With the generous support of our members, First Presbyterian has served as a refuge of hope and comfort for our congregation and our community for almost 200 years. By combining our financial gifts with countless hours of volunteer time and prayers, we are able to serve Christ in the Heart of Charlotte.

"For Just Such a Time as This", the theme for this year’s 2010 Stewardship Season, harkens back to a time of crisis. These words are taken from the story of Esther (Esther 4:14), a great story of courage in a time of hardship. The words were spoken to Esther by her uncle as a challenge when she was in a position to help her people who were facing persecution. By heeding these words, her life would be in danger, but her uncle tells her that maybe she has been put in the role as the king’s wife "for just such a time as this." Esther goes on to act heroically, revealing the plot against her people and averting  persecution. In this story and today, we see God’s providence and the need for all of us to consider how our gifts and talents might be called upon in extraordinary times.

This year we face an extraordinary time. Our members have lost jobs and seen their incomes and financial assets reduced. Our church typically receives 30% of our funding from appreciated stock gifts, which appear to be a thing of the past. Furthermore, we have lost members due to relocation.

Given that this is an extraordinary time, the Stewardship Committee is asking for Extraordinary Action.

Each member of First Presbyterian is being asked to make two gifts this year.

The first gift is your traditional annual stewardship pledge. This pledge is no different than in the past, and may be paid at any time during 2010.

The second gift is an Extraordinary Times offering. This offering is similar to a capital campaign, when the church identifies a need that is greater than ordinary. So, the church asks members to make a special offering to fund a special need. In this case, the special need is not for a building, but to allow the church to continue operating at its current level of service to meet the needs of our congregation and our community.

It has been 12 years since First Presbyterian has held a capital campaign, and none are planned for the near future. While this is not a capital campaign, please consider this to be an extraordinary gift.

Please see the links below for additional information on how to make a pledge, and thank you for your consideration.

 CLICK HERE to make a contribution.

CLICK HERE to make a pledge.

CLICK HERE for the 2010 Stewardship Brochure.