If you've recently joined our congregation and want to know more about the Presbyterian Church in general and FPC in particular, then our new short-term adult class is for you! On six to eight Sunday mornings, we'll talk about church history, worship traditions, service and fellowship opportunities, what and why we believe, and even where you fit in. The class begins this  Sunday, April 28, in room 125 (off the Fellowship Hallway). It will be taught by Dave Welch, so we confidently advertise it as engaging, informative, and entertaining. Don't miss it!

When we present someone with a true gift, it is totally theirs; no strings attached. They own it. They decide how to use it, when to use it, where to use it, and with whom to use it. If they need to learn how to use it, that lesson must come before the gifting. Otherwise, the presence of the gift gets in the way of learning how to use it, or the gift gets misused and may no longer be of value.

The value and effectiveness of the lesson is reflected in how the gift is used. This is the test, the assessment. The lesson is for both the gifted and the giver. The giver will observe and take note of how the gift is used, then decide whether the lesson was effective. As the giver, we hope that the gift will benefit the receiver and others. The receiver will evaluate how they use the gift, if they care to do so. We hope that they will continue to learn how to use this and other gifts.

For example, God has blessed each of us with sacred gifts. Romans 12:6-8 lists the seven spiritual gifts of prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy. The gifts are ours. What do we do with them? Did we learn how to use them before we got them? Probably not. Did we send Him a thank-you card? Do we use the gifts in a manner that glorifies Him? Have we talked with Him about His plans for our gifts? H'm...

Many of us may wonder what spiritual gifts we have received. That's normal; we may take them for granted. (It's a human thing.) We need to be aware of the gifts before we figure out what to do with them. This Sunday morning, right after the 9:00 worship service, we will all be able to identify our spiritual gifts and learn of ways we can use them in service to God and others. Please join us in the Fellowship Hall.

The beauty in this, in God's spiritual gifting, is that these gifts don't diminish with use. They grow and multiply more as they are used more.

And that's pretty special. / Jerry Poteat

The Finance Committee meets monthly to review the church's financial reports, budget vs. actual, and to address any issues pertaining to financial matters that need attention. We can report that 2019 is off to a smooth start, thanks to the congregation's contributions and the staff's careful management of budgets.

If you have any questions, financial reports are available for your review in the church office. Feel free to contact any member of the committee: Jack Butterworth, Mary Connor, Nancy Cook, Barb Duncan, Ron Fox, Betsy Galliher, Dottie Havlik, Peggy Hill, and John Vann. / John Vann

During the month of May the Brazil mission team will collect supplies to take to Bethel School in Felipe Camarão. Place your donated Items in the Brazil box in the Fellowship Hallway and join the team in their mission!

This week's Student Ministries volunteer spotlight shines on Betsy Galliher. After not being involved in student ministry since her children were young, she felt called back from retirement. Although unsure at first about how to serve, she is now passionate about her work with our students. Betsy has become essential to Student Fellowship by caring for fine details behind the scenes. Faithfully coming every Sunday evening, she helps set up activities and dinner, gauges attendance and makes sure we are well prepared, organizes money collection, and jumps in wherever she sees a need. With a loving smile she welcomes our teens and reaches out to quieter students on the periphery. At times Betsy has even jumped in as a last-minute substitute for a small-group leader. She is a gift to our Student Ministries, and we are so thankful for her love and commitment to sharing truth with students! Thank you, Betsy, for loving our students so BIG!

If you feel called to serve in Student Ministries, please contact Katie Arnold at [email protected]. She would love to have you on the team.

No, that isn't a real estate promo! On April 13 FPC's eighth grade confirmands made a daylong retreat to a beautiful cabin on South Holston Lake. They reflected on their confirmation journey over the past two years and talked about their personal faith. The discussion prepared them to write the statements of faith they will share on Confirmation Sunday, May 12. Everyone unplugged and enjoyed the quiet, slow, relaxing day of just being present and allowing the Holy Spirit to rejuvenate them. Part of the afternoon was spent painting murals to express an area of their faith journey. A big thank-you to Lauren Rutherford and her assistant, Kathryn Welch, for hosting us and leading the painting activity. Be on the lookout for our confirmands' faith statements in the coming weeks! / Katie Arnold

Parents will want to mark the evenings of Sunday through Wednesday, July 14 - 17, on their calendars. That's the time to take a midsummer break with a safari theme, when FPC's Vacation Bible School comes back with a roar! Roar is an African adventure for kids, right here on Florida Avenue. Students will learn that God is good and will stay with them forever. They will take a safari through learning stations that emphasize the daily Bible point. On the way, they will sing, play, have Bible adventures, do fun science experiments, play sports, and enjoy snacks and drama. Sign up with Lilly Osborne ( [email protected]), and ask her whether she needs any help!

We had a fantastic Easter egg hunt with our fifth- and sixth-grade Fusion group on the night of Friday, April 12, and another wonderful hunt with younger children and their parents on the afternoon of Saturday, April 13. Check out these photos!

Easter has raised joy out of the earth and celebrations are springing up all over! We are counting on Roger Sikorski (April 24-27) to spiff up certain things of this world, to wit, the church lawn, for Sunday's visit by Dr. Billy Kim and his troupe of earthly angels, the Korean Children's Choir. Larry Connolly (May 1 -4) will have us duded up for Senior Night May 5. Ah, Spring!

Today we begin an occasional series on the tangible history of our church.

With Bill Wade's help, I have been delving into several material elements of our church history. We have learned that the bell hanging in our church tower was purchased when the original downtown church was built around 1882. We hope to find information about where it was cast; meanwhile, our search goes on. Larry Connolly recently installed lights in the tower, and now it is lovely even at night. A couple of months ago, we started ringing the bell prior to the 11:00 service. We hope its beautiful peals remind the neighborhood of our presence and sound an invitation to worship with us. / Beth Flannagan

Sunday's Early Worship

You can hear the songs we'll sing in the 9:00 service here.

 

Sunday's Late Worship

Participants: Pat Flannagan, Alice Sanders, Sanctuary Choir, Sanctuary Handbell Choir.

	Dale Wood

Music: Sunday's anthem, "Beneath the Cross of Jesus," is an arrangement of the familiar hymn by Dale Wood (1934 -2003). Wood was an award-winning composer and hymn writer (he won his first award for hymn writing at the age of 13) most associated with the Lutheran Church in California. Although he attended Occidental College, Wood never received a college degree. He collaborated with jazz pianist George Shearing to create a volume of organ settings of American hymns and folk tunes: "The printed music is just a blueprint, and it is the performer's job to complete the project." The text of this hymn/anthem was written in 1868 by Elizabeth Clephane (1830 -1869).

Sunday, April 28

9:00 a.m.        Worship, Fellowship Hall

10:10 a.m.     Sunday School

11:00 a.m.     Worship, Sanctuary

12:30 p.m.     Music Search Comm. Luncheon, Chapel

2:00 p.m.       E&O Comm., Room 117

6:00 p.m.       Student Fellowship

6:30 p.m.       Korean Children's Choir, Sanctuary

Tuesday, April 30

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

10:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 117

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

7:00 p.m.       Scouts Court of Honor, Chapel

Wednesday, May 1

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

7:15 p.m.       Worship Team, Fellowship Hall

Thursday, May 2

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

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

Saturday, May 4

11:00 p.m.     After Prom, Just Jump

Church Officers
Class of 2019	Class of 2020	Class of 2021
ELDERS
Anna Booher	Nancy Allerton	Ann Abel
Lee Galliher	Rebecca Beck	Randy Cook
Pete Holler	David Hyde	John Graham
Han Ong	Jordan Pennington	Katie McInnis
Pete Stigers	Jerry Poteat	John Vann
DEACONS
Sujean Bradley	Blake Bassett	Fred Harkleroad
George Linke	Rhonda Comer	Matt Kingsley
Greg Roberts	Ron Fox	Lisa McClain
Nate Sproles	Brenda Lawson	Drew Rice
Bill Whisnant	Barbara Thompson	Joyce Samuel
TRUSTEES
Nancy Cook	Peggy Hill	Jack Butterworth