Windows September 6, 2012

Brad and Katie Arnold transferred from Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Lilburn, GA, where Katie served as youth minister before taking on the responsibilities of Director of Student Ministries for FPC. Brad works as an insurance salesman. He and Katie share a love of the outdoors and an interest in sports. He especially enjoys football, and she keeps an eye on Pinterest.

Thomas and Jennifer Covington join us from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, where they volunteered in several capacities and taught Sunday School. Thomas, a commissioned missionary, works as a facilities manager for Virginia Intermont College, and Jennifer is a teacher and a music lover. They have two children, Foster, a second-grader at Washington-Lee, and Rachel, a first-grader at the same school.

Paul and Amber Warhurst have come all the way from Salt Lake City, UT, where they were members of Newsong Presbyterian Church and Paul served as a worship leader. They are both lecturers at King College. Paul and Amber have two children, three-year-old Ruby and one-year-old Margot.

Brazil Scholarship Opportunity

Three children of Felipe Camarão

Since 2003, First Presbyterian Church has faithfully and joyfully supported the work of the church and preschool in Felipe Camarão, a poor neighborhood in the city of Natal, Brazil. What miracles we have seen over the years from the time the abandoned lot behind the church building came to life with bright colors and inviting facilities to attract and serve those trying to survive in this very difficult area of the city.

This beacon of hope and opportunity to get kids on the right path for their future has borne tremendous fruit. Children prepared at the preschool enter the public schools ready to excel. Where children typically drop out of school by third or fourth grade, we are now to the point of seeing children educated at the preschool entering high school! What a blessing and a gift to Felipe Camarão and to us at First Presbyterian.

The ability to serve the 104 children enrolled in the school in Felipe Camarão would not be possible without the support raised through student scholarships. Your faithful commitment to this effort has been so important to its success. As partners with Felipe Camarão, our church is learning just how far and wide God's reach is for his children of the world. And individually, we are witnessing the blessing of feeding and teaching the multitudes. God takes our gifts and enables them to impact lives far beyond what we could ever have imagined.

We ask that you prayerfully consider joining us in this mission effort of student sponsorship. Through your scholarship gift of $35 per month, students receive meals each day, a uniform, sound instruction, and a chance for a bright future.

Six of us will be traveling to Felipe Camarão in mid-September. We look forward to reporting to you firsthand when we return on the progress made possible by God through this partnership. Please pray for our trip and always pray for the children of Felipe Camarão and those called to serve on the ground there every day. Our connection as a body of believers in this way provides tremendous encouragement to them.

If you have any questions about how the scholarships are used or about the school itself, please feel free to call me at 423-360-1153 or vannjm@gmail.com.-John Vann

Brazil Mission Team Preparing for Travel

Travel plans, packing lists, and daily schedules are in their final review as this year's Brazil Mission Team prepares for their upcoming trip, September 14-22. The trek will extend our church's partnership with the Independent Presbyterian Church of Felipe Camarão in Natal, Brazil. In addition to sharing in worship and fellowship throughout the week, the group expects to share in work projects at the church, visits and prayer gatherings in neighboring homes, and interacting with the students and staff of the church's Bethel School.

Thanks to all who have donated Crayola markers, ball caps, and costume jewelry to share with our friends in Felipe Camarão. Last day for these donations is this Sunday, September 9.

Representing our church on this year's Brazil Team are Keith Blair, Laurie Boyd, Darlene Pollard, Karen Vann, John Vann, and Gordon Turnbull. Please hold this group in your prayers as they complete their preparations.

FPC to Hold Hymnal Event This Saturday

Our hymnal event is coming up in two days! In anticipation of the 2013 publication of Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal, we are sponsoring a hymnal event at the churchthat will be open to all, whether clergy, choir singers, worship committee or Session members, or congregation members.Churches in both Holston Presbytery and Abingdon Presbytery are also being invited. This event will take place on Saturday, September 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and will be led by the Reverend Meg Flannagan, joined by the Feys and others. The day will feature worship, workshops, seminars, a light lunch, and lots of singing!

RSVPs are requested. If you missed the September 1 deadline, there is still time to sign up. Just email the Feys (svfey@fpcbristol.org) or call the church office (423-764-7176).

Schedule
9:00	Registration and coffee
9:30-10:00	Morning Prayer, Chapel
10:00-11:30	Introduction to the hymnal, by the Reverend Meg Flannagan
11:30	Light lunch, Fellowship Hall
12:00-12:45	Outline of content, and theological and language reflection, by Steve Fey
12:50-1:30	Teaching global music to your congregation, by the Reverend Meg Flannagan
1:40-2:00	Midday/Sending Prayer, Chapel

Wednesdays in September

Adults Continue Tour of the Old Testament

On Wednesday, September 12, Dr. Fred Foy Strang will lead us on the second leg of our journey of faith and learning, as we continue A Walk Through the Bible. This series is a creative, interactive learning adventure that uses hand motions, catchphrases, and group reviews to help us experience the Old Testament in new and refreshing ways and God's love even more deeply. Books are available for $10.

Fellowship Dinner for September 12

Before setting off on the second leg of our walking tour, be sure to join us for a relaxed meal and fellowship at 5:30. Next Wednesday we will enjoy soup, salad, a potato bar, and dessert. As always, our dinner is presented by Mary Lee Schiesz. We need a volunteer to help her in the morning! Linda Welch and Brian Miller will serve dinner, and John McClain will clean up after the meal.

Student Ministries Small Groups

Katie Arnold and her team invite all middle school and high school students to take part in a relationship journey by joining a small group on Wednesday evenings at 6:00, immediately after the Fellowship Dinner. The groups are led by adults and made up of students of the same age and gender. For the next several weeks, students will take part in a study called "Starting to Go Where God Wants You to Be." Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to grow and be challenged while immersed in authentic community!

Wednesday Night Kids

The Wednesday Night Kids are studying "God's Wonderful World," beginning with the first day of creation. As we continue week by week, we are building a creation tower to demonstrate God's wondrous works over the days of creation. On September 12 we will begin our study of the third day of creation, "Dry Ground and Plants," with a visit from a special guest, John Vann, who will talk to us about bees and their role in our world. If you haven't yet joined us, we warmly invite you to do so. Classes are available for four-year-olds through first grade and for second through fifth grades.

Men's Breakfast This Saturday

The men of the church will resume their fellowship breakfast this Saturday, September 8, at 8:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The date for subsequent breakfasts will be the second Saturday of each month. We look forward to seeing you there!

Ice Cream Social Coming Up!

We are planning an ice cream social for Sunday, September 23, at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Here is a chance to show what you can do with that churn of yours, or to buy your favorite, and bring it to share with your family and friends. Mark your calendars!

Save a Life by Giving Blood

The Marsh Blood Services Bloodmobile is scheduled to be in our front parking lot on Wednesday, September 26, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. We need at least 20 church members to donate blood, so please volunteer!

Remember, you're never too old to give blood. Seventeen-year-olds may give blood with parental consent.

Student Ministries News

5th Quarter Fun Begins Tomorrow Night!

All high school students are invited to "5th Quarter" after Tennessee High School home football games! The first gathering will be tomorrow, Friday, September 7. We will follow it up with more fun on September 14 and again on October 12 and 26. 5th Quarters will take place at the Carter family's home, 1720 Clifton Road, Bristol. Bring your friends and enjoy fellowship around a bonfire, with s'mores and games.

Parents: Please sign up to help chaperone these events and assist with parking. Drivers: Please be very careful as you come up and down the Carters' narrow driveway!

Student Ministries Fellowship

Student Ministries Fellowship resumes this Sunday, September 9. We are looking for families to provide dinner for our Sunday gatherings. If you are interested in preparing a meal or providing a purchased meal, please contact Diedre Pendley at pendleyd@btcs.org. Help feed our hungry teens!

Mowing Schedule through September 22

Fall will be here before we know it, and the following volunteer mowers will see it in across our lawn:

Sept. 5-8 Aaron Brooks & Stuart Parker

Sept. 12-15 Jon McClain & Dan Gross

Sept. 19-22 Joe Hagerty & John Vann

If you'd like to join a mowing team, contact Randy Cook at npolecook@aol.com or 423-956-1541.

Library News from Bill Wade

Prescription for Living and Aging Gracefully

Not many of us look forward to growing old, but as the saying goes, it beats the alternative! And as a population we are growing older, for national statistics show an increasing percentage of seniors in our ranks. And this is particularly the case in our churches; a recent study found that in 60 percent of mainline congregations, a quarter of the members were 65 or older. Such trends make all the more important the goal of helping our seniors age gracefully, and Gordon's recent sermons on the fact of aging and inevitable death were right on the point. This review is intended to suggest an appropriate reading for those who would like further consideration of this topic.

Our book is The Art of Aging: A Doctor's Prescription for Well-Being. The author, Sherwin B. Nuland, is a clinical professor of surgery at Yale University and an accomplished author, having won the National Book Award for an earlier book. With slightly more than 200 pages, this is a splendid source for a comprehensive and encouraging review of what can be said today about the process of maturing gracefully. And it is an encouraging book; when Nuland calls it a prescription for well-being, he means exactly that.

The first chapters tell the stories of several individuals who remained active and lively well into their senior years. Some are well known, but others are just average people that you might find in any congregation. Michael DeBakey, the famed Texas heart surgeon, was blessed with good genes; Patricia Neal, the Academy Award-winning actress, overcame a devastating stroke and afterwards had a successful career for more than 40 years. These and other stories provide encouragement for the potential resilience that is within the human body and spirit.

The real heart of his book comes in a later chapter, "Wisdom, Equanimity, Caring-Principles for Every Age." Here Dr. Nuland writes his prescription for well-being based on these three principles. "The wisdom that we seek with age is not something that comes without effort, nor is it unearned consolation for the passage of years. Rather, it is the result of reflecting." And again he writes, "Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom involves the management of knowledge." In this brief report I cannot expound fully the good doctor's thoughts; you must read the book for his full expression. And it is also important to stress that Nuland gives considerable emphasis to the place that our individual spiritual understanding can provide for us as we move into the golden years. He cites numerous cases where seniors testify that their personal equanimity is a consequence of their religious conviction.

A final chapter, "A Coda for Aging," is for you who are not yet seniors. Do not think that you can put off these concerns until your 50th birthday. This is a prescription for living, a mode of lifelong living that should be a part of your being long before you reach those later years. This book is highly recommended, especially for seniors, but also for those who will reach that status sooner than they expect. It is, as the title says, the art of aging.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Music participants for September 9: Sanctuary Choir.

Kenton Coe

Sunday's music: Isaiah 35:1-10 is a passage of great comfort, asserting that the coming of the Lord will bring good things. In the King James Version, verse 7 reads: "And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes." This scripture passage and this verse in particular provide the inspiration for the text of this week's Sanctuary Choir anthem, "Where Once There Lay Dragons." The text was written by Carol McClure (b. 1955), who has had a career as a harp virtuoso and pedagogue as well as a children's choir conductor and composer; she is currently director of children's and youth music ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Nashville. The musical setting was composed by Kenton Coe (b. 1931), an internationally recognized composer with roots in our region, having lived for a number of years in Johnson City. For the past several years he has lived in Asheville, but he will be returning to Tennessee in the near future. His music captures the joy of anticipation expressed by the text.

Arts Series: Yes, we are having an Arts Series this year! We finally have programs lined up, and will be sending our donor letter and the brochure soon. But you can put these dates on your calendars: November 25, March 10, April 7, and May 5 (all performances are on Sundays at 3:00 p.m.).Performers will be announced in the donor letter.

Sunday Worship

September 9: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lessons: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; James 2:1-17

Sermon: Faith Active and Impartial, Gordon Turnbull

Hymns: Arise, Your Light Is Come!; Those Who Place on God Reliance;
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life

Anthem: Where Once There Lay Dragons

By the numbers for September 2: 8:30: 126; 11:00: 120

Pray for One Another

In Our Prayers

Cathy Andersen

Jim Bowdoin

Sue Cannon

Dorothy Dollar

Bill Goforth

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Vivian Hill

Carolyn King

Mary Landrum

Ruth Musser

Sue Olsen

Bob Vann

An extensive list of prayer concerns, "Pray for One Another," is available for pickup at the church each week.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

September 9 Scottie Bales, Rachel Worley

September 10 Laura Beckner

September 11 Matt Beasey, Sally Jordan, Sara Rhea

September 12 Becky Busler, Carolyn King, Cindy Kreiss, Alice Moore,
Greer Pendley, Julia Smith, Al Thomas

September 13 Robin Moneyhun, Torey Bates Samuel, Brittany Sawyers

September 14 Sue Mumpower

September 15 Jon McClain, Roger Patrick

Church Calendar

Sunday, September 9

8:30 a.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:00 a.m. Cherub Choir

9:45 a.m. Sunday School

11:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary

5:00 p.m. Jubilate Youth Choir

6:00 p.m. Student Ministries Fellowship

Monday, September 10

5:30 p.m. Sanctuary Handbells

5:30 p.m. THS Girls' Soccer Team Dinner

7:00 p.m. Board of Deacons

7:00 p.m. Building & Grounds Committee

7:00 p.m. Worship Committee

Tuesday, September 11

9:00 a.m. Staff Meeting

10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Group

6:00 p.m. Cub Scout Pack 3, Scout Wing

7:00 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing

Wednesday, September 12

9:30 a.m. Heart to Heart Bible Study, New Mothers' Room

4:15 p.m. Children's Handbells

4:45 p.m. Youth Handbells

4:45 p.m. Savior's Singers Children's Choir

5:15 p.m. Nursery for Evening Program

5:30 p.m. Fellowship Dinner

6:00 p.m. Wednesday Night Kids

6:00 p.m. Student Ministries Small Groups

6:15 p.m. Adult Learning

7:15 p.m. Sanctuary Choir

Thursday, September 13

7:00 a.m. Men's Bible Study

8:30 p.m. Meals on Wheels

12:00 p.m. Thursday Noon Bible Study, Bristol Grind House

5:15 p.m. Finance Committee

8:15 p.m. Praise Team, Fellowship Hall

Friday, September 14

9:30 p.m. 5th Quarter, The Carters' Home