Windows

December 15, 2023

One Worship and Sunday School Suspended

We will have one service at 11:00 am in the sanctuary on the morning Christmas Eve. Join us as we worship as one body! Kids Kirk and Nursery will be offered. One Worship will take place December 24 and 31 and Sunday school will not be held on these days.

Join us for a beautiful celebration of Christmas performed by the children of First Pres. The play will be on Sunday, December 17th at 5:30pm. Come be a part of this fun and meaningful annual performance filled with singing, dancing, and festive cheer. Enjoy cookies in the chapel following the event!

All 6th - 8th graders are invited to a Christmas party on December 20th. Meet at the Young Life building (1350 Euclid Ave.) at 5:30pm. The night will include putt putt, games, food and a gift exchange. Everyone needs to bring a $10 gift and 5 stocking stuffer items for volunteer gifts.

Highlands Youth Ensemble will host a service of lessons and carols on December 15th, 7:30 pm, in our sanctuary at FPC Bristol. The Highland Youth Ensemble is a group of talented young singers from the Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy. and their performance is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

Save the Date! FPC's Women's Retreat begins February 9th and 10th at King University. Come share in fellowship as we learn, worship and eat together. Registration opens in January!

Remember to Return your Pledge

We are slowly bridging the gap in our funding for our ministries in 2024. We have now received $529,508 in pledges for next year and need $255,492 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.

RMD, QCD, and Your Year-End Gift

First Presbyterian Church officers and staff appreciate all gifts made to the church throughout the year. If you plan to make a year-end gift to FPC, please be sure to follow IRS guidelines. Online gifts must be posted no later than December 31, 2023. Cash and checks must be received or postmarked no later than December 31, 2023 (yes, that is a Sunday).  The church office will be closed on December 31, but gifts can be placed in the offering plate during worship that day. If you are planning to make a year-end gift to the church and are required take a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from a taxable retirement plan, please consider talking to your financial advisor about a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Gifts may be designated to church general operations to help fulfill our annual operating budget or to one of our current mission partnerships. One option is to designate gifts to one of the Legacy Funds: the General Legacy Fund (which provides the broadest impact for years to come) or one of several Designated Legacy Funds specific to various program areas in the church, such as Worship/Music, Christian Education, Missions, or Facilities. You can learn more about stewardship and Legacy Giving Ministry at fpcbristol.org/stewardship. If you have questions, please call Betsy Galliher, Church Business Administrator, in the church office or email her at bgalliher@fpcbristol.org.

Harmony and Hope House

Harmony & Hope house has need of a single bed with mattress and box springs. If you have the ability to fill this need, they can contact Ann Davis, Coordinator for Harmony & Hope House at 276-696-5493.

Zambia Mission Trip

Greetings from FPC Members Mark and Catherine Bell,

We would like to invite you all to prayerfully consider joining us for our next mission trip to beautiful Zambia, Africa from May 16-31, 2024 through our ministry partnership with the Phoebe Foundation Africa (PFA). If you decide to go, you will be an answer to prayer for our Zambian friends. Over the years, since our first trip to Zambia in 2011, this beautiful African country has become our second home. We fell in love with the culture, the people, and the churches and are in awe of the spiritual maturity of our friends and leaders that live in this majestic part of the world. We feel blessed that, through our friendship with Pastor Chris and Phoebe Chanda, the Zambian founders of PFA, we have been a part of carrying out the mission of this Christ-centered ministry. There are various roles that you can engage in during this trip including, leading Bible studies, sharing the gospel through fellowship @ soccer matches, playing soccer, sharing sermons, facilitating group discussion at a counseling conference, speak at the counseling conference, provide meals to vulnerable children at a feeding program, attend &/or pray at home visits and/or distribute Bibles & donations. The deadline to sign up for this trip is February 1st, 2024. To apply and learn more about this mission opportunity, email the Bell's at ezer072663@gmail.com Thanks so much!

Yours in Christ, Catherine & Mark Bell

Is FPC's Brazil Mission Trip 2024 Calling You?

Planning is underway for FPC’s 17th visit to northeast of Brazil! We will travel to the city of Natal on Saturday, May 18th and return to Bristol on May 26th (Note: The dates have changed from the prior announcements). The week will be filled with worship, work, and time to connect with and encourage the church families in Felipe Camarão and Cidade Nova and the Bethel School students and staff, all of whom are such important parts of FPC’s global connection in the name of Jesus. Whether your first time thinking of traveling or you are someone who’s made the trip many times, each visit offers a unique opportunity to see and share in life with our Brazilian brothers and sisters. Prayerfully consider if God is calling you. To learn more about this year’s trip, please contact Justin Miller or Dave Welch or visit the FPC website. Applications are due on or before January 7, 2024. Vamos! Let’s go!

Pick up your Advent Devotional 

The season of Advent has started and Advent Devotionals are available now. Prepare for the coming of Christ with a daily Scripture verse, a story and a prayer from Daily Guideposts for Advent. You can pick up a copy (one per family) in the narthex or the fellowship hallway. Call the church office to have a devotional mailed to you.

Organist's Footnotes

Our opening voluntary is based on our opening hymn, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”, but sung to a different tune than we are accustomed. If this tune sounds familiar, it may because we just sang it last Sunday to the words “Now the Heavens Start to Whisper”. The tune JEFFERSON is an old shape-note hymn from Southern Harmony, published in 1835. Edwin T. Childs’ (b. 1945) arrangement is simply constructed, with pedal tones in the bass, a meandering line on the flute and strings, and the hymn tune played on a soft reed. Childs is a native of New Hampshire. He studied composition with Jack Goode at Wheaton College, IL (BM); and with Wayne Barlow, Warren Benson, and Samuel Adler at the Eastman School of Music (PhD). He has taught music theory and composition at Cairn University (PA), Biola University (CA), and is currently retired from teaching at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

I will also play another setting of JEFFERSON for our offertory, this one by American composer, Dale Wood (1934-2003). Finally, for our closing voluntary I will play a setting of WINCHESTER NEW by Aaron David Miller (b. 1972). Miller’s arrangements are challenging, yet fun to play and to listen to. He turns WINCHESTER NEW into a full- fledged march, sounding like the sound track from Star Wars. Miller earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. His graduate studies were taken at the Manhattan School of Music. Miller serves as the Director of Music and Organist at House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and maintains an active recital schedule. He is a prolific composer, and many of his compositions have won critical acclaim. -Bob Greene

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



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.

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