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Windows
on First Presbyterian Church
May 5, 2011 |
Special Worship Features Professions of Faith |
 This Sunday, May 8, we gather at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary for a combined worship service to glorify God and celebrate the confirmation of the newest members of our church. These new members are Zach Beckner, Paul Blair, Rebekah Blair, Adam Bobbitt, Johnny Dabbs, Briggs Evans, Danae Kreiss, Blake Looney, Josh Pruner, Melody Wallen, Noah Wampler, and Stephen Welch.
Last Sunday our Session met to receive twelve youth as members of the church upon their profession of faith in Jesus Christ. In this Sunday's special worship service we will hear their professions of faith, celebrating the confirmation of baptismal vows and remembering the common faith that binds us in the life of Jesus Christ.
The adjusted schedule for this Sunday morning is as follows:
9:00 Children's Bells rehearse in Music Wing
9:30 - 10:15 Sunday School
10:30 Worship in Sanctuary |
Storm Damage? Need Help? Please Call! |
We are continuing to hear of church members and friends who are dealing with damage from last week's storms. If you are dealing with the aftermath of these storms, our church would like to know . . . and to help. Please call the church to let us know what is going on, especially if you would like some help with clearing debris, cleaning up, or other tasks. We will be glad to share those needs with volunteers who are interested in helping out. You may leave word with the church office, or email Gordon Turnbull (gturnbull@fpcbristol.org) or Dave Welch (dwelch@fpcbristol.org).
If you are interested in helping to provide these services on behalf of the church, please call or email as described above to let us know. Thanks, and God bless you! |
Ethiopian Mission Update
Thank You! |
 | | Amanuel Tesfaye, Director, BYES |
This week it was my pleasure to email Amanuel Tesfaye, Director of Berhane Yesus Elementary School, in Dembi Dollo, Ethiopia, and inform him of the $9,145 that First Presbyterian Church raised for BYES. He immediately responded with the following:
What a wonderful deed. God is great. I cannot thank you enough with my words only. Honestly speaking, when I just read your letter my tears are flowing on my cheek... I am overjoyed... please accept my sincere appreciation.
You and your church are very special to help us with funding our school. I hope you know how much good this contribution will do and how much I personally and the school society collectively thank you. Thank you for helping the poor people of our society by funding BYES. We are very much proud, respect and honor you very much.
The more formal version of the letter arrived the next day:
Dear Congregants of First Presbyterian Church,
I bring you greetings from BYES in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
On behalf of BYES staff, students, and society, I would like to thank you for your generous gift of $9,145.00 USD. Your commitment to helping BYES's running costs for the year 2011 is sincerely appreciated.
Each year our school continues to advance its mission of giving quality education for the surrounding community. Through our school we have seen many lives changed for a better life. The devotions we have each morning especially helps our students to have good ethics and also lays a foundation for their future Christian life.
The goal of our school is to deliver quality education and to continue to make a difference in the surrounding community. With the help of donations from your church we will continue to make improvements in our school.
Thanks again for your generous support to help sustain our school activities.
In his love and care!
Amanuel Tesfaye
BYES Director
Once again, thank you, members of First Presbyterian Church, for glorifying God through your donations and prayers for BYES. May the Light of Jesus shine brighter than ever! ~ Peggy Hill |
New Member Meeting Next Sunday |
Next Sunday, May 15, at 10:30 a.m., between the worship services, the Session will meet new members in the Chapel. |
PW Thank Offering: Great News for BFIA |
Last week we received wonderful news from Tyler Franklin, Executive Director of Bristol Faith in Action. BFIA has received a grant in the amount of $30,000 from the Creative Ministries Committee of Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). These funds are the direct result of the Presbyterian Women Thank Offering. The grant funding will be used exclusively for female-headed households with minor children. The funds will be used in June through December this year to prevent eviction, to prevent foreclosure, and to keep utilities from being disconnected. This is the single largest grant BFIA has received from any source.
BFIA distributes approximately $15,000 per month, half of which typically goes to female-headed households, so this grant is equivalent to funding this need for about four months.
Thanks to all our Presbyterian Women for their steady, faithful participation through the years in the Presbyterian Women Thank Offering. |
Presbyterian Women Meet Tuesday |
Presbyterian Women will meet on Tuesday, May 10, at 11:00 a.m. Gordon Turnbull will lead the Bible study at 11:30, and lunch will follow. This is our last meeting until fall, so we hope everyone will attend. Please remember to make lunch reservations with the church office, 423-764-7176. |
Revised Team Roster
First Presbyterian Mowing Schedule: 2011 |
Team 1 JB Madison & Dave Welch
Team 2 Brian Miller & Roger Sikorski
Team 3 Stuart Parker & Kathryn Parker
Team 4 Joe Hagerty & Aaron Brooks
Team 5 Jim White & Jim Arnold
Team 6 Joel Newton & Jon McClain
Subs Keith Blair, Wes Buckles, John Connor, Randy Cook, Harold Rutherford
Note: The dates below run from Wednesday through Saturday each week. Please don't mow on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, as the yard will not look good on the following Sunday. If your team can't mow during one of its weeks, please swap weeks with another team or arrange for a substitute. Thank you for your service to the church!
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Dates |
Team # |
Dates |
Team # | |
April 27-30 |
1 |
July 27-30 |
2 | |
May 4-7 |
2 |
Aug. 3-6 |
3 | |
11-14 |
3 |
10-13 |
4 | |
18-21 |
4 |
17-20 |
5 | |
25-28 |
5 |
24-27 |
6 | |
June 1-4 |
6 |
Aug. 31 - Sept. 3 |
1 | |
8-11 |
1 |
Sept. 7-10 |
2 | |
15-18 |
2 |
14-17 |
3 | |
22-25 |
3 |
21-24 |
4 | |
June 29 - July 2 |
4 |
Sept. 28 - Oct. 1 |
5 | |
July 6-9 |
5 |
Oct. 5-8 |
6 | |
13-16 |
6 |
12-15 |
1 | |
20-23 |
1 |
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Every year we honor the new graduates among us. Please call the church office if you or a member of your family will be graduating from high school, college, or any other educational or training program this spring. The information we need for our recognition efforts is the following: student name, current (not future) school or program, degree earned, and field. Thank you for your help!
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Kid Connection News
Campfire Chats with God |
Along with summer come great opportunities for getting to know our children during the Sunday School hour. Come join us as we explore what God says about the importance of prayer. Using Bible stories, games, crafts, songs, and dramas, all centered around a campfire theme, we will learn why, when, and how the Bible teaches us to pray.
We cannot, however, do this without willing servants like you. With a commitment of only four hours (plus a little prep time) in a single month, you can help bring this curriculum to life. The Children's Ministry will provide all teaching and craft materials.
Please take a moment to look over our summertime needs and decide whether you would like to be a part of our Campfire Chats with God. We hope you will!
Sunday School: June, July, August
(Because classes are smaller in summer, some classes will be combined.)
· Preschool & Kindergarten
· First & Second Grade
· Third, Fourth & Fifth Grade
Kids' Kirk, First Service: June, July, August
Kids' Kirk is another opportunity to serve with a little more flexibility. We are looking for one more person to join a team of four on a rotating schedule. With this schedule, you will be teaching once a month and have the flexibility to choose which Sunday works best for you!
For questions or to reserve your spot, please contact Cathy Newton at the church office or by e-mail at cnewton@fpcbristol.org. |
Save the Dates: Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School: July 18, 19 & 20
Theme: Growing the Fruits of the Spirit
Early registration: Sunday, July 17
Details to follow!
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Library News from Bill Wade
The Cross Was Not the End But the Beginning | |
 Easter week, with its dramatic story of crucifixion and resurrection, is now behind us. And this reminds us that nearly two centuries ago those early disciples of Christ had retired from the experience of the cross to an upper room in Jerusalem to await the coming of the Spirit. It must have been a troubling and uncertain time for them; some were witnesses to the resurrection, others to Jesus' ascension. But many had not expected Jesus' ministry to end with such finality on the cross. They were at a loss as to their future direction.
Only with the coming of Pentecost did the disciples gain the confidence to speak with boldness. But even Peter's proclamation failed to grasp the full potential of the gospel message that Jesus should be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. That understanding developed only gradually within the early Christian community, and it took the persuasion of Paul to help them see the vision of an evangelism that stretched far beyond the confines of Jerusalem.
Thus the experience of the cross was not an ending but rather the beginning of a grand drama that would see the extension of Christendom through the centuries, a vibrant new faith that would in time encompass the globe. And thus we need to grasp for ourselves, just as did the early disciples, the larger meaning of the cross as the opening curtain on the story of Christianity. Martin Marty, one of America's leading Christian historians, expresses that meaning precisely in The Christian World: A Global History.
Marty has taught for 35 years at the University of Chicago, where the Martin Marty Center for Advanced Studies in Religion has been established. A seasoned scholar with many books published, he wrote this one to provide the general reader "a brief yet sweeping account of Christianity and how it spread from a few believers two thousand years ago to become the world's largest religion." This volume takes its place among the Modern Library series of important books.
Marty tells the story in just over 200 pages and in ten chapters, all of which he terms "episodes." First we see the Jewish beginnings, then an initial expansion into the surrounding regions of Asia and northern Africa. This is followed by the vitally important European expansion, which established the dominance of Christianity throughout virtually all of Europe. By 1500, a North American and Latin American expansion carried the faith to the Western hemisphere. In recent years, we have been witnesses to a new and resurgent expansion into Asia and Africa.
To tell this story without dumbing it down requires a master historian, and Marty's skill is up to the task. He has given us a very fitting book for the season, indeed, a capstone to the experience of the cross and resurrection. Read it and enrich your understanding of the expanding church. The Christian World: A Global History is on the display table in our church library. |
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Music Participants: May 8: Sanctuary Choir, Savior's Singers Children's Choir, Children's Handbells, Joel Newton, Brandon Story, and Jesse Strang.
Schedule for Sunday, May 8: Reminder for Children's Handbells and Savior's Singers Children's Choir: handbells will rehearse in the Sanctuary at 9:00 a.m., then will be taken to Sunday School. The singing choir should come to the robing room at 10:10 a.m., prior to the 10:30 service. The Sanctuary Choir will meet at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday's Music: Hearkening back to the beginning of our HeartsBurn readings, the Children's Handbell choir will play three pieces from the suite All Creatures Great and Small. Each selection refers to one part of God's creation. Tammy Waldrop wrote the suite, which uses one hymn tune and four original pieces that display a variety of handbell techniques. The Children's Choir anthem is "The Glory Train," which several of our Montreat attendees sang and liked so well last summer that we knew it would be popular with the children. The Sanctuary Choir anthem, "Borning Cry," is an arrangement of one of the most popular hymns written in the 1980s. Created by Lutheran composer John Ylvisaker, it reminds us that at each stage of our life, whether joyous or difficult, God is there with us. It is most appropriate this Sunday, when we baptize and confirm new members of our church as they make this important commitment.
 | | Zachary Hughes |
Final Arts Series Program: Zachary Hughes is a brilliant young pianist who has recently been accepted into three of the most prestigious schools of music in the country and has chosen Juilliard. He lived in Bristol for several years before moving with his family to Travelers Rest, SC. Zachary has received prizes from numerous regional and national music competitions, including first place in his division in both the 2006 and 2010 Bristol Music Club Scholarship auditions. He also received the 2010 Paramount Chamber Players award, given by the judges of the Music Club's scholarship auditions, performing with Players violinist George Figueroa in April. Zachary was a piano student of Ann Holler while living in Bristol. His current piano studies are with Dr. Chih-long Hu of ETSU. This program will take place Sunday, May 15, at 3:00 p.m., in the Sanctuary. Suggested ticket donation is $10 adults/$5 students ages 6 through college. ~ Steve & Vicki Fey |
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Sunday Worship | |
May 8: Third Sunday of Easter
Lessons: 1 Samuel 17:32-49; Matthew 28:16-20
Sermon: Living in Christ's Name, Gordon Turnbull
Anthems: Borning Cry, Sanctuary Choir; The Glory Train, Savior's Singers Children's Choir; selections from All Creatures Great and Small, Children's Handbells
By the Numbers for May 1: 8:30 a.m., 165; 11:00 a.m., 171 |
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In Our Prayers
Lynne Testerman
Frankie Trammell
An extensive list of prayer concerns, "Pray for One Another," is available for pickup at the church each week.
Condolences
Our love and prayers are with Nancy Preston in the death of her brother, Starling Neal, on April 22, in Crossville, TN.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Ann Holler, honored last week by the YWCA Tribute to Women in the area of Volunteer and Community Service for establishing the Arts Alliance Mountain Empire and its award-winning publication, A! Magazine for the Arts.
Birthday Prayer Fellowship
May 8 Kathryn Welch
May 9 Mary Landrum, Emma Moran
May 10 Nancy Allerton, Kendall Carter, Nancy King
May 11 Will Dollar, Jessica Ratliff
May 12 Sandy Hull
May 13 LaVerne Frazier, Bill Stone
May 14 Blake Bassett, TerryCox, James Phipps, Gloria Slane, Andrew Smith |
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Sunday, May 8
8:30 a.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall
9:00 a.m. Children's Handbells (Special Rehearsal)
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
10:30 a.m. Combined Worship Service with Confirmation, Sanctuary
5:30 p.m. HeartsBurn Bible Study
Monday, May 9
6:00 p.m. Cub Scout Pack 3
7:00 p.m. Worship Committee Meeting
Tuesday, May 10
9:00 a.m. Staff Meeting
10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Group
10:00 a.m. Heart to Heart/HeartsBurn Bible Study
11:00 a.m. Presbyterian Women Business Meeting
11:30 a.m. Presbyterian Women Bible Study
12:00 p.m. Presbyterian Women Lunch
7:00 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 3 Meeting
Wednesday, May 11
7:30 p.m. Senior High Bible Study
7:30 p.m. Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, May 12
6:23 a.m. Senior High Breakfast Club
7:00 a.m. Men's Bible Study
12:00 p.m. HeartsBurn Bible Study/Java J's
Looking Ahead: Sunday, May 15
10:30 a.m. Called Session Meeting: New Members, Chapel |
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