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Note from Ellen
Dear Friends,
It’s here! Rally Day, the day when we kick off a new season of worship, learning, playing, serving, and growing together is this Sunday, September 13. Sunday also marks the beginning of another year with the Narrative Lectionary. This year we begin at what seems like an odd place, Noah and the flood story. While we won’t read four chapters in their entirety in worship, I invite you to read Genesis 6:5-9:17 and listen for echoes of the two creation texts we explored this summer during our Curious Kids series. Where do you hear similarities? Where does the story take a turn? And who is God in the midst of it all?
I hope to see you on Sunday as we begin another year together. We’ll also get to welcome the Rev. Jodi Martin our new temporary Associate Pastor for Youth and Christian Education. It promises to be a great day and an even better year.
Grace and peace,
Ellen
Artwork: Moyers, Mike. Reminder, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt University Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. Original source: Mike Moyers, https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/.
Usher sign up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0948acab2dabf49-fpcusher
Lay Reader sign up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0948acab2dabf49-scripture
link for online worship: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfpzVUz-ZgaCJuogIMor8Iw/live
link to Ellen's sermon podcasts: https://bit.ly/Sermons_FPCConcord
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Youth Go Fish!
We kick off a new year with Youth this Sunday, September 13, at the Moores’ Farm. We’ll fish, play, and eat, and we’ll get a chance to welcome our new Associate Pastor for Youth and Christian Education, the Rev. Jodi Martin.
Contact Pastor Ellen with questions and sign up here.
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Welcome Pastor Jodi!
The Rev. Jodi Martin has joined the FPC staff as temporary, full-time Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Youth. She served churches in Tennessee and Georgia before moving to the Charlotte area 9 years ago.
Jodi has served on the staff of Hopewell, Trinity, and Myers Park Presbyterian Churches in Charlotte presbytery. Her husband Joe B. Martin serves as senior pastor at Sardis Presbyterian Church, and they have two grown sons.
Please help us welcome Jodi to FPC!
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COME TO LUNCH BUNCH AND LEARN ABOUT THE OPEN DOOR HOUSE
Did you know that more than 500 teenagers in North Carolina age out of foster care on their 18th birthdays each year –many in the middle of a school year? Support payments to the foster parents are cut off immediately, and about 100 of them will become instantly homeless with no job and no adult for guidance or protection. Forty-five (45) percent of them have not yet finished high school.
Five years ago, Kathy Lista, founder and director of THE OPEN DOOR HOUSE, set out to change that here in Cabarrus County! In the years since, her organization has provided a home in their “Grace House” and mentoring for 11 young women between 18 and 21 years of age. In August, a second house, named "Ezekiel House”, was opened for young men. The great news is that Ms. Lista’s organization, THE OPEN DOOR HOUSE, now has property and plans to expand their capacity to house and provide services to 26 young “graduates” of our foster care system at the same time by 2032.
Come and join us at Lunch Bunch on Tuesday, September 22nd at 11:45 in Davis Hall to hear about THE OPEN DOOR HOUSE plans and learn about the services provided to these young people to help them have brighter futures.
We are planning a catered lunch of Grilled Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Mixed Veggie Casserole, a Roll. and Tea at a cost of $15. Please register by calling the Church reservation line at 704-788-2100, option 7, and leave us your name, number of guests and phone number by NOON on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th (Please use this RESERVATION LINE only, as emails are likely to be missed or overlooked.)
Everyone is welcome at Lunch Bunch. We are looking forward to seeing you then!
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College of Elders Luncheon
College of Elders, September 27: Following worship on September 27, all elders (those currently serving on session and those who have served in the past) are invited to gather in Davis Hall for lunch and a brief time of sharing updates on the life of FPC.
Lunch will include sandwiches from Pump Social. The cost per person is $10.
In order for us to plan appropriately, please register by Thursday, September 17 using this link, or by calling the reservation line:
704-788-2100 #7..
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Red Cross Cabarrus VIP Blood Drive
The Cabarrus VIP Blood Drive hosted at First Presbyterian Church will take place next Monday, September 14, from 1:30 PM - 6:00 PM in Davis Hall.
There are whole blood and Power Red donation appointments available. Find a time and schedule an appointment to give here, or call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
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FPC Library
Join others in checking out some great books from our church library!
There is new fiction and non-fiction, as well as a whole section of Spiritual Care Resources on topics like family life, aging and caregiving, prayer and devotionals, and social justice.
Our Children's Library is also outstanding! Come have a look for yourself anytime that
the church office is open, or on Sunday mornings. Happy Reading!
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Zoom with MaryAnn
Rescheduled Zoom with MaryAnn: We have set a new date to chat with MaryAnn McKibben Dana, the author of Better Than Normal: Virtues for an Off-Script Life.
We will gather with MaryAnn on Zoom at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, October 7. Register here to join.
Everyone is welcome to join the conversation! Contact Pastor Ellen with questions.
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News From Haiti
Please click here to read an update from our partners in Bayonnais, Haiti.
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Save the Date!
Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Fellowship House Front Lawn
3:00 PM
Invite your Friends and Neighbors too!
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August Lunch Bunch Recap
Over 25 Lunch Bunch friends joined Cabarrus Health Alliance to learn more about the services and resources they provide to meet the needs of our community. After a yummy lunch, we traveled to the new CHA Brown Mill location on CCM's Rebuilder Campus where Erin Shoe (the Public Health Director of Cabarrus County) provided an in depth tour of the repurposed mill building.
Special thanks to Glenda & Rob Steel, Kirby & Dave Sheridan, Kay & Jim Wall, Britt Alley, and Harrison Entwistle for making the lunch possible and more sustainable with compostable utensils and reusable dishes and cups.
EarthCare Congregation thanks you all!
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Lay Liturgists
Sign up here to be a lay liturgist to
read scripture in worship on Sundays.
Nursery
Sign up here to volunteer in the Nursery on Sundays.
Pew Prep
Sign up here to volunteer to help with pew prep on Sundays.
Library Holdings
Click above for a list of books in our library.
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Ushers
Sign up here to volunteer in the
Sanctuary on Sundays
Greeters
Sign up here to volunteer in the
Sanctuary on Sundays
Sanctuary Flowers
To give the congregation a gift of
sanctuary flowers, please click here
to sign-up for one or more Sundays
during the year.
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Sunday, September 13, 2026
Rev. Ellen Crawford True
Psalm 46, Genesis 6, 8 and 9 selected verses
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Thursday, September 10
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool (Will Young Bldg)
6:00 PM Girl Scouts (Ed Bldg)
Friday, September 11
office closed
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool (Will Young Bldg)
Saturday, September 12
9:00 AM Families First (Ed Bldg E201, E202, Library Conference Room)
9:00 AM Annual Officer Retreat (Davis Hall) 3:00 PM Rally Day Set Up (Davis Hall)
Sunday, September 6
9:45 AM Rally Day (Davis Hall)
10:30 AM Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)
11:00 AM Worship (Sanctuary)
9:00 AM Families First (Ed Bldg E201, E202, Library Conference Room)
3:00 PM Circle 5 (Fellowship House)
4:00 PM Youth Kick Off (off campus)
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Monday, September 14
7:30 AM Men's Bible Study (off campus)
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool (Will Young Bldg)
1:30 PM Red Cross Blood Drive (Davis Hall) 6:00 PM Cub Scouts (off campus)
7:00 PM Boy Scouts (Youth Room)
Tuesday, September 15
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool (Will Young Bldg)
7:00 PM PW CT (Library Conference Room)
7:00 PM Al Anon (Commons)
Wednesday, September 16
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool (Will Young Bldg)
10:30 AM Bible Study (Library Conference Room)
6:00 PM Christian Ed Mtg (Fellowship House Sunroom)
7:30 PM Choir Rehearsal (Choir Room)
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Birthdays
September 11 - Kay Christy, Jim Todd
September 12 - Steve Bradley, Cate Davis, Harmon Gibson, Cannon Leatherman, Jordan Myers,
Marc Niblock, Carolyn Ruth
September 13 - Brian Bixler, David Bryant, Meredith Hoover, Mark Reiff
September 14 - Dale Carpenter, Elissa Farmer, Laura Martin
September 15 - Colson Bishop, Anita Brown, Hampton Dickens
September 16 - Fred Brooks, Paul Campbell, Jane McCullough Curley, Willis Nesbit
To enjoy a sung Happy Birthday, click here!
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First Presbyterian Church
(704) 788-2100
70 Union Street North
Concord NC 28025
Mailing Address:
PO Box 789 Concord NC 28026-0789
Church Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Closed Friday
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The Commons Prayer Room:
Open to FPC: Tuesday - Sunday
Open to FPC: Saturday 10 AM - 3 PM
Group times available with prior arrangement
Memorial Garden:
info@firstpresconcord.org
36 Spring Street SW
Concord NC 28025
Garden Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
March 15 - September 15
Tuesday- Sunday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
September 15 - March 15
Closed Monday
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