Special Events

Advent Workshop - Kindergarten - 5th Grade

During the first Sunday of Advent all elementary classes will spend time learning about the Advent season and create a way to celebrate the season through a craft during the Sunday School hour. This special project is fun and is made so that families can begin to worship together during this wonderful season of the year. 

Advent Devotional Booklets are available for families and are comprised of pictures drawn by our elementary Sunday school children. These devotionals are to remind families to take time out of their busy schedules to focus on the true meaning of the Christmas season, sharing
stories and traditions of the holidays.

Bible Study - 3rd Grade

In early October at the 11:00 a.m. Worship service, all third graders of First Presbyterian Church receive their engraved Bibles. These Third graders are recognized during worship and sit with their class in the reserved pews in the Sanctuary for this special occasion.

Receiving a personalized Bible is a very special time in one's life. Not only can third-grade children begin reading the Bible themselves, they can also understand the importance of the Bible to our Christian faith.

Families are encouraged to take time to look at the Bible together, talk about how to use the various sections, and find each family member's favorite story in the Bible.

Promotion Sunday

This is a special day of recognition for the children of the church who are rising kindergarteners through high school age to officially promote them to the next grade level in Sunday School. A special service of Thanksgiving takes place in June to recognize our students and teachers.

Communion Education - Coming to the Table - 3rd Grade

On a date set in the early fall of each year, Second Graders will have the opportunity to learn about Communion.

The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church states, "Baptized children who are being nurtured and instructed in the significance of the invitation to the Table and the meaning of their response are invited to receive the Lord's Supper, recognizing that their understanding of participation will vary according to their maturity." The Session is charged to provide counsel and encouragement for families under its care to prepare their baptized children for participation in the Lord's Supper and to instruct children and parents in the significance in the invitation to the Lord's Table and of their response to faith.

Jesus told the disciples to "Do this in remembrance of me" when they break bread and take of the cup. In our teaching at First Presbyterian we place an emphasis on experiential learning. The children are led to think about ways that they remember family and friends who live far away, they learn about symbolism, worship, reverence and forgiveness. The later session ends with a Seder meal, followed by a brief worship time.

Each of us can encourage our children to better understand the significance of Communion by talking with them about what Communion means to us. This, too, will be part of their learning experience!

Children's Catechism Class - 4th Grade

One of the faith nurturing experiences that our church offers your children is to give them an opportunity to learn the Catechism that is designed especially for their age group. This is a ten-week program that is offered 10 weeks prior to Easter.

This program is based on the Children's Catechism, which is theologically sound and child-friendly. Content includes 145 questions about the Christian faith, including one's relationship with God, the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, and the Lord's Prayer. Our format offers children the opportunity to discuss the questions of faith and how it affects them in their daily lives as Christians.

Call Lou Johnson at 704-927-0265 if you are interested in learning more about our catechism class.

Easter Egg Hunt - Toddlers - 5th Grade

First Presbyterian's annual Easter Egg Hunt is held on Palm Sunday on the Front lawn after the 11:00 worship service.

Scouting

CLICK HERE for more information on Boy Scout Troop 16. We also have a very active Cub Scout program. We have three troops which meet weekly. Our Webelos den is made up of 4th graders. We are working on various activity badges throughout the year with the goal of obtaining our Webelos Badge by year end. Cub Scout Wolves Den 3 consists of this year's second graders and their fathers.