All Youth, 8^th grade and up, are invited to participate in our 2023-2024 Confirmation Class.

Our first class is a PARENT and CONFIRMAND class. We will meet at 9:45 AM in the Fellowship House sunroom.

Please RSVP to let us know that you can attend:

Confirmands: 2023-24 Confirmation Class (signupgenius.com)

Our Youth (6^th-12^th graders) are invited to help prepare a meal for the Night Shelter. We will be cooking from 4:30 PM - 6 PM in the Davis Hall kitchen on Sunday, August 20^th.

Please see this sign-up to RSVP and to commit to bringing in an item or two for our recipes:

2023-2024 Youth: 8/20 Youth- Night Shelter cooking (signupgenius.com)

Just a reminder to e-mail René Prager – r.prager@firstpresconcord.org – with your student’s college address.

The Youth will be preparing care packages this fall. College addresses are due by August 31^st.

It was an honor to give the invocation at the Carolina Panthers' preseason opener against the New York Jets on Saturday, August 12. As a longtime Panthers fan, it was such a cool experience to be a few feet from legends like Steve Smith and Kurt Coleman before the game, bring my parents and grandpa onto the field, and represent our congregation in front of thousands of our neighbors. 

The person setting up my microphone and earpiece was preparing to do the children's sermon at his Lutheran church in Asheboro the next day, so he and I got to chat a bit about that.

And I'll tell you what—the score didn't go our way, but Bryce Young looked like the real deal...

Our staff has been busy preparing for the opening of our 68th school year. Our annual theme, "Hello World, Here We Come" will take us on an around the world adventure.  

We are pleased to announce that the following women will be part of our 2023-2024 staff:  

One-Year- Kristi Dugan, Kristina Revels and Sally Price  

Two A- Lisa Sackeli and MaryAnn Harrison

Three A- Julia Holshouser and Tara Garrett (MWF)

Three B- Amber Huggins, Megan Kopasz and Hope Duckworth

Four MWF- Maureen O'Bryan and Tara Garrett

Five-Day Fours- Laura Lyon, Elyse Lambert and Golda Jay 

Transitional Kindergarten- Jennifer Michalski and Holly Westbrook 

Director- Maureen O'Bryan

Assistant Director- Pam Prentice  

Open House 

Thursday, August 24th 

The Five-Day Four Class and All MWF Classes- 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Transitional Kindergarten and All T/Th Classes- 11:00 AM - Noon

August 28th & 29th-First Days of School 

The prayers and support of the congregation of First Presbyterian Church are always greatly appreciated as we embark on this journey. 

Learning, Playing and Praying Together, 

Maureen O'Bryan,

Director First Kids

Several congregation members participated in the annual Women’s Connection conference at Montreat last weekend.

Our own Ellen Crawford True served as the preacher for the weekend, helping to lead worship Friday evening and Sunday morning.

Participants also attended a bible study Saturday morning and two classes during the day on Saturday. Keynote speaker, Kate Bowler, filled a packed Anderson Auditorium on Saturday evening. 

The Deacon's Mission team at First Presbyterian Church has adopted W. M. Irvin Elementary School. Throughout the year, we will support Irvin students and teachers in a variety of ways. One of the most pressing ways that we can support the Irvin community right now is to help teachers obtain items on their teacher wish lists. There are twelve wish lists posted in the Google Doc linked here. Please look them over to see what you might be able to help with. Instructions about where to send items are listed in the Google Doc. Thank you for your generosity!

There is still time to join us for the Presbyterian Women Kick Off Dinner Wednesday, August 23, 2023 in Davis Hall. Hear from Rev. Casey as he presents "How I Got Where I Am Today", and hear about our new Bible Study, The Power and Presence of Jesus Christ in Luke-Acts. ALL women are welcome! The new deadline is Monday, August 21, at 10 AM. 

Click to signup , or call the reservation line: 704-788-2100, #7. The cost for dinner is $12.00.

Once again, we are assisting Wolf Meadow Elementary with Student Teacher needs. Please consider purchasing items from the list below and bringing them to our dinner:

Clorox wipes

tissues

post-it notes

paper towels

resealable baggies - sandwich and gallon sizes

hand sanitizer

crayons

backpacks

Expo Markers

index cards

masking tape

paints

Remember Presbyterian Women are ALL women of the church not just Circle members. We hope to see you at the Kickoff Dinner and throughout the year.

Dakeita Vanderburg, Moderator

Amanda Williamson, Vice Moderator

Our mission partner, the Concord Bible Teaching Association, is looking for technologically savvy volunteers who can help the organization update and maintain its social media presence and update its mailing and contact lists in Excel or Google Sheets. If you have benefited from CBTA and want to help their work continue, or if you know a high school student looking for volunteer hours or an internship they can add to their resume, please email cbtanc@gmail.com.

What would happen if a shy introvert lived like a gregarious extrovert for one year? If she knowingly and willingly put herself in perilous social situations that she’d normally avoid at all costs? Writer Jessica Pan intends to find out. With the help of various extrovert mentors, Jessica sets up a series of personal challenges (talk to strangers, perform stand-up comedy, host a dinner party, travel alone, make friends on the road, and much, much worse) to explore whether living like an extrovert can teach her lessons that might improve the quality of her life. Chronicling the author’s hilarious and painful year of misadventures, this book explores what happens when one introvert fights her natural tendencies, takes the plunge, and tries (and sometimes fails) to be a little bit braver.

Thursday August 31, 7:00 PM 

Southern Strain Brewing Company

165 Brumley Avenue Set. 3001

Concord NC 28025

Article from the Independent Tribune on August 9, 2023:

First Presbyterian Church Concord has partnered with Habitat for Humanity Cabarrus County (Habitat Cabarrus) to build new homes since its inception in 1989.

The congregation set three weeks in May and June to raise $10,000 for Habitat Cabarrus. An anonymous donor incentivized the campaign with a $5,000 matching challenge, doubling their gift.

“The amazing impact in our county due to the long-standing partnership between First Presbyterian Church Concord and Habitat Cabarrus is a perfect example of what is possible when you give it to God,” said Bill Shelton, Habitat Cabarrus CEO.

The support of partners like First Presbyterian and others has inspired Habitat Cabarrus to announce a FAITH BUILD this fall. The idea behind the FAITH BUILD is for a new home build to be 80% funded and built by the FAITH COMMUNITY. If a church would like to participate, contact Bonnie Jones at bonnie@habitatcabarrus.org or 704-786-4001, Ext. 101.

The cost of building a Habitat Cabarrus home in 2019 was $85,000 compared to today at $150,000-$170,000. This does not include the cost of land. Now more than ever, Habitat Cabarrus needs the community to engage and help build more affordable homes.

Local churches can help by joining the Faith Committee to help with the FAITH BUILD (first meeting Sept. 5), become a volunteer at the Habitat Cabarrus ReStore or volunteer on the build site, donate or participate in a fundraiser (FAITH BUILD-Fall, Year End giving campaign, WOMEN BUILD-Spring), provide lunch one day at a build site or provide “Welcome Home” gifts for the new homeowners.

Contact Habitat Cabarrus to find more ways to get involved. Questions about volunteering can be directed to Willmarie Austin at willmarie@habitatcabarrus.org or 704-786-4001, Ext. 104.