Important updates from shady grove

 "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." 2 Thessalonians 2:15


Dear Shady Grove, 

We wanted to share a few important updates with you- 

• The Holston Conference has made the decision to continue all church closures in the conference until further notice. You can read Bishop Taylor's detailed letter​ here. Though we are deeply disappointed that we will not be able to worship with you face to face, we know that this decision was one of compassion towards the most vulnerable among us. As the virus continues to spread, we must look out for our brothers and sisters in Christ, as Paul tells us to do in Philippians 2:4: "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." 
• We have made the decision to close the church office on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. We will, however, be open on Wednesday from 9-3. Ashley will be working from home and has forwarded the church phone to her cell phone, so she will still be able to conduct church business, and you can call her with questions and concerns. 
• Though we will not be meeting face to face, we want to encourage you to worship with us online on Sundays at 10am on our King Street Modern Worship Facebook page. The video will also be posted on our website by Monday morning, as well as our Shady Grove United Methodist Church Facebook page. 
• We also want to encourage you to keep an eye on our Facebook pages, our website, your email, and your phone as we will continue to reach out to you in this time with important updates, encouraging messages, and brotherly love. We urge you to do the same by reaching out to your brothers and sisters in the church as well as in our community. 
• Though this time is fraught with uncertainty, we know one thing is for certain- God is still on his throne! We urge you to use this unprecedented opportunity to show the love of Christ both in our church and in our community. We are working on ways that the church can reach out and provide for the needs of the community, and updates will be forthcoming. In the meantime, if you would like to volunteer to help buy groceries for those who cannot get out or provide food for those who may not have it, please contact Ashley Wren at assist@shadygrovedandridge.org to be put on an assist list for those who are in need of help. You can also help by reaching out to each other via phone calls and social media to stay connected in this time of social distancing.
• If you are at a high risk for the virus and need help buying groceries, picking up medication, paying bills, etc, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. You can email Ashley at assist@shadygrovedandridge.org or call the church at 865-397-7453, and she will get you in touch with someone who can help. 

Please let us know if you have any questions. We will continue to reach out to you, so be on the lookout for further communication. We love you, church family!
​
Pastor Jason
Ashley
Eddie
Linda
Helen