A Place to Worship, to learn and to serve
Christ Our Savior Lutheran
Church is a warm caring fellowship of Faith. Our congregation, which has grown
to over 300, strives to communicate God's awesome gift of love to our ever
changing world. We are a collection of natives of East Tennessee and
transplants from other parts of the country who now call
Our Beginnings:
• 1996 A group of people, led by the Holy Spirit sought to plant a new Lutheran Church in East Tennessee.
• 1997 We worshipped in a store front while purchasing 7 acres on Highway 72 and Wade Road.
• 1998 A building committee was established as Rev. Bob Torgler served as worship leader.
• 1999 Dedicated members paid for the property
• 2000 In May the construction of the new worship facility was begun.
• 2001 The first worship Service in the new church was held on January 7th. On August 26th our first permanent pastor, Rev. Jim Kirk, was installed.
• 2009 The church membership has now grown to over 300. We have added a Christian Ministry Center that will expand our worship and fellowship facilities.
Who we are:
• We are a people who share a common faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
• We are natives of East Tennessee and transplants from other parts of the country.
• We live in Blount, Loudon, Knox, Monroe, and Roane counties.
• We worship with different styles in order to meet people's needs
• We are a growing church with over 200 in worship on a regular basis
Gifted for More
Have you noticed how many fascinating people we have at Christ Our Savior coming from so many different places with so many interesting backgrounds and experiences? We’re excited to announce a new program designed to unlock the many areas of talent and gifting in our church family. According to Barna research, over half of practicing Christians (55%) select “church” as the most desirable place to develop their giftings—including skills, talents and passions that aren’t explicitly spiritual in nature. That’s why we’ve partnered with Barna Group and Lutheran Hour Ministries to participate in their Gifted for More initiative. As a part of this program, we’ll be running a five-part sermon series beginning September 17th to help our church re imagine giftedness.
We will also offer a Gifted For More assessment to provide custom insights on how God has gifted you. Together, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we will discover, develop and deploy the God-given gifts and talents in our church.
Another exciting September event will occur on September 10th. Our District President,
Rev. Dr. Roger Paavala will preach at our worship services and he and Paul Reaves will update us during our fellowship/Bible Study time on how our regular financial support to the District is being used.
The Gathering will also start up again on Wednesday nights beginning September 13th. We enjoy the best $5 meal you’ll ever find at 5:15 followed by a study topic at 6:00. We have lots of exciting topic choices.
Pastor Brian
Pastor's Message
By the Light of the Moon
“And God made the two great lights-the greater light to rule the day and
the lesser light to rule the night.” Genesis 1:16
Something very rare and special happens this month. We will witness two full moons in the sky AND they will both be “supermoons”, appearing larger and brighter due to its closer proximity to earth. The first full moon will be on August 1. It is called the “Sturgeon Moon”, named after the largest fish in North America which is most readily caught this time of year. The second full moon appears on August 30. Being the second full moon in one calendar month it is called a Blue Moon.
What should be our reaction to these full moons? Historically and theologically people have reacted to such events with great joy. Coming at harvest time, these full moons signify a bountiful harvest. Coming at any time, God’s people can rejoice in the presence and power of a loving and merciful God.
The moon is the “lesser light” that shines in the dark-ness. It is not as bright as the sun but it provides sufficient comfort when all is dark. The apos-tle John wrote, “the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5). Of course, the light John was talking about was Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus drew close to the earth, taking on flesh and dwelling with humanity. The light of His love has defeated the darkness of sin and death forever. We now live in His light but we walk by the light of the moon.
The moon has no light of its own. It merely reflects the light of the sun. To walk by the light of the moon means to live each day reflecting the light of the Son of God. God created us in His image. He re-created us in our baptism. As baptized children of the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, we have the light of Jesus shining within us. God has drawn close to us and will never leave us. This month, the light of Jesus will shine on us as we gather in worship and as God gives us opportunities to reflect His light, bringing comfort, joy and peace to those in our midst.
Pastor Mark
What Does a Pastor Do?
Here’s an interesting comparison by Rev. Dr. James Baneck of the LCMS that might answer that question. The lambs and sheep our Savior sent Peter to feed and tend were not the wooly kind residing on a beautiful hillside. There are, however, rich parallels between shepherding sheep and shepherding God's people.
James Rebanks watches over real four-legged sheep in the United Kingdom. He writes about the parallels in his article, “Are You Hard Enough to Survive as a Shepherd?”
"The romance wears off after a few weeks, believe me, and you will be left standing cold and lonely on a mountain. It is all about endurance. Digging in. Holding on. You will also need to be emotionally. tough … Carrion crows hang over our lambing fields waiting to steal the eyes out of anything sick or dead that cannot resist … You’ll need the patience of a saint, too, because sheep test you to the limit with a million ways to escape, ail, or die … It requires a body of knowledge and skills that shepherds devote decades to learning."
How this applies to our pastors! There is nothing romantic about being a pastor; it is hard work and often lonely. It demands an endurance that comes only from God. Like carrion crows, Satan seeks to devour God’s people. The pastor stands guard. protecting and feeding God’s sheep with Christ in the preached Word and blessed Sacraments. The formation of men for the Holy Ministry begins at Baptism. And while pastoral formation is intensified during seminary, “it requires a body of knowledge and skills that [pastors] devote decades to learning."
Pastors are to be clothed with the humility of Christ, “who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Pastors must be equipped to lead Gods people to the waters of Holy Baptism, where God gives new birth to sinners and opens the kingdom of heaven for them. Pastors are formed to be stewards of the mysteries of God. Pastors feed God’s sheep the Word of God in preaching and teaching and with the body and blood of our Lord at His table. Pastors listen, love and seek the lost.
Looking at all that a Pastor does, how is he prepared for this role at the Seminars’? Can you help with this preparation? Could you sponsor a seminarian? Could you help COS in their sponsoring of eight seminary students? Please help with your gift! ‘For more information, contact John W. Smith. God bless your help.
