The Banner Newsletter

THE BANNER

August 5, 2026

Note from Ellen

Dear Friends,

I’m looking forward to continuing our Curious Kids sermon series this Sunday. This week’s question is another good one: “How does God make everything?” We’ll spend some time with a portion of the second creation account in Genesis 2 where God makes the human out of dirt, giving him God’s own breath to fill his lungs. It’s intimate and messy, a very different picture from the account in Genesis 1. What does this story have to teach us about God as creator, about creation, and about our human family? I hope to see you on Sunday when we’ll wonder about all of this together.

Grace and peace,

Ellen

Original photo by Varad Sawant on Unsplash.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

Blessing of the Backpacks August 9

Please join us for Worship this Sunday, August 9th, for Blessing of the Backpacks!

Everyone who is going back to school (children, youth, adults, students, teachers, principals, aides, staff) are invited to bring your backpack to Worship for a special Blessing for the new school year.

New stickers and tags are ready for you!

Zoom with Author MaryAnn McKibben Dana Tonight

MaryAnn McKibben Dana, the author of the book from our Summer Sermon Series and Book Study, Better Than Normal, has offered to join us via Zoom on Wednesday, August 5, at 7:00 PM.

You must make a reservation to join the conversation before 3:00 PM today, so we can email you the Zoom link prior to the event. Sign up by clicking here.

We hope you will join us for this wonderful opportunity to discuss a book with its author!

Our annual meal packing event with Rise Against Hunger will take place on Sunday, August 30. From 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in Davis Hall, we will gather to pack more than ten thousand meals that will go directly to communities around the world experiencing extreme food insecurity and famine. This event is a great way to make a big difference in a short amount of time, and is open to families and members of all ages. We will not only be fighting hunger, but also dancing and forging deeper intergenerational friendships in our hair nets and gloves. Please register when you can at the link below. If you can join for set up at 1:30 PM or stay a bit late to clean up after 5 :00 PM, that would be great as well, but if all you can make is the main event, we would love to see you there.

https://act.riseagainsthunger.org/event/e788240

Save the Date! College of Elders, September 27, 2026

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.

Registration information will be shared soon.

July Lunch Bunch

On July 28 Forty Lunch Bunchers enjoyed lunch catered by Dough Girls and a program by Revolutionary War Reenactor and historian, Ed Niven. Ed brought along his collection of Redcoat gear and told us about the life of the British soldier.

Next month's program on August 25 will be about the services of the Cabarrus Health Alliance. It is much more than the old county health department and it offers services for everyone. Afterwards we will have an opportunity to visit the clinics that are part of CCM's new Rebuilder's Campus. (Our tour of that had to be cancelled last winter due to muddy weather).