Many of you have heard about our partnership with OFCB ministries in Bayonnais, Haiti, whether through child educational sponsorships, the Church St. Market, trips, or other fundraisers. You may remember that in May of 2018, the Liles family hosted a Meet and Greet with the founders of OFCB, Actionnel and Yolande Fleurisma. Through this event, Jock learned of a project through Engineers Without Borders to build two much needed bridges in Bayonnais where flooding can make transportation impossible. These bridges will also enable OFCB's new school bus to reach the village as well as provide access for a future ambulance to reach the closest medical center.

Since fall of 2018, Jock Liles and Buzz Simpson have been spending weeks at the time in Haiti with Engineers Without Borders as volunteer project managers to build the first bridge. While political unrest in Port-au-Prince has unfortunately delayed our church's March trip, Jock and Buzz remain committed and determined to see the first bridge through to completion before the rainy season in June. Jock says that his work in Haiti has been a wonderful experience and he hasbeen most moved by the ingenuity, compassion, and integrity of the workers and surrounding community. Jock will be heading back to Haiti on March 11th, and Buzz will likely follow him on March 20th. Please keep Jock, Buzz, and the people of Bayonnais in your prayers for safety and peace through this time of national uncertainty. Our annual "Relationtrip" will be rescheduled when the protests in Port-au-Prince have settled down and the US State Dept. upgrades the travel status to Haiti.

Join us on March 13th for Family Game Night: Bible Trivia. We hope to see you there! Please make your dinner reservations by noon, Monday, March 11th. Menu: chicken pot pie, orzo, fruit, salad, dessert

From simple practices such as walking, working, and getting lost to deep meditations on topics like prayer and pronouncing blessings, Barbara Brown Taylor reveals concrete ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see. In the season of Lent, join Rachel on Thursdays at noon to reflect on readings from "An Altar in the World," in which she writes about the importance of paying attention to the ordinary if we are to live an engaged and authentic life. Beginning Thursday, March 7th at 12:00 p.m., come each week and dive into themes and Lenten practices of paying attention, devotion, and prayer. We will meet in Davis Hall; please feel free to bring or purchase lunch prepared by our church hostess for $6. Sign up here to purchase lunch and/or purchase a book. All are welcome!

Following worship on March 10th, come find some tasty treats baked by our middle and high school youth. The youth are baking to raise money for OFCB, our brothers and sisters in Haiti. All baked goods are baked with love and are offered by donation. Youth will be offering their baked treats at tables outside of the sanctuary following worship. Thank you for supporting our youth and OFCB in Haiti!

We are collecting the addresses for all of our First Presbyterian Concord undergraduate college students. Please e-mail Rene Prager ( thepragers@yahoo.com) with your student's name and shipping address by March 10th. The high school youth will be putting the packages together in March and they will be shipped out in advance of exams this spring.

Save the Date!

PW Spiritual Nurture Luncheon

Sunday, March 31st

12:15 p.m., Davis Hall

Guest Speaker:

Julie Hester, former Associate Pastor here at First Presbyterian Church (1993-1998) and

now Associate Pastor for Children and their Families at Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte

Red Cross Cabarrus County VIP Blood Drive

Monday, March 18th in Davis Hall

2:30 PM to 7:00 PM

Please call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter Cabarrus VIP

to schedule an appointment.

View the Full Calendar here.