Cornersville United Methodist Church gets involved with the community

The Rev. Ray Hartman

Over the past year Pastor Ray Hartman, during his sermons, has
been presenting the concept of being involved with the community.
The idea is that by showing we care we can begin to build relationships
with those around us. He suggested volunteer work, delivering baked
goods to neighbors, having neighbors over for coffee, etc.

Some of the members really took this to heart as they became involved
with city government by being elected to public office. Amos Davis is now our new
Mayor, Carl Moses was elected Alderman, Melissa Peters was a write in
candidate for Alderman, and Doris Arthur had been appointed earlier to fill out
the term of an Alderman who resigned. These folks along with the other members
of the city council can now work together to solve problems and continue to
make our community a wonderful place to live.

Other projects from our church this year:
We passed out over 300 plants to everyone in Cornersville as a gift from our church.
We made 8 Mommy Baskets for the Pregnancey Resource Center.
We made up gift bags for first time visitors along with a new church brochure.
We have chartered a new Cub Scout Pack in the community.

Williamson County's Longest Running Fish Fry Set for July 20th, Bethlehem United Methodist Church

FRANKLIN, TN---The smell of fresh cooked catfish, music and laughter will soon be filling the air Friday, July 20 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church’s 33rd Fish Fry in Franklin, Tennessee.

A Middle Tennessee tradition for a third of a century, the event is a cherished, old-fashioned family get-together. Debbie Sims, Fish Fry co-chairman, said all-you-can eat catfish, wonderful live bluegrass music, an incredible silent auction with hundreds of items, as well as a fun-filled children’s area make it a great night of fellowship.

“This has become a favorite family tradition for middle Tennesseans. The fish are still swimming in a pond in Isola, Mississippi and will make its way up just in time to be served up fresh to over 3,500 folks. Also on the menu are hush puppies and delicious cole slaw made from a secret recipe prepared by a committee of wonderful cooks. It is such a fun time for so many great reasons and a portion of the proceeds benefits the missions of our church,” Sims said.

Back by popular demand is the Bethlehem Bluegrass Band organized and lead by talented church Music and Arts director, Harry Robinson. He will be joined by a bluegrass group from Franklin’s First United Methodist Church led by Dr. Jim McGinley.

While the dinner is the main attraction, the children’s area sports an amazing inflatable area, games and more. More than 350 of the church’s members are involved in the event and some of the best cooks in the Grassland area are participating in the bake sale.

“This is an old-time summer social where you’re guaranteed to have a great meal and loads of entertainment,” Sims said.

Another great Fish Fry tradition is the Live Auction featuring items like gourmet dinners, sports equipment and high-quality used vehicles. Pound cakes by noted Grassland cook Emogene Ownby-Hyde return by popular demand as well.

The Fish Fry is held on the church grounds off Old Hillsboro Road in the Grassland Area from 4:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tickets are $8.00 for adults prior to July 20 or $10.00 the day of the event. Children under 10 are $4.00. Carryout dinners are also available.

Bethlehem United Methodist Church is located at 2419 Bethlehem Loop Road near the intersection of Hillsboro and Old Hillsboro Roads in Franklin, Tennessee. For more information and tickets, contact the church at (615) 794-6721 or www.bethlehemumc.com.

City Road Chapel UMC Preaches the “Gospel at the Summer Movies” in July

MADISON, TN – How would the Bible interpret the themes and characters of the blockbuster movies of the summer? Rev. Ray Newell, pastor of City Road Chapel United Methodist Church, will explore the movie plots and characters of four of the summer’s most popular movies from a Christian perspective on five Sundays in July.

“Movies have become one of our primary ways of conveying our cultural values,” said Rev. Newell. “Using Biblical themes, I want to examine these movies and reflect on where they follow Christian understandings or where they depart from or oppose Christian beliefs.”

“The Gospel at the Summer Movies” will follow this schedule:
July 1 “Spiderman 3;”
July 8 “Shrek the Third;”
July 15 “Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End”
July 22 “Evan Almighty”;
July 29 “Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix.”

Worship Services at City Road Chapel are held at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. City Road Chapel is located at 701 South Gallatin Road, at the corner of Gallatin Road and Neely's Bend Road in Madison.

ANTIOCH CHURCH PROMOTES KINDNESS THROUGH aarkFEST and ARKALMIGHTY

(Antioch, TN) Antioch is a community that isn't particularly known for kindness. In fact, recent headlines from Antioch seem to portray the South Nashville community as one in decline, filled with crime and overrun with traffic.

The people of the Antioch United Methodist Church don't believe the headlines. With almost 120 years of presence in the community, this church has seen the ups and downs that go with any neighborhood. And, after 120 years, this congregation wants to offer a bit of kindness back to their community. They began several weeks ago when they handed out free bottled water at the intersection of Hickory Hollow Parkway and Bell Rd. And they continue to promote the notion of Antioch as a community of kindness through their aarkFEST Music and Movie Series in June and July, and their participation in the ArkAlmighty website.

aarkFEST, beginning on Friday, June 15, is a series of free concerts and drive-in movies offered as a gift to the people of Antioch. "aark" is an acronym for Antioch Acts of Random Kindness, and the event designers hope that this can be a time for people all throughout the community to gather together as neighbors for fun. Each week for six weeks, the church will host a different group providing a short concert and then project a family oriented movie on a 20 foot screen in the church yard. All are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and sit in the grass, or stay in the car in the parking lot, as the church will be transmitting the movie sound to car radios.

"We offered the drive-in movies as a gift last year..." said Jay Voorhees, pastor of the congregation, "...but we realized that we had a bunch of time before it go dark enough to see the movie. We wanted to encourage folks to make a night of it, so we added the concerts to the mix to fill things out."

While the church can't advertise what movies they are showing each week, hints are being left on their website, www.antiochumc.net. A list of artists performing each week is also available there.

In addition to promoting aarkFEST on their website, the Antioch church is also promoting acts of random kindness through their participation in the ArkAlmighty program. ArkAlmighty (www.arkalmighty.com) is a program designed to connect individual needs with individual resources. It is, in a sense, a clearinghouse for acts of random kindness between individuals.

"We hope that we can be a resource for the people of Antioch connecting basic needs with those who have the resources to help," said Rev. Voorhees.

The Antioch United Methodist Church is located at 41 Tusculum Rd. in Antioch. More information about these programs may be obtained by calling (615) 832-6248 or visiting www.antiochumc.net.

Mayoral Candidates Will Be in Madison on June 25 for Community Forum Sponsored by the Madison-Rivergate Area Chamber of Commerce

Nashville, TN – Six candidates seeking office as Nashville’s next Mayor will participate in a community forum on Monday, June 25, sponsored by the Madison-Rivergate Area Chamber of Commerce. The forum, which will be hosted by City Road Chapel United Methodist Church in Madison, will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

After opening statements from candidates David Briley, Bob Clement, Karl Dean, Buck Dozier, Kenneth Eaton and Howard Gentry, questions will then be accepted from the audience for response. Steve Parker, CPA, with Parker and Parker Associates of Goodlettsville, a Chamber member, will be the forum moderator.

“We are very excited to offer area residents this opportunity to meet the candidates and to hear their positions on issues of concern to our community,” said Debbie Pace, president of the Madison-Rivergate Area Chamber of Commerce. “The Chamber is committed to the best interests of the residents and business owners in Madison and Goodlettsville. We look forward to hearing how these candidates, one of whom will be our next Mayor, plan to move our community and Nashville forward as a great place to live and work.”

The June 25 event will also feature voter registration. Gayle Patterson, Davidson County Election Commission and a Chamber member, will be there to coordinate registration of eligible voters. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of City Road Chapel.

City Road Chapel is located at 701 Gallatin Road South at the corner of Gallatin Road and Neelys Bend Road in Madison. The Mayoral Forum will be held in the Fellowship Center; the entrance is at the back of the church. There is plenty of free parking.

For additional information about the June 25 Madison Community Mayoral Forum, contact Debbie Pace, president of the Madison-Rivergate Area Chamber of Commerce at 865-5400.