The saints will come marching in when two great trumpeters, Dr. Timothy Altman and Dr. Larry Wells, perform in our sanctuary this Sunday, March 6, at 3:00 p.m. Vicki Fey will accompany them on the FPC organ in a concert that will be projected on a screen at the front of the sanctuary. Suggested ticket donation is $10 for adults and $5 for students from age 6 through college.

Dr. Timothy Altman is Chair of the Music Department at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. In addition to teaching trumpet and conducting, he is Director of Bands. He has taught instrumental and general music at the elementary, middle school, high school, and university levels in Virginia, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Altman completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in trumpet performance at the University of Kentucky. He also holds degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He has commissioned new band works as well as new works for trumpet ensemble. Altman's trumpet students have been state and regional winners and national finalists for the Music Teachers National Association Senior and Junior Brass Competitions.

Dr. Larry Wells holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Washington State University. He holds a Master of Science in Teaching Music from Portland State University and has recently completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Trumpet Performance/Wind Conducting from the University of North Texas. Wells is an Associate Professor and the Director of Instrumental Studies at Methodist University in Fayetteville. Earlier in his career, he taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and Southwestern Oregon Community College. He served as the General Manager and Associate Conductor for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony in Portland, Oregon, and spent four years working for the David. G. Monette Corp., building custom trumpets for players such as Wynton Marsalis, Manny Laureano, Terrance Blanchard, Adolph Herseth, and Maynard Ferguson.

If You Care, Volunteer!

If you can take a meal to someone just home from the hospital, send a card or make a phone call to someone in a special care facility, or comfort someone in distress, FPC wants you for Care Shepherds, our congregational care ministry. The goal of this ministry is to show Christian love to members of our church family who are in need.

We begin a new Care Shepherds schedule in April and will hold a training event sometime that month. Come with your talents and build confidence as you serve! There are as many ways to do so as there are opportunities. Volunteers serve one month at a time on a team that coordinates the needs of the congregation for that month.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Robin North at robinnorth3@gmail.com, Dave Welch at dwelch@fpcbristol.org, or the church office at 423-764-7176. Sign-up forms will also be available at the church.

Letter to the Congregation from Dave Welch

I regularly say that prayer is both the greatest and the least that we have to offer as the body of Christ. In January, the Session of First Presbyterian Church and the congregation were presented with very difficult decisions regarding the mission of the church in relationship to its budget and pledges. The Session immediately requested to lead a focused prayer effort to listen for and respond to God's leading. After one week, they asked for the time to be extended, and it was.

I believe that the answers to the elders' prayers, and the prayers of those who gathered with them or prayed on their own, were the many new and increased pledge commitments to our 2016 budget. So beautiful is the response that we will not have to use any of the capital reserves (savings) to balance the budget.

Yes, you read that correctly. We have a balanced budget based on the giving of the congregation, who responded to God's directing! Praise be to God! Because of this, First Presbyterian Church will be able to move forward with all the programs, missions, and staff envisioned through the committees and Session of the church back in the fall of 2015.

Please join again with the Session in prayers of thanksgiving. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good! Dave Welch, Minister for Discipleship

Deadline for Easter Lily Orders Is March 14

As part of our Lenten preparation for Easter, we are now ordering lilies to brighten our worship spaces on that festival day. If you would like to order lilies in honor or memory of someone, simply fill out a form and return it to the church office with payment by Monday, March 14. Lilies are $15 per plant, and order forms are available throughout the church. To aid correct acknowledgment, please print all names exactly as you wish to see them in the Easter bulletin. Lilies will be placed in the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall after the Good Friday worship service.

Join Us Next Wednesday Evening

Please join us March 9 for our Wednesday evening fellowship and learning programs. Our Adult Learning segment, which begins at 6:20 p.m., has not yet been settled but should be as enlightening as always! It will follow the fellowship dinner, which begins at 5:30. Student Small Groups and Wednesday Night Kids will meet as usual at 6:00. We look forward to seeing you!

Deadline to Enter Talent Show Is Sunday

This Sunday, March 6, is the deadline for submitting applications to take part in our talent show! Children, youth, and adults are encouraged to get their act together and let the Feys know their talent and their performance needs now. Participants will take the stage for no more than five minutes when we put on our show Sunday, March 13, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. If you are interested in a few minutes in the spotlight, just email the Feys at svfey@fpcbristol.org, or call the church office to talk with either Steve or Vicki.

Young Adult Coffee Klatch Kicks Off Sunday

Grab a mug and pull up a chair! Coffee Klatch, a new Christian Education class for young adults, will begin this Sunday, March 6, at 10:00 a.m. A klatch is a group of people gathering for conversation, usually over coffee, but if coffee isn't your cup of tea, we can offer you other options. On Sunday we will begin a video series that we hope will facilitate a discussion in which we can encourage one another in faith and life as disciples of Jesus. The class is meant to be laid back and welcoming, but the hope is that the lesson will challenge you in your faith.

If you can't come March 6, we will welcome you March 13, when all Sunday School classes will begin early, at 9:30, because we will have ONE worship that Sunday. Coffee Klatch will be held in room 125, formerly known as the College Classroom, near the Fellowship Hall. You will see a Coffee Klatch sign by each door. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Katie Arnold at karnold@fpcbristol.org.

Volunteer for Family Promise March 20-27

Our turn to host a homeless family selected for the Family Promise of Bristol program comes up again in a couple of weeks. We are asking for your help in caring for our guests at some point during their stay, from late afternoon on Sunday, March 20, through early morning on Sunday, March 27. Here is a reminder of our volunteering needs.

Food

We need volunteers 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, March 20. Dinner should be brought in ready to serve 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 overnight hosts arrive at 8:30. 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, March 27, we will have piles of sheets, towels, and comforters to wash with bleach and return to the Family Promise Closet at the church. This is a task that can be done at your convenience.

Contact Information

To volunteer for any or all of these tasks, or to ask a question or make a suggestion, please email Scottie Bales at scottie@rtherapeutics.com, or text or call her at 423-360-5357. If you know of folks who may want to help in any way, please encourage them to step forward, or ask Scottie to contact them. Thank you so much for your love and hospitality to our guests!

Countdown Begins for Ethiopian Mission

Three Sundays remain to donate school supplies for our Ethiopia mission. Our team can accept donations up through March 20. Then it will be time to pack and board the plane to Dembi Dollo!

Nancy Allerton, Peggy Hill, Jon McClain, and Stuart Parker will be there from March 23 through April 2 to meet with the teachers and students of Berhane Yesus Elementary School, our partners in eleven years of ministry and education. Team members continue to ask for your prayers for safe travel, effective witness, God's continued blessing on the staff and students of the school, and provision for the needs of the travelers and of those serving the school.

And they request your more earthly support in the form of donated school supplies and soccer balls! They have placed bins to receive these items in both the Fellowship Hallway and the narthex. Please help fill these bins with:

Packs of ballpoint or gel pens (blue or black ink only)
Packs of no. 2 pencils
Small bookbags:
Laptop computers (new or gently used; the team will be able to hand-carry up to four laptops; please deliver directly to one of the team members)
Soccer balls

The team will pack the donations on the afternoon of Sunday, March 20.

Urban Promise Mission Trip Planned for Late June

If you care about the plight of urban youth, you'll want to talk to Dan Kreiss about an opportunity to do something about it this summer. Dan will lead a team from FPC that will serve with Urban Promise in Camden, New Jersey, from Sunday, June 26, through Saturday, July 2. The work will support established educational and social programs there.

This mission opportunity is open to anyone. Please prayerfully consider this opportunity to join in Christ's ministry of love, peace, and justice. For more information, contact Dan at dskreiss@king.edu.

Join FPC High School Ministry on a spring break adventure to Orlando, Florida, from March 27 to April 3. Our team will leave Sunday afternoon and return the following Sunday. Students will spend four days doing inner city mission work around Orlando. The trip will also include a day at Universal Studios and some time at the beach.

Start inviting your friends and register early for the best price! A $50 nonrefundable deposit is required to secure a spot on the trip. If the deposit is paid by this Sunday, March 6, the cost is $250. After March 6, the cost is $300. The remaining balance will be due before departure. All meals, travel, lodging, and a ticket to Universal are included in the price.

High School Students Journey in June

Be an early bird and catch a discount on a fantastic summer adventure! FPC's High School Ministry will head out to Journey in Toccoa Falls, Georgia, in June, but discounted sign-ups start now. FPC students will join other church groups from across the South for a week of wild games, challenges, fellowship, worship, and adventure, all while being invited on a journey to experience God in a whole new way.

We will leave from the church on June 20, and drive to Toccoa Falls College, nestled in the north Georgia mountains. Check out the Journey promo video at www.vimeo.com/103853738, and you'll see that this is an event you won't want to miss! Start inviting your friends, and register early for the best price!

A nonrefundable deposit of $100 is required to secure a spot on the trip. If the deposit is paid by this Sunday, Sunday, March 6, the total cost will be $300. After March 6, the total cost will be $350.

Summer Adventure for Middle School Students

Join FPC's Middle School Ministry on a summer adventure to the Great Escape! We will leave from the church on Sunday, June 12, and head to Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. There we will join middle school students from all over the US for a wild 'n' crazy week of incredible music, captivating speakers, engaging entertainment, and the messiest games you can imagine. And we'll spend one day whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River! We will return around noon on Friday, June 17.

This is an event you won't want to miss! Start inviting your friends now, so you can all take advantage of the early bird discount. A nonrefundable deposit of $100 is required to secure a spot on the trip. If the deposit is paid by this Sunday, March 6, the total cost is $400. After March 6, the total cost is $435. These costs include an FPC t-shirt, the camp, travel, and the whitewater rafting.

Fusion Takes On Service Project This Saturday

Our Fusion group of fifth and sixth grade students will carry out a service project this Saturday, March 5. Stay tuned for details!

Fusion: Glow in the Dark!

On Saturday, March 19, our fifth and sixth grade Fusion group will enjoy a Glow-in-the-Dark Egg Hunt. Last year's was so much fun that we're sure you won't want to miss this year's! Save the date and look for more information soon.

Children's Easter Egg Hunt March 19

We will hold an Easter Egg hunt at the church Saturday, March 19, beginning at 12:30. This event is always fun for everyone, so plan now to bring your children.

Parents' Night Out This Saturday

Another fabulous Parents' Night Out has been scheduled for this Saturday, March 5, from 6:00 to 8:30 at the church. As always, we'll make sure that your children have dinner and a lot of fun. Let the church office (423-764-7176) know the ages of the children you will bring, then start making your plans for a carefree evening!

Vanilla Wafers March In

We are now collecting vanilla wafers to share with our young friends at Fairmount Elementary School. Please bring your donations of any brand of these little cookies 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!

Seriously Bro, Mow

It won't look like this much longer!

Winter is standing off and on, but the grass knows that spring will soon be here. We have lost some volunteers since last mowing season, so please volunteer even if you can help out only once. Our team welcomes men and women, adults and teens.

The captain of our mowing team, Randy Cook, will be happy to train you, if needed, on our Scag mower. We hope you will sign up for regular duty, but if you can help for even a single morning or afternoon, please email Randy at npolecook@aol.com or call his cell at 423-956-1541.

Front Office Staff Changes

We are saying a reluctant but only partial farewell to our own Sara Reuning, who retires from her work in our front office this week. We are happy to say that we will still get to enjoy her company on Sundays and Wednesdays as well as her help with the variety of church and community volunteer activities for which she is so well known.

Sara has worked here officially since August 2005, but she volunteered on a regular basis in the office for a couple of years before being hired. She has long been the congregation's first resource for answers to questions and requests for help of all kinds.

Of her retirement, Sara said, "This has truly been a blessing to me. Church work certainly isn't dull. There are routine things to do but it is never dull. It has been fun, and I will miss the people."

Of Sara's service, our business administrator, Betsy Galliher said, "Sara has repeatedly gone above and beyond what anyone could even ask. She has been a blessing to me and to this church. I believe God is saying of Sara's ministry to FPC, 'Well done, thy good and faithful servant.'"

Another face will no longer be visible in the front office but will still be manifest in our newsletter and website communications. Kathy Acuff retires from secretarial duties this week as well. She has grown to love the volunteers and other church folk she has worked with in her five years of office work here and will miss them.

Sara and Kathy served in the office for four days a week between them. Taking on the duties of all four days is Diana Mattison. She will work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Diana relocated from Maryland to Bristol to be closer to her parents, Dot and Lou (now deceased) Mattison. She was a processing manager for a real estate office in Maryland, and she has a wealth of other business office experience. The buzz in the office is that she is a quick learner. Between them Diana and Jane Prater will handle everything that comes in the office door!

Church Office to Close All Day on Fridays

For a three-month trial period beginning March 18, the church office will be closed all day on Fridays. Until March 18, it will continue to be open on Friday morning and closed in the afternoon. Pastoral and program staff will continue to be available according to their particular schedules. A phone number will be given on the church's phone voice system that our congregation can call when a pastor is needed in an emergency.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir; Dr. Tim Altman and Dr. Larry Wells, trumpets. Tim and Larry are our guest artists for Sunday afternoon's Arts Series program, and we are grateful to them for offering their gifts in worship Sunday morning.

Carson Cooman
(Photo credit: Colby Cooman)

Sunday's music: The text of the American folk hymn "Wondrous Love" first appeared in a collection printed in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1811; the music was first published in the 1840 edition of The Southern Harmony, which was printed, interestingly, in New Haven, Connecticut. In the words of Paul Westermeyer, this hymn "basks in God's grace and sings on and on about it." The arrangement sung by the choir has been composed by Carson Cooman (b. 1982), an active performing organist and widely performed composer. Among his various positions, he is Composer in Residence for The Memorial Church of Harvard University. His arrangement captures both the rugged beauty and lyricism of the original hymn.

Lenten Organ Series: Central Presbyterian Church is again offering a series of half-hour Lenten Noon Organ Meditations through March 16. There is no admission charge, but donations are gratefully accepted. These are the organists for the remaining Wednesdays:

March 9: Chris Neal, Mountain View UMC, Kingsport
March 16: Joy Smith-Briggs, Central Presbyterian

Central Presbyterian Church is located at 301 Euclid Avenue, Bristol, VA, and the office phone number is 276-669-3157.

Sunday's Guest Preacher: Amber Warhurst

Amber Warhust

Amber Warhurst and her family have called Bristol and First Presbyterian Church home for nearly five years. Prior to landing here, she and her husband, Paul, studied at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where she earned a PhD in Hebrew Bible. She teaches classes in Old Testament and Biblical languages at King University as an adjunct lecturer, and she homeschools her three children, Ruby (6), Margot (4), and Adam (3), who will be joined in April by a baby brother. Whenever possible, she relishes chances to chip away at the pile of books on her nightstand, hike on the Appalachian Trail, and Skype with her family in Utah.

Pray for One Another

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

In Our Prayers

Becky Busler

Jude Chambers

Amelia Cordon

Jane Crewey

Dorothy Dollar

Mark Dollar

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Bill Goforth

Ron Grubbs

Will Hankins

Gene Haskins

Sharon Hatcher

Vivian Hill

Andrea Hyde

Nancy King

Alice Moore

David Moore

Nancy Preston

Lila Ray

Mary Rice

Brenda Rogers

Virginia Rutherford

Faye VanNostrand

Herb Van Nostrand

To the Church Triumphant

Patricia Ann Peterson Tippner

February 24, 2016

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

March 6 Nathaniel Sproles

March 7 Abby Welch

March 8 Tony Adams, Dawn Eubanks, Nathan Heacock

March 9 Abi Davis, Katie Davis

March 10 Amy Buck

March 11 Cindy Heglar, Marynan Smith

March 12 David Hyde, Candy Phelps

Church Calendar

Sunday, March 6

8:30 a.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall

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

9:45 a.m. Sunday School

10:00 a.m. Young Adult Coffee Klatch, Room 125

11:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary

3:00 p.m. Arts Series Concert, Sanctuary

5:15 p.m. Jubilate Youth Choir

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

Monday, March 7

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

7:00 p.m. Board of Deacons, Room 123

Tuesday, March 8

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

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

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

7:00 p.m. BSA Troop 3 Cub Crossover, Chapel & Fellowship Hall

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

Wednesday, March 9

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

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

4:45 p.m. Youth Handbells, Room 212

5:15 p.m. Baby & Toddler Care, Rooms 34 & 35

5:30 p.m. Fellowship Dinner, Fellowship Hall

6:00 p.m. Wednesday Night Kids

6:00 p.m. Student Small Groups

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

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

7:30 p.m. 8:30 Worship Team Rehearsal, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, March 10

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

Saturday, March 12

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

Windows is a publication of First Presbyterian Church, Bristol, TN. Please direct questions and suggestions to the editor, Kathy Acuff, kacuff@fpcbristol.org.