University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tyson House
People. We were in conversation with eight young people who want to
enter ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church. We sent Kate White
(St. Stephen's, Oak Ridge) to General Convention for five days as one
of an Episcopal Society for Ministry in Higher Education sponsored team
of twenty college students to lobby for young adult issues and to learn
how our convention works. Robert Hartmans, Tyson House resident and
member St. James Knoxville, served as the Province IV representative
on the planning team for NATGAT, the national church Student gathering,
2000-2001. YAC leaders and several college students and other young
adults met at Tyson House with Patricia Askew and our bishop to discuss
concerns that our diocese provide some events for them in addition to
the provincial fall and spring gatherings and discernment conference.
Jack Mitchell, Good Samaritan Knoxville, offered to research the Vocare
programs in use in other dioceses so that we may develop a similar program.
Jack and Nick Boulet are working on a diocesan website for young adults.
We chose six residents for 2000-2001 and provided orientation for them
with the aid of the Rev. A.D. Lewis, Ill, at Church of the Resurrection,
Loudon. We have increased our emphasis on being a ministry team, in
addition to providing cleaning and maintenance for our facilities.
Education. We taught the introductory Kerygma Bible Study on
Wednesday nights and hold Inquirers' Classes on Sunday mornings. We
joined with some musicians and worship leaders from Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church to hold two Taize worship services on Friday evenings
in June and September.
Outreach. Tyson House outreach included providing thirty-five
bags of goodies for students who have had some recent contact with us
for their use during exam week. We collected money and goods to provide
15 backpacks filled with school supplies as part of our diocesan project
to help needy Appalachian school children. We regularly collect food
and clothing and pass them on to various agencies. We requested and
received $1,500 from St. John's Cathedral to buy new computers for Tyson
House. These and our website will help us communicate with faculty,
students, and alumni. We took two computers being discarded from Diocesan
House, programmed them, and gave them to the ministry at Montgomery
Village for use in their after school program for children. We took
bicycles bought cheaply at Good Shepherd \Knoxville' s rummage sale
and gave them to Voluntary Ministry's program for rewarding people there
who repair and use the bicycles.
Respectfully submitted by the Rev. Kay Reynolds, Chaplain
Episcopal University Ministry-Chattanooga, TN
The programs and activities of the Episcopal Ministry in Chattanooga,
Tennessee are grounded in the Anglican/Episcopal tradition, developing
and fostering a Christian Community that undertakes and maintains a
ministry among students, staff, faculty, and the greater Chattanooga
area. We have a Chapel Council composed of 10 persons including two
students who both live on the campus. The council meets to discuss objectively
the present ministry, and to envision how our Episcopal Church can improve
in imparting the Christian faith and the Anglican tradition to young
adults. We have a core group of diverse student leaders (Episcopalians
and non-Episcopalians), which meets regularly to discuss our programs
and activities. They offer their perspectives and their visions for
religious life on the UTC campus.
Meetings. We meet on Wednesdays alternating with Bible Study
and inquirer's class, and for programs and activities, which include
group discussions, games on and off campus, and community building activities.
At each meeting, dinner is prepared by students individually or collectively.
Weekly meetings end with evening prayer, Compline, or occasional Eucharist.
We meet on Sunday evenings for Holy Eucharist Service followed by dinner
prepared as mentioned earlier. The Center is open thru evening hours
for academic work preparation (especially using the computer and Internet
services) and studying. In addition, regular office hours are kept on
the UTC campus (where a one-bedroom apartment is rented from Christ
Church) for ministry of presence, group meetings, fellowship, counseling,
and other appointments. We also invite the Lutheran students to join
us for our programs and activities as well as for worship since there
is not ministry on campus for them.
Other programs and activities. A ministry of presence for individual/group
contact on the Chattanooga State Campus is offered, and when possible,
a column in Chattanooga State's newspaper about religious topics and
issues is published. Some programs and activities include co-hosting
Coffee Houses and campus-wide Christian rock band concerts. We began
the Lenten season by joining the Roman Catholic students for Ash Wednesday
Service at the Catholic Center where the two chaplains officiated up
to the imposition of ashes, then went to separate rooms to celebrate
our respective Eucharists which was followed by a joint simple dinner.
We also co-sponsored with the Catholic students "stop the Genocide
in Iraq: Remembering Omran Bus Tour." This was held at the university
with speeches, displays and handouts. Nationally, the Catholic Church,
the National Council of Churches and the Episcopal Church (including
some of our bishops) have been involved. We attend Panhellanic and Student
Government meetings. We participate in homecoming by sponsoring and
directing an activity. We have celebrated an Episcopal Eucharist at
the Methodist house as their once a month Holy Communion Service. We
have a cubicle in student center with ministry sign for a ministry of
presence, study, and for some appointments.
Outreach. We organized outreach projects for a political science
class at UTC through our ministry. Our outreach extends to the community
in many ways, such as, a once a month service at a local nursing home.
We joined a campus outreach committee to assist and co-sponsor the Interfaith
and International Thanksgiving devotion and dinner along with other
campus ministries. We also co-sponsored outreach projects with a sorority
that concentrates on community outreach.
Summer. We participate in all of the organizational fairs--orientation
programs with exhibits and parents' orientation lunches. We prepare
welcome packages for the last orientation session. We have summer hours
and small study group meetings. We arrange and encourage students to
be summer camp counselors at such places as Gailor-Maxon in Tennessee,
Kanuga in North Carolina, and Phoebe Needles in Virginia.
Respectfully submitted by the Rev. Matilda Dunn, Chaplain