First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

This year, we are participating in the Tennessee Tree Day on March 18. This is a fun, meaningful, family-friendly event that results in multi-generational benefits to our environment, communities and public health. Members of the FPC Green Team have generously donated 20 trees to our congregation! They have already been purchased and now need to be claimed by you. Have a spot or two on your property that is calling out for foliage?? We have 8 different varieties available but only a few of each kind, so reserve your tree(s) ASAP!  ***The reservation form is available in our email newsletter, paper bulletin, FB group, and by contacting the office at (931) 645-6551 or fpcclarksville@gmail.com. To protect people's contact information, we will not share it publicly on the blog.*** Stipulations You must be available to pick up or receive on Sat, March 18 or Sun, March 19.  If you live within 15 mins of the church, the Green Team can help you plant your tree(s) if you let us know.  Ple

Seasons is honored to announce that we have received a grant from the Clarksville Montgomery County Community Health Foundation (CHF) to pay tuition for participants in our program! Effective Feb. 1, 2023, scholarships will pay tuition costs for all students for a two-day program. If you know of someone who is interested in a day center for adults with special needs - let them know of this ministry of First Presbyterian Church! Contact the church office for more information.

The Middle Tennessee Presbytery has a wonderful opportunity to learn first-hand about the war in Ukraine.  Dr. Ivan Rusyn, president of the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS) in Kyiv, Ukraine will be with us   on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 10:00 AM   CST at Historic Franklin Presbyterian Church (435 Main Street, Franklin).  Dr. Rusyn is hosted by The Outreach Foundation in Franklin, TN.    The 45-minute presentation followed by coffee and conversation will allow us to receive the latest news about the war in Ukraine and our bond as brothers and sisters in Christ. Please consider joining us for this important, and informative time.

Our Music Director, Hannah Cruse, is seeking beginner-intermediate instrumentalists from our congregation to enrich Sunday worship services this season!  Are you playing an instrument in school right now?  Did you play in high school or college years ago?  Have you been learning an instrument on your own as an adult?  If the answer is YES to any of these questions, you qualify for the job. Degrees and advanced skills are NOT necessary. Whether you read music or play by ear, we can use your abilities in worship. Specifically, you would be adding an instrumental line (melody or duet part, for example) to familiar congregational hymns with organ or piano and choir. We can work with your schedule and find convenient times for you to practice and perform with the music team. This is all about having fun and sharing the joy of music with others! If you're interested, please fill out the form below and Hannah will get back to you ASAP. Thank you!  https://forms.gle/NuvgyYZ7kajEmrGN9 Load

Sunday, January 29, 2023 Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Matthew 5:3–12 (ESV) Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Prayer prompt:  Have you tried to inventory your strengths and weaknesses yet this year?  Would you include meekness as your greatest

  Events this Week Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 29 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) 9:00 a.m.  Women's Friendship Class (on 3rd Floor) Men's Brotherhood Class (on 3rd Floor) Conversations on the Front Porch (in the Chapel) The Trek Discussion Group (in Fellowship Hall) Childcare   (in the Playroom on 2nd Floor) Confirmation Class (in Library) 9:15 a.m. Choir Rehearsal (in Sanctuary) 10:00 a.m. Worship (in Sanctuary) Children's Church 2:00 p.m. Faith and Fellowship Group (at the Basham's House)  Monday, January 30 7:30 - 12:30 p.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) 4:30 p.m. Yoga (in Fellowship Hall) Tuesday, January 31 7:30 - 12:30 p.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) Wednesday, February 1 7:30 - 12:30 p.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) 10:30 a.m. Bible Study with Pastor Greg Meet in the Library or Join Virtually ( Google Meet link ) 5:00 p.m. Wednesday Family Fellowship (in Fellowship Hall) 6:00 p.m.   Bell Choir Re

Prayers Please be in prayer this week for:   Amy Lee Bessie Costanza Dick Pryor Dodie Render Don Atkins Don Beck Jackie Jones (Ann Waddle's best friend) Jane Coate Jay Bowland Joan Jenkins Joe Horton Kim Smith (Kitty Boaz's daughter) Leo Adames Lew Metts Libby and Ralph Stewart Melanie Cobb (Steve and Diane Miner's daughter) Michael Rowlands (college friend of Hannah Cruse) Nicole Williamson (Greg and Denice Williamson's daughter-in-law) Rayna & Joey Williamson The FPC Christian Ed Program Those affected by Covid-19 Those in Rwanda, South Sudan, and La Gonave Tommy Sallee (our fill-in security guard who needs continued prayers for healing) Wade Rudolph Praises Join us in giving thanks for: The volunteers from Austin Beauty College who completed 37 haircuts at Shower Love in January! Our new children's music teacher, Kate Brister! Read her full bio here. A huge crowd this week for Wednesday Family Fellowship dinner and Chapel Cinema!

Welcome our new music teacher,  Kate Brister ! Kate moved to Clarksville in August of 2020 with her husband Luke and their three children: Marley, Bobby and Maxine. Prior to their move, Kate spent eight years teaching preschool. She holds an AS degree in Early Childhood Education and a BA in Elementary Studies. She currently teaches private music classes for young children at various locations in Clarksville and Dickson, and just began teaching music at FPC preschool and during Family Fellowship on Wednesday nights! Outside of working and spending time with her family, Kate loves audiobooks, crochet, coffee flavored ice cream and watching her son play baseball. Kate is so excited to be a part of FPC’s programming and to connect with FPC’s children and families!

Our Card shower for the month of February is Lew Wallace and Amy Lee. Please join us in sending them cards of well wishes. Find their contact info on Realm. 

Come start your Lenten journey with us this year at our Ash Wednesday Service on Feb. 22 at 6:00 pm. We will be doing the Imposition of Ashes and beginning our Lenten sermon series, “Jazz Gospel.” Hear a beautiful anthem presented by the choir as well as solo oboe music.  Dinner beginning at 5:00 in Fellowship Hall followed by the service in the sanctuary. 

  Janet Hudson  Jennifer Griffey  John Moser  Albert Marks  Eric Salyer  Billy Shepherd  James Grigsby  Scott Giles  Doug Hildreth  Margaret Wallace Lyle  Sam Sitter  Sarah Moser  Jack Brown  Matthew Goder  Jeanne Bettencourt  Grace Glover  Emily Briggs  Gary Silvey  Eve Rice  Laura Black  Kristie Kimmell  Julia Adames Purdue  Emily Johnson Annabeth Lee 

Members of the congregation, guests, and friends are invited to Second Sunday Lunch in Fellowship Hall after worship on February 12! It will start about 11:15 am.   Menu: roasted chicken, pork, roasted potatoes, green beans, and cake

Mark your calendars for  Wednesday Family Fellowship  in Fellowship Hall each week in February. Doors open at 5:00 pm. Dinner at 5:15. Program from 5:45 to 6:30.  ***PreK - Elementary kids go out during the adult programs for music and games with Kate Brister and Emily Vaughn*** February 1  Dinner: Salad Bar, Mac & Cheese, Roll, Dessert  Program: Family Game Night!  February 8  Dinner: Pasta Bar + Salad, Roll, Dessert  Program: Book Club with Pastor Greg  ("Still Pictures: On Photography and Memory" by Janet Malcom)  February 15  Dinner: Hot Chicken, Veggies + Salad, Roll, Dessert  Program: "Love, Period!"  Presented by Leslie Britenmoser  February 22  Dinner: Soup Bar + Salad, Roll, Dessert  Program: Ash Wednesday Service  (at 6 pm in the Sanctuary)

Pastors Greg and Rhonda hold Bible Study each Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:30 am in the Library. This group discusses the upcoming Scripture lessons for Sunday worship with a series of prepared questions. If you'd like to know more, please contact the church office! 

  Backpackers say that everyone must "hike your own hike," but they also say that you cannot complete your hike without the help of trail angels, trail magic, and the help of fellow hikers. Spiritual life is a pilgrimage journey, a thru-hike, and the portion of trail we are each on requires plenty of refueling. Let's help one another travel light and travel far with the help of a few spiritual guides and outfitters who have walked the path before us... All are welcome to join  "The Trek" d iscussion group  with Pastor Greg each Sunday morning at 9 am in Fellowship Hall !

  "Conversations on the Front Porch" is a study group, open to all adults, each Sunday at 9:00 am in the Chapel at FPC. L ed by Dr. David Kanervo, this group focuses on   current events and Scripture.  A specific event from the previous 2-3 weeks will be presented with prepared questions and/or statements intended to help generate healthy conversation--not to be confused with conflict or confrontation. On many topics we might find that we agree to disagree, and that’s okay! You may call the  church office 931-645-6551 if you'd like more information. 

"Shower Love" at Loaves and Fishes in Clarksville provides free haircuts, showers, toiletries, and lunches to the unhoused every 4th Monday from 9 to 11 am. We are requesting donations (see below) from FPC members to help with the next Shower Love event in February.  Travel size items for men and women: Shampoo Kleenex Deodorants Razors Shaving cream Socks Please drop these items off at the FPC office any time before February 27 - thank you! 

Our free   yoga class  meets on  Mondays at 4:30 pm  in Fellowship Hall. Everyone, of all levels, is welcome to join us. This is a gentle stretch yoga class all seated or laying on the floor. Mats and other props/equipment are provided. You do not have to be a pretzel to enjoy this activity! It might even help you sleep better (but no guarantees)! For more information, contact Kris Foust.

All women of First Presbyterian Church are members of Presbyterian Women! We are an inclusive group of women who support each other and study together. We have two study groups available... Martha Circle  meets at 12:30 pm in the library on every second Tuesday of the month. They are c urrently studying the PW curriculum  What My Grandmothers Taught Me: Learning from the Women in Matthew's Genealogy of Jesus . Night Circle  meets at 7:00 pm in the library on every second Tuesday of the month. They are  currently studying the PW curriculum  Celebrating Sabbath: Accepting God's Gift of Rest and Delight .  If you are interested in getting involved, contact Rhonda Banasiak or the church office for more details.  It is not too late to join in on a study!

See below for the FPC Cafe weekly lunch specials as well as the main lunch menu. You may order in person, or by using this form , or by emailing csummons@gmail.com. Please take note of pickup instructions before placing your order.  Orders must be made between 7:30 and 9:30 am on the day of order. Only on Mondays-Thursdays. Lunches may be picked up between 11:30 and 12:30 on the day of the order. Pay with cash or card in-person in Fellowship Hall.

Young adults, come hang out at Strawberry Alley Ale Works (Upstairs) on Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7:00 to 9 pm for TRIVIA NIGHT! We'll grab a table and form a team. Most of us don't know a lot of trivia, but we have a lot of fun. ;-P Feel free to come a little early to order food. Hannah Cruse will be there around 6 pm. Contact her or the church office if you have any questions. And please.... RSVP HERE!

First Presbyterian Church will host Empty Bowls on Tuesday, February 21, 4:30 - 7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. Empty Bowls raises awareness about hunger in the community and supports local agencies addressing food insecurity. $15 tickets include a meal of soup, bread, and a dessert plus a hand painted bowl. Get your tickets by going to clarksvilleurbanministries.com/emptybowls , selecting the church event you would like to attend, and following through the payment process. We thank you for supporting this mission and hope you enjoy the event!  See the flyer below for additional details. 

  Sunday, January 22, 2023 Third Sunday after Epiphany Matthew 4:18–23 (ESV) While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Prayer prompt: Have you ever fished?  Fished with a net?  Are you a fisherman?  What is the difference between being a fisherman and someone who has, perhaps sporadically or occasionally, fished a few times? 10,000 hours of

Dinner, music, dancing, games - all hosted by the FPC Coffee House in Fellowship Hall! Please RSVP by Feb. 5 for this Valentine's Couple's Dinner on Feb. 11 from 6 to 8 pm by clicking the picture. Make sure you register you and your partner. Cost is $50 per couple. Register Here -->  Valentine's Couple's Dinner - First Presbyterian Church, Clarksville, TN (subsplash.com)

  Prayers Please be in prayer this week for:   Amy Lee Bessie Costanza Dick Pryor Dodie Render Don Atkins Don Beck Jackie Jones (Ann Waddle's best friend) Jane Coate Jay Bowland Joan Jenkins Joe Horton Kim Smith (Kitty Boaz's daughter) Leo Adames Lew Metts Libby and Ralph Stewart Melanie Cobb (Steve and Diane Miner's daughter) Michael Rowlands (college friend of Hannah Cruse) Nicole Williamson (Greg and Denice Williamson's daughter-in-law) Rayna & Joey Williamson The FPC Christian Ed Program Those affected by Covid-19 Those in Rwanda, South Sudan, and La Gonave Tommy Sallee (our fill-in security guard who needs continued prayers for healing) Wade Rudolph Please offer your condolences to: Lynda Basham upon the death of her father, Royce Chambliss. His funeral will be held at Austin and Bell Funeral Home in Pleasant View on Monday, Jan 16. Visitation from 11:00 to 2:00 and service at 2:00. Praises Join us in giving thanks for: The biggest young adult brunch we've

  Events this Week Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 22 8:30 - 10:00 a.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) 9:00 a.m.  Women's Friendship Class (on 3rd Floor) Men's Brotherhood Class (on 3rd Floor) Conversations on the Front Porch (in the Chapel) The Trek Discussion Group (in Fellowship Hall) Childcare   (in the Playroom on 2nd Floor) Confirmation Class (in Library) 9:15 a.m. Choir Rehearsal (in Sanctuary) 10:00 a.m. Worship (in Sanctuary) Children's Church 2:00 p.m. Faith and Fellowship Group (at the Basham's House) 4:00 p.m.   Youth Group Planning Meeting (in Fellowship Hall) Monday, January 23 7:30 - 12:15 p.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) 9:00 a.m. Shower Love (at Loaves and Fishes) 4:30 p.m. Yoga (in Fellowship Hall) Tuesday, January 24 7:30 - 12:15 p.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) Wednesday, January 25 7:30 - 12:15 p.m. Coffee House (in Fellowship Hall) 10:30 a.m. Bible Study with Pastor Greg Meet in the Library or Join Virtually (

Every Sunday at 9:00 am, we offer Sunday School Classes for all ages! Women's Friendship Class on 3rd Floor Men's Brotherhood Class on 3rd Floor "The Trek" in Fellowship Hall "Conversations on the Front Porch" in the Chapel  Children's Confirmation Class in the Library Childcare in the Playroom

We are extending the January art exhibit by Jane Olson and Peggy Bonnington in the chapel through February. The next downtown Art Walk is on Thurs, Feb. 2 at 5 pm ! 

Join us for Wednesday Family Fellowship each week in Fellowship Hall! Doors open at 5 pm. Dinner at 5:15. Program begins at 5:45.  February 8 Program: BOOK CLUB with Pastor Greg! Pastor Greg will lead a conversation about Janet Malcolm’s Still Pictures: On Photography and Memory (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023). Malcolm takes her cue from a box in her home labeled “old not good photos,” mostly B&W 2x2 blurry, grainy images that conjure memories.  We hope to make the Book Club a monthly occurrence. For our first conversation, please bring either 1) an “old not good photo” of your own to share or 2) a book that you think is worth talking about in the future. See you there!

Liberty Elementary needs volunteers on Friday, February 17  for their book swap! From librarian Melinda Riggins: "We will have a book swap from 9:00-12:00 in the front lobby.  We will already have tables set up with the books on them.  Depending on how many books are donated, we may have enough for each student in the school to receive a gently used book. If that’s the case, sometime between 9:00-12:00, teachers will bring their class to “shop” for ONE book for each student. If we do not have enough for every student, the students that bring a book to swap will be given a ticket and their teachers will send them up sometime between 9:00-12:00. The volunteer would just take their ticket and allow them to choose one book and then go back to class. We need just 2 or 3 of your members at most!  The snow make-up day for this will be Friday, February 24."   If you would like to help Melinda, please contact the FPC office by calling  (931) 645-6551  or emailing fpcclarksville@gmail.