Dear Friends,

As I sorted through my work bag in worship, I held up my shiny new calendar. It has been 26 years since I was a full-time student, and I am still a pushover for school supplies. There is something downright magical about new pens, untouched notebooks, and a fresh calendar. I’ve started filling up my new calendars (yes, I have more than one), and I love seeing how the year ahead is beginning to take shape. FPC is a wonderful community is which to worship, grow, play, learn, and serve. I know this, of course, and these notes on my calendar are a visible reminder.

Last Sunday gave us a taste of good things ahead, and I am delighted that this coming Sunday will be full as well. We’ll continue our time in Revelation looking at chapter 13 (I highly recommend reading chapter 12 beforehand, too.). We will welcome new members, and we will ordain and install two deacons. All of this excitement points us toward the fall with new and continuing opportunities for worship, study, fellowship, and service.

Where does FPC fall on your calendar? Will you join a bible study or a book study? Will you teach or attend a new class? Will you usher or sing or serve as a lay reader? Will you help with Pew Prep or in the nursery? How will you worship, grow, learn, and serve together with and through FPC in the coming months?

I can’t wait to see all that’s on our calendar come to life!

Grace and peace,

Ellen

Save the Dates:

September 11 Rally Day

September 22 Books & Brews @ Southern Strain

October 16  Blessing of the Animals

link for online worship: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfpzVUz-ZgaCJuogIMor8Iw/live

As another school year begins we want to take a moment to honor our Preschool Director, Maureen O'Bryan, who has served our children for 30 years!  

We could not ask for a more dedicated director who advocates for all children every day! Please be sure to stop and wish her well as she begins her 31st year at First Presbyterian Preschool! 

Thank you SO much to all the churches and organizations who sponsored food drives for us this summer! You made it possible for us to continue to serve hundreds of our neighbors with nutritious food. In July, we served a total of 626 households through our Crisis Center, in just 15 days. Across the total program, we served a total of 880 households. Not the same numbers as in June, but still substantial, considering that a lot of the pantries were not open the first week of the month. This month, we’ve noticed that we’re serving a LOT more brand new households who have never come to CCM for help before. The effects of inflation and skyrocketing housing costs are taking a harsh toll on a lot of our lower income neighbors!

Currently, the pantry items we are in biggest need of are:

·    Cereal

·    Any kind of canned vegetables, including green beans! (also corn, carrots, potatoes, mixed, peas)

·    Dried Pinto Beans

·    Baked Beans

·    Canned Fruit (except fruit cocktail)

·    Any kind of Canned Meats (except tuna!)

·    Macaroni & Cheese

·    Pasta Sauce

·    Toilet Paper and Paper Towels

As always, we especially seek low sodium items, no-added-sugar items, and whole grain items. 

Currently we have plenty of:

·    Tuna

·    Canned Kidney and Pinto Beans

·    Spaghetti Noodles

·    Canned Mixed Fruit

Thank you for the continued support from our church partners. Our Crisis Center at 246 Country Club Drive NE in Concord serves as the warehouse for most of the food. We will gladly accept all donations at that site from 9:30 am to 1 pm Monday through Friday. Donations may be dropped off at the fellowship house during office hours.

Help our congregation GROW by being part of our Nursery team!

Whether you are able to help out once a month, once a quarter, or once a year, we would love your help nurturing our smallest congregation members during the worship hour on Sunday mornings. We are seeking a few more adult and teen volunteers to help, especially until we are able to hire an additional nursery attendant.

If you are interested, please let René Prager know at r.prager@firstpresconcord.org.

You can also use this link to sign-up to help: Nursery Volunteers: Sunday Nursery Volunteers (signupgenius.com)

We need an additional adult as early as September 4^th.

It was a wonderful morning for the Blessing of the Backpacks!

Litany of the Backpacks

Leader:    When I ride the bus, a car, my bike, or walk on my                    way to school

People:   I will look for the things that bring me joy.

Leader:    When I arrive in my classroom each morning,

People:   I will greet teachers, students, and staff with joy.

Leader:    When my schoolwork feels hard or overwhelming,

People:   I will take deep breaths to find peace as I ask for help.

Leader:    When it’s time to head to the playground for recess,

People:   I will delight in the joy of the Lord.

Leader:    When I notice a friend feeling hurt,

People:   I will be a beacon of God’s joy for others.

Leader:    When I feel overwhelmed, or sad, or scared,

People:   I will look for ways to receive Christ’s peace.

Leader:    When I see a new face in the school building this year,

People:   I will share God’s peace.

Leader:    When I wake up in the morning for a new school day, a chance to start over again, another                        opportunity to be the best version of whom God has created me to be,

People:   I will delight in the joy of the Lord.

Leader:    When I go to sleep at night, thankful for another day of learning, 

People:   I will thank God for leading me out with joy and covering me with peace.

Litany adapted from Vibrant Church Communications

Additional backpack tags and stickers will be available in the Fellowship House foyer during the week and in the Narthex on Sunday.

It’s that time of year!

Be sure to ask your cashier or go online to link your Harris Teeter card to First Kids, account 6125.

Your purchases help earn money for the First Kids Scholarship program.

Cards must be re-linked at the beginning of each school year. Thank you!

     September 1 – October 6 at 2 PM

 Journey Classroom in the Education Building

Thursday Connection resumes next week with a six-week video-based series based on the book The Difficult Words of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine. Jesus spoke words of comfort and encouragement. In word and deed he instructed his disciples in kingdom living. Jesus also spoke words that followers then and now have found difficult. He instructed disciples to hate members of their own families (Luke 14:26), to sell their belongings and give to the poor (Luke 18:22). He called Jews the devil’s children (John 8:44). In the video each week, the author shows how these difficult teachings would have sounded to the people who first heard them, how have they been understood over time, and how we might interpret them in the context of the Gospel of love and reconciliation.

No reading is required. If you would like to read the book, as well as listen to the author teach, books will be available in the Fellowship House for a $10 donation.

Sell What You Own, based on Mark 10:17-31 will be the topic on September 1. Each week stands on its own. 

PW Fall Spiritual Event

Saturday, October 1, 2022

Boxed Lunch, $12

Catered: Second Course

Davis Hall was filled Sunday afternoon with excited voices laughing, and singing, as over 50 members of ALL ages packed meal bags for the hungry. Over ten thousand bags were packaged in under 2 hours. Wonderful fellowship while doing a worthwhile project! 

Thanks to all who participated!  

All of our 6^th-12^th grade Youth are invited to help prepare a meal for the clients of the Salvation Army Center of Hope (Night Shelter).

We will gather in Davis Hall from 4:30-6 PM. Any families who want to help deliver the meal are welcome to assist with that between 6 and 6:30 PM.

Please use this link: 2022-2023 Youth: 9/4 - Cooking for the Night Shelter (signupgenius.com) to RSVP (yes or no) AND to sign-up to bring items that we will use in our meal preparation.

We may need help from a few parents. If you are willing to supervise cooking or greet people at the door, please sign up in the corresponding spaces.

This is a favorite activity for many of our Youth, so we hope that YOU can join us!

The Journey SS class is heading to the beach the last weekend in September and there are a couple spaces left if you would like to come along. Deadline to sign up is 9/5/2022. For more information email Craig Gilbert : davillagilbert@gmail.com or Hunter Morrison: huntermorrison@gmail.com

Sign up and mark your calendars, the annual CROP Walk is Sunday, October 9th in Kannapolis with registration beginning at 1pm and the walk starting at 2pm. This fun event supports the mission of fighting hunger and poverty both globally and locally through contributions to Church World Service and Cooperative Christian Ministry. Please use the link below to join our FPC Concord team as a participant or a donor! You may choose to join us for the walk at Kimball Memorial Lutheran Church in Kannapolis or to walk around your neighborhood if that works better for you. 

https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2022/team/fpc-concord

Online donations are preferred using the link above, but you may also bring cash or check donations on the day of the walk. Checks should be made out to "CWS/CROP." Please reach out to Tripp Carpenter gsctripp@hotmail.com with any questions.