Sun. Sept. 24th: Rev. Sharon’s Send-off Sunday

Please come to celebrate the ministry and friendship of Rev. Sharon Temple on Sunday, September 24th.  Sharon has shared her wisdom and insight, her inspiration and vision, her good humor and straight talk with Brookmeade for the past 23 months.  It is with hearts sad for our loss, but thankful for the time we have shared, that we come together to send her on her way to retirement and time with family in Austin, TX.  Join us for a litany of farewell followed by a special coffee fellowship as she ends her ministry at Brookmeade.

Join the Brookmeade Choir!

Do you like to sing? If your answer is “yes”, then let’s get the choir started back up this Fall! Rehearsals will be on the 3rd and 4th Sundays of the month from 9:45-10:15 am, with the choir singing during the worship service on the last Sunday (the 4th or 5th Sunday) of the month. If you’re interested, please send your name and email address to Keri or contact the church office for more details.

Sat. Oct. 21st: Upper Room UCC Potluck Supper

Saturday, October 21st @ 5:30 PM: 
UPPER ROOM UCC FELLOWSHIP Fall Potluck Supper
SAVE THE DATE for this special potluck supper gathering of Nashville-area United Church of Christ churches to grow in prayer & meditation and to grow in fellowship with one another!  Event site:  Howard Congregational Church (2802 Buchanan St.)  Special Guest Speaker from St. Louis:  Josh Gibson, M. Div. (Eden Theological Seminary-UCC)  Topic:  “The Importance of Prayer & Daily Meditation on God’s Word”  Leading off the evening’s program:  Howard Congregational Mass Choir in concert!  Evening’s MC:  Bob Johnson of Howard UCC!  Bring family, friends & favorite casserole for great UCC fellowship and inspiration!  CHILDCARE PROVIDED.

Sun. Oct. 1st: Welcome Celebration for our new Pastoral Team

Please join us to celebrate and welcome the new pastors of Brookmeade Congregational Church UCC!  On Oct 1st we will share together in worship and have a special coffee fellowship after the service.  We are thrilled to have this new team with us. Rev. Diane Tugel, our lead pastor, Sarah Kientz, our student pastor, and Margaret Ernst our student intern are already off and running and are contributing to the life of Brookmeade.  Come and meet these energetic and delightful people who are going to walk with us as we discover new ways to be the church.

Continue reading below to find out more about our new staff.

About Our New Staff

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Sarah Kientz, Lead Student Pastor

Sarah Kientz is a second-year Master of Divinity student at Vanderbilt Divinity School seeking ordination in the United Church of Christ. She moved to Nashville from her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, where she served as the Director of Youth Ministry at First Community Church (UCC)  for seven years. Sarah loved the genuine relationships she formed with youth and young adults as she led progressive Christian education, intergenerational worship, and local and international missions. In that role, Sarah also served as a director at Camp Akita, a summer camp welcoming followers of all faith traditions. Sarah hopes to develop her passion for social justice and practice of pastoral care through worship, mission, and community life at Brookmeade. Outside of work and class, Sarah enjoys spending time in nature alongside friends, family, and her dog, Otter.

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Margaret Ernst, Associate Student Pastor

Margaret Ernst in the process of seeking ordination in the UCC through the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference.  Hailing originally from Connecticut and New Jersey, Margaret was formed enormously in a spiritual and social sense by her years doing faith-rooted community organizing and interning at a UCC church in downtown Philadelphia, just blocks from the Liberty Bell.  Now, Margaret deeply appreciates living in and learning from the South as she enters her third year in the MDiv program at Vanderbilt Divinity School.  She finds her ministry in the sacred work of supporting others to become leaders in creating the communities they dream of in order to follow Jesus’ risky, challenging gospel of love.  She recently got married to her beloved partner and friend Michael, and keeps singing and laughing at all costs. She is so excited to meet you all and to join in the worship, community, and educational life of Brookmeade this year.

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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.

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New Staff Signing their Covenants with Brookmeade: Sunday, August 27th, 2017

Sun. Oct. 1st: Neighbors in Need UCC Offering

2017_NIN_Final_Poster

Neighbors in Need (NIN) is a special mission offering of the UCC that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects through grants.

Neighbors in Need grants are awarded to churches and organizations doing justice work in their communities. These grants fund projects whose work ranges from direct service to community organizing and advocacy to address systemic injustice. Funding is provided through donations to the Neighbors in Need offering.

Brookmeade will collect the NIN Offering on Sunday, October 1st.

Sat. Sept. 23rd: Nashville AIDS Walk

Join us for the 26th Annual Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run. Help us fundraise and enjoy a scenic walk or run through the downtown Nashville. All donations and proceeds from the race go directly to Nashville CARES. Together we will end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Middle Tennessee! Race day highlights include: 5K Walk and Run, Performance Awards,Water for runners, Community Fair and Expo, Free Raffle, Free Registration for Kids 12 and Under! The run starts at Public Square Park,
3rd Ave N and Union St, Nashville, TN 37201. Visit the website.

8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Community Expo
8 a.m. Check-in & Registration
9 a.m. Race Starts
10:30 a.m. Awards Ceremony
11 a.m. Participant Prize Drawing

EARLY CHECK-IN & REGISTRATION
Friday, 9/22
Rhythm Running
1513 Demonbreun St, Nashville, TN 37203
Hours: 10 a.m. – 7 a.m.

Sun. Sept. 17th: Special Presentation during Learn & Grow

Earlier this spring, Jon W. spent a month working with an international team on a TB case-finding project in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). On Sunday, September 17th during Learn & Grow at 9:15 am he will present “TB, Diabetes, and Social Determinants of Health on Ebeye Island,” describing the ongoing public health impact of U.S. defense policies and actions in the Pacific region.

Sat. Sept. 16th: Women’s Guild Farewell Luncheon (RSVP by 9/1)

It is time to say goodbye to the Women’s Guild organization at Brookmeade. We are organizing a farewell luncheon to be held on Saturday, September 16th at noon at the church.  *Please RSVP by September 1st for this catered luncheon by calling the church office.

If you were a member in years past please come with memories to share.  We also need to decide what to do with the money that is still in our account.  Please come even if you were not a member of The Women’s Guild.

Sat. Sept. 16th: Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk

When you walk in the Out of the Darkness Walks, you join the effort with hundreds of thousands of people to raise awareness and funds that allow the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to invest in new research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. Thanks to Walkers and Donors like you, AFSP has been able to set a goal to reduce the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025. Check-in/Registration is at 9 am on 9/16 at Owen Bradley Park. The Walk begins at 10 am. Online registration closes at noon on Friday 9/15. However, anyone who would like to participate can register in person at the walk from 9 am to 10 am. Walk donations are accepted online until 12/31. Visit the website to register for the walk and donate to this cause by clicking HERE.