As Thanksgiving quickly approaches, I want to take a few minutes to thank YOU for being part of such an awesome congregation! Sandra and I get the privilege of seeing the day in / day out activities in the life of Westminster and ultimately all the wonderful relationships that we have with one another. Nothing makes me feel more grateful to be in your midst when I get to see firsthand when one of you reaches out to the other in times of sorrow as well as praises – when we support each other in our everyday lives by attending functions like recitals, basketball games, plays, weddings and funerals. I think it awesome when we send cards to those who are suffering and hug those who need a hug. It is comforting knowing that we have people who gather together to lift up others in prayer. I am very grateful of our Sunday morning worship services when we all come together to be spiritually fed by one of Buran’s sermons and hear music from Peter’s music ministry. I am thankful for retreats like the one held a couple of weeks ago on Watts Bar lake for the ladies of our church. It was really powerful to sit at the boat dock and watch all those stars that the Lord paints in the sky. We saw several shooting stars which was totally amazing! I found myself waking up all during the night because I didn’t want to miss out on the Lord’s sunrise over that gorgeous lake. What a gift! The combination of the study, JoAnn Powell’s guitar music, the scenery, and the laughter was a huge treat in my life. And for this – I am thankful!
I hope each of us steps back this Thanksgiving to count all our many blessings in our lives – especially when there is so much sadness in our world. It is easy to forget all the good stuff that the Lord gives us each and every day. I appreciate Westminster from A to Z, 24/7.
Hugs,
Renee Wiesehuegel
I love teaching 3rd and 4th grade Sunday school. I find it is an age where children are beginning to have the ability to discuss topics and form their own opinions. I love watching children discover what the world looks like through their eyes.
Hello, my name is Debbie Babelay. This year I have the wonderful opportunity of teaching the 2-3 year olds in our Sunday School program. They are all precious to me. We have fun learning about God’s love and how each of us is a special child of God. I look forward to their smiling faces each Sunday morning. This is my 3rd year teaching in the Sunday School program. I have also worked with vacation bible school.
I have known Westminster my entire life! I grew up in the church since birth. My faith is rooted in so many wonderful experiences at Westminster such as going on trips with Choristers, Montreat, and a Mission experience to Mexico. I went to college in Alabama at Birmingham-Southern. After college, I lived in Birmingham where I worked in sales. I met and married my husband Wiley there. Jim Carter (former Westminster minister) married us at Independent Presbyterian in Birmingham. Wiley’s career has taken us to New Mexico and Arkansas, and now back to Knoxville. We have been here since 2011. We have 3 children, Ella (11), Grant (7), and Walker (5). I work as the Assistant Director of the preschool at Central Baptist which allows me to have a similar schedule to my children. My favorite job is being their Mom!
Bio: Junior at the University of Tennessee 
I am a senior at UTK majoring in Global Studies with a focus in Economics. I am currently in the process of apply to graduate school for CSP. I love to be outdoors and travel. I also work as an Resident Assistant at Volunteer Hall on campus and enjoy babysitting and baking.
My name is Malena D’Alessandro and I’m a junior studying marketing at the University of Tennessee. I’m originally from south east Michigan where I attended high school at Oxford High School. I am currently part of Spring Sports Ambassadors, Volunteer Team and Best Buddies at UT.