Word from the Pastor:
Fruitful Growth
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.
—Colossians 1:3–6
Sunday was so much fun! If you were able to join us for our Earth Day event at 3:00 or our Talent Show and welcome of Jerry and his family at 4:00, I hope you were as blessed as I was.
While the talent show (and the food trucks, and the shaved ice, and the hokey song the staff wrote for Jerry, and Steven’s stunning jacket) was excellent in so many ways, I personally loved the Earth Day planting with the kids. Dressed in our gardening clothes and armed with a few tools, we gathered, we planted, we got our hands dirty, and we made the campus a bit more beautiful. While I’m still learning the finer points of planting and cultivation, both at home and at church, I really enjoy the engagement of mind, heart, and body in an event where we care for the good earth that God gave to us.
Yet, as I looked around Sunday afternoon during all our events, it came home to me that the Gospel grew more rooted in our hearts as we grew together in faith and love. As those little ones got their hands dirty to pat dirt down around the trees that will flourish as they themselves grow in stature; as they made holes in the planter box and plopped in beautiful flowers; as they shared their dancing, singing, and musical talents, we were growing, and we were growing together.
Our faith will have us all grow in a variety of ways. Yes, we will learn more about Scripture. Yes, we will deepen our trust in the Lord Jesus. Yes, we will become more obedient as we submit to the demands of God’s call to humility and righteousness. All these things are true. But the greatest fruit of them all, the one indicator that the Gospel is really taking root, is that the fruit we bear sustains community. In the name of Jesus and the love he shares with us to overflowing, we learn to take our talents, minister to one another, and nurture the soil of community so that we grow together.
Being a disciple of Jesus means, at a foundational level, life together.
I saw that Sunday afternoon, and I was blessed. I’m looking forward to many other opportunities in the weeks, months, and years ahead.
In Christ,
Pastor Sam
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Invitation to Join FPC
An opportunity to join the fellowship of First Presbyterian Church is coming up on Sunday, May 23. The Session will meet with interested adults in the chapel at 10:00 a.m. before the One Worship service for Senior Graduation Recognition. Prospective members should bring their New Member Information form with them.
If you are interested in joining the church but are unable to be with us on this date, or if you have any questions, please call Dave Welch at 423-764-7176 or email dwelch@fpcbristol.org.
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Worship
May 2
5th Sunday of Easter
Communion
Lesson
Acts 26
Sermon
Can I Get a Witness?
Dave Welch
Last Sunday’s Attendance
9:00: In person: 123;
Livestream: 44; Playback: 114
11:00: In person: 88;
Livestream: 20; Playback: 54
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Calendar
All worship services are also livestreamed.
Sunday, May 2
9:00 a.m.
Contemporary Worship
Fellowship Hall
10:10 a.m.
Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Traditional Worship
Sanctuary
7:00 p.m.
Student Fellowship
Monday, May 3
6:30 p.m.
Board of Deacons
Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, May 4
10:00 a.m.
Staff Meeting
Fellowship Hall
Wednesday, May 5
6:00 p.m.
Handbell Practice
Fellowship Hall
7:00 p.m.
Choir Practice
Sanctuary
Thursday, May 6
7:00 a.m.
Men’s Bible Study
Parlor
5:30 p.m.
Scout Roundtable
Fellowship Hall
6:15 p.m.
Praise Team Rehearsal
Sanctuary
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One Worship May 9
Remember that we will have a One Worship service on Sunday, May 9, at 11:00. We will worship outdoors, and we will celebrate our confirmands as well as Mother’s Day. Please bring a chair!
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Sanctuary Sound Assessment Sunday
During the 11:00 traditional service this Sunday, we will conduct a final sound assessment in the sanctuary. Questionnaires will be distributed as you come in, and we ask that you linger after worship for a spoken word test. All of this is to help us measure the efficacy of the recent sanctuary sound overhaul. Please excuse the equipment and setup necessary to conduct the test. Thank you for your patience.
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Pastoral Resident Joins Us May 9
At its meeting this week, the session voted to receive Justin Miller as our new Pastoral Resident. The Pastoral Resident program is our church’s two-year, part-time mentoring program in which we walk and work with a candidate as they move toward ordination in the Presbyterian Church USA. We feel Justin will be a wonderful fit at FPC, and we look forward to working with him in all areas of ministry as he develops his pastoral skills and discerns God’s call in his life. As part of this process, Justin will be joining our church, and he will be enrolled as an inquirer and candidate moving toward ordination as he continues his studies and fulfills all the requirements for ordination.
Justin comes to us from Oak Grove Christian Church in Arden, NC, where he has worked as the Family and Worship Minister. He graduated in the Class of 2020 with a Master of Divinity degree in Christian Care and Counseling from Emmanuel Seminary in Johnson City. Part of his discernment process has been too determine whether he should move toward ordination, and which denomination would be a good fit for him. Justin feels drawn to the Presbyterian Church and has expressed excitement about learning and working with us at FPC. You will see him involved in all sorts of ministries at the church during his time here.
May 9 will be Justin’s first Sunday with us. Be sure to take time to greet him and get to know him a little when you see him. We look forward to meeting his wife in the near future. They have been married since 2018, and since she is not a US citizen, they hope she will finally be allowed to immigrate to the United States later this year. We give thanks to God for Justin’s call to serve and learn with us, and we ask that you pray for him, his wife, and our church as we work together for the sake of the kingdom.
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Joy of Earth Day
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
—Psalm 96:11–12
The children of the church (and adults!) had a wonderful time praising God for God’s glorious creation as we planted trees and flowers Sunday. We dug, placed, mulched, watered, and got a little dirty. The bright colors of the snapdragons and pansies brought instant beauty to the new planter, and we can’t wait to see what seeds pop up later! We are so looking forward to seeing the beautiful butterflies enjoying a sip of nectar from our efforts. We are thankful that God entrusts us to take care of His creation! /Lilly Osborne
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Show of Talent
We had such a great time Sunday afternoon celebrating and applauding the incredible talent within our church body! We were entertained by dancing, singing, piano playing, interpretive dancing with a ball, and a sparkly jacket. We tucked into yummy barbecue and Italian ice from the food trucks. Fun abounded! Start polishing up your talent for next year! /Lilly Osborne
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Encouragement from the Cloud
On Sunday, May 9, our confirmation students will proclaim their faith to our church family and become members of First Presbyterian Church. In preparation for this special day, we ask their friends and family to write cards and letters of spiritual encouragement and send them to the church.
Such a letter could share a story or a memory or something about your own faith. You could write about the ways in which the student has affected your life, or you could speak love and truth that will spur them on in their faith. Your kind words will encourage students now and for years to come, reminding them of the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds them as they run the race (Hebrews–12:12).
To participate, email your encouraging words to karnold@fpcbristol.org, or mail or hand-deliver all cards and letters to the address below by May 7. Contact Katie Arnold if you have any questions.
First Presbyterian Church
Attn.: Katie Arnold
701 Florida Avenue, Bristol, TN 37620
Please join us on Confirmation Sunday for One Worship outside at 11:00, as we celebrate this important step in the lives of our students!
2021 Confirmation Class
Helen Grace Gannaway
Jonathan Helms
Avery Hommel
Vance McCracken
Nell Stigers
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Summer Youth Adventure in Orlando
Serve and play with FPC Student Ministries on a summer adventure to Orlando, Florida! This trip is for current 7th to 12th graders and is scheduled for June 26 to July 2. With safety precautions in place, the group will head south for a week of missions, beach, and fun. Students will have the opportunity to serve with different ministries around town.
Students, this is an event you won’t want to miss! Start inviting your friends and get your $100 deposit in by May 1 to reserve your spot! You can find more information and register here./ Katie Arnold
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How to Join Us Online
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the livestream of our early worship service and other activities. Just click here and hit “Subscribe.” You will receive notifications of new videos. We also suggest that you connect to us on Facebook. On Facebook, type in “FPC Bristol,” and several accounts will show up. Some are open to the public, while others are restricted. In either case, “Like” the page, or ask to join a group if it is closed.
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Give Safely
During the pandemic, we encourage you to use text, mail, or our website for your continued, faithful support of our ministries. You can give online by going to fpcbristol.org and clicking on “Give” in the upper right corner. You can send your pledge, offering, or special gift by texting fpcbristol to 73256. You can also mail your checks directly to First Presbyterian Church, 701 Florida Avenue, Bristol, TN 37620.
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Community Prayer and Home Group Review Friday
Please join Pastor Sam on Friday nights at 7:00 for community prayer and a brief offering of the Home Group curriculum. Our emphasis will be Scripture reading and prayer, but there will be time for conversations as we grow in faith together.
Topic: FPC Community Prayer
Time: April 30, 7:00 p.m.
Meeting ID: 826 4875 1043
One-tap mobile:
+13017158592,,82648751043# US (Washington, D.C.)
+13126266799,,82648751043# US (Chicago)
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Join a Home Group
Have you joined an FPC Home Group? These groups allow us to continue weekly fellowship and Bible study while staying safe during the pandemic. A Home Group is an in-home or online gathering of friends, neighbors, or one or more families. Each week, FPC gives every group an intergenerational Bible study, and the Sunday sermon reflects on its theme.
If you’re not already in a Home Group, go to the webpage, register yourself or start a group, and let us know. If you have questions, please reach out to Dave Welch, Katie Arnold, or Lilly Osborne for answers. Meanwhile, watch for Home Groups updates in Windows and on the FPC Bristol webpage.
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Maytime Mowing
This heavenly weather encourages us to hope that there will be no more frosts till fall. Larry Connolly (April 28–May 1) starts the merriest month off right when he mows up to the fifth Sunday of Easter. Pat Flannagan (May 5–8) will tidy up for Mother’s Day. The FPC mowing team welcomes you . Bring the kids! They can move debris to the curb so that you can mow. To get a place on the schedule, contact Randy Cook at npolecook@aol.com or 423-956-1541.
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Gifts to the Church
Memorials and honoraria are published in the newsletter only after the family has been personally notified by our business office. Today we gratefully acknowledge these gifts:
In memory of:
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Ray Ratheal: to Boy Scout Troop 3 from an anonymous donor
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Virginia Rutherford: to the Children’s Ministries Fund from an anonymous donor
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Logan Smith: to Boy Scout Troop 3 from an anonymous donor
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Chuck Thompson: to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund from an anonymous donor
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Jim Wiseman: to Capital Funds from Ernie & Karen Pennington
In honor of:
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Dave & Linda Welch: to the Student Ministries Fund from an anonymous donor
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Organist’s Footnotes
On the fifth Sunday of Easter we will continue to explore settings based on well-known Easter hymns. This week’s Easter hymn is NOËL NOUVELET. The word nouvelet has the same root as Noël, both stemming from the word for news and newness, and this tune was first associated with Christmas. It is a traditional French carol dating from the late 15th century and the early 16th century. It was repurposed for the Easter hymn “Now the Green Blade Rises,” written in 1928 by John Macleod Campbell Crum (1872–1958), and appears in 54 hymnals.
Michael Bedford (b. 1949), a full-time church musician since 1973, currently serves as organist and choirmaster of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he supervises a full graded choir program of three singing choirs, one handbell choir, and a chamber ensemble. He is the current President of the American Guild of Organists. His setting of NOËL NOUVELET (Sunday’s offertory) is very playful, using staccato accompaniment figures and chromatic runs up and down on flute stops, with the melody weaving in and out on a soft reed stop.
The composer Raymond H. Haan (b. 1938) is a native of Michigan and a graduate of Calvin College and the University of Michigan. His body of more than 500 published works includes music for organ, choir, handbells, and other solo instruments. His setting of NOËL NOUVELET uses rapid repetitions of the first four notes in the accompaniment on flute stops. The middle section cuts the tempo in half, using string stops before returning to the initial tempo and registration to conclude.
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Mark Sedio (pictured; b. 1954) serves as Cantor at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. More than 125 of his compositions for organ, piano, and choral and instrumental ensembles are available from a number of publishers. His setting of NOËL NOUVELET uses a full registration and, at a brisk tempo of 108 to the quarter note, blazes from start to finish.
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Birthday Prayer Fellowship
May 2 Martin Dotterweich, Susan Zeiler
May 3 John Vann
May 4 David Johnson, Mary Caroline Mumpower,
Dave Welch
May 5 Bruce Gannaway
May 6 Frances Emerson
May 7 Allison Brooks, Morgan King
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In Our Prayers
Please also include in your prayers the members of our community who wish to remain anonymous.
Adam
Jim Arnold
Bristol Tennessee City Schools
Becky Busler
Mark Comer
Nicole Crockett
Randi Edwards
Sara & Sam Ferguson
Garrett Foster & family
DeeDee Galliher
Deborah Garritson
John Graham Sr.
Emma & Gina Grubbs
Sandra Grubbs
Lou Hebb
Davan & Kristi Johnson
Marty & Kara Keys
Kidnap victims in Kaduna & Niger states
Morgan & Josh King & family
Nancy Lilly
Dot Mattison
Bebo McClain
Roger McCracken
Kathy McGlothlin & mother
Danny McInnis
Danny Miller
Alice Moore
Doug Myatt
Breanna Necessary
Martha North
Ginny Osborne
Amy & Justin Pannell
Phyllis Phares
Jodi & Kreg Ramey
Brittany Salter
Julie Schureck
Jerry Swam Sidi & family
Jim Swartchick
Bill & Margaret Wade
Sarah Wade & coworkers
Mary Wampler’s mother
Amy & Doug Williams
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Deadline & Subscriptions
Monday is the deadline for contributions to Windows. Subscribe to our free e-newsletter, by sending your name and preferred email address to the editor.
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701 Florida Avenue | Bristol, TN 37620 | 423-764-7176 | fpcbristol.org
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