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

September 22

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lessons

James 1:12-16

Luke 22:39-46

Sermon

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Gordon A. Turnbull

Hymns

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Lord Jesus, Think on Me

Fight the Good Fight

Anthems

Jesu, Grant Me This, I Pray

Kittery

Worship Count

Sept. 15: 8:30: 156;
11:00: 105

In This Issue
Devotional Focus Undergirds Stewardship Season
Mission Festival Set for Sunday, Sept. 29
Heart to Heart Fall Gathering: Choose Life
What's Happening at FPC Wednesday Night
FPC Care Shepherds Need You!
Fairmount Snack Program Resumes
Sunday Night Youth: Fixing the Fight
Next 5th Quarter Party Will Be at FPC!
Mowing across the Cusp
Music Notes
Pray for One Another
Church Calendar

Windows

on First Presbyterian Church

September 19, 2013

Devotional Focus Undergirds Stewardship Season

This Sunday our Stewardship Committee will kick off our churchwide reflection on the truth that "God's Astounding Grace Deserves Our Unending Gratitude." This theme for our reflection recognizes that God's goodness to us precedes and exceeds our devotion to God. Anything that we return to God-in giving, service, or praise-comes in response to God's prior gift to us. Claiming God's grace allows us to live confidently and generously in service to God in the world.

At each service this Sunday, September 22, worshipers will be offered a daily devotional booklet on this theme. The month of devotional reflections come from fellow members of the church. Together they offer a radiant witness of thoughtful testimony on grace and gratitude to enrich each day's worship through our Stewardship Dedication on Sunday, October 20.

Mission Festival Set for Sunday, Sept. 29

Our Evangelism & Outreach Committee has a big day planned for us next week, a Mission Festival celebrating our church's local and global outreach in the mission of Jesus Christ. Our Mission Festival will involve mission-themed worship in each morning service on Sunday, September 29, plus a dinner and program for all ages that evening.

Marilyn Borst

Our guest speaker for the Mission Festival will be Marilyn Borst, Associate Director for Partnership Development for The Outreach Foundation. Marilyn's work involves much travel, building relationships in the Middle East, and implementing new strategies for engaging small churches in global mission. Prior to her work with The Outreach Foundation, Marilyn served as Director of Global Ministry at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, overseeing international partnerships in more than 33 countries.

The evening program will feature a congregational dinner at 5:00 p.m., followed by a keynote message from Marilyn and breakout sessions for more learning about our church's mission efforts. The evening will offer a separate children's track, with learning and hands-on activities about local outreach and global mission. Plan to share in a rich and inspiring day of worship and learning on Sunday, September 29.

Heart to Heart Fall Gathering: Choose Life 

Choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days.

What:                     Dinner with program to follow

Who Presents:    Jackie Burt, Physician

                                  Linda Stollings, Certified Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach

When:                    Thursday, October 3

                                  5:30-7:30 p.m.

Where:                  Chapel

Heart to Heart, a women's ministry of First Presbyterian Church, invites you to join us for a fall gathering to consider how we as women can encourage one another to choose the abundant life to which God calls us. On Thursday, October 3, Jackie Burt and Linda Stollings will lead us in an evening that explores the physical and spiritual dimensions of wellness as they affect women throughout their life. Join us for great information about physical health, nutrition, and fitness and how all three relate to God's instruction that we must "choose life."

John's gospel tells us that Jesus comes that we might "have life and have it abundantly." Do you need prodding to help you choose this abundant life? Join us as we spur one another on in this quest for life that is truly life.

Invite a friend and let us know that you can join us by emailing Jane Prater at jprater@fpcbristol.org or calling the church office at 423-764-7176. You can also respond on our Heart to Heart Facebook page. We will happily provide child care; just let us know how many children to expect and be sure to pack a supper for your child.

-Deuteronomy 30:19-20

What's Happening at FPC Wednesday Night

 

Next Wednesday evening, September 25, at 5:30, we will enjoy Snow on the Mountain at our Fellowship Dinner. You'll want to stay to hear the Rev. Elizabeth Patrick wrap up our tour of the book of Jonah at 6:15. Sixth- through twelfth-graders will head upstairs to the Youth Wing for Student Ministries small-group discussions at 6:00, and Wednesday Night Kids will gather at the door to the hall when they see the Kid's Time sign, also around 6:00.

Wednesday Night Kids

What do cabbage juice, Alka-Seltzer, coffee filters, and a game of "What's the Consequences?" teach us about a God who is just? We will learn about King David committing a great sin and how the God who loved him responded to his wrongdoing. Learning that our God is just is both a comfort and a warning. We are comforted that we will always be treated fairly. However, it is a reminder that there are consequences to our actions. Come join us Wednesday night, as we experiment and learn more about our God who is always fair.

First Presbyterian Care Shepherds Need You!

The goal of FPC's Care Shepherd ministry is to show Christian love and care to those of our church family who are in need. Opportunities for volunteering include providing meals to those just home from the hospital, sending a card or making a phone call to someone in a special care facility, and providing comfort in other situations.

Volunteers serve one month at a time on a Care Shepherd team that coordinates the needs of the congregation for that month. We are humbly seeking volunteers to serve in October, November, December, and January.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Lorri Looney at jeffandlorri@msn.com or 423-573-1676.

Fairmount Snack Program Resumes

School is back in session, and that means it's time to perk up the hungry students in our neighborhood school who can't afford to buy snacks to see them through the afternoon. We are now collecting small pretzels. The small sticks and the small curved pretzels are best for fitting into snack-sized portions for our Fairmount Elementary kids. As before, please place your contributions in the little red schoolhouse in the Fellowship Hallway. Thank you!

Sunday Night Youth: Fixing the Fight

This week the Sunday Night Youth Fellowship takes up the third segment of The Battle Within. We are taking a good look at the temptations Jesus faced in the desert and identifying 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.

September 22: Fixing the Fight

Bottom Line: We are tempted to believe we know how God works and how we think we can work him.

In the boxing world, sometimes things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes the winner is known before anyone walks into the ring. Sometimes the outcome is predetermined by a person who has manipulated things behind the scene. Sometimes a fighter takes a dive. Sometimes a boxer throws the fight. And sometimes each of us tries to work things in our fight with temptation. Who or what we are manipulating isn't the temptation, it's God. Join us for the blow-by-blow analysis. Sixth- through twelfth-graders meet in the Youth Wing at 6:00 p.m.

Next 5th Quarter Party Will Be at FPC!

All high school students are invited to 5th Quarter, the after-party following Tennessee High School home football games. They will be held at Katie and Brad's home, except for the September 27 5th Quarter, which will be at the church. Later 5th Quarter dates are October 4 and 18 and November 1.

Students are welcome to bring friends and enjoy fellowship around a bonfire with s'mores and games. Parents are asked to assist with supplying snacks and drinks. Drivers are asked to be courteous to neighbors as they park in the neighborhood.

Mowing across the Cusp

Jim White undertakes the final mowing duties of summer September 18-21, and Tom King (September 25-28) the first of fall. Mowing continues through October and, depending on the weather, maybe even into November. Contact Randy Cook at 423-956-1541 or npolecook@aol.com to find out how you can help.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir.

Sunday's music: The Sanctuary Choir will offer two anthems this week as the series of sermons on the Lord's Prayer is completed. The first, "Jesu, Grant Me This, I Pray," is the combined work of a number of folks, all English. The melody is by noted composer Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625), the text is a translation by H. W. Baker (1821-1877) of a 17th-century Latin poem, and the arrangement is by C. H. Kitson (1874-1944). The words are a plea for protection against temptation, and the musical setting reinforces the quiet confidence that Jesus will guide and direct us through all adversity.

The second anthem, "Kittery," comes from the pen of William Billings (1746-1800), a native of Boston. He was a primarily self-taught musician and composer and the creator of the song "Chester" which, after ""Yankee Doodle," was probably the most popular patriotic song of the American Revolutionary War. "Kittery" is a setting of the first lines of a poetic version of the Lord's Prayer, paraphrased by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady, authors of a psalter first published in England in 1696. This work is typical of Billings's vigorous and rough-edged style, and is joyous as it praises almighty God. 

Adult handbell rehearsals are Mondays at 5:45 p.m.

Sanctuary Bells reminder: The Sanctuary Bell Choir initiated the program year with a rehearsal Monday, September 9. Our Monday rehearsal time is now 15 minutes later than previously scheduled, at 5:45 p.m. If you've always wanted to play bells but not had the time until now, come join us!

Program of note: Organist and composer Bob Greene will present Favourites for Organ Sunday, September 22, at 3:00 p.m. at State Street United Methodist Church. Assisting him will be tenor Robert Matthews and narrator Sam Cox. This program is free and open to the public.

Pray for One Another

In Our Prayers

Cathy Andersen

Mack Blevins

Sue Cannon

Bill Darnell

DeeDee Galliher

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Carolyn King

Mary Landrum

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.

 

Condolences

Our love and sympathy are with the family of Jim Nickels, who died Tuesday, September 17. Jim is the son of Jane Nickels and the brother of Sharon Ratliff.

 

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

Sept. 22      Elizabeth Blankenship, Rachel Cherry, Ann Holler, Jason Mumpower

Sept. 23      Stephen Welch

Sept. 24      Andrew Beck

Sept. 25      Matt Richardson

Sept. 26      Henry Linderman

Sept. 27      Melissa Odom, Jessica Rogers, Mark Shumate

Sept. 28      Pat Criswell, Will Davis, Kelley Mayden

Church Calendar

Sunday, Sept. 22

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

5:00 p.m.     Jubilate Youth Choir, Music Wing

6:00 p.m.     Student Ministries Fellowship, Youth Wing

Monday, Sept. 23

5:45 p.m.     Sanctuary Handbells, Handbell Room

7:00 p.m.     Session, Room 123

Tuesday, Sept. 24

9:00 a.m.      Staff Meeting. Room 123

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

1:00 p.m.     Women's HeartsBurn Bible Study, Jackie Burt's Home

6:00 p.m.     Venture Crew

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

Wednesday, Sept. 25

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.     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. 26

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. 27

9:30 p.m.     5th Quarter, FPC

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