Hold it in the light

Hands together, eyes closed

Sit quite still, breathe real slow

Take this moment to find your life

Hold it in the light

Hold a friend, hold them here

All the ones you hold so dear

Hold them in your heart and mind

Hold them in the light

Hold that hurt, a wound you know

Hold it there, then let it go

Whatever it is, whatever it was

Hold them in the light

 Hold your street, your town, your world

The good news and the bad

The forgotten and the overlooked

Hold them in the light

Hold your hope, and your despair

Capture them inside a prayer

Take this moment, find your life

Hold it in the light

~ by Martin Wroe

from Julian of Norwich’s Teabag,

included in Pastor Ellen’s sermon

on December 4, 2022

Dear Friends,

As we move deeper into December and the heart of winter, we move toward the manger in Bethlehem, too. My prayer is that you will continue to hold yourselves, one another, and all of God’s beloved world in the light, even as God holds us.

Grace and peace,

Ellen

Usher sign up link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0948acab2dabf49-fpcusher

Lay Reader sign up link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0948acab2dabf49-scripture

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

link to Ellen's sermon podcasts:  https://bit.ly/Sermons_FPCConcord

Bridge Texts: December 7 - December 10

     Wednesday, Isaiah 41:1-10

Thursday, Isaiah 41:11-20

Friday, Isaiah 43:1-7

Saturday, Isaiah 43: 14-21

December 11 - December 14

Sunday, special music

Monday, Matthew 1:1-7

Tuesday, Genesis 15:1-21

Wednesday, Genesis 17:1-27

THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done, Deacons!!! 

The FPC 2022 Angel Tree Prison Fellowship Project is complete.  

On Saturday, December 3rd, we made our last several Angel Tree deliveries to some excited children and grateful caregivers. Altogether, we brought the spirit of Christ to 65 CHILDREN in 32 HOMES across Cabarrus County. 

Immediately after we finished our last deliveries yesterday afternoon, I arrived home to the just arrived thank you card and 2022 Angel Tree ornament from the Angel Tree Prison Fellowship organization.   

Thank you, thank you, thank you again for all the calling, decorating, tagging, distributing, shopping, wrapping, supporting, and delivering throughout this year's Angel Tree season.   

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Youth – please arrive in the sanctuary by 4 PM on Sunday, December 11^th. We will do a final walk through in costume and with the music.

The pageant begins at 5 PM.

Our Christmas party will follow the pageant in the Fellowship House. Please bring a wrapped Christmas gift in the $10-$15 range for our annual gift exchange.

Our Girl Scouts were busy on December 1st. The Daisy Troop earned a Coding badge and made an ornament. The Brownies earned their Senses badge - identifying mystery scents and enjoying a taste test, including the new Girl Scout cookie! The Juniors looked at shapes in nature - fractals and fibonacci. Middle and high school scouts earned a Girl Scout cookie badge as they began to work on their business plan.

Scouts from all of our troops also attended a special performance and “behind the scenes” look at the Piedmont Dance Theatre's production of The Nutcracker 

Sign up now for Lunch Bunch by calling 704-788-2100, ext. 7 before 9 AM on Monday, December 12. A $9 donation is welcome. Come early and attend the Wednesday morning Bible Study which begins in Davis Hall at 10:30 AM. No preparation needed!

Longest Night Service

Wednesday, December 21 at 7:00 PM

Fellowship House Chapel



Amid the busyness of the season and the focus on joy at Christmas, the Longest Night Service holds space for the sadness that often accompanies the holidays. Personal grief, regret, or yearning for the past, loneliness, exhaustion, and anxiety over the state of the world…there are many reasons it can be hard to muster the happiness that seems to be expected this time of year. The Longest Night service is a quiet service of silence, prayer, music, and candle lighting in which we acknowledge our personal grief, hold each other’s pain collectively, and remember with hope that the Light of Christ shines in the darkness and it is a light no darkness can overcome.

Backpack Program:  Coltrane Webb Elementary School

The response to the BackPack Program for December and January has been tremendous. THANK YOU!! There are a handful a few items that we still need. 

Need by:  December 12, 2022 



Fruit Cocktail:  15 oz 

Fruit Rollup Snack (gummy): Box of 8 rolls

Chicken Broth (canned):  14.5 oz

Beef Stew (large):  20 oz

Peaches:  15 oz

Raisins:  15 oz

Cookies: Suggest box of Little Debbie

Cuddle Up Coat Drive for Children sponsored by the Partnership for Children continues through the end of January. New or gently used coats for children and youth, preschool through high school age, are needed. Donations can be placed in the big Christmas box in the Fellowship House

We are not longer accepting adult coats.

Please remember that year-end contributions must be received in the church office by the Noon on Thursday, December 29 as that is the last calendar day for 2022 giving.

For stock transfers, please notify Suzanne Russell so that the proceeds can be applied to the correct account in a timely manner. Thank you!