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March Mission Focus:
Spurgeon Hope Ministry
Thus the Truth (Jesus) itself … engaged in prayer on the mountain and worked miracles in the towns. He thus showed the way to be followed … strive after the highest things by contemplation [and] by … compassion share in the needs of the weak.
—Gregory the Great, Pastoral Care, c.590
In this text, the man John Calvin called “the last good pope” wrestles with which is more important to a Christian life: works or contemplation and prayer. Giving examples from throughout Scripture, he finds a balance: to seek God in contemplation or prayer without neglecting the needs of our neighbors.
To address a variety of needs that come up, we have started to focus on special offerings each month here at First Pres. This is a radical call to generosity by the leadership of our church. We are called not only to pray for our neighbors and mission partners but also to take action and care for them, especially when they are in need.
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An overwhelming need for our brothers and sisters in Kaduna State, Nigeria, is food security. Farming is the means of livelihood for most Christians in Kaduna State. An increase in violence against Christians from 2021 to 2022, and fears of being killed, forced most people in this community to give up farming. Many, many families lack sufficient food. On top of this, there has been political unrest and cash scarcity throughout Kaduna State. This has put an insupportable burden on the Christian community for which Spurgeon Hope Ministry cares.
Therefore, our special offering for the month of March is for Spurgeon Hope Ministry, to assist the work being done to care for those in Kaduna State. We will take up this offering in both services Sunday, March 19. We have also set up a special fund for online giving. Choose "Spurgeon Hope Ministry" in the Fund drop-down menu.
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Worship
March 12
3rd Sunday in Lent
Scripture
Psalm 55:16–23
1 Peter 5:1–11
Sermon
“Belonging That’s Not”
Dave Welch
Sunday's Attendance
9:00: In person: 163;
Livestream: 35; Playback: 82
11:00: In person: 112;
Livestream: 19; Playback: 50
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Calendar
Sunday, March 12
9:00 a.m.
Contemporary Worship
Fellowship Hall
10:20 a.m.
Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Traditional Worship
Sanctuary
Monday, March 13
10:00 a.m.
Staff
Room 123
6:00 p.m.
Scout District Committee
Fellowship Hall
7:00 p.m.
Worship Committee
Room 123
Tuesday, March 14
7:00 p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 3
Scout Hall
Wednesday, March 15
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, March 16
7:00 a.m.
Men’s Bible Study
Parlor
8:30 p.m.
Meals on Wheels
Fellowship Hall
1:00 p.m.
Women’s Bible Study
Room 123
Saturday, March 18
7:30 a.m.
Men’s Fellowship Breakfast
Fellowship Hall
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Please Welcome New Members | |
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On Sunday, March 19, our congregation will formally welcome new members in our worship services. Please welcome them when you see them in church—or anywhere else! Last week we introduced three new families. This week we introduce:
Susan Gannaway. Like many in her “clan,” Susan has a long Presbyterian heritage and has served at several levels of the church, including the Presbytery in Gainesville, Georgia, where she lived before moving to Bristol. Susan’s interests are in finance, child development, and adult ministry.
Martha Mueller. A recent transplant to Bristol, Martha comes to us by way of First Presbyterian Church, Charleston, West Virginia. Martha has retired as a college professor and has joined her family (Catherine and Mark Bell) here. Her hobbies include reading, walking, birdwatching, and swimming.
Josh and Dena Rudd. Josh is on faculty at King University, and Dena is a stay-at-home mom, home school teacher, and floral designer. They live in the Fairmount neighborhood with their two children, Charlotte (10) and Max (7). They are very involved in the Young Professionals class.
Joseph and Gina Strickland. Joseph is a professor at King University, and Gina is an MRI tech with Ballad Health. They have two children, Olive (9) and Henry (7), which does not leave them much time for anything else. Nevertheless, they are very involved in the Young Professionals Sunday morning class.
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Come Learn about Our Summer Montana Missions March 19
Interested in summer mission work in Montana? We will make two trips to assist Pastor Bruce Plummer with Montana Indian Ministries. The first, June 10–17, will be to make construction repairs, and the second, August 7–16, will be to help with the Mission Canyon Powwow on the Fort Belknap Reservation. Come to the informational meeting in the chapel Sunday, March 19, after 9:00 worship, and learn all about it.
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We’ll Be Sharing Christ April 8
We are looking for volunteers to serve our downtown neighbors at the Sharing Christ mission on Saturday, April 8. This act of service could be your final Lenten observance before Easter morning! In addition to donations of food and bottled water, we need a team to serve at the mission that evening and folks to prepare bag lunches ahead of time (this is a good family project). Our supper menu will be chicken-macaroni casserole (we need six; recipe here), green beans, applesauce, rolls, and Little Debbie oatmeal creme cookies. For the lunches we need grape jam (it’s easier to spread than jelly), bananas, and Little Debbie fudge rounds. We need willing hands to prep, serve, and clean up at the mission on Saturday evening. If you can help in any way, whether by contributing food or helping at the mission, please email Beth Flannagan or text 423-956-3837, or email Becca Tate or text 404-790-1223. This is a wonderful way to meet another part of our community!
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Sign Up Today for Serve Orlando
Join us for a summer adventure in Orlando, Florida! We will leave from the church on Saturday, June 17, and drive down for a week of missions, beach, and fun. We will serve with a variety of ministries in the area, and we’ll have the option of a day at Universal Studios Florida Theme Park. We will stay in a dormitory at Forest Lake Academy, which will also provide our meals. We will return home Saturday, June 24.
We invite rising seventh grade to college students, families with rising first graders and up, and adults of all ages. This is an event you won’t want to miss! Start inviting your friends!
The cost of $400 per person includes transportation, camping, lodging in Orlando, meals (excluding travel meals), mission supplies, and a T-shirt. A day at the Universal park is an additional $115 per person. A deposit of $100 per person is due April 1. The total balance is due by June 17. Scholarships and family pricing are available.
Ready to go? 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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Shazam!
Under cover of night this Sunday, March 12, Daylight Saving Time will wave its wand, vanishing 2:00 a.m. into 3:00 a.m. and hey-presto-ing us out of bed an hour earlier than we’ve become accustomed to. Before retiring on Saturday night, remember to set any timepiece that doesn’t automatically reset itself ahead one hour. Most of us need a week or two to adjust to the sudden alteration of our internal clocks, so be alert for not being so alert for a while. See you in church!
Remember Your Lenten Devotional
Devotionals for use in personal and family reflection as we prepare for Easter are available at the church. Remember to pick yours up on Sunday. One booklet per household, please.
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Join Us for Wednesday Night Fellowship
Our next Wednesday Night Fellowship will be March 15. Please join us for dinner at 5:30 in the fellowship hall and stay for educational activities for all ages.
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Men’s Fellowship Breakfast
Is Back
The Men’s Fellowship Breakfast will begin meeting again every third Saturday of the month, beginning March 18. We invite all males from sixth grade up to breakfast and Bible study in the fellowship hall at 7:30 a.m. If you want a ride or more information, please call the church office at 423-764-7176.
Get Involved in a Home Group
If you are not participating in a Home Group, you owe it to yourself to join or start one. A Home Group is a gathering of friends, neighbors, family members, or several families for weekly Bible study and fellowship. Each week we provide an intergenerational study to each group and also post it on the church website under Ministries: Home Groups.
If you would like to participate in a Home Group, facilitate a group, or start your own, please sign up here, and we will get you plugged in. You can join the conversation and stay up-to-date by joining the FPC Bristol Home Group Facebook group here and signing up for Home Group texts from Remind. For more information, email Dave Welch.
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This Sunday I will play two arrangements by Alfred V. Fedak (b. 1953), each based on the day’s hymns. The hymn “Lord Jesus, Think On Me” is set to the tune SOUTHWELL, composed by William Daman (ca. 1540–1591), an Englishman who most probably emigrated from Italy around 1566. Fedak’s “Variations on SOUTHWELL” (our opening voluntary) has five variations of the hymn tune and concludes by replaying the first variation.
“Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing” is set to the tune SICILIAN MARINERS, so named because, according to tradition, seamen ended each day on their ships by singing this hymn in unison. Fedak’s “Postlude on SICILIAN MARINERS” (our closing voluntary) is quite vigorous: he marks the tempo “moving along” (half-note = ca. 72).
Fedak is a widely published and well-known composer of church music, with well over 300 choral and organ works in print and more than 100 of his hymn tunes appearing in hymnals and collections throughout the English-speaking world and Asia. From 1990 until 2021, he held the position of Minister of Music and Arts at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Hill in Albany, New York. On June 1, 2021, he assumed the post of organist at First Reformed Church of Scotia, New York. Al and his wife, Susan, are the parents of two grown sons, Peter and Benjamin. They have one grandchild.
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Ricky Adams
Keller Alexander
Wayne Ausmus
Zach Baker
Olivia Bowen
Bud & Marg Branscomb
Bristol Tennessee City Schools
Becky Busler
Rachel & Ben Cherry & Dean Millard
Bill Coleman
Barbara Daniel
Jacob Daston
Taylor Eastes
Russell Fogelman, Kelli Krajeck & Kendall
Harvey family
Lou Hebb
Amanda Henderson
Charles Hoilman
Bill Huber
David & Andrea Hyde
Gwen King
Nancy Lilly
Mardi Long
Toni Mari
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Dot & Diana Mattison
Carl McGrady
Mitchell family
Montana Indian Ministries
National & international leadership
Pastor Bruce Plummer
Delaney Porter
Bill Prince
Cora Lee Raccioppo
Lynn Richards
Greg Roberts
Tom & Delma Slagle
Tenna Smith
Wendy Smith
Teachers & school administrators
Loretta Thomas
Those suffering with addiction
Scott VanNostrand
Bill & Patsy Ward
Abigail Welch
Wilson family
Marsha Wilson
Stevie Wintz
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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 on our website by clicking on GIVE NOW. 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 | | | | |
