Troop 3 Annual Yard Sale

TROOP 3 ANNUAL YARD SALE will be Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 8AM to 12PM at First Presbyterian Church in the back parking lot.

Troop 3 will be accepting donations for their Annual Yard Sale starting Sunday September 22 to Thursday September 26.  Donations can be brought to the first classroom on the left as you enter Scout Hall door.  

Gently used clothing, shoes, household items, linens, gardening supplies, outdoor gear are all welcome.  Unfortunately, they are not able to accept TVs, stuffed animals, mattresses, couches/heavy furniture, particle board/pressed wood furniture, nor oversized workout equipment.  

Any questions regarding items for donation can be addressed to Chad McCracken at troop3scouter@gmail.com or 423-677-5282.   If you are unable to bring donations to the church, please let Chad know.

Donations will be accepted during these times:

• Sunday September 22 - 2.30pm to 5pm

• Monday September 23 - 6pm to 8pm

• Tuesday September 24 - 6pm to 8pm

• Wednesday September 25 - 6pm to 8pm

• Thursday September 26 - 6pm to 8pm

Pre-sale shopping will be offered to the FPC church family on Thursday September 26, 2024, from 5P to 6P in appreciation for all the support received throughout the year!!

“Thank you so much for your continued support of Troop 3, we are blessed to have you as our church family.”  

Serving our Downtown Neighbors

FPC is scheduled to serve at A Place to Be on Wednesday 9/13 and Sharing Christ on Saturday September 21. Our main dish will be hashbrown and chicken casserole (click HERE for the recipe). Sides will include green beans, applesauce and rolls.  Currently, the ministry provides lunches to send with those who come to worship on Sunday, which is usually 20. We’ll plan to serve 75 guests at each venue. If you can help in any way, whether contributing meal components or helping to serve, please contact Beth Flannagan or Becca Tate. Your contributions are welcome in whatever form.

Be a Reading Buddy

Reading Buddies is gearing up for another school year. This is a unique opportunity for community members to support and inspire kindergarten, first, and second grade students on their reading journey. Thirty minutes of your time will make a huge difference in the life of the elementary student you will partner with! Reading Buddies help ensure that young learners enter third grade reading on grade level with a love for learning. New mentors are welcome in all BTCS elementary schools, and no previous teaching experience is required! As Kay explains, it's not just about teaching someone to read - it's about being a friend to a young person, being someone who cares. Please email Kay Ward to let her know you want to be part of this important program with Bristol Tennessee City Schools.

Small Group Time with your Church Officers

Greetings Church Family, 

In a recent correspondence from your Session of Elders, members were informed that a series of small group meetings, or what we are calling Listening Sessions, would be scheduled. The purpose of these meetings is to provide an opportunity for congregants to share reactions, express feelings and thoughts, and ask questions about the recent transition of our pastor. Simply stated, it will be much like a church family meeting, which will be a time for us to listen to one another and process what has transpired.

The four dates below have been selected for the initial Listening Sessions: 

September 8 @ 2:00 pm

September 22 @ 5:00 pm

September 29 @ 2:00 pm

October 6 @ 5:00 pm

On each of the dates, there will be 4-7 groups meeting simultaneously at the church. These Listening Sessions will last for approximately one hour, all with the same format. There will be 2 or 3 elders facilitating each of the groups, which will be limited to 10 or less congregants. Please understand that no decisions will be made at these meetings. Your Session of Elders will be there for the sole purpose of listening to you. 

Please rest assured that we are devoted to providing a constructive and safe place to share, so that you will be considered and heard. There will be clear group guidelines that all participants will be asked to follow. follow. If childcare is needed for any of the meetings, please notify the church office at least two church business days in advance (Wednesday prior to the Sunday meeting). These Listening Sessions are but one step in fostering a time of healing and offering a healthy way forward as we live out our mission here at First Presbyterian Church of Bristol, “As a community being made whole by God, we love, serve, and grow through Jesus.” 

We will keep praying for you. Please pray for us as we seek ways to support you, bringing us all closer to our Lord and each other. May God bless us all, His children, with His bountiful grace and wisdom during this time. 

Yours in Christ, 

Session of Elders: Ann Abel, Catherine Bell, Aaron Brooks, Jackie Burt, Barb Duncan, Ron Fox, Fred Harkleroad, Peggy Hill, Alison Meredith, Matt Peltier, Deidre Pendley, Rush Powers, Charlie Taylor, John Vann, Charles Webb, Anna Booher

September Mission Focus

The mission focus for the month of September is Spurgeon Hope Ministries Nigeria.

Your financial donations will go towards:

• Supporting retired pastors who cannot work and whose pensions are insufficient for their needs

• Providing food and medical assistance to widows and orphans and Christians fleeing persecution

• Feeding senior members of the community and family members of pastors and others who have been martyred for their faith.

Rev. Dr. Nehemiah Maji and his family were frequently threatened by terrorists, and they were forced to go into hiding. Since then, they have been granted asylum in the United States.

Spurgeon Hope ministry continues to be a strong organization, and the Maji’s continue to coordinate efforts with Spurgeon Hope Ministry Nigeria and its board, as well as raise awareness here in the United States about the plight of Nigerian Christians and the persecuted church in Northern Nigeria.

Fall 2024 Home Groups

The Fall 2024 Home Group study series entitled “Jesus Is…” has now concluded. If you would like to use this series for your personal, individual study, you may access it here.

Congregational Meeting

There will be a congregational meeting immediately following the 9:00 am service on Sunday, August 25 in the Fellowship Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on the terms of dissolution of the call between our congregation and Pastor Sam Weddington, whose resignation was effective as of August 3, 2024. All members are urged to attend this important meeting.

Come Sing with Us!

The Sanctuary Choir will resume weekly rehearsals on Wednesdays at 7:15 pm beginning August 14. The choir is a welcoming place for all singers, young and old. We would love to start our year with You!

If you have an interest in or any questions about the choir, email Pat Flannagan.

Come and Pray

On Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. and 7:15 p.m., the chapel will be open for a time of prayer. Everyone is invited!

August Mission Focus

Our special offering for the month of August will focus on Brothers for Christ Community Response house for men (BCCR) and Harmony & Hope House (HHH) for women. The primary focus of each is to assist men and women who are returning to society from incarceration, rehabilitation, or some other form of confinement to become and remain productive, contributing, Christ-centered members of our community.

Your financial donations will help support this vital community program that is assisting those who need a leg up to be successful in society. BCCR/HHH ministries consist of:

 Reentry and recovery

 Feeding the homeless and less fortunate

 Assisting the senior members of the community

 Jail and prison outreach

 Life coaching and consulting

 Separate men’s and women’s sober living houses (Gray House/Harmony & Hope House)

BCCR is an organization founded by Rev. Steven L. Davis, Sr., Min. Cornelius D. Studifin and Lillian K. Davis in 2003. The vision came to Rev. Davis while incarcerated in Ohio in 1997. At this time, he was in the grips of addiction, contemplating suicide, and lying on a cold concrete floor in the county jail.

He was sentenced to the minimal time, and he used this time to prepare for his release. Though he did not know it at the time he was only gaining head knowledge and not the application (heart knowledge) of what he was studying. The thought of creating a sustainable outreach ministry that would assist those who found themselves in like situations was his goal, thus the birthing of Brothers for Christ Community Response (BCCR).

July Mission Focus

During the month of July, we will be collecting donations of School Supplies for Fairmount Elementary School…

• Crayons

• Pencils

• Scissors

• Kleenex

• Paper towels

• Highlighters

• Student scissors

• Composition notebooks (not the wire bound notebook)

• Glue sticks

• Clorox disinfecting wipes

• Ziplock bags

• Expo markers

• 5-subject Star notebooks

• 3-ring binder w/pockets

• Pocket folders- Blue or Yellow with 3-prong fasteners

Thank you for supporting our neighbors in need!

VBS July 14-16

This year at First Pres Bristol’s SCUBA Vacation Bible School we will take kids deep into an amazing undersea adventure where they’ll experience the ever-flowing, never-ending love of God. Kids will be immersed in God’s Word as they dive into friendship with God. 

Scuba VBS is July 14-16, 5:30-8:15 p.m.

Wednesday, July 17 — closing celebration and hot dog dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Use this link to register kids ages three to completed fifth grade. Adults and middle schoolers and high schoolers can use the link to register to volunteer!  Register today to ensure you get a t-shirt!!  

https://vbspro.events/p/864cad

June Mission Focus

Montana Indian Ministries brings God's message to Montana's Native American peoples while supporting and encouraging their rich heritage and culture. This summer they will be hosting hundreds of children in their annual Summer Camps, and we invite you to help sponsor these fun, enlightening, and life-changing opportunities to learn about the love of Christ for each of them.

Any money collected will be used to help the ministry meet its food costs for the camps this summer. The cost for food and operation is around $8,000 for two weeks of camp. We will take up donations throughout the month of June, with an in-person collection the last Sunday of the month.

Camps offered: Bible School, specialized teenage basketball, soccer, youth cultural camp, and wrestling clinics. Pastor Bruce also offers special week-long sessions for foster parents on the reservation, helping equip them to meet the special challenges they will face. There is an enormous number of foster children on the reservation due to a myriad of issues, and of course, there aren't enough foster parents. Pastor Bruce and his ministry team's mission is to help meet the needs of these children.

You may give online or make use of the church's special envelopes and write a note accompanying your offering to designate it for the Montana Indian Ministry. However you determine to give, please give generously because God is doing great work through this ministry.

Please visit the website for Montana Indian Ministries for more information.

View Pastor Bruce Plummer as he talks about his miraculous call and ministry.

Prayer: June Study Series

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

We will spend the entire month of June studying and reflecting on the topic of prayer. The children’s ministry will have a specially tailored program for kids on prayer, and Adult Ministries will do a five-week study on the topic entitled, “If My People Will Pray.” We will follow the guidelines given in that study to also lead our reflection on Scripture each week during worship, followed by a Sunday Adult Bible Study in the chapel from 10:20am to 10:50am. We will also have regular volunteers who will be at the church on Wednesday mornings at 10:30am and Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the chapel to bring us together to pray as a community. We are excited about this program and look forward to the ways God will use it to bless our community. 

The new series uses of the A.C.T.S. model. ACTS stands for adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. In essence, for those who might be unsure what prayer should be in our daily lives, or for those who are looking to refresh this part of their life as disciples, the ACTS model gives us a guide that faithfully models prayer for everyone. We hope all will consider taking part in the study, the prayer session, and reflect on all this during our worship services. 

Prayer is inextricably tied to joy. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul commands the community to rejoice always and pray continually. Prayer isn’t treating God like a cosmic vending machine who will give us what we want when we want it. Prayer, first and foremost, roots us in what God is doing and gives us the place to come to grips with God’s will for our lives. In light of God’s sovereignty, we can rejoice in all circumstances, good or bad, through prayer because we are asking that God give us the strength to persevere. This makes complete sense of how Paul then goes on to tell the community to “give thanks in all circumstances.” 

Prayer, grounded in adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, not only allows us to grow in trust, allows us to see our part in what God is doing in Jesus. We know well that God’s intention in Christ is to reconcile the world to God’s self (2 Corinthians 5:19). Here, prayer teaches us not only to trust God in Christ in all circumstances, but that through us, through our suffering or our triumphs, God will be glorified, and we will be taken up into this work of reconciliation. 

Please plan to join us in June for this study. We pray you will be blessed. 

May Mission Focus: Young Life

This month for our special mission focus, 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. 

YoungLife Bristol’s three-part mission statement: 

1. Kids around the world are searching for home, meaning, and belonging. 

2. We get in it with them and accept them as they are. 

3. 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. 

Ordination of Justin Miller

The ordination of Justin Miller will begin Wednesday, April 24th at 6:15pm right after Wednesday night meal and will take place in the Sanctuary. Everyone is invited to attend and celebrate with him and his wife this momentous event.

Interest Survey

The FPC Community Fellowship Team (CFT) is looking for ways to foster fellowship by connecting folks with similar interests.

To do this, an Interest Survey has been developed and can be accessed here or by opening the camera app on your smart phone and aiming it at the QR code on the graphic.

The survey asks that participants list up to four personal interests. Then, based on sufficient mutual responses from others, the CFT will organize groups that can explore, exchange information, and participate together.

This is only an interest survey. By filling out the survey you are not committing to anything. Please indicate your preferred communication method so you can be notified when/if a group that matches your interest(s) gets created.

— Another way to Be Engaged with your brothers and sisters in Christ at FPC! —

Men’s Breakfast

Join us for Bristol area’s Men’s Fellowship Breakfast that happens the third Saturday of each month.

Saturday, April 20, at 7:30 am - DON’T MISS IT!

Meetings are held at First Presbyterian Church of Bristol.

All men are welcome.

Senior Legacy Letters

A collection of the sweetest words...

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. Send them to the church office or email to karnold@fpcbristol.org

Spring Cleaning Day April 20

Spring cleaning help is on the way!

Volunteers from the church will gather at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 20 in the church parking lot and disperse to help members of the congregation clean gutters, change smoke alarm batteries and light bulbs, clear yard debris, and perform other rites of spring.

It won't be fun without you! Volunteers are asked to bring ladders, gloves, rakes, and other tools they might need.

To volunteer or to request assistance, please contact Dave Welch at dwelch@fpcbristol.org or sign up here.