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

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1 First Presbyterian Church First Edition published bi-weekly for the members and friends of the church Todd Jones Pastor My Dear Friends, This past November our group of Holy Land Pilgrims from First Presbyterian Church stood inside the courtyard of a beautiful church in Bethpage, upon the Mount of Olives. The church is the work of the great Franciscan priest and architect, Antonio Barluzzi. It is the place where each year Roman Catholic Christians in Jerusalem gather to begin their observance of Palm Sunday. All four Gospel writers mention this event, where Jesus instructed his disciples to go to a place where they would find there tied a colt that has never been ridden. To the owner of the donkey, they were to say, The Lord has need of it. This began a procession down the Mount of Olives into the Kidron Valley. As Jesus descended the mount, a walk we followed, He stopped at one point and looked out over the city of Jerusalem and wept over it, saying, Would that you know the things that make for peace. Jesus forsaw the destruction of Herod's Temple on the Temple Mount that would come in 70 A.D., an event that is marked today upon the Arch of Titus in the Roman Forum, so memorable was this tragic event to the whole Roman Empire. Jesus' words haunt us to this day, as peace in Jerusalem, and peace throughout our planet is elusive and often seems a far off dream. The spontaneous parade must have gathered its own momentum, because as Jesus approaches the Eastern Gate of the city, a large crowd had amassed, and John alone among the Gospel writers tells us that they waved palm branches before Jesus, and shouted, Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord the King of Israel! These were politically volatile words for a crowd to shout in Roman occupied Palestine. For most Jews, March 13, 2013 Volume 28, No. 05 they were likely a cry for a return to the glory days of King David, who led Israel through its greatest era of prosperity and self rule. Scholars estimate variously the size of this Palm Sunday entry by Jesus on that donkey, but surely it was in the thousands, and large enough to get the attention of both the Jewish and the Roman authorities. For Christians, this event has become an important part of the story of the Gospel. It is for us a sign of Jesus Messianic calling, and a proclamation of what we have believed ever since, that is that Jesus is King. The window in Barluzzi s beautiful church in Bethpage, where the annual procession remembering Palm Sunday is begun, has these words stencilled above it, Hosanna...Jesus...Rex. It is the faith statement that Jesus is King, the Savior of the world, and the fulfillment of Israel's long time hope for a Messiah to deliver them. This hope is enshrined in Psalm 130, which has served as our guide through this Lenten season. The Psalmist, who cries out to the Lord out of the depths, and who waits for the Lord to come, bids Israel, and us, to hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him there is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all its iniquities. This is our basis for hope, and this hope is found in the very character of the Lord God. Palm Sunday remembers an event that happened over two thousand years ago, where for a moment a large gathering of people saw in Jesus the One who would deliver and redeem them. We remember Palm Sunday, but as we do we look ahead to the day when God will redeem, restore and reconcile all things. This is Easter faith, and I urge you not to miss the grandeur, the majesty, the hope and life that it holds. 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. Bonnie Bell on the death of her husband, Carney Bell, who died February 19. Sympathy to Karen, Bruce, Mitchell, Margaret Ann & Tyler Moore. Sympathy to the friends & family of Peggy B. Feustel, who died February 19. Mike & Claire Robbins on the death of Mike s mother, Jane Robbins, who died February 21. Sympathy to Tyler & Katie Robbins and Taylor, Hayes & Elizabeth Ragan. Sandy & Jim Love on the death of Sandy s father, John T. Graves, who died February 23. Sympathy to Jimmy Love, II. Sympathy to the friends & family of James S. Lively, Jr., who died February 23. Sympathy to the friends & family of Linda Currin Grissim, who died February 26. Don & Weeza Swain on the death of Don s brother, Lynn Dallas Swain, who died February 27. Sympathy to Anne & Alex Miklos, Jack Miklos & Nathan Swain. 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 persons claimed God s covenant promise through the Sacrament of Baptism. Ashley & Carter Kaeser presented their son, Carter Reed Kaeser, for baptism on February 24. Assisting Elder was Jody Holland. Mary Pillow & Patrick Thompson presented their son, Henry Kirk Thompson, for baptism on February 24. Assisting Elder was Patti Bryan. Mary Gingrass & Christopher Stark presented their children, Katherine Gingrass Stark, Daniel Thomas Stark & Jonathan Eli Stark, for baptism on March 3. Assisting Elder was Roxie Gibson. Congratulations The First Presbyterian Church family congratulates the following people during their new births. Leigh & Paul Dill on the birth of their son, Walter Thomas Dill, who was born on February 15. Congratulations to grandparents, Anne & Rick Gernert. Carey & Mark McDonald on the birth of their son, Oliver Bartlett McDonald, who was born on February 24. Congratulations to grandparents, Linda & Frank Floyd, Carolyn & Tom McDonald and great-grandmother Alice Ann Barge. Holy Communion Holy Communion will be observed on March 17, the Fifth Sunday in Lent, following the morning worship services. The 5:30 service will serve communion, by intinction. Communion will also be served on March 28, Maundy Thursday. Prepare your hearts to celebrate this sign of Christ s love and grace. Did You Know? FPC allocates approximately 25% of its total annual budget to mission projects? Did you know that nearly $1.2 million will be given away this year by your mission committees benefiting a multitude of individuals in our local community, state, nation and abroad? Did you know that over 35 different local organizations receive mission benevolence funds from FPC? Check out the Giving to Others section of the FPC mission webpages to learn more about the impact of your generous benevolence support and our mission partners (missions.fpcnashville.org/giving-to-others). 5TH SUNDAY IN LENT MARCH 17, 2013 Sermon Out of the Depths: Hope in the Lord Scripture Readings Psalm 136 John 13:1-9 Todd Jones Pastor PASSION/PALM SUNDAY MARCH 24, 2013 Sermon Out of the Depths: Plenteous Redemption Scripture Readings Luke Luke 19:28-40 Luke 23:32-49 Todd Jones Pastor

3 Another Night of Dancing on April 3 Kicks Off Our Easter Wednesdays! Back by popular demand, Bekah and Bill Caruso will bring their music and special PA system for another big night of dancing. The crowd had so much fun in January that Bill and Bekah will be back on April 3 for more big-circle, square, novelty and line dancing! The youngest and the oldest enjoy it alike, and you don t need to bring a partner. If the weather cooperates, we just may dance outdoors. If it doesn t cooperate, we ll return to the Enrichment Center. Dinner will be served in Courtenay Hall from 5:00 to 6:00 P.M., with dancing following until 7:15 P.M. Registration for this event and other Easter Wednesday programs is available on our website (fpcnashville.org/congregation/wednesday-nights ) or by calling the church ( ). Please remember to make all dinner reservations no later than noon on Monday of the week. Nick Bergin Promoted to Full-Time Organist by Rhonda Swanson Congratulations to Nick Bergin on his promotion to Organist, a full-time position on the FPC staff. The advancement was ratified at January s Session meeting. Nick joined FPC s staff in July 2012 as Interim Organist and quickly became known as a thoughtful, positive collaborator in worship and music activities. In addition to Music Department and liturgy meetings, Nick s normal week consists of daily organ practice, rehearsals with the Sanctuary Choir as well as Doxology and Psalmody choirs and preparations for Sunday worship and memorial services. The son of musical parents, he credits earlier internships at large churches with molding his work expectations and adapting to his new role. Nick graduated in May 2012 with a Master s degree in organ performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with Janette Fishell and was awarded the prestigious Barbara and David Jacobs Fellowship. In 2011, he served as the Interim Assistant Organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis, and during the fall of 2010, he worked as the Organ Scholar at the Church of St. Michael and St. George in St. Louis, Missouri. He served for a year as the Dean of the Indiana University/Bloomington American Guild of Organists chapter, where he led monthly meetings and helped to organize a number of concerts and social events. Nick is a graduate of Baltimore s Peabody Conservatory, where he studied organ with Donald Sutherland and piano with Seth Knopp. While growing up in Houston, Nick studied piano with Timothy Hester and attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Favorite hymn: For All the Saints or any other Vaughan Williams hymn. Other instruments he plays: Accordion and bagpipes. First piano teacher: His mother Favorite karaoke song: Blue Monday by Fats Domino. Nick has quickly won the confidence and affection of our members who are closely associated with our music program. He brings great skill as an organist, a wonderful team spirit to his work with our staff and is blessed with intelligence, musical ability, an inherent feel for people and a willingness to continue to learn. We are thrilled to make Nicholas Bergin a full-time addition to our staff! Todd Jones

4 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 15 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 Author of the Month at Bookmarks Stuart Gordon s Author of the Month is George Herbert. He was a poet and a pastor in 17th century England, a man considered to be one of the greatest of English poets. His sacred poetry is beautiful in its own right, but also serves as rich devotional reading for Christians. It is no coincidence that a large portion of Scripture is poetic in form; to speak of the things of God requires every resource of language at our disposal. George Herbert is one of the great witnesses to God in the English language. All the elements of Herbert s poetry its mosaic of biblical themes, its complex simplicity, compression and understatement combine to make it a poetry of connection, celebrating the divine plan and dramatizing how contradictions and ambiguous states can be transcended in response to God s love The Complete English Poems of George Herbert is available in Bookmarks. Spring 2013 Inquirers Class Begins An Inquirers Class will be held for persons interested in uniting with First Presbyterian Church as members or who wish to obtain more information about the history and mission of First Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian denomination. Persons considering membership are encouraged to take the Inquirers Class before joining First Presbyterian Church. The class will be held for five consecutive Sundays, April 7, 14, 21, 28 and May 5, during the Sunday School hour (9:45-10:45 A.M.) in the Jones Session Room (MW-203 on the second floor of the Ministry Wing). For more information, please call the church office ( ) or Sandra Randleman ( ).

5 Fall 2013 Trip to Israel and Jordan Ever since the fall of 2005, when I began my work here as Associate for Discipleship, I ve given thanks for the type of work I get to do: teaching the Bible and the historic faith of Christians. In the fall of 2013, I m thrilled to get the chance to place all that in its oldest context: the lands of the Middle East. On Tuesday afternoon, November 5, I ll be leading a group that travels with Educational Opportunities, an experienced company that sponsored our most-recent Middle- East trip. We will depart for Newark and on to Tel Aviv, Israel on the 5th. We will arrive in Tel Aviv on the afternoon of the 6th after the night flight, spend the night in Jerusalem, and then move on to Jordan the next morning. We will have three nights in Jordan and the remainder of the time will be spent in Israel. We will return to Nashville on Wednesday, November 20. Given the distance of years and miles, we can sometimes forget that Jesus was an actual man, a first-century Jew who lived in a small town in a politically weak, frequently conquered, little nation. It is remarkable that of all the empires that conquered Jesus people, none remains. Only the Jews remain in their life and worship, and in their Bible, which Christians now claim as ours also. It is a blessed opportunity to dip your toes in the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized, to ride on the Sea of Galilee, whose stormy waters he stilled, and to walk the roads that Jesus himself must have walked. On Palm Sunday in the Jones Session Room, Mark Eberle, a recent participant, will present a slide show of last fall s trip. It s a chance for you to get a taste of the trip and ask questions about the experience. Other sites to visit include: Capernaum, the site of Jesus ministry in Galilee Cana, Nazareth, Caesarea Bethlehem, Shepherds Field In Jerusalem Western Wall, Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Upper Room, Old City, Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Garden Tomb We will also visit two museums in Jerusalem the Israel Museum, with its model of the temple and the Holocaust Museum. I hope that this might be the year when you ll take this chance yourself! Registrations may be received beginning Palm Sunday, March 24, in Vance Hall, or thereafter by contacting Ginny Barber ( or gbarber@fpcnashville.org). Grace and peace, Stuart First Friends Explores Non-Profits Sunday, March 17, 12:00 P.M., we return to one of our favorite places, now called Feast, formerly Germantown Café East. The restaurant has American brunch/lunch items at reasonable prices. It has an elevator, large open windows and a beautiful view of the city. Please RSVP by March 15. Monday, March 18, 9:30 A.M.-2:00 P.M. We will visit the Frist Center for the Visual Arts and have a guided tour of the Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age: Highlights from the Detroit Institute of Arts exhibit. It is Senior s Monday, $5 admission, 15% discounts on gifts/food and live entertainment in the lobby. Thursday Luncheon/Program, March 21, 11:45 A.M. in Courtenay Hall. As we continue our Explore Nashville theme, we welcome David Lifsay, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee. David will talk of his remarkable story of growing up in Memphis, attending Lambuth and earning a Masters in Divinity at Vanderbilt and growing Goodwill Industries to the life-giving and sustaining agency it is today. Come help us honor this outstanding citizen who has touched so many lives. Please RSVP by March 18. Make all reservations with Ginny Tindle ( or gtindle@fpcnashville.org). Everywhere Fun Fair Coming to our Neighborhood This summer, our Vacation Bible School is holding a block party June The children and adults participating in VBS will hold a world-wide block party as we play games from Mexico, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom and Zimbabwe and learn to be neighbors to people locally and globally. Our time together will be spent in Bible study that will help the children define the role of Christian neighbor. Our younger children will be creating needed items that will be distributed by our 4th-6th graders in hands-on, face-to-face experiences that are part of VBS Mission Camp. Vacation Bible School is designed for children age 4 by (January 1, 2013) through children entering grade 6 in the fall.

6 Lent 2013 Lord, Teach Us to Pray Passion/Palm Sunday, March 24 Worship Services at 8:30 A.M., 11:00 A.M. AND 5:30 P.M. (Sanctuary) One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Maundy Thursday, March 28 Communion Worship Service at 6:30 P.M. (Sanctuary) Dinner* at 5:30 P.M. (Courtenay Hall) Nursery care** available at 6:15 P.M. Good Friday, March 29 Good Friday Service at Noon (Chapel) Tenebrae Service of Darkness at 7:00 P.M. (Sanctuary) The FPC Sanctuary Choir, conducted by Dr. Raphael Bundage, and narrated by Bob Loflin, present the passion through song and scripture. Nursery care** available at 6:45 P.M. for the Tenebrae Service. Easter Day, March 31 Sunrise Service at 6:30 A.M. (Sullivan Gardens) Worship Services at 8:00, 9:30, 11:00 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. (Sanctuary) Easter Breakfast at 7:00 A.M. (Courtenay Hall) No Sunday School Nursery care** available for all three services. *Reservations required ( ). **Nursery care available for children 3 and under. Contact Karen Fitts ( or kfitts@fpcnashville.org).

7 Must not donate elsewhere after February 17. Sunday, April 14, in the FPC Enrichment Center. Donation times are 8:30-11:30 A.M. Visit the appointment scheduling table in Courtenay Hall any Sunday or call Patricia Heim at Fast Facts About Blood Needs Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day. A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S. (2006). The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints. The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O. The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs. Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98 percent of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives. More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood. If you begin regular donations (every 56 days) when you are 30 years old, you will have helped to save 720 lives by the time you reach 60 years old. Your donation matters sign up today to save a life tomorrow. Labyrinth Dedication: First Steps on a Spiritual Journey On Sunday, March 24, following the 11:00 A.M. worship service, there will be a dedication of the David and Gayle Alexander Memorial Labyrinth in Courtenay Hall. A labyrinth is a spiritual tool a path of prayer a walking meditation. Please join us for this dedication of a memorial for two persons who have meant so much to this church and to the Spiritual Journey for Women class. For information about labyrinths, you may visit or read Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice, a book by Lauren Artress.

8 Whether it s a roof over our heads, a warm nutritious meal, or even our ability to gather freely and worship together, many of us have enjoyed the abundance of God s blessings. As we reflect upon the benevolence we have experienced, let us also commit to living openhanded lives by sharing these blessings with others. As we share through gifts to the One Great Hour of Sharing, we offer an outward sign of thanksgiving for the presence of Christ in our lives while also bringing joy to God and to our sisters and brothers across the world. This is one of two special offerings designated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that is offered to members of our congregation and will be received at all services on Sunday, March 24. Look for offering envelopes in the Sunday bulletin that week. Over the past few years, our gifts have enabled the Presbyterian Hunger, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Self- Development of People programs to share with others the joy experienced in Christ. Through our gifts, we have helped families left devastated by a historic Texas wildfire rebuild their homes and restore their lives, by housing and feeding volunteers working diligently on the ground. Through our gifts, we have brought new life and increased sustainability to rural villages across the African country of Niger, by providing families with access to clean water through hundreds of newly dug wells. Through our gifts, we have assisted in the empowerment of marginalized populations in Detroit, Michigan, where an organization called Warriors on Wheels has given persons with limited physical accessibility a new chance at life and dignity. Each year since 1949, Presbyterians like you have given generously to One Great Hour of Sharing. As we share together this year, we sincerely thank you, on behalf of all the lives touched by your generosity, for your continued investment in the church s effort to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of God s family. FPC Nashville Steps Up To Stop Hunger Now Don t miss the fun, music and excitement at an event uniquely designed for members and friends of the congregation ranging in age from 3 to 103! Join us in the Enrichment Center on Thursday afternoon, April 4, from 4:00-6:00 P.M. for our second Stop Hunger Now meal packing event. Thursday, April 4 4:00-6:00 P.M. FPC Enrichment Center Together we ll we pack 10,000 nutritious meals to be sent to international mission partners serving children in need. Each meal pouch provides six servings and is filled with soy flour, rice, dehydrated vegetables and vitamin packets. These pouches will be boxed and shipped to the international partners of Stop Hunger Now in one or more of 76 countries across the globe including mission partners of FPC such as Haiti Outreach Ministries and The Bill and Bette Bryant Crisis Nursery in Zambia. Children of all ages will have something to do and participants can stay for any or all of the scheduled packing time. There s even a need for set-up and clean-up volunteers. One hundred volunteers are needed between the hours of 4:00-6:00 P.M. Look on the Register portion of the Children s Ministry website to sign-up ( Contact Janie Wilkerson if you have additional questions ( or jwilkerson@fpcnashville.org). Throughout the season of Lent, children and their families are asked to collect and bring these items that our Vacation Bible School children will distribute during Mission Camp (June 24-27). Collection bins for these items will be conveniently located near children s Sunday School classrooms. Individual packages of facial tissue Toothbrush & trial size toothpaste Trial size body wash New white socks Chapstick Combs A small box of Band-Aids

9 Q. What does the fifth petition mean? A. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors means: Because of Christ s blood, do not hold against us, poor sinners that we are, any of the sins we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined, as evidence of your grace in us, to forgive our neighbors. Barth remarks on the us of the last three petitions. It is the us of those who because they are united with Jesus Christ crucified and because they have the freedom to pray with him as members of God s family on account of this fact alone know what is their own misery and the misery of Q. What does the sixth petition mean? A. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one means: By ourselves we are too weak to hold our own even for a moment. And our sworn enemies the devil, the world, and our own flesh never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit, so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual struggle, but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory. We are wrong when we cry, Deliver us from any possible danger or cause for sorrow. In the sixth petition of the Lord s Prayer we are not concerned with evils of this sort, with these minor temptations, which are of a relative and bearable nature. There is, nevertheless, the great temptation it is the work of the Evil One This threat exists; it manifests its presence. This supreme and infinite evil does not belong to creation. There are some evils pertaining to creation; as we have said, they are relative and bearable. But this one is not part of that which God has willed and created (Karl Barth). Q. What does your conclusion to this prayer mean? A. For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever means: We have made all these petitions of you because, as our all-powerful king, you are both willing and able to give us all that is good; and because your holy name, and not we Fifth Week of Lent Week of Palm Sunday the world, the profound malignity and the incurable sadness of human existence, the fall and perdition of God s good creature. They know the inability of human beings to extricate themselves from this situation by their own resolves, by their own efforts; they know the unconditional necessity of submitting themselves to God, of trusting God alone; in short, they grasp the impossibility of living otherwise than in free grace Week of Easter Ascription of Praise The world, the flesh, and the devil: these are enemies of the life of faithfulness to Jesus Christ. We contend against them; we do well not to dismiss them as fantasies of a primitive culture. When we pray, deliver us from evil, we acknowledge the threats that we ourselves cannot overcome. We fall upon God s strength to deliver us, as the Lord delivered the Israelites from the armies of Pharaoh at the Red Sea. The Israelites simply watched! We trust in the Lord to deliver us, as Jesus trusted the Father to raise him from death. He simply gave up his life! Spare us not from struggle (which we must accept), not from sufferings (which we must endure), but spare us from the encounter with this enemy, who is stronger than all our strength, more clever than our intelligence more dangerously sentimental for the Devil is also sentimental than we ourselves are capable of being. And may God, in assuring us of such deliverance, spare us from giving to the devil more than his due. May we stand strong in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, boldly confident that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us! ourselves, should receive all the praise, forever. Q. What does that little word Amen express? A. Amen means: This shall truly and surely be! It is even more sure that God listens to my prayer than that I really desire what I pray for.

10 Welcome, New Members, to First Presbyterian Church! Inquirers Classes, Winter 2013 Mary Brockman joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from West End Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. She is married to Henry Brockman. She is in Parish 27. Fitina-Buhendwa joined First Presbyterian Church by reaffirmation of faith. She has three children, Desire-Marcel, Simile-Marceline and Samy-Jean Paul. She is in Parish 44. Camille Fohl joined First Presbyterian Church by reaffirmation of faith. She is in Parish 17. Melissa & Walt Burton joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia. They have one son, Liam. They are in Parish 25. Lindsay & Allen Callison joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from Athens First United Methodist Church in Athens, Georgia. They are in Parish 15. Judith Geyer joined First Presbyterian Church by reaffirmation of faith. She is in Parish 37. Will Denami joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from Arlington United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Hillary Pate joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. They are in Parish 17.

11 Cathy Ivory joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church in Johnson City, Tennessee. She is married to Reginald Ivory. She is in Parish 38. Beth & Chris Kirkland joined First Presbyterian Church by reaffirmation of faith. They have two children, Bonner and Hayden. They are in Parish 45. Frieda & Joel Locke joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from First Presbyterian Church in Franklin, Tennessee. They are in Parish 17. Alyssa Jaffarian joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from First United in Troy, New York. Jay Parham joined First Presbyterian Church by reaffirmation of faith. They are in Parish 33. Mary Emily & John Thomas joined First Presbyterian Church by transfer from Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. They are in Parish 37. Lauren & Brian Wilson joined First Presbyterian Church by profession of faith and baptism. They have three children, Ryleigh, Walter and Parker- Layne. They are in Parish 50.

12 First Presbyterian Church 4815 Franklin Pike Nashville, Tennessee ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Youth Happenings Sunday School March 17 and 24: Grades 7-12 will meet in The Gathering Place at 9:40 A.M. We will then split into grade level classes. * There will be NO Sunday School on March 31! New Orleans Mission Trip (June 16-21; Rising 9th and 12th grade): Join your friends for a week of missions in the unique southern city of New Orleans, rich with American South, European and Caribbean influences. Though Hurricane Katrina was five years ago, residents are still fighting their way back from its devastation. During our time there, we ll do a variety of work such as demolition, rebuilding, outdoor yard and park cleanup and relational work with adults and children. Throughout the week, we ll also enjoy some of the sights, foods and opportunities that Non Profit Org U S Postage P A I D Nashville, TN Permit No. 27 Dated church material Please deliver by March 16, 2013 make New Orleans the special place it is. Register online or contact Millie (mledbetter@fpcnashville.org or ). Great Escape (June 10-25; Rising 7th and 8th grade): Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, is the location for the Junior High Great Escape the oldest middle school youth conference in the country. During the week on campus, rising 7th and 8th graders will enjoy outdoor games and activities, fun and engaging speakers, worship, great music and self reflection before spending a day rafting the Ocoee River on the way back to Nashville. Register online or contact Millie! 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 Gathering Place. 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 know. sunday evening worship at fpc The Gathering 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 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