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Word from the Pastor:
Thanks Be to God!
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
—Colossians 3:17
As many of you know, this year we have changed our model of charitable giving at the church. Rather than the periodic gifts to 5-cents-a-meal, and a few other offerings, our new Mission and Outreach Committee is selecting an organization every month to which you can give. In January, we collected a sizeable amount to benefit Visions of Glory in Kenya to enable that ministry to buy food for its community, which is suffering from the region’s four-year drought. This month, we are taking in-kind donations to benefit A Place to Be, a day center for the homeless, run by Family Promise.
In February, we collected $15,435 to help us buy a church van. We are excited to tell you that we have received a van donated to us by Family Promise. It is the newer style, and after its evaluation by a licensed mechanic, we are sure it is in good running condition, with relatively low mileage. We are now in the process of getting some minor mechanical repairs done (new brakes, shocks, tires, etc.). This van will also need a new paint job, so please disregard the chipped paint for now; the appearance will be altered soon enough. There is high demand for these services, but we think we can get it into the body shop in June or July. The paint job is the most expensive part of the work, and in combination with the minor mechanical repairs and a gift to Family Promise, we will use the entirety of the funds donated to us.
In March, we collected funds to benefit persecuted Christians in Kaduna State, Nigeria, through our partnership with Spurgeon Hope Ministry. I am pleased to announce that we collected $2,759 to benefit that ministry. The funds collected for Spurgeon Hope will be sent directly to the organization to provide direct relief when violence breaks out and to help resettle Christians who have been affected by persecution at the hands of the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram.
I share all of this with you so that you know that the money you have donated is being used as we said it would. We are excited about bringing these mission opportunities to you each month, and we hope you will see the value of your donations of time, talents, and treasure as adding to the incredible work we are doing, by God’s help.
And so, we end on Paul’s exhortation. We give thanks to God for all these wonderful gifts and the opportunity to use them for the sake of the name of Jesus. Thanks to each of you for joining us in this wonderful work.
In Christ,
Pastor Sam
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In April We Focus
on A Place to Be
For our April mission we are collecting food rather than monetary donations. This month we are asking for packaged, nonperishable snack items (any size) to feed the 40 people a day who visit Family Promise of Bristol’s day center for homeless people, A Place to Be. These snacks are the only food some folks get all day, so please bring snacks for them to church and put them in one of the collection boxes you’ll see outside the fellowship hall and in the narthex. (See the image above for snack suggestions.)
Anyone can go to the center to have a snack, eat lunch, take a shower, or do laundry. Two full-time case managers help guests obtain IDs and access services from other agencies in town. Partners such as Ballad Community Health, Sullivan County Health Department, Frontier Health, Bristol Public Library, and Healing Hands come to the center once a week to serve clients. An AmeriCorps intern is there daily to help people create resumes and fill out online job applications. A Place to Be is located in the Salvation Army building and open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
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Worship
April 9
Resurrection of the Lord
Scripture
Psalm 110
Acts 2:29–36
1 Peter 3:18–22
Sermon
“Raised Up”
Sam Weddington
Attendance
Sunday: 9:00: In person: 172;
Livestream: 26; Playback: 70
11:00: In person: 109;
Livestream: 17; Playback: 51
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Calendar
Sunday, April 9
7:30 a.m.
Sunrise Service
East Hill Cemetery
9:00 a.m.
Contemporary Worship
Fellowship Hall
10:20 a.m.
Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Traditional Worship
Sanctuary
Monday, April 10
Church office closed
6:00 p.m.
Scout District Committee
Fellowship Hall
7:00 p.m.
Worship Committee,
Room 123
Tuesday, April 11
10:00 a.m.
Staff
Room 123
7:00 p.m.
Finance Committee
Zoom
Boy Scout Troop 3
Scout Hall
Wednesday, April 12
5:30 p.m.
Fellowship Supper
Fellowship Hall
6:15 p.m.
Adult Enrichment
Student Small Groups
Wednesday Night Kids
Handbell Choir
Room 212
7:15 p.m.
Sanctuary Choir
Room 202
Praise Band
Fellowship Hall
Thursday, April 13
7:00 a.m.
Men’s Bible Study
Parlor
8:30 a.m.
Meals on Wheels
Fellowship Hall
1:00 p.m.
Women’s Bible Study
Room 123
4:30 p.m.
A&O Committee
Room 123
Saturday, April 15
7:30 a.m.
Men’s Fellowship Breakfast
Fellowship Hall
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We’re Recruiting a Courtyard Crew
Can you find the spot pictured above? Our courtyard is a lovely, quiet area for reflection and thought in the center of the main church building. Come have a seat on the bench and enjoy the quiet time. There are two doors into this secret garden. You can enter it from the parlor or from the hall that connects the front hall to the fellowship hallway. Interested folk maintain the courtyard’s beauty with an occasional mow and trim. You're invited to join this group of volunteers! For more information, call or text Beth Flannagan at 423-956-3837.
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Come to Our Easter Egg Hunt and Barbecue This Saturday
We will hold our annual Easter Egg Hunt and Barbecue at the church this Saturday, April 8, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Come and enjoy the thrill of the hunt, music, games, fellowship, and BBQ dinner, all free! For more information, contact Lilly Osborne.
Find Montana Missions Info Here
You can find the details of our summer mission opportunities with Montana Indian Ministries in this downloadable document. The first mission will be a work trip June 10–17, and the second will be to help with the Mission Canyon Powwow on the Belknap Reservation August 7–16. A meeting about final plans is scheduled for next Sunday, April 16, at 10:20 a.m. in the chapel.
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Men’s Breakfast April 15
Thanks to our talented volunteers, our first Bristol Area Men’s Fellowship Breakfast of the year was a great success. Onward to April 15 for Second Breakfast! All males from sixth grade up are welcome to join us every third Saturday at 7:30 a.m. in the fellowship hall. For more information or a ride, call the church office at 423-764-7176. Be sure to come, and invite a friend!
We Will Be at Sharing Christ Saturday
FPC’s faithful volunteers will converge on the Sharing Christ mission this Saturday, April 8, to provide dinner to our neighbors in the downtown community. Thank you to all the folks who stepped up to help! If you need to reach the coordinators of this effort, you can do so by emailing Beth Flannagan or texting her at 423-956-3837, or emailing Becca Tate or texting her at 404-790-1223.
Wednesday Fellowship
Resumes Next Week
Our Wednesday Night Fellowship supper and educational activities for all ages resume April 19. Please join us!
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You Can Still Sign Up for Serve Orlando
Rising seventh grade to college students, families with rising first graders and up, and adults of all ages are invited to join us on our summer Serve Orlando mission trip. We will leave from the church on Saturday, June 17, and drive down for a week of missions, beach, and fun. We will return home Saturday, June 24.
The cost of $400 per person includes all necessities but travel meals; a day at Universal Studios Florida Theme Park is an additional $115 per person. Pay the deposit of $100 per person when you register. The balance is due by June 17. Scholarships and family pricing are available.
Register here and pay the deposit. You can pay online here; choose “2023 Serve Orlando Mission Trip” in the Fund drop-down menu. Contact Katie Arnold for more information.
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Memorials and honoraria are published in the newsletter only after the family has been personally notified by our business office. Today we gratefully acknowledge the following gift in memory of:
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Tony Mitchell: to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund from the Porter family: Mark, Tiffany, Will & Ruby
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This Easter Sunday we are departing somewhat from our traditional brass and making music with a professional string quartet and two oboes. Our opening voluntary is a brand-new arrangement for strings, which I’ve decided to call “Before” because I feel it expresses the sense of fear and apprehension those first witnesses to the Resurrection must have felt before they made their shocking discovery.
Ernst Wilhelm Wolf (1735–1792) composed our Easter choral anthem, “Glory to Him, Who Is the Resurrection” (“Ehre sey dem, der da ist die Auferstehung”). This delightfully uplifting piece is scored for two oboes, strings, and organ. Wolf lived most of his life in the state of Thuringia in central Germany. He was a good friend of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (son of J. S. Bach), by whom he was clearly influenced. Wolf composed at least 35 symphonies, some 25 harpsichord and piano concertos, more than 60 keyboard sonatas, string quartets, piano quintets, and other music.
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Of our Easter hymns, “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” has its origin in a collection of hymns called Lyra Davidica (“Harp of David”), published in 1708. Most of the hymns were translations of German hymns. easter hymn is the only melody that has survived from the original publication in 1708. The Children Handbell Ringers will also play a short arrangement of this hymn.
The origin of the tune to the hymn “Thine Is the Glory” is well known. It was composed by George Frederick Handel (1685–1759) for his oratorio Judas Maccabeus. In addition to this hymn, we will close our Easter service with Handel’s most famous work, the “Hallelujah Chorus” from his oratorio Messiah.
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In Our Prayers
We have several unnamed or private requests. Please pray for the members of our community who wish to remain anonymous.
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Ricky Adams
Wayne Ausmus
Olivia Bowen
Bud & Marg Branscomb
Bristol Tennessee City Schools
Rachel & Ben Cherry & Dean Millard
Bill Coleman
Jacob Daston
Russell Fogelman, Kelli Krajeck & Kendall
Martha & Bill Gesling
John Graham Sr.
Lou Hebb
Mike Hodge
Bill Huber
Leigh King
Pat Leonard
Nancy Lilly
Mardi Long
Dot & Diana Mattison
Gabe Maxfield
Carl McGrady
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Montana Indian Ministries
National & international leadership
Lee North
Alex Plummer & brother
Pastor Bruce Plummer
Delaney Porter
Bill Prince
Cora Lee Raccioppo
Bob “Homer” Reynolds
Lynn Richards
Greg Roberts
Brenda Rogers
Harold Rutherford
Tom & Delma Slagle
Denny Smith
Teachers & school administrators
Loretta Thomas
Those suffering with addiction
Scott VanNostrand
Bill & Patsy Ward
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The session continues to encourage masks for those at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 or not fully vaccinated. The session encourages everyone to consult their medical professional about vaccinations and boosters. | |
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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.
Livestream our worship services and other activities at FPC Bristol on YouTube. Click on the link and hit Subscribe to receive notifications of new videos. Find us on Facebook at FPC Bristol. Several accounts will show up. “Like” the page or ask to join a group.
We encourage you to use text, mail, or our website to safely continue your faithful support of our ministries. Give online here; choose a fund from the drop-down menu. Or send your pledge, offering, or special gift by texting fpcbristol to 73256 or mailing your check to the church.
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701 Florida Avenue | Bristol, TN 37620 | 423-764-7176 | fpcbristol.org | | | | |
