Many of our congregation will remember Iraqi "Pastor H," who shared about his life and service within the National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Iraq at our first Wednesday evening program a year ago.

In recent weeks, we have heard of his church's response to Christians and others from Mosul and neighboring cities and towns who have been displaced. The Presbyterian Church in Kirkuk, which is about 100 miles from Mosul in a stable Kurdish-controlled area, is currently sheltering twelve families (about 60 people) in their church compound and helping another 200 in another compound nearby.

Please join in prayer for our brothers and sisters, those who provide relief, and especially those who are displaced.

If you feel led to offer financial support for this relief effort, our church will be receiving a special offering this Sunday, August 31. Checks should be noted "Iraq Relief."

Session Meets to Receive New Members Sept. 14

PCUSA seal small There will be a special meeting of the First Presbyterian Church Session to receive new members Sunday, September 14, at 10:20 a.m., in the chapel. Anyone who wishes to join FPC is invited to attend.

New Prayer Room Offers Privacy

A short while ago, there was a comment in one of the adult Sunday School classes that went something like this: "Wouldn't it be nice to have a small room at the church where we could come to pray? You know, there are times when I just feel like coming to the church to pray."

Of course, prayer can happen anywhere, but if you are led to have a special place in the church to pray, you may find it in the former Family Room (right off the chapel), which has been transformed into a Prayer Room for those who would like to have a quiet, private place to pray.

The Prayer Room is available during regular church business hours, except on Thursday mornings, when the space is used by Community Bible Study. Church business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, except Fridays, when the offices close at 1:00 p.m.

Bibles, inspirational literature, and other resources have been placed in the room for spiritual comfort and guidance. No reservations needed. Come as you are!

Join Us Wednesday Evening for Ephesians 3

In our next Wednesday evening program, Dave Welch will lead a discussion of the third chapter of Ephesians, as we continue our churchwide study of Paul's epistle to the Christian community at Ephesus. Please join us for this adult learning session at 6:20 p.m., September 3, in the Fellowship Hall. Come early and enjoy intergenerational fellowship over a shared meal at 5:30. Student Fellowship small groups and Wednesday Night Kids will meet separately at 6:00. We are looking forward to an evening of fellowship and learning with you!

Volunteers Needed

We are looking for once-a-month volunteers to prepare food, set tables, and clean up on Wednesdays. We feed approximately 140 people at each dinner. For more information or to volunteer, contact Ruthie Blair at 423-797-1815 or Ruthiebblair@gmail.com.

This Saturday, August 30, is the deadline for registering for the Beth Moore simulcast to be live-streamed at Central Christian Church. The event is scheduled for Saturday, September 13. Sign-in and fellowship will begin at 8:30 a.m., announcements at 9:15, and the all-day simulcast at 9:30.

The registration fee of $20 is also due this Saturday. It includes the simulcast, a listening guide, and a sandwich lunch. You can pick up a registration form at FPC or register at www.cccbristol.com, where online payment is an option. If you write a check, please make it payable to Central Christian Church and write "Beth Moore Simulcast" on the memo line. Send mail to Central Christian Church, ATTN: Beth Moore Simulcast, 424 Melrose Street, Bristol, TN 37620. For more information, contact Carolee Hacker at 423-383-6232 or cwh6232@gmail.com.

Elizabeth Patrick's Bible Study Begins Wednesday

Beginning next Wednesday, September 3, Elizabeth Patrick will lead a new women's Bible study that will consider the virtue of contentment through a study of scripture, guided by Laurie Cole's There Is a Season: Experiencing Contentment in Every Season of Life.

Through a combination of group Bible study, mutual sharing, and audio messages, group members will examine the different seasons of their own lives, seek to be honest about their own level of contented living, and learn principles to help them live contentedly in all seasons and circumstances.

This Heart to Heart group will meet in the New Mothers' Room across from the nursery, on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 to 11:30. Women in all seasons of life are encouraged to attend! This study is definitely not just for mothers of young children, but a nursery will be provided by the church. If you have any questions, contact Elizabeth at (423) 956-9716 or elizabethpatrick22@hotmail.com.

Lorri Looney's DVD Study Resumes Wednesday

Lorri Looney's Heart to Heart DVD Bible study group will hold its first meeting of the new program year next Wednesday, September 3, and take up Beth Moore's Children of the Day. This course will continue through November 19. Workbooks will be available for purchase at the first session. This group meets Wednesday mornings from 9:30 to 11:30 in the church parlor. All women of the church and their friends are welcome!

Men's Retreat Planned for Halloween Weekend

The Men's Ministry is once again sponsoring its popular service and fellowship retreat to Washington, D.C., and this year it is planned for the weekend of October 31. The FPC men will travel Friday evening, work at the Capital Area Food Bank on Saturday, take in the city that night, then worship at National Presbyterian Church Sunday morning and return that evening. There is so much to see and do, and such a satisfying combination of work and play, that you won't want to miss it!

Informational flyers with registration forms are available throughout the church. The cost of $60 covers travel; two nights' lodging in the Pilgrimage, the hostel of the Church of the Pilgrims; and some meals (dinner on Saturday is not included). Reserve your spot with a $10 deposit. Scholarships are available.

You will need to pack a sleeping bag (or sheets and a blanket), a pillow, a towel, toiletries, ear plugs, work clothes and gloves, and comfortable shoes. Please let Dave Welch know if you are willing to drive your own car; we will pay for the gas. If you have any questions, please contact Dave at dwelch@fpcristol.org.

Volunteer for Our Boys & Girls Club Outreach

This fall begins our third year of outreach to the children who attend the Boys & Girls Club afterschool program that meets in our Education Wing. Do you like sharing about Jesus and God's saving love for all of us? Do you enjoy having fun with children who are always glad to see you? Then this is the program for you!

The 2014 B&G Club outreach will begin mid-September, and we need three activity leaders and three shepherds. Won't you please pray and consider joining this outreach program?

Along with the B&G Club's helpful and ever-present staff, we like to have at least one shepherd with each group, along with the activity leader. Shepherds are helpers that sit by the children during the activity, hand out materials, and generally help individual children during the lesson. Activity leaders present the lesson and plan a simple craft or game to emphasize the lesson's main points.

The program is designed to meet six times in the fall and six times in the spring, beginning around 4:30 p.m. Each lesson and fun activity lasts from 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the plans for the day. The activity leaders and shepherds choose the days that are most convenient for them.

If you would like more information about becoming an activity leader or a shepherd, please contact Peggy Hill at peggyhill145@gmail.com or 423-956-0209.

Kids' Ministries Kicked Off and How!

The Children's Ministries kickoff kickball party last Friday at the home of Lilly and Ray Osborne was a lot of fun. We couldn't have asked for a better afternoon! Thank you to all who made it possible!

Fifth Quarter Party This Friday

Football season is here, and so are the after-game parties known as Fifth Quarter. The first will be held this Friday with a movie on the Vance Middle School practice field after the Tennessee High School game. Katie Arnold is quarterbacking this event, so watch for her signals!

Student Small Groups Meet Wednesdays

Student Ministries provides same-age, same-gender small groups that meet once a week for fun, sharing, and a devotion. These groups are intended for relationship building and walking with each other through life's ups and downs. Small groups are now meeting at the church from 6:00 to 7:00, after the Wednesday fellowship dinner. Join us!

The Very Hungry Student Fellowship Gets Going Sept. 7

Student Fellowship kicks off on the first Sunday after Labor Day, September 7. We invite all students in seventh through twelfth grades and their parents to join us at the church at 6:00 p.m. for dinner, games, worship, learning, and fellowship. We'll wrap it up at 8:00 p.m.

Students, bring your friends! Parents, you will have the opportunity to see what happens at Student Fellowship and take part in a parent information breakout.

And by the way, we're going to need to feed these teens through the program year! We are asking families to sign up to provide an evening's dinner, either home cooked or fast food. Families are invited to share the load with other families and to either donate the food or turn in receipts for reimbursement. Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m. at the church, where Student Fellowship meets. Deidre Pendley is Dinner Coordinator, and she cannot wait to hear from you! Please contact her at pendleyd@btcs.org. Thank you for helping us make Student Fellowship fantastic!

Grounds for a Parade

Tom King floats the Tiger Cat over our beautifully mowed lawn and past the last of the dog days this week, and JB Madison takes the lead during the first week of September. You, too, can join the parade! Randy Cook will be happy to add you to our team of volunteers or, if you prefer, to our substitutes list. You can reach him at 423-956-1541 or npolecook@aol.com.

The Proof Is in the Hot Dogs

We had fun in the sun last Sunday at the annual church picnic! We gathered at the Rotary Shelter at Steele Creek Park to play, chat, and eat. As the photos below show, we had a blast! All these beautiful pix are courtesy of Raisin's Imaginations.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir.

Gilbert Martin

Sunday's music: In the nineteenth century, an interest in the hymns and worship of the early church led to the translation of many early Latin and Greek hymns. John Mason Neale (1818-1866) was the premier translator of his day, and many of his translations are standards today. The text for "Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation" began as a seventh-century Latin hymn, and the full hymn was used principally for the dedication of a church. The text we know today draws on the second half of the original, reminding us of the centrality of Jesus to our faith and worship. The Sanctuary Choir will sing a setting of the text with music by Gilbert Martin (b. 1941) a native of Massachusetts, a resident of Dayton, Ohio, and a prolific composer of church music. His music reflects the power and majesty of the words. The composer of the organ offertory and postlude, Wilbur Held, celebrated his 100th birthday August 20. A native of Chicago, he spent most of his career in Columbus, Ohio, and created an extensive collection of church music.

Calling all children! Don't forget the music opportunities for all age groups! The Cherub Choir is for children age 4 through first grade and meets at 9:00 each Sunday morning in the children's choir room. Part of our Wednesday program of activities for all ages, the Children's Handbells, for children in second through fifth grades, rehearses at 4:15 p.m. Following bell rehearsal, the same age group meets for singing choir rehearsal at 4:45. While the children are singing, the youth are ringing! Youth Handbells meets in the bell room on Wednesdays at 4:45. The music wing is up the stairs nearest the church office!

Pray for One Another

In Our Prayers

Becky Busler

Barbara Daniel

Dorothy Dollar

Lewis Dulaney

DeeDee Galliher

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Cindy Heglar

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.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

August 31 Gracie Buckles, Susan Buckles, Ann Davis

September 1 Sue Barr, Chuck Bolick

September 2 Jillian Madison

September 3 Nancy Carter, Kinser Crutchfield, Randy Van Horn

September 4 Jess Beckner, Judy Slaughter

September 5 Randy Cook, Jack Richardson, Jack Singleton

September 6 TJ Abel, Margaret Wade

Church Calendar

Sunday, August 31

8:30 a.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall

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

9:45 a.m. Sunday School, Education Wing

11:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary

11:30 a.m. Connect Ephesians Small Group, Poteat Home

7:00 p.m. Connect Ephesians Small Group, Whisnant Home

Monday, September 1

Church office closed for Labor Day

7:00 p.m. Thompsons' & Vanns ' Connect Ephesians Small Group, Thompson Home

Tuesday, September 2

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

1:00 p.m. Connect Ephesians Small Group, Burt Home

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

6:15 p.m. Jon & Lisa McClain's Connect Ephesians Small Group, Friendship Classroom

7:00 p.m. Connect Ephesians Small Group, Sauls Home

7:00 p.m. Betsy Turnbull's Inductive Study of Ephesians, Room 123

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

Wednesday, September 3

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

10:00 a.m. Elizabeth Patrick's Women's Bible Study, New Mothers' Room

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 31 & 32

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

6:20 p.m. Adult Learning Program on Themes in Ephesians, Fellowship Hall

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

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

Thursday, September 4

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

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

6:30 p.m. Connect Ephesians Small Group, North Home

8:00 p.m. Connect Ephesians Small Group, Benjamin Home

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