Effective June 9, we are no longer requiring registrations to attend worship. You will be asked to sign in upon arrival for contact tracing purposes. From now on, simply show up on Sunday morning to join us for worship.
Updated August 3: Due to the rising infection rates in Mecklenburg County caused by the Delta variant, masks are once again required for all indoor gatherings, including worship.
September 16, 6-7:30 p.m., Chapel at Queens University
Come meet the author of our new history book and have your copy signed. Author Lois Stickell will share anecdotes and answer questions. Books will be available for purchase if you don’t get one on Celebration Sunday. The cost of the book is $50 and all proceeds go to Roof Above. | Questions | Can’t attend in person? Watch live
Event parking: Available in the Harris House parking lot on Radcliffe Avenue near the corner of Queens Road and Radcliffe Avenue. This parking lot is directly across from the Chapel. Additional parking is available in the circular drive on Selwyn Avenue and in the Byrum Parking Deck off Wellesley Avenue. The entrance to the parking deck is along the drive between the Queens Campus and the ball fields.
To preorder your copy, register here.
View the Opening Doors Capital Campaign brochure and/or make a pledge: firstpres-charlotte.org/opening-doors
Find answers to your construction questions in our FAQ brochure here.
Carol Choir
Wednesday, 6-7 p.m. (Beginning September 8)
Open to grades TK-1
Register | Contact Caryn Overbey
Kirk Choir Rehearsals
Wednesdays, 6-7 p.m. (Beginning September 8)
Open to grades 2-5
Register | Contact Caryn Overbey
Youth Choir Rehearsals
Wednesdays, 6:30-7:15 p.m. (Beginning September 8)
Youth Choir is open to youth grades 6-12
Register | Contact Will Young for additional information
Beginner Bells
Wednesdays, 7-7:20 p.m. (Beginning September 8)
Grades 2-4
Sanctuary Choir Rehearsals
Wednesdays, 7:30-9 p.m. (Beginning August 25)
Register | Contact Will Young with questions.
Knox Handbell Ringers Rehearsals
Wednesdays, 7-8 p.m. (Beginning September 8)
Knox Handbell Ringers is open to children and youth in grades 5-12.
Register | Contact Trevor Cook
Ivey Handbells Rehearsals
Wednesdays, 7:30-9 p.m. (Beginning August 25)
This auditioned group of youth in grades 8-12
Register | Contact Trevor Cook
Visit our bicentennial webpage to read more about FPC’s history, watch videos, find out about events, and download popular recipes shared by members.
Sunday, September 26, 2-4 p.m. – Registration is open for the Presbyterian Women’s Fall Gathering! All are welcome to join your PW friends for an afternoon of food and fellowship. Event will be held at Sara Pressly’s farm in Weddington. Directions will be provided after registration. There is no cost, however, registration is required and is now open until September 22. Click here to register.
Our Anti-Racism Work
Responding to the presence of racism is the work of faith. We understand that the promise of the gospel is that in Jesus Christ, the dividing wall and hostility between peoples has been broken down (Ephesians 2:14). As we are the body of Christ, we have a responsibility to continue the work that Jesus started. And as we have learned, it is not enough to simply be nonracist. We also must firmly be antiracist. This is a journey that is filled with hope, honesty, and, often, tough discussions.
As we go about this work and our responses in the continuing conversation, here are resources that you may use in your journey. These resources include books for all ages, podcasts, articles and videos.
Also, Foundation For The Carolinas recently published a list of non-profits that work directly in the field of social justice and that address racial equity. You may access that resource here.
Updates from Russia
Updates from our Partner Church in Russia
November 30, 2020
First Presbyterian has been in partnership with Hope Baptist Church in Ryazan, Russia, since 2003. We have watched them grow, plant other churches, and develop a network of Protestant churches in the region despite resistance and intolerance from their neighbors.
When our partnership started, the congregation of Hope Baptist was renting space for their worship services and church activities. Over the years, they bought that space with help from the funds our church sent, but they still faced discrimination from their neighbors. Russians identify strongly with the Russian Orthodox church as a matter of national pride, so Protestant congregations, especially those with American friends, are viewed with some skepticism. The members of Hope Baptist expanded and enhanced their church space, but they still encountered suspicion because they were housed on the first floor of an apartment building, leading people to believe they were more of a cult than a church.
Several years ago, Hope Baptist was able to purchase land to build a structure with a sanctuary that looks like a traditional church; they were able to buy this land through careful stewardship and with the generous gift of funds from our Global Mission budget. Because of laws in the city of Ryazan, they had to finish construction within five years or lose it all. They have been working tirelessly. The new space includes a sanctuary, a kitchen, offices, and a basement fellowship hall to host church events and retreats for other congregations in the area. The third floor, which will house Sunday school rooms, will have finishing touches and furnishings as funds allow. Members of the congregation have tithed both to the church and to the new building, and they have pitched in time and energy to the construction.
Hope Baptist also has property in the Russian countryside for a rustic camp where they host retreats, youth camps, and other gatherings. This space is used by the Protestant churches within their network, and traveling into the countryside offers a welcome change of scenery and a respite from tense relationships with neighbors.
We were sad to postpone the trip this summer, but we look forward to visiting and seeing the new building when travel is more advisable. When we can travel, we will take funds from First Presbyterian to help with the new building, and we will collect gifts for their Sunday school programs, kitchen, and camp. What Hope Baptist has been able to accomplish in the face of adversity is inspiring, and it is a joy to partner with such a faithful congregation.
– Mary Elizabeth Coley