First Presbyterian Church | 701 Florida Avenue | Bristol, TN 37620 | www.fpcbristol.org

Worship

September 1

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lessons

Hebrews 13:1-3, 9-15

Psalm 23

Luke 14:1-14

Sermon

Rev. Meg Flannagan

Hymns

God Is Here!

All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly

Blest Be the Tie That Binds

Anthem

O Living Bread from Heaven

Worship Count

August 25: 8:30: 139; 11:00: 106

In This Issue

Welcome to Our Newest Members!

Jam Out at Labor Day Weekend Night of Worship

What's Happening at FPC Wednesday Night

Next Sharing Christ Service Opportunity Will Be Sept. 7

FPC's Financial Summary for July 2013

Arts Series Programs Begin in October

Presbyterian Women Resume Meeting Sept. 10

We Have a Women's Bible Study for You!

Youth Rejoin Battle Sept. 15

Gotta Mow

Music Notes

Pray for One Another

Church Calendar

Windows

on First Presbyterian Church

August 29, 2013

Welcome to Our Newest Members!

PCUSA seal small

The FPC Session held a special meeting Sunday to receive new members. The happy result is that we have the following new congregants to welcome fully into our church family:

Mark and Rhonda Comer, who bring with them a daughter, Anna. Mark works in retail sales for Mahoney's of Abingdon, and Rhonda is an expeditor for OfficeMax. Anna is a third-grader at High Point Elementary School. Both Mark and Rhonda enjoy hunting and archery, and Rhonda also likes to fish and bike. They come to us from Central Presbyterian Church, where they both taught Sunday School and Rhonda served on the Christian Education Committee.

Peggy Rutherford, who comes to us from Cold Spring Presbyterian Church. She taught Sunday School in Birmingham and now lives in Bluff City. Peggy is Tom Faucette's sister.

Nathan and Whitney Singleton, whose three children are Anna Grace, Jack William, and Madeline Jane. Grace and Jack attend Haynesfield Elementary School, where she is in fourth grade and he is in first grade. Maddie is three years old. Nathan is in business-CBK Watersports and Mellow Mushroom. Whitney is a counselor with Bristol city schools who finds time to play with her kids, cook, garden, and read.

We look forward to worship and fellowship together!

Jam Out at Labor Day Weekend Night of Worship

FPC Student Ministries invites all students in sixth through twelfth grades to jam out on Sunday, September 1, with a guest band from Atlanta. Students will also enjoy interactive activities, fellowship, and dessert. This event will take place at the church from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. For more information, contact Katie Arnold, Director of Student Ministries, at karnold@fpcbristol.org or 423-764-7176.

What's Happening at FPC Wednesday Night

At 6:15 on Wednesday evenings in September, join the Rev. Elizabeth Patrick for a look at the book of Jonah. We'll enjoy its humor and consider whether we all might be a little like the runaway prophet.

Our next Fellowship Dinner, September 4 at 5:30 p.m., will feature Parma Rosa chicken pasta. Please join us in the Fellowship Hall and stay for the age-appropriate learning programs. Adults remain in the Fellowship Hall for the Adult Learning program, sixth- through twelfth-graders head upstairs to the Youth Wing for Student Ministries small-group discussions at 6:00, and Wednesday Night Kids gather at the door to the hall when they see the Kid's Time sign, also around 6:00.

Wednesday Night Kids

KaPOP! KaBoom! This week we will review what we have learned over the past three weeks about the attributes of God. If you have missed a week or two, this is a great time to catch up. Through games and new experiments, we will be reminded of God working in the life of David and the ways, we too, can experience a loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday night!

Next Sharing Christ Service Opportunity Will Be Sept. 7

Our next opportunity for service at Sharing Christ Ministry in downtown Bristol will be Saturday, September 7. We need volunteers to prepare and serve chicken casseroles, marinated slaw, green beans, and dinner rolls. We also need donations of sandwich bread, peanut butter, jam, snack cakes, and fruit for bag lunches, and volunteers to make the sandwiches and fill the bags. We estimate that we will need at least 150 dinners and 75 bag lunches. To volunteer and/or donate food, please contact Tammy Connolly at lconn4691@btes.tv.

FPC's Financial Summary for July 2013

We here present the highlights of our year-to-date financial summary as of July 31, followed by a tabular summary, both prepared by Aaron Brooks, Finance Chair.

Highlights

Pledges/Offerings/Reimbursements in the first seven months of the year exceeded expectations by $4,502.
Anticipated Budget Shortfall: Through July 2013, we anticipated having to utilize approximately $27,472 of our savings/reserves to meet current-year operating requirements. As noted, none of these funds have had to be utilized.
Expenditures continue to track favorably to expectations, coming in through the end of July at $22,733 below budget.
Expense Notes: (1) Interest paid to date on our Eastman Credit Union capital loan was $24,506, and (2) utility expenses, year-to-date, were $32,868, which is $4,116 under budget and $1,819 less than the same time last year.
Capital Loan: The balance with Eastman Credit Union at July 31, 2013, was $1,060,440.

2013	July Actual YTD ($)	July Budget YTD ($)	Over/(Under) Budget ($)
Revenue
Total Pledges	360,222	358,548	1,674
Offerings	74,859	75,950	(1,091)
Other Gifts & Income	53,596	48,972	4,624
Anticipated Budget Shortfall*	-	27,472	(27,472)
	488,677	510,942	(22,265)
Expenses
Evangelism & Outreach	16,016	17,176	(1,160)
Worship	79,741	76,810	2,931
Christian Education	118,301	126,809	(8,508)
Administration	163,683	176,107	(12,424)
Building & Grounds	88,412	91,694	(3,282)
Fellowship & Misc.	17,804	18,094	(290)
	483,957	506,690	(22,733)

Net Position:	4,720	4,252

*Anticipated Budget Shortfall is an estimated amount of money that is expected to be drawn from our reserve funds in order to fulfill our ongoing budget. Our reserve funds are limited and comprise monies from prior years that were above and beyond what was required to meet those years' respective budgets.

Arts Series Programs Begin in October

Ryan Fogg

The new season of our Sunday afternoon Art Series will begin October 20, with a recital by Dr. Ryan Fogg, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Keyboard Studies at Carson-Newman University. Ryan will play works by Poulenc, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Chopin, and Bolcom.

We greatly appreciate your prayerful consideration of support for this part of our ministry. Donations received by September 30 will help us plan the work of the Arts Series more accurately, but we are happy to receive any donation at any time. If you choose to donate, please make your check out to the church and write "Arts Series" in the memo line so that it can be properly credited.

Donations received will be acknowledged with series tickets at the following levels:

$500 4 season tickets

$250-$499 3 season tickets

$100-$249 2 season tickets

$50-$99 1 season ticket

Presbyterian Women Resume Meeting Sept. 10

Summer has flown by and it's time for Presbyterian Women to resume their monthly meetings. On Tuesday, September l0, we will gather at 11:00 a.m. for circle, then Gordon will lead our Bible study at 11:30. Lunch will follow, so be sure to make your lunch reservations with the church office. We welcome one and all!

We Have a Women's Bible Study for You!

Betsy Turnbull's Heart to Heart Bible study will resume for the fall Tuesday, September 3, at 7:00 p.m. at the church. They will start with an overview of John's gospel and a review of inductive study techniques. Participants are asked to prepare by considering the prologue (the first 18 verses of chapter 1). This group will usually meet at the church on the first and third Tuesday of each month. However, the second meeting in September may be rescheduled, so stay tuned for the latest date. Whenever you join us, feel free to invite a friend!

Lorri Looney's Wednesday Morning Heart to Heart DVD Bible Study will start back September 4 and cover twelve lessons through December 4 on Twelve Women of the Bible: Life-Changing Stories for Women Today, by Lysa TerKeurst and others. A study guide will be available at the first session for $11. This group meets weekly from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the church parlor.

Jackie Burt's HeartsBurn small group Bible study will commence their fall study with a soup and salad luncheon on Tuesday, September 10. They invite you to join them in pursuing God through the study of scripture and other materials. This fall the group will explore an invitation to the Christian spiritual life through reading and discussing Soul Feast by Marjorie J. Thompson. Weekly meetings are Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. at Jackie's home. Those able to arrive a bit early are welcomed with fellowship, coffee and tea, and sometimes treats. For more information, contact Jackie at 423-646-7405 or jburt@chartertn.net.

Lynette Wallen's Heart to Heart group resumed weekly gatherings August 14. The group has begun an inductive study of the book of John and will continue meeting weekly until early December. They meet in the New Mothers' room from 9:30 to 11:00 on Wednesday mornings. Child care is available. New members are always welcome. Please feel free to join us any week!

Youth Rejoin Battle September 15

Last week the Sunday Night Youth Fellowship began a four-part series called The Battle Within. In this series, Andy Stanley takes a look at the temptations Jesus faced in the desert, and identifies the driving forces behind the temptations we all face every day. Once we realize what the pull is behind the temptation, we can find the confidence to follow Jesus' example and respond as he did.

We started with "The Main Event," the moment when everything is on the line. On September 15, we'll move on to "In This Corner," then we'll look at "Fixing the Fight" (September 22) and "Hook and Jab" (October 6). Information is on the youth page of the FPC website and will appear in Windows the week before each new segment. Sixth- through twelfth-graders meet in the Youth Wing at 6:00 p.m.

Gotta Mow

If you spot a man zooming around the church lawn on a mower August 28-31, chances are it's Mark Mervis doing what needs to be done. Capably following suit September 4-7, Karen White-Smith and Eric Cline will keep us looking smart. To join the FPC mowing team, contact Randy Cook at 423-956-1541 or npolecook@aol.com.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir; Meg Flannagan, cantor.

Catherine Winkworth

Sunday's music: The Sanctuary Choir anthem uses an early American folk hymn-tune titled WEDLOCK; the words originally paired with the music were an extended hymn of marriage advice inspired by the creation story. The anthem text, "O Living Bread from Heaven," began as a German hymn by Johann Rist (1607-1667) and was first published in 1651. The influential translator Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) published the English version in 1858 in one of her collections of hymn translations. This music and these words have been paired and arranged by Gary Matheny; the text gives thanks and praise for the gift of life in the bread and cup.

Our middle hymn is also a pairing of text with an early American hymn-tune, but this time the words are much newer. In 1990, Sylvia Dunstan (1955-1993) was introduced at a Hymn Society conference to the hymn-tune HOLY MANNA. While on vacation at the beach after the conference, she was inspired to write the text "All Who Hunger, Gather Gladly" to go with the melody. It invites all to "taste and see the grace eternal. Taste and see that God is good."

Ding-a-lings needed! If you would like to participate in the Sanctuary Bell Choir (and yes, calling bell ringers ding-a-lings is a very old joke!), the first rehearsal will take place Monday, September 9, at 5:30 p.m. Music reading is helpful, but anyone can learn to ring. If you would like a brief private lesson to see whether or not you would be interested, contact the Feys.

Pray for One Another

Cathy Andersen

Mack Blevins

Sue Cannon

Bill Darnell

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Carolyn King

Peggy King

Mary Landrum

Bob Millard

Ruth Musser

Nancy Preston

Mary Rice

Bob Vann

Billie Whisnant

Janet Wright

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

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

Sept. 1 Sue Barr, Chuck Bolick

Sept. 2 Jillian Madison

Sept. 3 Nancy Carter, Kinser Crutchfield, Randy Van Horn

Sept. 4 Jess Beckner, Judy Slaughter

Sept. 5 Randy Cook, Jack Richardson

Sept. 6 TJ Abel, Bryce Hicks, Margaret Wade

Sept. 7 Patsy Ward

Church Calendar

Sunday, Sept. 1

8:30 a.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:00 a.m. Cherub Choir, Room 209

9:45 a.m. Sunday School

11:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary

7:00 p.m. Night of Worship (Led by Student Ministries), Fellowship Hall

Monday, Sept. 2

Church office closed for Labor Day holiday

Tuesday, Sept. 3

10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Group, Conference Room

1:30 p.m. Staff Meeting. Room 123

7:00 p.m. Betsy Turnbull's Heart to Heart Bible Study, Room 123

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

Wednesday, Sept. 4

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

9:30 a.m. Lorri Looney's DVD Bible Study, Parlor

4:15 p.m. Heart to Heart Steering Committee, Room 117

4:15 p.m. Children's Handbells, Room 212

4:45 p.m. Youth Handbells, Room 212

4:45 p.m. Savior's Singers Children's Choir, Room 209

5:15 p.m. Baby & Toddler Care, Nursery

5:30 p.m. Fellowship Dinner, Fellowship Hall

6:00 p.m. Wednesday Night Kids, Rooms 11 & 31

6:00 p.m. Student Ministries Small Groups, Youth Wing

6:15 p.m. Adult Learning, Fellowship Hall

7:15 p.m. Sanctuary Choir, Room 202

Thursday, Sept. 5

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

12:00 p.m. Noon Bible Study, Room 117

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

Friday, Sept. 6

Fall Youth Retreat, Andrews, NC

Saturday, Sept. 7

4:00 p.m. Sharing Christ Downtown Mission

Windows is a publication of First Presbyterian Church, Bristol, TN. Please direct questions and suggestions to the editor, Kathy Acuff, kacuff@fpcbristol.org.