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February 5, 2021   |   Volume 1, Issue 3
Welcome to the Knoxville First Seventh-day Adventist Church Newsletter!
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Church in Worship

Join us for Worship every Saturday morning!

First Service - 9:00 AM* 
Sabbath School - 10:00 AM
Second Service - 11:15 AM*

Knoxville First's Sermon Schedule
February 6, 2021 - "From House to House" - Pastor Marcus Bates
February 13, 2021 - Pastor Matthew Durante
February 20, 2021 - David Hartman
*Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we've added another option for worship. Our First Service provides an opportunity for us to worship together while requiring masks to be worn. Or, you can join us for worship during our Second Service with or without mask. We hope you will join us worshiping our Savior, whichever way you feel most comfortable.
Livestreaming Schedule
10:15 AM - Adult Sabbath School
11:15 AM - Knoxville First at Worship
Midweek Service
7:00 PM - Virtual Service
Zoom*, Facebook, YouTube, & Roku
Facebook Facebook
Roku & Boxcast Roku & Boxcast
YouTube YouTube
Zoom* Zoom*
Click Here to View This Week's Bulletin
For best results using Roku, add the Boxcast channel to your lineup.
Search within the Boxcast channel for "Knoxville First" then chose Sabbath School or Church.
*Midweek Service Zoom Meeting ID: 898-743-9349, or call in at 646-558-8656
the study guide can be found here.
To view past bulletins click here.

Church in Prayer

Let's lift up the following people in our prayers:

Debbie Davis, Bill Newman, Kristy Siddel, Donna Norton, Dan Belic, Debbie Simmons, Wayne Knickman, Sande' Korp, Joe Ellison, Heather Brockett; all of our church members and guests who have health or personal issues; those needing spiritual victories in their lives; those affected by recent events; including healthcare workers, first responders and volunteers; our missionaries; our elected officials; those serving in law enforcement and military.

Church in Community

Healthy Taste Cooking
Five ways to Chickpea for lunch! 

Join us in person, February 21, 2021 at 5:00pm
3615 Kingston Pike, KAS School Gym

Come enjoy a delicious, whole foods, plant-based dinner plus recipes and tips for a healthier lifestyle! Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are part of the legume family. As a rich source of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, chickpeas offer a variety of health benefits, such as improving digestion aiding weight management, and reducing the risk of disease. You will learn how simple, yet naturally delicious, healthy foods can be. You may also lose weight, build up your immune system, reduce your risk of chronic diseases. There will be a special presentation by Michelle Gosselin. Michelle is a Certified Health & Life Coach, Plant-Based Cooking Instructor, and Wellness Educator who works with women who want to lose weight, manage stress, and improve sleep; certified by Rouxbe Culinary School as a Plant-Based Professional and is a graduate of the Health Coach Institute.

Compassion Coalition
Do you know of someone in the community in need of assistance with food, rent, utilities, etc? Call 865-251-1591 there are resources to help. 
If you're a church member in need of assistance please contact Carolyn Hanson.
All inquiries are held in the strictest of confidence. Request help and/or volunteer at Compassion Coalition. 

Area Literature Evangelist Leader
Aaron Harlock is our local Georgia-Cumberland Conference literature evangelist leader. If you have any questions or desire to learn more about the conference literature work in this area, please contact Aaron at 423-907-4422 or aharlock@gccsda.com

From The Pastor's Desk


"From House To House"


Pastor Marcus Bates
February 5, 2021
I can remember the very first camp meeting I ever attended after joining the Adventist Church. It was sponsored by a small congregation in Florida, and the venue was a local Christian youth camp. I recall being deeply impacted by the sermons given at this camp meeting. I also remember a specific statement that one speaker made during a message that made a deep impression on my mind at the time. The statement went something like this: “The remnant church in Revelation that arises at the end of human history will be a mirror image of the early, apostolic church. This means that we, as members of God’s remnant church, will need to return to apostolic purity before Jesus returns.”

As I wondered about the meaning of this statement, I discovered that the speaker was suggesting that the remnant church would need to return to the apostolic model of how church and ministry activities are conducted just before Jesus returns. And after surveying the book of Acts, which clearly describes the early activities of the apostolic church, I learned that these early believers practiced two important church and ministry principles, among others. In addition to preaching and teaching in the temple and in the synagogues when opportunities arose, these early believers, (1) were a home church movement – they met in homes, and (2) shared and pooled their material resources to be sure that the temporal needs of every believer were met (see Acts 2:41-47; 4:31-35; 5:42; 10:1-48; 12:11-12; 16:13-15; 16:17-24; 20:17-21; 28:16-31; Rom. 16:3-5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15).

So, in addition to sharing their resources with one another, these early believers went “from house to house,” congregating in their homes for worship and ministry activities. Christian home owners in that day were willing to open their doors to church members, which showed the loving posture they had toward each other. Because there is something intimate and personal about meeting in a home environment, this shows that the apostolic church was a relational church. They spent time with each other in their homes to strengthen their bond of Christian love.

There’s also something else to consider as we reflect on how the early church went “from house to house.” At that point in history, believers did not own any church buildings or church properties. They also faced significant challenges as far as worship, because most communities in that time were sponsored by patron gods and goddesses, and citizens were required to participate in the worship of these deities in order for them to participate in the social and economic life of the community. Any citizen who refused to participate was shunned on a social level, and had a difficult time finding employment to earn a living. And because early Christians refused to participate in this activity, believers needed to meet in homes for social interaction and share their resources so that the material needs of all believers and their families were met. 

We should also note that these early believers did not have the tools we have today. They had no church facilities, smart phones, cars, computers, internet, social media, television, satellites, or sophisticated sound or video systems. These are great tools to be sure, but we should notice the great simplicity of this close-knit, loving faith community – by opening their homes and sharing their resources with each other, they revealed an authentic Christianity in action to everyone around them, and they took the Gospel to the entire world in that generation. Perhaps returning this simple model will also help us to take the Gospel message to the entire world to prepare for the return of Jesus!

Going a step further, we anticipate the enforcement of the mark of the beast in the near future. This will result in economic consequences against those who refuse to receive the mark. When this happens, there is a high probability that our buildings and properties will be confiscated. So, how will we respond when we can’t buy or sell and can’t congregate in our public worship places? We’ll have to return to the apostolic model by having home churches and sharing our resources with each other. Like the early church, we will need to go from “house to house!”

As far as our modern context, the COVID pandemic has forced us to rethink how we do church and ministry as an active faith community. 2020 has shown us that our world can literally change overnight, which means that we should seek to be proactive (and not reactive) by seriously thinking about starting a church-wide effort to establish a home-based small group ministry structure that involves every active member in our congregation, which can first begin online and then later move to homes when it becomes safe. This type of structure will foster an environment of great accountability and connectivity with church members, and if we are ever forced to close our church doors again, we won’t skip a beat or be taken by surprise, simply because we will have a ministry structure in place to handle this type of scenario.

So, as we ponder the experience of the apostolic church, we need to be intentional about setting up a home-based small group ministry effort. I’m reminded of the time in Scripture when Jesus fed 5000 people. When He performed this miracle, He divided this group into companies of 50 to 100 people (see Mark 6:38-44), which basically consisted of small groups! Ellen White confirmed this approach: “The  formation of small companies as a basis for Christian effort has been presented to me by One who cannot err. If there is a large number in the church, let the members be formed into small companies, to work not only for church members, but for unbelievers” (Testimonies for the Church, 7:21).

This inspired quotation leads me to suggest that we should pray intentionally about starting a home-based small group ministry effort for our congregation. And whether we join a small group, start a small group, or lead out in a small group, I believe we should seriously consider adopting this proven model of church ministry to supplement our public worship programs. Like the apostolic church, we should work together with our church leaders and church family, and start going “from house to house” in our quest to share the Gospel message!  
 
Happy Sabbath!
Pastor Marcus

Church Calendar

February 5, 2021 - Friday 
Oasis High School Retreat
6:07 PM - Sunset

February 6, 2021 - Sabbath
9:00 AM & 11:15 AM - Worship Service - Pastor Marcus Bates
10:00 AM - Children's Sabbath School
10:15 AM - Adult Sabbath School
Pathfinders Game Night & Lock-In
Oasis High School Retreat
6:08 PM - Sunset 

February 7 , 2021 - Sunday
3:00 PM - Adventurer Club
Pathfinders Game Night & Lock-In

February 9, 2021 - Tuesday 
3:30 PM - Good Samaritan Center

February 10, 2021 - Wednesday
6:00 PM - Pathfinders
7:00 PM - Virtual Midweek Service
Join us on Zoom, Facebook, YouTube, and Roku

February 11, 2021 - Thursday
6:00 PM - Finance Committee Meeting
7:00 PM - Church Board Meeting

February 12, 2021 - Friday
GCC - Children's Ministries Convention
GCC - Master Guides Winter Camp
6:14 PM - Sunset

February 13, 2021 - Sabbath
9:00 AM & 11:15 AM - Worship Service - Pastor Matthew Durante
10:00 AM - Children's Sabbath School
10:15 AM - Adult Sabbath School
GCC - Children's Ministries Convention
6:15 PM - Sunset 

February 14, 2021 - Sunday
Valentine's Day! 

February 15, 2021 - Monday
8:00 PM - GCC - Virtual Bible Study with Ann Thrash-Trumbo
President's Day
Church Office Closed
KAS - No School

February 17, 2021 - Wednesday
1:00 PM - GCC - Finance Committee
6:00 PM - Pathfinders
7:00 PM - Virtual Midweek Service
Join us on Zoom, Facebook, YouTube, and Roku

Knoxville First SDA Church Calendar click here
Georgia-Cumberland Conference Calendar click here

Church Financial

 
Thank you for faithful return and giving to our Church and supporting 
the advancement of our great commission to spread the Gospel.
 
Tithes & Offerings
This Week
Local Church Budget

Next Week
Adventist Television Ministry

Loose Offerings
Church Family Budget
 
Church Giving
Combined Budget 
Received to Date $13,564
Needed to Date $22,185

Worthy Student
Received to Date $4,655
Needed to Date $5,000
 
Give Online
Three Options to Return Your Tithes & Offerings
Return in person - we have a beautifully carved tithe box located in the Sanctuary
Return online - through Adventist Giving click button above
Return by mail - Knoxville First SDA Church, P.O. Box 10952, Knoxville, TN 37939

Church Announcements

 
Come to Church and Enjoy the Fresh Air!
Have you ever heard anyone say, "Let's go inside to get some fresh air?" Well now you can! Naturally occurring ions are everywhere outdoors, and are constantly working to clean the air, created with energy from rushing water, crashing waves and even sunlight. Recently, Knoxville First SDA install Global Plasma Solutions EC-48 Bi-Polar NeedlePoint Ionization units on our church air handlers. GPS NPBI technology safely cleans indoor air via the ventilation system purifying the indoor air by reducing airborne particulates, odors, and infectious pathogens. So, come to church  and enjoy the fresh air! While this system helps reduce the spread of infectious pathogens, we also believe it's important to comply with all applicable public health laws and guidelines issues by federal, state, and local governments. To watch a short video about this system click here.
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Knoxville First SDA Church Calendar
It is now possible for members to see the time and place of approved events and activities, platform rotation, and other Sabbath schedules on the website calendar. You can find the church calendar by clicking the link in the "Church Calendar" section above, or visit the church website, knoxvillefirstsda.com
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Audio Visual Team - Slides
For items, you with to appear on slides during weekly services, such as: song slides, sermon information, and various scriptures for weekly Church services. 
Please send all information to KFSDAprojectorteam@gmail.com
This will allow whoever is preparing slides and running the projector for Sabbath Services to have access the email and pull the information up at the church.
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Cohutta Springs Youth Camp
We are looking for young people at least 18 years old to minister at camp next summer. If you are looking for a way to minister, summer camp may be the right fit. Apply at www.cs-yc.com. Click on "Staff Application" under the Staff heading.  
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Oasis High School Retreat
February 5 & 6, 2021. Join us for this Bible conference event for Adventist students (grades 9-12), not in Adventist schools and their youth leaders. There will be main sessions, small-group breakouts and online games. The event is FREE, but we ask that you register by February 1st. Those who register and actively participate will receive a free t-shirt. For more information, or to register, click here. Have question? Cal Alyse at 706-629-7951 ext. 346.

Church Business

Finance Committee and Church Board will meet on Thursday, February 11, 2021 via Zoom. Finance Committee will meet at 6:00pm, followed by the Church Board at 7:00pm. If you are in need of log-in information, or help, please contact the church office. 


https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/media/cartoons/we-gather-together.html

Church Directory
 
You can find our church directory via mobile app, or online.

Download the Instant Church Directory app from both Apple & Android app stores, look for the logo on the left. 

For help with access, or for help updating your directory contact information, contact the church office.

Email: knoxvillefirstchurch@gccsda.com

Church Contacts

Church Office - 865-524-7842
Senior Pastor -
Marcus Bates - mbates@gccsda.com
Associate Pastor - Matthew Durante - mdurante@gccsda.com
Administrative Assistant - Lynn Broussard - knoxvillefirstchurch@gccsda.com

Knoxville First Hours
Weekdays - 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM - Monday thru Thursday
Weekends - 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Saturday

Church Mailing Address
Knoxville First SDA Church
P.O. Box 10952
Knoxville, TN 37939

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Copyright © 2021 Knoxville First Seventh-day Adventist Church, All rights reserved.


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