Archive
Month: April 2018
Arborists have advised removing two century-old oak trees on the lawn in front of First Presbyterian Church. One tree is near the Trade Street fence and the other is the first large tree on the right as you enter the church driveway from the Poplar Street parking lot.
Two arborists were consulted and reported that the roots of one tree are already dead and the other tree is dying. Both trees, one of which is estimated to be about 120 years old, are at risk of falling and will be removed as soon as the ground is dry.
“Our lawn is a place of grace in the heart of Charlotte,” said the Reverend Pen Peery. “These trees have provided us a century or more of shade, color and beauty. The trees have been God’s gift to the church and to the city, but this is the natural cycle of life. We’re preparing to let them go with gratitude, so we can begin to replace them with trees that will grow and be healthy here for many more decades to come.”
If you are interested in using any of the wood from the trees, contact Jesse Hite.
First Presbyterian is sponsoring a new Girl Scout Troop for fifth and sixth grade girls at Westerly Hills Academy and your help can make this happen. The new troop welcomes people who are interested in being an assistant leader, planning camp outs, sewing patches on sashes, providing healthy refreshments, or who have a special talent to share with the girls.
The troop will meet after school (3:15–5:45 p.m.) on May 3, 17 and 31. Next year the plan is to continue to meet every other week after school at Wilson Middle School.
The girls are fun and enthusiastic, with great ideas! If you want to be involved, contact Barb Neidinger.
The Child Development Center invites everyone to try out the new Zumba class on Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45 p.m. in P309. The fee is $5.00 per class. The instructor is Angel Adams.
A mission team will be in Cuba April 19-25. Below you can see how our group would like to be prayed for each day, with scripture based on Psalm 111, which the Reverend Carlos Ham used as the basis for his sermon when he preached here earlier this year.
On Thursday, April 26, FPC and Center City Church will co-host a conversation with journalist Peter Moskowitz, author of the best-selling book How to Kill a City: Gentrification, Inequality and the Fight for a Neighborhood.
Preschool families are invited to Come Play with Me, a fundraiser for one of FPC’s partner agencies, Lakewood Preschool. Lakewood is tuition-free and funds raised at Come Play with Me support this preschool in west Charlotte. Admission and parking are free for this event on the church lawn on Sunday, April 29, 3:30-6 p.m..
Activities will include lawn games, a bouncy house, concessions and snacks, a raffle and a concert by Liz, Holly and the Jolly Lollies.
Funds will be used for outdoor classroom supplies.
The recipient of this year’s Will Appleby Award for Spirit, Dedication and Leadership is Alex Ayer, a senior at Myers Park High School and a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church.
The Appleby Award was founded in memory of Will Appleby, an active and committed member of the youth program at First Presbyterian who died during his freshman year in college. Each year, the Appleby Award recognizes a member of the youth program for outstanding participation and leadership.
Alex has been a very active member of the youth program since the sixth grade. She has served on the Youth Council since the seventh grade and was asked to lead FPC’s Youth Ministry Team for the last two years. She loves the annual Montreat Youth Conference, where she will be in July for her fifth consecutive summer. She also enjoys the annual ski trip and had a wonderful experience with the youth mission trip to Mexico. She has coordinated a blood drive at FPC for the last three years, helped as a youth usher on Sunday mornings, and plays a role in Youth Sunday each year. Like Will Appleby, Alex has made youth group a priority in her life and encourages others to get involvedr. Alex will attend UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall.
First Presbyterian is sponsoring a new Girl Scout Troop for students at Westerly Hills Academy and your help can make this happen. The new troop needs people who can sew patches on sashes, starting in late April or early May. And healthy refreshments for 19 girls will be needed on April 19, May 3, May 17 or May 31. If you’re interested in these opportunities or want to be involved in any other capacity, contact Barb Neidinger.
You can sign up now for the new Historic Tours of the church on Thursdays at 1 p.m. The weekly tours are limited to 12 people and are available to groups, members, nonmembers and members of the public. Tours also will be available at other times upon request. You can also call the church (704-332-5123). Sign-up closes 24 hours in advance.
Members Nancy Rogers and Marianne Winn will lead this new ministry. Nancy, who joined First Presbyterian last fall, is a professional docent and has experience as a tour guide for other historic venues.