December 2025/January 2026
Pastorless Churches: Bethel-McKenzie (I), Calvary, New Hope, New Salem, Oak Grove (I), Old Bethel, Sidonia, Thompson Creek
WCBA: Our Annual Christmas Dinner is now open to all Pastors and Wives, Supply Pastors and Wives, as well as any church staff member and their spouse. We need you to RSVP by November 21st though as that is our catering deadline. The dinner will be Friday, October 5th @ Oak Grove @ 6:00 pm. A reminder: We have partnered with CarePortal as a way to get local churches and the community involved in meeting the needs of families in our area. More information can be found on our website and Facebook pages. The next edition of The Advance will not be printed until around January 20th. Please submit news by Friday, January 16th.
Bethel, Greenfield: December 7th @ 5:30 pm Adult Christmas Program, Bethel Choir. December 14th Children’s Christmas Program, Bethel Children’s Choir @ 6:00 pm, followed by Happy Birthday Jesus Party. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 5:00 pm. Pastor: Mark Warren
Bethlehem: We look forward to our annual Thanksgiving meal, Sunday, November 23rd. You are invited to join us for Sunday School at 10:00 am, worship at 11:00 am with a meal to follow. Bro. Derrell and our choir are working very hard on our Christmas Cantata, as are the young people for their Christmas presentations. You are always welcomed at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Pastor: Jim Garner
Bible Union: OCC Drop Off Dates: November 17th-22nd 11:00 am-5:00 pm, 23rd 12:00 pm-4:30 pm, 24th 7:00 am-9:00 am. Pastor: Mark Dowdy
Dresden FBC: Our senior adult group is enjoying several Christmas musicals with Christmas at The Dixie and Bethel’s Renaissance Christmas this month. Our Men’s Breakfast will meet at Kountry Korner for breakfast December 6th at 8:00 am. Our Sew Faithful ministry will break for December and meet again January 3rd. Our Christmas Children’s Musical “In A Galilee Far Away” is December 7th at 6:00 pm. The Christmas Adult Choir Cantata “All Is Well” will be presented December 14th at 10:45 am. JOY will gather Tuesday, December 16th, at 11:30 am with Bro. Don leading the devotion and Kevin Hamilton bringing a Christmas program. Our TeamKID will dismiss for winter break December 24th-January 7th. Pastor: Don McCulley
Gleason FBC: There are 27 Youth and Chaperones attending Hearts on Fire in Pigeon Forge November 21st-23rd. Community Thanksgiving Service will be at the Gleason Methodist Church Sunday, November 23rd, at 6:00 pm. Men’s Breakfast will be Sunday morning, November 30th, at 7:00 am. Come worship and serve with us. Pastor: Bro. Bill Ellis
Long Heights: Blessings upon Blessings! We welcomed 12 new members to our church recently. We are excited to see how we grow together to serve our Lord. The annual Harvest Day/Thanksgiving fellowship was November 16th. It was a joy to fellowship together and give back to Him from all He provides. Operation Christmas Child packing party was November 19th. We felt led as a church to provide The Shoe That Grows (expands up to 5 sizes and lasts for years) in each shoebox. Our goal was to pack 350 boxes. Praise Him, our God provided 372 pairs of shoes!! We are also celebrating two of our young men who recently signed up and completed boot camp in the Marines. OORAH Ethan Harwell and Hunter Frazier, both from the same family! Pastor: Kenny Carr
Oak Grove: October 29th, we had a wonderful time of food and fellowship at our Fall-O-Ween gathering. November is the month where thankfulness is talked about and preached from the pulpit across the land, so we want to say our hearts are full of gratitude for our Interim Pastor and his wife. We, as a church family, know that they were sent by God to us at the exact time we needed them. Bro Jerry and Mrs. Ora Lee have been faithful and dedicated to God and our church and its needs for the last three and a half years. So, as we gather for Thanksgiving and thank God for his blessings in our lives, Bro. Jerry and Mrs. Ora Lee Powell will be at the top of our list. Interim Pastor: Jerry Powell
Thompson Creek: We hosted a Harvest Festival November 1st. Despite the rain, we had a good time in fellowship and crowned a new Corn Hole champion, James Barnhart. On Sunday, November 16th, we joined with neighboring churches and community members for a Community-Wide Thanksgiving Celebration. During our time of prayer and patience for receiving the man God has selected as our new full-time pastor, we have been blessed with thoughtful and encouraging messages from various pulpit supply preachers.