Prayers and Moore

We are praying for the families of Moore, OK and other communities in Texas and Oklahoma while they are trying to cope with the unimaginable devastation and loss after a massive tornado.

We are far away geographically, but we can let them know that they are not alone. You can make a designated gift to Week of Compassion whose local partners will make sure that the funds are used wisely in relief and rebuilding efforts. Please use their online donation site or bring your check to worship on Sunday.

Our friends at Cool People Care have created a t-shirt for the Oklahoma recovery effort, so you can wear your support and encourage others to remember Moore and better.

Room in the Inn

163 beds, 326 meals, and 678 hours are just numbers. But many of you know the stories these numbers represent. Thanks to all our volunteers who helped this past season to offer hospitality to our homeless guests. Your work has touched the lives of many, including your own, and Nashville is a stronger community because of you. Please read the attached letter from Karlen Evins, President of the Board of Directors of Room in the Inn.

During the season that ended in April, Vine Street's guests again received "blessing bags," small plastic bags with many little necessities that make life on the street a little easier.

Brass In Bloom

The Brass Band of Nashville will present its spring 2013 concert on Thursday, April 18, 7 pm, at Vine Street. The concert is free and open to the public.

The one-hour performance features a rich variety of music for brass band. Selections range from the energetic "American Patrol" by Frank Meacham, to Georges Bizet's complex "Carillon," to "Questions of Winter," an original BBN composition. And the program includes well-loved melodies from popular 20th-century composers, with "America" and other pieces by Leonard Bernstein and three selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Phantom of the Opera."

Composed entirely of brass instruments and percussion, the Brass Band of Nashville's deep roots in the British brass-band tradition represent a unique musical offering in Music City. 

Take Me Out...

Vine Street at the Ball Park

Baseball – Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State

Sunday, April 28^th

Tailgate is from 12:15pm – 1:30pm

Baseball game starts at 1:00pm

RSVP to Jeff Miller by Wednesday April 24th

jeff.miller@imgworld.com or 268-5195

The Vanderbilt baseball team is ranked Top 5 in the country!

Food, beverages, games and baseball ticket only $10!

A great opportunity to bring a friend!

Tailgate is under the tent near Gate 2 on Jess Neely Drive (Between 25^th Ave and Natchez Trace).

Free Parking | Map will be provided

RSVP to Jeff Miller by Wednesday April 24th

jeff.miller@imgworld.com or 268-5195

 

Enough for All

A team of walkers from Vine Street, a.k.a. the Vine Street Strollers will again participate in the Nashville CROP Hunger Walk. Watch the video if you're wondering why. And when you're done watching, you'll be one step closer to signing up as a walker or supporting the team with a donation. Just click the link for secure online donations, or find one of the walkers on Sunday - they'll take checks and cash! Thank you.

At God's Table

Kennedy Shuler will be traveling to Washington DC this weekend to represent Vine Street at the Ecumenical Advocacy Days conference.

This event brings together leaders and speakers from organizations that are working to address land and food justice issues around the world. Kennedy will join other young adults who wish to learn, discuss and advocate for food justice in our country and around the world in a faithful manner.

After her return, Kennedy will share what she has learned with our congregation during a Wednesday night program or a Sunday school time. Stay tuned for more details.

Farmers Market

A New Farmers Market – At Vine Street!

Join us this Saturday, April 6^th at 9a.m. for the grand opening of the new West End Farmers Market at Vine Street.

A growing number of our neighbors want a producers-only farmers market where they can talk to the farmer who grows their food or the baker who bakes their bread, and now they have it!

Activities on opening day include live music, chef demonstrations, gardening tips, games for children and free prizes.

The market will have booths from Delvin Farms, Bells Bend Farms, Juice.Nashville, The Hummus Chick, Twin Forks Bread and Hatcher Family Dairy.

Operating hours of the market are 9am – 1pm every Saturday, April – November. The vendors accept foodstamps/ebt cards.

For more info go to www.facebook.com/westendfarmersmkt

Holy Week and Easter

This is the schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2013. Please note that there are no Wednesday night programs or early Chapel services until after Easter.

Palm Sunday | March 24

10:45am • Worship in Sanctuary

In worship we celebrate Jesus' entry into the city with a joyful procession and reflect on the events of the week that follows by listening to the passion account according to Luke. 

Please note: No 8:30am Worship in Chapel

Wednesday | March 27

No Wednesday night programs

Maundy Thursday | March 28

6pm • Supper & Worship in Fellowship Hall

With a simple meal we remember Jesus' last supper with his friends and give thanks for the bread and cup that have become for us means of our communion with him. Various families will have prepared a pot of soup that we will share, and at the conclusion of the evening, several of us will take a portion of the meal to members and friends who weren't able to join us. 

Good Friday | March 29

1pm • Baptism retreat

Our baptism candidates spend the day with Thomas and Hope to reflect on the mission of God, the church's calling to be part of it, and how we each are needed for the mission to be accomplished.

7pm • Prayer Service in Sanctuary

Guided by the story of Jesus' suffering and death, the congregation joins the baptism candidates in following a path with several stations in the sanctuary to watch and pray, to listen and wonder together.

Holy Saturday | March 30

Waiting with the world

Easter | March 31

9:00am • Waffle Breakfast in Fellowship Hall

Every year, the youth of Vine Street prepare breakfast for us. Waffles and toppings, coffee, fruit juice, and milk for us all! For the youth, it is also a fundraiser that allows them to cover the expenses of their summer mission projects. 

Please note: No 8:30am Worship in Chapel

10:45am • Worship in Sanctuary

With joy and thanksgiving we declare:
Christ is risen! Hallelujah! Christ is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

CROP Hunger Walk 2013

It’s that time of year again: CROP Hunger Walk! It’s a great event that is part of Church World Service that raises money for local and international hunger relief efforts.  Some things to know about CROP Walk: portions of the money stay right here in Nashville to help people in our community who struggle to find food for their next meal, other funds go to help our brothers and sister around the globe, and best yet is all the money goes directly to the need itself!

Join our Vine Street Strollers Team!     

Or…

Donate to our Team!

Below is all of the information you need to know about the event:

• Date: Sunday, April 14, 2013
• Location: Dragon Park (Fannie Mae Dees Park)
• Time: Registration opens 1:45 Walk: 2pm
• The Organization: www.cropwalk.org
• How to join the Vine Street Strollers: email Mallory at memagelli@gmail.com or visit her at Vine Street during Wednesday dinner or Sundays and she can help you sign up on the spot!
• The day has many options! A one mile walk or a 5k loop, volunteering to help pass out ice cream sandwiches, or visiting at the park with other volunteers, participates, and those who are helping to end hunger! 

 Even if you can’t attend, be sure to join our team—you can raise money and be with us in Spirit!  

Can you hear me now?

"So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ." Romans 10:17

The sound systems at Vine Street are critical to hearing and perceiving the word of God (and all the words spoken or sung in various settings). Operating a sound board is a critical ministry these days!

We are looking for volunteers to learn how to work the Fellowship Hall sound board. Joe Keith will instruct us in this useful and (he promises) not very complicated ministry! 

If you are interested, please contact Laura Miller. We'll work out a time that is convenient for our trainees. Thank you for your support and willingness to serve!

Talent 4 the House

Disciples students at Vanderbilt Divinity School love living and learning at "the House" - it's a unique way of pursuing a theological education in community. Most of our interns over the years have been residents of "the House" and they have told us again and again how much they appreciate the opportunity to live close to campus and enjoy additional classes for residents (not to mention the fun of community life and the low cost of housing). 

We are happy to announce that it's time again for Talent 4 the House. This annual event brings together many friends from supporting congregations and raises much needed funds to support the mission of the House.

Talent 4 the House

featuring

Vince Gill

Jonell Mosser

Gabe Dixon

Andrew Peterson

to benefit

The Disciples Divinity House

silent auction and homemade Italian dinner

all major credit cards accepted

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Woodmont Christian Church

Doors Open 6:00 p.m.

Dinner 6:30 p.m.

Adults - $30.00

Children 10 and under - $5.00

Purchase or reserve your tickets by Thursday, March 28, 2013

Link for online purchase

Link for print reservation

Talent 4 the House 2012 brought together Disciples from more than 20 area churches in support of students at the Disciples House and raised $14,000!

Cinematic Savior

A 5-week study of Jesus in Film

Movies have a profound impact on our imagination, and we're not always aware of that. Many 20th-century Americans, when they heard a story about Moses, saw before their inner eye the face of actor Charlton Heston. And there are many, more subtle interplays between movies and the religious imagination. 

During Lent this year, you will have a great opportunity to explore the relationship between Scripture, imagination, and film with Rev. Casey Sigmon.

This five week Lenten study has two primary goals: 1) to make us more attentive readers and interpreters of Scripture and 2) to make us a more attentive film audience, especially when viewing films that interact with the icon of our faith-Jesus.

What makes achieving both tasks fun for the next five weeks is the use of various representations of Jesus in film—from Cecil B. DeMille’s King of Kings, to The Greatest Story Ever Told…from The Life of Brian and Jesus Christ Superstar, to Jesus Film and beyond! Since the advent of cinema, Jesus has been making an appearance on the big screen. You will even have a chance to test your own film making skills before the series is through!

Come join us on Wednesday nights beginning February 20^th for dinner, fellowship, and, starting each night around 6:30pm, conversations about our Savior on the silver screen.

Disciples Leaders

Preston Taylor was a prominent African American leader in Nashville and key figure among Disciples of Christ. Born a slave on November 7, 1849, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Taylor came to Nashville around 1885. He was an entrepreneur, educator, evangelist, missionary organizer, and humanitarian until his death in 1931.

Preston Taylor

Rachel L. BellWe are privileged to welcome Judge Rachel L. Bell as our guest speaker on Sunday, February 10. She is an inspiring, young leader in our city and our church, and the perfect person to tell us about the legacy of Mr. Taylor during our Christian Education hour at 9:30am in the Fellowship Hall.

After graduating from Hillsboro High School where she was a star basketball player, Rachel Bell put herself through college on a basketball scholarship and participated on an SEC Championship team. After graduating from law school at the University of Memphis, she returned to Nashville and started her own law firm. Last year, Judge Rachel L. Bell was elected to General Sessions Court. 

Breaking the Cycle

Family of Abraham is a group of leaders from Nashville's Abrahamic faith communities and other religious traditions. They are committed to promoting interfaith understanding through excellent educational events, and they invite the public to their fifth evening of learning together.

On Thursday, February 21, at Christ Church Cathedral, Daniel Tutt will give a public address on Breaking the Cycle: Faith Communities and the Transformation of Bigotry. He will be specifically speaking about how a community like Nashville can best attack and break the cycle of bigotry in order to transform our culture into one that truly accepts and celebrates the differences among us. People who know Daniel, describe him as bright, engaging, and humorous!

Following his keynote, Volney Gay (Professor of Psychiatry and Religious Studies at Vanderbilt) and Jackie Halstead (Managing Director of the Institute for Christian Spirituality and Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation at Lipscomb University) will respond.

Please make plans to attend this event at Christ Church Cathedral on Thursday, February 21 at 7pm.

View and download flyer

Hooray! Hooray! We are #2!!

 Check this out, Vine street has been ranked #2 donor in Tennessee by the Society of St. Andrew for 2012!  They measured this by the pounds of food we have given, as measured through dollars and gleaned food. 

 It includes our Souperbowl of Caring dollars, pounds gleaned from the sweet potato drive and all the way to the pumpkins we chopped and baked for the Nashville Food Project to use! The Society of St. Andrew is a gleaning ministry that networks with farmers to make sure that their produce doesn't go to waste. They contact churches and civic groups to help make the transitions from farm to non-profits that help fight hunger.

Here comes another opportunity for us to keep our spot and overall be what Vine Street is known as, the giving church. This Sunday, February 3, is the Souperbowl of Caring offering which goes directly to the Society of St. Andrew. Please bring your dollar bills so that we can continue to help families across Tennessee enjoy the Super Bowl without the fear of going hungry! 

There will be large soup pots placed throughout the sanctuary on Sunday morning. See you all at church and don't forget your dollar bills!

Thanks,

Emily Crenshaw

Souperbowl of Caring Task Force

READ MORE.......

Bags of Blessings

Many Secret Santas have delivered towels, washcloths, nail clippers, tooth brushes and many more stocking stuffers to Vine Street. Now we all get to be the elves that assemble blessing bags for our February Room in the Inn guests, all 72 of them!

Join us on January 20, following the 10:45 worship service for the happiest assembly line in town. This is a wonderful opportunity for children of all ages to participate in a ministry that makes a big difference.

We will be hosting Room in the Inn from February 1-7, when 74 volunteers (or more) will serve 72 guests. You can sign up for all kinds of tasks and roles on the big poster in the church lobby. 

A safe and warm place to stay for 72 guests, a good meal and some more, lots of friendly faces, and a little bag of goodies to add to all those blessings... Thank you for being a part of this ministry!

Madrigal Concert

In the early 1980s, the McGavock Madrigal Singers began a tradition of  singing an 11pm  Christmas Eve service at Vine Street.

Last Christmas, their director, Bob Binkley, directed alumni of the Madrigal Singers from McGavock and Donelson High Schools in an open rehearsal of their favorite music. This group had never sung together and spans over thirty years. 

Since that event, Bob and former student, John Apple, planned to offer an evening of music during this holiday season.

Some of you heard this combined choir at Bob's memorial service. The singers are committed to creating this music not as a second memorial, but to celebrate music – the common thread they share. 

Please join us for this special concert at 7pm on Thursday, December 27 at Vine Street Christian Church.

Brass Band Concert

The Brass Band of Nashville warmly invites you to Christmas Unwrapped, its 2012 holiday performance at Vine Street on Thursday, December 13, at 7 pm. 

While the program features traditional holiday tunes - "Coventry Carol," "Do You Hear What I Hear?" - the lineup goes beyond standard Christmas fare, with selections ranging from an antiphonal performance of Giovanni Gabrieli's "Sonata pian'e forte" to Stan Kenton's "Angels We Have Heard on High." The group will also perform new arrangements of its own, including an all-brass version of the "Hallelujah Chorus."

While Nashville offers an incredible array of musical entertainment during the holidays, the Brass Band of Nashville is Music City's only all-brass band in the British tradition. Its musical roots go back to the days when most towns in the U.K. and the U.S. sported brass bands, and its style still echoes every week in Salvation Army worship.

Advent Devotionals

Many of you already have your paper copy of this year's Advent Devotionals. Starting on December 1, we will also gladly send the daily reflections to you via email. Just sign up below to receive those good words from your Vine Street friends.

Subscribe to our Advent Devotional 2012 mailing list below:

Sharing and Preparing

As we prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas, we will share our thoughts and prayers on the scriptures featured in this year's Advent Devotional booklet.

Please join us at 9:30 in the Fellowship Hall for the four Sundays of Advent (December 2, 9, 16, and 23) as we read and react to the devotions shared by the Elders and others.

Devotion authors and other special guests will reflect on the power of God's word during Advent.

We pray that this time together will enrich our community, build relationships, and focus our spirits for the Christmas season.