For the week ending May 10, 2026

I am looking forward to being with all y’all in worship on Sunday, Mother’s Day, May 10. It will be four weeks since I was last with you in worship! On my first weekend away, April 11-12, Robin and I were able to travel to Tucson, AZ to attend the memorial service for a dear friend who had died unexpectedly. I had the honor of sharing a few words about her life and her faith in Jesus Christ during the service. The following weekend, during a week of vacation, Robin and I enjoyed a visit with our son, Andy, in Asheville, NC. This past Sunday, Robin and I enjoyed the rare treat of sitting together in worship at our home church in Franklin. Though I’ve not been with you for three Sundays, I’ve been keeping you all in my prayers, especially those persons on our prayer request list. And thank you, Jeremy Tucker and David Sadler, for preaching and leading worship while I’ve been away. I will see you Sunday! 

The Presbytery has a job opening for a full-time Operations and Communications Coordinator. We are looking for someone to help keep the Presbytery running smoothly and our community connected. This role blends organization, communication, technology, and collaboration in support of Presbytery meetings, events, and day‑to‑day operations. The ideal candidate is a self‑motivated, organized professional who can work independently and takes initiative as well as pride in their work.

The job description can be found here. Questions? Email ep@pbymidtn.org or call 615-332-3330.

What is your motivation? What inspires you? For me, now that I have time to reflect on the things I have done, learned, and observations made – my motivation is to inspire the next generation. Having had a 20-year career in the military and now 25 in emergency management, I am working to set the stage for another generation. Not all career paths are easy to see. Not all career paths are easy to follow. Those that have been down the path have to show the light and share insights, lessons and observations.

Don’t follow – Lead. Leaders should offer council, advice and guidance.

I may have said this before, but my favorite verse from the Bible is - Proverbs 15:22, from the Old Testament, “Plans fail when we have no counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.”
We can help the next generation succeed by offering advice, counsel and motivation on the path to take. I firmly believe that leaders need to offer advice and counsel. It is not always taken but at least offer it. Silence is the same as not doing anything. Share what motivates you, advise, and lead.

On May 3rd the Presbytery met in Cookeville at First Presbyterian Cookeville. Here were some of the things discussed/decided during this meeting.:

• Some Minor Revisions to the Employee Handbook were voted on and approved
• Presbytery meetings were voted to be moved to Saturdays only instead of Thursday/Saturdays this was done to improve participation as the Thursday meetings sometimes didn’t have a quorum.
• A rule change was voted on and approved that allows new members to be a member of  a committee. Previously you had to be a member for a year before you could be a member of a committee.
• Mt Pleasant Church was dissolved, and church mergers were discussed. A recent success story of Hopewell Presbyterian merging with Northminster was shared.
  
  

We also had a talk from an Episcopalian Priest presenting his findings from a study he did with a group of rural churches. His presentation challenged the narrative of “Church Decline” many of us have been inundated with.  It was a very interesting presentation, and was encouraging.

Serving as a worship leader on Sunday morning is a privilege.
Even more, it is an honor. We welcome new faces and voices up here in that role.
 If you would like to explore this opportunity, please see Tom Tozer. There is a brief training session but no final exam.
Please take advantage of this opportunity.