Name:  Phyllis Brock

1. What do you do for work?  If you are retired, what did you do?

I am a retired English and French teacher at McMinn County High School, and I continue to teach English in private lessons to Japanese women who live in Athens.

2. What do you do for fun?  

Books, crochet, and long walks are my favorite "fun" things to do.

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?

I have been an Episcopalian since my confirmation here at St. Paul's in May, 2003.

4. What do you love about St. Paul's Church?  

I love St. Paul's for its warm, inviting, welcoming embrace for everyone, every single one who enters.  St. Paul's provides a worship space that is wonderfully reverent, calm, and hope-filled.  I love the words--read, heard, and repeated--and the actions of those who participate in the rites, for these words and acts fill a spiritual need that is vitally important to me regularly.  I am challenged spiritually and reminded always that God forgives me and loves me.

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?  

My most meaningful spiritual discipline right now is bible study, especially Jesus' parables--in particular the one about the giving of talents and the one where workers in the vineyard are paid the same wages even though some worked many more hours than others did.  These stories have helped me to acknowledge anew that God is Supreme, that it is He who has given me the gift of life, talents, everything!  I am trying to learn gratitude and to avoid complaints and comparisons. 

Name:  Clinton Todd Dolen

1. What do you do for work?  If you are retired, what did you do?  

Veterinarian at Animal Aid, Taylor Animal Hospital, and Bradley-McMinn Pet Emergency Clinic.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Camping, Reading, and watching foreign films.

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?  

2+ years

4. What do you love about St. Paul's Church?

Hendree Harrison, the beautiful sanctuary and prayer room, the parishioners and their welcoming kind natures.  The Radical LOVE preached in this church and the convicting sermons!

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?

Morning prayer with Rita and reminding myself to slow down enough to be kind. 

6. Any other information you want to add:  

I enjoyed attending the convention this year and have two small boys who look forward to being blessed at altar on Sundays.  

Name:  Ellen Kimball

1. What do you do for work?  If you are retired, what did you do?

I am the executive director of the Athens Area Council for the Arts - since 1988.

2. What do you do for fun?

I enjoy working in community theater and in musical collaborations.  I love bicycling, hiking, reading, playing the piano, traveling, being with my family. 

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?  

I was confirmed in June 2002.

4. What do you love about St. Paul's Church? 

So many things.  As a cradle United Methodist, St. Paul's is my entire experience of being  

an Episcopalian, and so encompasses all things Episcopalian to me.  I love the Book of

Common Prayer, the liturgy of our services which allows for lay participation within a

beautiful structure, the smallness of the congregation, the openmindedness, intelligence,

and welcoming attitude of the priest and parishioners.  I appreciate the way our leadership

inititates worthy projects on a small (or large) scale and evaluates success not necessarily

in numbers or money, but in the quality of the endeavor and its impact on participants.  I

appreciate the many opportunities I am given to explore and study and enrich my

understanding of what it means to be a Christ follower - and the many opportunities I am

given to do something helpful and meaningful for others.  I think this has been an awesome

stewardship campaign!  Although I dearly loved St. Paul's before Hendree and Kristin

came, I have to say their presence and leadership has come to represent the heart of the

church for me and I am so grateful to have them among us.

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?

I am wildly undisciplined spiritually, I think.  I aspire to do many things as yet undone.  I would say I am most disciplined about thanking God hourly.  My attendance at church on Sunday, and my time with my mother and my granddaughter are my most rewarding spiritual experiences right now.

6. Any other information you want to add: 

I see the opportunity to serve on the vestry as a way to use some of my skills on behalf of the parish, and a way to strengthen my connection to the people and programs of St. Paul's. 

Name: Patricia Martin

1. What do you do for work?  If you are retired, what did you do?  

I am an RN working 2 days a week for the Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center out of Knoxville.  I work in Athens in one of their satellite offices.

2. What do you do for fun?  

I love to walk. I enjoy an occasional good play, read and go to dinner with friends.

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian /at St. Paul's Church?

I was born, baptized and confirmed in the Episcopal Church.  I went to the Wakefield, NH Church of Christ for several years.

4. What do you love at St. Paul's Church?

St. Paul's is my family.  A family that has been loving, accepting and supportive of me from the moment I arrived.  I am so grateful.

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?

I feel that serving on the altar guild is a real ministry.  I want to start journaling again and set time aside for prayer/meditation.

Name:  Beth Allen Mercer
  
 1. What do you do for work?  If you are retired, what did you do?  

I am a librarian, presently working at Fort Loudoun Regional Library here in Athens.

 2. What do you do for fun?

I spend time with my friends.  I also find pleasure in reading and hiking.
 

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?  

I started attending St. Paul's in the late eighties when Father Whitehead was serving as

Interim Priest.  He encouraged me to keep coming.  I had made it through Advent - he said - why not stick with it through Lent so I did and then was confirmed in the Episcopal hurch in 1989.  
 
 4. What do you love about St. Paul's Church?

I have always found space - a wideness - at St. Paul's for us all to come together no matter where we are in our spiritual journey, no matter our perspective or opinions - that there was space for us to talk, study, grow, and worship as we make our way together as Christ followers.
 

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?

Sunday school ...and making time as often as I can to be quiet, pausing, making time to be still.
 
 6. Any other information you want to add: 

I am so grateful to be a part of this loving church family here at St. Paul's. 

Name:  Tammy Muth

1. What do you do for work? If you are retired, what did you do?

Work:  I am the Director of the Sleep Diagnostic Center at Athens Regional Medical for 19 years.

2. What do you do for fun?

Fun:  Live (life is fun), Read, Snow Ski, Hike, Tennis, Travel, Planning and decorating events for my friends, cooking, Kayaking, going out on the boat.  I also love to make presentations about the impact of sleep on our lives.

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?  

Attended St. Paul's for 17 years, was confirmed at St. Paul's

4. What do you love about St. Paul's?

I love the family of St. Paul's, the community and the fellowship.  It is always such a warm  

and inviting place.  People love you no matter what; you can differ in opinion but there is always

love and acceptance.

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?

Meaningful spiritual discipline right now:  Cursillo, Altar Guild  ( I do love Altar Guild), Serving as LEM is also a moving experience ( I always pray that God will use me as a vehicle to bring his words to life), Sunday School (the spirited discussions prompt my mind to really review) and personal bible study.  It stands without stating that the Eucharist is the basis for all my spiritual direction.

6. Any other information you want to add: 

I have served in many capacities at St. Paul's but never on Vestry.  I love this Church and I am passionate about the family community that we experience at St. Paul's, Christ is the center of our community and we follow only him.

Name:  Scott Winfield

1. What do you do for work? If you are retired, what did you do?

President, Tennessee Packaging in Sweetwater (soon to be Loudon) manufacturers of corrugated packaging and displays.  Tennessee Packaging is an Ohio based company with eight plants in 7 States.

2. What do you do for fun?

Visit 4 children and 2 grandchildren, residing in Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia and Missouri.  Work on the project home, on Watts Bar Lake and sometimes, play golf.

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?

We've been attending services (early service) since 2009.  I actually am baptized and confirmed Lutheran (ELCA) since 1959.

4. What do you love about St. Paul's Church? 

The church is growing rather than graying.  It is inspiring and there is much enthusiasm amongst the congregation to inspire and assist others; not only in the congregation, but the community as

well.  Hendree does a great job as well.

5. What is your most meaningful/helpful spiritual discipline right now?

Being a leader of anything, puts you in the spotlight.  Because of what I do for work right now my most meaningful disciplines relate to this.  Bracketing and remembering your actions determine who you are (whether or not anyone is looking) is something that I often ask for God's help to guide me.

6. Any other information you want to add:  

It would be an honor to serve the congregation.

Name:  Rachel Woodworth

1. What do you do for work?  If you are retired, what did you do?  

Since 1986 I have worked for the National Forest Service. First on the Appalachicola National Forest which is in Florida as a timber marker and also as a silvacultural aide and as a firefighter (wildland).  In 1991 I transferred to the Cherokee National Forest here in Tennessee.  I lived in Johnson City and worked out of Unicoi as a recreation technician, and wildland firefighter.  In 1993 I transferred to the Hiwassee Ranger District as a recreation tech. and worked in wilderness, wildlife, and wildland firefighter.  I currently work in the Timber area in putting data into our national database.  I also make contract maps and update the system.  Although I no longer am a line firefighter I do participate in the logistical area as well as a dispatcher.

2. What do you do for fun?  

I enjoy a number of different things. I love to feed the birds in my yard, which allows me to watch the different species that visit.  In the summer time you can find me most days working in my flowers and trying to propagate new flowers from ones I already have.

I also like making walking sticks and other things out of items nature has provided.  I try to think outside the box for new items.

I like to work with wood and would someday love to learn the art of furniture making.  It is a goal of mine to make as much of my own furniture as I can.

In the winter time I make things out of sewing kits and plan for my summer flowers.  I guess to sum it up "I like working with my hands," and love learning new things about things that interest me most. 

3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?

I was raised in the faith and went through confirmation at age 7 or 8.  As a child I started out in the choir and after confirmation started serving as an acolyte.  I first attended St. Paul's during advent in 2003.

4. What do you love about St. Paul's Church?  

I think the one of the best things is when we have a visitor you see folks try and help them through the different parts of the service.  The warm welcome!  The sense of family and the willingness to accept those we don't know.

St. Paul's has traditions (example our spaghetti luncheon), but as a church we are constantly moving forward to meet ever changing needs of our local community. Such as with Grace House, Wednesday free lunches, and our food pantry and this is not something we should take lightly but to be proud of, the fact we are blessed enough to be able to serve.  This is what makes me be proud of our church.

5. What is your most meaningful spiritual discipline right now?

I have to say that when I sat down to answer the questions on this form this is the question I struggled with the most.  You see, I don't see myself as having any one most meaningful or helpful discipline.  I guess I just try to take things as they come and believe that God will help me through anything, because he always has whether I asked or not.  When I have struggles I just say, Lord I could use a little help and he always answers (which puts me in mind of the footprints prayer).  I guess I am a work in progress.

Name:  Caroline Young
 
 1. What do you do for work?  

I teach at Tennessee Wesleyan College.  My classes include Fundamentals of Biology, Environmental Science, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2, and some intro

chemistry labs.  I advise pre-nursing students.  I am having fun with our new emphasis on

service learning.
 
 2. What do you do for fun?  

I love reading and spending time with my family.  I enjoy spending time in nature and would like to get back into scrapbooking.
 
 3. How long have you been an Episcopalian/at St. Paul's Church?

I have been at St. Paul's for 2 1/2 years.  After moving to Athens, my family and I visited several churches, but immediately felt at home at St. Paul's.

4. What do you love about St. Paul's?

I love so many things about St. Paul's!  First, I love the people and the welcoming spirit.  Also I love that St. Paul's is a church that is focused on Christ and how we can improve our lives by following Christ  more closely.  

5. What is your most meaningful spiritual discipline right now?
I am trying to focus on my prayer life right now.  I have a tremendous belief in the power of prayer.