First United Methodist Church of Bristol, Tennessee
Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule
Welcome to In-Person Worship Again….
If you are uncomfortable with worshiping in person or unable to join us for whatever reason, please tune in as we live-stream the service on Facebook.
> Wear a cloth mask that covers your mouth and nose continuously.
> Maintain at least six feet of space between yourself and anyone outside of your immediate household.
> Minimize your use of the lavatory and sanitize the spaces you use
LOCATION Adjustment:
UPDATE: Sound System revamp is in motion. We are waiting on parts to come in to begin the installation.
Due to the sound problems in the sanctuary, Administrative Council has moved the Sunday service to Tankersley Hall until the sanctuary sound equipment is updated.
NEW PROJECT at FIRST
A substantial memorial has been given by Peggy Callison for Russ Basham. This has been designated for the planned audio/visual upgrade in the sanctuary.
In-person worship at 11:00a.m. Sundays in the Tankersley Hall (temporarily) can also be viewed on the church Facebook page.
If you have not connected to FUMC via Facebook, please go do that. You can also connect to Rev. Berg on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. He will try to share uplifting and empowering things on those media.
Pentecost is coming soon! On June 5, dig your best red out of the closet and let’s celebrate the Holy Spirit spreading God’s good news through the world like wildfire.
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Ascension Sunday
May 29, 2022
John 17:20-26
“Is It in You?”
Rev. Brandon Berg
Last Sunday at First UMC
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 22, 2022
Prelude I Lift My Heart by Hal Wright; Phil Haga, pianist
Opening Hymn UMH 103 Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Responsive Reading: Revelation 21:10, 22 – 22:5
Gospel Reading: John 14:23-29
Abide
Hymn of Benediction UMH 723 Shall We Gather at the River
Postlude Children of God, Arise by Brian Carpenter; Phil Haga, pianist
Many Hands Make Light Work, So Please Lend Us Yours!
Opportunities to help FUMC clear space and raise funds:
Yard Sale: Let’s organize a Yard Sale and turn all those donated items into much-needed funds for our church and ministries. We’re looking at a weekend in June or July and we’ll need volunteers to access, price and photograph goods; move tables and items to set up beforehand; work the register and help people shop and check out during the event. If you can help with any of this, or want to be involved in the planning process, contact us using the form below.
Harvest Fete: It’s time to plan the Fall Harvest Fete! It was a successful, fun event when we had it pre-covid, so let’s come back better than ever! We’re needing people to begin planning on a Task Force, so if you can help with Kids Activities, Vendor Coordination, Jumble Sale Organization, Art Auction, Bake Sale, Advertising, Food Truck/Snack Sales, or Volunteer Coordination, then please fill out the form below.
HANDS ON MISSION-LIBERIA
Helen Roberts-Evans Director, Department of General Education and Ministry, Liberia Conference of the UMC. The local church should write one check for total kits to their district office (EX: 10 kits x $5 = $50). Please do not put money in the container! We will be collecting Hands on Mission buckets and kits once again this year. Collection date will be June 1st-2nd at Fairview UMC in Maryville. The local pick up will be
Clinch Mountain: School Kits — Goal 400 Pack all items in a 2-gallon Zip-Loc bag.
- 1 12” ruler
- 1 small calculator
- 1 10-12 pk. pens (blue or black)
- 1 coloring book
- 1 10-12 pk. pencils
- 1 pack erasers
- 1 100-150 sheet pk. notebook paper (wide-ruled)
- 1 small dictionary (new or used)
- 1 box crayons or markers (24 ct.)
- 3 spiral notebooks (70 ct.)
- 1 pair flip flops (adult M-L size)
- 1 poncho (adult).
Mission School Kit Drop-Off – Tuesday and Wednesday – May 24 & 25 – 9am – 4:30pm
Reynolds Memorial UMC Bristol, VA
Need Mission Kit Receiving Team Help!
We need help Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24th and 25th, 9am – 4:30 pm.
Please email or call the District Office cmdist@holston.org ~or~ (276) 628-4421
BRING ANY EXTRA INGREDIENTS
We have 55 Dictionaries here at the Clinch Mountain District Office if anyone needs some. $1.00 to purchase. Please call or email the District Office.
Camp News
April 2022
Male Camp Counselors needed!!
We have a great group of young adults already secured to work at camp this summer. We are still looking for two young adult males to finish our crew. We need these counselors to love Jesus, love working with children, and love the outdoors. They must be 18 years or older when camp starts (June 5th). The weekly salary starts at $325. We pay for all training certifications along with housing and food while they are at camp. They can apply online at www.CampBaysMountain.com
Registration is open!
We have reached almost 50% of our registration goal! Help us to get to 400 campers this summer. Spots are filling up, so if you want to make sure your camper is at camp this summer register today! Register online at www.CampBaysMountain.com
Amazon Wish List
Are you wondering how you can help Camp Bays Mountain? Well purchasing something off our Amazon Wish List would help us tremendously. Please have the items shipped to the camp at 500 Hood Rd Kingsport, TN 37660.
From the Pastor’s Pen
May 26, 2022
Twenty years ago yesterday, Karoline and I showed up at a restaurant in Knoxville in a tuxedo and a wedding gown. We weren’t the only couple there, but we caught the attention of a stranger at a neighboring table who picked up our check, steaks and red wine and all. It was a wonderful, wordless, anonymous expression of congratulations and generosity.
Maybe it wasn’t a big deal for that stranger, but it made an impression on a young couple who hadn’t started our careers yet and had organized a wedding at a free venue with homemade refreshments and borrowed seating. A little gesture of kindness can go a long way.
So in honor of that little kindness, I want to encourage you to look for those times when you can do the same. Maybe you’re already really good at that. Maybe it’s hard for you to notice those opportunities.
Try anyway.
You never know how much of an impression you might make on someone, how much you might brighten their day. Heck, you might just turn around the course of someone’s life and prevent another tragedy like we’ve seen this week. You might be surprised how far one gesture will go.
Practice kindness, friends. It makes a difference.
Peace,
Brandon
Morning Prayer
Rev. Berg streams morning prayer live on Facebook on weekday mornings in the 8:00 am hour.
Share your prayer requests with him or join him online.
The Love Beyond Borders campaign aims to raise funds for the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. The initiative has emerged from First United Methodist Church, Boise, ID and seeks to engage The United Methodist Church in supporting COVAX alongside UNICEF, the key vaccine delivery partner.
All funds raised will be sent to UNICEF for this project. More information about Love Beyond Borders is here.
A Note From Our Lay Leader
I wish…
I wish I’d written to you on Monday. It was a lovely rainy day which we needed. A day to hunker down and do indoor things. But I’m now writing to you on Wednesday, a dark dark time for our country. Buffalo and now Uvalde. DEATH. NEEDLESS DEATH. I’m so angry.
I’m surprised where my anger has chosen to go. I’m angry at the Methodist Church. Where is the social justice we talk about? We are fighting over who should be allowed to preach the Word of God while this country needs a strong Methodist Church to work on those things that affect people’s every day lives.
Obviously, if we are fighting, we aren’t in agreement about who should preach. I feel we all agree mass shootings are an abomination. God must weep. I watch people leave or change churches because they are upset about something. We are a family. We found out First is a 50/50 church on at least one issue. We probably are 50/50 on many issues. Can we as a church, as a country, learn to find the issues we agree on and pursue those? Can we join with others to form hubs to work together? We will have a chance to work even if we don’t agree on every detail of life as this year continues..
If you got this far on my rant, thank you. I have tears trying to leak out. Maybe they will water my soul. Let us shed our tears and then come together to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus in this community called Bristol.
Sue
Send Your Pictures, News, and Announcements to Publish in the Newsletter
For each publication, information is needed by noon on Wednesday.
Give Online
(First United Methodist of Bristol, Clinch Mountain District)
Calendar of Events
May 26- June 1, 2022
Sundays
9:30 a.m. Sunday School
11:00 a.m. Morning Worship
6:08 p.m.: Bristol Hub Youth at Reynolds Memorial UMC
7:00 p.m. AA Meetings
Tuesdays 7:00pm
7:00 p.m. AA Meetings
Wednesdays
6:00 p.m. The River: a Service of Contemplative Evening Prayer
Thursdays 7:00pm
7:00 p.m. AA Meetings
May 29
Ascension Sunday
June 5-8
Holston Annual Conference at Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center
June 8
Pentecost
June 12
Last Sunday for Rev. Berg
June 19
Father’s Day
Dr. Alan Gorrell preaching
4:00 Board of Trustees
June 26
Mia Foote preaching
July 3
First Sunday for Rev. Casey Irwin
First United Methodist Church
Rev. Brandon Berg, Pastor (276.237.6498)
322 Vance Dr., Bristol, TN 37620
www.fumcbristol.org
Our Vision – Building A Community Where Anyone Can Become A Deeply Committed Christian
First United Methodist Church of Bristol 