First United Methodist Church of Bristol, Tennessee

Your Weekly e-Newsletter and Events Schedule

Welcome to In-Person Worship Again….

If you are unable to join us for whatever reason, please tune in as we live-stream the service on Facebook.

The CDC has designated our local area as *ORANGE (HIGH)* for COVID-19 transmission this week, so:

> Masks are STRONGLY encouraged for gathering in person – please respect the safety concerns of others. Masks will be available if you forget to bring your own.

> Please sit with members of your household at a reasonable distance from others

> Sanitize the spaces you use

> If you are unwell, we hope you will stay home and join our fellowship virtually.

Church Office Hours:

Sundays 2-6 PM

Tuesdays 4-7 PM

Wednesdays 4-8 PM

Pastor Casey’s position as a teacher has resumed – please leave a voicemail, text, or email anytime and she will contact you on breaks or after school as needed.

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In-person worship is at 11:00a.m. Sundays in the Sanctuary AND can 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. Irwin on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram.

Email Prayer Chain

If you are interested in being a part of the email prayer chain, please sign up as you exit the sanctuary or email Pastor Casey. The messages will be distributed through our email lists on Realm.

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Serving in September

Liturgist

9/18 Sue Dietz

9/25 Jennifer Daniel

Greeters and Ushers – Tom Felty (all of September)

Videographer – Blake Irwin

*Please make arrangements to trade with someone if you will be unable to serve in this way. Any emergency changes can be handled by those present at worship.

Last Sunday at First UMC

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**UPDATED ** Missional Hub Cooperative Ministry Training

We have opportunity, through a longstanding connection with South Bristol UMC and Addilyn Memorial UMC, to move forward with intentional partnering in ministry. As we discern our shared ministry work, Rev. Susan Arnold has offered to facilitate our process of developing our Hub in 5 Sunday afternoon training sessions. 

We have changed the format to do 2 modules per week, in an effort to take up fewer of our available Sundays. The new schedule is module 2 and 3 on September 18 from 2-5 p.m., and module 4 and 5 on September 25 from 2-5 p.m.  We have several church meetings and work coming up in September and October, so please see these as an opportunity, not an obligation. We hope you will consider at least one of the dates to join us. Our hope is to learn quickly how we can build sustainable ministry in Bristol, TN in the name of Jesus.

Short Overview of Training Sessions:

• September 4: Module 1: Pre-Training Questionnaires and Introduction to Cooperative
  Ministry Partnerships.  Biblical Foundation Partnerships.  Biblical Foundations and Group Discussion #1
• September 18, Module 2: Historical Foundations, Module 3: Theological Foundations
• September 25, Module 4: Interdisciplinary Foundations, Module 5: Next Steps: Moving
  Toward Cooperative Ministry Partnerships
  Post-Workshop Questionnaires, and Covenant

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From the Pastor’s Pen

September 15, 2022

Brokenness surrounds us, and honestly it always has. The Bible is full of broken relationships, conflicts that split families or even nations, and so many disagreements. However, through all the history of God’s people, there’s a thread of unity found in the One God who guides us through One life now and forever. This is the One God who calls us with One Holy Calling to be a part of the One Church. This is the voice echoing through the Scriptures and the power speaking to our lives. 

This message from the whole Bible is all found so succinctly in Paul’s letters to Timothy. So this week I invite you to join me on Sundays for a 4-week exploration of the unifying call of God.

Blessings,
Pastor Casey

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Church Yard Sale Updates

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South Bristol UMC is hosting a Tuesday morning Women’s Bible Study open to any women in the area. Beginning September 6 at 9:30 AM

 Our study will be Beth Moore’s “James, Mercy Triumphs”.  Books will be available at the first gathering. Price TBD. Contact Nancy Pierce at South Bristol with any questions. 

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Bristol Faith in Action

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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

Sue is on vacation! Prayers for her safe travels and a restorative break 🙂

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Serve with Sunday Worship

What is God calling you to do? What ministries bring you joy?

First UMC is adding volunteers to serve on rotations for:

• Liturgist- read the Sunday Announcements, Responsive Reading, or other speaking opportunities
  
• Sunday Ushers- Assist people before and after worship with seating and questions. Gather and bring forward the offerings to God. Weekly or monthly rotation as needed.
  
• Videographer- It’s easier than it sounds! If you’re not familiar with Facebook Live, Pastor Casey or another leader will have the account open for you– just click “Go Live” and rotate the tripod if we need a different camera angle
  
• Administrative Tasks- Choose one or several areas to serve– proofread the bulletin, check the church voicemail, run DVD and newsletter copies weekly for shut ins, address church mailers.
  
• Gardening and Weeding- You choose your schedule to maintain a beautiful and inviting environment at our building.
  

Reply here via email or check with Pastor Casey for more opportunities to use your gifts in God’s Kingdom.

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Calendar of Events

September 15-21, 2022

First United Methodist Church
Rev. Casey Irwin, Pastor
322 Vance Dr., Bristol, TN 37620
www.fumcbristol.org 423-652-2811

Our Vision – Building A Community Where Anyone Can Become A Deeply Committed Christian