Christmas Eve Candlelight Service Monday Night

Four Things You Can Do

The end of 2012 is close at hand, and our leaders and staff are working hard to complete our work for the year and plan for the year ahead. As we finish this year, here are four things that each of us can do to strengthen the church's ministry.

Fulfill our 2012 commitment. Have you fulfilled your pledge for 2012? If you are not sure, feel free to call Betsy Galliher at the church for an update on your pledge status.

Consider extra giving. Many people choose to remember or honor loved ones with special gifts to the church at Christmas. Others plan significant donations to worthy causes at year's end. Please consider First Presbyterian Church with this kind of year-end, "above-and-beyond" giving.

Pledge for 2013. Our budget for 2013 depends mainly upon pledged offerings; we cannot plan responsibly for ministry without these commitments. If you know that you want to support Christ's ministry through our church, please communicate that desire by submitting a pledge toward our work together.

Pray for the church. All of the material aspects of our ministry are subordinate to the spiritual dimension of our life together. Please join in asking God to enrich our life and direct our work together so that every aspect of our ministry glorifies the Lord whom we serve.

Thank you for your continued commitment to the ministry of Jesus Christ through our church.

Congregational Meeting to Elect Officers This Sunday

Church Office Holiday Hours

Sharretts to Speak about Bulgarian Mission

Men's Retreat Coming Up in January

Student Ministries Fellowship

Let's Go Ice Skating!

Middle school and high school students are invited to go ice skating on Wednesday, January 9. We will meet at the church at 5:30 p.m. We will have pizza and then go ice skating. Bring $5. This is going to be fun! Contact Katie Arnold if you have any questions.

Registration Deadline: January 6

High School Ski Retreat Scheduled for February

Children's Ministries News

Dirty Jobs of Bethlehem

In Kids' Kirk, we are learning about the "Dirty Jobs of Bethlehem." This Sunday and next, folk who worked at some of those dirty jobs will visit us and give us their perspective on the birth of a child in the stable.

We will hold Kids' Kirk at both the early and the late service on December 23 and 30. Come join us as we look at the Christmas story through different eyes:

December 23, "Proclaim the News." We will meet a shepherd who sleeps out at night with his dirty sheep, often sleeping across the entrance to the sheepfold to keep the flock in and the wild animals out. Imagine the dark, quiet night suddenly illuminated by an angel! 

December 30, "Worship the King." We will meet a camel keeper and hear about the hard work of loading and unloading the camels and getting them enough to drink. The wise men the camels carry have to make a decision after finding the baby.

Wednesday Night Kids Finish Semester Creatively

Our children ended the fall semester 

Detail of Creation Tower.

with a feast, a tower, and gingerbread houses. They began building a seven-level tower in mid-August to illustrate God's careful planning of creation. Each level of the tower represents a day in the familiar creation story from the first chapter of Genesis. On December 5, they unveiled their tower in the Fellowship Hall.

After dinner, they celebrated with a Creation Feast in the Children's Wing. They enjoyed a firmament of cookies, a rainbow of fruit, candied mice, fish crackers, a forest

Bug cupcake, anyone?

of broccoli, and a blue Jell-O ocean with fish. They washed down bug cupcakes with blue ocean water. All the while they celebrated God's plan for creation and his plan for his children.

Building a gingerbread house concentrates the mind wonderfully. And when it's finished, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Our First Family Promise Service Opportunity of the New Year

Mark your calendars for January 13-30, 2013, for Family Promise of Bristol at First Presbyterian Church! It is time, once again, to serve homeless families in our area at our church. Families will be arriving on Sunday evening, January 13, to begin a week of staying at FPC (we provide food and shelter during the evening and nights). If you are interested in participating as a volunteer or want to know more about this ministry, please contact Chris or Jennifer Kennedy at jenniferchisler@hotmail.com or 423-383-2535.

There are many ways to help!

• Provide prepared foods for breakfast or lunch
• Provide an evening meal
• Serve as an Evening Host (be at the church from 5:30 to 8:30 one evening and eat dinner with the families)
• Serve as an Overnight Host (spend the night at the church from 8:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.)

Scottie Bales is the Food Coordinator; contact her at 423-360-5357 if you can contribute food or help prepare a meal. Nancy Allerton is the Evening Host Coordinator; contact her at nja0510@gmail.com or 423-612-0051 if you are willing to spend an evening with our families. Dawn Eubanks Gross is the Overnight Coordinator; contact her at alexjean7@yahoo.com or 423-534-4758 if you are willing to spend the night at the church with our families.

We are excited to be involved with this ministry and we are looking forward to another week of service and giving to help families in need! Won't you join us? Chris and Jennifer Kennedy

Bristol Faith in Action Needs More Flu Fighters

Bristol Faith in Action urgently needs more 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 & 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!