A Name Stitched from Two Pioneers
Gilwood Presbyterian Church sits along Odell School Road in Concord, North Carolina, and the name on its signpost is a small piece of local church history. The word "Gilwood" is a portmanteau of the last names of the congregation's first two pastors, Rev. H.G. Gilland and Rev. R.S. Arrowood, who served together from 1889 to 1891. When the congregation needed land, it purchased 4.75 acres from Isaiah Deweese, and members largely built the first structure themselves - a white rectangular frame building with two doors on the front, one for men and one for women. That original building was dedicated on October 23, 1897.
The little white church was remodeled and brick veneered in 1935. A Sunday School wing followed in February 1963, the first service in the present sanctuary was held on November 2, 1969, and a Fellowship Hall was completed in December 1991. The sanctuary itself was renovated and rededicated on February 13, 2005. The campus still includes a cemetery that serves both members and neighbors, and a part-day preschool that has become a steady presence in its own right.
Sundays at 11:00 in the Sanctuary
Sunday morning begins early at Gilwood. Coffee and fellowship start at 9:30 a.m., Sunday School for all ages begins at 10:00 a.m., and the sanctuary worship service begins at 11:00 a.m. The service is described as a blend of traditional and contemporary elements - Presbyterians honoring liturgical and musical heritage while welcoming what modern music and media can add.
The order of worship includes hymns, prayers of thanksgiving and intercession, scripture reading, preaching, and sacrament. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month as an open table, and all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are invited to partake. A Liturgist program lets volunteers introduce the service and lead the Prayer of Confession and the first Scripture reading.
Beyond the regular rhythm, the church gathers for Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, a sunrise Easter service in the outdoor sanctuary, and Christmas Eve.
Children Welcome in the Pews
Children are not just tolerated at Gilwood - they are part of the service. The Acolyte program is open to young people eight and older, who carry light and flame into worship. A nursery is available during the service for the youngest children, and Children's Church offers its own age-appropriate teaching during parts of the hour. Older children and teens are also encouraged to take visible roles: youth and adults serve as greeters, provide special music, lead catechism, and take part in the Liturgist program.
Sunday School for Every Generation
The Christian Education Committee treats Sunday School as a gathering point for the whole church. Coffee and snacks are set out at 9:45 a.m., and classes for every age begin at 10:00 a.m., with adult groups wrapping up around 10:40 and children's classes ending at 10:45 to give families time to settle into worship.
Classes include a nursery for children from birth through Pre-K, a K - 1 class in Room 109 with Bible-focused and interactive lessons, a 2nd - 6th grade class in Room 105 that follows the Engage curriculum and works through thirteen Old Testament lessons in the fall and thirteen New Testament lessons in winter and spring, and a teen class for grades 7 - 12 in the Youth Room of the Fellowship Hall. Adult offerings include Pathfinders, which meets in the Chapel and works through the Standard Lesson Commentary Series, and Around the Table, a newer group in the Fellowship Hall discussing select Psalms alongside artwork from Psalms of Wonder.
Music as Soil for the Soul
Music carries weight at Gilwood. The Church Choir is the primary choral ensemble, leading worship every Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. service and taking on extra services at Christmas and Easter. Rehearsals are held on Sundays, and all who wish to share the gift of music in worship - at any age - are welcome.
The handbell choir rings three octaves of handbells plus two octaves of hand chimes, rehearses on Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m., and periodically provides music in worship. No previous musical experience is required to join. A praise band rounds out the contemporary side of the blended service.
Presbyterian Women in Three Circles
All women of the church are considered members of Presbyterian Women, the oldest women's organization in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The Gilwood chapter gathers for four quarterly meetings a year, in February, May, August, and November, with a guest speaker often addressing mission needs at the February meeting. Three circles meet monthly for Bible study, fellowship, and service: The Sisters in Spirit meets the second Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. in the Library, Willing Workers meets the second Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Commons, and Helping Hands meets the third Tuesday in the last classroom on the left of the education wing.
The women support the wider church through biannual bake sales and special projects, with proceeds going to organizations like Breast Cancer awareness, Meals on Wheels, Elder Orphan Care, and Hospice House. They provide devotion books for the congregation, Bibles for newborns, meals for bereaved families, and cards and gifts to shut-ins and college students. They also participate in the blanket offering for Church World Service and give to Presbytery designated offerings including the Least Coin, Thank Offering, and Birthday Offering. A weekly small-group Bible study and a prayer team for evangelism round out their work.
Love Your Neighbor Near and Far
Gilwood frames its mission work as the natural outflow of loving God and neighbor. Locally, members care for one another, support community partners, and walk alongside those in need. Four Gilwood members are part of the Presbytery of Charlotte Community Disaster Response Team, a group formed in 1999 after Hurricane Floyd. The church supports hurricane relief and collects flood buckets through that team.
Internationally, the church has sponsored fully funded mission trips in recent years to El Salvador, West Virginia, and the Gulf Coast for members who felt called to go. The annual CROP Walk, usually held the first or second Sunday in October, raises money for worldwide hunger relief while keeping 25 percent of the funds raised in the local community. Gilwood youth regularly take part in the walk.
Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and Farewell
The church marks life's milestones with care. Baptism is received only once and is recognized across Christian traditions; Gilwood baptizes both believers and the children of believers, and the church teaches that baptism points both backward to the grace of God in Christ and forward to God's promised future. Confirmation is the public moment when those baptized as children make their own profession of faith and are received as active members.
Weddings at Gilwood are open to non-members as well as members, and the church treats marriage as a covenant celebrated in community. Funerals are likewise open beyond the membership, and the church helps families through the practical and pastoral details of saying farewell. The cemetery on the property is available for those who wish to be laid to rest in the church's care, and policies for weddings, funerals, and cemetery arrangements are kept on hand.
Gilwood Presbyterian Preschool
The preschool is woven into the same campus as the church, sharing the address at 2993 Odell School Road. It is a part-day program running Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., September through May, with an optional Lunch Bunch hour from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Total enrollment is sixty-four children across eight classes and seven teachers, and the program keeps class sizes small to support individual growth.
Curriculum highlights include music class on Wednesdays for the three-, four-, and five-day children, and a weekly Chapel time in the sanctuary that includes a children's sermon, songs, and prayer. Class offerings include The Twos and The Threes on two- or three-day schedules, and The Fours on two-, three-, or five-day schedules, with children placed by age as of August 31. Priority enrollment goes to current students, their siblings, and active members of the church, and registration for the following year opens in February.
What Presbyterians at Gilwood Believe
The church holds a brief statement of faith shaped by the Reformed tradition: "In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth, praying, 'Come, Lord Jesus.'" Seven convictions frame the teaching.
Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, ruling and using it as he wills. God is sovereign and known as Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scripture is the written Word of God, and wherever it is read and proclaimed, Jesus Christ the Living Word is present by the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is by grace through faith, never earned by human effort; even faith is a gift. The priesthood of all believers means every Christian stands on equal footing before God, and the church's democratic form of government reflects the sanctity of the individual conscience. The "great ends" of the Church are the proclamation of the gospel, the shelter and nurture of the children of God, the maintenance of divine worship, the preservation of the truth, the promotion of social righteousness, and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. Because the gospel calls the church to extend fellowship to all, Gilwood welcomes every person who trusts in God's grace in Jesus Christ and desires to share in the fellowship and ministry of the Church.
Staying Connected
The church office at 2993 Odell School Road is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the staff can be reached at 704-782-0134 or office@gilwoodchurch.org. A sermon library holds recorded services from November 2025 forward for those who miss a Sunday or want to revisit a message, and giving is available online through the church's giving page. Visitors who want a head start can fill out the Connect form to receive news, announcements, and community event information by email, and social channels on Facebook and Instagram carry the latest updates between Sundays.