November 16

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lessons

Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25

Matthew 25:1-13

Sermon

The Long View

Gordon A. Turnbull

 Hymns

When Morning Gilds the Skies

Rejoice! Rejoice, Believers

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Anthems

I Praise the God of Grace

Savior's Singers Children's Choir

My Song Shall Be Alway of the Loving-Kindness

Sanctuary Choir

Attendance on November 9

Windows

Session Welcomes Discussion on G.A. Actions

The 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) generated significant interest for its actions in two distinct areas: 1) same-sex marriage and 2) divestment of PCUSA funds from three corporations whose products it believes contribute to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

In August our Session approved a letter to the congregation communicating its position on same-sex marriage: affirming the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman and limiting its consent for wedding ceremonies to those that fit this definition.

On Sunday, November 23, Session members will meet in the chapel from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. with anyone interested in discussing these issues and the Session's response. Printed materials on these G.A. actions are available upon request through the church office.

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 will lead the final of three November programs on the nature of God next Wednesday evening. Join us at 5:30 on the 19th for a fellowship dinner of bowtie pasta with ham-broccoli cream sauce, and stay for the conversation at 6:20. Student Ministries small groups and Wednesday Night Kids will meet as usual at 6:00. Our regular programs will be suspended for November 26, the evening before Thanksgiving.

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.

Betsy Turnbull's Inductive Bible Study Meets Tuesday

Betsy Turnbull's inductive Heart to Heart Bible study will meet in room 123 at 7:00 p.m. next Tuesday, November 18, to study Psalms 51, 86, and 103. They plan to take up Psalms 107, 118, and 121 on December 2 and Psalms 139, 148, and 150 on December 16. All women of the church are invited to come and bring a friend!

Heart to Heart Women's Ministries will hold its annual Advent event Tuesday, December 9. The women of the church are invited to bring a friend and gather for worship in the chapel at 7:00 p.m. Elizabeth Patrick will provide the message, "Sleepwalking." Dessert will follow in the Fellowship Hall.

Please call the church office or e-mail jprater@fpcbristol.org to let us know you can come.  Child care will be available at the church; please email or call to let us know how many to expect!

At the invitation of our Evangelism & Outreach Committee, we spent the past several weeks deepening our identity as disciples in mission. Our Wednesday evening programs have helped us think about how and why we connect with others about the Good News of God's love for us in Jesus Christ. Last Sunday we dedicated our pledges in a special worship celebration. Today we want to share the news that we have so far received 121 pledge commitments for a total of $517,516 for our ministries in the coming year.

If you have not yet committed your support for 2015, please remember to submit your pledge soon. Pledge cards with addressed envelopes can be found on tables throughout the church. Thank you for your prayerful consideration of how you, too, can support our ministries. 

Last year, electronic giving to FPC became possible through our website, www.fpcbristol.org. It is both a convenient way to make pledge payments or other donations and also a practical help in tracking your stewardship commitments.

Note: You cannot make a pledge commitment online; you do that in the usual way. But you can make pledge payments online.

What Is Electronic Giving?

The term electronic giving encompasses a wide range of secure, automatic payment methods that can be used to make regular church offerings and other contributions without writing checks, carrying cash, or preparing envelopes. Electronic giving works the same way as the automatic payment methods used by many people to make mortgage or utility payments and to receive payroll earnings or Social Security income.

Why Give Electronically?

It is convenient. Many people do not have checks or don't carry cash. With online giving, your contributions are transmitted electronically and deposited directly into the church bank account.

It keeps you on track with stewardship commitments. When you schedule automated offerings, you don't have the worry of falling behind on pledge payments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do automatic contributions work?

A. You choose your payment method, start date, frequency, and contribution amount. Monthly donations can be made on the 6th or 20th; weekly donations are made on Monday. One-time donations are also an option. Your donations will be processed and deposited in the church bank account on the date or dates you schedule.

Q. When will my contribution be processed?

A. Your contribution will be processed each month on the date(s) you authorize.

Q. What if I need to cancel or place my donation on a temporary hold?

A. You can edit, suspend, or cancel a scheduled transaction in your online giving account. Please notify the church business administrator, Betsy Galliher, if you encounter any problems.

Q. What can I use to show that I made a donation?

A. The itemized list of electronic transactions that appears on your bank or credit card statement can be used as proof of your donations. You can also view and print your online donation history (see below). FPC mails contribution reports in July and October as well as year-end Charitable Contributions Reports for tax purposes.

Q. How do I get started?

A. To get started, go to www.fpcbristol.org and click on the Online Giving button at the top right of the page. You will then see the first screen of Vanco's secure online giving service. You will first create an online profile (use the button in the lower right quadrant). This is a one-time task. Please review the information you enter, then be sure to save your profile. It will enable you to change or stop a recurring donation at any time, and it will allow you to view and print your online donation history.

After you have saved your profile, you will see the Online Donation screen. Follow the prompts to schedule your transactions. You will be asked for a payment method in the Account drop-down menu on the Donation Information screen. You will be able to choose from direct debit from your checking or savings account and payment by means of a credit or a debit card. 

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!

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!

We had a great turnout for Leaf Day on Saturday morning, and a beautiful day for it. Thank you to all who made it possible: those who provided the leaves and those who did away with them!

What a great group of volunteers!

The raking team basks in the sun.

Four in the corner.

JB Madison vs. the gutters.

Help with Parents' Night Out

Students are invited to come to the church tomorrow, November 14, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m., to help care for and play with children during Parents' Night Out.

Help with Operation Christmas Child

Students are invited to bring supplies and pack Christmas shoeboxes to be given to children in need. We will start work in the Fellowship Hall at 1:00 p.m. this Sunday, November 16. A list of shoebox gift ideas can be found here. If you can't pack a shoebox with us on Sunday, you can still participate by packing a shoebox for $25 here.

Give a Day of Service to Appalachia Service Project

Students are invited to a day of service November 22, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. They will have the opportunity to assist in several building projects around Bristol. All students need an ASP release form, which can be found on the church website. Students should pack a lunch and wear closed-toed shoes, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts. Bring work gloves if you have them. We are also asking students to bring $15 to be put towards building supplies. A celebratory pizza party will conclude the day. Join us for this great day of service!

A mission trip to Brazil for FPC's eleventh and twelfth grade students is scheduled for May 29 through June 7. We are now accepting applications. Information packets can be picked up from Katie Arnold or in the church office. A deposit is due December 15. 

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. We will discuss part two, "Against the Wall," of our new discussion series, Build.

Paralyzed. Have you ever felt that way at the beginning of a big project? Maybe it was a research paper or a presentation for your class. Maybe it was cleaning up your room after a sleepover with your friends. Or maybe it was something even bigger than that. Maybe you dream of doing something big with your life, something that matters. But the idea of actually doing it is really intimidating. You aren't sure where to start, so it just seems easier to back away slowly. Big results require big actions, but you just don't feel ready for that.

Nehemiah faced a similar challenge. He wanted to do something, felt called to do something, that seemed nearly impossible. But Nehemiah didn't let the fear take over. He didn't stand, paralyzed, on the sideline. Instead, he discovered that the most important step might also be the smallest: the first step.

The Children's Ministries will enable a parents' date night this 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.

Those parents wishing to take advantage of this night out were to have called the church office at 423-764-7176 or emailed jprater@fpcbristol.org by now so that we could make arrangements for their children.

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir, Savior's Singers Children's Choir (both services).

Sunday's music: The Sanctuary Choir's anthem this week is a setting by Godfrey Sampson of the Coverdale translation of Psalm 89:1, "My Song Shall Be Alway of the Loving-Kindness." Sampson (1902-1947), born in Gloucester, England, was a professor of composition at the Royal Academy of Music. His elegant and lyrical melody reflects the assertion of the psalmist that there is no better way to spend one's life than in praise of the goodness of God.

At both services, in response to the Assurance of Pardon following the confession, the Savior's Singers Children's Choir will sing "I Praise the God of Grace." This anthem by Susan Powell uses as a text selected verses from a hymn by Horatius Bonar (1808-1889), a Church of Scotland clergyman whose best-known hymn today is "Here, O Our Lord, We See You." The text of this anthem reminds us that we are saved not by our actions but by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Christmas pageant reminder: The first Christmas pageant rehearsal will take place next Wednesday, November 19, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary, followed by the fellowship dinner and the regular Wednesday programs. All children, age 4 through grade 5 (sixth grade optional) are invited to participate, regardless of participation in children's choirs. Costume fitting will begin at this first rehearsal, so just be aware that it will be (somewhat) controlled chaos! Parents, feel free to serve as disciplinarians!

Jane DeLoach Morison

Montreat bio: Children's Choir Director Jane DeLoach Morison is Artistic Director of the Mountain Empire Children's Choral Academy and Music Conductor of the East Tennessee Children's Choir, Da Capo, Bella Voce, MECCA Men, and the Highlands Youth Ensemble. She received the Bachelor of Music Education degree (summa cum laude) from East Tennessee State University, where she was twice named Most Outstanding Music Student. She received the Master of Music degree in Performance Studies (piano) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has done further study at L'Académie de Musique de Sion in Switzerland.

In addition to serving on the piano faculty of King University, Jane serves on the summer faculties of the Virginia Suzuki Institute, the ETSU Piano Camp, and the King University Choral Arts Camp. She has served as Music Director for the Barter Theatre Youth Academy. Jane also maintains a private piano and voice studio and is in demand as an adjudicator, piano accompanist, and vocalist. A member of the American Choral Directors Association and the Organization of American Kodály Educators, she also holds permanent national certification with Music Teachers National Association. In 2010 and 2012 she received recognition from Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts. In July 2014 she conducted the Highlands Youth Ensemble in a performance in Greece as part of the Festival of the Aegean.

Several of our children and youth have sung or currently sing in one of the MECCA choirs and we are excited that Jane will be part of our Montreat faculty!

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.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

November 16    Joyce Samuel

November 17    Sarah Galliher, Wayne Sheffey

November 18    Susan Solomon

November 19    George Linke, Grayson Phipps, Adam Warhurst

November 20    Mary Jo Gilley, Wanda Moore

November 21    Fred Frazier, Jacob Strang

November 22    Rhonda Comer, Mimi Tilley

Gifts in memory of the following individuals were received from Monday, October 13, through Sunday, October 26:

Beulah Blair (grandmother of Keith Blair): by Fred & Heidi Harkleroad, to the Fellowship Program

Lewis Dulaney: by John Ed & June Faucette, to the Memorial Fund

Sunday, November 16

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

1:00 p.m.     Children's Ministries Packs Christmas Boxes, Fellowship Hall

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

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

Monday, November 17

4:45 p.m.     Administrative Committee, Room 117

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

7:00 p.m.     Christian Education Committee, Room 117

Tuesday, November 18

9:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 123

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

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

7:00 p.m.     Betsy Turnbull's Bible Study, Room 123

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

Wednesday, November 19

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.     Youth Handbells, Room 212

4:30 p.m.     Children's Christmas Pageant Rehearsal, Sanctuary

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 20

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

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