First Presbyterian Church First Edition published bi-weekly for the members and friends of the church

Transcription

1 First Presbyterian Church First Edition published bi-weekly for the members and friends of the church Todd Jones Pastor My Dear Friends, One of my Christmas gifts this year was the book, Great Soul, Joseph Lelyveld s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is revered in most circles, almost to the point of hagiography. But Anita Desai says of Lelyveld s work, The picture that emerges in Great Soul is of someone intensely human, with all the defects and weaknesses that suggests, but also a visionary with a profound social conscience and courage who gave the world a model for nonviolent revolution that is still inspiring. I love how this picture of Gandhi comes into focus in one little vignette. Gandhi once stepped on a train in India as it started to move and in his haste one of his shoes slipped off and dropped back on the tracks. Unable to retrieve it, he calmly took off the other shoe and threw it back along the track to land as close as he could make it to the first. When a stunned passenger asked why he had done that, Gandhi smiled and said, The poor man who finds the one shoe lying on the track will now have a pair he can use. Gandhi looked at the situation in a moment of great decision with eyes of imagination. With his imagination, Gandhi lost sight of simply the inconvenience of losing a shoe. Instead, his heart and mind were filled with a vision of a man with bare feet. In an instant, Gandhi saw that man coming upon a lone shoe and desparately searching for the other. He saw in his mind s eye the disappointment and frustration on that man s face when he could only find one shoe. Seeing all of this, unseen to someone with a smaller heart or a less vivid imagination, Gandhi did what little he could to help. He allowed his own loss of a shoe to turn into the gift of a pair of shoes to someone for whom it would come as a great gift. To turn our losses into others blessings is the stuff that few January 23, 2013 Volume 28, No. 02 can ever do, but it is the heart of Jesus life story. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son... The Bible teaches, Without a vision, the people perish. We can choose the eyes through we which we decide to see our lives. We can simply look at life through eyes of loss and focus forlornly upon what we no longer possess. We can focus upon our own limitations and feel small and diminished. We can focus upon our lack of control and imagine ourselves to be powerless. But each time we do, we sell ourselves short, and we deprive the world of the gifts God has given to us uniquely to share. I prefer Mahatma Gandhi s example. We can always envision a better world, if not for ourselves, then at least for someone else. We can ask God for vision, a gift that God seems eager to grant to us. When we see the world through God s eyes, we see a world not limited by problems, but one that is open to divine possibility. When we see life through God s eyes, we see needs that can be met, people we can touch, lives we can bless. And in the giving of ourselves to the world God helps us to see, we are the ones who are blessed, enlarged and deepened. This is the miracle and mystery of the Gospel. Jesus says in all four Gospels these perplexing and paradoxical words: For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. These words surely enshrine one of the deepest truths we can discover. It is in the giving of ourselves that we receive life s most valuable gifts. May God give to us all eyes to see the world more the way Christ sees it. And may God give us hearts that beat for the things that quicken the very heart of Jesus. With Love and Prayers,

2 The Mission of First Presbyterian Church, Nashville To know Christ, to make Him known and to exhibit His love through worship, education and service. Sympathy The First Presbyterian Church family extends prayers and sympathy to the following people and to other members of their family during their time of loss. Betty & Ron Perry on the death of Betty s father, Willie Hurley Hofler, Jr., who died December 30. Elise Luton on the death of her sister, Annie Elizabeth Eggstein Reeves, who died January 4. Sympathy to Lee Luton & Gary Luton. Jennie & Claude Clements on the death of Jennie s mother, Sammie Ethelene Frye, who died January 8. Sympathy to Kellie Clements & Claudia & David Emfinger. If any member of the church desires the Christian support of a Stephen Minister, call Sandra Randleman at Stephen Ministers are trained lay ministers of the church. The Sacrament of Baptism In the presence of family, the congregation of First Presbyterian Church and God, the following person claimed God s covenant promise through the Sacrament of Baptism. Ceesun & Jess Andrews presented their daughter, Catherine Elizabeth Andrews, for baptism on January 20. Assisting Elder was Roxie Gibson. Tax Law Changes Makes Charitable Gifts Easier and Additionally Tax Free For those 70 1 /2 and over, you can use your IRA to make your contributions to FPC. If you act prior to January 31, 2013, you can even take the charitable gift in Otherwise, the favorable tax treatment of using IRAs to make charitable gifts continues at least through This avenue can be used for your annual pledge payment or for a capital campaign contribution, too. If you contemplate a gift, please seek professional tax advice about your individual situation. COLLEGE MISSION 2013: New Orleans! Join fellow college students for a week of service and being together in New Orleans, June Our work team will be lead by Mark DeVries and evening programming by Adam DeVries. The trip costs $800, and includes transportation, food, lodging, building materials, etc. You may register online at college.fpcnashville.org/college-ministry/register. If you have scholarship questions, contact Linda Morphis (lmorphis@fpcnashville.org or ). Discover Alaska with Members and Friends of FPC Join us on a 15-day cruise and land tour adventure, June 10-25, Highlights include two nights in Denali National Park, tours of Victoria, Vancouver and Fairbanks, a seven-day deluxe cruise of the 1,100-mile inside passage, including Ketchikan, Juneau and Glacier Bay National Park, and a two-day tour of Victoria and Vancouver. For information, please contact Sandra (srandleman@fpcnashville.org or ) or Brenda (bgeise@fpcnashville.org or ). Save the Date! Vacation Bible School and VBS Mission Camp will be June 24-27, Join us for the Everywhere Fun Fair, where God s world comes together! Registration is open on the children s website sign up now.

3 One-to-One Christian Caregiving Stephen Ministry is a complete system for training and organizing laypersons for caring ministry in and around the congregation. Stephen Ministers provide one-to-one Christian care to the bereaved, hospitalized, terminally ill, separated, divorced, unemployed, relocated and others facing a crisis or life challenge. Stephen Ministry helps pastors and congregations provide quality caring ministry for as long as people need it. If any member of the church desires the Christian support of a Stephen Minister, call Sandra Randleman (srandleman@fpcnashville.org or ). Lenton Study Kneeling with Giants A Lenten study on ways to approach God through prayer will be offered at Downtown Presbyterian Church on Thursdays, from noon until 1:00 P.M., February 21 through March 28. The study will be led by Sandra Randleman, Associate Pastor for Congregational Care and Missi on, and will be based on Gary Neal Hansen s book, Kneeling with Giants: Learning to Pray with History s Best Teachers. The goal of the study is to find a way to deepen your relationship with God through prayer by learning from a mentor who uniquely connected with God through prayer, such as Benedict, Luther, Calvin and Andrew Murray. A different mentor and a different method of prayer will be studied each of the six weeks. The study offers an opportunity to refresh and renew your own prayer practice. A light lunch will be served. If you have any questions or need additional information, feel free to contact Sandra Randleman (srandleman@fpcnashville.org or ). Find It Here! Did you know that FPC has a blog? Scan the code or go to fpcnashville.org/ home/ -subscribe and provide your in order to receive posts from the News Blog, the Pastor s Message or menus for Wednesday Night Dinner in your inbox. Dominican Republic April 2013 Dates: April 27-May 3, 2013 Cost: $1,400 (est.); $800 deposit due NOW; vaccinations recommended. Brief Details: Install water filtration system in school and conduct health education sessions (with translators); other construction work possible. Trip Leaders: Mike Crout, John Gillespie and Deb & Mike O Brien. Kenya & Rwanda July 2013 Dates: July 17-August 2 Cost: $5,000; $1,500 deposit due NOW; requires vaccinations. Brief Details: Construction on churches in both countries as well as visits to mission projects supported by FPC Nashville; Kenyan safari included; children must be age 12 to participate; limit of 14 FPC members; spaces reserved when full deposit paid. Trip Leaders: Dr. Bob LaGrone & Sandra Randleman Dominican Republic November 2013 Dates: November 2-8 Cost: $1,400 (est.); $800 deposit due June 1; requires vaccinations. Brief Details: Medical personnel offer family practice medicine, surgery, dental care or eye care in clinics or in the field depending on team member expertise; non-medical participants needed to assist in processing patients. Trip Leaders: Dr. Jim Cato and Dr. Betsy Triggs Questions? Contact Patricia Heim in the Missions Office ( or pheim@fpcnashville.org) if you are interested in learning more or would like an application form for a mission trip. Online registration for trips is available from the Register/Give link on the church homepage ( Scholarship Assistance is available to FPC members for all FPC-sponsored trips by contacting Sandra ( or srandleman@fpcnashville.org). Read about missions at FPC online mission trips abroad, local mission opportunities, stories, pictures and more. Visit

4 Spiritual Journey for Women For the next three months, Dana Atkins, Anne Dobbs and Etta Wilson will lead this class in a study of When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life s Sacred Questions, by Sue Monk Kidd. This inspiring book has been hailed by readers such as Eugene Peterson and called an alternative to fast-fix spirituality. All women are welcome to join the class for study, personal reflection and encouraging prayer. This class meets in the Cheek House dining room on Sunday mornings during Sunday School hour. Sunday School Class: No More Silent Nights? Christmas is at its most powerful in the rare stillness of evening worship, holiday beauty and fellowship and seasonal generosity and service. Is it possible to sustain that power? The Logos class will consider how we might live in such a way as to sustain a reverent sense of God s presence. We ll ponder scripture passages that invite us to listen, identify the noises that make it hard to listen, and consider basic activities that hone our ability to listen. When we pay attention, God is everywhere to be heard and seen. Join Associate Pastor Stuart Gordon in the Chapel each Sunday morning at 9:45 A.M. Strategies for Interpreting the Bible Have you found yourself wanting to study the Bible with critical resources, in order to dig into the Bible s historical background, understand its literary forms and draw out the meaning of its words? Associate Pastor Stuart Gordon will lead a group, Listening to Scripture: Strategies for Interpreting the Bible, on Thursday evenings through April 18. This course is designed by the Kerygma program, using a resource book that costs $18, available in Bookmarks, the church store. Contact Stuart (sgordon@fpcnashville.org or ) if you plan on attending. Dinner will be served at 6:30 P.M. each week for anyone interested ($5) and class will meet from 7:00-8:00 P.M. Tuesday Morning Men s Bible Study Tuesday Morning Men s Bible Study is studying I and II Timothy and Titus. All men are invited to gather for a time of prayer, Bible study and fellowship, led by Sandra Randleman. Meets on Tuesdays from 7:00-7:45 A.M. in Vance Hall. For information, contact Sandra (srandleman@fpcnashville.org or ). Women s Bible Study On January 31, the group will begin a new study based upon the book, Bad Girls of the Bible, by Liz Curtis Higgs. All women are invited to join us for this study, which meets from 7:00-7:45 A.M. on Thursdays in Vance Hall and is led by Dr. Sandra Randleman. For information, contact Sandra (srandleman@fpcnashville.org or ). Register for Musikgarten Classes Musikgarten includes singing, chanting, moving, dancing, listening and playing simple instruments. A class for babies and toddlers (newborn to 3 1/2 years old) and their parent/ caregiver is beginning. Class meets Mondays, beginning January 28, 11:00-11:30 A.M. and Thursdays, beginning January 31, 10:15-10:45 A.M. Cost is $50 per child, and the class runs for 13 weeks. For more information, contact Susan Kirby ( or skirby@fpcnashville.org), or visit us at music.fpcnashville.org/children/musicgarten. Thursday Morning Bible Study with Todd Jones Men and women of all ages are invited to join Dr. Todd Jones for his weekly Bible study. The class meets on Thursdays, from 11:00 A.M. to noon, in the Session Room. The current study is on the book of James. Don t miss this wonderful opportunity to study the Word with our Senior Pastor! Radio broadcast of Sunday worship airs at 4:00 P.M. each Sunday on WAMB 1200 AM and 99.3 FM.

5 Legacy of Changing Lives... Siloam Family Health Center A native of Ecuador, Maria has been a patient at Siloam Family Health Center since September Divorced with a 21-year-old daughter, Maria works as a housekeeper in Nashville. She had this to say about her experience at Siloam: There is something so special about this clinic. I really can t explain it, but a peace comes over me as soon as I enter Siloam s doors. My body and soul just relax. And, the people at Siloam don t care where you come from; they treat everyone equally. I spoke with my cousins about the feeling I get when I come here, as they are patients at the clinic, too. They told me, Maria, it s because you re being cared for by Christians! It s God s love that you re experiencing. They re right. That s what it is! Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38 Connect with Guest Speaker Hallowell Join Oak Hill School for Creating Connectedness in a Disconnected Culture, a special presentation from speaker and psychiatrist Dr. Ned Hallowell. Topics addressed come from Hallowell s book, Connect:12 Vital Ties that Open Your Heart, Lengthen Your Life, and Deepen Your Soul. A world-renowned speaker and graduate of Harvard College and Tulane Medical School, Hallowell is a child and adult psychiatrist. He specializes in ADD and strategies for handling a fast-paced life. The presentation will be held on Tuesday, February 5, from 6:00-7:30 P.M. in the Enrichment Center. The event is free and open to the public. Get a Kick Out of Spring Soccer It s that time of the year to start thinking about soccer. We are looking forward to another great season here at First Presbyterian Church. The deadline to turn the form in without a late fee is February 23. After that, the price is $125. Online registration is available at rec.fpcnashville.org/sports. The season will begin with practices starting the week of March 18, and the first game is set for April 6. We will have a coaches meeting on March 12 at 6:30 P.M. If you have any questions, please don t hesitate to contact Andrew Kelso (akelso@fpcnashville.org or ). Sunday sermons are online in print and audio! Log on the church website at and find Sermons on the Worship page.

6 Broadway Dinner Show & Silent Auction $35 FPC s Sanctuary Choir presents With a Song in My Heart Annual Broadway Dinner Show and Silent Auction. Come hear your favorite selections from musicals such as Leonard Bernstein s West Side Story, Roger and Hammerstein s Sound of Music, The King and I and Jerome Kern s Showboat. Raphael Bundage is the conductor of the FPC Sanctuary Choir with Amy Tate Williams as the accompanist. Also joining us will be The Capital Jazz and Swing Band and a guest appearance by Leigh DeVries and Millie Ledbetter. Tickets for the show are available online, or you may fill out the registration form below and return it to Daphne Garey in the Music Department. For more information, call the Music Ministry Office ( ). Name: Friday, March 1 Courtenay Hall & Lounge Doors open at 6:15 P.M. 9 Registration Form for FPC Broadway Dinner Show & Silent Auction Address: Telephone Number: Number of Tickets ($35.00 each): Address: Total Amount included: Tickets available online at music.fpcnashville.org or in the Music Department ( ).

7 Upcoming First Friends Activities January Friday January 4 First Friday Bridge 1:30-4:00 P.M. Cheek House Tuesday January 15 Committee Meeting 5:00 P.M. Edgar Room Thursday January 17 Thursday Luncheon 11:45 A.M. Courtenay Hall Brian Allison, Travellers Rest and The Civil War Sunday January 20 Sunday Lunch 12:00 P.M. Opry Backstage Grill Monday January 28 Schermerhorn Tour 9:30 A.M. Downtown Nashville February Friday February 1 First Friday Bridge 1:30-4:00 P.M. Cheek House Sunday February 17 Sunday Lunch 12:00 P.M. Wholly Crepe, Franklin Tuesday February 19 Committee Meeting 5:00 P.M. Edgar Room Thursday February 21 Thursday Luncheon 11:45 A.M. Courtenay Hall Todd Jones, Holy Land Trip March Friday March 1 First Friday Bridge 1:30-4:00 P.M. Cheek House Sunday March 17 Sunday Lunch 12:00 P.M. Feast, East Nashville Tuesday March 19 Committee Meeting 5:00 P.M. Edgar Room Thursday March 21 Thursday Luncheon 11:45 A.M. Courtenay Hall David Lifsey, CEO Goodwill Looking Ahead: Chicago Tour, May 27-31, 5 days, 4 nights, 4 breakfasts and 4 dinners. We will visit Shedd Aquarium, Wills Tower Observation (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago Art Institute, Navy Pier and Chicago City Tour. We will also do a Skyline Cruise on Lake Michigan and enjoy nightly entertainment. Cost is $409 per person, double occupancy. For all reservations, contact Ginny Tindle (gtindle@fpcnashville.org or ). A Spinning, Twirling, Dancing Wednesday Kickoff Winter Wednesdays launched spun, shuffled, twirled and slid on January 9 with a big dance. Following dinner in Courtenay Hall, about sixty people adjourned to the Enrichment Center to learn and participate in recreational folk dancing, line dancing and other novelty dances. Veteran dancers and instructors Bekah and Bill Caruso, who have been providing dance leadership for nearly 35 years, led the group, which included church members ranging in ages from early elementary school on. In fact, retired people were paired with seven- and eight-year-olds, Bill Caruso said. Everyone had a great time! The Enrichment Center, a perfect venue for the dance due to ample space and quality sound, was filled with eager learners, laughter and folk dancing. Bekah and I bring our music with us when we lead dances, Bill said. We still play vinyl records on the turntable. A younger generation stared wide-eyed at the technology, and all were overjoyed to kick off Winter Wednesdays with dance. Gather with us for Winter Wednesdays. Register for dinner and programs online at fpcnashville.org/congregation/2013-winter-wednesdays or by calling the church at Please remember to make all dinner reservations no later than noon on Monday of the week.

8 First Presbyterian Church 4815 Franklin Pike Nashville, Tennessee ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Youth Happenings Sunday School January 27 and February 3: Grades 7-12 will meet in The Gathering Place at 9:40 A.M. We will then split into grade level classes. Stuff & Mail February 10. All youth going on a mission trip and their parents are asked to help send fundraiser letters for youth missions! We will gather after the 11:00 A.M. service in the Gathering Place. Lunch will be served and youth will get to see who else is going on the same trip(s) as them! Please RSVP and bring $5 for lunch. Contact Millie Ledbetter (mledbetter@fpcnashville.org) with questions! 11th Grade Retreat February 22-24, Panama City Beach, Florida. We ll be staying by the beach and will spend the day playing Non Profit Org U S Postage P A I D Nashville, TN Permit No. 27 Dated church material Please deliver by January 26, 2013 together, eating together, bonding as a grade and preparing for a new kind of leadership as we become the wise old owls of the youth group. For more questions, contact Scott Hearon (shearon@fpcnashville.org). Sunday Worship: 8:30 and 11:00 A.M. services in the sanctuary every Sunday morning, and the 5:30 P.M. evening service in the Enrichment Center. Families, please join us at one of these worship services each Sunday. Youth Newsletter: If your family isn t receiving the monthly Youth Newsletter in your , please let Millie Ledbetter know (mledbetter@fpcnashville.org or ). sunday evening worship at fpc the enrichment 5:3O p.m. First Presbyterian Church 4815 Franklin Pike Nashville, Tennessee Pastors Todd Jones Pastor Sam Cooper Executive Pastor Mark DeVries Associate Pastor to Youth & Their Families Catherine Foster Associate Pastor for Young Adult Ministry Stuart Gordon Associate Pastor for Discipleship Keith Gunter Associate Pastor for New Church Development Sandra Randleman Associate Pastor for Congregational Care & Mission Program Staff Nicholas Bergin Interim Organist Raphael Bundage Director of Music Karen Fitts Nursery Coordinator Brenda Geise Older Adult Ministry Coordinator Letitia Green Director of Recreation Susan Kirby Worship Coordinator Carol McClure Director of Children & Youth Choirs Deb O Brien Director of Children s Ministry Rhonda Swanson Assistant Organist Brandon Van Pernis Director of Youth Ministries Amelia Watson Coordinator of Parish Ministry Schools Jennifer Hinote Head of School, Oak Hill School Brenda Lutz Director, FPC Early Preschool Administration Cindy Bozman Finance Manager Lynn Elliott Pastor s Assistant Zonia Nunley Property Manager Shannon Parsons Communications Coordinator Carl Womack Food Service Director