November 9

Combined Service for Stewardship Dedication

Lessons

Psalm 24

Matthew 25:14-30

Sermon

The Joy of the Master

Gordon A. Turnbull

 Hymns

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

 Rock of Ages

Bringing in the Sheaves

Shall We Gather at the River

Anthem

High Lonesome Kyrie

Sanctuary Choir

Attendance on November 2

Windows

We will have a combined worship service for our stewardship dedication this Sunday, November 9. Sunday School will begin 15 minutes early, at 9:30. The worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary, and those children who wish will be dismissed for Kids' Kirk. The Cherub Choir will not rehearse. We will hear bluegrass music by our Sanctuary Choir and Praise Team and share a congregational meal after worship. Please join us!

Our nominating process for next year's officers is under way, and we welcome your suggestions of those members whom you see as particularly gifted for serving in these capacities.

The Book of Order offers the following guidance on these offices of ministry. "The ministry of deacon as set forth in Scripture is one of compassion, witness, and service, sharing in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, the oppressed, those burdened by unjust policies or structures, or anyone in distress. Persons of spiritual character, honest repute, exemplary lives, brotherly and sisterly love, sincere compassion, and sound judgment should be chosen for this ministry.

"Congregations should elect [as elders] persons of wisdom and maturity of faith, having demonstrated skills in leadership and being compassionate in spirit. Ruling elders are so named not because they 'lord it over' the congregation (Matt. 20:25), but because they are chosen by the congregation to discern and measure its fidelity to the Word of God, and to strengthen and nurture its faith and life."

Suggestion forms are available throughout the church, or you may email your suggestion to the attention of the Officer Nominating Committee at gturnbull@fpcbristol.org.

Dave Welch is leading a Biblical and theological discussion of the nature of God during our Wednesday evening programs in November. Join us at 5:30 on the 12th for a fellowship dinner of soup beans, kielbasa, and sauerkraut, and stay for the program at 6:20. Student Ministries small groups and Wednesday Night Kids will meet as usual at 6:00.

Coming in January! Continuing our tradition of learning together in fellowship, we will begin the new year with a new churchwide study series called EPIC: Through the Bible with Jesus. Sermon texts will be taken from The Jesus Storybook Bible. You will find order forms for free copies of this book in Sunday's bulletin.

During the month of November, FPC is responding to a request from Good News Jail & Prison Ministries for Suave shampoo. Our donations will fill a real need and be part of this ministry's outreach to those who are incarcerated locally.

Please donate only Suave brand and only regular size (not family size). The shampoo may be any fragrance. Most dollar stores and big box stores carry Suave shampoo for $1 or less. If you would like to help, please bring your donation to the church and place it in the collection bin in the music stairwell. Thank you!

Our annual Leaf Day is this Saturday, November 8.  Leaf Team volunteers should arrive in the Fellowship Hall by 9:00 a.m.; please enter at the rear of the church. We will fortify ourselves with coffee, doughnuts, and directions, then head out on our rounds. We expect to be finished by noon.

Winter is coming. The cold truth is that our grounds need about 20 hours' worth of attention before bad weather sets in. Several areas around the church need trimming, pruning, weeding, cutting, and mulching. Volunteers can warm themselves with the fact that each chore should take only 45 minutes to an hour to complete. If you can lend a hand, please call Tom Daniel at 423-764-7677 or email him at tomdaniel60@charter.net. 

We are collecting little pretzels to give a big boost to hungry Fairmount students. The small sticks and the small curved pretzels fit best into snack-sized portions for those of our Fairmount Elementary neighbors who can't afford snacks to see them through the afternoon. As always, please place your contributions in the little red schoolhouse in the Fellowship Hallway. Thank you!

Sunday Night Student Fellowship begins a new discussion series, Build, November 9. The first session, "Home Sweet Home," will be about finding our place in God's plan. All students in seventh through twelfth grades are invited to the Youth Wing and Fellowship Hall at 6:00 p.m. Sunday for dinner, games, worship, learning, and fellowship.

Think about where you live for a minute. Do you like it there? And what about your school? Is it the perfect place to be, or are there some things you wish you could change? It's easy for the place you live or go to school in to feel like a placeholder, somewhere you wait for your real life as an adult to begin. Maybe you've never thought about it before, but what if God placed you there on purpose? What if there was a reason for you to live where you live and know whom you know?

Nehemiah found himself in a similar situation. Growing up in a country where he didn't fit in probably didn't make him feel as though he had any real purpose or that God was even paying attention. But as he began to pray, Nehemiah discovered that that couldn't have been farther from the truth. In fact, his situation was anything but random.  As you take a closer look at his story, you will discover that, like Nehemiah, where you live may matter more than you ever dreamed.  It may be just exactly where God has positioned you to become part of a much bigger Story.

The Children's Ministries will enable a parents' date night next Friday, November 14, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Younger children will be cared for in the nursery, and older children will play games in the Fellowship Hall. They will all be served a simple meal.

Please call the church office at 423-764-7176 or email jprater@fpcbristol.org by Monday, November 10, to let us know the number and ages of children whose company we will be enjoying that evening!

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir; Dale Keller, banjo; Mark Mervis, bass; Shannan Miller, vocals; Annie Osborne, mandolin and vocals; Daniel Osborne, guitar; Jenn Sproles, percussion; Nate Sproles, dobro; Paul Warhurst, guitar. Thanks to Shannan for putting the band together and holding extra rehearsals!

Sunday's music: During the service this week, we will be singing five beloved songs from the 19th century white gospel tradition, appropriately accompanied by the bluegrass band. Three of these songs did not appear in our previous Presbyterian hymnal, but Glory to God includes "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," "Rock of Ages," and "Shall We Gather at the River." We will also sing "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" and "Bringing in the Sheaves."

Tim Sharp

The Sanctuary Choir will offer an anthem that combines a "Kyrie" ("Lord, have mercy") with the spiritual "Do Lord," accompanied by the bluegrass band. Composed and arranged by Tim Sharp and Wes Ramsey, this is a movement from their High Lonesome Bluegrass Mass: Come Away to the Skies, and the composers have graciously allowed us to extract this one movement, a practice they normally don't allow. The full work will be given its Carnegie Hall debut in May 2015. Tim Sharp served briefly on the faculty of King University a number of years ago, taught at Belmont University and later at Rhodes College (his chorus sang here while on tour one year), and is currently Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association. He is also an expert on early American music, and a banjo player!

Cherub Choir reminder: There will be no rehearsal this Sunday, November 9. The schedule will be altered for the combined service. Sunday School will be at 9:30, followed by worship at 10:30, and Kids' Kirk will be offered.

Montreat update: Early bird registration for the 2015 Montreat Conferences on Worship and Music opens online November 15. Early bird registration is less than the 2012 conference registration fee, so be sure and take advantage of that savings! Youth and children will receive information as soon as we receive the brochure, so that we can go ahead and register. 

In Our Prayers

Becky Busler

Dot Copenhaver

Jane Crewey

Barbara Daniel

Dorothy Dollar

Laura Francis

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Dorothy Giesler

Bill Goforth

Juanita Goforth

Ron Grubbs

Will Hankins

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Rebekah Heacock

Hawley Heglar

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.

Condolences

Our heartfelt love and sympathy are with Julie King and her family in the death of her husband, Richard E. King, November 4.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

November 9       Ann Arnold, Dawn Regan

November 12    Charlie Moore

November 13    Samuel Hankins

November 15    John Crewey, Conor Haaser, Sam Jennings, Billie Whisnant

Sunday, November 9

9:30 a.m.     Sunday School, Education Wing

10:30 a.m.   Combined Worship, Sanctuary

                      Congregational Luncheon to follow in Fellowship Hall & Chapel

5:15 p.m.     Jubilate Youth Choir, Music Wing

5:30 p.m.     Finance Committee, Room 123

6:00 p.m.     Student Fellowship, Youth Wing & Fellowship Hall

Monday, November 10

5:30 p.m.     Sanctuary Handbells, Handbell Room

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

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

Tuesday, November 11

9:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 123

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

11:00 a.m.   Presbyterian Women's Circle, Room 123

11:30 a.m.   Presbyterian Women's Bible Study, Room 123

12:00 p.m.   Presbyterian Women's Luncheon, Parlor

1:00 p.m.     HeartsBurn Bible Study, Burt Home

6:00 p.m.     Venture Crew 3, Cub Scout Room

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

Wednesday, November 12

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 11 & 31

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

6:20 p.m.     Adult Learning Program, Fellowship Hall

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

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

Thursday, November 13

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

7:30 p.m.     Troop 3 Committee, Room 163

Friday, November 14

6:00 p.m.     Parents' Night Out