December 14

3rd Sunday of Advent

Lessons

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Sermon

Rejoice Always

Gordon A. Turnbull

 Hymns

Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

Joy to the World!

Special Music

The First Nowell

Sanctuary Choir, soloists, string quartet

Attendance on December 7

Windows

Next Wednesday: Christmas Pageant and Joy Gift Dinner 

Next Wednesday, December 17, our children will present their annual Christmas pageant in the sanctuary at 5:30 p.m. This even is not to be missed! The pageant will be followed around 6:00 p.m. by the Christmas Joy Gift dinner in the Fellowship Hall.

It is very important that you make dinner reservations with the church office, so that we will know how much food to buy and prepare and how many tables and chairs to set up. The cost of the dinner is $8 per adult, $4 per child, or $20 per family. We look forward to sharing this joyous occasion with you!

Session Welcomes Input

Our Session of Elders invited members to a discussion of recent General Assembly actions on Sunday, November 23. About 65 people attended. A presentation included information on the PCUSA's divestment from three corporations related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, on the two GA actions regarding same-sex marriage, and on our Session's recent response. A number of attendees offered their perspectives in the discussion; others, limited by the time constraints, accepted the invitation to attend the next evening's stated meeting of Session.

The Session would like to thank all who have participated in this discussion, whether in writing or in person, and to invite members to share their perspectives on our life and ministry together. The meetings of our Session are always open to the members of the congregation. The Session meets the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.; time is reserved on the docket at 7:20 for such communication. 

Our congregation is faithfully fulfilling the promise to support our ministries in the coming year. To date, we have received 136 pledge commitments for a total of $$593,186 for the ministries that we are called to carry out.

If you have not yet pledged 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.

We expect to feed about 80 people or more at lunch and 150 at dinner. We will need peanut butter, sandwich bread, sandwich baggies, lunch bags, fruit, and snack cakes for the lunches. We will need chicken casseroles, slaw, green beans, and rolls for dinner. We will provide the recipes, but all you have to do for the green beans is open a can!

Sign-up forms are available at the church. For more information, please contact Tammy Connolly at 423-968-3831 or lconn4691@btes.tv.

Our next rotation with Family Promise of Bristol rolls out Sunday, December 14, and runs through Saturday, December 20. This is an especially busy and exciting time of the year for all of us, and now we have the opportunity to share some of our love and enthusiasm with the three families in this program. Thank you to our volunteers! 

Coming soon! 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.

This fall's Wednesday evening mission programs from the Evangelism & Outreach Committee invited us to consider our call to God's mission. One means of responding is through the short-term mission opportunities our church has planned through the next year. The first on the schedule for 2015 is the student mission to Brazil to deepen our partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Felipe Camarão, Natal, and our ministry through the Bethel School. Priority for this trip, which will take place May 29 through June 7, is being given to rising and graduated high school seniors. Interested persons should contact John Vann (vannjm@gmail.com; 423-968-7802) or Katie Arnold (karnold@fpcbristol.org; 423-764-7176). Information packets can be picked up from Katie or in the church office. The deadline for applications and deposits is Monday, December 15.

Middle School Students: December 12                   High School Students: December 13

We have planned progressive dinner parties for middle and high school students again this Christmas. On the appropriate night (see above), students will gather at the church at 6:00 p.m. From there, they will be transported to different locations for the appetizers, main course, and dessert. At the dessert location, students will take part in a wild gift exchange. We plan to return to the church at 10:00 p.m.

All participants are asked to bring a portion of the meal to share. The food should be ready to serve, with the exception of items that need to be warmed up. Bring friends and get ready for a fun night!

What to bring:

* 7th & 9th graders: an appetizer

* 8th, 10th & 11th graders: main course side dish

* 12th graders: dessert

* Everyone: 1 gift for the gift exchange ($10 limit)

* Everyone: 3 small gifts for volunteer stockings

Sunday Night Student Fellowship

Sunday Night Student Fellowship continues discussion of In the Present December 14. We're talking about generosity, both seasonal and constant. 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.

The only downside to Christmas is when it's over. One day, every house is decorated and every street has twinkling lights. Then, all of a sudden, it's gone. Lights go back in the box, decorations are packed in the garage, and it's almost as if the Christmas spirit was never there. But there is more to the Christmas spirit than just Santa suits and strands of lights.

For many of us, Christmas is a time of giving, celebrating the ultimate gift God gave us. But around the same time that the tree comes down, it seems our generous Christmas spirit goes back in the box as well. The needs around us haven't disappeared. It's just that our motivation, our natural inclination to help others, gets shelved after the holidays. But it doesn't have to be that way.

In fact, according to John, Jesus modeled a generosity that was just the opposite, and following His example means we take our generosity off the shelf and put it into practice during this month and all the ones that follow.

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir, string quartet, various soloists.

Sunday's music: Near the end of his life, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was asked to compose a nativity play using Christmas carols as the narrative. The resulting work, The First Nowell, was nearly finished by the time of his death; final orchestrations and details were completed by Roy Douglas. The resulting work has a number of performance options: it can be performed with actors and narration or with just chorus and soloists (our choice), and it can be accompanied by a large orchestra or by a string quartet and organ (also our choice). Using mostly English Christmas carols, some familiar and some less well known, it tells the story of Jesus' birth, looking back at humankind's fall, followed by the visit of Gabriel, the birth of Christ, and the visit of the Magi. The closing chorus, "The First Nowell," invites us all to rejoice in this blessed event. The Sanctuary Choir with soloists and instrumentalists will offer this gift to the congregation at the 11:00 a.m. service this Sunday, December 14.

Programs of note: While it is impossible to list everything that is going on this season, there are several events involving FPC members through Theatre Bristol, Barter Theatre, THS Madrigal dinners, band concerts, and so on. However, there are two concerts in our sanctuary this weekend. The King University Choral Ensembles continue an annual tradition by performing their Christmas concert here, Friday, December 12, at 8:00 p.m., followed by a reception provided by the Office of the President in the Fellowship Hall. Admission is a can of food (or cash) for the Bristol Emergency Food Pantry. Next in the lineup, the MECCA Choirs will present their Christmas concert here on Saturday, December 13, at 7:30 p.m. 'Tis the season!

Christmas pageant: The children's Christmas pageant, followed by the Joy Gift dinner, will take place Wednesday, December 17. The pageant begins at 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. In narrative and song, shepherds, singing kings, animals, angels, Mary and Joseph, and the baby will tell the story of the birth of Jesus. Please make reservations for the dinner by calling the church office or emailing our secretary, Jane Prater, at jprater@fpcbristol.org.

In Our Prayers

Becky Busler

Jane Crewey

Barbara Daniel

Dorothy Dollar

Laura Francis

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Dorothy Giesler

Juanita Goforth

Ron Grubbs

Will Hankins

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Rebekah Heacock

Hawley Heglar

Opal Johnson

Carolyn King

Nancy 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

December 14     Jim Mayden, Wendy Olson

December 15     Jim Arnold, Lou Hebb, Laynie Richardson

December 16     Hugh Testerman

December 17     Philip Cavatoni, Harrison Gilley, Rosa Poteat

December 18     Jane Daniel, Braxton Foster, Macie Foster, Julie King, Mary Rice,

                             Grace Singleton

December 19     Brady Arnold, Blaine Hunigan, Greg Jordan, Lynn Richards

December 20     Trish Bane

The following individuals and organization have made gifts to the funds listed below, in memory of Richard King:

Building & Grounds Fund: Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Blevins Jr.; Beverly G. Dunn; Gene & Carole Gilfillin; Duke & Jane Godsey; Joe & Patti Hagerty; Gay Hillman; Jack & Emily Hyder; Doris Maiden; Grant, Denise & Allison Murray; Oak Ridge Preschool Program; Danna K. Reynolds; Shirl & Mary Wolford; Lynne Wood, Frank Wood & Meredith Seeley

Capital Campaign Fund/MEP: Ernest & Karen Pennington

Glory to God Hymnal: Matt & Jeannie Williams

Minister's Discretionary Fund: Tom & Barbara Daniel, Linda Darnell, Eddie & Peggy Hill, Charlie & Alice Moore, Peggy B. Peters

We also have received an anonymous donation to the Capital Campaign Fund/MEP in honor of our Leaf Team Volunteers.

Sunday, December 14

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

5:30 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, December 15

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

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

7:00 p.m.     Session, Room 123

Tuesday, December 16

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 Heart to Heart Bible Study, Room 123

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

Wednesday, December 17

5:15 p.m.     Baby & Toddler Care, Nursery

5:30 p.m.     Christmas Pageant & Joy Gift Dinner, Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall

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

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

Thursday, December 18

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

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