July 6

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lessons

Genesis 24:34-38; 42-40; 58-67

Matthew 11:16-30

Sermon

Heavy Burdens

David L. Welch

Hymns

O Beautiful for Spacious Skies

I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say

The Church's One Foundation

Attendance for June 29

8:30: 114; 11:00: 107

Windows

For the past decade, we of First Presbyterian Church in Bristol have answered the call to help educate the poor and underserved children of two faraway communities, the first in Brazil and the second in Ethiopia. Our global reach into these distant corners of the world was not strategically coordinated. It was God-ordained. In both instances, had God not called us as their partner, and if we had not responded, the communities would have been adversely impacted: lives would have been stifled and families would not have been strengthened.

Our connection has spanned more than ten years with the Presbyterian church and school in Felipe Camarão, a neighborhood in the city of Natal in northeastern Brazil. Originally conceived as a preschool for the poorest of the poor in this community, it has expanded to a four-year accredited institution serving the vital role of providing a firm foundation for learning in a loving and Christ-centered setting. Through our donations to build the school and to provide ongoing scholarships to cover the costs of education, we have contributed to the future of hundreds of children. We have seen many of these children grow into teenagers, continuing their education and optimistic about a bright future as adults making a difference where they live.

In Ethiopia, our involvement began in 2005 and is focused on Berhane Yesus Elementary School, whose name means "Teaching in the Light of Jesus." A K-8 school, it serves the poor and rural children of migrant laborers, farmers, and displaced groups. At BYES, students are challenged with rigorous academics, inspired to follow Christ through daily devotions, and filled with hope for a future that is free of the poverty that has encased them for generations. What seems a small contribution to us has an enormous impact in this community.

The Evangelism and Outreach Committee asks that everyone pledge their continued prayer support for these children, teachers, and communities, as together we witness God's faithfulness through continued spiritual connection.

If you would like to give a financial gift (or a pledge) of any amount to either or both of these missions, please do so by July 31. You will find pledge cards for this purpose conveniently located throughout the church and on our website, here.

Our next opportunity to serve with the Sharing Christ Ministry on State Street is July 19. We need volunteers to prepare and serve chicken casserole and marinated slaw from recipes they can get from the church office. We also need rolls for that meal, and peanut butter, jam, and sandwich bread for 80 sack lunches, as well as the Ziploc and paper bags to put them in. We also need volunteers to make the sandwiches and fill the bags.

For more information or to volunteer, call Tammy Connolly at 423-968-3831, 423-914-9848, or 276-628-7213 or email her at lconn4691@btes.tv.

We here present the highlights of our year-to-date financial summary as of May 31, followed by a tabular summary.

Highlights

• Pledges/Offerings/Reimbursements through the first five months of the year exceeded expectations by $25,420.
• Expenditures continue to track favorably to expectations, coming in through the end of May at $21,241 below budget.
• Expense Notes: (1) Interest paid to date on our Eastman Credit Union capital loan was $15,345; (2) utility expenses, year-to-date, were $27,110, which is $2,869 over budget and $2,289 more than the same time last year.
• Capital Loan: The balance with Eastman Credit Union at May 31, 2014, was $914,831.
• Anticipated Budget Shortfall: Through May 2014, we anticipated having to utilize approximately $8,300 of these funds to meet current year operating requirements. We have not had to utilize these funds.

In Our Prayers

Barbara Daniel

Dorothy Dollar

DeeDee Galliher

Juanita Goforth

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Cindy Heglar

Ann Holler

Opal Johnson

Carolyn King

Ruth Musser

Nancy Preston

Mary Rice

Brenda Rogers

Virginia Rutherford

Katy Sikorski

Faye VanNostrand

Ann Woods

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

Congratulations

We rejoice with Jane Nickels in the birth of a great-grandson, Dash Allen Myers, born June 24 to Rachel and Clint Myers.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

July 6         Kay Wiseman

July 7         Barbara Duncan

July 9         Harold Rutherford

July 10       Jan Eads, Ray Osborne

July 12       Jeff Looney, Olin Mumpower

July 13       Toni Corder, Moses Ong

July 15       George Huber, Linda Pridemore

July 16       Lisa Bailey

July 17       John Blair, Dorothy Giesler, Carol Tudor

July 18       Dot Copenhaver

Summer is the season of biweekly newsletters. The next issue of Windows will be published July 17. We will continue to publish every two weeks until we return to our normal weekly schedule on August 14. Thanks for reading!

Sunday, July 6

8:30 a.m.      Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:45 a.m.      Sunday School

11:00 a.m.   Worship, Sanctuary

12:30 p.m.   Weeklong hosting of Family Promise of Bristol begins

Monday, July 7

7:00 p.m.     Deacons Meeting, Room 123

Tuesday, July 8

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

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

Wednesday, July 9

7:30 p.m.     Praise Team Rehearsal, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, July 10

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

8:30 a.m.      Meals on Wheels, Fellowship Hall

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

Saturday, July 12

8:00 a.m.      Men's Breakfast, Fellowship Hall

Sunday, July 13

8:30 a.m.      Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:45 a.m.      Sunday School

11:00 a.m.   Worship, Sanctuary

Monday, July 14

7:00 p.m.     Building & Grounds Committee, Room 117

7:00 p.m.     Worship Committee, Room 123

Tuesday, July 15

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

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

Wednesday, July 16

7:30 p.m.     Praise Team Rehearsal, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, July 17

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

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

Saturday, July 19

4:00 p.m.     Sharing Christ Mission, State Street