Monday, January 3 - office closed

The Banner will not be published on December 29.

The Session meets monthly on the 2^nd Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Minutes are open and available by request after they are approved at the following month’s Session meeting.

Sunday, January 23, 2022 at 3:00 in Davis Hall. First Presbyterian Church is holding our annual Rise Against Hunger meal packaging event. This is a great opportunity for the entire family to take part in an important program to help feed the hungry all over the world. A Sign Up Genius link will be available in The Banner in the new year.

Dear Members,

It is an exciting time in the life of our Christian faith. The candles of Advent now shine brightly, Hope. Peace, Joy and Love.

During our Christmas Eve services we will be celebrating the Sacrament of Communion during both the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. service. Due to demand and delivery issues, communion offerings will be gluten free kits as well as regular wafer kits. Our gluten free supply is limited at present. Please consider taking the kit that suits your needs.

Thank you in advance for your help as we gather in worship to celebrate the birth of Christ!

Deacon Rindy Moore presents a $2000 check for Academic Learning Center (ALC) to Executive Director Kara King. ALC’s programs directly impact at risk students at 12 Cabarrus County Schools and at the Boys & Girls Club of Cabarrus County.

The Nursery will be available for our 1-4 year olds at the 5 p.m. Christmas Eve service.

Pew Prep – We will resume on January 9th.

Elementary, Middle School, and High School Sunday School resume on January 9th.

Youth Group – NO Youth Group on December 26, we look forward to gathering again on January 2nd!

Many thanks for the generosity shown by our congregation in providing Christmas gifts to 60 Cabarrus County children through the Angel Tree Prison Fellowship program.

Delivering your gifts was a true pleasure. This program touches so many lives and through the years it has become a First Presbyterian Church tradition.

Thanks to Jeff, Jaquie and the choir for the fabulous gift of time and talent for the residents at Taylor Glen last Wednesday evening. It truly embodied the Christmas spirit for so many of our choir members and staff and our senior minister, Ellen, to be present and share God's love and joy with others at this event. Thank you for an inspiring evening.

Here are some photos to enjoy.

Friends Empowering Haiti has an anonymous donor offering the opportunity to match up to $50,000, on a dollar-to-dollar basis, for all donations made by individuals through the end of the year. Any designation of funds, (food, clinic, etc.) will be matched in that same fund, doubling the impact. Please consider making a gift by 12-31-21 to help our friends and students in Haiti.

• Gifts can be made through the church noting it is for Friends Empowering Haiti

• Online at www.friendsempoweringhaiti.org

• Or mailed to Friends Empowering Haiti

PO Box 34563

Charlotte, NC 28234

Please contact Betsy Liles with any questions.

Dinnerbell6@gmail.com 704-791-6166

The Stewardship/Finance Committee appreciates the wonderful response of pledges and gifts to support the 2022 Stewardship Campaign. We encourage those who have not sent in their pledges or gifts to please do so at your earliest convenience. These are used by the Stewardship/Finance Committee to prepare the 2022 Operational Budget of the church which allows our church family to touch the lives of so many both within our church and through community mission outreach programs. You may mail it or drop it by the church office or pledge online here.

Todd Hobbie will be teaching the Todd Hobbie Sunday School Class in Davis Hall beginning Sunday, January 9. The class study will be based on Marcus Borg's book, Speaking Christian: Why Christian Words Have Lost Their Power and How They can be Restored. Class members will not need copies in order to participate. The class will consider the first two chapters on January 9.

The S & D class will not meet on Sunday, December 26. On January 2 we will meet for fellowship only, no formal class.

We continue to need volunteers in the nursery. If you are interested in helping, please use this sign-up link: Sunday Nursery Volunteers

You may volunteer for the Sunday School hour or worship hour. All volunteers must have Child Protection training. Please contact René Prager at r.prager@firstpresconcord.org for the links to the training and the paperwork for the church office.

*We are looking to hire someone to work in the nursery on Sunday mornings. If you or someone you know is interested in this position, please contact René Prager, Hunter Morrison, or the personnel committee (Donna Knorr, Merl Hamilton, Anita Brown) for more information.

Please remember that year-end contributions must be received in the church office by the end of day on Thursday, December 30 as the office is closed on Fridays. For stock transfers, please notify Suzanne Russell so that the proceeds can be applied to the correct account in a timely manner. Thank you!