First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

One Great Hour of Sharing invites us to join together in expressing our gratitude for what we have and generosity towards others in need. May these daily prompts guide you in joyful giving this Lent.  Download the sharing calendar here. Ash Wednesday 14th: Read Isaiah 58:6–8, 12. What are we asked to do? Who helps meet those same needs for you (v. 12)? Say a prayer of gratitude for them. Thursday 15th: Our Gracie Fish coin boxes will hold many gifts of money this season, but what other kinds of gifts can we give? What gifts can share? Friday 16th: Sunday is PDA’s Blue T-Shirt Sunday. What does PDA do to show God’s love? Choose something blue to wear or share with your congregation. Sunday 18th: God, open our eyes to your face in every person. Let us see the ways we are all connected with all of Creation. May we as your Church, together, seek love, justice and peace with all. Amen.  Monday 19th: Over 23 million Americans live in a food desert, far from a store where

The Worship Committee is in need of individuals to provide sanctuary flowers from March 24-April 28. Contact Rhonda Banasiak or Lesa Goder if you are interested. The cost is $25 plus tax, and we will provide you with all the information you need to make your order.

At Faith Focus this week, Emily Vaughn will lead us in a Poverty Simulation, designed to shift the paradigm away from poverty being seen as a personal failure and toward understanding it as structural, a failure of society. Join us in Fellowship Hall from 5 to 6:30 for dinner, the presentation, and discussion as we put our faith into action.

Our 2024 Sabbatical Preachers: Revs. Austin and Sara Hill The Hills are a clergy couple who were ordained in 2009 and served 15 years in a church slightly larger than ours in worship attendance (600 members) in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  He is from California, she from Philadelphia.  They met and married at Princeton Theological Seminary.  They have two children, Lyla and Everett.  They moved to Franklin, TN in 2023 to be closer to family and are at-large members of the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee.  Austin currently flies commercially as a pilot.  They share a deep faith and love of the church and have extensive preaching experience.  You can hear either (and both) of them preach by going to First Presbyterian Church, Fort Dodge (http://fpcfd.org/), clicking on “Sermons” and choosing Austin or Sara from the pull down menu of preachers. Originally from Southern California, Austin received a B.A. in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University, in Seattle, Washington. Because Seattle didn’t hav

Matt Shaw is presenting on "A Spiritual Solution to a Physical Problem" this Wednesday at 5 pm. Join us for dinner, the presentation, and discussion in Fellowship Hall. Nursery and parallel children's activities provided.

Come start your Lenten journey with FPC at our Ash Wednesday Service, complete with the Imposition Ashes, in the sanctuary on Feb. 14 at 6:00 pm. Dinner will take place beforehand at 5:00 in Fellowship Hall. 

At Faith Focus on Wednesday, Jan. 17, Hannah Cruse will talk about "Joy, Play, and Gratitude"--how playfulness as an adult can lead us to appreciate the present moment more and find our joy in the Lord. Join us for dinner, the presentation, and discussion at 5:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. Nursery and parallel children's activities provided.

Did you know that we offer Childcare and Children's Church every Sunday at FPC? Infant through Pre-K children can check-in starting at 9:45 at the Playroom on the 2nd floor. Childcare is available through 12 pm so that parents can go to "The Trek" Discussion Group or out to lunch.  Children may also go to Children's Church right after the Children's Moment during 10 am worship. They come back into worship around 10:45.  If you have any questions, please let us know! We want parents and kids to feel welcome and served. 

Those in their 20's through 40's are invited to The Trek Discussion Group after worship each Sunday (unless otherwise notified). We meet around 11:15 am in Fellowship until noon to share our ups and downs, talk about faith questions, and encourage each other in our spiritual journeys. Childcare provided.

Join us at Faith Focus on Jan. 10 from 5 to 6:30 pm for dinner and a presentation entitled "Set Meaningful Resolutions through Silence and Creativity." APSU Prof. and FPC member Joanna Grisham will lead us in a creative writing exercise partly inspired by poet CAConrad’s "Equinox Eve, Silent Meeting Group" to help us develop New Year's Resolutions.

Look forward to the first sermon series of 2024, entitled "Our Plastic Brain," running from Jan. 14 through Feb. 11!  We sometimes forget how malleable our brains are and how susceptible we are to outside influences. Our subconscious thoughts and beliefs, if left unexamined in the light of faith, can sabotage our desires for a vibrant spiritual life.  However, it is also possible for us to take advantage of this “plastic” quality of our minds to enhance our understanding and transform our lives for the better. That is why the Scriptures are so full of encouragement and frequent exhortations to be renewed in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23), to resist conformity to the thought patterns of this world (Romans 12:1) and not to let our minds be “set” on the flesh (Romans 8:6-7). The key to a Christian mindset is to allow our minds to be molded into the image of Christ (Philippians 2), to set our minds on the Spirit, and to love God with all our mind (Mark 12:30). In this s

Join us during worship on January 7 as we ordain and install Linda Marchant, Loy Duncan, Mary Kaylyn Primasing, and Ella Hay as elders. This is an important event for the congregation and elders as we lay on hands and pray for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide their decisions for the church in the next three years.

All are invited to an Epiphany Celebration on Wednesday, Jan. 3 from 5 to 6:30 pm! We'll provide catered dinner, live music by the Red River Breeze band, lighting ambience by Morgan Adames, and a special presentation from members of the Faith Focus Steering Committee. Start off the new year with a party at FPC! Please RVSP FOR DINNER HERE .

On December 24, we will collect the Christmas Joy Offering. When you give to the Christmas Joy Offering, you share your love with the leaders of our Church – past, present, and future – who point us to God. Your gifts provide assistance for current and retired church workers and their families with critical financial needs and provide support to Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color.

Join us at 6:00 pm on Dec. 24 to hear Scriptures, sing favorite carols, worship by candlelight, and celebrate Christ's birth. All are welcome to attend, so please invite your friends and family. Regular Sunday worship will be held that day as well at 10 am. 

We can't believe that we're almost halfway through this grant project called Faith Focus! Come and experience this unique program where we put faith into action starting with dinner at 5:00, followed by a presentation and discussion. This Wednesday, Mary Johnson will speak about personality types, communication styles, and how to work with people better.

Join us for a service of  Lessons and Carols  on  Sunday, Dec. 10 at 4:00 .  Dinner  will follow in the fellowship hall!  Meats, dressing, rolls and drinks will be provided by the church. We ask the congregation bring side dishes that can serve 10-12.  If your last name begins with  A-L , please bring a  dessert . M-Q , please bring a  salad . R-Z , please bring a  vegetable dish . Bring all dishes pre-cut  so that our servers don't have to do extra prep work. Put your name on every   item you bring because folks frequently have identical bake ware, etc. Thank you, and we look forward to this delicious meal! 

Take note of the new parking policy!  The Irene Center, through Metropolis, will start collecting parking fees after the New Year. Parking is FREE on Sunday mornings. You will need to setup a Metropolis account on your phone for free parking at other times. When you attend a meeting, Bible Study, choir practice, or just stop by for a while, please scan the QR code in the parking lot. Then before you leave, scan the QR code in the office. If you have trouble with QR codes in general or can’t get it set up, please reach out to Ann Waddle or the church office.

The Annual Children's Christmas Pageant is coming up on December 10th during the 10:00am service. The Sunday School classes will practice during worship on Dec. 3 and then warmup on Dec. 10 at 9:30 in the Chapel. Contact Emily Vaughn with any questions. 

Join us on December 13th from 5 to 6:30 pm for a multigenerational Christmas play and dinner during our Faith Focus Wednesday night event. No prior experience or practice needed. Show up, get a part and dress the role to share the Christmas story in a new and fun filled way.