The Reverend Dr. Brian Blount, President of Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA, and Charlotte, NC, will be with us this Sunday, March 31, to preach on "Super Power." President Blount is also a professor of New Testament at the seminary. Before that, he was the Richard J. Dearborn Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Princeton Theological Seminary. The author of many books and commentaries, his area of academic expertise is the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Revelation, with emphasis on apocalyptic literature as a lens into ongoing cultural discussion and debate. He comes to us by invitation as the church continues to strengthen its relationship with the seminary through our support of international mission travel opportunities and internships for students through the Syngman Rhee Global Mission Center for Christian Education. We invite you to come and receive the news that President Blount will share with us in both services this Sunday, and to join us after the late service for a reception in the Fellowship Hall at 12:30.

We will place Easter lilies in our sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 21, in the name of those we love and honor. Opportunities to order plants, which are $15 each, will be available until Monday, April 8. To order, fill out a form and return it with payment to the church office. To ensure correct acknowledgment in the Easter worship bulletin, please print all names exactly as you wish to see them. You can find order forms on the kiosk in the office hallway and in the sanctuary, the Fellowship Hall, and the church office.

Mike and Glennda Cleland told us, "Retirement brought us to Bristol to be closer to children and grandchildren. We are grateful to have found such a wonderful church to call home."

Brittany Starnes is a King University student who is serving FPC as a Student Ministries intern.

Charlie and Elise Taylor are both native to Bristol, TN. They started their 13-year relationship at Tennessee High School and continued to date through college at the University of Tennessee, from which they graduated in 2011. In June 2011 they were married in our church. Charlie and Elise both work at Burke, Powers & Harty Insurance Agency. They have two sons, Charles (four and a half) and Winston (one and a half).

What difference can the claim that Jesus rose from the dead 2,000 years ago make to us today? With the scholar N.T. Wright, we are looking at the political, historical, and theological issues at stake both then and now. Please join us April 3 as we pursue our study of the Resurrection DVD series.

The evening's fellowship will begin at 5:30 with a supper of barbecue, beans, slaw, and dessert. The Adult Learning study of Resurrection will begin at 6:20. High School Small Groups, Middle School Gathering, and Wednesday Night Kids will meet at 6:00. The Sanctuary Handbell Choir and any adult who wants to learn to do the voodoo that they do so well will practice in room 212 at 6:15.

FPC has planned a family camp weekend for August 23 -25, and registration is open! We will go to Windy Gap in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains for adventure, relaxation, and family fun. Don't miss out on:

Adventure! We are going to a Young Life camp marked by high adventure and excitement. You may choose to relax in a rocking chair on the front porch of the dining hall or you may find it more exhilarating to fly down the 400-foot zipline into the lake, play archery tag, or take a ride in the giant swing.

Fun! Entertainment, music, and activities will fill the weekend with humor and fun. You can also enjoy the pool, gym, volleyball court, game room, and hiking trails.

Family! Our speaker at each of our Family Times will bring a message focused on families and faith. Your kids will have time with our Kids' Club workers to hear a message geared toward their age group.

Getting there. Each family will transport itself to Weaverville, NC, and staff will be waiting for us at the camp.

Lodging. Women and girls will be housed together, and men and boys will be housed together, all in first-rate cabins. If you have any special housing requests, the camp will strive to accommodate you.

Rates. Adults (ages 12 and up): $140. Children (ages 3 -11): $80. Babies (2 years or younger): Free. A deposit of $25 per person is required to hold each spot.

Register. Only 75 spots are available, so register here now.

More information is available at the Windy Gap Camp website here.

World-renowned mezzo-soprano Andrea Baker will perform Sing Sistah Sing! in our sanctuary at 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 15. A mixture of storytelling, jazz, blues, opera, art song, gospel, and (on that evening) the rollicking piano of Peter Maleitzke, this show has won great international critical acclaim. Sing Sistah Sing! is both a celebration of the extraordinary breadth of the African American female voice and a heartfelt retelling of inspiring life stories. It brilliantly weaves together these women's struggles in the civil rights movement and in their fight for artistic freedom at home and abroad. Augmenting this theme, Baker is scheduled to talk about Civil Rights/Truth and Reconciliation with Pauline Moore from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. April 14 at Lee Street Baptist Church.

Middle school and high school guys, save the date for the best guys' event of the year! Come to the Youth Wing Thursday, April 4, and we'll lock you in for a night of gruff, manly fun! It's an all-night adventure, from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Duuude, invite all your friends, and register on the church website. Then email Katie Arnold at [email protected].

Our annual Easter Egg Hunt for ages 4 through 4th grade will take place Saturday, April 13. We will start in the Fellowship Hall at 1:00 p.m. where we will have an Easter drama and sing songs. Then we will go out back and do some hunting! We are now collecting donations of plastic eggs and candy. Lilly Osborne and her team will make up treat bags to give the children after the hunt, rather than put candy in the eggs, so donations of chocolate are more than acceptable! Please bring your donated items to the church by Monday, April 8. You will find a collection box near the Little Red House in the Fellowship Hallway, near Lilly's office. For more information or to learn how you can help, email Lilly at [email protected].

This Saturday, March 30, FPC volunteers will gather to serve our hungry neighbors at Sharing Christ Mission on the corner of State and Sixth streets downtown. Those who are taking food directly to the mission and those who are serving will meet there at 4:30 p.m. Those who are bringing food to the church should put it in the little kitchen by noon this Thursday. Remember that the church office is closed on Fridays. Thank you to all our generous volunteers!

We are fishing for folks to donate goldfish crackers for snacktime at Fairmount Elementary School. Please bring bags of these little goodies to the Little Red House in the Fellowship Hallway. We will make sure they reach the school.