Each fall, UKirk (Presbyterian Campus Ministries) organizes its students and they head out to visit a different Presbyterian Church for 6-8 weeks.  The ministry wants to give the freshman a glimpse of their worship options as they acclimate to a new city.

This spring, the UKirk students  at Vanderbilt want to invite its host churches to visit their worship service on Tuesday nights at St. Augustine’s Chapel right in the heart of Vanderbilt (200 24th Avenue South).

FPC has been invited to visit on Tuesday, April 1^st.  Worship is at 6:00 pm and dinner is at 7:00 pm.

You do not have to cook dinner; you just need to come and worship.  The worship offering from that evening will benefit  UKirk Ministry needs.

Contact Ashley Higgins (ahiggins@fpcnashville.org or 615-298-9505) if you need more information.

Bring Me Your Poor, Your Tired … Ice Cream Maker!!!  

This year marks the 120^th anniversary of the founding of the Martha O’Bryan Center ministry.  We want to help make this year’s Crankin’ fun and bigger than ever.  That means lots of homemade ice cream and we want to have a lending closet of ice cream makers/freezers for members who are willing to make the ice cream, but lack the equipment.  Contact Patricia Heim in the Missions Office ([email protected] or 298-9593) if you would like to donate or loan your ice cream maker/freezer for a very worthy and tasty cause. 

The Crankin’ will be held at FPC on Sunday, June 8 from 3:00 – 5:00 PM.  We’d love lots of members to make homemade ice cream – we’ll even supply the recipe if you supply the ingredients and do the mixing/freezing!!  Plan to buy tickets beginning in May if you want to participate, but can make ice cream to serve.  Don’t miss this wonderful, family friendly event – a perfect Sunday afternoon social outing with fun for all!  

Disaster survivors who have lost everything and are left wondering what’s next . . . volunteers from the pews who travel far to work in difficult conditions helping others . . . and immigrant small farmers who simply need an opportunity to pull themselves up out of poverty. All are people we are helping each time we give to the One Great Hour of Sharing. 

Since 1949 Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with our neighbors-in-need around the world. Your generous gifts to this Special Offering help provide relief those affected by natural disasters, provide food to the hungry, and assist in helping to empower the poor and oppressed. 

As we reflect upon the blessings we have experienced, let us also commit to living openhanded lives by sharing these blessings with others. As we share through gifts to the One Great Hour of Sharing, we offer an outward sign of thanksgiving for the presence of Christ in our lives while also bringing joy to God and to our sisters and brothers across the world.  This is one of two special offerings designated by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) that is offered to members of our congregation and will be received at all services on Sunday, April 13.  Look for offering envelopes in the Sunday bulletin that week. 

As we share together this year, we sincerely thank you, on behalf of all the lives touched by your generosity, for your continued investment in the church’s effort to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of God’s family.

The Presbytery of Middle Tennessee is developing a new church in Nashville to serve the growing Hispanic community. 

They are in need of volunteers to serve weekly on either Tuesday or Thursday nights to assist with English language classes at nearby Glencliff Presbyterian Church (Thompson LN); no teaching credentials or Spanish language proficiency required.  Interested volunteers may contact Barb Hall at [email protected]. 

A Sunday School teacher for 5-6 students (ages 11-13) is also desired to teach from 12:30 – 1:30 PM.  A $25/week stipend is available for the SS teacher.  Contact Steve Thomas ([email protected] or 931.994.2078) or Rev. Teddy Chuquimia (teddy01chuquimi[email protected] or 719.557.0108) about the Sunday School teacher need.

Join us on Sunday, March 23 as we welcome two visiting missionaries to First Presbyterian Church.  You will see and hear from both of them in morning worship and then have an opportunity to learn in greater detail about their missionary service during the Sunday School time. 

Rev. John McCall will join our Young Adults Sunday School class (Vance Hall) to share about his work teaching courses on ministry and spiritual formation to pastors and lay leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan.  He also works with pastors by facilitating one-on-one mentoring relationships and helping them develop intentional communities. John served in Taiwan from 1996-2009 and accepted a new call to service in 2011.  He will also offer the sermon at all morning services that day for the congregation. 

Rev. Mike and Irene Sivalee will offer a Minute for Mission during worship and also present to the Issues Discussion Sunday School class (Oak Hill School classroom L-200).  They have spent more than 30 years in Brazil both in teaching and new church development roles.  They have also been prayer partners with one of our Presbyterian Women’s circles for a number of years now and made several prior visits to our mission committees and the circle.

Thank you John, Mike, and Irene, for your dedicated service to the church and for your efforts to expand the capacity of the church across the globe.  Welcome to First Presbyterian Church of Nashville.

With the help of hundreds of volunteers ranging in age from pre-school to grandparents, friends and members of First Presbyterian Church helped to pack 20,000 nutritious meals to be shipped across the globe for disaster relief and school feeding programs.  The event was a perfect opportunity to remember our own blessings during Thanksgiving week by sharing just a little of our time.  Check out the fun had by all last week and stay tuned for the next meal packing event.

Click above for photo slideshow

John McCall is a mission co-worker serving in Taiwan.  He teaches courses on ministry and spiritual formation to pastors and lay leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan and works with pastors by facilitating one-on-one mentoring relationships and helping them develop intentional communities. John served in Taiwan from 1996-2009 and accepted a new call to service in 2011.  Rev. McCall receives support funding from the FPC National & World Missions Committee annual budget.  He will once again visit FPC and preach here on Sunday, March 23, 2014.

Meet Rev. John McCall

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While the bus was a new donation location, FPC members rose to the challenge and climbed the steps, fit into tiny screening rooms, and exchanged friendly chats across the aisle with fellow members while donating the gift of life.  A total of 23 units were donated in just 3.5 hours.  Thanks to all for living out the vision of living lives of gratitude.