Looking for a new adult Sunday morning class? On Sunday, August 21, the Reverend Dr. Bud Branscomb will begin teaching an inductive Bible study on the Gospel of John. The class will meet for eight to ten weeks in room 167, across from the Boy Scout Hall. Bud brings a wealth of teaching and pastoral experience from having served ministries in Kingsport, Hawkins County, and Greene County. With his wife Marg, who also worships with us, Bud cofounded Alpha/Omega Ministries, which works with 15 Tri-Cities congregations. After retiring as the CFO of the Appalachian Educational Communication Corp. (a group of six Christian radio stations), Bud then shared his pastoral gifts with several local churches, including Beidleman Presbyterian Church and Marthina Chapel. He is now the Executive Director of CrossBridge Ministries, which prepares persons to serve as tomorrow’s church leaders. There he teaches with Dr. Charles Stoner.

These are our current Sunday morning adult classes and Bible studies:

Hey, sixth through twelfth graders! Invite your friends and come for a Labor Day weekend of fun and fellowship at Look Up Lodge in Travelers Rest, SC! Our Fall Retreat will include wild fun, adventure, the great outdoors, worship, and bonding with your church family. We will leave Saturday morning and return Monday afternoon.

If you register by Aug. 15, the cost of the trip is $175, which includes transportation, lodging in nice cabins, meals, camp activities, rafting, and programs. After Aug. 15 the cost increases to $200. A $50 nonrefundable deposit is required with registration. Scholarships are available. For more information, contact Katie Arnold. Register here.

Brothers for Christ Community Response and Virginia Housing are sponsoring Run for Sobriety, a 5K fun run scheduled for 8:00 a.m. this Saturday, August 6, in Sugar Hollow Park. Come out, meet the vendors, and learn more about this community-building ministry while enjoying food, fun, giveaways, music, and more. BCCR works to provide a safe and stable environment for men and women returning to society from incarceration or addiction and to educate our community to their plight.

We would love to have a good presence of First Presbyterian members. Come out and enjoy the run and the activities afterward! To register to run, submit your name here. For more information or to sign up to be a vendor, contact Steven L. Davis Sr. (or 423-646-4070) or Ann Davis (or 276-6965493).

Please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry. You can do so online or by mail. Go to bros4christ.org and click on Donate; go to PayPal and enter bros4christ; or make a check or money order payable to BCCR and mail it to PO Box 16182, Bristol, VA 24209. See the contacts above if you wish to place an ad in the event’s program ($50 for a full page, $25 for a half page).

Sunday's organ music is Theme and Variations on All Things Bright and Beautiful, composed by James M. Bates (1952–2014). This work was written for the dedication of the Dobson-Rosales organ at West Market Street United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC, in 1999, and performed by organist Susan Bates, the composer’s wife. I will play “Theme and Variation 1” for Sunday’s prelude, “Variation 2” during the passing of the peace, “Variation 3” during communion, and “Variation 4 (Toccata)” for the postlude. We will also sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” as our opening hymn.

Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Bates found his life’s calling in music while about to embark upon a career in medicine just before going to college. He earned the BM in organ performance magna cum laude from Susquehanna University in 1975 and pursued study at Yale, where he met his future wife. In 1985 he earned the MM in choral conducting from UNCG and in 2010 was awarded the DMA in choral conducting with an emphasis in early music, a true passion. He served as music director for many churches and on the faculties of Salem College, Greensboro College, and Averett University. He directed historic music programs for Old Salem, conducted the Moramus Chorale for 15 years, including several Moravian Music Festivals, sang in the Bel Canto Company, and founded the Greensboro Vocal Consort. A gifted composer with a profound understanding of artistic worship, he was also an avid gardener, amateur astronomer, talented webpage designer, and brilliant intellectual.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jim and Susan when I worked with them on a concert at Emory & Henry College. Susan continues to serve as organist at Centenary United Methodist Church in Winston-Salem, NC.

The women of the Sanctuary Choir will sing John Rutter’s setting of “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” Rutter was commissioned by the Westminster Choir College to create his choral arrangement for Helen Kemp, well-known children’s choral director and clinician. Rutter’s choral anthem is an entirely different musical setting of Cecil Frances Alexander’s (1823–1895) time-tested text.

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701 Florida Avenue | Bristol, TN 37620 | 423-764-7176 | fpcbristol.org