Adult Fellowship
As Christians, we seek to be the Body of Christ. We become this not only through worshiping and working together, but also through fellowship with one another. At Westminster we have many opportunities to truly become a church family as we share fun, interests, and meals — opportunities for promoting acquaintances and friendships. Here are few you can get involved in:
Wednesday mornings in the McKinnon Room. Come bring your art project to work on while you fellowship with other local artists.
Sunday School alternative: Do you really just want a chance to chat? Our Coffee House meets in the Schilling Gallery each week. There is always coffee and a few pastries ready for you as you join other folks in casual conversation.
Our first recital was held on Sunday evening, September 18, at 6:00, hosted by the Fellowship and Worship, Music, and the Arts Ministry Teams. At 7:00, following a potluck dinner, we were treated to a harp recital by Cindy Hicks of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She is a wonderful musician, having played at Westminster on a number of memorable occasions, such as our production of Amahl and the Night Visitors, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and most recently for our singing of the Rutter Requiem. We look forward to hosting several recitals throughout the year. 
These are offered throughout the year within different ministries of the church. Foyer Groups, Progressive Dinner, Westminster Friends, Wednesdays With Westminster, Lenten Series Soup Dinners
Foyer Groups form small groups of 6 to 8 people who get together in a home, restaurant, park, etc., for the purpose of getting better acquainted while sharing a meal together. We will select a host out of your group to convene your first meeting and it is suggested that you bring your calendar and work out among yourselves the dates and places for other get-togethers this spring. Since this is an adult fellowship activity, children are not included and there is no baby-sitting service provided by the church. Foyer Groups reshuffle twice a year so that you can get to know several people better throughout the six month period. Newcomers to Westminster are especially encouraged to join Foyer as it is a great way to put names and faces together. Joining Foyer is not a lifetime commitment although we assume that everyone will want to continue in the next rotation unless we are notified.
Our Fellowship Ministry Team offers this fun event each year in the early part of the calendar year. This year we will be gathering on March 24, 2017. The evening begins at the Buckingham Clubhouse for appetizers and social hour. During this time, you will be given the name and address of your host for the dinner and dessert portion of the evening. The cost is only $12 per person and a free nursery is available for all those who RSVP for childcare. The meal is catered by Naples Italian Restaurant. RSVP deadline is March 12, 2017.
Our Fellowship Ministry Team celebrates the Confirmation Class each year on the Sunday when they get the opportunity to become an official member of the Westminster family of faith. The meal is usually catered and on the grounds of a family who lives near Westminster. This year, the all church picnic will be held on Sunday, May 7, 2017 immediately after the 11:00 am worship service.
Allie Brewington, our Director of Children’s Ministries, facilitates our Vacation Bible School for all children who are 2 years old through the 5th grade. It is held from Monday to Thursday (9 am to noon) – sometime in the month of June.
Several ti
mes each year, Allie organizes a Westminster Friends luncheon. Join us downstairs for lunch and a great opportunity to get to know the other young families while the kids enjoy playing with each other. Sandwiches and drinks will be provided, we just ask that you bring a side dish or dessert to share.
This fellowship event is an evening of fun, fellowship and good food that is hosted by members of Westminster either in their home or at a restaurant of their choice. If it is hosted in a home, the host prepares the main dish and everyone signs up to bring a side dish, salad, bread, dessert or wine. If you would like to host a dinner please contact Allie Brewington at allie_wpc@comcast.net and she will add your name to the calendar.
On the third Tuesday of each month, this group reviews a book that is chosen by the coordinator for the month. This group meets in the Library.
On the third Thursday of each month, this groups encourages all the ladies of the church who wish to gather for a lunch at a local restaurant (picked by the coordinator for that particular month) to join them. They meet at 11:30 am.
Come join a fun and active group that meets to produce handmade shawls and hats. The shawls are a tangible evidence of prayer for the comfort and well being of the recipient and are given to those facing serious illnesses. The group meets the second Thursday of every month at 1:30Pm. See Sue McSween for further information.
We welcome the men of Westminster to gather in the McKinnon Room for a meeting and lesson. The lesson is prepared and presented by a member of the group while the breakfast is provided by another member. No reservation is necessary and all men are welcome. Bring a friend.
This fellowship time is offered during the summer months after the 10:00 am worship service. This is a great way to meet new people and catch up with one another.
On account of our community of faith living throughout the Knoxville area, we have subdivided the congregation into twelve different Neighborhood Groups which serve as a vehicle for getting information out to the congregation on deaths, births, illnesses, or other needs. The coordinator for each group organizes within their group to provide meals, send cards, or listen to expressed concerns of those within the group. We also encourage each group to have a Get Together once a year. There will be special times (stewardship, new interim, new pastor for example) when each group will be asked to come to a small gathering at the church.
We participate in local ministries throughout the year:
Volunteer Ministry Center Breakfast the 3rd Sunday of each month
Volunteer Ministry Center Lunch the 4th Sunday of each month
FISH Food Deliveries the 2nd Thursday of each month
Family Promise
Fellowship offers a breakfast in the Smokies on a Saturday in October. Don Byerly prepares this HUGE breakfast for us all and then those who want to enjoy a hike in the mountains together. Any funds collected over the cost of the meal is donated to the FISH Ministry in loving memory of Mat Matthews. This year’s breakfast will be held on Saturday, October 22 at Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Shelter. 
We strive to offer a wildflower hike in early spring and then another one in the fall to see the changing colors of God’s creation. The annual hike to Mt. LeConte is usually the 4th Saturday of July (until 2018). There are also a lot of impromptu hikes to the Smokies all throughout the year.
Every other year, we hold an All Church Retreat near Knoxville – usually in the Spring. Our next one will most likely be in the spring of 2017.
Wednesdays With Westminster (WWW) is offered from Labor Day until Advent begins in the Fall and then again from the New Year to Ash Wednesday in the Winter. Come have a great meal prepared by our Loaves and Fishes cooking teams at 5:45 pm, then settle in for a presentation from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall. Companions In Christ, our women’s spirituality group, also meets at 6:30 in the Prayer Room. During Lent, we start with a soup supper at 5:45, followed by an evening prayer service in the sanctuary at 6:30.
Westminster Players strives to create a collaborative community for exploring theater. Theater, like religion, is a spiritual and noble quest for the truth. Through theatrical experience we examine the purpose of life and the essence of God in our existence. As a ministry, participation in Westminster Players provides opportunities for personal development, exploration of artistic growth, fellowship, and camaraderie. Westminster Players encourages the active participation of all members of the congregation: on the stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. It is the mission of Westminster Players to celebrate human dignity through compassionate and joyful participation in the performing arts. Some of the plays produced and performed by Westminster Players since 1994 include: Our Town, Inherit the Wind, The Music Man, Steel Magnolias, Oklahoma!, On Golden Pond, Guys and Dolls, The Sound of Music, The Diary of Anne Frank, Romeo and Juliet, South Pacific, The Odd Couple, Once Upon A Mattress, Brigadoon, and Carousel. 
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.
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!