Updates For Mission Trips

Memo

To: All Pastors and Churches in the Presbytery Of East TN
And those interested in the Whirlwind Tours Mission Trips.
From: The Disaster Response Committee
Regarding: Updates concerning our trips.

1.Three cheers and praise the Lord - we have between 135 and 150 students from UT, Knoxville ready to go October 13-16. They will be meeting on campus next Wednesday, October 5, at the Panhellenic Building on Cumberland, in the Alpha Delta Pi room on the second floor, at 7:30PM. The meeting will help all students who wish to go complete their applications (a notary will be there) and get geared up for the weekend trip. If you are going on this first of the Whirlwind Tours you need to be in attendance at this meeting!

2.This first tour is still in need of the following special people:
-Cooks, we will be feeding people out of a church, they will need hot breakfast and dinner and a bag lunch to take into the field with them.
-Adult leaders, to help coordinate the students and lend expertise
-Nurses or Doctors or both to go and tend the scrapes and bumps.
-A good medical kit for the above.
-Note: Serious injuries are being treated in the local hospitals. We need some folks for all the little stuff, who also know when little stuff needs more treatment.

3.We also need:
-Every church to do a special fundraiser. It will cost about $10,000 to transport the 150 students this first trip. That includes one large bus, vans that UT is offering and gas. A slightly smaller amount will be needed for the UT, Chattanooga Trip and the big All church tours in November and December. This is a wonderful chance to be involved in a very helpful way in support of our shared missions. (Could your church van or bus go and save us rent money?)
-We also need to pay for food. Our first info from the system was that the PC, USA Disaster Response funds would pay for food. Not true; we now learn they are paying for the housing, not the food.
-This is a cost we can be ready to pay if everyone helps out!

4.Remind your folks to get signed up now if they are planning to go on any of the Whirlwind Tours. Applications are available through the Presbytery Web Page. Students should also contact Rick Kuhlman at < bighooah@aol.com >.

5.Correction: We sent a bulletin insert to you for last weekend that had INCORRECT dates for the first all Presbytery trip in November the CORRECT dates are Saturday November 5th to Saturday November 12th.

HOW TO APPLY

You can download an application from the Presbytery web site. Go back to the Presbytery Home page and click on the link. If you can't download an application we will mail you one. Call the Presbytery office at (865) 688-5581. (THIS WILL BE POSTED BY MONDAY 09/26/05. An e-mail copy of the Application was sent to all churches, all ministers and all Disaster Relief point people on Thursday 09/22.

Here are all the basics...

MEMO
TO: PRESBYTERIANS OF EAST TENNESSEE
FROM: Presbytery Disaster Response Committee.
RE: Whirlwind Tours, Mission Work Trips

On Sunday September 18th Presbytery voted its wholehearted support of an all Presbytery effort to serve the people in need in the hurricane disaster areas to our south. All Presbyterian churches and members therein are asked to read further, think and talk about ways to help and then join in our effort to serve God by serving others.

WHO
The Presbytery of East TN Presbytery staff and the Disaster Response Committee of Presbytery will provide planning. (D.R. Committee is currently composed of Fritz Schilling-Chair, Cindy Benz, Charles Montgomery, Rob Mellgard, Mark and Becky Downs) and the Presbytery Mission Work Trips Planning Team (Coordinated by Rick Kuhlman)
Participants will be all members of any Presbyterian Church in the Presbytery of East Tennessee and those who wish to join with Presbyterians for these work trips. The UT-Knoxville and UT-Chattanooga trips outlined below will be specifically for students of these 2 campuses, students of other college campuses and leaders as needed.
Anyone with a desire to serve is welcome to participate.

WHAT
The Whirlwind Mission Work Trips will go to the areas effected by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana South Alabama and Mississippi.
Our Presbytery work parties will focus on assisting with “mucking out” rehab and repair of Presbytery properties, local mission sites, local Presbyterian affiliated organizations and the people of the area. All work will be coordinated with the on scene representatives of the General Assembly Disaster Assistance Teams and the staff of the effected Presbyteries.

WHERE
a. Assembling at various points in the Presbytery we will move together to the effected areas. (Bring your UT window flags)
b. The trips will go to South Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana (Exact locations still to be determined and coordinated with the on scene contacts)
c. We will be housed and cared for by the GA Disaster Assistance supported camps and local churches who will provide housing and bath facilities.

WHEN
October 13-16, UTK fall break weekend, October 21-25 UTC fall break weekend. College age students and campus leaders work trip.
November 5-12 All Presbytery Mission Work Trip
December 26- January 1, 2006 - All Presbytery Mission Work Trip. (Get your high school youth groups aimed at this trip!)

WHY
To serve God by loving and serving our neighbors
Because we can and because we should
To connect the Presbytery in a joint, hands on, mission effort.
To be good stewards of our Presbyteries resources.
To set a precedent for the future
The teams of organizers now at work in the effected areas are pleading with people to come in larger groups. They just can’t plan for every small group that wants to come.

HOW
With the support of all the churches of the Presbytery of East Tennessee and their members through the coordinated giving of time, talent and treasure.

PROCESS, Where can you go from here?
Pray for our effort, for the planning, the equipping of the saints, for the people in leadership, for the people we will be helping.
If you wish to volunteer and join one of the trips go to the Presbytery web site, presbyteryeasttn.org, and download the application and instructions pages from the Whirlwind Tours Mission Work Trips link. Fill out the application completely and mail it (US post type mail) to the Presbytery Disaster Relief Office. There is a list of what you will need to bring included.
Coordinate with your church to gather a number of volunteers who can carpool together and join with other groups for the trip and to raise support funds to pool together for the Presbytery.
If you can’t go but can help, sponsor a fundraiser, have a dinner, a church yard sale, a special Sunday collection or just write a check. [Make checks for the mission work trips payable to Hurricane Mission Work Trips fund #84500 and mail it to the Presbytery Disaster Relief Office. P.O. Box 5436, Knoxville TN 37928-0436]
Keep up with the planning process by checking the Presbytery web site regularly. If you have questions e-mail them to Katrina@presbyteryeasttn.org, or call the Presbytery office at (865) 688-5581.

Presbytery Of East Tennessee
WHIRLWIND TOURS
Mission Work Trips
Hurricane Disaster Relief
As of 09/22/05 "After the whirlwind came a still small voice"