First Presbyterian Church News (Clarksville, TN)

***The books are available to borrow in the church office - first come first served!  Join us for Literary Roundtable as part of our ArtsConnect series on September 21 at 6:00 pm in the FPC Chapel. Our hosts will lead a discussion about family and identity as related to the frequently banned books "Maus" and "Fun Home". Books: Maus (Art Spiegelman) and Fun Home (Alison Bechdel) Hosts: Joanna Grisham is an instructor in the Department of Languages & Literature at APSU. Joey holds an MFA in creative writing from Georgia College. She was named a finalist for the 2021-2022 Very Short Fiction Contest at the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival and a finalist for the 2021 Ember Chasm Review Flash Fiction Contest. Her work has appeared in Gleam, The Emerson Review, On the Run, The Write Launch, Construction Literary Magazine , and other places. Her first chapbook of poems, Phantoms , is forthcoming in 2023 from Finishing Line Press. Gregory Glov

  "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. The next event is coming up this Monday, August 28. If you would like to volunteer with the FPC team or drop off donations, please contact Margaret Adames or the church office.

ArtsConnect in historic downtown Clarksville aims to support local arts, build community relationships, provide a forum for public discourse, and cultivate creativity. Join us each Thursday evening starting in the fall of 2023 for diverse, engaging arts and culture programs, located in the FPC Chapel.  Art Gallery  (First Thursday) Open Mic Night  (Second Thursday) Literary Roundtable  (Third Thursday) Cinema Night  (Fourth Thursday) See our website page for upcoming events and details! We give thanks for the many members of FPC who have been working hard to bring this arts and culture initiative to life and hope that the ArtsConnect Thursday series is a blessing to our congregation and community. 

The courts in FPC's Activities and Outreach Center ( 215 Foster St. ) are now available for pickleball! The program is open to all, and donations are accepted.    We have balls and four paddles for those who do not have their own equipment.  Walk-in play will continue on Wednesdays and Fridays, 3:00-5:00  PM. Please email  fpc.pickleball@gmail.com to request a schedule and reserve courts after 5:00 PM or on evenings other than Wednesday and Friday.

We hope you will join us for Art Walk in the Chapel on Thursday, September 7 from 5 to 8 pm--featuring David Smith this month!        David Smith is a retired U.S. Army Still Photographer. He arrived in Clarksville in 1976 as a member of the 101st Airborne Division. He later returned to Clarksville with my family after retirement from the military. Most of his images detail landscapes and scenery, many of which are of the Clarksville area, while others capture the magnificence of Tennessee's State Parks. Smith says, "l feel that it is important, as an artist, to help preserve our City’s history in photographs."  Smith regularly participates in the monthly Art Walk that takes place in Historic Downtown Clarksville. I also have donated several images to the Customs House Museum, Roxy Regional Theatre, Montgomery County Humane Society, Sunset Rotary and the United Way. My Photographs have been exhibited in Tennessee State Museum, Customs House Museum, Edwards Steak House,

Young adults ages 20's-40's are invited on the Dunbar Cave Trip on August 20! We will be taking the 3:00 Spray Hall Tour. Really looking forward to taking this tour and hope many of the FPC young adults/parents can come! Get tickets soon before they run out. Make Reservations Here .  Let Hannah Cruse know if you have any questions. SPRAY HALL Cross the River Styx, navigate the narrow Domes Passage, and squeeze through the fissure to reach Spray Hall. Where you may get misted by water spraying from the ceiling. This tour is rugged, with uneven, slippery floors. Extensive crouching is necessary. Some tight squeezes and crawling. Flashlights (no cellphones are required. Children must be at least 8 years old to participate. Duration: 1 hour Cost: $18 per adult (ages 13 years or older) $13 per child (ages 8 - 12)

ArtsConnect, a new Thursday night arts programming series in downtown Clarksville, hosts Open Mic Night on the second Thursday of each month at 213 Main St. beginning at 6:00 pm.   Our first Open Mic Night will be on  September 14 , 2023. All ages, peoples, and artistic expressions--music, readings, magic, a unique talent, etc.--are welcome! We do not pre-schedule most performers. Just sign in when you arrive by 6:30. We usually have two mics on stage at a time.   The opener this month will be Darrin Hoffman , a local musician and band director. He plays guitar with Cumberland Jazz Project, also performing in other small groups. His love for the guitar started as a teenager with his obsession for the Beatles. In the last year you may have heard Darrin performing with APSU’s theater department’s fall production, The Gateway Chamber Orchestra’s Duke Ellington’s band in combination with the Nashville Ballet or productions at the Roxy Regional Theatre. Check out the ArtsConnect page on o