| Bear Hugs |
“Bear Hugs” is a service that was started in memory
of a Laurel member, Margaret Raskopf. Small stuffed bears are
made to give to the children who arrive in the emergency room
at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. |
| Bereavement |
We strive to meet the needs of families who have lost a loved
one by providing encouragement, support, and food, especially
during those initial difficult days. |
Breakfast with Santa
&
Christmas Cookie Swap |
These are two activities
that are offered early in December. At Breakfast with Santa,
everyone - and especially the little ones - are invited
for a big breakfast that is capped off by a visit from Santa.
The Cookie Swap is open to anyone who wants to bake and
swap cookies for their loved ones to enjoy during the holiday
season. They are both great opportunities to get into the
holiday spirit! |
| Dorcas Basket |
A person who is ill, shut-in, or facing a hardship is chosen
to receive a "care basket" each month. Members contribute
small gifts such as candy, note cards, hand lotion, etc. to let
that person know they are remembered with love. |
| Education Program |
Teachers and assistant teachers are always needed for our
Bible classes. New teachers will be paired with a more experienced
teacher. If you don't want to teach but are willing to help,
we always need people to assist with class preparation,
especially for the younger classes. (See Teacher's Resource
Center below) |
| Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt |
Our annual Easter dinner and egg hunt usually takes place
the Sunday before Easter. Everyone is invited. |
| Fall Festival |
This event is held the
Friday before Halloween. Activities, food and a lot of fun make
this a special event for families. |
| Food Care |
Meals are provided for
both short-term and long-term needs. Volunteers are assigned to
a team, who, together, are responsible for a meal. |
| Green
Thumb Ministry |
The Green Thumb
Ministry, in conjunction with the National Wildlife Association
and Ijams Nature Center have been working to ensure that we at
Laurel are being good stewards of our eight acres of property.
We are also reaching out to our community by cleaning up our
spur of the Third Creek Bike Trail. The most urgent concern is
controlling the vines that will kill our trees. The city will
continue to mulch and weed the entrance to Third Creek from our
property; however, they have asked if we would plant native
wildflowers from our hidden acreage as well as divisions from
our beds.
http://www.enature.com/backyardwildlife/bwh_showhabitat.asp?bwhid=40691 |
| Ladies Retreat |
This committee plans and
organizes the retreat which is usually held in February of each
year. Food and fellowship are combined with presentations by one
or more speakers to enrich the spiritual lives of participants.
These overnight retreats are usually held in the vicinity of the
Smoky Mountains. |
| Library |
Laurel’s collection of books and tapes is a valuable
resource for the entire church. |
|
Teacher's Resource Center |
Our resource center houses a vast amount of teaching aids
and curricula for the children’s education program. Volunteers
are needed to help organize and maintain existing materials
and to create new teaching aids. |
| Secret Sisters |
Throughout the year, participants are able to encourage and
uplift their sister with cards and other small tokens of love
and expressions of “thinking of you”. |
| Serenity Shelter |
Each month we ask for
specific items from the congregation to help meet the needs of
the abused women and children who take refuge at the Serenity
Shelter. |
| School Supplies |
Once a year, supplies are collected and taken to a chosen
school which has a high population of needy students who might
not be able to acquire all of the supplies they need for the
school year. |
| Showers and Teas |
Some of the happiest times are when we give showers for our
brides-to-be and new moms-to-be. Volunteers to this ministry
are assigned to teams who host showers on a rotating basis. |
| Teen Prayer Partners |
Members of the Laurel congregation are paired with teens and
asked to pray for them daily. |
| Vacation Bible School |
VBS offers an excellent opportunity to minister to the young
children and families in our church and in our neighborhood.
Lots of volunteers are always needed to help coordinate,
"shepherd" the kids from place to place, teach, and help with
crafts, dramas, sets, games, and more! |
Visitation |
A concerted, organized effort is made for all types of visiting:
shut-ins, nursing homes, hospital, and newcomers. |
| Volunteer Ministry Center |
On the second Tuesday of each month, a cooking team prepares
a meal for the homeless at the Volunteer Ministry Center. |
| Women’s Tuesday Morning Bible Class |
This class meets from September through early
May. It is open to all ages, and a staffed nursery is provided
free of charge to those attending. Members of this class also
enjoy monthly lunches together and service projects. |
