Dear Friends,
A former colleague recently left parish ministry to serve the larger church. In a recent blog post, she reflected on her experience of trying to find a church home for the first time in her adult life from the perspective of one who sits in the pew. She realized that, as a pastor, she had underestimated the complexity of “church shopping.” Seeking a new church, she has found, is a “fiercely courageous act” and one that is often accompanied by grief and a sense of loss- “the loss of a community we can no longer be a part of, the loss of a community that has hurt or betrayed us, the loss of the opportunity to have grown up in a community of faith to begin with.” She concludes, “The work of finding a church home is excruciating.”
How can we make this process easier for those who come through our doors? A new Welcome Committee is being formed to work on this. If you feel called to a ministry of hospitality, please speak with me. Let’s all be on the lookout for visitors and extend them a warm welcome. People have said, I'm not always sure who is a visitor and who is a member? I’d say it is better to make the mistake of welcoming a long time member than to have one visitor walk away without being greeted!
The 2022 Habitat campaign is about to begin. Read all about it below.
Grace and peace,
Julie
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Habitat for Humanity 2022 Campaign Kicks-off May 1st! |
In previous years, FPC has raised funds for Habitat for Humanity during the fall. We are shifting this once-a-year campaign to the spring, and we are officially kicking-off the 2022 campaign this Sunday, May 1st, and we look forward to celebrating its successful completion on May 22nd. Our goal is $10,000.
Thanks to our faithful and generous congregation, our church has been a vital contributor to Habitat for Humanity's efforts to build houses for low-income families in our community for many years.
The need for safe housing is greater than ever. Habitat is embarking on a five-year plan to increase its capacity of delivering a minimum of five new houses to the community a year.
There are several ways to give:
- Write a check to FPC and put "Habitat for Humanity" in the memo, and mail to the church office ay P O Box 789, Concord NC 28026, or put in the offering plate.
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Text to Give 704-228-7459: and designate Habitat from the fund drop-down menu listed on the First Presbyterian website.
- Go to the First Presbyterian website, go to "Give Now," and select Habitat from the fund drop-down menu.
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ALL Youth are encouraged to join us THIS Sunday, May 1st for Middle & High School combined Youth Group in the sanctuary 4:30-6 PM. We will be rehearsing for Youth Sunday. Please attend even if you are not participating in Youth Sunday. A light meal will be served during the evening in the courtyard.
On April 24th, the Youth studied Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 6:1-4, and Mark 12:41-44 to listen for the ways God calls us to serve. They created floral arrangements from the sanctuary flowers, each taking home one of their arrangements to share with someone who could use them. The Youth also went out into our Church Street neighborhood to pick up trash. Both the Middle School and the High School group came back with a large bag full of items. Our high school group worked alongside neighborhood children to clean up the area surrounding the basketball court across Church Street. What are some of your favorite ways to serve? Where do you feel God’s presence as you serve others?
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Please join us for the FPC Spring Picnic on May 22 immediately following the worship service. Lunch will be provided by the Deacons. There will be activities for kids of all ages. Limited seating will be available in and around the fellowship house. Please bring a blanket or chair to sit on. Use the signup link here to RSVP by Monday May 16th.
We look forward to seeing you!
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What is Thursday Connection? |
Thursday Connection is a gathering for anyone who wants to engage in conversations of faith during the week. Topics/Series are determined by the gathering. This week we begin a 5-week study on Adam Hamilton’s book, Half Truths: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn’t Say. A short video by the author will kick off our discussion this Thursday. Books will be available at the first gathering. A $10 donation is welcome.
When: Thursdays, April 21- May 19 at 3:00 PM
Where: Journey Classroom (Please note change of location!)
Who: All are invited! Come when you can or make a commitment for
the series. Each week stands on its own.
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BACKPACK PROGRAM PASTA EXPLOSION MAY 2022 |
The Backpack Program specialty bags for May 2022 focuses on an Italian theme. Please drop off any of the items listed below in Fellowship House during Church office hours. Items provided by Wednesday, May 11, will be packed and delivered on Thursday, May 12. Our goal is to prepare 11 bags.
Pasta – spaghetti (1-pound)
Pasta – elbow macaroni (1- pound)
Spaghetti sauce (with or without meat; cans or plastic containers only)
Ragu double cheddar sauce (15.5-ounce box)
Canned ravioli
Canned diced tomatoes
Chef Boyardee pizza maker (makes 2 pizzas)
Pepperoni packs (refrigerate after opening)
Parmesan cheese (grated)
Canned mushrooms
Ramen noodles (any flavor; 6-packs)
Applesauce cups (6-packs)
Cookie packs
Thank you for your continuing support of this important mission of Presbyterian Women!
(When delivering items to the Fellowship House, please be mindful not to block access to the elevator.)
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Please join us on Saturday, May 14th from 8 AM – 11 AM for a church grounds workday. Participants are encouraged to bring their gloves, tools, wheelbarrows, tarps, mules ….etc. Ice water will be provided.
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Everyone is invited to join our Racial Equity Reads group, reading on your own over the summer. Then after Labor Day we’ll begin a discussion group about the books we read. (Watch this space!)
The first book is “Dear White Peacemakers,” by Osheta Moore, a pastor and writer. You may want to order it through a Black-owned bookstore, such as Shelves Bookstore (shelvesbookstore.com) in Charlotte or Mahogany Books in Washington, D.C.
After we discuss that book, we’ll turn our attention to “The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism,” by Jemar Tisby, who earned a master of divinity degree from the Reformed Theological Seminary and is working on a Ph.D. in history.
As a Matthew 25 church, we are committed to promoting racial equity in our community and beyond. Systemic racism must be an area of deep concern to our congregation because it affects all of us as well as people who are marginalized or in need – hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, strangers, poor, or oppressed in other ways.
For more information, or just to talk about racial equity, email Scott Verner at sverner@yahoo.com.
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Lay Liturgists
Sign up here to be a lay liturgist to
read scripture in worship on Sundays.
Commons
Sign up here to open or close the Commons.
Nursery
Sign up here to volunteer in the Nursery on Sundays.
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Sanctuary Flowers
To give the congregation a gift of
to sign-up for one or more Sundays
during the year.
Ushers
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Sunday, May 1, 2022
Julie Hill, preaching
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Thursday, April 28
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool
3:00 PM Thursday Connection (Journey Room
6:30 PM Boy Scout Advancement Board of Review (Ed Bldg)
6:30 PM Girl Scouts (FH and outdoors)
Friday, April 29
9:00 AM First Kids
Sunday, May 1
9:45 AM Journey SS (Ed Bldg)
9:45 AM S & D SS (FH)
9:45 AM Todd Hobbie SS (Davis Hall)
9:45 AM Welcome Class (Fellowship House Library)
10:30 AM Sanctuary Choir (Choir room)
11:00 AM Worship (Sanctuary or Live-stream)
3:30 PM Girls in God Meeting (Rm 305, Will Young Bldg)
4:30 PM Combined Youth (Sanctuary)
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Monday, May 2
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool
9:00 AM Preschool Mother's Day Tea (Davis Hall)
5:00 PM Building & Grounds (Library conference Room)
6:30 PM Circle 1 (Fellowship House)
Tuesday, May 3
9:00 AM FIrst Kids Preschool
9:00 AM Preschool Mother's Day Tea (Davis Hall)
2:00 PM Staff Meeting
7:00 PM Cub Scouts (TBD)
7:00 PM Boy Scouts (Youth Room)
7:00 PM Al Anon (Commons)
7:00 PM Board of Deacons (Library Conference Room)
Wednesday, April 27
9:00 AM First Kids Preschool
10:30 AM Bible Study Fellowship House library)
6:30 PM Officer Training (Davis Hall)
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Birthdays
April 28 - Corinne Alley, Dutch Entwistle, Andrew Jones, Nancy White
April 29 - Todd Aldridge, Stewart Brown, Keeley Gould, Fred Irving, Amy Rinker, Johnna Watson
April 30 - Abigail Rohrer
May 1 - Abbie Bauman, McKenzie Bauman, Sara Beth Caldwell, Reven Harris Fulghum
May 2 - Sarah Hahn, Spencer Hillman, Michelle Patrum, Dalton Sloop
May 3 - Susan Bethune, Robert Hahn, Harris Morrison, Julia Schneider, Samuel Schneider
May 4 - Lou Anne Clark, Lata Eapen
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Ellen Crawford True
Senior Pastor/
Head of Staff
Julie Hill
Temporary Associate Pastor
René Prager
Director of Christian Education
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Director of Music and Organist
Choirmaster
Church Administrator
Kim Mazzola
Financial Administrative Asst.
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Heath Ritchie
Maintenance Superintendent
Director of First Kids
Wedding Director
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First Presbyterian Church
(704) 788-2100
70 Union Street North
Concord NC 28025
Mailing Address:
PO Box 789 Concord NC 28026-0789
Church Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Closed Friday
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The Commons Prayer Room Hours:
Monday Closed
Open for scheduled groups:
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Open to the Public:
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sunday mornings for FPC
36 Spring Street SW
Concord NC 28025
Garden Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Monday
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