What are the services like?

Services are at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary in person and available online through Facebook Live and YouTube. If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or the Flu, we strongly encourage you and every congregant to wear a mask in consideration of your neighbors. It’s a simple step and sign of respect that can help reduce the spread of illnesses. 

 

In every service, you are invited to participate in the liturgy using the weekly bulletin. Corporate prayer allows us to approach God as a community, in one voice, sharing in each other’s life and concerns. This includes the Call to Worship, a corporate confession of sin, followed by assurance of our pardon before God, an affirmation of faith, and the Lord’s Prayer. Hymns and worship music are typically drawn from the pew hymnal and accompanied by pipe organ or piano, and often the choir.  

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Services typically include a short children’s moment where all the children meet at the steps of the chancel. The younger ones may then leave the sanctuary and go to the nursery, or they may stay with their family. Children in Kindergarten and older remain in the service to share in the common life of their church family.

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You can expect readings drawn from the Revised Common Lectionary‘s suggested Hebrew Scriptures, New Testament Letters, and Gospels. The sermon is based on these scriptures. In addition, you will have the opportunity to profess the historic faith of the church, commit your resources to the ministry of the church through tithes and offerings, and periodically share in the Sacrament of Communion.

 

In every pew is a friendship pad, which we ask all in attendance to sign. If you are a first-time guest, you have a gift waiting for you in the back of the church. Be sure also to sign your name on the pad and let us know how we can reach out to you and get to know you so you know you are welcome.

 

What do I wear?

Come as you are. You will find that office casual is a common attire. 

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Are you wheelchair accessible?

Shelby Presbyterian Church is wheelchair accessible. There are handicapped parking spaces along Harris Street next to the church as well as in the city parking lot adjacent to the church. The sidewalks there are wheelchair accessible to gain entrance to the side of the church on Harris Street (Ellis Hall) and the main entrance (Sanctuary) on East Graham Street. There are handicap-accessible restrooms on the hall near the back of the sanctuary. Access to the second floor is by the elevator located behind the sanctuary. Please see the church map for the locations of the restrooms and the elevator.

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Do you provide hearing assistance?

Shelby Presbyterian Church has recently added a loop system that works with the antenna (T-coil) found in most modern hearing aids to dramatically improve the listening experience. This is the first such system in Cleveland County. Hearing induction loop systems transmit sound wirelessly to the T-coil embedded in the hearing aid. The loop induction amplifier is connected to a copper wire (Loop) which is installed in the floor of a church or other facility. The sound source travels within the loop and the T coil in a hearing aid receives the electromagnetic sound signal and changes back to clear amplified sound with the digital hearing aid circuitry.

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The Loop is like “WiFi” wirelessly broadcasting and received by the hearing aids making the hearing aids a personal wireless headphone system. The Hearing Loop effectively takes the hearing aid microphone and links it directly to the church’s sound system turning your hearing aid into a personal wireless amplified speaker. A T-coil is an option on most hearing aids and is generally in all cochlear implant processors. With a T-coil installed in the hearing aid, the user simply pushes the button or switch for the “T” setting – no additional headsets or receivers are necessary to hear clearly in the induction loop. The T-coil in the hearing aid is programmed by your audiologist while you listen to music or speech in quiet and background noise.

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Do you have youth and children activities?

Our Middle School (grades 6-8) and High School (grades 9-12) youth groups meet most weekends, typically on Sunday evenings for a meal and program. Our Youth Minister and adult volunteers plan activities that help our future leaders to build healthy relationships with others in the group. The Youth are expected to participate in Worship and even lead a service together.

 

On Wednesday nights, children from ages 5 to 5th grade participate in a music and mission program that teaches them songs, handbells, and even liturgical dance, along with bible stories and public service. 

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Other youth activities have included attending camp Greer, Passport or Montreat Youth Summer Camp, hosting a fall festival and an Easter egg hunt for SPC’s little ones, movie nights, scavenger hunts, riding the Virginia Creeper Trail, hiking the Wilderness Trail, lock-ins, parties, stuffing and mailing exam care packs to our college students, and hosting our annual cookout and dessert auction fundraiser to benefit the Youth Mission Fund. Mission teams from Shelby Presbyterian went to Panajachel, Guatemala in 2017 and Bani, Dominican Republic in 2014. For more information about children's and youth programming, contact Carol Ann Hoard.

 

What is your minister like?

Prior to answering God’s call to ministry, Pastor Drew Mangione enjoyed successful careers in communication, working in newspaper journalism, state government, and nonprofit development, all in New York State. 

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Urged to consider the ministry by a Presbyterian Pastor, Drew had not been a part of our tradition before going to Princeton Theological Seminary. Born and raised a Christian, his journey has taken him through multiple traditions. Born in a faith-filled, biblically literate Roman Catholic home, he was acclimated to scripture, church history and theology at a very young age. After meeting his now wife, he began attending her nondenominational church with Baptist and Pentecostal roots, and after they were married, he was elected deacon, serving on the church’s council. He has been involved in ministries with several other churches.

In seminary, he focused his studies on church history and building stronger bonds between Christian denominations. 

His wife Claire is a Western North Carolina native with a background in journalism, education and civic engagement. They have two young children.

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You can expect Drew’s sermons to be grounded in scripture with a love for Greek, Hebrew and the historic faith of the church. He works to communicate scripture as the story of creation and redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is God’s Word made flesh, and who reveals the full identity of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

 

Drew loves to proclaim the Good News or Gospel that ‘God is with us.’ Indeed, because God is with us, we know that we are loved by God and that God wants us to repent, meaning to turn toward God.

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Drew is the church’s lead pastor and teacher, overseeing pastoral care for individuals and equipping members to be knowledgeable, faithful, and active in the church. He leads new member classes and is active in all ministries for children, youth, and adults, as well as working with our church staff and church officers. 

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He welcomes your questions or suggestions and desires your prayers as we seek to serve Christ together. Drew may be contacted by calling the church office at 704-487-8503 or emailing the church.

 

Can I join the choir?

If you have a love for music, and like to sing, the Shelby Presbyterian Church Cancel Choir would love for you to join us!

SPC choir sings a variety of scripture-based anthems, from classical to contemporary to gospel – we work hard, but have fun at the same time. This choir is very dedicated and loves to sing!

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If you are interested, please contact Bruce Moser, SPC’s Chancel Choir Director at info@shelbypres.com for more details.

 

Where do I park?

There is parking available in the city lot at the corner of East Graham St. and Harris St. just to the right of our church. If you are attending the contemporary service, please use the side entrance of the church on Harris St. to reach Ellis Hall. If you are attending the traditional service you may use the side entrance or proceed along the sidewalk at the front of the church to our main entrance on Graham St. There is also street parking on Graham Street and DeKalb Street.

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Additional parking is available across DeKalb Street at the El Acapulco Mexican Restaurant for those who plan to remain for lunch after services. Check out their Sopa de Pollo (Chicken Soup).

 

Do you have childcare on Sunday?

We provide nursery care for preschool children during services. We encourage school-age children to sit with their families. We have age-appropriate books in the narthex for them to read or look at during the service and children’s bulletins for them to draw in and color. 

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Do you have Christian Education Small Groups and Sunday School?

On a typical Sunday morning, you will find between five (5) to nine (9) options for adult education and Sunday School for children and youth of all ages. These classes begin at 9 a.m. and run for 45 minutes, giving you ample time to get to the Sanctuary afterward. In these small groups, you can build relationships within the church by studying together the issues facing us today and the depth of Christian scripture. In addition, these groups are meant for everyone – from our toddlers to our seniors – to get to know one another better and share prayer concerns.

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Can I sleep during the sermon?

Only if you are over 99 years old and don’t snore. All kidding aside, if you are tired and fall asleep in your seat at church or while watching live online at home, at least you are seeking God’s presence among your fellow believers.

 

It’s better to try than miss out entirely. You never know what you will hear in the service or from your peers to remind you of God’s love for you that will help you share that love in the week ahead. If you skip altogether, you’ll miss that. Besides, you can always re-watch the sermon on Facebook or YouTube.