Lake Junaluska, NC

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SUNDAY, JUNE 16

Summer Sunday School All are welcome to come together for fellowship and Biblical study before morning worship. Led by Rev. George Shepherd. Harrell Center, Susan Todd Meeting Room, 9:30 a.m.

Summer Worship Series Hear Bishop Ken Carter preach on this summer’s theme, Psalms of Our Times, with the Lake Junaluska Singers as they lead this traditional worship service. Stuart Auditorium, 10:45 a.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 17

Lakeside Devotion Grab a cup of coffee from Junaluska Gifts & Grounds and start the week with a time of reflection and a beautiful view of the lake. Nikki Ulmer will be leading the devotion. Harrell Center Porch, 8:30 a.m.

Taize Service Come together for a contemplative service of prayer and song. The atmosphere encourages participants to slow down in the midst of fast-paced lives by offering simple repetitive songs, scripture, candlelight and silence. Memorial Chapel, 7 p.m.

Moonlight Boat Tour Enjoy a peaceful ride around the lake under the full moon. Registration required. Contact Tammy McDowell at 828-454-6681 or tmcdowell@lakejunaluska.com. Cherokee IV dock behind Harrell Center, 8:43 p.m.

Movie Night “Groundhog Day”Bring a blanket or lounge chairs toenjoy a movie under the stars.Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym Lawn, 9 p.m.

More activities on page 3

SUMMER YOUTH EVENTS KICKOFF Starting on Saturday, June 15, young people will come together at Lake Junaluska to worship and grow in their faith during the first of six Summer Youth Events.

These four- or five-day events offer youth a place apart from the distractions of daily life, enabling them to unplug and feel present, safe and loved.

Upon their arrival to the building, groups will be greeted by the new red stairs that lead to the main entrance of Shackford Hall. A new screen, light board, sound board and lights will welcome them into the auditorium, creating an exciting atmosphere.

This summer, the renovations and technology upgrades are not the only recent changes. The youth summer ministry staff have been working hard to revamp the content of the program. Mary Catherine Coltrane, a returning staff member, has already seen the difference.

“We are now conducting workshops with the youth and have various other activities,” said Coltrane. “These include outdoor movies, more outdoor and indoor games and more advanced technology to enhance the large group worship experience.”

The workshops will be centered around the idea of Kairos, or God’s time. Coltrane hopes youth will learn how to center themselves in their faith as they go about their daily lives as a result of the program.

New and returning staff are thrilled to spend time with the youth and to help them cultivate their faith as they grow closer to God.

Each event includes morning and evening worship, small groups for spiritual formation and mission opportunities. During select events, the youth will also join the larger community in worship at Stuart Auditorium.

June 14, 2019 | Issue 3

THIS WEEK

Summer Youth Events, pictured above, give young people the opportunity to unplug from the stress of everyday life and focus on their spiritual growth in a safe and loving environment.

Junaluska Weekly

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FORMER YOUTH INTERN FINDS CALLING AT LAKE JUNALUSKANot many people can say with any kind of certainty in middle school that they knew what they wanted to do when they grew up.

Wilson Booth appears to be an exception to this rule as he knew from a young age that his passion was ministry.

Upon graduating from Hampden-Sydney College last May with a degree in religion, Booth came to Lake Junaluska to work as a Youth Ministry Intern during the summer of 2018. It was here that he reconnected with his youth pastor from over a decade ago, Director of Programming, Mitzi Johnson.

“That connection [with Johnson] was just the perfect opportunity for me to get into the field that I am passionate about with someone that I am comfortable with,” said Booth. “And a mentor that could already have a basic knowledge of who I am.”

Booth was grateful that he received an opportunity to work with youth who attended the summer events.

Little did he know, Lake Junaluska was not done with him yet.

At the end of the summer, Booth asked Johnson to write him a letter of recommendation. She in return had a better offer for him: a full-time position at Lake Junaluska as the Youth Ministry Specialist.

Booth is thankful that he found his passion at such a young age as it enabled him to study his passion more in-depth through higher education.

He feels that his work now is a positive stepping stone to what he is passionate about: programming ministry for all ages.

Booth also hopes that visitors see

the beauty of Lake Junaluska. ”It is a place where you find the peace you need to recognize the full glory and magnitude of God.”

SUMMER WORSHIP PROFILE: BISHOP KEN CARTER Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. is resident bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Along with the cabinet, he gives pastoral and administrative leadership to almost 800 congregations, fresh expressions of church, campus ministries and outreach initiatives in an episcopal area that stretches from Tallahassee and Jacksonville to Miami and the Florida Keys.

He came to the Florida Conference in 2012, following a ministry of almost thirty years in Western North Carolina with twenty-nine as a local church pastor.

Bishop Carter also serves as the president of the UMC Council of Bishops. He is author of ten books, most recently “Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Methodist Church” (with Audrey Warren) and “Embracing the Wideness: The Shared Convictions of United Methodists.”

Bishop Carter and his wife, Pam (also an ordained UMC elder) have been married for thirty-seven years and are blessed with two adult daughters, Liz and Abby.

Bishop Ken Carter will lead the Summer Worship Series service on June 16.

Booth is the current Youth Ministry Specialist and hopes to later program ministry for all ages.

GROUPS THIS WEEK:

Abilities Tennis Tournament Florida Conference Cabinet Retreat

WNC United Methodist Women

Junaluska Weekly

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THIS WEEK

TUESDAY, JUNE 18

Sharing Circle: Creation CareCome look through the scriptures about the Biblical call to care for creation and discuss practical tips to preserve God’s work with Heather Bennett. Harrell Center, Room 105,10:30-11:30 a.m.

Mixed Flow Yoga Relax as you stretch both your mind and body and enjoy yoga outdoors. Some yoga skills are recommended for the mixed flow yoga classes, but all are welcome. $7 per session Inspiration Point, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19

Nature Walk Join naturalist Alan Schork for aninformative introduction to some ofthe plants of Lake Junaluska. Hat andwater bottle are suggested.Meet in front of Lake JunaluskaColonnade, 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Game Night Come play classic board games and make some new friends. Attendees are welcome to bring their own games. Harrell Center, Room 202, 7-9 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20

Gentle YogaRelax as you stretch both your mind and body and enjoy yoga outdoors. All levels and abilities are encouraged to attend gentle yoga classes. $7 per sessionInspiration Point, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

BonfireGet to know your community arounda cozy campfire and through aweekly discussion question. Thisweek’s question is: “What is something that you are looking forward to in the next six months?”Shackford Fire Pit, 8 p.m.

On Tuesday, June 18, Heather Bennett will lead the third Sharing Circle of the summer.

Her program, entitled Creation Care, will take participants on a journey through scriptures about the Biblical call to care for creation. Bennett will discuss practical tips on how to do so.

Bennett is the Director of Blessed Earth-Tennessee and holds a Masters in Sustainability from Lipscomb University. Blessed Earth is dedicated toinspiring faithful stewardship of all creation through teaching, curricula and outreach.

“I’m hoping that it sparks interest in some of the familiar Bible stories that are creation care based and help participants know what that looks like,” said Bennett.

She hopes that after the Sharing Circle, people will have a better understanding of creation care and will feel a sense of responsibilty to take care of God’s work.

The Sharing Circle will take place at 10:30 a.m. in Harrell Center, Room 105.

SHARING CIRCLE: CREATION CARE

Orginial named the Religious Education Building, Shackford Hall was built in 1923.

It was here that the Sunday School teacher training program, organized by the General Sunday School Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was held.

The program was overseen by Dr. John W. Shackford, whom the building was later named after. People came from all across the country and even as far away as Cuba to attend a session.

Now the building hosts many different occasions, including the Summer and Winter Youth Events.

Shackford Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

HISTORICAL SPOTLIGHT:SHACKFORD HALL

VOLUNTEER PROFILE: CHUCK LIPP Lake Junaluska serves as a place for people to visit and find renewal. It is also a place that fosters a sense of community and family. This holds true for Junaluskan, Chuck Lipp.

Lipp has lived at Lake Junaluska for three years with his wife Jan and volunteers his time in several different ways.

He is part of the Junaluska Assembly Community Council, and he helps with the Junaluskans Flea Market. For the

past six months, he has also extended a hand to Rev. Mitzi Johnson, director of programming, and Wilson Booth, youth ministry specialist, with the new staging work in Shackford Hall.

Lipp feels that it is his duty as a member of the Lake Junaluska community to help out when it is needed.

Lake Junaluska, in Lipp’s eyes, is “at the heart, a spiritual community with people who want to interact and get to know one another.”

The steps of Shackford Hall recieved a fresh coat of striking red paint earlier this year.

Junaluska Weekly

The Summer Activities Program and the Junaluska Weekly are made possible through charitable giving. Your gift to the Lake Junaluska Annual Fund assures that these programs thrive throughout the summer and in years to come. Make an impact today by giving online, by phone, or mail. Thank you!

Give online: lakejunaluska.com/supportCall: 828-454-6749Mail: Lake Junaluska Annual Fund, PO Box 67, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745

The mission of Lake Junaluska is to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through the renewal of soul, mind and body

LAST WEEK’S EVENTS IN PHOTOS

Evie Salter enjoyed herself learning to clog at last week’s lesson held in the Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym. Emily Skidmore, Erin Bowman and Lindsey Kizer particpated in the Holston Annual Conference ordination serivce.

Grace Gaines Gattis and Phyllis Capponi helped out at the Junaluskans Flea Market last Saturday.

MOUNTAINEER ABILITIES TENNIS TOURNAMENT ARRIVES The Abilities Tennis Association of North Carolina will host its Mountaineer Abilities Tennis Tournament for the third time at Lake Junaluska this Saturday, June 15 starting at 9 a.m.

The organization’s mission is to offer tennis opportunities at all levels for individuals with intellectual disabilities across the state of North Carolina.

Lou Taft Welch, the executive director of Abilities Tennis Association of NC, had a hand in bringing the tournament to Lake Junaluksa.

Welch grew up spending her summers on

the courts at Lake Junaluska. It was on those courts that she found her passion for tennis. She spent her days at the tennis courts, the soda shop and the general recreation area by the lakeshore.

In her position as executive director, Welch organizes abilities tennis tournaments across the state. Three years ago, she began hosting tournaments on the courts that started it all for her.

In 2018, the Abilities Tennis Association of NC received the United States Tennis Association Adaptive Tennis Award to recognize the work that they are doing to

change the lives of those with intellectual disabilities.

The tournament will last all day ending with a pool party at Lake Junaluska for all participants to enjoy.

Lake Junaluska will host the Mountaineer Tennis Abilities Tournament on June 15.