On Wednesday, February 5, our adult learning program will be about Food for the Poor, an interdenominational ministry that feeds hundreds of thousands of people every day. Come hear Daniel Otto, a retired pastor of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, tell us firsthand about this mission and its work of providing housing, health care, education, fresh water, emergency relief, and micro-enterprise assistance throughout the Caribbean and Latin America.

Before joining Food for the Poor, Pastor Otto served churches in New Orleans; Gary, Indiana; Niagara Falls, New York; and Nashville, where he now lives. During that time, he also served as a circuit counselor and as a member of four district boards of directors, as first vice-president in two districts, and on numerous boards, committees, and task forces of the synod.

Come to the Fellowship Hall at 5:30 for camaraderie and conversation over a warming meal of chili and potatoes before the 6:15 program. Student Fellowship small groups and Wednesday Night Kids will meet separately at 6:00.

Artist: Benjamin McPherson

Wednesday Night Kids

We will continue our adventures in the Middle Ages, as an illusionist gives us a lesson in trust in "Counting on Me." We will study Proverbs 3:5 and Matthew 14:22-23, the story of Jesus walking on water. Please join us!

Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday

There will be more than one super bowl this Sunday, February 2. The first will be the annual Souper Bowl of Caring, which helps feed the poor in our community. Look for the donation pots after worship, and please give generously. Make checks payable to First Presbyterian Church and write "hunger" on the memo line. All monies donated will go to Bristol Emergency Food Pantry. Please join us to support this much-needed local ministry, then enjoy Super Bowl XLVIII!

Super Bowl Parties for Students Sunday Night

Super Bowl parties will take the place of the regular Sunday Night Student Fellowship this Sunday, February 2. The high school party will be held from 6:00 p.m. till the end of the game, at the Pruner home. The middle school party will be from 6:00 p.m. till halftime, at the Brooks home. Be there!

Men's Breakfast This Saturday

The men of the church will meet as usual on the first Saturday of the month for study over breakfast at 8:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. All men of FPC and their friends are welcome. For more information, contact Dave Welch.

Surrender to the Women's Retreat, March 7-9

The Lord will fight for you today, you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Invite a friend and get away for the weekend at our annual Women's Retreat! Join us March 7-9 for a weekend of sharing and exploring led by Christian speaker Ronda Paulson.

Our theme this year is "Surrender," and Ronda will help us consider why we as women struggle with letting go. This weekend will challenge us to surrender all aspects of our lives to God as we consider the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Ronda believes that God calls us to surrender to Him, no matter how difficult the circumstances of our lives.

Over the weekend we will have time for Bible-based sharing and exploring, individual contemplation, connecting with other women in small-group discussions, shopping, hiking, napping, fellowship, and stillness. Bring along a mug for the mug exchange!

Ronda Paulson

About Our Speaker

Ronda Paulson is an adjunct professor of biology at Milligan College, where she also coaches cheer and dance. She travels the country speaking to women's groups as well as to teenagers. She has published her first book, Why God Made Colic: A First-Time Mother's Journey, and is working on her second book, I Love You More Than Chocolate. Ronda is married to Corey, and they have two children, Sophie, 11, and Mac, 7.

If you struggle with relinquishing control to God, you will not want to miss Ronda's teaching. She will remind us that with surrender comes glorious freedom in Christ.

Prices and Lodging

The price for the retreat includes two nights' lodging and five meals. A $25 deposit will reserve your place. Scholarship assistance is available. We will gladly accept donations to help provide scholarships and underwrite the cost of the retreat.

The cost of the weekend if you stay in a private room is $188; if you double up, $128; and in a room for three, $110. Handicapped-accessible rooms are available on request. For information about the Blowing Rock Conference Center, see www.brccenter.org.

Retreat Schedule

Friday evening		Saturday morning		Saturday afternoon & evening		Sunday morning
4:00-7:00	Check in	8:00	Breakfast	1:00-6:00	Free time	8:30	Breakfast
6:00-7:30	Informal dinner	9:00-10:15	"Surrendering Your Food & Finances"	6:00	Dinner	9:15-10:30	Conclusion & worship
7:30-8:30	Welcome, worship, "Surrender"	10:30-11:30	Small groups	7:00-8:15	"Surrendering Our Selfishness"	10:30	Clean up & depart
8:45-9:30	Small groups	11:30-11:45	Mug exchange	8:30-9:30	Small groups
9:30	Fellowship	12:00	Lunch	9:30	Fellowship

Heart to Heart Read & Feed Planned for Feb. 8

What: Annual Read & Feed

Date: Saturday, February 8

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: 134 Trammell Road

Plan to join us for the Heart to Heart Read & Feed, our Women's Ministries' annual book review session and soup smorgasbord. We promise you great food and fellowship as we gather in Jennifer Kennedy's home for this popular event. Three women will share their thoughts on books that can encourage and challenge us in our lives of faith. As we nourish our minds, we'll feed our bodies delicious soups and salads. Remember to invite a friend! Please call the church office at 423-764-7176 or e-mail Jane Prater at jprater@fpcbristol.org to let us know you can attend.

We are happy to provide child care for this event. Please notify us as above to let us know the number and ages of children to expect. Please pack a lunch for your children.

In case of inclement weather, this event will be canceled or moved to the FPC Fellowship Hall. Check our Facebook page or call Betsy Turnbull at 423-878-9523, if you're unsure of the plans!

Heart to Heart DVD Bible Study to Resume

Lorri Looney's Heart to Heart DVD Bible study will resume February 5 with Beth Moore's six-week study, Sacred Secrets. The group plans to finish the spring semester with Priscilla Shirer's seven-week study, Gideon, beginning March 26. The group will meet from 9:30 to 11:30 each Wednesday morning through May 7, with a spring break on March 19. The meetings will take place this semester in the Friendship Classroom. All women of FPC and their friends are warmly invited to join this group at any point.

Writer Patricia Hampl to Give Buechner Lecture at FPC Saturday

Patricia Hampl

FPC once again welcomes the annual Buechner Lectureship, to be presented this Saturday, February 1, by the noted writer, lecturer, and educator Patricia Hampl. Hampl first gained recognition for her 1981 memoir about her Czech heritage, A Romantic Education, and she has received both a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship. She has been a nominee for the National Book Critics Circle Award for General Nonfiction, and her latest memoir, The Florist's Daughter, was named to the New York Times' "100 Notable Books of the Year." She teaches in the MFA program at the University of Minnesota.

At 4:00 p.m., she will be interviewed by Jennifer Holberg, professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and chair of the Buechner Institute's National Advisory Board. Hampl will deliver the Buechner Lecture at 7:00 p.m. Both events will be held in the Fellowship Hall. Admission is free.

Organ Concert at FPC Feb. 9

ASU Organ Studio

Students of the organ studio of Joby Bell, organ professor at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, will present the next performance in the FPC Arts Series Sunday, February 9, at 3:00 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Bell has served on the faculty at ASU since 2004. He teaches all the organ students and coordinates the church music curriculum. His teaching specializes in memorization and practice techniques, service playing, choral accompanying, and maintaining grace under pressure.

The following students are scheduled to perform February 9:

Nathan Brickman, of Lenoir, North Carolina, is director of music for St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in his hometown.
Jake Hill, of Yadkinville, North Carolina, is an organ performance and sacred music major who serves as organist for the First Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Caroline Kimrey, of Albemarle, North Carolina, is a piano major with a concentration in sacred music. This is her senior year, and she plans to study choral conducting in graduate school.
Justin Shaver, also of Albemarle, has been a member of the ASU Gospel Choir as well as music director of Laurel Street Baptist Church in Albemarle. He hopes to become a church organist.
Rodney Ward, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a recent graduate of ASU in both sacred music and organ performance. He is the organist for the First Baptist Church of Lenoir.
Shane Watson, from Deep Gap, North Carolina, is studying organ performance and sacred music. He has been a member of several musical ensembles, including the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra and the Appalachian State Marching Mountaineers.

Together in All Kinds of Weather

Polar vortex or Polar Express, when the weather becomes arctic or makes driving difficult, FPC will follow the lead of the Bristol, Tennessee, city schools. Please tune in to a local radio or television broadcast to learn what that may be. We will make every effort to gather for worship, even in the case of extremely severe weather.

Church Doors Now Locked during the Day

To increase the security of our building and the safety of our church members, visitors, and staff, the main doors to the church and church office will now normally be locked during business hours. Our regular office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Fridays.

The buzzer and intercom are two separate units to the right of the glass double doors to the office wing in the front breezeway. Instructions on how to enter are posted on the right-hand door. When the light in the center of the lower black rectangle is green, the doors are unlocked. When the light is red, the doors are locked. If you see a red light, push the intercom button in the upper black rectangle, wait a few seconds while we answer, then tell us who you are. You will hear two loud clicks as the doors unlock. If you have any questions, or need help, please contact Dave Welch directly, at 423-764-7176 or dwelch@fpcbristol.org.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir.

Omer Westendorf

Sunday's music: The Sanctuary Choir anthem, "Gift of Finest Wheat," is an arrangement of the hymn of the same name. With words by Omer Westendorf (1916-1997) and music by Robert E. Kreutz (1922-1996), it was the winner of a hymn competition for a worship gathering that took place in Philadelphia in 1976, thus the tune name BICENTENNIAL. About the hymn, one author writes, "Like the sacrament it celebrates, it gathers many connections from a host of multiple images - hungry heart, finest wheat, saving Lord, bread of life, shepherd, sheep, family, rejoicing, praise, gratitude, blood of Christ outpoured, one cup, one loaf, one body, the mystery that Christ's presence cannot be contained in the world but dwells with us, God's giving to us, and our service to others." The arrangement is by John Ferguson (b. 1941), recently retired music professor at St. Olaf College.

Programs of Note: The Paramount Chamber Players will enrich the musical life of our community by playing three identical programs in three locations this weekend. Performances take place Friday, January 31, at 7:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church in Kingsport; Saturday, February 1, at 7:30 p.m., at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol; and Sunday, February 2, at 3:00 p.m., as part of the Spencer-Miller Memorial Concert Series at Sinking Spring Presbyterian Church in Abingdon. Music by composers Gerald Finzi, John Harbison, Claude Debussy, and W. A. Mozart will be presented by the Players and guest pianist Dr. Chih-Long Hu of ETSU.

Arts Series: Coming soon! A program of organ music will be presented by Appalachian State University professor Dr. Joby Bell and several of his students on Sunday, February 9, at 3:00 p.m. Suggested ticket donation is $10 for adults and $5 for students ages 6 through college. A screen will be set up in front of the sanctuary and a stationary camera will be placed in the balcony to enable the audience to see the organists. We are blessed with one of the finest instruments in this region and are pleased to be able to share it with other organists.

Pray for One Another

In Our Prayers

Mack Blevins

Frances Caldwell

Sue Cannon

Jane Crewey

DeeDee Galliher

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Ann Holler

Carolyn King

Mary Landrum

Ruth Musser

Nancy Preston

Mary Rice

Virginia Rutherford

Bob Vann

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

Congratulations

We rejoice with Ann Abel in the birth of a granddaughter, Lucy Elizabeth Abel, on January 27. Proud parents are Elizabeth and Todd Abel of Boone, North Carolina.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

February 2 Geneva King, Isabelle Ladd

February 3 Josh Pruner

February 4 John Graham

February 5 Hanna Burnett, Harriette Massengill

February 6 Amanda Wilder

February 7 Sophie Dollar

Memorial Gifts

Gifts have been made in memory of the following individuals:

Jim Bowdoin: by Mrs. Lillian Gibson, to the Memorial Fund

Bill Darnell (husband of Linda Darnell): by Chad Crowder & family, to the Memorial Fund; by Mr. & Mrs. Tom Daniel, to the Minister's Discretionary Fund; by Mrs. Peggy Peters, to the Minister's Discretionary Fund

George King: by Bill & Helen Arthur, to the Missionary Support Fund; by Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Blevins Jr., to the Arts Series Fund; by Mr. & Mrs. Tom Daniel, to the Minister's Discretionary Fund; by Mr. & Mrs. Myers Massengill, to the Arts Series Fund; by Mrs. Peggy Peters, to the Minister's Discretionary Fund

Dr. Robert L. Vann: by Mrs. Lillian Gibson, to the Honorarium/Memorial Fund

Janet Wright: by Mr. & Mrs. Tom Daniel, to the Minister's Discretionary Fund; by Mrs. Peggy Peters, to the Minister's Discretionary Fund

Church Calendar

Sunday, February 2

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. High School Super Bowl Party, Pruner Home

6:00 p.m. Middle School Super Bowl Party, Brooks Home

Monday, February 3

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

7:00 p.m. Board of Deacons, Room 123

Tuesday, February 4

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

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

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, February 5

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, Friendship Classroom

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

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

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

Thursday, February 6

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

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

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

Saturday, February 8

11:00 a.m. Heart to Heart Read & Feed, Jennifer Kennedy's Home

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