All About Outreach

It's ALL about OUTREACH!

We had an overwhelming response to  our Matthew 25 Approach in December! Now we're putting our best efforts forward as we introduce "All About Outreach!" month for February 2012.  Check out this list of ministry opportunities for you and your family.  A special thanks to the Vine Street Youth group for initiating so many of these events and activities.  In advance, we thank the Vine Street community for supporting all of these events.  Don't forget....It's "All About Outreach!"

All About Outreach! schedule:
February 4- Predators Fangtastic 5K benefiting Vanderbilt Children's Hospital  details here
February 5-  Souperbowl of Caring - an offering for  The Society of St. Andrew , a gleaning ministry in TN
February 5- Superbowl Party with Room in the Inn: come watch the big game with our room in the inn guests
February 5-10- Room in the Inn  sign up here
February 11- TNT Valentines Party volunteers neeeded
February 12- The Festival of Cakes/BBQ luncheon, proceeds help with the youth summer mission trip to Camp Sunshine
February 19- Dodgeball Tournament for Week of Compassion
February 19 and 26-  Week of Compassion Offering
February 24- Fair Trade Coffee House with Jamie Joey and the Movement for the youth summer mission trip.

See the Slide Show Below for more INFO!

Souperbowl of caring_2012

Wednesday Nights

On Wednesday nights, we get together for a meal and a program. The meal is always delicious, and the programs cover the whole range of possibility from line dancing to scholarly talk or art.

We resume Wednesday Nights at Vine Street on January 25, and before you get to read about our season-opening program, let’s talk about dinner. We continue to enjoy the good things coming out of the kitchen at Copper Kettle, but this year we’ll make it more affordable for families with children to participate. The cost per meal is still $8.50, but only people age 12 and older have to pay. We operate with a very tight budget, but we want to move at least a little closer to treating all our children as all our children. Wouldn’t it be great if we could invite all children and students to eat as guests of the congregation?

Our season-opening program is Roger Bishop, a well-known man in Nashville who has been a long-time member of our congregation. Roger was named Master Bookseller during his years at Davis-Kidd, and according to Adam Ross, he “deserves a raft of medals for making Nashville a literary destination spot.”

Ross described Roger masterfully as “slight, boyish looking and commanding all at once. There's a touch of Bilbo Baggins to him. He has a luxuriant, leonine head of silver hair and his reading glasses sit precipitously on the end of his nose. According to former co-workers, his command of ISBN numbers approaches the rabbinical, and he's the kind of book lover who will, upon the mention of, say, Bowling Alone, gently add, ‘Robert Putnam,’ as if it were indecorous to utter a title without its author.” We recommend that you read Adam Ross’s entire article, written in November of 2010, after the closing of Davis-Kidd Bookstore had been announced. It is a great introduction to Roger’s great passion, the world of books.

On January 25, Roger Bishop will have dinner with us, and then he’ll review some books for us. He’ll look back on 2011, invite us to talk about our own “great reads of the year,” and he’ll also look ahead a bit and tell us what we may look forward to in the literary world in 2012. We hope you will join Roger, Martha, and the rest of us for the evening. You may make your dinner reservation by noon on Monday, January 23, but you are also welcome to bring your own supper or join us only for Roger’s talk. Dinner is at 6pm, and the program usually starts around 6:30pm. See you on Wedneday!

[And if you can't wait, go to bookpage for a smorgasbord of Roger's reviews]

Middle Tennessee's "Main Street"

You may have missed the announcement in the rush before Christmas: Nashville is moving forward with a major new public transportation initiative, the East-West Connector. Plans are underway for a Bus Rapid Transit line, connecting our city from Five Points in East Nashville to White Bridge Road on the West side of town.

Ed Cole, Executive Director of The Transit Alliance and an Elder at Vine Street, likes to refer to this corridor as the "main street" of Middle Tennessee, because of the central role it plays in our region's economic, cultural, and educational life. Here at Vine Street, we are thrilled to call this city home, and we look forward to this upgrade to our neighborhood.

You may review press coverage by following these links to The Tennessean and The City Paper, and if you are interested in receiving regular updates, sign up here.

Disciples Women Lead

SHARON WATKINS, AMY GOPP ELECTED TO ECUMENICAL ORGANIZATIONS’ BOARDS

The election of female Disciples leaders to the boards of two ecumenical organizations is a reflection of the changing face of ecumenism, says the Rev. Robert K. Welsh, president of the Council on Christian Unity, the denomination’s ecumenical office.

The Rev. Sharon E. Watkins, general minister and president, begins her term in January as vice president on the governing board of the National Council of Churches, while Week of Compassion’s executive director, the Rev. Amy Gopp, will serve as 1st vice chairperson of the Church World Service board of directors.

Read more

Thank You Note

In October, we mailed one of our Community Outreach grants to the Nashville Food Project for the purchase of two ovens. We received a lovely thank you note from our friend Tallu who also happens to be the Executive Director of the Nashville Food Project!

Christmas Offering

Pastors who participate in a peer group that meets regularly, serve the church better than a pastor who is not a part of a peer group. The Christian Church in Tennessee has provided its pastors with a number of peer groups during the last 10 years. Our Tennessee pastors have studied preaching, congregational transformation, and other essential topics so they might serve their congregations better.

The Christian Church in Tennessee offers support for Disciples pastors so they can be better servants of God's Church. Your gift to the Christmas Offering supports the life changing ministry of the Christian Church in Tennessee.

At Vine Street, we will collect the Christmas Offering on December 11 and 18. Special envelopes will be inserted in the bulletin. You may also mail a check with the memo "Christmas Offering" to the church.

Thank you for your generous support of our common ministry!

Christmas Schedule

Wednesday, December 7

5:30 pm—Christmas Around the Hearth

Saturday, December 10

2:00 pm—TNT Christmas Party

Wednesday, December 14

6:00 pm—Dinner (Reservations are due on Monday, December 12)

6:30 pm—Children’s Choir Christmas Program

Sunday, December 18

4:00 pm—Board & Staff Party

Saturday, December 24

4:00 pm—Family Worship

11:00 pm—Lessons & Carols

Sunday, December 25

No 8:30 am Worship in the Chapel

10:45 am—Christmas Day worship

Tuesday, December 27

Mission Trip to Vine Street (talk to Hope about details)

Wednesday, December 28

Room in the Inn (talk to Hope about details)

Thursday, December 29

All Church Winter Retreat to Christmount begins

Chrismon Tree

On Sunday, this good-looking group of young people decorared the Chrismon tree in the Narthex.
Thanks, Boyd, Lee, Miller, Emily, Gracie, Sarah, Molly, Kathy and Brian! That's a fun way to spend Sunday school time together, isn't it?

Light of the World

There's a song in the air, and more than a song! The Vine Street children, with the very talented Marcina Clark as director, the accomplished master of the piano (and other keyboards) Julia Callaway as accompanist, and the assistance of handbell ringers and other helpers, will present

Light of the World

 A musical by Mark Patterson

Wednesday, December 14 at 6:30pm

Fellowship Hall 

Dinner is at 6pm, and we ask that you make your dinner reservation by Monday, December 12 at noon. The children and their helpers have been preparing for weeks for this special presentation, and we hope that the whole congregation will gather to receive their gift. The musical drama tells the story of Christmas, and ends with a special candle lighting. 

The Light Shines

Carol Doidge finished printing our Advent Devotionals last night. Thank you, Carol!

Julia Keith had collected and assembled them. Thank you, Julia!

Some twenty-five of us have written them. Thank you all!

Soon the days will come when all of us will read them, one at a time, counting the days.

You may pick up your copy at the church this Sunday, or download the pdf file.

Have a blessed Advent!

The light

shines in the darkness,

and the darkness

did not overcome

the light. John 1:5

Decorating the Sanctuary

It is our tradition to decorate the sanctuary each Christmas season with poinsettias donated in honor of or in memory of our loved ones. If you would like like to donate a poinsettia, please download and print the attached order form and return it to the church office by Dec. 4. The cost for each plant is $12.00. You can take your plants home on December 25.

Click to read more ...

Music for the Soul

Our friend, Steve Siler is offering a special gift this Thursday night at 7:30 at Second Presbyterian Church, 3511 Belmont Blvd [map] Please share this information with your friends and family.

The holidays can be a time where we feel even more acutely the pain of missing loved ones who have died. Join us in the sanctuary on Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 for an evening of blessing and healing as Steve Siler shares songs from Music for the Soul reminding us that God sees every single tear and is always present with us on the journey.

Shameless Advertising

You are thinking about buying Christmas gifts, right? You like it when your purchases support talented artisans, right? And you love it when a local business passes on a percentage of their income to a local non-profit, how could you not. Here's a great opportunity to shop for a couple of good causes:

Visit Ten Thousand Villages on Monday, November 28, between 6pm and 8pm, and shop for gifts for family, friends, or yourself. They have lots of beautiful items from artisans around the world, and they support fair trade. A percentage of their income that night will go to our ministry partner, the Pastoral Counseling Centers of Tennessee. We think that's pretty cool, and we hope you agree.

  3900 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 20 | Nashville, TN 37215 | 615-385-5814

Monday, November 28 | 6:00-8:00 P.M.

Dec 7: Christmas Around the Hearth

Please join us at 5:30pm in the Fellowship Hall as we celebrate the season! Enjoy caroling, dinner, and great acts from our own talented Vine Street congregation!

Click to read more ...

Nov. 20th: Harvest Potluck Lunch

Let's gather together and give thanks.  On Sunday, November 20th, our community will celebrate with the Harvest Potluck. We'll meet in the fellowship hall after the 10:45 service for a time of sharing our food and our faith.

If your last name begins with A-G, bring a main dish.

If your last name begins with H-P, bring a side dish.

If your last name begins with Q-Z, bring a dessert.

Vine Street will provide a pot of Pumpkin soup commemorating the Great Pumpkin Kitchen along with warm, yummy rolls and drinks. Questions? Hope may know the answer, so go ahead and send her an email.

Visit to Riverbend

We were able to schedule another visit to Riverbend (short for Riverbend Maximum Security Institution); so if you missed the tour on October 18, please join us on Monday, November 21. The tour begins at 5:30 and lasts about two hours, including conversation with two inmates.

Visit to Riverbend
Monday, November 21, 2011
5:30-7:30pm

Register now

The group size is limited, and we must submit the list of visitors to prison officials for background checks prior to the visit. Please use this form to submit your name and date of birth. We will organize child care as needed and make car pool arrangements. Registration deadline: Monday, November 14, 9:00am.

The visit is part of our prison:360 focus.

Thanksgiving with Tokens

Tokens welcomes

Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show
Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue
The Nashville Choir
Buddy Greene
Odessa Settles
Brother Preacher
The Most Outstanding Horeb Mountain Boys
Jeff Taylor, Aubrey Haynie, Byron House, Chris Brown, and Pete Huttlinger),

November 20, 7:30 p.m. at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Proceeds benefit Nashville’s Room in the Inn. Don’t miss this Most Outstanding way to start your Thanksgiving week (unless, of course, you want to join us for the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service at The Temple at 7pm).

Tickets now on sale at all Ticketmaster Outlets; the Ryman Box Office (615.889.3060); or Lipscomb University Allen Arena Box Office.  Tickets are $27.50 to $34.50. For groups of 15 or more, and for students, get a 10% discount (and no fees) through the Allen Arena Box Office at Lipscomb University, 615 966 7075. Questions about group tickets? Contact Kristin Baese at Kristin.Baese@gmail.com.

November 20 | 7:30 p.m. | Ryman Auditorium | Benefit for Room in the Inn

Your Gift Makes A Difference

Did you know that at least ten congregations in Tennessee have been served in the last decade by graduates from the Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt? And that students from Tennessee churches often go to the Disciples House to prepare for ministry? Many more graduates work in other ministries in our state. Disciples House trains ministers who will make a difference here.

Disciples House, located a block from Vanderbilt, offers scholarships, low-cost housing, and programs in ministry for Disciples ministry students. Disciples House is one of the seven recognized institutions of theological education for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

See the newly-redesigned website, with a video of Disciples House students discussing their experience, at discipleshousevandy.org.

Your Thanksgiving offering helps to support students preparing for ministry at Disciples Divinity House. They are grateful!

For more information on the Thanksgiving Offering, see the website of Disciples Mission Fund

Mark Your Calendar!

Time is flying very rapidly toward the holiday season! Here's the schedule of events at Vine Street.

Click to read more ...

If you'll help, our pumpkins can feed hundreds!

The Great Pumpkin has delivered a load of pumpkins to the Vine Street Kitchen and now it's your turn to make our dreams a reality. Cutting, gutting, baking and freezing with friends is a wonderful outreach opportunity. Grab a friend, wife, neighbor or child and head over to the Vine Street kitchen on Saturday, November 5th between 8am and 4pm. (shifts are in two hour blocks: 8-10am, 10-noon, noon-2pm, 2-4pm)

Our Great Pumpkin Kitchen managers, Kennedy and Bruce, will guide you painlessly through the process. No experience necessary. This is an all ages activity. Contact Hope Hodnett to volunteer.  

All processed pumpkin from The Great Pumpkin Kitchen will be used by The Nashville Food Project (formerly Mobile Loaves and Fishes) to provide healthy, hot meals to those who are hungry