Ash Wednesday

First United Presbyterian Church 406 N. College Street, Charlotte, NC, United States

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.

Easter Egg Hunt

Front Lawn

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

Free

Palm Sunday Worship + Palm Procession

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.

Maundy Thursday Tenebrae Service

Sanctuary

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.

Easter Sunday Worship

Sanctuary

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.

Plowshares Book Club

Wood Fellowship Hall

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 […]

Youth Sunday

First Presbyterian Church

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

The Willard: Featuring Brian McLaren

Sanctuary

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

$15

PW Birthday Dinner

Wood Fellowship Hall

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

$15

Kiwanis BBQ & Bluegrass

Front Lawn

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

$15

Spring Luncheon

Front Lawn

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

Free

Wear Orange for Gun Violence Awareness

The Gun Violence Prevention Subcommittee invites you to join them in wearing orange in honor of the communities and families that have been shattered by gun violence. The subcommittee will participate in a gun violence awareness walk on June 8 at First Ward Park at 10 a.m. More info about the walk here.

Youth Charlotte FC Game

Bank of America Stadium 800 S Mint St, Charlotte, NC, United States

Drop off and pick up will be in front of the church entrance gate on the college street side. Please note that the church will be closed in observance of the Juneteenth holiday, so the parking lot will be unavailable. Carpooling is highly recommended. Meet at the church at 6:30 p.m. The ticket cost is $20, including a dinner of hot dogs, chips, and soda. Feel free to bring a friend, but you must register them in Realm. The registration deadline is June 3.

$20

Event Series Second Saturday for Service

Second Saturday for Service

Crisis Assistance Ministry 500-A Spratt St., Charlotte, NC, United States

Join us in working the second Saturday of the month at Crisis Assistance Ministry’s Free Store. Help receive drive-up donations, sort and hang clothes, stock shelves, make “sewless” blankets, and assist shoppers with their free purchases. Great opportunity for parents and those ages 10+! Training is provided at the start of each shift. You can extend your morning of service and fellowship with lunch afterward at nearby food destinations! Contact Flo Bryan for questions and details. fbryan@firstpres-charlotte.org

Barry Funeral

Sanctuary

The funeral will begin at 11 a.m. Parking is available free of charge in the church lot on Poplar Street. Childcare will be provided in P306.

Canceled Lectio Divina/Visio Divina and Breakfast

Chapel

Lectio Divina (“Sacred Reading”) and Visio Divina (“Sacred Seeing”) are ancient spiritual practices in which the written word and visual images are used as a way of listening for God. Join us in the Chapel for an introduction and practice of these spiritual disciplines. All are welcome, but we would appreciate your registering so we know how many people are coming. Breakfast will be served afterward. This event is part of our Contemplative Summer Practices Series. We are hosting three contemplative events this summer as a way to bridge the contemplative service's summer pause: labyrinth walk and picnic, Lectio Divina/Visio Divina and breakfast, and centering prayer and breakfast.

Event Series Family Movie Night

Family Movie & Pizza Night

Wood Fellowship Hall

Join us for a fun-filled evening for children and families of all ages. We will be showing "Encanto" in the Fellowship Hall. Pizza dinner will be provided. Registration is required. Dinner is $5 per person (max of $20 per family).

$5
Event Series Operation Sandwich

Operation Sandwich

Front Lawn

We are still making sandwiches every month for our unsheltered neighbors at Roof Above. Join in on the fun and fellowship of assembly lines of volunteers - young and old, making up to 300 hearty sandwiches handed out daily to the visitors at the College Street campus.

CDC Sunday

First Presbyterian Church

The children and families of the Child Development Center are invited to church for a continental breakfast at 10:15 a.m., followed by worship at 11 a.m. The children will sing during the service.

Event Series Traditional Worship Service

Traditional Worship Service

Sanctuary

The traditional service lasts right around one hour each week and includes prayer, hymns, scripture reading, and a sermon. This service is also streamed live on our website and on WAXN-Channel 64. The service is rebroadcast the following Saturday at 9 a.m. Is it your first time visiting us? Find out where to park and more about your arrival here.

Event Series Summer Book Club

Summer Book Club x Plowshares

Frances Browne Dining Room

We will read “Horse" by Geraldine Brooks. This historical novel imagines the story of a real-life record-breaking thoroughbred ("Lexington") who won his last race in 1855. Interwoven with that story, Geraldine Brooks adds a modern-day plot involving a painting of the horse and its bones. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism. Join us for a light lunch and table discussion about the book. Purchase the book online here, or pick up a copy from the church for $10 in June.

Event Series Chair Yoga

Chair Yoga

P206

Chair yoga is a form of yoga that accommodates individuals of all skill levels, making it a wonderful way to relax midday/midweek. The sessions focus on proper breathing, stretching from head to toe, and improving balance, all while utilizing the support of a chair. Chair yoga practices twice per week from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. at the church. New members are welcome. There is no cost or sign-up required. The class is led by FPC's former faith community nurse, Catherine Lynn.