Every Advent Season, Brookmeade offers Poinsettias for sale. The poinsettias decorate our sanctuary in remembrance and tribute to past and current members during the Christmas season. Members are free to take their poinsettias home after the Christmas Eve Service. This year we are offering 6.5″ ($9.00) and 8″ ($16.00) sized Poinsettia pots in red and white. We get our poinsettias from Nature’s Best Nursery in Nolensville and they are always spectacularly beautiful! There are order forms in the front foyer. Please place your order and make your payment  no later than Sunday, November 11th. For more information or to order by phone please call the church office.

Abbey Labrecque, Lead Student Pastor

Abbey Labrecque (she/they) attends Vanderbilt Divinity School, where they are a second year Master of Divinity student pursuing the Spirituality and Social Activism concentration. In academia and ministry, Abbey is called to explore and nurture the ways in which they can live into their faith, whiteness, sexuality, and gender identities in integrating and justice seeking ways. They understand that uniting all of who they are is crucial to their serious and energetic commitment to exist within and collaboratively cultivate community. When Abbey is not attempting to integrate all of themselves, they enjoy walking in the woods, watching college soccer, and communing with others in the presence of yummy food.

Rebecca Griffin, Associate Student Pastor

Becca Griffin is originally from Mobile, AL.  Her undergraduate degree was in worship leadership (church music and theology) and she is currently a candidate for an MDiv at Vanderbilt Divinity School where she is focusing on religion and art in contemporary culture.  She is interested in the intersections of religion, art, and psychology, art, and neuroscience.  She writes poetry that developed as a coping mechanism for anxiety and a desire for inner and outer reconciliation–her seemingly-endless project is called Ode to We and can be found at odetowe.com.  She does stand-up comedy, enjoys rock climbing, appreciates pop culture divas (like Barbra Streisand, Amy Winehouse, Celine Dion, and Mariah Carey), loves dancing, values roller skating, admires Mary Oliver, and goes to the movies.

Diane Tugel, Supervising Pastor

Diane is an ordained minister with the United Church of Christ.  She is Certified as a Clinical Educator with the Association of Clinical Pastoral Education and she is a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains.  She holds a Doctorate of Ministry degree and has served in the parish, hospital, and hospice settings.  Diane is married with two adult children. She and her family moved to the Nashville area in January of 2017 to begin her work with the Nashville/St. Thomas CPE Partnership.  Besides her family and work, Diane enjoys boating, reading, golfing, and being in the outdoors.

Project CURE Volunteer Group is scheduled for Saturday, October 6th from 9:30 am – 12 pm (2300 Clifton Ave, 37209). We will be sorting medical supplies to be sent to hospitals in developing countries. Everyone is welcome, including newcomers! See you there!

At Brookmeade there will be a special fall fellowship potluck supper gathering of Nashville & Mid-Tenn. UCC churches @ 5:30 PM on Oct 20th to grow in closer communion with God & one another!  Evening’s theme:  “For a Closer Communion with God & One Another:  Starting Each Day with Prayer & Meditation on God’s Word!”, featuring readings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on this subject!  Our sister congregational UCC church in Nashville (Howard Congregational Church)’s choir will be in concert!  They’ll start the evening off with a bang with the great African-American spiritual “Woke Up this Morning with my Mind Stayed on Jesus!”  Special Guest Speaker:  Rev. Marsha Brown, pastor of Phoenix Christian Church, UCC from Wildersville, TN!  Yes, the Upper Room UCC Fellowship is expanding to not only include Nashville-area UCC churches, but invitation is going out to Mid-Tenn UCC churches such as Phoenix Christian Church and United Church of Cookeville!  Bring family & friends and favorite casserole for an evening of great UCC fellowship & inspiration!  CHILDCARE PROVIDED.

Sunday, September 30^th is our next Music Sunday, a service led by members of the congregation. As always, this is an awesome opportunity to share your creative gifts of all kinds. Do you have a song, poem, or story to share? Contact the church office or Mike R. with your ideas. The theme this month is: “Building Bridges”.

Brookmeade is a five for five church, giving to all five of the national U.C.C.’s offerings. The Neighbors in Need offering, which we will receive on October 7th supports the UCC’s ministries of justice and compassion. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts and direct service projects. It does strong advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties and environmental justice. One third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for Americn Indian Ministries (CAIM). If scripture commands, “love your neighbors as you love yourself,” help make a just world possible by your support. Special envelopes will be in the bulletin on October 7th .
On October 7th we will also be collecting canned goods and cash for our monthly COW (Contribute Our Wealth) Offering as well as hearing a short presentation from Rachel at Raise the Roof Academy. Last year Brookmeade sponsored the education of children in Uganda through this organization.

We are beginning something new at Brookmeade this fall, and we couldn’t be more excited! All are invited to bring an object from home to place on the altar table. Choose an object that represents your faith or spirituality, a meaningful experience, or feelings of hope and joy. It could be a photograph, a river stone, a souvenir, or a bouquet of flowers…the possibilities are endless! We will place them all together onto the altar table, which will become as unique as our family of faith.

In addition, during “Time with Family” in worship (formerly known as Time with Children), one person each week will share about what they brought in. This will be a wonderful way to learn and share together about our lives, stories, and faith. Know that we invite everyone to bring in an object, even if you would prefer not to share.

Go ahead and bring in your object this Sunday; if you forget, bring it next week! Throughout the fall, we will fill the altar table and make it uniquely ours!

Project CURE Volunteer Group is scheduled for Saturday, September 1st from 9:30 am – 12 pm (2300 Clifton Ave, 37209). We will be sorting medical supplies to be sent to hospitals in developing countries. Everyone is welcome, including newcomers! See you there!