Windows

February 2nd, 2024

You are invited to join us February 4th as we pack 10,000 meals for hungry folks in distressed areas of the world. We'll be meeting in the fellowship hall at 1:30 pm to start packing meals at 1:45 pm. Registration is open now. 

The Rise Against Hunger organization distributes food relief meals of vitamin and mineral-enriched rice, soy protein and dehydrated vegetables across 6 continents and 37 countries, including Ukraine, Cambodia, Ghana, Haiti, Madagascar, and many others. Some meals will travel to school feeding programs, providing essential nutrition to help children in areas of food insecurity. Provision of these meals also encourages students to attend school more regularly and perform to their best potential without suffering from empty stomachs. Other meals are used for food crisis relief in areas that have experienced natural disasters, political strife, armed conflict, or other local emergencies. Please support this mission effort by donating this month's offering or volunteering to help package meals together in the Fellowship Hall on February 4th!

Wear comfortable clothes that can get a little dusty, just in case some of the vitamin powder gets spilled. Anyone who wants to hang around after worship can bring a sack lunch to eat in the parlor before we get started.

Everyone who participates MUST register online here. Questions? Need help registering? Contact Sarah Gannaway at sgannaway@fpcbristol.org.

The Lenten Devotional The 2024 Lenten Devotional is 40 Days with Jesus by Sarah Young. The devotionals will be available in the narthex and the Fellowship Hallway beginning February 4th. Please take only one per family.

Great Escape is a camp for middle schoolers (rising 6th - 8th) to breakaway, grow, learn and have the best week of their life! Get ready for a week of high energy games, engaging speakers and an awesome worship band. First Pres will be attending the Smokies location, held at the Ocoee Retreat Center in Ocoee, TN. The group will depart Monday, July 22 and return Saturday, July 27. Mornings include breakfast, quiet times and recreation. Afternoons include lunch, recreation, free time, small groups and an afternoon session! Evenings include dinner, evening sessions, counselor meetings, and aftermaths. This is an event you won’t want to miss! Start inviting your friends and get your $100 deposit turned in ASAP to reserve your spot.

Join us Friday February 9th, 6:00 pm-9:30 pm and Saturday February 10th, 8:00 am-3:30 pm for the annual FPC Women’s Retreat! We will meet at King University Chapel and Dining Hall for Worship, Scripture, Reflection, Fellowship, Food! Our speaker is Laura Hicks Hardy, sharing on the topic of Sabbath Rest. Any women who would enjoy this time of rest, rejuvenation and friendship! Invite your friends and family! Register online, or by filling out a paper registration form at church. $75 total cost (includes 3 meals and all retreat materials), with $25 deposit due by February 2nd. Scholarships are available! Be sure to register here.

Our Chili Cook-Off & Talent Show is coming up on Sunday, February 25. If you would like to perform on our stage, please contact Lilly Osborne or Katie Arnold. We always have a variety of talents of all ages! We would love to see your talent! Also, you can dust off that award winning chili recipe and get ready for the contest!

Join FPC on an intergenerational summer adventure to Orlando, Florida to serve and play! Departing from the church on June 22, the group will head down to Orlando, Florida for a week of missions, beach, and Orlando fun. Experience the richness of working along side people of all ages and building new relationships within our church family. Participants will have the opportunity to serve with different ministries around Orlando. Each day is full of new opportunities and mission experiences. The group will be housed in dormitories at Forest Lake Academy. Meals will also be provided by the academy. The week will include beach time and an optional day at Universal Studios! We will return home June 29. The schedule will be flexible for families who are attending. We want it to be a rich and enjoyable experience for all! This is an event you won’t want to miss! Start making plans and inviting friends and get your $100 deposit in by March 1 to reserve your spot! Fill out the registration form here.

Remember to Return your Pledge

We are slowly bridging the gap in our funding for our ministries in 2024. We have now received $654,492 in pledges for next year and need $130,508 more to reach our goal of $785,000. If you have not yet sent in your pledge, you can still submit the card you received in the mail (also available at the church) or access online giving through the QR code. If you have any questions about stewardship, reach out to any member of the committee. The members of the Stewardship Committee are Bruce Gannaway and Pete Holler.

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 the following gifts in memory of:

Claire Farina, mother of Nancy Allerton: to the Memorial Fund from Jeanne Black

Lee North: to the Memorial Fund from Laura Pendley; from Bill & Ann Woods and to the Children’s Memorial Fund from Karen Pennington

Organist's Footnotes

When I learned of the passing of Johann Peter Schickele (1935-2024) just a couple of weeks ago, I decided I should pay him homage by playing some of his music. Schickele was an American composer, musical educator and parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, which he presented as being composed by the fictional P.D.Q. Bach. From 1990 to 1993, Schickele's P.D.Q. Bach recordings earned him four consecutive wins for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album. I grew up listening to his albums (I am listening to one of them right now as I write these notes) and I had the privilege of attending one of his live concerts. To a large degree, Schickele's music as P.D.Q. Bach has overshadowed his work as a “serious” composer. The pieces I am playing today were all composed when Schickele was in his 20’s, before he became famous for his “discovery” of P.D.Q. Bach. His “Variations on a Medieval Theme” (our opening voluntary) and “Canzona” (music for communion) sound surprisingly atonal. We must remember that young classical composers of his era were rather expected to compose in a ‘modern’ style if they wished to be taken seriously. His “Ceremonial March” (our closing voluntary) was composed for a friend’s wedding in 1957, the year Schicklele graduated from Swarthmore College. - Bob Greene

We want to pray for and celebrate with you! Send us your prayer requests and glad tidings.



To the Church Triumphant

Cora Lee Raccioppo January 29, 2024

Louise Bowdoin January 29, 2024

Condolences to Leigh King and her family on the death of her father, George McCulloch on January 24, 2024 in Tazwell, Virginia.

Given the recent resurgence in COVID cases in our area, the session encourages everyone to consult their medical professional about appropriate safety measures, especially those who are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 or who are not fully vaccinated.

Wednesday of the week of publication 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. Text fpcbristol  to 73256 to send your pledge, offering, or special gift to the church. Messages and data rates may apply. Message varies frequency. Text HELP to 73256 for help. Text STOP to 73256 to cancel. If you prefer, you may mail your contribution to the church.

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