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Word from the Pastor:
YoungLife in May
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For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him. -Acts 2:39
This month for our regular mission collection, we will be raising funds to help YoungLife and their mission here in Bristol. Many of you know the leadership of YoungLife Bristol who attend our church, and others have been intimately involved in volunteer work with them. We are blessed to have them in our midst. If you have been involved with YoungLife, you know what a powerful resource organization they are in helping young people encounter the risen Lord.
Personally, I like YoungLife Bristol’s three-part mission statement:
- Kids around the world are searching for home, meaning, and belonging.
- We get in it with them and accept them as they are.
- Kids have the chance to live life to the fullest.
I like this because it acknowledges the reality on the ground for all of our young people. There are so many influences like home life, substance abuse, virtual/e-culture, and the increasing sense of isolation and alienation we all feel these days that can drag kids into pretty dark places. That there are loving volunteers and workers for Christ willing to come alongside kids at an already difficult time to help them navigate these problems, and most importantly, point them to Jesus, is something for which we should give thanks to God.
That said, we shouldn’t forget that the more things change, they remain the same. There were tremendous pressures (cultural, religious, economic, etc.) in the ancient world that made the spread of the Gospel seem impossible. Yet, in the midst of those challenges, God empowered folks like Peter to stand up, as he did on Pentecost, to announce the news that Jesus is risen, Jesus is Messiah, and Jesus is Lord over all. He is Lord over our brokenness. He is Lord over our difficulties. He is Lord. To that end, the promises on offer in him are for everyone, even our children. In fact, you can read Peter’s words in verse 39 as a promise that the further off someone seems from the Gospel, the closer they will come as God calls them to Himself.
YoungLife is part of the kingdom-oriented project, and we invite you to come alongside them and support their work. We will take up donations throughout the month of May, with an in-person collection the last Sunday of the month. You can give online, or you can use the special envelopes at the church or write a note to accompany your offering designating it for YoungLife. However you determine to give, give generously because God is doing a great work through this ministry.
In Christ,
Pastor Sam
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Bristol Regional Hospital Change
Friends, Due to a recent policy change at the hospital, the staff at FPC are no longer able to call the hospital each morning and determine if any members are there under care. Yet it is vital that we know. Here’s how you can help the Congregational Care Team and the Pastors to be current with congregational needs. Please call or email the staff with known community/congregational needs, especially the names of those known to you who are in the hospital. The staff will then follow up personally and confidentially with them. You may call the church office during business hours M-Th 9am-5pm. The church phone number is (423-764-7176). Or you may email the information using one or more of these addresses: info@fpcbristol.og, sbales@fpcbristol.org, or dwelch@fpcbristol.org. Thank you for expanding our team efforts!
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Worship
May 5
6th Sunday after Easter
Scripture
Deuteronomy 6:1-9,
John 13:31-35
Liturgy: Psalm 78:1-4
Sermon
“An Enduring Command”
Rev. Dr. Samuel Weddington
Last Sunday's Attendance
In person:
9:00: 121
11:00 : 112
Online:
9:00: 132
11:00: 114
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Calendar
Sunday, May 5
9:30 a.m.
Handbell Rehearsal, Sanctuary
10:20 a.m.
Sunday School, Various locations
11:00 a.m.
Late Worship, Sanctuary
3:00 p.m.
Bristol Music Club Scholarship Winners Recital, Sanctuary
6:00 p.m.
Student Fellowship, Fellowship Hall
Monday, May 6
10:00 a.m.
Staff Meeting, Room 123
Tuesday, May 7
7:00 p.m.
Troop 3, Scout Hall
Wednesday, May 8
7:15 p.m.
Adult Choir Practice, Room 202
7:15 p.m.
Praise Team Practice, Fellowship Hall
Thursday, May 9
7:00 a.m.
Men’s Bible Study, Parlor
1:00 p.m.
Women’s Bible Study, Room 123
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Just How Interesting Are You?
What’s the big deal about fellowship? God created us to belong to one another! It’s how we’re wired to grow to become more like Him. In an effort to connect our church in meaningful ways, the Community Fellowship Team will be issuing a survey on April 21st regarding your personal interests in hopes of making deeper connections within our church. There will be paper copies and an online survey open for two weeks. The paper copies will remain available after those weeks and can be filled out and added later. However, the results from this initial survey will show where there is overlap within our congregation so we can begin thinking how to move forward with developing potential fall groups. Interest Survey Link!
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Greetings Everyone, We would like to invite you to become part of Team Zambia by donating items that we can bring along with us to Zambia, Africa when we lead our next mission trip there in this beautiful part of Sub-Saharan Africa from May 15-29, 2024. Our partners there through the Phoebe Foundation Africa are requesting gently used or new soccer shorts & shirts for children and adults (Mostly Small & Medium, with some Large sizes), deflated soccer balls and Bibles to distribute.
We would also love your prayers for the 3 counseling conferences that we will lead, the soccer ministries, as well as the feeding programs, home visits and church services that we will be attending. Thanks so much for joining us to help meet the needs of our friends in this majestic part of God’s Kingdom.
May God Bless You Abundantly!
Sincerely, Catherine & Mark Bell
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We look forward to celebrating our seniors on May 12 in our senior led worship services. One of the ways we are honoring and celebrating our seniors is by collecting Legacy Letters to give to them on this Sunday.
Legacy Letters are written by family and friends and describe ways in which the senior has impacted the writer’s life. Letters can share old memories, stories, lessons learned, or significant moments. This is a wonderful opportunity to encourage the senior in their faith and future plans as well as to acknowledge the beautiful gifts God has given them. Our hope is that the Legacy Letters will give family and friends an opportunity to share the incredible impact the seniors have had on those around them. The letters will be a beautiful collection of love and truth that the seniors can read as they begin a new journey after high school and serve as a reminder of the incredible community they have cheering them on in their journey!
All letters need to be collected and turned in by May 10. Please send to:
First Presbyterian Church
Attn.: Katie Arnold
701 Florida Ave.
Bristol, TN 37620
or karnold@fpcbristol.org
Class of 2024
Sam Beasey
Micah Bechtold
Sarah Galliher
Campbell Kent
Cheyenne Little
Sam Meredith
Noah Ong
James Phipps
Joan Weddington
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We are collecting letters for our Confirmands and would love for you to be part of their great cloud of witnesses!
Since September 2022, these confirmation students have participated in weekly classes that have taught, informed, encouraged and challenged their faith. Watching them grow over the past two years and take ownership of their faith has been a joy and an inspiration!
On Sunday, May 5, 2024, the confirmation students will have the opportunity to proclaim their faith to our church family and become members of First Presbyterian Church. As we prepare for this special day, we are asking friends and family to send in cards and letters of spiritual encouragement to our confirmands. Letters are not limited to, but could include a story or memory, something about your own faith or ways your life has been impacted by knowing this student. We invited you to speak love and truth that will spur them on in their faith. The kind words you share will not only encourage them as they prepare to be confirmed but also be kept for years as a reminder that they are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses that will love, guide, and encourage them as they continue to run the race. (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Confirmation Class of 2024
Josh Galliher
Joel Galliher
Mollee McClain
Moses Ong
Charlotte Osborne
Marissa Smith
Penn Story
If you would like to participate, please mail, email or deliver all cards and letters by May 1st to:
First Presbyterian Church
Attn.: Katie Arnold
701 Florida Avenue
Bristol, TN 37620
or email karnold@fpcbristol.org
Thank you for joining us as we celebrate this important and exciting time in the lives of our students! Contact Katie Arnold with any questions.
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Stewardship Campaign 2024
Then Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” John 21:19
Belated thanks to you! Today we stand just 6% away from the amount needed to reach the $785,000 pledge goal set by session to balance the operating budget for 2024. Thanks be to God for your commitment and belief in the mission of First Presbyterian! We hoped for new pledges and increased pledges. This year we received both! We trust this gap will be bridged in the coming months because we know God has continually blessed our faithfulness in staying true to our calling to serve our brothers and sisters, locally and around the world, in the name of Jesus Christ. What a beautiful thing it is to be part of such a community as First Presbyterian Church and to serve together! Let’s continue to pray, with thanksgiving, for our church and its mission, and especially for God’s guidance, as we continue to grow in our understanding of what it means to be faithful stewards of our time, talent, and financial resources in response to Christ’s command to care for our neighbors and to share the Good News of his redeeming love. To God be the glory!
With thanks: Aaron Brooks, Bruce Gannaway, Karen Pennington, and Jerry Poteat
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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 gifts in memory of:
Julie King: to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund from Chuck & Suzee Bolick
Bill Woods: to the Minister’s Discretionary Fund from Jana Flynn, from The
Gwaltney Family, from HeartsBurn Bible Study, from Dale & Molly Keller, and from
Frank “Zoi” & Jean Slack
Richard “Dick” Ray: to the Memorial Fund from Reveley McGrady
Dot Mattison: from The Cowan Family, from William Hall, from Robert & Diane
Harrison, and from Peggy Peters
Teresa Rideout, mother of Karen Haaser: to the Memorial Fund from John & Karen Vann
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 |  | Doreen Potter (1925-1980) was born in Panama and received her primary and secondary education in Jamaica, where she studied piano and violin. She then moved to England where she trained as a teacher of music at St. Katharine’s College in Liverpool. In 1957 she obtained a Licentiate of Music degree at Trinity College, London, where she played violin in several orchestras. She married Philip Potter, who served as general secretary of the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Through that connection she met Fred Kaan and began writing tunes for his texts. In 1975 they published Break Not the Circle which included twenty new hymns through the Agape division of Hope Publishing Company. “Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ” the “Communion Calypso” to her tune LINSTEAD has become the most popular of the hymns that first appeared in this collection. This hymn is now widely sung all over the world and appears in most all denominational hymnals here in the states. LINSTEAD has also taken on a life of its own and now appears with a number of texts. Unfortunately, Doreen Potter died of cancer at the age of 55 before many of her musical settings achieved popularity. The Handbell Choir will play an arrangement of “Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ” by Michael Helman (b. 1956) for the Opening Voluntary, and we will sing it as our Processional Hymn. I will also play an organ arrangement by Mark Sedio (b. 1954) for the Closing Voluntary. We will also sing a second Doreen Potter hymn, “Help Us Accept Each Other” (BARONITA). The Communion music, “Le Banquet Céleste” (“The Heavenly Banquet”) was composed by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) in 1928 (Messiaen’s first published work). The work’s epigraph, “He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him” (John 6:56), indicates that the work is intended for Communion. This very slow and sustained piece is punctuated by pedal notes marked “brief staccato, as a water drop” to represent Christ’s blood. -Bob Greene
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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.
Lou Hebb
Bud & Marg Branscomb
Rachel & Ben Cherry and Dean Millard
Ricky Adams
Mardia Long
John Graham, Sr
Harold Rutherford
Barbara Daniel
Frances Emerson
Fitz Anderson
Ginger & George Alvarado
Debbie Garritson
Bill Coleman
Billie Peterson
Nelson Pyle
Phyllis Phares
Loretta Thomas
Dale Bechtold
Sarah Ferguson
Martha Mueller
Jon Eakes
Betsy Tate Kegley
Lillian Rhoades
Lois Smith
Jack Wooley
Mark Byington
Lisa Cronin
Ron Fox
George Price
Betty Linke
Nick and Christy Booher, Baby Charlie
Tracy Clark
Chris Slone
Penn Story
Sophia Alcantara
Lilly Rollins
Grieving
Family of Dot Mattison
Family of Dick Ray
Family of Patsy Adams
Weddington family
Region/Nation/Special
Schools, Colleges, & Universities
Ukraine
Israel, hostages, and victims in Gaza
Those suffering with addiction
Mission & Ministry
Young People in Detention Center
Marthina Chapel/Phil Blevins
Ethiopian brothers and sisters/Dembi Dollo
Onesimus Ministry/Addis Ababa
Christians in Nigeria/ECWA
Pastor Nehemiah and family
Felipe Camarão & Cidade Nova Churches
Joao & Roseangela
Gil & Adailza
Rui & Ariel Damasceno
Lawrence and Courtney Sharrett
Kate Hill
Goddards (Paraguay Missionaries)
Chris & Phoebe Chanda in Zambia
Paul Htay in Myanmar
BCCR/Gray House & Harmony & Hope House/Steven & Ann Davis
Montana Indian Ministries/Bruce Plummer
Serve Orlando
Younglife
Scout Troop 3
Sunday school teachers, leaders, mentors @ FPC
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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.
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701 Florida Avenue | Bristol, TN 37620 | 423-764-7176 | fpcbristol.org | | | | |
