The Edge

Edgefield/St. Paul Church Newsletter
Estel Williams – Pastor
Pastor Estel’s cell: 423-963-9071
Church email address: edgefieldumctn@gmail.com

March 2023

Greetings from the Pastor and welcome to March and Daylight Savings Time. You will set
your clock ahead an hour Saturday Night. Patty and I are both recovering from Covid
along with a host of others from Edgefield & St. Paul. We hope and pray everyone is
healing and things are about to get back to normal. We are also in the third week of Lent
and Easter is drawing near. We had some celebrities who were on TV during February.
The Sew Happy Quilters got a surprise visit from Daytime Tri-Cities (WJHL). The ladies
shared with the reporters their mission in making bedrolls for the homeless.
On a sad note, we lost one of our beloved members, Mrs. Brenda Warren. Brenda was
loved by her church family. She fought a courageous battle with cancer and left this world
with dignity surrounded by her wonderful family. Brenda was buried in Milan, TN where
she grew up. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Sunday, March 19 at 2:00 pm at
Edgefield.
It has been beautiful with all the Easter flowers and trees in bloom. Spring has come
early and we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior. Keep praying and
believing that the Lord is gonna do great things.
MAY GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU
PASTOR ESTEL & FAMILY

It's been quite a year so far for our little church, and it's only March. We recently voted
to leave the United Methodist Church and go with the Global Methodist Church. This makes
my heart both happy and sad. Sad to have to leave what I have had my whole life, but happy
that our little church decided to stay with the doctrine. Christ is alive and well at Edgefield
Methodist.
Our church is such a beacon of what God intended. We are not just a group of people
that come together once a week to hear the Word of God, we are a family. I truly treasure the
brothers and sisters I have at Edgefield. A family is a group of people that share a common
bond. At Edgefield we have that.
I have seen so many examples of the love our church family has for each
other. Unfortunately we have too many that have faced trials and tribulations in our
family. But I thank God every day that I belong to a praying church. A church that continually
lifts each other up in prayer in these trying times. Whether your trial has been a sickness in
your life or the life of a loved one or the loss of a loved one, the prayers of your church
surround you. Christians can feel those prayers too. So never feel you are not doing enough. If
you are praying you are doing your part.
I know I am not the only one to be happy that Patty will be remaining at Edgefield at
least for the foreseeable future. And happy days I am pretty sure that means Estel too!!! With
our new direction it is good news to me that someone at the district level will no longer be
deciding when we need a new minister.
Speaking of minister, although he has the title of pastor we are blessed to truly have a
minister. Estel leads our family by his example in how he ministers to the needs of our church
family.
Two times in the last few months we have ventured outside our sanctuary to worship at
St. Paul's. I for one love these meetings. I am so happy that the people that joined us from St.
Paul's get to see their sanctuary used and share it with us. I can't help but notice the joy on Jill's
face when we meet there. I am sure the others feel the same, but let's face it Jill's joy and love
for her church are impossible for her to hide with her warm smile. It's a joy for us to witness. The people from St. Paul's are wonderful additions to our family.
As we tiptoe through the next few months going about the business of making us part of
the Global Methodist Church remember this. God brought us all together knowing we would
make a great family. He is walking with us in the journey and will be with us on the other
side. I feel God has big plans for Edgefield to continue to be a beacon to the community. He will guide us as we carry on with our mission work. With his help we will see our little church family grow in numbers. Being a part of a family is all about trust. You trust those people in your life to be there in the darker times and help you celebrate the good times. Not a member? It doesn't matter. We will love you and support you regardless. If you're someone that has come to worship with us whether it be as a visitor or a regular attendee we consider you a part of our family.
My momma always told me, "You can pick all the friends you want, but you're stuck with family." I see us sticking together for a long time.
Thank God. Cathy Sidebottom

Sympathy is expressed to the family of Brenda Warren. Celebration of Life for Brenda
on March 19 at 2:00 pm in the Edgefield Sanctuary.

Congratulations to Eli Johnson and the Unicoi basketball team in making it to the state
tournament. (Eli is the grandson of Bob Hudson)

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: March
Mar. 11 – 2:00 pm – Celebration of Life for Sandra Lewis in CLC.
Mar. 14 – 6:00 pm – United Women in Faith (in library)
Mar. 15 - 10:30 am –Food Pantry Run & Unload
Mar. 18 – 9:30 am – Day Apart Service-United Women of Faith
Mar. 18 – 8:30 to 10:00 am– Food Pantry Distribution
Mar. 19 – 4:30 pm – Council Meeting
Mar. 19 – 5:30 pm – Sunday Night Meal, Fellowship, and Children’s Group
Mar. 24 – 8:30 am – Food Pantry Run & Unload
Mar. 26 – after Worship “Table for One?” at Primo’s in Piney Flats
Apr. 2 – 7:30 am – United Methodist Men in CLC
*Every Monday, Tuesday, & Saturday – 12:00-3:00 pm – “Sew Happy” Quilters in CLC
(upstairs)
*Every Wednesday:
9:00 am – Mayberry Bible Study (CLC)
6:00 pm – I Corinthians Bible Study in CLC & On-Line (zoom)
7:00 pm – Choir Practice
 

MEMORIALS:

In Memory: Carrie Mellons (Funds going to Sew Happy Quilters)
By: Tim & Camille O’Neill
Sandra Leonard
In Memory: Sandra Lewis
By: Tim & Camille O’Neill
Bill & Eleanor Ensley
Margaret Barnes
Linda Hollaway
Terry Cox
John & Jan Weaver
Margaret, Eddie, & Scott Lewis
Chris & Debbie Burleson
Ben O’Neal Company
In Memory: Billie Blair (Funds going to Sew Happy Quilters)
By: Piney Flats Ruritan Club

MARCH BIRTHDAYS
Tim O’Neill 4
Matt Smith 5
Johnnie Smith 6
Chad Fleeman 7
Melinda Powell 7
Tammie Casasola 10
Betty Berry 12
Sherry Hensley 12
Spencer Powell 15
Dean Baggett 18
Emme Fox 18
Bob Hudson 22
Nellie Collett 23
Linda Walsh 25
Chloe Woodard 25
Eleanor Ensley 27
David Casasola 27
Rowan Chapman 27
Brenda Kay Oliver 27
Jean King 29
D. J. Roberts 30
Sherry Blizzard 30
Anniversaries
Donnie & Becky Chapman 4
Stan & Earlene Strouth 19

LET US PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
Sandy Thomas    Rachel Calvert      Susie Feathers
Luxe Trivett         Gay Lynn Torbett   Tommy Ball
Carolyn Fletcher  Bonnie Canter       Ava Cox
Don Lewis            Judy Cross            Jeff Hyder
Dave Tester          Jan Weaver           Bill Smith
Junior Smith         Larry Sells.             Henry McNulty
Anita Tester          Joe Broyles            Stacy Fox
Terry Whitaker      Lou Daughtery        Haleigh Hearn

Paulette Broyles   Suzanne Groce       Eric Hughes
Janice Blackburn   Pat Powell              Mary Beth Sidebottom

Stan Strouth          Kim Baggett            Ellen Torbett
Bob Gross             Katy Price               Ryan Cradic

Marilyn Devereaux Preston Hampton  Sherry Blizzard
Randy Shipley        Bill Sawyers          Allen Odum

Pauline Oliver         Sandra Sinard

Homebound          

Betty Berry              Betty Birdwell       Buck Peters       Jean Sartain

Nursing Home Residents

Phyllis King, American House, 406 E. Mountain View Road, Johnson City, TN 37601
Janie Walsh, Dominion Senior Living, Room 124, 2412 Knob Creek Road, Johnson
City, TN 37601

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