Longest Night Service

Longest Night Service is next Wednesday, December 18 at 7:00 PM in the Chapel located in the Fellowship House.

This contemplative service of scripture, prayer, music, silence and candle lighting is for anyone yearning for comfort amid personal grief and hope for a more peaceful world.

Annual Christmas Pageant

All are invited and encouraged to attend our annual Christmas pageant this Sunday, December 15^th at 5:00 PM in the sanctuary.

Children, age 4 and up, are encouraged to participate in the retelling of the story of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Please use this sign-up: FPC24: 2024 Christmas Pageant Participants & Volunteers to let us know the way(s) your child(ren) can participate. There is also a need for adult volunteers before, during, and after the Christmas pageant. Those opportunities are also listed on the sign-up.

Please bring an unwrapped non-perishable food item. You will be invited forward during the Offertory and pageant participants will help to collect the canned food items. These will be donated to Cooperative Christian Ministries to help feed those in need in our community.

All children who are or will be 4 years old on December 15^th are invited to participate as an angel. 5 year olds through 4^th graders will be barn animals. Our 5^th graders are invited to be junior shepherds. 6^th-12^th grade Youth are invited to be a costumed participant and/or serve as a scripture reader.

Youth, 6^th-12^th grade should arrive in the sanctuary between 3:45 PM and 4:00 PM.

Four year old angels should arrive between 4:30 PM and 4:45 PM in the Children’s Chapel (2^nd floor of the Education Building).

Children, age 5-5^th grade) should arrive at 4:45 PM in the sanctuary to pick-up their costume. They will sit with their family until invited forward during the pageant, as noted in the bulletin.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to e-mail René Prager, r.prager@firstpresconcord.org.

Youth News!

Our Youth will meet at 3:45 PM in the sanctuary for a final walk through before the Christmas pageant.

Our annual Youth Christmas party will follow the pageant in the Fellowship House. Youth are encouraged to bring a wrapped gift ($15-$20 range) for the gift exchange.

Parents can plan to pick-up from the Christmas party at 7:30 PM.

Middle and High School Sunday School Meet December 15th!

Middle School (6^th-8^th grade) and their parents are invited to a breakfast in The Commons on Sunday, December 15^th at 9:45 AM. Thank you to Carrie Myers for planning and leading this group in The Commons all fall.

High School Sunday School will meet at 9:45 AM at Press & Porter this Sunday, December 15^th This will be the last meeting of 2024.

CHURCH LIBRARY NEWS

“Have a teen/tween interested in reading something over Christmas break? Come check out the YA section of the church library! The library is easily accessed anytime the church is open. Located in the Library Conference room on the second floor of the Education Building. “

Pew Prep Resumes January 12^th

Please note that Pew Prep will take a brief break and will resume on Sunday, January 12^th. Children will find an extra book in the worship bags and are encouraged to pick-up the “Sermon Words” in the narthex, resuming December 15^th.

We encourage congregation members with children in Pew Prep and others on the Pew Prep team to select a date in January or February to serve as the lead or second adult: Pew Prep: 24/25 Pew Prep - Volunteers.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this program possible in 2024!

Banner Update Reminder

We will not be publishing a Banner on December 25 and on January 1, as both Christmas and New Year's Day fall on a Wednesday this year.

Anyone with information they would like to have in the Banner prior to the next published Banner date of January 8 2025, must meet the deadline of 4:00 PM on Monday, December 16, 2024. It will then go into the December 18th Banner, the last publication for 2024.

Email articles and pictures to: suzanne.russell@firstpresconcord.org

Thank you!

Lunch Bunch Christmas Event

Reservations should be made by tomorrow, December 12, to join the festivities at the Lunch Bunch Christmas Celebration on Tuesday, December 17 at 11:45AM in Davis Hall. Call the church reservation line at 704-788-2100 option 7 to reserve your place!

Carrie Myers will share her talents at the piano and lead us in a few Christmas carols during and after lunch. Then we will journey across Union Street to visit the home John and Susan Schneider and family. The home, built in 1880, has many stories and has been beautifully restored. Susan Schneider decks the halls with her lifelong Christmas collection and John dutifully sets up 6 Christmas trees in the house every year to accommodate them! 

3rd and 4th Grade Bibles

We are planning to order personalized bibles for our 3^rd & 4^th graders in the coming weeks. We want to confirm the name that should appear on each bible.

Please e-mail René Prager at: r.prager@firstpresconcord.org with the spelling by December 31^st. 

We are also scheduling our Intro to Bible class and the bible presentation in worship. The Intro to Bible class will be a Lunch & Learn format on a Sunday, immediately following worship until 2:00 PM. Bibles will be presented in worship on a different day during the 11:00 AM worship service. Please respond back with all of the dates that currently work for you. We will select the ONE date for the class and ONE date in worship that works for the most people:

February 2 – Lunch & Learn class, noon-2:00 PM

February 9 – Lunch & Learn class, noon-2:00 PM

February 16 – Lunch & Learn class, noon-2:00 PM (This is President’s Day weekend)

February 9 – Bible presentation in worship 11:00 AM

February 16 – Bible presentation in worship 11:00 AM (This is President’s Day weekend)

February 23 – Bible presentation in worship 11:00 AM

Year End Giving

Please remember that year-end contributions must be received in the church office by  Noon on Tuesday, December 31.



For stock transfers, please notify Suzanne Russell: suzanne.russell@firstpresconcord.org so that the proceeds can be applied to the correct account in a timely manner.

Thank you!

Nursery Holiday Schedule

Please note and share our holiday Nursery schedule.

December 15 & 22– regular hours – Sunday School and Worship

December 24 – Nursery provided for the 5:00 PM worship service

December 29 & January 5 – Nursery provided for 11:00 AM worship service

Ms. Bea Turns 90

Our dedicated Nursery Coordinator, Ms. Bea, turns 90 years young on December 26^th.

Please join us in Davis Hall, following worship, on January 12^th as we celebrate her.

Ms. Bea loves receiving birthday cards, so please bring her a card on January 12^th!

Books and Brews

We are kicking off Books and Brews 2025 with a book several in our congregation have read and highly recommend. We will be discussing An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Harold and Valerie Thomas will be hosting in their home at 7:00 PM on January 23. Please rsvp 704-793-8347. All are welcome!

Successful Angel Tree Project

The 2024 FPC Angel Tree Prison Fellowship Project is complete, and it was a resounding success! A huge thanks to the Deacons and all those who purchased gifts for these children and those who volunteered their time to make such special deliveries. This year, we served the most families and children since starting our participation in Angel Tree 42 years ago. In total, 35 households and 71 children in the surrounding area were touched by the spirit of Christ. That’s 142 gifts in total!

Thank you again for your support and dedication to this mission. Without you, it would not be possible.

Girl Scout News!

The Brownie Troop celebrated Friendsgiving 2024. They had fun playing games like Pin the Nose on the Snowman, Snowman bowling, and Build A Snowman as well as bookmark and ornament crafts…but the favorite was our feast-so many yummy dishes and we ended our celebration with Frosty the Snowman movie while we enjoyed our feast!”

Troop 334 earned the New Cuisines badge. They accomplished the requirements by making different types of cookies! For the international cookie, the girls baked an Italian cookie; the regional cookie was from New England - the Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie; the different era cookie was the bar cookie, popular in the 1930's and 50's - 7 Layer Cookie; and the statement dish was individual decorated sugar cookies. They celebrated by sampling the cookies and all went home with a to-go box and copies of the recipes. It was a fun night!

Night Shelter Week

The Youth kicked off First Presbyterian Church’s week at the Night Shelter. Thank you to Presbyterian Women for coordinating this opportunity to serve. The Youth prepared vegetarian chili and regular chili, along with cornbread muffins and serve the meal to approximately 40 people on Sunday evening. Other groups and individuals in our congregation will cover meals through this Saturday.