The death toll from the massive earthquake in Nepal continues to rise. Already, 5,200 are known dead and the toll could surpass 10,000. Many thousands of others were injured when the 7.8 quake struck just west of the capital of Kathmandu on April 25. The quake, the worst in more than 80 years and accompanied by powerful aftershocks, has also caused damage in parts of India and Bangladesh.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is providing emergency relief and short-term recovery in the impacted areas with its partner, ACT Alliance, and its members already on the scene. Immediate response will help provide food, water, supplies, and medicine to the affected towns and villages. As long-term recovery plans are developed, PDA will help to insure that a comprehensive recovery is sustained.

God's people are once again called on to stand in the "GAP" to Give, Act, and Pray.

Give: Financial support for relief efforts can be designated to DR999999 with reference to Nepal. Gifts can be made online here; by calling 800-872-3283, weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; or by check (please reference "Nepal relief" on memo line).

Please note that FPC is not collecting separately for this effort. Checks should be mailed directly to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

P.O. Box 643700

Pittsburg, PA 15264-3700

Act: Learn how you can help families who have lost everything in the devastation. Stay informed and like PDA on Facebook, download resources, and share updates with your friends.

Pray: Pray for those who suffered loss of family or those who are working tirelessly to provide rescue, humanitarian aid, and spiritual and psychological support.

For more information, visit www.pcusa.org/pda.

Brazil Mission Trip: Bubble Yum 

The final item on our collection list for the schoolchildren of Felipe Camarão is bubble gum, specifically, packages of Bubble Yum. We won't be able to carry hundreds of individual pieces, so it is important that all the pieces be packaged. We have placed a special box for these contributions outside the Fellowship Hall.

We are aiming for 150 of each of the four items our mission team will take to the preschool and church in Natal, Brazil, on May 29:

1. Washable, broad-line Crayola markers (8- or 10-pack)
2.  Full-size tubes of toothpaste
3. Packets of full-size construction paper
4. Packages of bubble gum (not individually wrapped pieces)

The last day on which we can accept donations will be Sunday, May 24, but you are very welcome to bring in any of the items on our list until then. Thank you for your support!

April Session Highlights 

• Hired Larry Connolly as our new Facilities Manager (part-time, approximately 20 hours per week). In this position, Larry will oversee the custodial services, coordinate work by outside contractors, and fulfill items on our comprehensive Preventive Maintenance Plan. Look for more information soon on Larry and this new position.
• Noted with gratitude the service of Mickensie Neely, a graduating senior at King University who has completed an internship in Student Ministry under the supervision of Katie Arnold. In a related action, the Session authorized a plan for two Student Ministry Internships for Summer 2015.
• Celebrated the progress of Katie Arnold, who is finishing her second complete year of graduate study toward a master's degree from Bethel Seminary in Minnesota.
• Noted that at the end of the first quarter of 2015, pledges were approximately $14,000 behind schedule. Thanks to all who commit their resources to God's work through our ministry.
• Confirmed after more discussion the decision last month to use an insurance settlement of approximately $43,000 towards the repair of church roofs from hail damage. The church is pursuing a plan to repair about one-third of the flat roof area, then to save for the subsequent repairs. Leaders of pertinent committees will gather to discuss an integrated approach towards addressing the entire cost, a rough estimate of which is $180,000 to $200,000.

EPIC: David vs. Goliath 

The next story in our churchwide study series, EPIC: Through the Bible with Jesus, will be "The Young Hero and the Horrible Giant," the well-known tale of David and Goliath, retold in The Jesus Storybook Bible. Please join us this Sunday, May 3, for lessons and a sermon drawn from 1 Samuel 17.

EPIC Small Group Meets Tonight

Are you interested in joining a small group at FPC?

A new group is forming and welcomes any interested individuals or families. A nursery will be available for young children, and we hope to find a day and time that is convenient for as many people as possible. We will meet once or twice a month.

The first meeting is scheduled for tonight, Thursday, April 30, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Friendship Classroom.

For more information, contact Amber Warhurst at amber.warhurst@gmail.com.

Girls' Night Out May 7 

The women of the church are invited to a Girls' Night Out next Thursday, May 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. This Heart to Heart event will take place at Casa Mexicana, 1020 Volunteer Parkway. There will be no agenda or program, but lots of good food and relaxed fellowship with sisters in Christ. For more information, visit our Heart to Heart Facebook page here. 

In the combined service on Sunday, May 10, the following young people will have the opportunity to proclaim their faith to our church family and become members of First Presbyterian Church: Daniel Osborne, Dillon Pendley, Cameron Perry, Angelica Poteat, Rosa Poteat, and Madison Ratliff.

As we prepare for this special day, we ask friends and family to send in cards and letters of spiritual encouragement for our confirmands. The kind words you share will not only encourage them as they prepare to be confirmed but also be kept for years as a reminder of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds them and that will continue to love, guide, and encourage them as they run the race.

If you would like to participate, please deliver all cards and letters to Katie Arnold at the church by this Sunday, May 3. Thank you for joining in the celebration of this important and exciting time in the lives of our students!

Every year we look forward to honoring the achievements of all the new graduates among us. As graduation time approaches, we are planning a Sunday of celebration at both worship services on May 17, when we will recognize those among us who are completing degrees or certifications or graduating from high school, college, or other programs.

If you or a member of your family will be graduating from high school, college, or any other educational or training program this spring, please let us know by calling the church office at 423-764-7176.

We need the following information by Monday, May 11, for our recognition efforts: graduate's name; current (not future) school or program; degree or certification earned; and field of study.

Thank you for your help!

The final Student Fellowship gathering of the school year, on May 17, will be a dinner meeting in honor of its high school seniors. Student Ministries is now soliciting "Legacy Letters" to present to these seniors at that time. These will be letters written by family and friends to describe ways in which the senior has affected their life. Letters can share memories, stories, lessons learned, or significant moments. This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage seniors in their future plans and faith as well as to acknowledge the beautiful gifts God has given them.

The Student Ministry Seniors are Paul Blair, Alex Eleas, Briggs Evans, Abby Frick, Danae Kreiss, Austin McReynolds, Josh Pruner, Melody Wallen, and Stephen Welch.

Our hope is that each Legacy Letter will serve as a reminder to these young people of the loving community cheering them on as they begin a new journey after high school. If you would like to participate, please mail or deliver all cards and letters by Monday, May 11, to Katie Arnold at the church. 

Fusion Retreat at White Fork Ranch 

All 5th and 6th graders are invited to an FPC Fusion retreat May 8-9 at White Fork Ranch. We will depart from the church on Friday evening at 6:30 and return Saturday at noon. Come out for a rip-roaring time! For more information, contact Lilly Osborne at losborne@fpcbristol.org or 423- 764-7176.

FPC's Head Start Commitment Continues 

As many in our congregation may know, we house the local Head Start program in our Education Wing as part of our ongoing commitment to the community. Head Start is a comprehensive educational and nurturing program that also addresses the social, emotional, and physical needs of each enrolled child, all at no cost to the family.

Now Head Start is accepting applications for 3- and 4-year-olds for the next school year. Full-day and part-day classes are available, but slots are limited. Children must meet the federal income guidelines, be on public assistance, or have special needs. If you know of a family that might benefit from this program, please call Melissa Roark at 423-764-7366. Head Start office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Final Week to Donate Vanilla Wafers 

After next week we will take a summer break from collecting snacks for our young friends at Fairmount Elementary School. Please bring your donations of vanilla wafers to the Little Red House in the Fellowship Hallway. The Neighborhood Initiatives Steering Committee will take them to Fairmount, where teachers will divide them into portions for the youngsters whose parents cannot afford to send snacks to school with them. Thank you for giving these children a boost!

To Dance or Not to Dance, It Simply Isn't a Question 

Why don't you join them? The FPC mowing team welcomes volunteers on all occasions! To sign up, just call Randy Cook at 423-956-1541 or email him at npolecook@aol.com. He will give private lessons on the Scag Tiger Cat to any volunteer who wants them. 

Yes, we do have a treat for our readers this week. First, let me introduce you to Luci Shaw, born in London and educated in England, Australia, and Canada. After attending Wheaton College in Illinois, she began working in the field of editing and publishing in New York. It was there that she met Harold Shaw, the publisher of small editions of Christian books. After their marriage, Luci focused her attention upon poetry and soon gained a national reputation for her verse, acclaimed for its imaginative and exquisite beauty in its expression of Christian themes.

After Harold's death from cancer, Luci took on the role of publisher and manager of his firm for a few years. In time, she returned to poetry and to writing and gained a reputation as a much sought after speaker on college campuses. She was at King some years ago and is currently a Writer in Residence at Regent College in Canada. Two years ago, Christianity Today listed her among its "50 Women You Should Know."

We have a small collection of varied books by Luci for your reading pleasure and enlightenment.

God in the Dark: Through Grief and Beyond describes the long period of suffering for the couple when Harold came down with cancer, and how they sought to find a meaningful presence of Christ during his illness and death.

In The Crime of Living Cautiously: Hearing God's Call to Adventure, Luci confesses, "I think I must have come honestly by the desire to live life as an adventure." That means accepting risk, she wrote, but if you have a firm faith in the presence of God, then it would be a crime to live otherwise. She poses the question: "Has your heart ever been blown open by the sudden exhilarating thought, This Could Be My Year of Living the Adventure!"

Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination, and Spirit: Reflections on Creativity and Faith contains short selections taken from her works on creativity and exploring the creative process. These are highly personal thoughts, often musings about the intersection of the arts and spirit.

Accompanied by Angels: Poems of the Incarnation displays a brief sampling of Luci's verse, most of it less than a page. "What makes a poet a poet?" she asks, "The slender antenna of awareness combing the air for messages."

Look for Luci Shaw's books on our display table. You'll probably want to read more of this fine writer. In all, she has written more than 30 books.

Sunday's music: The Sanctuary Choir anthem, "And with This Bread," has text and music by Beverly Easterling (b. 1949), arranged by Mark Schweizer. Easterling leads workshops in child-abuse education in the Episcopal Church, and has written texts for a number of songs and hymns. This evocative text reminds us that we come in humbleness to the table, and that this meal is "a foretaste of heaven on earth." Her melody captures the lyrical nature of her words.

The prelude will be offered by the Youth Handbell Choir, an arrangement of "Be Thou My Vision" by Sandra Eithun (b. 1963). Eithun was educated in Wisconsin, where she works as a church musician. This joyous arrangement makes use of a variety of ringing techniques.

Montreat bio: We are pleased that student ministry intern Mickensie Neely is joining our Worship & Music faculty as Middler Bible Assistant, working with Dan Kreiss. Mickensie was born and raised in West (by-God) Virginia. She graduates from King University this week with a degree in Youth Ministry and a double minor in Photography and English. This mixed bag of an education perfectly describes the eclectic young woman that is Mickensie: an artist, writer, and spoken word poet, who is passionate about connecting young people with their Creator in new ways. During her time at King, she served as Student Ministries Coordinator for two years at Discovery Church in Bristol. She enjoys reading, hiking, fashion, and giving Dan Kreiss a hard time!

Choir awards dinner: It's that time of year again! All families with children and youth participating in the various music ensembles of the church should have received a letter and a postcard about our annual children's and youth choirs awards dinner. It will be held Wednesday, May 6, at 5:30 p.m. The only ensembles rehearsing that afternoon will be Children's Bells at 4:15 and Savior's Singers Children's Choir at 4:45. 

In Our Prayers

Tony Adams

Becky Busler

Jane Crewey

Dorothy Dollar

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Dorothy Giesler

Ron Grubbs

Will Hankins

Mary Nell Harris

Sharon Hatcher

Hawley Heglar

Vivian Hill

Carolyn King

Nancy King

Sue Olsen

Nancy Preston

Mary Rice

Brenda Rogers

Virginia Rutherford

Katy Sikorski

Faye VanNostrand

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

Condolences

Our love and sympathy are with Kathryn Parker and her family in the death of her grandmother, Reba June Green, April 27 in Bristol, Virginia.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

May 3      Cecily Strang, John Vann

May 4      Joan Freels, Dan Gross, David Johnson,

                  Mary Caroline Mumpower, Dave Welch

May 6      Frances Emerson

May 7      Allison Brooks

May 8      Kathryn Welch

We recently received a gift to the Memorial Fund from Dale and Molly Keller, in memory of Donna Sikorski's mother, Phyllis Green.

Sunday, May 3

8:30 a.m.      Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:00 a.m.      Cherub Choir

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

11:00 a.m.   Worship, Sanctuary

5:15 p.m.     Jubilate Youth Choir

Monday, May 4

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

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

7:00 p.m.     Care Shepherd Training, Room 117

Tuesday, May 5

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

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

1:00 p.m.     Jackie Burt's Bible Study, Burt Home

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

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

Wednesday, May 6

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

4:15 p.m.     Children's Handbells, Room 212

4:45 p.m.     Savior's Singers Children's Choir, Room 209

5:30 p.m.     Children's & Youth Choir Awards Dinner, Fellowship Hall

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

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

Thursday, May 7

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

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

6:00 p.m.     Girls' Night Out, Casa Mexicana

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

Friday, May 8

6:30 p.m.     Fusion Retreat at White Fork Ranch, Meet at FPC

Saturday, May 9

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