We Welcome Our Newest Members

Please help us welcome into our church family the following new members, who joined FPC on Sunday, April 14:

Nathan Heacock, a student at King University, is a welcome face in our student fellowship, where he is a middle school advisor. That's a role that calls for an active presence, and that's what Nathan is. He enjoys bicycles, construction, and building projects, and we suspect that his favorite music is lively as well. Before coming to Bristol, Nathan was a member of Pollock Pines Community Church in Pollock Pines, CA.

Brenda and David Johnson both enjoy travel and boating, but while he's reading or watching sports, she's in the garden. During business hours, Brenda is an office manager and David works for Industrial Tool Services. Brenda joins us from Heritage Baptist Church in Johnson City, and David from Windsor Avenue Presbyterian Church. They are experienced choir members, and David has taught and superintended Sunday School. They have four grown children.

Brandi and Brad Smith have two young sons, Owen and Jack, who keep their mother busy. Brad is area director of Applebee's. He comes to us from Bethel View Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday School and served a youth ministry internship.

Rett Stocstill, Sara's spouse and Colt's father, is a former member of Columbia First United Methodist Church in Columbia, TN. We rejoice that Rett and all our new members have chosen to make FPC their church home.

Come One, Come All

Church Picnic Fun Sunday, April 28

Chuck Thompson (tug-of-war commander-in-chief), Linda Welch, Lynette Wallen, and Betsy Turnbull at last year's picnic.

Please join us for our annual church picnic on Sunday, April 28, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. We'll gather at the Rotary Shelter in Steele Creek Park to enjoy good food and fellowship in a beautiful setting. There will be games for all ages and lots of good visiting.

FPC will provide meat and beverages, and supper will be served at 5:30. Please bring a side dish with you, according to the system below:

• last name, A-H: a salad
• last name, I-P: a side
• last name, Q-Z: a dessert

Our picnics are always great fun, and we hope to see you there!

Spring Cleaning Day Set for May 11

Bach to Basics for Final Arts Series Concert

Lisa Ransom

To say that the final program in our 2012-2013 Arts Series will feature three highly regarded members of the Carolina Symphony Chamber Players is to narrow their actual scope considerably. In addition to active careers in performance at home and abroad, all three are music faculty at prestigious universities. Bristol's own Elizabeth (Lisa) Holler Ransom, flute, will be here with two of her colleagues, Jacqui Carrasco, violin, and Peter Kairoff, piano, to play a program they call Basically Bach, featuring a rich variety of chamber music by Johann Sebastian Bach.

This delightful trio of flute, violin, and piano music will take place Sunday, May 5, at 3:00 p.m. in our sanctuary. Suggested ticket donation for this program is $15 adults/$5 students ages 6 through college.

A Good Start to Hymnal Campaign

As of Wednesday, the church had received commitments for the purchase of 67 copies of Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal. This figure represents 19% of the target number of 350 hymnals to purchase for our church's worship.

Glory to God: The Presbyterian Hymnal is the successor to the most recent denominational hymnal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which was published in 1990. This new resource will feature songs from the breadth of the church, and an electronic version will allow its use in video display, as currently offered in our Fellowship Hall.

We invite contributions for copies of the new hymnal at $15 each. These gifts may be made in memory or in honor of loved ones, and the appropriate designation will be noted in a bookplate for that hymnal. Please plan now to consider those whom you would honor or memorialize through the gift of a hymnal for our church's worship. You may pick up an order form in worship on Sunday or from the church office throughout the week.

Good Deeds = Fun at Bristol Half & Half

Don't Miss Senior Sunday!

 

It's high school graduation time again! We will have an evening of celebration, sharing, and maybe a little roasting on Sunday, May 5, at 5:00 in the Fellowship Hall. Everyone is invited to this celebratory dinner. Be thinking of stories to tell about our seniors. Katie Arnold, Director of Youth Ministries, is collecting pictures for this event. If you have any photos of our seniors at past church events, please send them to karnold@fpcbristol.org by April 27.

Calling All Grads

This time of year isn't just about graduating from high school. Every year we look forward to honoring the achievements of all the new graduates among us. Please call the church office (423-764-7176) if you or a member of your family will be graduating from high school, college, or any other educational or training program this spring. We need the following information by Sunday, April 28, for our recognition efforts: graduate's name, current (not future) school or program, degree or certification earned, and field. Thank you for your help!

Life-Changing Project Focus of Sunday Youth Fellowship

Want to make a difference? Have you ever wanted to be part of something HUGE? Now is your chance! If you are in sixth through twelfth grade, this is a night you won't want to miss! Join us for Student Fellowship on April 21 as we welcome Matt Chambers with SafeWorld. Matt and SafeWorld are working on projects in a district of Uganda that is home to 178,000 people who do not have access to medical care, education, and economic development. You will be inspired as Matt shares incredible stories about what God is doing in Uganda, and the best part is that you can be part of this life-changing project! The evening begins at 6:00. Click Here for a preview!

Athens, Here We Come!

In little more than seven weeks, the Vacation Bible School crew sets sail for Athens. VBS will get under way much earlier this year, on June 10, 11, and 12. We will study Paul's second missionary journey, and we anticipate a visit from the Apostle himself. Freshen up that toga and join us as a volunteer! We have a lot to do, from stocking the marketplace shops to putting on a dinner for the final night.

Cub Scout Leaders Needed for Boys & Girls Club Outreach

As part of FPC's growing outreach through the Boys & Girls Club, we've been invited to help staff a Cub Scout pack that meets exclusively with second and third graders in the B&G Club on our campus.

We are looking for two dedicated individuals (men or women) who have a heart for children. There will be 15 to 20 boys in the pack, and they will meet weekly from August through May. All training, leaders' manuals, and monthly leader support meetings (optional) are provided.

Typical hour-long pack meetings consist of a patriotic opening (flag ceremony, a prayer or song, or a group recital of the Cub Scout Promise), a hands-on craft project or game (see the manual), achievement training (working on a badge; directions in the manual), and a closing.

If you are interested in becoming a den leader, please contact Peggy Hill at 423-956-0209 or hillp@btes.tv.

Showers, Flowers, Mowers

What doesn't belong in that series? Somewhere between rain and sun, Roger Sikorski is preparing the church lawn for Sunday services and other events between April 17 and 20. Jim White takes charge of the Tiger Cat April 24-27, and Tom King is up for May 1-4. It's a great team of volunteer mowers, but we're not exclusive. If you'd like to join, contact Randy Cook at 423-956-1541 or npolecook@aol.com.