2009 News archive
Grandview's Youth To Return To Mexico
October 18, 2009
After a great trip in June of this year, the senior high youth of Grandview will be returning to Puebla, Mexico for their summer mission trip in 2010. This trip will further our partnership with Nathan and Erin McDade and the El Pozo Campus Ministry. Next year's trip will take place on June 19-27 and registration has begun for all students currently in 8-12 grades. The deadline to sign up for this trip is Sunday, December 6th and further details can be had by contacting Ryan Bader.
Welcome David New and Joyce Iverson.
September 28, 2009
Yesterday was a fine day at Grandview. David New was immersed and has joined Grandview. Many of you know David. His wife, Jennifer, grew up at Grandview and they have one son, Jackson. David is a graduate of Maryville College and is originally from the Knoxville area.
Also joining Grandview yesterday was Joyce Iverson (not pictured). Joyce is a graduate of Johnson Bible College who now attends Emmanuel School of Religion. She has been worshiping with Grandview for two years now.
Welcome to all!
Welcome, Emily!
September 20, 2009
Emily Weeks became a member on Sunday, but she isn't new to Grandview. She has been involved with the missions team and with the youth for a long time now. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Emily married Travis this past summer. They are Emmanuel students preparing for the mission field.
You might remember Emily's sister, Rebecca Bistis, who was a member of Grandview before moving away a couple of years ago.
Welcome, Emily. We look forward to serving alongside you and Travis.
Welcome to the Nipper Family!
September 6, 2009
Brent and Melissa Nipper joined Grandview on Sunday morning during the 9:30am service. This is a coming home, of sorts, for both of them. Melissa was a member of Grandview when she was a student at Milligan College. Brent grew up in the Grandview congregation.
They returned to the area with their daughters, Katie and Sarah, during the past year.
Welcome back!
Welcome, Tony and Anna!
September 1, 2009
Tony and Anna Jones joined Grandview during the 9:30 am service on Sunday, August 23rd. Some of you may remember Tony as Milligan student when he was an active student member of Grandview.
Anna, who is from Michigan, married Tony this past summer. Tony is Milligan's new Director of Campus Activies and Service. Anna is the new institutional assistant at John Adams Elementary School in Kingsport.
Welcome to the family!
Welcome, Josiah!
August 2, 2009
In the month of July, Josiah Halberg joined Grandview back in the early part of July. We're happy to have him, but I wasn't able to get a picture of him until late last week. That's why this report is late.
Josiah is a student at ETSU and you may have seen him around church wearing a mohawk, though such things change quickly with him. Originally from California, East Tennessee has been home for much of his life. He hopes to attend seminary once he receives his undergraduate degree.
Welcome, McMillans!
July 26, 2009
Ryan and Sarah McMillan joined Grandview during the 9:30 service on Sunday (Ryan is a student member). They have been worshipping with us for about a year now. Ryan is part-time student at Emmanuel School of Religion and Sarah is a teacher. Be sure to welcome them.
Puebla Update #4
June 26, 2009
We worked a half day today, but we worked hard while we were at it. Most of us got after the large wall we've been painting all week and those combined efforts got us near the finish line. There's also been a good deal of indoor painting going on with Larry leading that charge. They completed their second room today. So needless to say, we've got some painters on our hands. They've done a great job.
Meanwhile Jim Dollard and I, with a little help from Logan, built a swing in the front yard that many of the students at El Pozo are pretty excited about. That was a lot of fun. The blocks to complete the driveway project also came in today and that will be the item on the top of tomorrow's to do list.
After our morning of work we all took cabs to downtown Puebla to eat lunch and walk through the market. Lunch was great, but I don't remember the name of the restaurant. Everyone had a good time at the market and I imagine many of you reading this will be the beneficiaries of some of the purchases made today. Enjoy. We also took a quick look through the Church of San Francisco, Mexico's biggest Catholic church. It was quite a site to see.
After worship and dinner our group spent a relaxing evening at the campus house playing games and telling our favorite jokes. It was a great night. It's hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day, but it's been an amazing week. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. We'll look forward to sharing all of this with you when we get back on Sunday night.
Buenos Noches
Ryan
Puebla Update #3
June 25, 2009
Wednesday was another good day here in Puebla and one characterized by weather that you might expect in Mexico. The sun was up early and the day was hot. The big project of the day was getting after the big wall. Most of the group was employed either painting or scraping parts of the wall. Now you should know that painting this wall was a project most of the El Pozo staff (as well as most of our leaders) did not expect to get done this week. However, by the end of the day today, most of the wall was covered with one coat. Work will continue as a second coat is required, but things are progressing nicely.
Work has halted on the driveway project, however, as there has been a delay in the delivery of the bricks. Nathan and Heath (another staff member) have a phrase for episodes like the one surrounding the delivery (or lack thereof) of the bricks. "TIM" they'll say; "this is Mexico". We are,however, hopeful of picking up that project tomorrow.
Today was the day for my group to go the orphanage so I can say a little more about that. It's a state run orphanage kept in a nice facility near downtown Puebla. The children, of course do not speak English which presents an interesting challenge for gringos and gringas like us. It was a pure delight though to interact with them and see our own students work through the language barrier to play with and love on the kids. You had Meghan carrying on a conversation with a four year old on the swing, Sydney playing house with two little girls (playing house by the way entailed Sydney being locked in a playhouse and forbidden to exit. She was a good sport), Logan and Jeremy with little boys on their shoulders all day, Xander playing frisbee and Josh changing his first diaper in the nursery. Logan also took the time to convince the little boys that my name was "Careful" which made for some interesting exchanges throughout the day. All the students did a great job and really enjoyed our time there.
Tonight we all went out to eat. Half the group went to a restaurant called "Las Flautas" while the other half went to "Munchis". My group was at Flautas and the food was amazing. Tomorrow we'll try Munchis while the other group will try Las Flautas. It's been a lot of fun to interact in the Mexican culture.
One thing the kids keep talking about is how wonderful it's been to interact with the Mexican students who attend El Poza and are around this week. There's Betty, Carlos, Yuyo, Steph, Mario and others. They are all kind and outgoing and our students are really developing friendships with them that will make a difference any time the McDades are mentioned at Grandview in a pastoral prayer or otherwise. El Pozo is no longer just an idea but a place with faces that we know. We'll look forward to sharing their pictures and stories with you when we return so you too might know El Pozo not just as a place but as a group of people striving to follow the same God we follow at Grandview.
Contine to pray for us. God is at work
Ryan
Update #2 from Puebla
June 24, 2009
1) One of the two biggest projects is the stripping and repainting of the concrete perimeter around the campus house property. This is probably a fifteen foot high wall that totals well over a hundred yards in length surrounding the property. It has to be scraped and washed and repainted. Almost everyone has had their hand in this project at some point during the week, and painting began today even as preparing continues. This will be a nice improvement to the property and a great accomplishment when it's all done.
2) The other big project is the installation of a concrete brick driveway in the drive up to the parking lot. The current drive up is comprised of loose dirt and very little gravel and is susceptible to washing away, particularly during Mexico's rainy season in the fall. This job has entailed digging down about six inches over an area of about 250 square feet. Once the ground has been graded and leveled the bricks are installed by hand. We made a lot of headway on this today and are awaiting the delivery of more bricks with hopes of finishing tomorrow.
3) There are a number of construction projects going on that a number of our guys and gals are assisting in. These include the installation of a bathroom closet and the construction of some benches in an outdoor eating space. These I've been less involved in but I do know that a number of kids have gotten to wield hammer and saw.
4) There are a number of other miscellaneous projects going on, some of which I may not be aware of. The encouraging news is we're making head way on many of them as the kids enthusiastically pitch in to help. Pray that this continues.
Today was surprisingly cool and a bit rainy in the morning. By mid-afternoon things had cleared off, and we got to experience some good old Mexican heat. However, come rain or shine...
If you're praying for us, be praying that that these students would be as attentive to and excited about what God will teach them through this trip as they have been about their work here in Puebla. We've got our hopes set high.
The days are long and the nights short, but we'll continue to try to keep you updates. Be well.
Buenos Noches
Ryan
Update from Puebla
June 23, 2009
We are all here safe and sound, but Sunday certainly was a long day. It began at 3:00 in the morning when I took 10 folks to the computer. After some check in excitement, they made it safely to New York and then to Mexico City. They arrived here at the El Pozo campus house by 5:00, almost perfectly on schedule. They second group took off for the airport around 6:45. Both of those groups made it out of Baltimore and into Dallas safely and as scheduled. That's when the waiting began. Long story short, we finally arrived here at El Pozo at 2:30 in the morning local time (3:30 body time), but still in good spirits.
Yesterday was a great day. The morning was spent in orientation. We experienced many of the things that the Mexican students would take part in during a normal week here at the campus house. It was a great way to be introduced to the ministry and understand what our place in it would be during the week. After lunch, we started working, and the kids did great. We got some prepping a wall to be repainted, others working on putting in a driveway, and still others installing a cabinet, cutting back trees and doing all sorts of other work around the house. Today will be a full day of work and half of our group will go the the orphanage in the afternoon.
The evening was spend in worship, followed by an incredible meal of Mexican tacos. Last night was an interesting cultural experience. We attended Lucha Libra, the Monday night Mexican professional wrestling main event. It was, as we say, quite a hoot. We'll tell you all about it.
Everything's going great. Thanks for the prayers. I'll try to find more time to update again later.
Grandview Youth in Mexico
June 22, 2009
This report is from Larry McKinney, via Carla:
Everyone is at the campus house safe and sound.
The last of the group got to Mexico City about 9 pm according to the airline website and then to Puebla about 2 am due to the accumulation of several delays.
Today's activities included a delicious breakfast, a brief overview orientation of the campus ministry's weekly activities, a delicious lunch, and then working on projects at the campus house -- yard work, cleaning, painting . . .
Tuesday and Wednesday: 1/2 the Grandview group will go to a local orphanage and 1/2 the group will stay to work at the campus house. The next day, the groups will change places and the group that stayed at the campus house will go to the orphanage.
The McDades have evening activities planned and I'm sure we'll hear about them as the week goes on.
Larry says that it is not too hot - 70's - 80's with a breeze.
The guys are staying at the campus house. The gals at the home of a staff member.
That's all I know for now -- From the background noise, it sounded like they were having lots of fun together.
Junior High returns and Senior High Departs
June 19, 2009
Note to Parents: Youth arrived at Mountain Christian Church at 11pm this evening (June 19).
The junior high youth group returned from Knoxville just in time to attend the luncheon/send-off for the senior high group. From all reports they junior high group had a great week.
The senior high luncheon/send-off was well attended. In the picture below all of the people lined up along the wall are heading to Mexico.
If you would like to see a few more pictures from Friday, follow this link.
Meredith Hardy to play in the Junior Olympics
June 15, 2009
Grandview's own Meredith Hardy will travel with the Youth Group to Mexico for the mission trip on Friday, but she won't come all the way back with them. On the way home Meredith will detour to Miami to participate in the Junior Olympics with the Kingsport Volleyball Club. They begin play on June 28th.
Junior High on a Mission
June 15, 2009
The Grandview Junior High youth group left Johnson City early on Monday morning for their annual mission trip in Knoxville. The group consisted of nine youth and four sponsors.
They will return just in time to participate in the Senior High send-off of Friday.
CAT Team Hard at Work
June 10, 2009
The CAT Team began work on the University Parkway house yesterday. The crew of approximately 15 people stripped the bathroom and the kitchen to the floor joists where they will begin the process of rebuilding.
Others began painting and making things shine. Joey Morris and Lisa Hall provided lunch and the week of house restoration is going great.
Congratulations, Sweeneys!
June 8, 2009
On June 1, 2009, Emmanuel School of Religion in Johnson City, Tennessee, welcomed Dr. Michael L. Sweeney as he assumed the role as fifth president of Emmanuel.
Mike and Linda Sweeney came to Grandview in 1982 while Mike pursued his M.Div. at Emmanuel. Upon graduating, Mike pursued and recieved his Ph.D. in biblical studies from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia in 1989. From 1991-2006 the Sweeneys served Pioneer Bible Translators in Papua New Guinea. Grandview was pleased to be able to support them during that time.
In 2006 the Sweeneys returned to Grandview and East Tennessee when Mike joined the faculty of Emmanuel. The offical presidential inauguration cermoney will take place on Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at Seeger Chapel on the campus of Milligan College.
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Welcome, Bri!
May 31, 2009
Grandview welcomes our newest member, Bri Curtis. Bri joined during the 9:30 am service today. She is from Knoxville and is a senior at Milligan College who plans to graduate in December of 2009.
Bri is already hard at work as she will be volunteering in Grand Central Station for Summer Sunday School.
Welcome, Bri!
Betty Taber's Windows
May 20, 2009
In case you missed it, the Johnson City Press did a nice story on Betty Taber and the stained glass windows she created for Grandview. You can catch the story online by clicking on this link: Betty Taber.
We can thank Ottie Mearl Stuckenbruck for letting the Press know about Betty's work.
Alathea Coming to Grandview
May 13, 2009
Grandview is pleased to announce that Alathea will be leading worship in the Table service on Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 11am. The duo's acoustic, Americana-folk style will fit nicely in the Table Service.
Mandee and Cristi are no strangers to Grandview and we are excited to have them with us again.
The weekend will be a busy one for them. They will perform at the Blue Plum Festival in Johnson City on Friday, June 5th. Then, after leading us in worship on Sunday morning June 7th, they will return at 7 p.m. for a concert. We will take up a love offering during the concert in order to thank them for blessing us.
This is a great opportunity to invite friends who enjoy experiencing talented artists. If you want to hear a sample of Alathea's music, follow this link.
Renewal for Mission
May 10, 2009
Congratulations to Dennis Helsabeck, Jr. who is one of the authors of Renewal for Mission: A Concise History of the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. The ACU Press book can be ordered by following this link.
Welcome, Neal family and Kari
May 3, 2009
Grandview welcomed three new members on Sunday. Kari Ann Lauer (picture to follow) joined during the 11am service. Kari recently moved to Tennessee from Maryland. She works for Brian Ross' construction company and you can usually find her sitting with the Roots on Sunday morning.
TIm and Caroline Neal also joined on Sunday (during the 9:30 service). The Neals moved to Tennessee from Ft. Wayne, Indiana about eight months ago. Tim is a marketing manager at Morrill Motors in Erwin. Caroline helped lead the Grandview Ballet class during Two 4 Two this past Spring.
They have three wonderful children.
Welcome, Drew and Tasha
April 26, 2009
Drew and Tasha Smith joined Grandview during the 11am service on April 26. The Smiths moved to Johnson City from Colorado in order for Tasha to pursue a post-graduate degree at ETSU. Drew, an accountant, recently accepted a position at the local Salvation Army where he manages their accounts.
They are Tree Street folks. Welcome, Drew and Tasha!
Aaron Clears Doctor of Ministry Hurdle
April 24, 2009
I'm pleased to report that my dissertation defense hearing went very well. The dissertation has been approved and is now on its way to receiveing final edits.
Thanks to everyone at Grandview who made it possible for me to pursue this degree. Thanks for the Sabbatical, for participating in the project, for your encourgement, and for your kindness.
Almost finished!
Welcome, Priscilla and Zoi.
April 13, 2009
Priscilla and her daughter, Zoi, were baptized together during the 9:30 service, in front of a wonderful Easter crowd.
Priscilla and Zoi will only be living in East Tennessee through December of this year. She moved here with Zoi in order to pursue a masters degree in storytelling from ETSU (her husband anxiously awaits their return in Taiwan).
The clock is ticking! If you want to get to know them you will have to be quick about it.
Holy Week at Grandview
April 6, 2009
The week leading up to Easter is a week of remembering and of preparing ourselves for celebrating the resurrection. Even if you have a busy schedule, I invite you to try to push some of the busyness aside this week and focus on the events that led up to the cross and resurrection.
We offer special services during this week, being careful not to overload folks. Here are some of the ways you can prepare yourself:
- Morning Prayer at 7am (through Good Friday)
- Tenebrae Service at 7pm in the main sanctuary
- Easter Sunrise service at 6:30 am.
Have a blessed Holy Week.
Welcome to our new website
April 1, 2009
Thanks for finding your way to the new and improved Grandview website. We hope the Latest News feature will help us stay in touch with you. You can either check this space regularly, or you can subscribe to this feature by clicking on the link that is directly below the Latest News section. If you subscribe then your computer should let you know whenever we add a story to this section.
The Upcoming Events portion of the website will be used much like a calendar. This section should help you keep up-to-date with the various activities at Grandview.
Also, you'll find that you can listen on-line to the five most recent sermons from Sunday morning in the Recent Sermons section.
This website should allow us to keep the content fresh and to maintian better lines of communication. Enjoy!
Welcome, Chad Dunford.
March 22, 2009
Please welcome our newest member at Grandview, Chad Dunford. Chad joined during the 11am service on Sunday, March 22.
You will often find Chad sitting with his father, Sid, and his sister, Sara in section 4 of the sanctuary (the section nearest the choir). He is a veteran of the war in Iraq who has recently returned to Johnson City.
Welcome, Chad!
Eight new members on March 15
March 15, 2009
Please welcome our newest members from Sunday, March 15..jpg&Imagewidth=300&Imageheight=220)
David and Kori Cecil (transferred membership)
Daniel and Ashley Riggs (transferred and baptized)
Seth and Windy Frank (transferred membership)
Jerry Clemons (transferred membership)
Also, David Pratt (not pictured) was baptized by his father, Mark Pratt.
What a fine Sunday it was! Welcome, everybody. We're thrilled to have you as a part of our family.
Article index
- 10/18/2009 - Grandview's Youth To Return To Mexico
- 9/28/2009 - Welcome David New and Joyce Iverson.
- 9/20/2009 - Welcome, Emily!
- 9/6/2009 - Welcome to the Nipper Family!
- 9/1/2009 - Welcome, Tony and Anna!
- 8/2/2009 - Welcome, Josiah!
- 7/26/2009 - Welcome, McMillans!
- 6/26/2009 - Puebla Update #4
- 6/25/2009 - Puebla Update #3
- 6/24/2009 - Update #2 from Puebla
- 6/23/2009 - Update from Puebla
- 6/22/2009 - Grandview Youth in Mexico
- 6/19/2009 - Junior High returns and Senior High Departs
- 6/15/2009 - Meredith Hardy to play in the Junior Olympics
- 6/15/2009 - Junior High on a Mission
- 6/10/2009 - CAT Team Hard at Work
- 6/8/2009 - Congratulations, Sweeneys!
- 5/31/2009 - Welcome, Bri!
- 5/20/2009 - Betty Taber's Windows
- 5/13/2009 - Alathea Coming to Grandview
- 5/10/2009 - Renewal for Mission
- 5/3/2009 - Welcome, Neal family and Kari
- 4/26/2009 - Welcome, Drew and Tasha
- 4/24/2009 - Aaron Clears Doctor of Ministry Hurdle
- 4/13/2009 - Welcome, Priscilla and Zoi.
- 4/6/2009 - Holy Week at Grandview
- 4/1/2009 - Welcome to our new website
- 3/22/2009 - Welcome, Chad Dunford.
- 3/15/2009 - Eight new members on March 15
