This Sunday is Pentecost, when we commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and celebrate the ascent of our newest graduates from educational and training programs of all kinds. We will do so in both the 8:30 and the 11:00 worship services. Because it is the only Sunday of the church year for which red is the liturgical color, we would be delighted to see a reflection of that in the congregation. It has been said that all shades of red go together, so let's see what we can do to prove that true!

New Members of FPC Received This Sunday

Those wishing to join FPC are encouraged to attend the called Session of Elders this Sunday, May 15. It will be held at 10:20 a.m. in the chapel for the sole purpose of receiving new members into our congregation. If you need more information, please feel free to talk with any elder or Dave Welch, who can also be reached at dwelch@fpcbristol.org.

Seeking Nominees for New Pastor Nominating Committee

The Church Officer Nominating Committee (CONC) has been authorized by the Session to nominate a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) representative of the entire congregation. The PNC's duty shall be to nominate a full-time, installed pastor for election by the congregation.

The CONC is now asking the congregation for nominees for the PNC. To nominate a member of our congregation to serve on the PNC, fill out the form that will be available at Sunday worship on May 22 and May 29 and either place it in the collection plate or return it to the church office. Alternatively, the nomination may be made by emailing Dave Welch at dwelch@fpcbristol.org. Once the CONC has selected the slate of nominees for the PNC, the Session will convene a called meeting of the congregation for the specific purpose of electing the Pastor Nominating Committee.

The job description for the PNC has a focused scope. The PNC's first task will be to complete a Ministry Information Form (MIF). The MIF will serve as an announcement of what we are looking for in a full-time pastor and who we are in terms of the size of our congregation, our programs, our vision, and other essentials. Once approved by the Session, this form will be posted online with the PCUSA Church Leadership Connection to advertise the position so that interested pastors can apply.

Statistics show that the term of this search process is most often between 18 and 24 months. Meetings are usually weekly but can be more frequent, as the committee digs into the task before them. After an extensive search and interviews of finalists, the PNC will ultimately recommend a candidate to the congregation. Members of the PNC will be challenged to pray and discern who will be our next installed pastor.

The Church Officer Nominating Committee is composed of Chuck Thompson, Chair; Scottie Bales, Andrew Beck, Beth Flannagan, and Heidi Harkleroad. We encourage you to contact any member of this committee to ask questions or seek clarity on the duties and/or expectations for the Pastor Nominating Committee.

Last Week's Special Session Produces Prayer Opportunities

Responding to a request by several elders, a special called Session of Elders was held on the evening of Thursday, May 5. The Book of Order limits special called sessions to the specific purpose for which they are called. This meeting dealt with the direction of and the search process for a pastor for First Presbyterian Church. Our elders affirmed the Interim Pastor Search Committee's work and established two opportunities through which the congregation can engage in meaningful prayer focused upon the search for an interim pastor for our church. The first is to invite all members to pray each day at noon, wherever they are. The second prayer opportunity is to gather each Wednesday evening at 6:00 in the chapel. This opportunity began yesterday and will continue through the month of June.

We Need to Contact Missing Church Members

As part of our membership ministry, we are correcting and updating our rolls, and we need your help. Specifically, we need up-to-date contact information for fellow members we haven't heard from or seen in several years. Please review the list below and let us know if you have a mailing address, email address, and/or phone number for anyone on it. Please give information directly to Diana Mattison by email (preferred method) at dmattison@fpcbristol.org. If you do not have access to email, you may give her the information by phone at 423-764-7176. Thank you for your help!

Battel, Mr. Michael Andrew (Mike)	Bloome, Mrs. Debbie Kay
Blue, Dr. Bradley Byron	Blue, Mrs. Diane Hoglund
Bobbitt, Adam Keith	Booth, Mr. Alan Edward
Borghi, Mr. Kenneth Richard (Ken)	Borghi, Mrs. Roberta Jane (Robbie)
Borghi, Mr. Nathaniel Andrew (Nathan)	Borghi, Mr. Nickolas Eugene (Nick)
Borghi, Mr. Raymond Everson (Ray)	Bowell, Mr. Andrew David (Andy)
Burkhart, Ms. Catherine Marie	Burnette, Ms. Kimberly Elizabeth (Kim)
Burton, Mr. David Fulton	Burton, Mr. Jamie Randall
Chesley, Mrs. Jana Carpenter	Converse, Dr. George Marquis IV (Mark)
Converse, Mrs. Elisa Jill (Jill)	Dixon, Mr. David
Esser, Mr. Edward Milton Jr. (Eddie)	Esser, Mrs. Dorothy Curtis (Dottie)
Fleenor, Mr. Daniel Lee Jr. (Daniel)	Fleenor, Daniel II
Gao, Mr. Hongman	Zhou, Mrs. Rui (Irene)
Gentry, Ms. Shannon B.	Gregg, Mr. Danny
Haga, Mrs. Ollie Linkous	Hagerty, Mr. Cooper Phillip
Hallum, Ms. Sara Catherine	Hardin, Mr. William Clyde III (Bill)
Harkins, Mrs. Rachel Michal	Hatcher, Mrs. Terry Lee (Lee)
Hatley, Mr. William Ray (Bill)	Helbert, Ms. Susan Lee
Helton, Miss Shannon Gail	Hite, Mr. Ryan Christopher
Houser, Mr. Raymond Kyle (Ray)	Hudler, Mrs. Rebecca Suzanne (Suzanne)
Hutton, Mr. Michael Douglas (Mike)	Johnson, Mr. George R.
Jones, Mr. Robert Alan	Jordan, Mr. Gregory Samuel Bruce (Sammy)
King, Mr. Jere Franklin (Jay)	Kirksey, Mr. Kevin Michael
Ladd, Mr. Richard Edward Jr. (Rick)	Lindamood, Ms. Lisa Marie (Lisa)
Loud, Ms. Dorothy Ann (Dorothy Ann)	Loud, Ms. Karen
Masengill, Mrs. Carrie Jean (Carrie Jean)	Massengill, Mr. Andrew Myers (Andy)
McAllister, Mr. David Brumley	McAllister, Dr. William Paul Jr. (Bill)
McCrae, Mr. Tom	McDaniel, John Edward
Messerole, Mr. Steve Curtis	Miller, Mrs. Elaine Devault
Miller, Mr. Thomas Alan (Tom)	Morison, Ms. Amelia Richmond
Morrison, Mrs. Rachel Combs (Rachel)	Mullins, Mrs. Isabel Catherine (Cathy)
Murray, Mr. Stephen Loren (Steve)	O'Dell, Mr. Mark Preston
Pecktal, Ms. Kathryn Marie	Pickle, Mr. Franklin Eugene
Rainwater, Ms. Lacey Elizabeth	Rausch, Mr. Albert R. (Rocky)
Reed, Mr. James Lee (Jamie)	Rees, Mr. Timothy George (Tim)
Rhea, Mrs. Patricia Reke (Pat)	Richards, Ms. Carol
Richards, Ms. Heather Marie	Rutherford, Mr. Samuel Bruce II (Sam)
Saddler, Mr. Richard Todd (Todd)	Santaello, Mr. Manuel Jose
Schmeltzer, Ms. Sara Jane	Schutts, Mr. Richard A. (Richard)
Shaw, Mr. Martin Anthony	Shaw, Mr. Matthew Carl
Smith, Mr. Lloyd Batre	Smith, Mrs. Evelyn K.
Snead, Mrs. Bonnie Irene	Solomon, Mr. Charles Ronald III (Ron)
Stone-Hartley, Ms. Cheryl	Swann, Mrs. Jerilyn Dawn
Taylor, Mrs. Debbie Kathleen	Thomasson, Mr. Timothy James (Tim)
Townsend, Mrs. Daphne Renee	Tretler, Ms. Sharon Angelique (Sharon)
Tucker, Ms. Adelia Warner (Dee-Dee)	Twiggs, Mrs. Mildred Jean (Millie)
Vipperman, Ms. Heather Lynn	Vipperman, Mr. Jeremy Stewart
Vipperman, Mr. Jodi Lee	Watrous, Ms. Rebecca Anne
Weaver, Mr. David Bradford (Brad)	Wilhoit, Mrs. Lisa Lee
Wilson, Mrs. Eleanor Cassler	Wilson, Mrs. Harriet W.

Next Family Promise Rotation Begins June 5

The first full week of June brings our turn in the local church rotation in the Family Promise of Bristol program. We are looking for volunteers to help us care for a homeless family at one or more points from late afternoon on Sunday, June 5, through early morning on Sunday, June 12. 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, June 5. 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, June 12, 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 Dottie Havlik at dhavlik@charter.net. If you know of folks who may want to help in any way, please encourage them to step forward, or ask Dottie to contact them. Thank you so much for your hospitality to our guests!

Work with Sharing Christ Next Saturday

A group opportunity to serve the hungry in downtown Bristol is coming up next Saturday, May 21. We need FPC folks to donate cans of food, make sandwiches and pack sack lunches, and serve and clean up. For more information or to volunteer, please contactour coordinator for this effort, Dottie Havlik, at dhavlik@charter.net.

News flash! We will serve canned corn instead of slaw. We now need seven (7) large cans of corn, three (3) large cans of green beans, twelve (12) bags of dinner rolls, six (6) loaves of sandwich bread, and six (6) large jars of jelly. We are looking for volunteers to make 120 lunch bags of peanut butter sandwiches and fruit, a job that can be done at home. We also need three (3) volunteers from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to serve dinner and clean up afterwards. We will begin gathering at Sharing Christ Mission (corner of State and Sixth streets downtown) at 5:00 p.m. Thank you for your care and service!

Help Inner City Youth through Urban Promise

Dan Kreiss will lead a team from FPC on a mission to bring light and love to inner city youth in Camden, New Jersey, this summer. This opportunity is open to all. We will serve with Urban Promise from Sunday, June 26, through Saturday, July 2, supporting established educational and social programs there. The total cost to FPC participants is $300. The deadline for registration is Sunday, May 15. 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.

Rain-Washed Red Is In

We don't know whether he will be styling in red, but we do know that Pat Flannagan will be seeing green as he mows the church lawn for Pentecost. Hoping for a break in the rain, J.B. Madison will take over for Trinity Sunday, and Larry Connolly will do the honors for the last Sunday of May.

If you would like to help with upkeep of the church lawn, Randy Cook will be happy to give you a quick lesson on our Scag Tiger Cat. We welcome adults and teens, men and women for what we hope will be regular duty. 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. Thank you!

FPC high school students and their friends are encouraged to register now for our summer trip to Journey in Panama City Beach, Florida. We will leave from the church on Sunday, June 26, spend the night in Atlanta, and continue to Panama City Beach the next day. There we will join other church groups from across the southern states for a week of wild games, challenges, fellowship, worship, and fun on the beach, all while on a journey to experience God in a whole new way. We will return home Friday, July 1.

Journey will be held at a retreat center with separate lodges for guys and girls and a dining room where we will take our meals. We suggest that you bring $50 for fast food on the road, and more if you plan to buy souvenirs.

FPC is offsetting the cost of the trip, so your total cost will be $350. Monthly payments are possible, but the full amount must be paid by June 15. Scholarships are available, first-come-first-serve, for FPC members. A nonrefundable $100 deposit is required at registration. Once you pay your deposit, you are fully responsible for the total cost of the trip. If something comes up and you can no longer go, you may find someone to take your spot and have your deposit transferred to them. This is Journey's payment policy, and we cannot deviate from it.

This is an event you won't want to miss! Check out the Journey promo video on Vimeo at www.vimeo.com/144032784. For more information, email Katie Arnold at karnold@fpcbristol.org or call her at 423-764-7176 (office) or 770-296-1671 (cell).

Middle School Students, Register Now for Great Escape

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 a day whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River! We will return around noon on Friday, June 17.

A nonrefundable deposit of $100 is required to secure a spot on the trip. The total cost of $435 includes an FPC T-shirt, the camp, travel, and the whitewater rafting. This is an event you won't want to miss! Contact Katie Arnold at karnold@fpcbristol.org to register.

Back to Brazil, with a Flourish

The children of Bethel School loved the streamers made for them by the children and families of FPC! We had as much fun making them (for 145 children!) as the recipients had playing with them. We sent these back with our friends Jo�o Batista and Rosangela when they returned to the Felipe Camar�o neighborhood of Natal, Brazil, after their visit here.

Friday the 13th Pajama Party at the Church

Here's a pleasant piece of luck for Friday the 13th: our Children's Ministries will hold a Parents' Night Out in the Fellowship Hall from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. It's going to be a pajama party but not a sleepover. Bring your PJ-clad children to the Fellowship Hall to sign them in. We will give them dinner and have a lot of fun! This Friday's event is for children from birth through sixth grade. Please register on our Facebook Children's page or by texting 423-383-5476. For more information, contact Lilly Osborne at losborne@fpcbristol.org.

Come Out for Fun Family Fellowship Next Week

Here is a shot of relaxing outdoor fellowship enjoyed last summer.

Our Children's Ministries will hold a Fun Family Fellowship next Wednesday, May 18, at 5:30 p.m. at the home of Lilly Osborne. Hot dogs and drinks will be provided; any other food you would like to bring to share will be appreciated. We'll be outside, so bring blankets or chairs to sit on. See you then!

What Does a Diverse Church Look Like?

Dr. Eric Barreto

Dr. Eric Barreto, the Weyerhaeuser Associate Professor of New Testament at Princeton Theological Seminary, will deliver the Myron Taylor Lectureship Monday, May 23, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Milligan College. His talk, "A People for God's Name: Race, Ethnicity, and the Bible Today," will address the issues of diversity in many churches, asking the question: "What might a church that invites diversity look like?" Dr. Barreto will turn to the Gospel of Luke and Acts for answers.

The event will be held in the McGlothlin-Street Theatre in the Gregory Center for Liberal Arts at 1 Blowers Boulevard on the Milligan campus.

From Steve & Vicki Fey

Music Notes

Sunday's music participants: Sanctuary Choir; Daniel Osborne, handbells; Jenn Sproles, tambourine.


	Robert Hobby

Sunday's music: At the 11:00 service the Sanctuary Choir will sing two Pentecost anthems. The first, "Come Thou, Lord, Creator Spirit," has a text by Douglas C. Bowman set to music by Jeffrey H. Rickard (b. 1944), who was the director of choral activities at the University of the Redlands in California until he retired. With only handbell accompaniment, this anthem is a call for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts. The second anthem is "Hallelujah, Wind from Heaven," a text by Richard Leach (b. 1953) set to music by Robert Hobby (b. 1962). It is a poetic retelling of the Pentecost story, calling on the Spirit to "give to us the dreams of healing, visions of your kingdom come." Hobby interprets the drama of the Pentecost event through rhythmically driving music. Leach is a Lutheran pastor; Hobby a director of music in a Lutheran church.

Choir awards: The annual children's and youth choir awards dinner was held Wednesday, May 4. The following children received perfect attendance awards: Wyatt Gross, Zora Gross, Claire Hankins, Samuel Hankins, Reed Miller, Rett Miller, Riley Miller, Noah Ong, and Charlotte Osborne. We had no graduating seniors in youth choir this year! Before they received their awards, the Cherub Choir sang "I Am One of God's Precious Children," and after dinner, the Jubilate Youth Choir invited rising seventh-grader Zora Gross to join them as they sang a repeat of "I Believe."

Our Children's and Youth Choirs
CHERUB CHOIR (age 4-grade 1)	SAVIOR'S SINGERS (grades 2-6) (*indicates Children's Handbells)	JUBILATE YOUTH CHOIR (grades 7-12) (*indicates Youth Bells)
T. J. Abel Eden Chambers Marceau Chambers Rhys Chambers Lilly Hankins Aiden Kite Lucas Lay Bebo McClain Mollee McClain Noelle McInnis Rett Miller Moses Ong Charlotte Osborne Sam Parker Jack Smith P. J. Stigers Penn Story Branch Sword Ginny Sword Elliot Williams	Anna Comer Isabel Gross Wyatt Gross Zora Gross Claire Hankins Samuel Hankins Nora McCracken Vance McCracken Reed Miller Riley Miller Noah Ong Ford Sikorski Julia Sikorski *Nell Stigers	Taylor Connolly Kathleen Dotterweich Annie Osborne Daniel Osborne Ginny Osborne Angelica Poteat Maria Poteat *Rosa Poteat Madison Ratliff

Rehearsal schedule: The Sanctuary Choir ended weekly rehearsals this week but will sing in worship through the end of June. During the month of July, soloists and ensembles will provide music for the 11:00 service. If you would like to sing with us through June, give us a call!

Elizabeth Patrick Begins Sermon Series on Holy Spirit

Beginning with Pentecost this Sunday and for the following two weeks, guest preacher Elizabeth Patrick will invite us to consider the work of the Holy Spirit in the communal life of the church and in our personal lives of faith. She writes: "In the first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul warned Christians, 'Quench not the Spirit' (5:19). Christ promised that his Holy Spirit would be with us and in us, but how much good does that do us, how much blessing does that amazing gift bring, if we stifle, extinguish, or simply ignore the Spirit?"

Elizabeth is an ordained pastor of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a graduate of Erskine College, Duke Law School, and Princeton Seminary. She served as solo pastor of Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church in Sandy Springs, South Carolina, before moving to Bristol. She and her husband, Dr. Bill Linderman, Professor of Mathematics at King University, have two sons, Henry and Ben.

Red Is for Pentecost

Webster's Dictionary defines a parament as "an ornamental ecclesiastical hanging or vestment." In our sanctuary, paraments hang from the pulpit and the lectern and are changed in relation to the church year. White is used for Christmas and the season of Easter (also for weddings, funerals, and memorial services). Purple (and in some churches blue) is used for Advent and Lent, and green for the rest of the year. Red appears on only one Sunday, Pentecost. As the story in Acts 2:3 tells that "tongues, as of fire, appeared among them," so the color red so strongly representing fire is an appropriate color to enhance our worship space on this Sunday.

Placing Flowers in Worship

Except on the Sundays when we observe communion, we beautify the sanctuary with flowers for our late worship service. If you would like to place flowers in honor or in memory of someone, contact Karen Boone at 423-538-8423 or karenboone10@aol.com to arrange for a Sunday and to put the notice in the worship bulletin. You can pick up the flowers following the service or, if you wish, the Care Shepherds will distribute them to members observing birthdays, recovering from illness, or in assisted living.

Pastoral Search Prayers

Please join the Session in its continuing prayer for both the ongoing search process for an interim pastor and the beginning of the process for seeking whom God is calling to be the next, full-time, installed pastor of First Presbyterian Church. The congregation is invited to join with the elders in these two opportunities. The first is every day at noon, praying wherever you find yourself to be. The second is a weekly gathering in the church chapel, every Wednesday evening at 6:00. Materials, Bibles, and hymnals are available for this prayer time.

Change in Newsletter Prayer List Procedure

Recognizing that prayer has both individual and communal aspects and that it is a high calling to bring to God the needs of brothers and sisters in the faith, we invite the members of First Presbyterian to share together in this rich ministry. To facilitate and coordinate our prayer energies, we are making slight changes to the way we compile and maintain "In Our Prayers," the list of prayer concerns that appears in each issue of this newsletter. You will still make prayer requests by calling the church office at 423-764-7176 or emailing Diana Mattison at dmattison@fpcbristol.org. The change is that we will publish each name for three weeks from the initial request, then remove it. However, requests to continue prayers can be made in the same way as the initial request. In this way, Windows will carry the most recent and timely prayer needs of the congregation. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Welch at dwelch@fpcbristol.org.

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

Jude Chambers

Mark Dollar

Fred Frazier

DeeDee Galliher

Bill Goforth

Ron Grubbs

Sharon Hatcher

Vivian Hill

Nancy King

Peggy Peters

Tony Raccioppo

Mary Rice

Faye VanNostrand

To the Church Triumphant

Nancy Ann Neal Preston

May 6, 2016

Birthday Prayer Fellowship

May 15 DeeDee Galliher

May 16 Dewey Pendley

May 17 Don Pridemore

May 18 Linsi Phelps

May 19 Sarah-Courtney Cavatoni, Shannan Miller

May 20 Jane Crewey, Bonnie Haskins, Jim Ratliff

May 21 Sara Stocstill

Memorial Gift

We gratefully acknowledge Jim and Bettie Hite's recent gift to the Capital Campaign Fund/MEP in memory of Ramon (Toby) Tobias.

Newsletter Deadline and Summer Schedule

The deadline for contributions to, or suggestions for, the newsletter has moved to Monday of the week of publication. Windows will be published every two weeks in June and July: on June 9 and 23 and on July 7 and 21. We will return to the regular weekly schedule August 4.

Church Calendar

Sunday, May 15

8:30 a.m. Worship, Fellowship Hall

9:45 a.m. Sunday School

10:20 a.m. Session Receives New Members, Chapel

11:00 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary

4:00 p.m. Evangelism & Outreach Committee, Room 117

Monday, May 16

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

Tuesday, May 17

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

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

4:30 p.m. Women's Inductive Bible Study, Room 117

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

Wednesday, May 18

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

Thursday, May 19

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

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

Saturday, May 21

5:00 p.m. Sharing Christ Mission, State & Sixth Streets

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