First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

  Prelude and Offertory Music  provided today by guest artist, Chaz Privette, on guitar! He will play  "Prelude from Cello Suite No. 1"  and  "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring,"  both by J. S. Bach, as well as an arrangement of the hymn  "Holy, Holy, Holy."  For those of you who may be interested in knowing how I came to be a classical guitarist, here's my story. I grew up in a home where music was very important. My mother was a singer and shared her talents with me and my eight siblings. I remember falling to sleep on her lap as she sang lullabies to me. My father loved classic rock-n-roll, folk music, and jazz and played all those styles quite proficiently on his acoustic and electric guitars. Naturally, I wanted to play along. So when I was five years old, my mom and dad bought me my first little guitar. It was a ¾ size, steel string acoustic guitar. My dad tuned it up and I was ready to learn. I spent the first several years playing along with my ...

Worship Resources Online Bulletin: 10/31/2021 Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:1-9 ; Mark 12: 28-34 Sermon Preview: "Letters from an Elder" Full Worship Services Online:  Youtube Playlist Favorite Hymns & Songs:  Youtube Playlist Music Background & Texts: Music Spotlight Article Liturgy Explanations: " Why We Worship This Way " Get Involved: Events This Week Prayers and Praises: The "Pink Sheet" Give to the Church: Make an Offering Special Offering This year on All Saints' Sunday, we will take a few moments in the worship service to express our gratitude for the life of Karen Goggin, who was a beloved, active member of our congregation. Karen moved to Virginia in late 2020 and was killed in a tragic automobile accident in July. In addition to this moment in worship, we will be collecting a special offering in her memory for the Salvation Army--one of Karen's passions.  Please join us for this special service in remembering not only Karen,...

  Join FPC young adults for good food and conversation at the Activities & Outreach Center (215 Foster St.) on  Sunday, Nov. 14, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. This is a potluck, so bring your most favorite dish to share! Add your dish to the list.  (Childcare will be provided across the street in the church.)

  Prayers & Praises Please be in prayer this week for:   Vicki Duncan's mother and father, David Kanervo, Bob and Roxanne Lueck, Leo Adames, Tom Presler, William Jennings (father of Perry and Dianne York's son-in-law, Patrick and Cayce Stephens Jennings), and Dennis Moore. Please continue to pray for: Don Atkins, Florence Bailey, Don Beck, Jay and Diane Bowland, Sara Brooks, Melanie Cobb, Bessie Costanza, Vickie Duncan, Abigail Henson, Ruby Jean McLeod, Lew Metts, and Arch Shuler, the FPC Bicentennial and Capital Campaigns, the FPC Christian Ed Program, as well as those in LaGonave, Haiti, Rwanda, and South Sudan.  We give praise for: All the youth who made last Sunday, Oct. 24, incredibly special. The kids and their adult sponsors participating in Confirmation Class this year. Fun times with young adults and families at Patterson Place Farms last Saturday.

  Events Sunday, October 31 9:00 a.m.   One and Done Choir (in Sanctuary) Women's Friendship Sunday School Class Men's Brotherhood Sunday School Class 10:00 a.m.  Morning Worship ***All Saints Sunday*** Elementary Children's Sunday School During the Sermon in the Parlor Middle School Confirmation Class/Sunday School During the Sermon in the Library 11:00 a.m. (or after worship) Congregational Meeting Tuesday, November 2 5:00 p.m.  Yoga (in Fellowship Hall) Wednesday, November 3 10:30 a.m. Bible Study with Pastor Greg Meet in the Library or Join on  Zoom  (Meeting ID: 231 246 359; Passcode: 007472) 6:00–7:00 p.m. Bell Choir Rehearsal 7:00–8:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal Thursday, November 4 8:30 a.m.  Yoga (at AOC Gym)

  Scripture Reading:  2 John ;  3 John Sermon Preview:  "Letters from an Elder" Full Worship Services Online:  Youtube Playlist Favorite Hymns & Songs:  Youtube Playlist Music Background & Texts:  Music Spotlight Article Liturgy Explanations:  " Why We Worship This Way " Get Involved:  Events This Week Prayers and Praises:   The "Pink Sheet" Give to the Church:  Make an Offering

My name is Allister Banasiak, and I am a Junior at Clarksville High School and have been proudly attending this church for over 16 years. I don’t have too much free time these days, but what I have is spent watching football, reading, or playing my piano. I am a proud Titans and Volunteers fan and will cheer for them all day long. I usually play random things on my piano. However, I occasionally write music that I eventually play in church. Prelude "How We Spread God’s Light" b y Allister Banasiak For our prelude this Sunday, I will be playing a song I wrote called “How We Spread God’s Light." I wrote this a few months ago when I was playing around with some chords and found an order and melody I liked. The harder part was writing the lyrics to the song. I listen to a lot of country music, and one song that was an inspiration for this song was “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw, and I sort of thought about what that means in my life and turned that into a song. I hope y’all...

  Prayers & Praises Please be in prayer this week for:   Vicki Duncan's mother and father, David Kanervo, Bob and Roxanne Lueck, Leo Adames, Tom Presler, William Jennings (father of Perry and Dianne York's son-in-law, Patrick and Cayce Stephens Jennings), and Dennis Moore. Please continue to pray for: Don Atkins, Florence Bailey, Don Beck, Jay and Diane Bowland, Sara Brooks, Melanie Cobb, Bessie Costanza, Vickie Duncan, Abigail Henson, Ruby Jean McLeod, Lew Metts, and Arch Shuler, the FPC Bicentennial and Capital Campaigns, the FPC Christian Ed Program, as well as those in LaGonave, Haiti, Rwanda, and South Sudan.  We give praise for: Don Beck's 90th birthday this Saturday, Oct. 23. Let’s shower him with love! Find his contact info by signing into Realm or calling the office. Baptism of the twins, Amelia Blake and Rowan William O’Daniel--great grandchildren of Ken and Sherrie Giles. Healing prayers for Lee Persinger (niece of Larry and Charene Wa...

  Events Sunday, October 24 9:00 a.m.   Women's Friendship Sunday School Class Men's Brotherhood Sunday School Class Choir Warmup (in Sanctuary) 10:00 a.m.  Morning Worship ***Youth Leadership Sunday*** Elementary Children's Sunday School During the Sermon in the Parlor Middle School Confirmation Class/Sunday School During the Sermon in the Library Tuesday, October 26 5:00 p.m.  Yoga (in Fellowship Hall) Wednesday, October 27 10:30 a.m. Bible Study with Pastor Greg Meet in the Library or Join on  Zoom  (Meeting ID: 231 246 359; Passcode: 007472) 6:00–7:00 p.m. Bell Choir Rehearsal (in Bell Room; 2nd Floor of Education Wing) 7:00–8:30 p.m. First Choir Rehearsal of New Rotation (in  Choir Room; 2nd Floor of Education Wing) RSVP for November Choir Thursday, October 28 8:30 a.m.  Yoga (at AOC Gym) 7:00 p.m.   Chapel Cinema  ***SOLD OUT*** Saturday, October 30 9:00 a.m. Church Cleanup Day ***CANCELLED until further n...

On All Saints' Day (October 31, 2021), we will take a few moments in the worship service to express our gratitude for the life of Karen Goggin .  Karen was very active in our congregation, but her greatest passion was working with the local Salvation Army and their Angel Tree program.  She always made sure that the children's names we received had multiple presents to open on Christmas morning.  Karen moved to Virginia in late 2020 and was killed in a tragic automobile accident in July.  With her family being spread out, there will not be a formal funeral service for her with them here in Clarksville.  In addition to this moment in worship, we will be collecting a special offering for the Salvation Army in Karen's memory.  This is one way we can keep Karen's memory alive.  Please join us for this special service in remembering not only Karen, but all the ones who have gone before us.

Youth Group will meet Sunday, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21 from 4-6pm in the AOC for fun, food, and fellowship. Bring a friend! Snacks and activities provided. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions for youth, or if you would like to volunteer, please contact Emily Vaughn, Jesse Colston, or Dianne York. Call the church office for more information. 931-645-6551.

Ever seen the hidden nooks and crannies of our 19th-century building in the dark? Dress up in costumes and bring the family to FPC for a team scavenger hunt, plus treats, on the spooky eve of Saturday, Oct. 30. Starts at 7:00 p.m. Perfect alternative to the craziness of Halloween night for young families and adults!  Please let us know you're coming by clicking the "Going" button on our FB event page.   If you would like to help lead rather than participate in the event, sign up  as a volunteer ! 

Sallie Armstrong  Diane Bowland  Pixie McCord-Mills  Eli Vaughan  Tamara Long  Phyllis Smith  Virginia Lowe  Anna Smith  Loy Duncan  Suella Arrington  Ronnie Goad  Tabitha Lee  Mark Williams  Neesa Trotter  Marilyn Sheppard  Lindsey Liberatore  Brenda Metts  Charlotte Jolly  Aidan Goodwin Megan Goder 

Christmas Gifts for the Homeless "The Service Committee gives gifts to the homeless each Christmas." During the holiday season, we try to have special gifts for our guests at Loaves & Fishes. Guests always need socks, underwear, and warm gloves & hats. But we think about other special Christmas presents for them--such as paperback books, flashlights/lanterns, butane stoves/tanks, sleeping bags for freezing weather, new coats, backpacks, beef jerky/snacks, or treats like candy. Give a little Christmas joy to our guests by dropping off presents in the workroom beside the main office. Thank you for thinking of others! Food Baskets "We distribute baskets of non-perishables to families in need around Christmas-time." On December 18, we will distribute approximately 100 food baskets to individuals and families in our community. We will partner with Liberty Elementary School to provide for families in need and with the Crisis Call Line to provide for singles and se...

The Annual Congregational Meeting will take place on October 31 at the end of worship, around 11:00 a.m. We will be electing elders to serve on Session for the next three years. Our  nominees for the Class of 2024 are Faye Hand, Sara Little, Gary Norris, and Liz Thomas . The youth elder nominee is Allister Banasiak.   Participation in this meeting is an important responsibility of membership. Please make every effort to attend!  Also, please join us in thanking our Elder Nominating Committee for 2021, chaired by Elder Tamara Long (Session, Class of 2021). Members of the committee also include Elder Ken Giles (Session, Class of 2022; Chair-elect for 2022), Jennie McNiel (Youth Elder), and at-large members Jill Ayers, Bob Gandy, Gary Norris, and Liz Thomas.

  FPC youth had a fantastic time at NaCoMe Fall Retreat this year! Take a look at footage and more details provided by Emily Vaughan.

Sacred music written by women  is quite uncommon. Yet, two of our pieces today feature a handful of talented women, all American, who all have pioneered the sacred music field in their own unique way. Read on to learn more about the contributions of 19th century composers Julia H. Johnston, Clara H. Scott, and contemporary composer Mary McDonald. Special Music "His Grace Will Lead Us Through" by Mary McDonald Mary McDonald --a   Knoxville, TN native--is well-known in sacred music. With a career that spans over thirty-five years, her songs appear in the catalogs of every major publisher of church music. More than a thousand anthems , seasonal musicals and keyboard collections testify to her significant contribution to sacred literature. In 2000, Mary became the first ever woman President of the Southern Baptist Church Music Conference . In addition she has served as accompanist for the Tennessee Men’s Chorale since 1985. Her greatest desire is “to give God glory for the songs ...

The One and Done Choir is becoming a THING! Everyone who attended this summer had a blast and sang with gusto. So, look forward to another One and Done Choir on  All Saints Sunday,  October 31 at 9:00 a.m. in the sanctuary . If you are hankering for good company and low-stress singing, join us  to learn and perform an easy, fun piece. Contact Hannah Cruse  for more details. And don't forget to share this post with your friends in the community--the more the merrier! A little preview of what we will sing... VACCINATIONS ARE CURRENTLY REQUIRED TO SING WITH THE CHOIR.

Have you, in the last month, experienced music in our worship service that... a) lifted your spirit out of despair,  b) challenged or instructed your faith, c) inspired you to do something kind for someone else,  d) strengthened your sense of family with our congregation,  e) or all of the above? Yes? Well fantastic, because that's what our Music Ministry aims to accomplish! The choir is inviting you to be part of this special ministry. Here's how you can get involved... 1) Dip your toes into the choral waters by attending One and Done Choir on Oct. 31. INFO HERE. 2) Jump right in and try choir for the month of November --a 4 week commitment only . RSVP HERE. Together, let's make sure that our music ministry--which has existed now for almost two centuries--thrives for centuries to come! Chat with Hannah Cruse after worship if you have any questions.

FPC is proud to present a new video series: Interviews with Congregants.  We have quite a few more interviews in the works, so stay tuned! Why are we creating these videos? Two main reasons... 1) We will be celebrating 200 years of FPC history in less than 8 months. These interviews are a lens into the people--some part of generations of members--who have built and sustained our congregation. In the decades to come, we can look back at these historical moments for inspiration and to remember who we are and where we came from.  2) As our Mission Statement says, "we seek to know God's love and share it with each other, our community, and the world." We are a big family here at FPC with a heart for service. When newcomers find us online, we want them to see this right away. These short interviews help to demonstrate who we are and what we care about to those seeking a new church home.  Whether you are a long-time member or guest, we hope you find joy in watching our fi...

  Worship Resources PDF Bulletin: October 17, 2021 Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-21 Sermon Preview: "Letters from an Elder" Online Worship, Hymns, and Videos: Youtube   Channel Music Background & Texts: Music Spotlight Article Liturgy Explanations: " Why We Worship This Way " Get Involved: Events This Week Prayers and Praises: The "Pink Sheet" Give to the Church: Make an Offering