building Thursday night on the UT campus. I went and totally enjoyed it.

I like architecture, so I enjoyed looking at the neat features of the building, including the inner atrium, which has steps going down three floors. I also like the outdoor patio that looks over Cumberland Avenue and Church St. UMC, and the student lounge next to the patio. Of course, the students probably like all the state-of-the-art labs and classrooms.

Are you students ready for your final exams that begin next week? I know that several people who have been active with the CollegeLife program at Church Street UMC will be taking their last finals and will be graduating. We certainly wish you well as you head to this next phase of your lives, and we hope our church has been able to help you grow in your faith and has been a benefit to you the last few years.

For those heading on to the working part of their 20s, I recently heard about a new book that has come out called “The Defining Decade.” It is about one’s life from the age of 20 to 30 and how people generally form their lifelong values and figure out their life’s calling by the time they turn 30. After that, the theory goes, a person does not change as much.

I used to think one’s values are formed over the course of the college years and are cemented by the time one graduates. I know I certainly matured a lot during my first year or so in college, but I believe that theory about the 20s is true.

By the time I turned 30, I certainly had developed slightly different attitudes about the world than I had when I was in college. I was also a little more self-assured.

Thankfully, I became more interested in getting back involved in a church regularly by the time I reached my early 30s as well. When I worked at the newspaper in Chattanooga, Sunday was my only day off most weeks during the first few years, so I used to enjoy sleeping in and watching “CBS Sunday Morning” with Charles Kuralt. It was enjoyable, but something seemed to be missing in my life.

Now my heart sometimes feels for all the people on my street and elsewhere whose cars remain in their driveways when I head off for church, maybe because they are watching “CBS Sunday Morning.” Or I see them loading up golf clubs or heading for the lake at 9 a.m., or going off to their child’s select team soccer game that for some reason starts at 10 a.m. on a Sunday.

We invite you to come to Breakfast Club/Sunday school this Sunday at Church Street UMC beginning around 9:45-10 a.m. at CLC 124 for CBS Sunday morning — “Christian Bible School” for college students.

During the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services, the Rev. Andy Ferguson will be preaching.

During the last Bible study of the year Sunday at 6 p.m. in CLC 124, I understand that Elizabeth and Monty Walton have some special goodies and surprises as students get ready to enter exam week.

Since the semester is drawing to an end, this will be the last “Word on the Street” of the year. College student and intern Merry-Reid Sheffer already has some creative ideas planned for next year to get even more students involved, including with Breakfast Club/Sunday school, so stay tuned.

And if any of you will be around this summer, come see us in Sunday school. We will be open for business.

Have a great summer everyone!

John Shearer
adult volunteer

Dear College Friends:

I hope you have had a good week.

It is hard to believe the end of another semester is just around the corner.

Did anybody watch the Pat Summitt press conference Thursday in its entirety? I did. It was neat to see, but I kept waiting for them to announce that some big Pat Summitt Day will be held throughout Knoxville. I also thought they might highlight more the fact that she will receive a very prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House.

But it was still touching to see her say goodbye to her current role and officially see the school introduce Holly Warlick as the new coach. I wish Coach Summitt godspeed.

I had to miss Church Street UMC a second week in a row last weekend when my wife, Laura, and I drove up to the Franklin/Brentwood area of Nashville for a wedding of her niece. It was a lot of fun, and I was amazed at how many sprawling estates I found. A friend showed me around and even pointed out where singer Taylor Swift now lives closer in to Nashville. I ended up writing a travel story about the visit for chattanoogan.com and have included a link below, since I know a number of people on this email list live in the metro Nashville area.

On the way up to Nashville, my wife and I stopped by my former hometown of Chattanooga to attend a retirement reception recognizing 70 years of service by the newspaper editor there who had been my former boss. I enjoyed seeing a number of old newspaper colleagues, some of whom were no longer at the paper but had come back as well. I also had an opportunity to interview the editor, Lee Anderson, last week about his retirement.

A primary duty for him over the years had been to write editorials. He was a longtime conservative Republican, but Republicans, Democrats and independents alike who knew him admired his gentlemanly and friendly manner with which he greeted everyone.

Another story I had a fun time working on in recent days was about a former Knoxville minister who was among the 1,500 or so people who sadly perished in the tragic sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago last weekend. I had fun researching where he used to live and where his church was. Some of his residences were on a street called Yale Avenue, which I believe was what later became Volunteer Boulevard and was where the fraternity houses, intramural fields and Presidential Court are today.

Studying history is often a good way to understand a person or place, and history of course is a large part of the Bible. We invite you to come to Church Street UMC this Sunday and learn more about the history and teachings of the Bible.

Merry-Reid Sheffer will again lead Breakfast Club/Sunday school this Sunday, April 22, beginning at around 9:45 a.m. Because of small attendance last Sunday, Merry-Reid has saved her lesson on the disciples and will present it this week.

During the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services, the Rev. Sarah Varnell will be preaching.

At the 6 p.m. Bible study led by Monty and Elizabeth Walton, the topic of homosexuality — specifically whether the United Methodist church should marry or ordain practicing homosexuals — will be discussed. According to Monty, the subject had come up while the class last Sunday was looking at John Wesley and Methodism, so a special lesson is being prepared on it.

The General Conference of the United Methodist Church — which sets church doctrine on these and other topics and plans and finalizes Christian outreach efforts — is actually meeting Tuesday through May 4 in Tampa, Fla. The elected group comes together only once every four years.

The free dinner at 5:15 p.m. in the Parish Hall before the Bible study will include the ultimate comfort food — spaghetti and meatballs. Email Elizabeth at waltonmonty@yahoo.com for more information.

For any college students looking to do some volunteer work, the church is looking for volunteers to help give the church nave (sanctuary) its annual cleanup on Saturday, April 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Drop by anytime during those hours and the church will gladly use you.

Have a great weekend, and we hope to see you Sunday.

John Shearer
adult volunteer

Story on Knoxville resident who died on Titanic:

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/14/knoxville-pastor-among-the-many-who-died-that/

Brentwood/Franklin travel story:

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/4/18/224111/Traveling-To-Brentwood-And-Franklin.aspx

Funny how things turn up out of the blue…

During Bible Study last week, studying John Wesley and Methodism, we stumbled upon the topic of homosexuality in the church- specifically, the questions of whether the church should marry and/or ordain practicing homosexuals. There will be an open discussion on the topic (no judgement here), so perhaps take a look at the following links to get some backkground on Biblical passages that debate pro/con on the subject.

• http://www.twopaths.com/faq_homosexuality.htm
• http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/print.php?storyid=14051

This should be very interesting, so come out on Suday night starting at 5:15 in the Parish Hall for FREE dinner and then to CLC room 124 for the discussion! Hope to see you there!

Due to low attendance numbers last Sunday (just Trevor and I, to be specific), I decided to save my lesson from last week to do this week! Don’t worry, you haven’t missed that awesome lesson. So join us this week for free breakfast and a good time in CLC room 124 at 10am!

See you there!

We college students are in a sticky situation with our faith… right now is when we are tested the most, not only with temtation, but also by our peers. It can be critical to understand your religion and your denomination to defend your faith, and that is why we will be learning about Methodism and John Wesley this week at Bible Study.

Joing us this week at 5:15pm starting with FREE dinner in the Parish Hall and then in CLC room 124 for some learning (and maybe a little bit of getting-off-task fun)! See you there!

Let’s talk about the deciples… not a topic discussed often, right? Well they’re pretty impotant, and you may already have some ideas about them without even knowing it. Join us at 10am in CLC room 124 for breakfast and some good company!

Dear College Friends:

I hope everyone had a great Easter.

I had to miss the Easter services at Church Street United Methodist Church for the first time since Laura and I moved to Knoxville in the summer of 2005. Laura’s mother, Elizabeth Anderson, died early Good Friday morning down in Augusta, Ga., at the age of 95, and I went down and joined Laura’s family for the funeral.

Mrs. Anderson, a sweet woman, had lived a rich, long and pioneering life that included teaching, guidance counseling and being a home demonstration agent. Laura gave a nice and touching eulogy on behalf of the family at First United Methodist Church of Warrenton, Ga., near Augusta, where Mrs. Anderson had been a longtime member.

The next day, a couple of Laura’s relatives from Augusta asked us to go to Sunday school with them. They are of a different Christian denomination, and it was interesting and worthwhile listening to the lesson.

But I did miss greatly the way Church Street and other United Methodist churches focus on each aspect of Holy Week as it occurs. As a result, when Easter morning comes around at Church Street, I have noticed that everybody is more than ready to shout out a few “He is Risen” and “Allelujah” phrases with joy, and there seems to be an extra bit of pep in everyone’s step. I certainly missed being a part of that last Sunday. And the church I attended was not quite as full as normal, I understood, because many people from Augusta go out of town when the Masters golf tournament is taking place.

We are also scheduled to go to a wedding this coming weekend that may keep us from getting back for church Sunday morning. Needless to say, I am suffering Church Street withdrawal symptoms!

I did happen to drop by the church earlier this week while downtown. I walked up the steps toward the entrance to the nave and saw about a dozen lilies that had been unclaimed since Easter Sunday. Knowing how the church usually seems to beg church members to take the extra Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies home, saying they will have to throw them out anyway, I gladly picked up one to take home and plant..

Well, guess what? After I called up the church’s newsletter, The Messenger, later while looking at my email, the church was asking people — apparently for the first time ever — to consider donating their Easter lilies back to the church to be planted on the church grounds. Oops!

After having so much trouble getting the lily pot home without it tipping over or dirt spilling out — and certainly wanting to avoid having to walk back into the church and having someone say, “There is that extra lily, we are wondering what happened to it” — I believe I may just go ahead and plant it in our yard. To ease my conscience, I will simply say I am trying to spread the Easter message through having a visible Christian symbol.

We invite you to come to Sunday school/Breakfast Club at Church Street UMC this Sunday, when everyone can learn how to be a walking symbol of Christ. Intern Merry-Reid Sheffer will lead the lesson in CLC 124 at 9:45 a.m..

During the 8:45 and 11 a.m. services, the Rev. Andy Ferguson will be preaching.

At the 6 p.m. Bible study Sunday led by Monty and Elizabeth Walton, Methodist church founder John Wesley’s article “The Character of a Methodist” will be discussed. Dinner at 5:15 p.m. in the parish hall will include turkey pot roast, green beans, mashed potatoes, salads and desserts. Email Elizabeth at waltonmonty@yahoo.com.

For those wanting a volunteer opportunity, the church invites any and all to help them on the annual spring cleaning of the nave, Saturday, April 28, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Also, the church has a scholarship available for college students. See the Rev. Sarah Varnell for details or email her at svarnell@churchstreetumc.org for more information.

Have a great weekend, and we hope to see you Sunday.

John Shearer
adult volunteer

Dear College Friends:

I hope you have had a good week and that all of you had a nice spring break.

Has anybody caught March Madness yet related to the NCAA basketball tournament? I must have because about a week ago, I dreamed during the night that North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams had asked me to serve as his new recruiting coordinator for the Tar Heels. I think I tried to tell him I was a little underqualified for the position, but he seemed insistent, so I was pondering the prestigious position before I woke up.

I was also excited that Indiana University made the Sweet 16 for the first time in 10 years. Their program had been decimated for several years after a recruiting scandal, and they are finally back. And they are now winning the right way — with classy kids playing for them, an honest coach, etc. I actually started pulling for Indiana a few years ago as a subway alumnus because the former fiery Coach Bob Knight ran a clean program, he challenged his players greatly, and they were good students who graduated.

Cuonzo Martin seems cut out of that same mold (without the temper), as Pat Summitt has been for years. I am certainly trying to pray for Coach Summitt as she continues to battle her Alzheimer’s-related condition and as UT tries to figure out the best way to move forward with its women’s basketball program next season.

I was sorry the Lady Vols could not quite reach the Final Four, but an Elite 8 finish is still pretty impressive.

I will be watching both the men’s and women’s Final Fours with interest this weekend, although I do not really have a favorite team. I would have been pulling for the North Carolina men if they had beaten Kansas in the Elite 8. Maybe since the Tar Heels lost, they definitely do need a new recruiting coordinator!

While March Madness will soon be history, the wonder of April and Holy Week are just around the corner. As a result, we invite you to come to Sunday school this Sunday, April 1, and learn about the great story of Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday. College intern Merry-Reid Sheffer will be leading the class again. She stated on the CollegeLife blog that the class activities will include decorating cupcakes in connection with Easter.

During the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services, the Rev. Darryll Rasnake will be preaching. Holy Communion will also be celebrated, and a procession involving palm branches will take place symbolizing the palm branches that waved as Jesus rode into Jerusalem humbly on a donkey.

During the Sunday evening Bible study at 6, Monty and Elizabeth Walton will focus on the story of Easter. The dinner at 5:15 p.m. will be pork carnitas, which are kind of like pork tacos. Chicken nuggets are also available in the children’s or children-at-heart buffet. Email Elizabeth at waltonmonty@yahoo.com to make reservations, if you have not already.

And here is a link to more information about the dish of carnitas, if your curiosity has gotten the best of you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnitas

On Tuesday, Merry-Reid is leading a group of college students on an Easter egg hunt with the Wesley House as part of its after-school program for inner-city youngsters. Email Merry-Reid at mrsheffer@comcast.net for more information or to take part.

Other Holy Week activities will include a foot-washing service Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the church courtyard, and the Maundy Thursday service Thursday at 7:15 p.m. in the nave. I may try to take a good jog in the hot sun before the foot-washing ceremony — just kidding.

Speaking of jogging, remember that the Knoxville marathon will be taking place Sunday morning, so some places might have temporary traffic blockage. I understand wbir.com might have information on road closures.

Have a good weekend, and we hope to see you Sunday.

John Shearer
adult volunteer

This week at Bible Study, Monty and Elizabeth Walton will be leading us in a lesson on Easter. We’ve all heard the Easter story, and it’s a story in which our faith thrives, but it is important to hear a story through many different understandings.

Join us this Sunday night, starting with free dinner in the Parish Hall at 5:15pm, then moving to CLC room 124 to hear the Easter story in a new way…

AND this coming Tuesday (4/3) is our Easter egg hunt with the Wesley House! The program is an after school place where inner city kids can go to learn, play, and stay safe. So while the lesson is going on, we will also be stuffing Easter eggs for the hunt! Can’t wait to see you there!

IT’S APRIL… and the Sunday before Easter! In celebration of this excellently sweet time of year, we shall be decorating cupcakes made by myself (don’t worry, I can do this). Hopefully they will look awesome like this…

…but I’m not expecting too much. And there wil be no coconut, that’s way too fancy for us. So join us in CLC room 124 this Sunday at 10am for deliciousness and some talk about Easter. Hope to see everybody there!