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Worship | |
December 9
2nd Sunday of Advent
Lessons
Malachi 3:1-4
Luke 3:1-18
Sermon
Good News Either Way
Gordon A. Turnbull
Hymns
O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?
On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
Wild and Lone the Prophet's Voice
Anthem
Advent Message
Sanctuary Choir
By the Numbers
December 2: 8:30: 159; 11:00: 166 |
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Windows
on First Presbyterian Church
December 6, 2012 |
Commit Now for Ministry Next Year |
The time to act is NOW.
Our Stewardship Committee has worked throughout the year to help us ponder God's grace in the different areas of our lives. They have invited us to understand the abundance of God's grace through the areas of Temple, Time, Talent, and Treasure. We have all received gifts to use to extend Christ's ministry in specific and creative ways.
But there is more still for us to do. A new year's ministry awaits. And the vitality of that ministry depends upon our commitment.
Our current pledges toward ministry in 2013 are $498,646. That means that we are still more than $150,000 short of pledges needed just to match our 2012 amount. If we are to deepen and extend our ministry next year, we need even more.
Your pledge is essential. Financial pledges allow the church to maintain its staff, plan its programs, and extend its ministries. Without your expressed commitment, we cannot move forward responsibly. Our Session and its Finance Committee take very seriously the responsibility to approve a balanced budget, and they hope to do so by the end of 2012.
Toward that aim, we strongly encourage every member and friend of First Presbyterian Church to make a prayerful pledge of financial support for our ministry in 2013. If you have not yet mailed in your pledge, please do so by tomorrow, December 7, or as soon as possible, to enable the church to adopt a 2013 operating budget by the end of 2012.
Trusting in the richness of God's blessing in our life together, and praying for God's grace for us all,
Gordon |
Congregational Meeting for Electing Officers |
 A congregational meeting has been set for Sunday, December 16, at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. The purpose of this called meeting is the election of elders, deacons, and a trustee for the church, and to elect the corporate officers of First Presbyterian Church. Everyone is invited to attend, and all active members are allowed to speak and to vote.
The following slate will be placed in nomination at that meeting:
Elder, Class of 2015
Tom Carter
Tom Faucette
Blaine Hunigan
Parker Sword
Annette Tudor
Deacon, Class of 2015
Sujean Bradley
Sue Faucette
Will Hankins
JB Madison
Pete Stigers
Trustee, Class of 2015
Bill Wade |
Wednesday Program Update
Coming to Bethlehem |
Next Wednesday, December 12, we will reach our destination as we complete our intergenerational DVD series, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. Please join us in the Fellowship Hall at 6:00 p.m. for the final fascinating program of the scripture, history, and archaeological data associated with the birth of Jesus.
Fellowship Dinner
We look forward to your company at dinner, also in the Fellowship Hall, at 5:30 before the evening program. On the menu are a baked potato bar, salad, chicken, white chili and red chili, and pineapple upside-down cake. The volunteers helping Ruthie Blair are Emily Hyder (morning) and David and Sherry Worley and Kevin Buck (evening).
Wednesday Night Kids
It is time to celebrate the season! In the Children's Wing on December 12, we will be busy as elves decorating individual gingerbread houses. While adults and older kids complete their study, children age 4 through fifth grade are invited to gather from 6:00 to 7:00 for games and work on a gingerbread house. |
Christmas Pageant and Joy Gift Dinner |
In two weeks, on Wednesday, December 19, the children of FPC will present their annual Christmas Pageant in the sanctuary. Come hear the singing kings and see the star, the angels, the shepherds, the manger, Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Afterwards, we will repair to the Fellowship Hall for our Joy Gift Dinner. The pageant begins at 5:30 p.m. You won't want to miss this special event! |
Time to Order Poinsettias for the Christmas Season |
 Among the heralds of Christmas are red and green poinsettias. For $15 per plant, you can order pots of flourishing Euphorbia pulcherrima in Christmas colors to decorate the sanctuary from Sunday, December 16, through Christmas Eve. If you would like us to place a poinsettia in memory or in honor of someone, you may do so by turning in your money and order form to the church office during the week or by placing it in the offering plate on Sunday. The deadline for orders is Tuesday, December 11. Order forms are available in the church office and in your Sunday bulletin. You may pick up your plants anytime after the Christmas Eve service.
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Presbyterian Women Meet Tuesday |
 The Presbyterian Women will hold their monthly meeting Tuesday, December 11. We will gather at 11:00 for circle, have a Bible lesson at 11:30, then enjoy lunch together. Please make lunch reservations with the church office so that they will know how many to prepare for. And remember to bring small pretzels for Fairmount School. We look forward to seeing you!
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Student Fellowship Series
Blessed: What It Means |
Now that we've established what blessing is not (the stuff we have) and what it truly is (the relationships we possess), we are going to take this idea of blessing one step further and look at the more uncomfortable but truly remarkable side of God's idea of blessing: that God's blessings are not meant just for us but are meant to be shared. And this isn't something we are always on board with. But when we live by the truth that we are blessed in order to bless others, we suddenly realize that real blessing comes from giving ourselves completely to the God who made us. Join us December 9 as we continue to explore what it means to be blessed. Katie Arnold, Director of Student Ministries |
Student Groups' Christmas Dinners Next Weekend |
Two progressive dinners for Student Ministries Fellowship groups are coming up next weekend. Middle school students will dine in stages on Friday, December 14, and high school students will follow suit on Saturday, December 15.
Students will bring appetizers, main courses, and desserts to FPC at 6:00 p.m. on the appropriate date. They will then travel from home to home to enjoy them. After dessert, they will take part in a wild gift exchange. The plan is to return to the church by 10:00 p.m.
What students should bring:
- 6th & 9th graders: an appetizer
- 7th & 10th graders: a main course dish
- 8th, 11th & 12th graders: a dessert
- 1 gift for the gift exchange ($10 limit)
- 5 small gifts for volunteer stockings
- Friends!
Please sign up with Katie Arnold, Director of Student Ministries, and let her know what you are going to bring. For more information, contact Katie at karnold@fpcbristol.org or (770) 296-1671. Get ready for a fun night! |
Youth Ministries News
Christmas Partaaay! |
All college-age friends of FPC are invited to spend time catching up and sharing holiday cheer at the FPC Christmas Party on Sunday, December 16. Bring friends and a $10ish gift for a wild gift exchange. The party will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Arnolds' house at 1308 Hillside Avenue in Bristol. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Arnold. See you there! |
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Please Donate Pretzels for Fairmount Schoolchildren |
 During November and December, the Neighborhood Initiatives Steering Committee will be collecting boxes of pretzels for the children of Fairmount Elementary School who cannot bring their own snacks to class. Either small pretzels or little pretzel sticks will do; just put them in the Little Red House in the Fellowship Hallway. The committee will take them to the school, and the teachers will divide them into snack portions as needed.
Kay Ward, the community outreach liaison at Fairmount, has discovered that there are at least two children in each of 23 classrooms whose parents cannot give them snacks. That adds up to a need for 46 snack portions every day, a total of 230 snacks per week, or 920 snacks each month.
Your loving contribution will give dignity to children from low-income families by allowing them to enjoy snacks with their classmates, and tide them over until the end of the school day. Say a prayer of blessing as you send them on their way! |
Sign Up for Salvation Army Bell Ringing This Saturday |
Members of FPC will ring the bell for the Salvation Army this Saturday, December 8, at Wal-Mart on exit 7. Volunteers are still needed for three afternoon shifts: 12:00 to 1:00, 1:00 to 2:00, and 2:00 to 3:00. This is a fun and rewarding way to experience the gifts of the season. Individuals or families interested in participating can sign up for a shift by contacting Aaron Brooks at brooksongalway@charter.net or 423-612-0767. |
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Let's Help Bristol Keep the Flu in Check |
 Bristol Faith in Action urgently needs flu season care kits to distribute to families in need. Many items that promote health and cleanliness cannot be purchased with food stamps. Among these are disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, germ-killing sprays, and tissues. The Evangelism and Outreach Committee asks the FPC family to collect such care kits, or items for them, over the next several weeks. Please bring your donations to the church and place them in the gray bin under the steps in the Music Wing. Thank you!
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From Steve & Vicki Fey Music Notes | |
Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir; Candace Whitner, organ prelude. Candace is one of our Sanctuary Choir scholarship students and a King College organ student of Vicki Fey.
Sunday's music: Combining texts in the King James Version from Isaiah 40:3 and Revelation 22:20, composer Martin How (b. 1931), in the Sanctuary Choir anthem "Advent Message," has created a stirring call to rejoice in the coming Messiah who is celebrated at Christmas, with the recognition that Christ will come again. British musician How served for many years on the staff of the Royal School of Church Music, where he was instrumental in the development of the widely used Chorister Training Scheme, which has been used worldwide in the development of young singers. In his retirement he serves as an honorary member of the staff of the Croydon Minster in London and continues to compose.
Gift of music: The Sanctuary Choir, accompanied by organ, flute, and cello, will present a gift of music to the whole congregation on Sunday, December 16: an 11:00 service of lessons and carols. Alternating scripture readings and related anthems, we will begin with the ancient text "Adam Lay Ybounden" in a recent musical setting and progress to the verse from John 1, "In the beginning was the Word," set as a spiritual. We invite you to join us in worship.
Christmas pageant: One more chance! All children age 4 through grade 5 are invited to take part in our annual Christmas pageant, to be held Wednesday, December 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. The final rehearsal will be Wednesday, December 12, at 4:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.
Programs of note: 'Tis the season! Don't miss Bristol Ballet's "Drosselmeyer's Nutcracker" and "Cool Christmas." Dancing the Sugarplum Fairy at the Paramount Center will be our own Erin Ginn. Dates are Friday & Saturday, December 7 & 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 9, at 2:30 p.m. On the Virginia side of Bristol, the Virginia Middle School Band will present a holiday concert this Sunday, December 9, at 3:00 p.m. in the school auditorium. On the Tennessee side, the elementary bands and Vance Middle School Band will present a concert in the Vance gym on Monday, December 10, at 7:00 p.m. Then, on Tuesday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m. the Tennessee High School Band will present a concert of music for the season in the high school auditorium. You will see several of our children and youth in all of those ensembles.
Journey's End: Bristol's tradition of "Las Posadas" ("The Inns") will take place downtown on Tuesday, December 18, at 6:30 p.m. Various choirs will be in front of downtown restaurants as we recreate the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. |
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In Our Prayers
Cathy Andersen
Mack Blevins
Jim Bowdoin
Becky Busler
Sue Cannon
Dorothy Dollar
Mary Nell Harris
Sharon Hatcher
Carolyn King
Mary Landrum
Ruth Musser
Jay Regan
Mary Rice
Sam Samuel
Deborah Whitaker
An extensive list of prayer concerns, "Pray for One Another," is available for pickup at the church each week.
Birthday Prayer Fellowship
December 9 Rees Burt, Elizabeth Matzner
December 10 Linda Darnell
December 11 Tina Witcher
December 13 Jon Austin Harr
December 14 Jim Mayden, Wendy Olson
December 15 Jim Arnold, Lou Hebb, Laynie Richardson |
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Sunday, December 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. Youth Choir
6:00 p.m. Student Ministries Fellowship, Youth Wing
Monday, December 10
7:00 p.m. Building & Grounds Committee, Room 117
Tuesday, December 11
9:00 a.m. Staff Meeting
10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Group
11:00 a.m. Presbyterian Women Business Meeting, Room 123
11:30 a.m. Presbyterian Women Bible Study, Room 123
12:00 p.m. Presbyterian Women Luncheon, Parlor
6:00 p.m. Cub Scout Pack 3, Scout Wing
7:00 p.m. Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing
7:00 p.m. Heart to Heart Bible Study, Room 123
Wednesday, December 12
4:00 p.m. Youth Handbells
4:30 p.m. Christmas Pageant Rehearsal, Sanctuary
5:15 p.m. Baby & Toddler Nursery
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. Intergenerational Learning: Journey to Bethlehem
7:15 p.m. Sanctuary Choir
Thursday, December 13
7:00 a.m. Men's Bible Study
8:30 a.m. Meals on Wheels
12:00 p.m. Thursday Noon Bible Study, Bristol Grind House
5:15 p.m. Finance Committee, Room 123
8:15 p.m. Praise Team, Fellowship Hall
Friday, December 14
6:00 p.m. Middle School Progressive Christmas Dinner
8:00 p.m. King College Choir Christmas Concert, Sanctuary
Saturday, December 15
6:00 p.m. High School Progressive Christmas Dinner |
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