Category Archives: Newsletter

Newsletter -March 26, 2025

Newsletter
DON’T MISS “APRIL THOUGHTS OF A MISSIONARY: A GRAVE SERVICE UNLIKE HOME” 
BY  REV. DR. GENEVA SILVERNAIL (ATTACHED) 
 
From an email this morning from Diane Robbins:

Hi Teresa,
I cannot wait for Rusty to tell you the response of the JF teams in India when he was in person to tell them that children in America are raising funds for the ministry they lead!
Please, please express our gratitude to the the churches and children for their generosity! We will of course share our thanks at each service.

 

Meet Rusty & Diane Robbins at one of the services below:  
  
        Sunday, March 30 AM:  Mt. Juliette-10:30 AM  
                                    Lebanon 1st-  6:00PM
        Monday, March 31:  Hill Top -7:00 PM     
        Tuesday, April 1:  Lenoir City – 6:00 PM     
        Wednesday, April 2:  Elizabethton 5:30 Fellowship,, Service at 7:00      
        Sunday, April 6:  Shelbyville-Faith Promise service at 10:00 AM    
              PM: 6:00 pm- Chapman’s Chapel, with fellowship following
        Monday, April 7:  Tullahoma Eastside Community
              Soup/Sandwich/ chili/ dessert Sharing Supper-5:30, Service-6:30 PM 

        Sunday, April 13:  AM Service- Watertown

 

VALENTINES FOR JESUS NEW TOTAL:  $14,012.59  
Offerings sent in since last newsletter in red text:
Cowan: 303.00  The Church House:  275.00  Monterey: 260    
Hill Top: 706.38    Pleasant Green: 311.00. Athens: 137.70  
The Branches:  800.00   Wartburg    50.00  Decherd    285.11    
Smyrna   50.00  Murfreesboro 1st 235  Family Worship Center 100  
Carthage   214.11  Pleasant View 200  Hilltop+50 
Journey 100  Sweetwater 344   Mt. Hermon  565.00   Himesville 283.56
Jasper 1,381.00    Fayetteville 195.00   Beulah Chapel  642.05    
Lebanon First 105.00  Knoxville South  626.00   Doyle  930.45   
Elizabethton  1,000  Warren Chapel  200.00  Tullahoma 1st  100
Shelbyville. 475    Manchester  282    Tullahoma Westside 85.35
Maryville 1,045  Brownington 30    New Life  1,000    Real Life  203.53
Cleveland New Hope. 276.00
Knoxville First    172.05        Newport    50.00    Gordonsville    220.00

Newsletter -March 19, 2025

Newsletter
Double Blessing from Valentines for Jesus Project 
Kids at Chapman’s Chapel made 

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 jars filled with hot cocoa mix + jars filled with Bible verses.  Folks in the congregation bought the jars, then donated them to be put into the church Blessing Box beside the church’s “Bread House'” where familiies in the community can pick up free fresh bread & baked goods!

VALENTINES FOR JESUS OFFERINGS TO DATE:  $13,570.54
Offerings sent to JoAnn Alderman  since last week in red text
Cowan: 303.00  The Church House:  275.00  Monterey: 260    
Hill Top: 706.38    Pleasant Green: 311.00. Athens: 137.70  
The Branches:  800.00   Wartburg    50.00  Decherd    285.11    
Smyrna   50.00  Murfreesboro 1st 235  Family Worship Center 100  
Carthage   214.11  Pleasant View 200  Hilltop+50 
Journey 100  Sweetwater 344   Mt. Hermon  565.00   Himesville 283.56
Jasper 1,381.00    Fayetteville 195.00   Beulah Chapel  642.05    
Lebanon First 105.00  Knoxville South  626.00   Doyle  930.45   
Elizabethton  1,000  Warren Chapel  200.00  Tullahoma 1st  100
Shelbyville. 475    Manchester  282    Tullahoma Westside 85.35
Maryville 1,045  Brownington 30    New Life  1,000    Real Life  203.53
 
Meet Rusty & Diane Robbins at one of the services below:    
        Sunday, March 30 AM:  Mt. Juliette    PM:  Lebanon 1st
        Monday, March 31:  Hill Top      Tuesday, April 1:  Lenoir City      
        Wednesday, April 2:  Elizabethton
        Sunday, April 6:  Shelbyville    PM:  Chapman’s Chapel 
          Monday, April 7:  Tullahoma Eastside Community         
        Sunday, April 13:  Watertown 
Watch for service times on next newsletter.  

Newsletter -March 12, 2025

Newsletter
VALENTINES FOR JESUS OFFERINGS TO DATE:  $10,349.66
Offerings sent to JoAnn Alderman  since last week in red text
Cowan: 303.00  The Church House:  275.00  Monterey: 260    
Hill Top: 706.38    Pleasant Green: 311.00. Athens: 137.70  
The Branches:  800.00   Wartburg    50.00  Decherd    285.11    
Smyrna   50.00  Murfreesboro 1st 235  Family Worship Center 100 
Carthage   214.11  Pleasant View 200  Hilltop+50 
Journey 100  Sweetwater 344   Mt. Hermon  565.00   Himesville 283.56 
Jasper 1,381.00    Fayetteville 195.00   Beulah Chapel  642.05    
Lebanon First 105.00  Knoxville South  626.00   Doyle  930.45  
Elizabethton  1,000  Warren Chapel  200.00

 

MEET THE ROBBINS!  Rusty Robbins supervises over 200 Jesus Film teams for which 
E TN ” Valentines for Jesus” offering is being raised.  You can meet Rusty & Diane Robbins at one of the services below:    
        Sunday, March 30 AM:  Mt. Juliette    PM:  Lebanon 1st
        Monday, March 31:  Hill Top      Tuesday, April 1:  Lenoir City      
        Wednesday, April 2:  Elizabethton
        Sunday, April 6:  Shelbyville    PM:  Chapman’s Chapel         
        Sunday, April 13:  Watertown 
Diane Robbins made deputation arrangements directly with churches herself. 
The Robbins  have less services scheduled than you might expect because they 
will need to take care of obligations in Kansas City during their time in US.  
       
Deadline for sending Valentines for Jesus offering extended to 
April 15 (was March 15)….
Please note:  until April 15, NMI Newsletter will be sent after
Wednesday mail has arrived in JoAnn Alderman’s postal mail box.

 

Send check, written to E TN District NMI to: 
JoAnn Alderman, 910 Brentwood Dr., Etowah, TN 37331
______________________
 
 
On another subject….NMI is cooperating with NDI, helping to let you know about a great coming event:  Marriage Enrichment Retreat!  Be sure to see the attached poster. 

Newsletter -March 5, 2025

Newsletter

Hello Church Family,
You are in our thoughts and prayers today! We received an amazing testimony from one of the JESUS Film Harvest Partner teams. We hope this encourages you.

Click the “View” button to watch a brief video and hear the testimony of an anti-Jesus leader!

VALENTINES FOR JESUS OFFERINGS TO DATE:  $5,269.86
Offerings sent to JoAnn Alderman  since last week in red text
Cowan: 303.00  The Church House:  275.00  Monterey: 260    
Hill Top: 706.38    Pleasant Green: 311.00. Athens: 137.70  The Branches:  800.00
Wartburg    50.00  Decherd    285.11    Smyrna    50.00    
Murfreesboro 1st    235   Family Worship Center  100  Carthage   214.11  Pleasant View 200 Hilltop+50
The Journey 100 Sweetwater 344  Mt. Hermon  565.00  Himesville 283.56

Deadline for sending Valentines for Jesus offering extended to 
April 15 (was March 15)….
Please note:  until April 15, NMI Newsletter will be sent after Wednesday
mail has arrived in JoAnn Alderman’s postal mail box.  
Send check, written to E TN District NMI to: 
JoAnn Alderman, 910 Brentwood Dr., Etowah, TN 37331

Special thanks go to Pastor David Smith & his tech-talented wife, Elizabeth, 
for making technical arrangements for our online prayer from Bulgria  with Missionaries Joshua & Katie Haun, enjoyed by all at Ministers & Mates Retreat. 

EXCITING WORK & WITNESS NEWS
If you, of someone in your church, are a Nurse Practitioner or Physician’s Assistant, please go to http://etnmi.org/work-witness/ to learn how to be a blessing on a great Work & Witness trip this October 9-19.  We will also need construction and VBS workers, but we must have medical personnel. 


 

Newsletter -Feb. 26, 2025

Newsletter
Next Sunday, March 2, the annual NMI Global Week of Prayer begins 
Special Blessing:  Saturday, March 1, E TN Missionaries, at 10:00 am Eastern time,  
Joshua & Katie Haun will pray via Zoom with E TN pastors at District Ministers & Mates To join that live prayer time on Zoom, use code below: 
 

East Tennessee Minister and Mates Global Day of Prayer Time: Mar 1, 2025 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85841165701?pwd=Enc01ktWbaumzpV0ZeuMzwUb4TkQFO.1 Meeting ID: 858 4116 5701 Passcode: Pray2025 — One tap mobile 

 

Reminder:
Subscribers to NMI Central will receive an email each day with prayer needs and insights. 
Resources are available for children and adults in over 20 languages and may be accessed at http://www.nazarene.org/nmigwp. You may also download the Save the Date video, available in English and Spanish to share in churches by clicking here: 
 
VALENTINES FOR JESUS OFFERINGS TO DATE:  $2,793.08
Cowan: 303.00  The Church House:  275.00  Monterey: 260    
Hill Top: 706.38    Pleasant Green: 311.00. Athens: 137.70  The Branches:  800.00
Deadline for sending Valentines for Jesus offering extended to 
April 15 (was March 15)
Send check, written to E TN District NMI to: 
JoAnn Alderman, 910 Brentwood Dr., Etowah, TN 37331
 
Has your Alabaster offering been received & sent to Global Treasurer?
Our district reports 73 churches…37 of those churches have sent an Alabaster offering to Global Treasury…that means 36 have not!  100% PARTICIPATION  is the Alabaster goal.
 
Special Blessing :  “I Need to Quit,” beautiful (attached)  story 
of dedication, by Dr. Geneva Silvernail.  How blessed we are to have 
Dr. Silvernail, retired missionary on our district!  Her birthday is April 29.
How blessed she would be to hear from all of us!
Address:  335 Rivers Edge Drive, Loudon, TN 37774

Newsletter -Feb. 19, 2025

Newsletter
GLOBAL WEEK OF PRAYER

March 2-8,  2025 

This upcoming 2025 Global Week of Prayer will be the 29th year of NMI calling the church to pray for the needs of our global churches and districts with requests gathered from the regions.
  Prayer requests & updates can be found at 
RESOURCES FOR GLOBAL WEEK OF PRAYER
Click here to go to the 2025 Global Week of Prayer website, where you can download prayer resources for adults and children.  When you get to a page like the one from children’s resources, below, you can choose between printing the page, or using it on a screen, like ppt. presentation. 

 

VALENTINES FOR JESUS OFFERINGS HAVE BEGUN TO ARRIVE!  THANK YOU!
Cowan Church: $303    The Church House: $275    Monterey: $260
Total to date:  $838 
Send your check to :
JoAnn Alderman at 010 Brentwood Drive, Etowah, TN 37331

Newsletter -Feb. 12, 2025

Newsletter

I’m sending you a Valentine’s Bouquet!
Because you are such an amazing 
District, full of Sacrificial Givers,
It is a real blessing to serve with you.
 
Your love for Global Missions,
Your sacrificial giving for your missionaries,
&
Your kindness shown to your 
NMI leadership…
have made ours a great Mission district!
 
Because of our Lord, and You,
Global NMI has repeatedly recognized
Our district as one of distinction…
I will be at at
M25 Gathering in Kansas City this week… 
to speak to new District NMI Presidents 
about how to  love on missionaries!
 
Thank you, dear friends.
Watch for our regular newsletter next week!
 
Love you people,
Teresa Hodge
 
PS:  2/11/25
Update from Kansas City:  due to snowstorm tomorrow and Thursday, flights from KC may be canceled…we would appreciate your prayers!

Newsletter -Feb. 05, 2025

Newsletter
Share a Conversation about Jesus and His Love…

Give through Valentines for Jesus!

Photo from Gordonsville Church of the Nazarene
 Mail Valentines for Jesus checks to 
JoAnn Alderman, 910 Brentwood Ave., Etowah, TN  37331
See Robbins’ Deputation Schedule at Bottom of page!
 
Medical/Construction Work & Witness Team Rescheduled

See New Information at
http://etnmi.org/work-witness/

 Attached story:  “Tarantulas for Work Teams,”  by Dr. Geneva Silvernail
Also from Dr. Geneva Silvernail:
     “I have two missionary friends coming home for furlough this summer:                  Career missionaries Mitch (Nashville) and Marnie (Philippines) Modine from Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary, Asia Pacific. They are on furlough May > July, 2025. 
     Anna Kindle, a volunteer missionary from Papua New Guinea—teacher of missionary kids—will be visiting me July 20.  She is available for a service July 23. 
     Interested in scheduling the Modines or Anna Kindle?
Contact Dr. Geneva Silvernail at genevasilvernail@hotmail.com
DEPUTATION SCHEDULE FOR  RUSTY & DIANE ROBBINS
As soon as Robbins deputation dates were shared at District Assembly, E TN NMI presidents began contacting Diann Robbins, who needed to do her own deputation scheduling since she and Rusty had only the dates filled, on the schedule below, available.  “Unavailable” on the deputation schedule indicate times when the Robbins’ have obligations off our district.  We  will post this schedule again in March with more details about Services that have been scheduled.  

Newsletter -Jan 29, 2025

Newsletter
Hoping to Clear Up Confusion about Care & Connection
 
As per the new Links guidelines, Links district assignments change each January. So, Rusty & Diane Robbins, as well as Ana Crocker, have been assigned to other districts for 2025.   However, because E TN is such an awesome district, I know you’ll continue to show your love to  Rusty & Diane Robbins, especially as the 233 Jesus Film teams led by Rusty Robbins will be the recipients of our Valentines for Jesus offering. 
The Robbins will be with us in E TN March 30 -April 13; see next week’s newsletter for their schedule, which was arranged directly by our churches with Diane Robbins soon after last district assembly. 
 
Our newly assigned 2025 Links Missionaries are
Ben & Hannah Ponder 
The ponders will be with us for deputation November 12-19.  We will begin taking requests for services with them later this year. You will find their bio, photo, birthdays, anniversary at:
NMI Central TODAY:  Eurasia Region-Ukraine Update
The following paragraph, from today’s NMI Central grabbed my attention & brought me to tearful prayer: 
“It has been nearly three years since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. NMI Central has brought updates from time to time to keep the praying church informed and encouraged to pray for the work and the people in Ukraine. Now joined with Moldova, the Ukraine-Moldova District is experiencing renewal in the midst of the chaos of war.”
If you don’t receive NMI Central, subscribe here:
 

Newsletter -Jan 22, 2025

Newsletter

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    OUR VALENTINES FOR JESUS PROJECT:  
Supporting 233 Jesus Film Teams…
Led by our 2024 Links Missionary, Rusty Robbins 

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From Links Missionary, Rusty Robbins:  
“Last year, we were blessed to receive over 2,578 stories and testimonies of 
God’s amazing grace…412,000 people heard the gospel…deeply grateful for the sacrifices made by each of our 233 Jesus Film Teams…”  (full report attached)
Send your  check for Valentines for Jesus to 
JoAnn Alderman, 910 Brentwood Drive, Etowah, TN 37331
Attachments on this newsletter:
#1: “Explosions Outside My Door,” January Thoughts of Missionary Dr. Geneva Silvernail
 #2:  Crisis Care Kit list:  some have asked about bringing  CCKs to district assembly.  We will continue collecting CCKs at district assembly.  Churches 
will not need to send the updated $16 fee to GTS since the CCKs brought to assembly  will  be stored on our district until they are needed on the SE USA region.  We will continue taking a transportation offering at assembly for 
transport of CCKs to disaster areas.  Hundreds of CCKs were delivered to 
E TN flood victims this year, thanks to your generosity. 

#3:  Rusty Robbins’ full report to our district from his 233 Jesus Film teams 

 

From Last Friday’s Global Nazarene News:
Nazarene churches in the Los Angeles area have been directly impacted by the wildfires.  

Altadena Fountain of Life Church of the Nazarene

 was destroyed by the Eaton fire, and

several Nazarene church members across the region also lost their homes.

How You Can Help

Pray
Pray for individuals, families, congregations—for all who are suffering due to these ongoing wildfires. Pray for those who have lost their homes or businesses and those who are mourning the loss of loved ones. Pray for first responders and all assisting with the monumental task of recovery. Pray for church leaders to have wisdom as they direct a compassionate response. 
Give
Churches and individuals worldwide can provide support through the Los Angeles Wildfire Response Fund at ncm.org/lafires. Donations will be used for immediate needs, long-term recovery, and rebuilding efforts.
To send donations by mail:
Make checks payable to “General Treasurer” and send them to
Global Treasury Services, Church of the Nazarene
,17001 Prairie Star Pkwy,Lenexa, KS 66220
Be sure to put 140061 in the memo area of your check.
Attachments: