FPC will provide meat and beverages, and supper will be served at 5:30. Please bring one of the following dishes with you, according to the initial of your last name:

A-H:      a side

  I-P:      a dessert

Q-Z:      a salad

We look forward to sharing good fellowship, fun, and food with you!

We are beginning the process of nominating church officers for the coming year, and we welcome your suggestions of those members whom you see as particularly gifted for serving as elders or deacons. We ask that you submit names as soon as possible, and no later than Sunday, August 30. Nominating forms will be available at the church and online here.

The members of the 2015 Officer Nominating Committee are Tom Faucette, Parker Sword, Andrew Beck, Jackie Burt, and John Connor.

Session of Elders

The governing body of First Presbyterian Church is the Session, nominated and elected by the congregation. Together with ministers of the Word and Sacrament, they exercise leadership, government, and discipline and have responsibilities for the life of this church as well as of the church at large, including ecumenical relationships.

The Book of Order offers the following guidance on this office: "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."

The Session of First Presbyterian Church is composed of fifteen elders who serve on a three-year rotation. Annette Tudor is the current Clerk of Session; Gordon Turnbull serves as Moderator. The following members now serve as elders of First Presbyterian Church:

Class of 2015

Tom Carter

Tom Faucette

Blaine Hunigan

Parker Sword

Annette Tudor

Class of 2016

Kevin Buck

Tom Daniel

Dottie Havlik

Brian Miller

Paul Warhurst

Class of 2017

Ann Abel

Beth Flannagan

Ernie Pennington

Con Sauls

John Vann

Deacons

The Diaconate, or Board of Deacons, is another body of officers ministering in the church. It is the first duty of deacons to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress, both within and beyond the community of faith.

The Book of Order offers the following guidance on this office: "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.

The Board of Deacons of First Presbyterian Church is composed of fifteen members who serve on a three-year rotation:

Class of 2015

Sujean Bradley

Sue Faucette

Will Hankins

J.B. Madison

Pete Stigers

Class of 2016

Andrew Beck

Jon McClain

Chad McCracken

Lensey Richardson

Donna Sikorski

Class of 2017

Nathan Heacock

Jim Mayden

Mark Mervis

Robin North

Byron Schiesz

Capital Loan Refinancing: The Session authorized the Finance Committee and church staff to pursue refinancing the church's loan with Eastman Credit Union. The current balance is approximately $708,000, significantly reduced from the original ECU loan amount of approximately $1,200,000. By the Session's authority, the church would seek a new loan with a term not to exceed ten years in duration and a rate not to exceed 4.00% per year. The purpose of this action is to reduce the church's monthly principal payments, which come from capital funds. Monthly interest payments, which charge to the annual operating budget, would not change significantly in this proposal.

Endorsing for Ministry Preparation: The Session voted to endorse the applications of church members Larry Sharrett and Michael Thornton to enter the Inquiry stage of the process of Preparation for Ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Once approved by Holston Presbytery, Larry and Michael would join Dan Kreiss as Holston Presbytery's only current Inquirers or Candidates for Ministry. Michael is entering his third year of studies for the Master of Divinity degree at Denver Theological Seminary. Larry begins his second year of fulltime MDiv study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. The process of Preparation for Ministry engages the individual, the Session, and the Presbytery in covenantal commitment to discern and nurture one toward ordination as a Teaching Elder (Minister of Word and Sacrament).

Food

We need people to bring in breakfast items or prepared dinners. Breakfast items and supplies should be brought to the church and left in the little kitchen by Sunday, September 13. Dinner should be brought in hot and ready at 5:30 each evening from Sunday through Saturday. This is most easily done by a family or a team.

Dinner Hosts

Dinner hosts come to the church by 5:30 to welcome our guests, eat with them, and stay until the evening hosts arrive at 8:30. Hint: some people find it easy to fix dinner and stay to host.

Overnight Hosts

Overnight hosts arrive at the church by 8:30 p.m., spend the night, and help with continental breakfast the next morning. Guests leave the church around 7:00 a.m., except on Saturday, when they leave a little later.

Laundry

On the morning of Sunday, September 20, we will have piles of sheets, towels, and comforters to wash with bleach and return to the Family Promise Closet at the church. Many hands make light work!

Contact Information

To volunteer, ask a question, or make a suggestion, please contact Scottie Bales by email, text, or phone at 423-360-5357 or scottie@rtherapeutics.com. Thank you so much for your love and hospitality to our guests! 

Healing Hands Health Center is seeking volunteer movers and a volunteer Director of Faith Relations.

The clinic will soon relocate to 245 Midway Medical Park in Bristol, where it will reopen August 17. (Phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.) Healing Hands needs volunteers to help them move next week. If you can help, please contact Helen Scott at 423-360-5192 or Amy Moseley at 423-652-0260.

Healing Hands has provided free health care to those in need in our community since 1997. It was founded by FPC, and Jean Ferguson Poole was the driving force behind it. Because the clinic depends on the community and local churches for support, it is seeking a volunteer Director of Faith Relations. This person would be responsible for coordinating local participation from churches in support of Healing Hands' mission and for recruiting new faith partners, while providing leadership and support of faith-based coalitions and other existing church relationships that provide funding and volunteers for Healing Hands Health Center.

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering as Director of Faith Relations, please call Amy Moseley at 423-652-0260 (ext. 256) or email her at amy@healinghandshealthcenter.org.

Make a Splash at High School Bash Monday Night

High School FISH will have a back-to-school bash at Lakeview dock Monday night, August 10, beginning with brinner at 8:30. We will watch Jaws while floating in the water. You seriously do not want to miss these end-of-summer thrills and chills! Wear a bathing suit and bring a towel and a floatation device, if you have one! For more information, contact Katie Arnold at karnold@fpcbristol.org.

Student Fellowship Kickoff August 23 

Student Fellowship will hold its kickoff event for the new program year Sunday, August 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall and Youth Wing. Students in seventh through twelfth grades and their parents are invited to come and bring a potluck dish to share. We will provide hotdogs and drinks and cotton candy and snow cones for all! The youth band will play, and our guest speaker will be Matt Chambers. It's going to be fun and educational, so please join us!

Changing Gears over Bristol 

Summer has begun its psychological descent toward the landing field of autumn, although fall will be on vacation for another six weeks. In heat and scattered storms, JB Madison mows this week in preparation for Rally Day on Sunday, and David Moore takes over as Bristol city schools hold the first full day of classes August 12. Larry Connolly will make sure everything looks right for our first Wednesday evening program of the fall semester August 19. Thank you, gentlemen.

We will probably mow through the month of October. To join the team, call Randy Cook at 423-956-1541 or email him at npolecook@aol.com. If you've never used a Scag mower before, Randy will be happy to show you how. 

This Sunday, August 9, our EPIC journey through The Jesus Storybook Bible brings us to "The Singer," which uses Matthew 6, 9 and Luke 12 to tell the story of the Sermon on the Mount. Please join us!

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir.

Sunday's music: Myles Coverdale (1488-1569) produced the first complete translation of the Bible into English; his beautiful translations of the psalms remain much beloved. The Sanctuary Choir anthem is a setting of his version of Psalm 84:1-4 and Psalm 90:17, followed by the first stanza of Isaac Watts' (1674-1748) adaptation of Psalm 90, "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past." Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) has taken these words of comfort that remind us "blessed are they that dwell in thy house" and "my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God" and set them to lyrical music that builds to a statement of great rejoicing and praise.

Musical rehearsals: All children and youth, from rising second graders through high schoolers, may participate in the musical Table for Five ... Thousand, to be presented Sunday, August 30, during our one service of worship. If you don't have a CD, contact the Feys. Rehearsals have begun; the next will be Wednesday, August 12, in the sanctuary. Dottie Havlik will help us with staging and blocking scenes. Memorize your lines!

Other ensemble rehearsals: Children's Bells, Savior's Singers Children's Choir, and Youth Bells will begin regular Wednesday rehearsals after the musical! However, Cherub Choir will begin this Sunday, August 9, at 9:00 a.m., and Jubilate Youth Choir will kick off the program year on Sunday, August 16, at 5:15 p.m. Sanctuary Bells will begin rehearsals on the Monday after Labor Day.

In Our Prayers

Becky Busler

Jane Crewey

Dorothy Dollar

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Dorothy Giesler

Ron Grubbs

Will Hankins

Sharon Hatcher

Hawley Heglar

Vivian Hill

Carolyn 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.

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

August 9          John Turnbull

August 10        Loretta Thomas

August 11        Juliana Linke, Cheyenne Poteat

August 12        Mary Bailey, Madison Ratliff, Penn Story

August 13        Drew Davis, Katy Stigers, Amber Warhurst

August 14        Bettie Hite, Nora McCracken

Sunday, August 9

8:30 a.m.       Worship, Fellowship Hall

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

10:00 a.m.     Sunday School Rally, Fellowship Hall

11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary

4:30 p.m.       Church Picnic, Steele Creek Park Rotary Shelter

Monday, August 10

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

7:00 p.m.       Christian Education Committee, Room 124

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

8:30 p.m.       High School Back-to-School Bash, Lakeview Dock

Tuesday, August 11

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

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

5:00 p.m.       Finance Committee, Room 123

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

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

Wednesday, August 12

4:30 p.m.       Musical Rehearsal for Grades 2-12, Sanctuary

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

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

Thursday, August 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