2012 Confirmands Profess Faith, Join Church

Aaron Addison

Peachy Bane

Mechala Blankenship

Taylor Connolly

Spencer Pruner

Torey Bates Samuel

Molly Shaw

Teddy Testerman

Rachel Worley

Five-Cents-a-Meal Offering This Sunday

We will collect our quarterly Five-Cents-a-Meal Hunger Offering at both worship services this Sunday, June 24. The suggested donation is $13.50 per person. These gifts help to bring the benefits of the Bristol Emergency Food Pantry, Haven of Rest, and Abuse Alternatives to our community. Thank you for your continuing generous support of these vital ministries.

Heart to Heart Event

Girls' Night Out

Women of all ages are invited to a girl's night out on Thursday, June 28. We will meet at Machiavelli's at 6:00 p.m. for a relaxed evening of fellowship and food we haven't cooked ourselves. Bring a friend!

Child care will be available at the church from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., and dinner will provided. Please let the church office (764-7176) know the ages and number of children you will be bringing by noon on Wednesday, June 27.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Dimensions of Stewardship

Our Time: Work and Sabbath Rest

Our Stewardship Committee is inviting leaders in our church to speak in worship about different dimensions of stewardship. Most recently, Peggy Hill offered these remarks about our stewardship of our time.

It is my pleasure to offer some thoughts about the stewardship of our time, how we manage time related to work and God's call for us to rest.

There is much written about this topic, indeed, much more than time (or space) allows. So rather than talk about lots of do's and don'ts, I'm going to remind us of what we know about work and rest, and then discuss some heart issues about the two.

In the Bible, we first read about work and rest in Genesis, 2:2-3: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

Since we are made in God's image, this is a pretty good picture of what we are called to do: work, followed by rest.

Work

×          Work is something that God did and still does.

×          Work was given to man in the Garden of Eden even before the fall (Genesis 2:15: "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.")

×          Whether we're working in the home or out of the home, whether we're in high-profile jobs or not, or maybe we "just volunteer," work is a good thing. This is not to imply that work is always easy or fun. Sometimes it's tough, really tough. Jesus' work on the cross was tough, too!

All work, done in the spirit in which God intends, has dignity. And what is that spirit? In a sermon titled "Made for Stewardship" (available at http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/made-stewardship), Dr. Timothy Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York recommends three actions for keeping our heart right about our work:

1. Look in: look inside us to see what gifts God has given us.
2. Look out: look to see where the needs are; match our gifts to people's needs.
3. Look up: to the One who has called us. Whatever work we do, we must offer it to God to use as He sees fit.

Rest

×          God rested.

×          We are made in His image: our bodies are designed to need rest; even our hearts rest between each beat. We must have physical rest. Of course, that's not what our culture tells us. Sometimes we think, if we're not busy, we're missing something! In the words of Helen Hayes, "If you rest, you rust!"

×          But God says we need not only physical rest but also a deep, spiritual rest that calms and restores the soul.

×          For me, this is depicted in Psalm 46:10, when God tells us to "Be still and know that I am God." Let's take a closer look at each part of this verse.

Be still: a directive to quit moving, to physically stop and disengage from activity (at least for a while). Refocus and reestablish a rich relationship with God.

Be still and know: Knowing involves the mind, our beliefs. How do we know God? The Holy Spirit enables us to know Him through worship, through hearing the messages on Sunday morning, through the reading and study of God's Word (individually, in small groups, or in Sunday School), and through prayer.

Be still and know that I am God: "I am God." What does that mean? What do we know about God?

God is the Creator, who set the whole universe in motion!

 It was God who parted the Red Sea, freed the captives.

 God, who sent his Son to heal the sick, walk on water,  

Thank You, Courtyard Crew!

A mighty thanks to the FPC Courtyard Crew for the Herculean job of cleaning up the courtyard Friday mornings in May and June. Fighting blistering heat, insects, irate mother birds, poison ivy, sweaty bodies, and sore lower backs, the crew removed at least a ton of debris by cutting, chainsawing, weeding, and lots of heavy-duty pruning. Now behold the glory of God's creation! Thank you, Courtyard Crew!

First row: Jackie Burt, Patti Hagerty, Donnie Hurt. Second row, standing: Tom Daniel, Peggy Hill, Emily Hyder, Joe Hagerty, Charlie Moore.

Annual Area Women's Gathering Next Month

The Women of Central Presbyterian Church invite the Women of First Presbyterian Church to the annual Area Gathering, Tuesday, July 10. Registration will begin at 10:40 a.m., and the program will begin at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will follow. RSVP by calling 276-669-3157.

Flexible Schedules!

FPC Outreach to Boys & Girls Club Needs Volunteers

Our church will begin the Boys & Girls Club Bible Outreach in September, and we're looking for people who can give an hour or two of their time to make the program come alive.

The Neighborhood Outreach Steering Committee is planning an hour's worth of Bible study and fun twice a month during September, October, and November and again in February, March, and April. That's six sessions in all, and the activity hours will be from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. here at the church.

The good news is that the Boys & Girls Club is flexible, so we'll be able to pick the days of the week to match the availability of our volunteers. There are several age groups of kids, and their programs can be on different days, so now's the time to get involved so we can work around your schedule!

We need people to do a brief devotional, or lead a craft, or play a game. Other activity ideas are always welcome. And when we say flexible, we mean it! You can come one time. Or you can do one craft with all the age groups. Or you can come once a month. You can choose an activity that takes 15 minutes, or one that takes 45 minutes, or anywhere in between. You get the drift. Whatever time you have, we can plug you into the program. We even have books full of devotional, crafts, and game ideas so you can select something that suits your skills, interests, and personality.

If you feel led, we even have several opportunities for you to be the shepherd for one age group, to come twice a month to be the friend who stays with the group, gets to know them, and prays with them. The Boys & Girls Club staff will accompany each group, too, so you'll have help with that shepherd ministry.

For more information, or to volunteer, please contact coordinators Peggy Hill (423-652-1732 or hillp@btes.tv) or Donna Sikorski (dgsikorski@bvunet.net or 423-646-1213), or call the church office. You can also find details at http://www.fpcbristol.org/sending/opportunities/. Look under "Serving Opportunities," and you will see the heading "NEW FOR 2012!" Boys & Girls Club Outreach is in the list below that heading.

Youth Group News

Host an Evening of Fellowship and Fun for Our Youth

Our summer of fun and Bible study with FISH, "fellowship in someone's home," is under way, but we still need hosts for the Middle School FISH, who meet on Tuesdays, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Hosts provide a place to meet, a snack, and a fun activity, such as swimming, games, or a craft. A youth advisor leads the Bible study. You can volunteer for a single evening or more.

If you would like to serve as a host, please contact Linda Welch (latwelch@aol.com) or Dave Welch (dwelch@fpcbristol.org) to reserve your night.

Kid Connection News

A tribal blanket

There is still time to join us in Babylon for Vacation Bible School 2012. If you have not taken the opportunity to volunteer, please contact Ann Abel. As a volunteer please plan to attend one of two scheduled training sessions: Sunday, July 8 (5:00-6:00), or Wednesday, July 18 (7:00-8:00). We will preview the music and discuss ways to make this an exciting few days for all attendees.

If you are unable to volunteer, please invite your young friends, family, and neighbors to join us July 23-25, 9:00-12:00 each morning and 5:30-7:00 Wednesday evening. There will be learning opportunities for children four years old and those who have just completed fifth grade, as well as all ages in between. As volunteers and staff prepare for this outreach to children, we ask that you support VBS 2012 with prayer.

In keeping with the Babylon theme, the VBS planning team will create a marketplace in the Fellowship Hall. The following items are needed (and they will all be returned!):

• six easy-up tents
• wicker baskets (all sizes)
• solid-colored sheets and fabric
• artificial plants, trees, and greenery
• tribal blankets

To lend us a marketplace item or to volunteer, contact Ann Abel at 423-764-7176 or aabel@fpcbristol.org, Tina Witcher at 423-538-3850, or Ruthie Blair at 423-797-1815.