Now, however, you all must strip yourselves of these things: the desire to punish, your temper, spite, speaking evil of one another, and foul language from your mouth. Don't deceive one another. You have renounced the old self, along with its practices, and have put on the new self which is being renewed in the image intended by its creator. That image is not Greek or Jewish, circumcised or uncircumcised, outsider, uncivilized, slave or free. Instead, Christ is all and in all!

Colossians 3:8-11 (My translation)

I hope everyone's summer has gone well and been enjoyable and without incident. For some, this time has been one of relaxation and renewal. For others, maybe all the plans have been stressful, and as you have moved from event to event, or locale to locale, you've found yourself at your wits' end. Again, I hope not, but I know it happens.

I know it happens because I've been there. There have been years when getting the "crew" together to go and do something has been a chore, to say the least, and as the trip progressed, one thing after another just didn't pan out the way I had envisioned. People get sick. Sometimes the weather just won't cooperate. Often, and this is true of longer trips, people get tired and want to get off the itinerary.

If you are anything like me, this doesn't sit well. All that time planning, and all for naught! Don't the kids get what a major investment of your time, energy, and strength was put into getting all this together? Why doesn't my spouse get it? How in the world did the hotel lose my reservation?

Again, I get it. In the way of advice, and not to sound too clichéd, counting to ten does help. So does a deep breath. Sometimes, you might just find that your rope has a little length left before you reach the end. More than anything, it is good to remember that you did all this out of love, and though things might not be going according to plan, the love that inspired your great road trip cannot vanish into the ether just because life happened to throw you a curveball.

In short, you've got to hold on to, remember, and embrace the best part of your motives as well as the best in others, even though they aren't cooperating. It's the love that's worth remembering, not the negativity. In a way, it is through love that we touch upon our true natures, our true selves as God's children. Who we truly are never ceases (see 1 Corinthians 13:8). Even better, that love which is truly the bridge between the broken fragments of our time and God's eternity is constantly new and fresh because it issues forth from the living heart of God in Christ Jesus.

What's great is that, as Christians, we know this because we are new creation, born of God's self-giving love. That love has renewed us despite our own flaws. That love doesn't allow us the luxury of seeing ourselves, our motives, and our hearts separately from the good of others. In this new creation conformed to the image of God present in us through Christ, God's designs are beginning to bloom. In God's purposes, not only are we being renewed, so are others with whom we are frustrated. Because of this grace, we no longer throw up walls of separation that allow us to speak or think evil of others with whom we are called to share in the divine communion.

Because we are new creation, what we are left with is a vision in which, as Paul tells us, Christ is all and in all. His reconciling love motivates our actions. He even dominates our vision as we look upon those around us.

It's hard to look upon your kids, your spouse, your neighbor, your fellow congregant, see Christ, and stay mad for very long!

In Christ,

Pastor Sam

• Folding chairs and blankets. We will provide a limited number of folding chairs and tables for those who need them.
• A side dish, if the first initial of your last name begins with the letters A-L; or a dessert (initials of last name M-Z). We don't have a lot of refrigerator and oven space for potluck food, so please use your own cooler.

We had an excellent time at ROAR VBS, where life is wild but God is good! More than 70 children attended during our three days, and more than 60 volunteers worked with the kids and staff. Each night began with dinner, which was followed by games, Bible stories, crafts, and stories of children who have learned that even when life changes, or is unfair, scary, or sad, and even when life is good, God is good! Thank you so much to everyone who helped! Until next year! / Lilly Osborne

Our yearly choir picnic will be held in the chapel next Sunday, August 4, right after the late service (so around 12:15). All members of the choir and anyone interested in joining the choir or learning more about traditional worship music are warmly invited to this potluck event. Meat and drinks will be provided, so feel free to bring a side dish or dessert. The warming station and the refrigerator will be available in the adjacent kitchen. Following lunch and fellowship, we will hold an hourlong casual rehearsal to kick off our new season. Hope to see you there! / Chris Bingham

FPC's Evangelism & Outreach Committee continues our church's Monthly Mission Emphasis in August with a call for office supplies for teachers at our neighborhood school. On the Sundays of August 11 and August 18, members are invited to bring to worship and place around the communion table (like the Food Pantry offerings) the following supplies for teachers at Fairmount Elementary School: tape dispensers, scissors, mechanical pencils, gel pens, highlighters, Post-it notes, sticky tabs, Sharpies, staples, paper clips, binder clips, tissues, Magic Markers, colored file folders, and erasers. For more information, contact Dave Welch at [email protected].

Our Wednesday program kickoff is scheduled for August 14, beginning as always with a fellowship supper at 5:30 followed by programs for youth, children, and adults. Be sure to join us! We are excited to begin the semester with an intentional multiweek opportunity for spiritual nurture. Our time together will include hymns and praise songs, prayer, and Bible study in the chapel. Among the other programs of the semester will be information about FPC's mission trips and supported programs. Please mark your calendars for Wednesdays beginning August 14.

Invite your friends and come to FPC's Fall Student Retreat at Doe River Gorge in Hampton! This special weekend for students in grades seven through twelve is scheduled for August 1 through September 2. It will include wild fun, adventure in the great outdoors, worship, and bonding with your church family. We will leave Saturday and return Monday afternoon. Join us for a weekend of fun and fellowship with your friends!

If you register with a deposit by August 11, you will receive a T-shirt, and the total cost of the trip will be $150. After August 11, the price will increase to $175 and a T-shirt size cannot be guaranteed. Register at the link below and pay the $50 deposit. Turn in money to the church or pay online at https://onrealm.org/fpcbristol/Give.

Ready to go? ==> REGISTER HERE <==

Student Ministries will gather for a day of service with Sharing Christ Ministries this Saturday, July 27. Students are invited to meet at the church at 2:30 p.m. to prepare food for the meal to be served at the mission. Enter the church at the back door near the kitchen. At 4:00 the group will head to the downtown mission to serve dinner to our community. The fun will end around 7:00.

Our team of high school students spent a busy week volunteering with Serve Orlando this summer. The team cleaned and stocked grocery shelves for United Against Poverty and spent a day holding babies and playing games with the kids at Orlando Day Nursery, which offers free child care to low-income families. Students also spent a morning at an organization that recycles soap and sends it to countries in need. At Clean The World, students sifted through barrels of soap from hotels to separate bottles and bars. Another day was spent at the Orlando Union Rescue Mission playing games with children, painting nails, and being human jungle gyms. The final day was spent serving at The Russell Home for Atypical Children, which serves children and adults with special needs. The trip was capped by a day at Universal Studios.

These service experiences were eye-opening and exciting opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. Our students eagerly jumped into any role they could to serve the people of Orlando, and they beautifully represented the hands and feet of God.

Great escape was an incredible week of wildness, mess, laughter, and spiritual growth for our middle schoolers. Amid the water balloons and shaving cream, students grew in their faith through worship and message. Each night we got to break it down in our family time while we grew closer together. Students got the chance to finally jump off the diving board and plunge into what it looks like to own our faith and apply it in our everyday lives. Students who may not have known each other at the start of the week left with an unbreakable bond.

Standing on the promontory of high summer and shading our eyes, we can see before us our fall semester of programs and plans. They are about to burst into bloom just beyond this Sunday's church picnic, next Sunday's choir picnic, and the back-to-school events scattered here and there. Also growing is our church lawn, where we will hold worship and eat lunch July 28. Pat Flannagan (July 24 -27) will mow the grass for our comfort, and JB Madison (July 31 -August 3) will follow up.

Sunday's music: For One Worship this Sunday, the children will be blessing us with their beautiful voices in "To God Be the Glory." This song, part of the resource pack for Vacation Bible School this year, has an African feel in tune with the VBS theme, Roar! VBS resource packs are distributed by Group Publishing, an organization committed to creating experiences to help people grow in relationship with Jesus and one another. The company was founded by Thom Shultz, who as a young youth minister created a magazine to help worship planners gain access to Christian education resources geared towards children and youth.

Sunday, July 28

9:00 a.m.       One Worship, Church Lawn

                          Sunday School

11:00 a.m.     Lunch on the Lawn

                          Boxing Food, FPC

                          Volunteering at BEFP, 21 Washington St.

Monday, July 29

7:00 p.m.       Middle School FISH, Off Campus

Tuesday, July 30

10:00 a.m.     Staff Meeting, Room 117

10:00 a.m.     Morning Prayer Group, Conf. Room

7:00 p.m.       Boy Scout Court of Honor, Chapel

7:00 p.m.       Boy Scout Troop 3, Scout Wing

Wednesday, July 31

5:30 p.m.       Back-to-School Bash, Middlebrook Pool

6:00 p.m.       Worship Team, Fellowship Hall

6:30 p.m.       MEF, Room 123

7:00 p.m.       High School Dinner & Devo, Off Campus

Thursday, August 1

7:00 a.m.       Men's Bible Study, Parlor

12:00 p.m.     Noon Bible Study, Room 117

Church Officers
Class of 2019	Class of 2020	Class of 2021
ELDERS
Anna Booher	Nancy Allerton	Ann Abel
Lee Galliher	Rebecca Beck	Randy Cook
Pete Holler	David Hyde	John Graham
Han Ong	Jordan Pennington	Katie McInnis
Pete Stigers	Jerry Poteat	John Vann
DEACONS
Sujean Bradley	Blake Bassett	Fred Harkleroad
George Linke	Rhonda Comer	Matt Kingsley
Greg Roberts	Ron Fox	Lisa McClain
Nate Sproles	Brenda Lawson	Drew Rice
Bill Whisnant	Barbara Thompson	Joyce Samuel
TRUSTEES
Nancy Cook	Peggy Hill	Jack Butterworth