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There’s a Place for You Here
Come as you are. No dress code, no pressure, no script.
Ask Questions and Find Support

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Want to Get a Feel for First Presbyterian Church First?

Catch our podcast, it’s the easiest way to get to know this community before you walk through the door. Each episode takes on the questions Charlotte is actually wrestling with: housing, race, education, faith, and what it means to follow Jesus in a complicated world. It sounds like the church does: honest, thoughtful, and grounded in real life.

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Join Us This Sunday

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Find Us in Uptown Charlotte
Address: 200 West Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: (704) 332-5123

Free parking is available on Sunday mornings in the surface lot at the corner of Trade and Poplar Streets. Enter from Poplar Street, directly across from the church. After parking, walk up the driveway until you see the brick pathway and TV screen, where a campus map will guide your next steps.

Accessible parking is available on the driveway in front of the Sanctuary, accessed from Church Street.

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Contemplative Service
Sundays, 9 a.m. | Chapel | September through May

A quiet, reflective service with communion each week, Scripture, and space for silence. During summer months (starting May 24), this service pauses. Check the current bulletin for seasonal times.

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Traditional Service
Sundays, 11 a.m. | Sanctuary | Year-round

The Traditional Service is the full expression of Presbyterian worship: corporate prayer, hymns, a choir, Scripture, and a sermon. It’s rooted in tradition and alive with music. This service runs all year, including summer.

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A Full Picture of Sunday Morning

September Through May

9 a.m. — Contemplative Service | Chapel
9:45 a.m. — Adult Sunday School | Various rooms and Zoom (see class list)
9:45 a.m. — Youth Sunday School (Grades 6 to 12) | Room P321 (High School) and P301 (Middle School)
9:45 a.m. — Children’s Sunday School (Ages 3 to 5th Grade) | Meet in the gym
11 a.m. — Traditional Worship | Sanctuary

Summer Schedule (Starting May 24)

10 a.m. — Adult Sunday School | Various rooms and Zoom
11 a.m. — Traditional Service | Sanctuary (one service only; Contemplative Service pauses for summer)

Kids & Families

Children are always welcome in worship. Here’s how Sunday morning works for families at FPC:

See Children’s Ministry

A young volunteer holds a baby in the church nursery

Nursery (Birth through Age 2)

The nursery is open beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Room P311. Professionally trained staff provide a safe, loving environment. When children turn three, they’re encouraged to join Sunday School and First Church.

A teacher leads a class of young children seated on the floor

Children’s Sunday School (Ages 3 through 5th Grade)

Sunday School runs from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. Children meet in the gym at 9:45 and are escorted to their classrooms at 10. Pick-up is in the gym at 10:45. For check-in, a parent or guardian must be present. Each child receives a two-part security sticker: one half stays with the child, the other half goes with the parent. Only the adult with the matching tag can pick up.

A pastor shares a children's sermon with children gathered on the chancel steps

First Church (Ages 3 through 1st Grade, During the 11 a.m. Service)

During the 11 a.m. service, children participate in the Time for Children in the sanctuary. Afterward, they leave with a leader for First Church, a simplified worship experience where they help lead and engage with the day’s Scripture. They rejoin their families in the Sanctuary during the final hymn.

Adults listen during a class in a church meeting room

Ask Questions and Find Support

If you’d like to let us know you’re coming, or if you have questions before your first visit, fill out the form below. Our Membership Coordinator will reach out by email or phone to confirm and welcome you. If you’d like, someone will meet you before the service to show you around.

When You’re Ready to Call This Home

Baptism

Baptism is a visible sign of God’s grace and a lifelong marker of belonging. God chooses, calls, and claims people even before they can fully articulate faith. Baptism isn’t just something that happens to you; it’s something the whole congregation commits to live out with you.

At FPC, baptism is offered for both infants and adults. The Session (the church’s governing board of elders) asks families and individuals to attend a brief baptism class to understand the meaning of the sacrament and the promises being made. Whether you’re exploring baptism for yourself or for your child, this is a meaningful and supported next step.

Membership

First Presbyterian encourages you to worship here first and get a feel for the community before thinking about membership. There’s no pressure and no timeline.

When you’re ready to explore joining, reach out to our Membership Coordinator who is glad to connect before or after worship or during the week to answer questions and walk you through the process. A quarterly New Member Class introduces the church and the Presbyterian tradition. After the class, new members are welcomed during the 11 a.m. service the following Sunday.

Offered twice a year, in the spring and fall, First Presbyterian Church hosts a New Member Luncheon for everyone who has joined in the previous six months.

Come This Sunday

The best way to find out if First Presbyterian Church is for you is to walk in the door. Ushers will greet you, bulletins will be waiting, and nobody is going to put you on the spot. Jesus welcomed people who showed up with questions, and this congregation is committed to doing the same.

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