In Christ There Is No East or West

In Christ there is no east or west, in him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole wide earth. – Hymn 317, In Christ There Is No East or West   “… for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you...

Outreach at BackPack Beginnings

My name is Leigh Jones and for the past 8 years, I have had the pleasure of serving on the volunteer staff at BackPack Beginnings in the role of Clothing Pantry Chair. Children and youth from First Presbyterian Church have volunteered at BPB for over 10 years...

200th in the New Year

As part of our bicentennial, during the month of January we will be celebrating First Presbyterian Church’s continued relationship with the city of Greensboro. The church was founded only sixteen years after Greensboro itself was established, and since that time FPC...

Chinese food, 5K & other traditions

What are your Christmas traditions? Those foods, events, music, books that evoke a sense of the season for you? Some are shared by many: decorating the Christmas tree, singing carols, the giving and receiving of presents. Others are unique to families. One friend of...

Breathing for all ages

Most Wednesday mornings at 9:30, you can find me on the chancel steps in our beautiful sanctuary leading chapel with some of our Weekday Preschool students. We follow a very predictable routine (because that’s what is best for the children). We say a repeat-after-me...

The stable: Where we store our wounds

The Christmas story has an inn and a stable. One is located on the street; the other is out back. One is lit, decorated, and worthy of important visitors. The other sits dark, silent, and used for those things the inn keeper wants out of sight. Both are vivid...

Providing shelter for the season

In the Season of Advent, we look forward to Christmas and remember the story of Christ’s birth. We learn in the gospels about Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem for the census when it was time for Jesus to be born. With no room in the inn, they were desperate for...

The Power of a Prayerful Pause

I’ve noticed as of late that folks have been a little unfiltered, quick to press the send or post button. Is this just in my world or are you experiencing this, too? Some of these messages come from regular sources, others arrive out of left field  with a subject line...

Our family’s legacy of joyful noise

Each November, the season of thanksgiving calls us to reflect upon the gifts which we have been given that in turn we may give to others. This year, we are celebrating the 200th anniversary of First Presbyterian Church, and reflecting upon the gifts this community of...

Comfort and joy?

I know, I know, it seems an odd theme for Advent. If we’d left off the question mark, all would be well. But I am not sure that kind of conclusive sentiment would have felt truthful this year. Aren’t we all a bit unmoored this year? Unsure of what might come at us...