I informed the Session last night (Tuesday), that I have accepted a new position as Interim Head of Staff at First Presbyterian Church, Bloomington, Indiana. I will start there in early November.

By the end of October I will have been at FPC Concord for 17 months—which is near the length of an average term for an Interim Pastor at 18 months. During this time I have been able to largely complete the Interim work I came here to do—in spite of the pandemic.

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve at FPC Concord and have enjoyed working with the talented and gifted staff and the many dedicated people in the congregation. Although the work of the Senior Pastor Nominating Committee continues, I feel good about the progress we have made together to prepare the way for a new installed Senior Minister in the coming months.

The Administration and Personnel Committee of Session will be working closely with the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery to insure a smooth transition and to assist the congregation with its future pastoral leadership needs in the near term. I also plan to make sure that as many “loose ends” as possible are tied up before my departure so that the church is well prepared to move into Advent and the New Year with confidence.

I hope I will be able to chat with a number of you in the next several weeks before I leave, and I look forward to hearing about your continued success in ministry in the future.

Sincerely,

Scott Kenefake

Interim Pastor

This Sunday is Rally Day and we hope you will celebrate with us as a church family as we kick off the Fall season!

All ages are invited to tune in for a special video from the Christian Education Committee to learn about all the opportunities for faith formation and connection in the Fall. You will be able to find this video in the email message sent out on Sunday email that includes the worship link, the church's Facebook page and on our Youtube page!

Join us as we look forward to the ways that we will learn, serve, and grow in faith together.

In this video you will hear about some fun new ways to grow in your faith, such as our virtual classroom for children and families, learning and connection opportunities for youth and adults, Bible and book studies, plans for some outdoor faith formation, and so much more!

One new thing for the Fall for family faith formation is our virtual classroom with our new Growing in God's Love curriculum. For Pre-K through 5th grade children, this includes a monthly supply kit to take home and use with the virtual classroom each week. The first bags will be ready for families to pick up on Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. in the church drive through area and will be available in the lobby area of the Fellowship House next week. Be sure to grab your kit to be ready to go for the first lesson on September 20th!

If you are a family that has a Youth in grades 6th through 12th, be sure to go ahead and sign up to receive the First Youth Fellowship newsletter. That is the best way to see all the ways youth can get connected and deepen their faith through service, community, and fun! Sign-up here to receive the Youth Newsletter for detailed information about all youth happenings.

The Fall Youth Kick Off will be next week, September 20th, so be sure to check the Youth Newsletter for more information about our kick off and fun for the Fall!

All women of the church, age 18 and up, are invited to join us for a year of fellowship, Bible study, and service. Feel free to join us for all offerings, or just a few! Please mark these dates on your calendar:

Sunday, September 13th, 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. - Circle Study Guide and Directory pick-up and PW pledge drop off

Tuesday, September 15th, 7 p.m. - Coordinating Team meeting via Zoom

Wednesday, September 30th, 6:30 p.m.- 8 p.m. - PW Kick Off Event, via Zoom

Sunday, October 18th, 2 p.m. - Spiced Sunday Event via Zoom

On Sunday, September 13th, we are offering a drive-by in person pickup for Circle members to pickup their Study Guides and ALL members to pickup a directory and drop off a pledge to PW. Enter from Union Street between the Sanctuary and the Fellowship house between 1 p.m. & 3 p.m. Pickup will be just before the covered drive connecting the Will Young and the Education Buildings. You can exit on to Church Street.

Volunteers will be masked and able to hand the study guide and directory to you through an open window or place in the back of your vehicle. We are also available to collect PW pledges for the year. You can also make pledges on line with a credit card using this link or mail your pledge checks to the church. Please note: Presbyterian Women pledge on the memo section of your check: First Presbyterian Church, PO Box 789, Concord NC 28025.

Options for receiving your PW Study Guide and Directory include:

- drive-up pick-up THIS Sunday from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

- pick-up at the church office during office hours, starting next week (Monday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. -noon or 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.)

- contactless delivery to your home.

Please use this link to let us know which option you prefer.

More information about PW pledges: Pledges are NOT required to participate in Presbyterian Women circles or events. Pledges do support all of our programming. Pledges as small as $20 covers the cost of a study guide, directory, and the dues we pay per member to the Presbytery. Pledges exceeding $20 assist in covering costs for funeral meals and memorials, and events including Spiced Sunday, Spiritual Nurture, and the Birthday Luncheon, as well as Graduating Senior recognition and Lifetime membership honorees. Average pledges are between $50 and $100, although no amount is too small or too large to make a positive impact.

Happy 65th Birthday to our very own First Kids preschool.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of this program over the years.

We will celebrate this milestone for the entire academic year, so stay tuned!

8:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.

Join us for a three series time of learning with Rev. Carol Hassell. We will discover the fullness of who God created you to be as we explore the 9 enneagram types, learn about the 3 Centers of Intelligence (head/heart/body), and use the Harmony Triads for a whole person response to God and life!

This class will meet virtually on Thursdays at noon on September 17, 24, and October 1.

You will receive a code to the Wagner Enneagram Personality Styles Scale to begin your type exploration with an option for a one on one consultation with Carol before the classes begin. You will also receive a customized enneagram profile packet.

Cost for Class: $10

Cost for optional Consultation: $40

The customized enneagram profile packet is included in the registration fee.

Registration deadline is September 11. You can sign up here!

Please take the WEPSS no later than September 14.

Rev. Carol Hassell is a retired Presbyterian pastor and is currently serving as a spiritual director, enneagram teacher and workshop facilitator. She is certified for Enneagram work and has done training through The Enneagram Spectrum of Styles, The Changeworks, REALIFE Enneagram Circles, and The Enneagram Institute. You can find more information here: www.beenneaware.com

If you have questions, please contact Lynne at lynne.keel@firstpresconcord.org.

We invite ALL girls of our neighborhood, church, and community to join us for Girl Scouts this year!

Brownie Troop 323 (2nd & 3rd grade), Junior Troop 3142 (4th & 5th grade), and Girl Scout Troop 334 (6th-12th grade) are kicking off a new year of scouting! All troops are looking to GROW! If you are interested in more information, please contact Rene Prager (thepragers@yahoo.com).

September plans include providing dinner for the Salvation Army Night Shelter, a walking tour of Historic Concord with guest speakers, and an International Day of Peace celebration. In October, we plan to hike with the wild ponies at Grayson Highlands in Virginia and celebrate both the Day of the Dead and founder, Juliette Gordon Low's birthday. Our theme this year is celebrations and holidays, as we learn about different countries & cultures. Our 6th-12th graders will also be working toward their Silver and Gold Awards.

All troops are open to members and nonmembers of First Presbyterian Church. Interested adults are also invited to contact Rene Prager for ways to get involved in this great organization!

In faithful response to the biblical commands to love our neighbor, in light of the current events of our country, and as part of our commitment to be a Matthew 25 congregation, we seek to continue hosting intentional space for dialogue, understanding, and action for anti-racism and justice work.

Our first book was “So You Want to Talk about Race” by Ijeoma Olou. We had a great group of 20-25 people each Sunday afternoon engaging in eye-opening and respectful dialogue. We will continue the discussion with our new book selection "White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity" by Robert P. Jones. If you missed out on the last book, now is a great time to join!

Discussion begins this Sunday, September 13th at 4 p.m. via Zoom. If you would like to sign up to join this group, please let Lynne Keel know by emailing her at lynne.keel@firstpresconcord.org. We encourage you to order your book ASAP (through a black-owned bookstore, if possible) as there are book shortages and shipping delays associated with the current pandemic as well as increased interest in discussing racial equity. We hope you will join us for this critical conversation.

The Worship and Music Committee members appreciate those who responded to the recent survey seeking feedback on our current church situation.

Of the 126 respondents, 57% indicate that they like a combination of formal and informal services. 31% prefer formal services, while 12% prefer strictly informal services. 72% said they would like for virtual services to continue once we return to in-person worship.

71% of those responding indicate that they feel well-informed about church happenings. Perhaps that may be accounted for by the 99+% that indicate they read The Banner. However, 87% said they would like mid-week updates. 63% of those responding feel that they have access to spiritual services.

The Worship and Music Committee continues to coordinate with the Re-opening Task Force and other related committees in planning for the fall.

Friends Empowering Haiti, (formerly Friends of OFCB), is a mission of love and hope for Bayonnais, Haiti. Our church has partnered with Friends Empowering Haiti, Lynne Keel has led two mission trips to Bayonnais, our Market for Mission supported this mission, and our congregation sponsors 33 children in Bayonnais providing each child an opportunity for education. Current conditions in Haiti are severe due to crime, civil unrest, kidnappings and Covid-19. The community of Bayonnais is suffering, many families are starving, some children are not in school, the clinic needs supplies, and demonstrations, tire burning, and roadblocks are frequent. They need our help!

Friends Empowering Haiti is launching a virtual fundraiser to raise support and money for Bayonnais. The event begins on Friday, September 18 and runs until Friday, September 27. During this time, we will celebrate the people of Bayonnais, their culture, and the long-standing relationship shared between us. We will rejoice in the grace of God and together will empower our friends in Haiti.

Check our Facebook page often for photos, videos, testimonials and a town-hall meeting with Actionnel Fleurisma, civic leader in Bayonnais. Please join us for a brilliant raffle including art, local gifts and so much more.  http://www.facebook.com/hallelujahforhaiti

I hope you will join me in supporting Hallelujah for Haiti!

Betsy Liles

Board Member

Friends Empowering Haiti

Monday, September 21st, in Davis Hall

2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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

to schedule an appointment.

The Cabarrus County CROP Hunger Walk is a great opportunity for our church family to work together by donating money and time to end hunger in our community and in the world. This event includes a 1 mile and 3 mile walk. Fun for all ages.

As COVID-19 continues to impact our community, hunger remains a crucial issue and the needs have become even more urgent this year. The Cabarrus County CROP Hunger Walk is committed to continuing the fight against hunger in our community as well as globally. With your help, we will respond to the COVID-19 crisis by supporting the hunger fighting initiatives of our local agency partners (Cooperative Christian Ministry) and Church World Service.

Sunday, October 11th. The walk starts at 1:30 p.m.. This year the CROP Hunger Walk Planning Team is developing an event that is taking all necessary health and safety precautions for our participants. We will be modifying the Walk to be more of a virtual event with walkers continuing their fundraising efforts and committing to participate with appropriate social distancing, such as walking with their families or in small groups in their own neighborhoods, greenway trails or local parks.

To make online donations go to https://www.crophungerwalk.org/cabarrusnc. Enter this web address into your browser and Select donate. Click team and type First Presbyterian Church. You can also donate by mailing or dropping a check by the church office. Checks should be designated to the CROP Hunger Walk. We have been challenged to meet the $500 level goal this year.

 You can use the above website to register for the team or you can call the church office. You can also join in by walking in the event that day! All are welcome!

Yes! You can spread the word and encourage your friends and family to support this fun event.

 Our church's CROP walk coordinator this year is Edy Johnston. Feel free to email her at johnstoniiip@aol.com or call her at 704.796.6230. If you have questions or want to help.

Our pastoral staff continues to preach and teach through various means of technology. Please join us for all of our worship opportunities on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/firstpresconcordnc/),

YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfpzVUz-ZgaCJuogIMor8Iw) or our Sermon Archives (https://firstpresconcord.org/worship/sermon-archives/).