~ from the PC(USA) Book of Common Worship

Dear Friends,

We are now halfway through our worship series, “Telling Secrets.” We have talked about addiction and grief, and we will turn this week to depression. Thank you for your openness to walking through these difficult topics with us. I am convinced that this work is good and holy, especially when we do it together as a community.

Thank you, too, for joining us for the Selah services. Each week has been a bit different, and this one will be, too. This Sunday, June 26, our Selah service will be a service of healing and wholeness. It is a service that includes scripture, singing, silence, corporate prayer, as well as time for individual prayer.

I hope you’ll come and join us as we pause and lift up prayers for the world, for our community, for one another, and for ourselves, trusting our loving and gracious God to bring healing and hope to us and to all in Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace,

Ellen

We invite the congregation to participate in our VBS Mission projects by donating any of the following items to the back foyer of the Fellowship House by June 26^th: The mission they will support follows each item list:

Large bags of dry cat or dog food, boxes of Ziploc gallon size plastic bags (Meals on Wheels)

Full size Shampoo, toothpaste, individually packaged toothbrushes, bars of soap, boxes of Ziploc gallon size plastic bags (Junior Charity League)

Packages of Lance crackers, granola bars (EMT Care Packages)

Inexpensive BINGO prizes – nail polish, small lotions, patriotic items, ball caps, word search books, coloring books/crayons (Coltrane Life Center)

Look for the labeled box in the Fellowship House foyer. If you have questions, please connect with Sallie Dotger or René Prager.

We are still in need of the following items for VBS next week:

If you have any of these items, please let René Prager know. r.prager@firstpresconcord.org

We are excited to announce that our Middle School Youth (rising 6th-8th grade), will have an opportunity to join Sallie Dotger and another adult on Meals On Wheels route on Mondays this summer from July 11 - August 15. 

We are looking for both Middle School Youth AND a 2nd adult (with Child Protection training) to take part in this weekly outreach. 

Youth may select ONE date at this time, and once everyone has had an opportunity to sign-up, additional dates may be selected based on availability. 

All Volunteers should be ready to leave the church at 10:30 AM. Sallie Dotger will drive everyone to the Meals on Wheels pick-up and then along the route. Youth will be dropped off back at their homes after the route is complete.

May was our second busiest month in about a year and a half, as far as households served throughout the CCM Food Program. At the Crisis Center, we served about 50% more households than the same month a year ago (when stimulus monies, unemployment benefits, and food stamp benefits were plentiful). We continue to see the same trend in June. Meanwhile, our non-perishable inventory is getting really low! Again, we strongly encourage our partner churches and organizations to plan some special summer food drives, maybe in connection to VBS (Kids Kan Too!).

Please note that the fresh egg program at the Piedmont Research Farm has ended, so we no longer are receiving the large number of bulk eggs. Hence, currently we do not need any egg cartons. A similar but smaller program may launch late this summer. We’ll keep you in touch!

·    Any kinds of canned beans except green (pinto, black, kidney, baked, etc.)

·    Cereal

·    Any kinds of canned vegetables, except green beans and corn (carrots, potatoes, mixed, peas)

·    Dried Pinto Beans

·    Canned Fruit

·    Any kind of Canned Meats (except tuna!)

·    Spaghetti and other Dried Pasta

·    Macaroni & Cheese

·    Pasta Sauce

·    Soup

·    Toilet Paper and Paper Towels

·    Tuna

·    Canned Green Beans and Corn

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. Bethel Baptist Helping Hands Food Pantry, located at 1209 1/4 Opal Street in Kannapolis, will gladly accept donations from 9 am to 1 pm on Monday and Thursday. The food pantry located at Westford UMC on Highway 49 and the Kannapolis Food Pantry at West Point Baptist Church can accept donations on Saturday morning from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. The Feeding Our Souls Food Pantry at Bethel Church in Midland, and North Kannapolis Baptist Church Food Pantry will accept donations by calling the church in advance.