First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

  The Christmas story is filled with familiar sights and sounds: a lowly manger, a brilliant star, humble shepherds, and adoring parents. And weaving through it all are angels. We often see them as silent, decorative figures with halos and wings. But in the biblical narrative, angels are anything but quiet. They are God’s messengers, dynamic agents of change who arrive with earth-shattering, history-altering news. When they appear, they interrupt the ordinary with the extraordinary and command one thing: “Listen.” This Advent, we invite you to join us for a five-part sermon series, "The Angels of Christmas," based on the work of Susan Robb. Our theme will be "Hearing God’s Message, Listening to God’s Messengers." We will journey through the familiar nativity story by focusing on the four pivotal angelic encounters that paved the way for Christ’s birth. We’ll explore the visits to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, examining not only the message they receiv...

We live in a world obsessed with comparison. From social media feeds to career ladders, we are constantly measured—and measuring ourselves—against one another. This relentless "striving for superiority," as Miroslav Volf says, is exhausting. It promises fulfillment but often leaves us feeling anxious and inadequate. What if there was a different way to live? What if our true worth wasn't based on how we "stack up against others" at all? This November we will explore this question with a four-part sermon series: "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: Trust in God and Freedom from Striving." Inspired by Miroslav Volf's The Cost of Ambition (Brazos, 2025), we will explore how our identity in Christ frees us from the toxic cycle of comparison and competition. True stewardship isn't about outdoing others; it's about discovering God's grace, which allows us to live with joy, gratitude, and genuine freedom. Join us for this four-week journey. The Ser...

A PLACE WHERE LOVE CAN BE FOUND They say I'm known in this sacred place, But how could they really know me? I've hidden my truth, locked it away, Afraid of the price I might have to pay. They wear their masks with practiced grace, And I do too, just in case. We trade our smiles, nods, and names, But no one dares to name the pain.  (Chorus) Let's make a place where we can be found, Where mercy and love come pouring down. Faith over fear will lead us there. Loving each other builds God's house everywhere. Show me your scars and I'll show you mine. Not wounds to hide, but holy signs. God placed us here to heal as one-- Reflections of the risen Son. (Bridge) See me seeing you, See me seeing God in you, And God in me. WE ARE BLESSED I am the doctor, I am the nurse, The responder who gets there first. I am the miner who braves the dark. We share the light that's in our hearts. (Chorus) We are blessed, we are blessed, We are blessed, we are blessed. Through your grace,...

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...

Everyone is invited to 2nd Sunday Lunch on July 13! The Fellowship Committee will provide a taco bar. We will also say our goodbyes and thanks to Director of Music and Creative Arts, Hannah Cruse. 

Please join the Congregational Care Committee in sending messages of warm wishes this month to Ella Hay and Abby Henson. Addresses can be found in the online directory .

Art Walk has been moved to Thursday, July 10. Come see Jim Diehr' display in the FPC Chapel from 5 to 8 p.m.!

Italic font indicates those who have passed away; regular font indicates those who have given the memorial.   Lew Wallace  Mary Ann Connell  Jack & Margie Turner