First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

FPC has been awarded $24,880 by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship as a recipient of the 2025-2026 Vital Worship Grant! We were first awarded this grant in the amount of $17,000 for the Faith Focus Wednesday program in 2023-2024 and then reapplied this spring. Our new project--developed by Hannah Cruse, Doug Young, Greg Glover, and the Steering Committee--will build on the mission of Faith Focus to  connect faith to action through cycles of education and reflection, liturgical creativity, and discipleship practices that aim to address homelessness and hunger.  We will continue to offer dinner, childcare, and a program each Wednesday this year during Faith Focus at 5:30. Many of these evenings may be devoted to learning about and taking part in missional work in partnership with the Irene Center for Hope. Join us in our pursuit to answer the question "How can we end homelessness and hunger for children in Clarksville?" We will also ask how our worship forms us to be mis...

Our June Card Shower is for Melanie Miner Cobb and Perry York. Please send them cards and messages of well wishes! Addresses can be found in the directory on the website.

The Irene Center is excited to announce the first assistance provided through Operation Homework! This project is a collaboration with the City of Clarksville and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System to help families have a safe, stable home. Two families will be moving into brand-new apartments at Madison Way this week with another family approved for residence!  Mr. Go's daughter will attend East Montgomery in the fall. He has been working 2 jobs, but when his sister in the army was transferred, they were left homeless without money to pay the application fees and deposits.  The Gi family's 3 teenagers will attend Richview/CHS this fall. Another working, single parent who has not been able to save up for the deposits.  The Tr family's 2 middle schoolers will attend Richview this fall. They were living with mother-in-law/grandma but when the parents divorced, they had to move out. They will be moving in mid-June. Madison Way is a new complex near Sango Wa...

Do you love playing with children? We are ecstatic to pair you with a volunteer opportunity on the afternoon of July 6. Help make the Young Adult Summer Party possible by providing childcare for the parents. You will need to be background checked (the church will cover that cost) if you haven't been already. Please contact the office at fpcclarksville@gmail.com right away to get the process started. Thank you!

Volunteers are needed to help with the Liberty Elementary School Behavior Celebration on May 20 from 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Guide elementary students on inflatables, make snow cones, or face paint! Help the kids enjoy their reward for good behavior this semester. Please let the front office or Sara Little know if you can support. 

For our penultimate Faith Focus program of the season, we are excited to bring you  Mayor   Pitts  who will speak about following Jesus in a context where voices are constantly raised and conflict is the order of the day. Enjoy a meal at 5:30 and program from 6 to 7 in Fellowship Hall on Wednesday, May 14. Childcare available. 

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 2 p.m., Trinity Presbyterian Church ( 3201 Hillsboro Pike, Nashville, TN  37215 ) will be hosting an information session on the situation in South Sudan. David Paduil, pastor of the Sudanese American Nuer Presbyterian Church, will speak as well as some of his elders.  This is open to anyone.  Please enter the building at the doors closest to the mailbox, which is at the top of the hill and to the left, as you turn in from Sharondale Drive.

The Missions Committee of FPC supports Project Transformation project here in Clarksville. The mission of Project Transformation is to transform communities by engaging children, college-age young adults, and churches in purposeful relationships. Our church is responsible for providing 10 volunteers daily on Monday July 14th through Thursday July 17th. Volunteers report to Forest St. United Methodist Church from 9:15 to 12:15 to read or listen to children reading. You can do single days or all 4 days. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Margaret Adames (931-980-1646) about the dates you can serve. A background check will be conducted through the church. 

Fire watch is a protective measure required by the state when a fire alarm or sprinkler system is impaired. Until all repairs can be made, we are in need of volunteers to surveil the building whenever in use to watch for signs of fire. We are grateful for those who have already stepped up to ensure that events continue as usual. If you can help, please email Sara in the office. 

On Easter Sunday, April 20, we will be collecting a special offering.  Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing are shared with the ministries of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Self-Development of People, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. You can make an offering by visiting  pcusa.org/oghs  or by dropping a check in the plate (please note on your check that the offering is for OGHS).  

Gleaning is an ancient Biblical practice but also a contemporary way to feed hungry people while reducing food waste. This Wednesday night, Jeannie Hunter from the Society of St. Andrew will discuss modern-day gleaning, hunger relief in Tennessee, and food waste prevention. Join us for Faith Focus with dinner and childcare from 5:30 to 7 p.m. 

Second Presbyterian Church in Nashville is hosting "Liberating People, Planet, and Religion: An Eco-Justice Teach-In" on Sat., April 12, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to explore the interconnection of ecological and social justice issues, emphasizing the role of faith communities. If you would like to attend, please sign up here . In-person or Zoom options are available. 

The Irene Center for Hope has been able to start helping families in the school system who are struggling with housing. During this week of bad weather, we housed 3 families with a total of 11 people in motels. Five families with a total of 15 people were able to apply for income-based rental apartments on Wednesday. Hopefully those 5 families will be approved for the program and able to get into new apartments in the near future. Once they are settled, they will need to take budget/finance classes, nutrition/cooking classes, and home maintenance classes. We hope to have childcare and snacks when we start the classes. If you are interested in helping, please contact Ann Waddle or Mary Johnson. 

Easter eggs are available for families or groups to take and fill for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Please return filled Easter eggs by Sunday, April 13. Easter eggs can be filled with candy, stickers, small toys, bible verses, etc. Bags will be in the narthex for pick up. Thank you in advance!

Inspired by Matthew 25:35-40, Lavon Bracey looks forward to discussing how the Clarksville Home Repair Program reflects Christ’s call to care for those in need. Let’s come together to explore faith-driven service, community impact, and what it truly means to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Faith Focus with dinner and childcare is this Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

The Irene Center for Hope is partnering with the City of Clarksville and other non-profits to help house students in the local schools who are homeless. For context, there are at least 1000 homeless students plus their family members. Here is a link to our Amazon Wish List. Purchases go directly to the Families in Transition office at CMCSS to help these families now. Thank you for your support! 

The Green Team at FPC will host a Faith+Climate Forum from 1 to 3 pm on Sunday, April 27. The afternoon will be complete with virtual teachings and in-person discussions and activities about what communities of faith can do to aid our local and broader environment. Please register for free at this link !

Seasons has opened as a licensed adult day center! This week, the crew got re-acquainted, went to a painting class at Kleeman Rec Center, baked cookies and delivered them to Loaves & Fishes, and visited the public library! Currently, there are 7 crew members. Deeanna Coleman, assistant director, and Louis Fiore, aide, are doing a great job. Please contact us to register or get involved!

Young adults, you are invited to read a short devotional in preparation for The Trek Discussion Group on March 16. The Trek meets weekly after worship until noon in Fellowship Hall (childcare provided). Several of you have expressed interest in knowing what the church is doing and what the church can do to positively impact our rapidly changing world. This PCUSA literature will help us have a conversation around advocacy and discipleship. If you enjoy this topic, we can discuss the other three devotionals in the series together over the next few months.

The Presbytery of Middle Tennessee (our local ruling body) wants to hear from young members about how the church could serve you better and what your hopes or concerns may be for the church's future. Our younger members need to be heard, and their collective voices deserve a seat at the table as decisions are made for the evolving church in the 21st century! Please lend your voice to the Young Adult Roundtable (suggested age range 25-45) on Saturday, April 12 from 12 to 1 pm Central (Zoom link forthcoming). If you cannot make it, let Hannah Cruse know that you are interested in contributing to the visioning process so that she can follow up.  Thank you in advance! Please start pondering these questions: 1. What should local churches continue doing or do differently to reach young people like yourself better?  2. What internal issues does our denomination or local church need to acknowledge and address to be the kind of organization that serves young people well?  3. Given...