“How can we as people of faith reconcile the call to participate in God’s ongoing struggle for justice while not losing our souls to hatred? How can we love our enemies in this time? Scott Black Johnston believes that there is a way to pursue this difficult work and that people of faith can light the way. He encourages us to recommit to our highest principles —our virtues —and to turn hearts poisoned by cynicism into instruments of love.” Plowshares has selected “Elusive Grace” for the Winter 2024 book read/discussion. The author, Scott Black Johnston, is Senior Pastor of Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. He’s also a friend of Pen Peery, and accepted Pen’s invitation to join our group via Zoom from 1-1:30 p.m. during our event! We’ll begin after Worship with lunch and table discussion in P212 Frances Browne Dining Room. Register

Ashes to go, 8:15 a.m., at the CDC door and the Weekday School line on 5th street Ashes on the Square, 12 p.m. at the corner of Trade and Tryon Ash Wednesday service, 12 p.m. at First United Presbyterian Church (406 N. College Street) – This year's Ash Wednesday service will be held at FUPC and the Reverend Pen Peery will be preaching. Hourly parking is available at 7th Street Station. Enter the Sanctuary on 7th Street.

Join Children’s Ministry on the front lawn on Friday, March 22 at 4:30 p.m. for our annual Easter Egg Hunt! The hunt will take place in waves by age for children ages birth through fifth grade. Pizza will be provided with registration. Register

Children remain after the musical at 10-10:45 a.m. to line up for the procession of palms. The procession will begin the traditional worship service at 11 a.m.

The Service of Tenebrae sets the tone for Good Friday by recreating aspects of the passion story with scripture, communion, solemn hymns, and the gradual darkening of the room as candles are extinguished. This service will be in person in the sanctuary and streamed live on our website.

There will be two Traditional Worship Services on Easter morning: 9 a.m. in the sanctuary, and at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary, livestream, and WAXN Channel-64. Nursery and First Church available for both services. Bring flowers from home to adorn the Easter cross. There will be no sunrise service in the park or contemplative service on Easter. This year's Easter offering will go to Freedom Communities. Impact the lives of families in our city by giving generously to this year’s Easter offering which will go to buying down new Alleghany Street Townhomes into affordable home ownership. Every dollar given will be matched by First Presbyterian Church, and the combined contribution will be used to make these townhomes more affordable for working families. Engage the entire family using collection boxes available after church on Sundays during Lent, use the “Easter Offering” dropdown box on the Give page of the church website, or just bring your gift to worship on Easter Sunday.

Our book club's selection for April is "Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of America" by Richard Gergel. At the event, we will welcome a very special guest: the book's author, Judge Richard Gergel, who is a US district judge appointed by President Obama. The book details how one event changed the course of America's civil rights history. "On February 12, 1946, Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a returning, decorated African American veteran, was removed from a Greyhound bus in Batesburg, South Carolina, after he challenged the bus driver’s disrespectful treatment of him. Woodard, in uniform, was arrested by the local police chief, Lynwood Shull, and beaten and blinded while in custody. President Harry Truman was outraged by the incident. He established the first presidential commission on civil rights and his Justice Department filed criminal charges against Shull. In July 1948, following his commission’s recommendation, Truman ordered an end to segregation in the U.S. armed forces. An all-white South Carolina jury acquitted Shull, but the presiding judge, J. Waties Waring, was conscience-stricken by the failure of the court system to do justice by the soldier. Waring described the trial as his “baptism of fire,” and began issuing […]

Join us on April 21 at First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte as we gather together for Youth Sunday. This year, our theme is Earth Day, a time to reflect on God's call for us to steward and nurture creation with love, responsibility, and compassion. FPC Youth will lead us in a special service filled with inspiring messages, heartfelt prayers, and uplifting music, all centered around the importance of caring for our planet. Through scripture and fellowship, we'll explore ways to cultivate a deeper connection with the Earth and foster a spirit of environmental stewardship in our community. Come and be a part of this meaningful celebration as we embrace God's gift of creation and commit to caring for our world with reverence and gratitude. Youth Lead Worship “Honoring Creation’s Splendor on Earth Day” 11 a.m., Sanctuary & Livestream

Brian McLaren, author, speaker, activist, and public theologian, notes that the challenge of living well and maintaining resilience in turbulent times requires new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging. Facing nations, ecosystems, economies, religions, and other institutions in disarray, we are called to a spiritual transformation in our own lives that will express itself in transformation in our world. Purchase Tickets

This annual dinner celebrates the past year and anticipates the year to come. The evening will begin at 5:30 with drinks in the courtyard, followed by a festive dinner and brief program in Wood Fellowship Hall. Our guest speaker is Lisa Saunders, Associate Rector at Christ Episcopal Church, whose talk is entitled “We Are (Im)perfect For Each Other". We will conclude by recognizing our Honorary Life Memberships and installing PW’s new officers for 2024-2025. <p data-pm-slice="1 1 Register

Save the Date for the Kiwanis BBQ! The 45th annual Kiwanis BBQ & Bluegrass event. This event isn’t only fun and delicious, but every bit of profit comes back to the church to sponsor our Camp Grier program! If you can’t stay and enjoy lunch on the lawn, there is an option to drive through and pick up food in the church driveway. Tickets are $15 the day of and $14 in advance. Please share this opportunity with friends and colleagues who work uptown! Purchase ticket

Join us for a good old-fashioned church picnic on the lawn. The church will provide fried chicken, rolls, and beverages. Therefore, we are asking each family to bring a potluck contribution to share (more info below).  Please register for this event, as we need a correct head count. There will be tables and chairs, but bring a blanket if you prefer! Potluck contributions (one per family): Last names A-I: Dessert Last names J-R: Side Last names S-Z: Salad Register