Preregistration Event Sunday Afternoon

Vacation Bible School Begins Monday

Please invite your young friends, family, and neighbors to join us for Vacation Bible School, Monday through Wednesday, July 23-25, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. And don't miss the preregistration event at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 22, in the first breezeway! You can enjoy ice cream while meeting your VBS tribal leaders. We will have a final celebration on Wednesday evening, 5:30-7:00.

We are still open for VBS registration. Forms will be available on Sunday morning and in the church office.

We will begin setting up for VBS this Sunday, July 22, at 1:30 p.m. To lend us an item for our Babylonian marketplace 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.

Heart to Heart Bible Study

Cluster Meeting Tonight!

Women of the church and their friends are invited to an evening cluster meeting tonight, Thursday, July 19, at 7:00. A cluster meeting is not an ongoing study but a onetime opportunity to share the blessings of God's Word together. Karen Vann will lead the study in the home of Donna Sikorski, 725 Euclid Avenue. Child care will be available at the church (423-764-7176), if you call to reserve a spot by 11 a.m. on Thursday. For other questions, please contact Elizabeth Patrick at 423-956-9716 or elizabethpatrick22@hotmail.com.

Mortgage Elimination Project

In the next few weeks, you will hear about efforts to eliminate the debt incurred when the church completed renovations about three years ago. Nearly $2 million has been paid to date on the original project. The end of 2012 marks the completion of the 2009 capital campaign, at which time we will owe slightly more than $1 million on the debt. 

In the coming weeks, church families will be asked to make a pledge over a period of years to eliminate the current loan. Your church officers, trustees, committee members, and staff have already pledged generously to this project. We hope that everyone will want to participate at some level of giving to this project over and above regular pledges. 

Please keep this effort in your prayers as you hear more about it, and consider your level of support for this endeavor.

Rally Day Celebration August 12

It's time to celebrate the incredible Christian Education at FPC! Join us during the Sunday School hour on August 12 at 9:45 a.m. Enjoy a continental breakfast, entertainment from the Children's Ministries, news about what's happening for the next school year, information for students moving up to a new class, and news about all the adult Sunday School classes. This celebration will take the place of Sunday School. All classes are asked to join in the fun!

FPC Scouting News

Cub Scout Pack 3 will reorganize and meet after the school year begins. There will be a recruiting night at Fairmont Elementary School in August. Meetings will be in the Scout Hall at First Presbyterian Church on Tuesday nights from 6:00 to 7:00. For more information, contact Anna Booher, Council Commissioner, at boohera@btcs.org or 423-956-6372.

Boy Scout Troop 3 meets year-round on Tuesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Scout Hall. Boy Scout membership is open to boys who are not yet 18 years old. Boys are eligible if they are age 10 and have completed Arrow of Light, or age 11, or have completed fifth grade. For more information, contact Karen Haaser, Scoutmaster, at karenhaaser@gmail.com or 423-383-1287.

Venture Crew 3 is for young men and women who are 13 and have completed the eighth grade or who are 14 to 20 years of age. The year-round program provides positive experiences through exciting and meaningful youth-run high-adventure activities that help them pursue their special interests, grow by teaching others, and develop leadership skills. Venture Scouts, like Boy Scouts, pursue rank advancement and can earn the Ranger Award, the equivalent of the BSA Eagle. An organizational meeting will be held July 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the Scout Hall. For more information contact, Anna Booher or Karen Haaser (contact information above).

FPC Youth at Work in Camden, NJ, Summer Camps

FPC is well represented at the UrbanPromise summer camp in Camden, NJ.

The senior high youth of FPC are on a mission trip in Camden, NJ, this summer. They are leaders in one of UrbanPromise's neighborhood-based, six-week programs dedicated to providing fun, educational, age-appropriate activities for first to eighth graders, in a safe and structured environment where they can grow academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Since 1985, UrbanPromise staff, volunteers, and StreetLeaders have run summer camps for the Camden's children. Activities include art, Bible study, recreation, and life skill and community awareness workshops. Breakfast and lunch are provided. One morning each week is set aside for a special trip as a reward for good attendance and behavior. Many of the children also participate in afternoon and evening activities of sports leagues, small-group time with staff, and Camp Night. Additional special events include a kickball tournament, capture-the-flag tournament, summer carnival, and All-Camp Day.

The following senior high youth are participating in this summer's mission: Ian Addison, Paul Blair, Kendall Carter, Abby Frick, Danae Kreiss, Blake Looney, Amanda Mills, Preston Mitchell, Josh Pruner, Alex Raykowitz, Corey Wallen, Melody Wallen, and Stephen Welch. Accompanying them are Dan Kreiss, Brady Carter, and Katie Arnold.

Two More FISHing Events Coming Up!

Our summer of fun with FISH continues! The Middle School FISH will meet at the Osbornes' house on July 24 and at the Looneys' on July 31. The High School FISH will meet at the Pruners' house on July 26 and at the Blairs' on August 2.

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 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.